Yet another life is uprooted, and thrown senselessly into the chaotic void of creation. Will he emerge alive, or slowly burn himself while trying to save Equestria- and himself?
It's been years. Wasted years, doing nothing but wait. Wait for the right circumstances. Wait for the right timing. A fate similar to nightmare moon's- but one that isnt caused by hatred and malice, but rather a stroke of bad luck, and a series of bad choices. A destiny, a unique talent, and stakes that have never been higher. A danger that no one knows how to deal with- not even the princessly sisters, and unlikely friendships will test harmony itself. Can the world even be saved? Can Equus be reborn from its ashes? Just what kind of future are we trying to avoid? Are we really saving us, or expediting our own doom?
This story is a sequel to some unpublished stories. Lore warning! Lots of explications, definitions, the rhythm of the story can sometimes be kinda weird because of that. It's still unedited for that sole reason.
DISCLAIMER - This Fic countains scenes not suitable for children- who am i Kidding? Lie to your browser if you must, but don't come crying afterwards. Drug abuse, Gore and extreme violence await you- If The Boys proves too much for you, turn back. Also, This will hint strongly at a universe built by KudzuHaiku through the stories of the Weedverse. I'll try to get his approval for any character that might appear in this story, or any context or situation that appear in his works. I'll try to steer clear of his stuff, and mind that my map and his aren't exactly the same- I've been borrowing the map from the Known World-and nothing else from their universe, but i believe there won't be any consistancy issues. Please bear in mind that we're all fans here, writing for fun. I'm not trying to plagiarize anything he did- in fact, i believe we're both trying to show an Equestria we're fond of, and I want to give him all the credit that he is due (after all, one of the reasons i'm writing is because of the inspiration he gave me) so i'll try not to fuck around too much.
Also, kids, get the fuck outta here. This is bound to get either dark, sexual, or drugs related (main character is literally using in the first chapter) so don't even try reading it, it'll fly twenty feet over your head.
Thanks for the continued support, and for the wonderful platform. I believe sharing pony arts is one of the most therapeutic things ever, and i'm doing this as a way of writing my pain away. This might get depressive. This might get hard. I might sometimes vanish for weeks or months, and i merely want you all to be patient if this ever hits. I'm not a writer, the sickness and the drugs might make this a hard read, hard to understand, follow, but my native language isnt english- so things might not always make sense.
This story will be worked on in this Discord Server! Join us as I write without much editing (barely any, in fact). Btw, I don't know where this story is going. I'm literally winging it as i go along. Come give your input! Steer the story yourself! Rp with us on the sidelines?
Thank you again for everything, constructive (and destructive) criticism is welcome.
Allright folks, you're clearly having some questions over the weird things in this story- so let's just summarize a few things the audience should get to know, or know before the story actually starts. One of those main ''things'' are called Artefacts, usually under the shapes of crystals, and are semi-sentient lifeforms that adapt to their users. Usually, when picked up, they tend to attach themselves near the brain, and synch with the user's nervous system, and creating a 'realm'- a virtual reprensation of a user's spiritual soul, allowing them to walk around their own head, and get to understand the core of their psyche and the history of their souls. Also, they usually give you a neat hud to understand your body's needs better, manage the distribution of enzymes and chemicals in your brain and bloodflow, strenghten your body and act as nanomachines, repairing and maintaining your body (you still need to take care of your hygiene manually, sadly) for you. Usually, they also strenghten the neck of the user, allowing them to use the horn as a gore weapon too. Most horns (scratch that, all horns) give the user a special ability and form, which can be used in combat or in free mode, and allow them to reach the astral plane, separate their souls and bodies at will (with a few exceptions, Apokryphes being one)
Now, another thing you might want to know- the finite amount of magic in this world was a problem, until the breach was made- ever since then, an apparently infinite amount of magic is leaking into the world... But it's soured. Corrupted. The Magic has infested the world all around- not unlike strands of webbing, many territories are now defined by theses Aether-burned wastelands. One could cross them by flying over, running through as quickly as possible- although it posed risks. Mutations, all manners of enervartion and foul radiations, those fields of wonky magic can mess with reality itself. Nothing, well almost nothing, can set hoof in there and brag about making it back safely. Most end up abominations, ghoulish entities, or revenge-seeking spirits and specters, a testament to the awful death resulting from prolonged exposure to the wild magics.
Luckily, Apokryphes has spent his six earliest lives trying to create a cure for this magic affliction- a talent that could purify and alter the wicked magics into safe, sustainable kinds. But, he's only one pony. And the world is a pretty big place, last i checked.
That seems to sum it up quite quickly, i think. Next is, characters- The most important one would be the creator of theses artefacts, Orpheus Apokryfes. This old duche somehow made those things for the betterment of his own race, let's call them Eternals (for those who played Divinity), but sadly had his creation backfired by none other than humans, seeking power and tech for their own evil stuff they have planned. Here comes Ashes Grey, first human to stand up to his kind, make a sacrifice and become and immortal swirly patch of ashes, seeking vengeance against some evil overlord, whose name is still unknown, but who somehow ended up a friend of Grogar and The pony of Shadows back in the day. Most call him the Sallow Pony, by the way, even though we have no knowledge of what a Sallow is. There's also Lux Lucet, former human, who stumbled on a crystal when all hope had been lost in his life, and he ended his life with the crystal- enfusing it with his memories, as he died, and sent the horn in another dimension, where ''he'' could have a life in a world free of humans. Sadly, the breach has been made, and his last wish might not come true. Anyways, we needed to know about his horn a bit- The power of Space Manipulation. By creating ''Rooms'', he could manipulate whatever was inside, including life, death, innanimate objects, and whatever in between. His lens, another piece of crystal tech, allowed him to see across dimensions and realities, if harnesses properly. Mostly, he used it to see from ana to kata, just look it up if you're not a math junkie. Next, we have a few narrators! One of them is in the Story, Watcher- just a douche with an attitude problem, siding with humanity but against corruption- a hard side to side with. (God, that sounds weird.) There's also the Silence, a girl who used to be human, turned banshee, and found a way to haunt creatures across universes and realities. She's looking for Saul, a soul that has the potential to save the universe from some whacky evil she ran away from. Nice little backstory there, some lore, but i'm not sure i'll ever write it down.
Next, we've got some dude, the first Alchemist who learnt from and about the Horns of Crystal, he called them. He was one of the only guys ever to get his hooves over more than one Artefact, and that speaks volumes of how dangerous and messed up theses things are. Most hosts live less than a year after merging with an Artefact- either their powers overpowers them, or some badasses take them down. Only a handfull were able to get their hands on two or three- Even Orpheus didn't hold on more than one at a time, and his power, ''Overseer'', has been put in lockdown in his lybrary. In today's age, it cannot be used without ''Room'', or else... Well, you might see it one day.
Now, let's explain characters. This story takes place in a distant, weedverse-friendly future where Technology is slightly more advanced than Human's today, thanks to magic covering the gaps where human ingenuity isn't enough- though there aren't smartphones and Internet yet. Who needs them in a world of Colorful Equines?
The main Character, now bear with me, is actually a reincarnation of Orpheus Apokryphes. Through a complex yet easy process, one can "reincarnate" without loosing too many memories, retain some skills, and even make changes to it's psyche and personality between reincarnations. Basically, it involves creating a Tulpa, and making it merge with the newly created soul of an infant- in some cases where the merge fails, like here in this story, they get to share a soul and body until Pale claims them. Now this guy, he's not so bright. The more you reincarnate, the less gets transfered into your new body- and the less your skills are translated into instinct. And in this seventh life, Orpheus became Lazy. He might have some understanding of the complex physics involved in high-tier magic, and he might have a carefully breeded, genetically perfect unicorn body, but the fact that he spent his last life far from the struggles he faced in the firsts, makes him less suited for battle and adventuring. He is a glass cannon, and his only edge is his knowledge of the things he barely remembers building and the magic he barely remembers weaving. Half OP, half weakling, I think it's gonna make for some interesting battle scenes. His brittle ego, his fear of getting hurt will easily overcome him in moments of stress, and the passing if time has taken a toil on his mind. Unlike Alicorns, and other immortals, his mind wasn't made to hold that many memories, that much information, and it had turned him slightly insane. Usually sports a leather duster filled with miscellaneous items that one wouldnt usually carry, but could always have a use for- and drugs. Always. Hes grown quite the beard- a rare feat for ponies, an elongated neck and slender legs. His delicate, yet slighlty bulky frame has a little extra patches of hair around the usual patches you'd expect a northern tribe pony to have, but he's from a deadbeat, backwater farmland, was a studious sort that enjoyed psychology, Philosophy and the arts, along with magic- something he might retain from his parents, somewhat- and has a kind of Charismatic silver tongue, and an almost manipulative vibe, but always has the greater good of everyone in mind. He is from a very specific heritage that can access an ancestry bloodline power- which lets him spiritually sense around him, not unlike a unicorn can magicaly sense- but with an extra kick to it. He can manipulate wild magic, and attune himself to any magic he can sense and get a good feel on. That can give him insight as to how to use certain magics in any given situation, though he himself is about as talentless and clueless as can be, even with his arcane knowledge.
Now, he isnt much of to look at either. His pelt full of patches of longuer, groggy hair, and of a dull beige color at rest. When harnessing magic, it will change slightly to match what he's doing- going from a bleached straw-blonde, to a dark terra cota kind of greyish tint. His eyes will follow the same pattern- they can show a lot, so keep your attention up when you see me describe them. They have two variables- the outer rim, and the inner rim, around the iris. The outer edge is usually a dark blue, slate-dark-grey color, and can take on greenish hues, and dip into paler colors, up to a seagreen shade of cyan. The Inner rim, ranges from pale yellow/white, to a golden yellow, then orange, burnt orange, and finally red- and if he ever hits a dark red, for the love of anything that's holy, run. His mane is of a weathered, ashen blonde color- with graying tips, even in his young age, styled pretty long for a Stallion, and a tail to match. Unkempt and shaggy, always in a tangled mess, since he's an earth pony and is used to be fused with a crystal horn taking care of his needs- and telekinesis to comb his mane.
He's got a party, of course- but it's one hell of a confusing party. A barely equine timber-bug-pony, former science project, having extremely sensitive and adaptable DNA, able to display a wide range of abilities suitable for any occasion- but with a language barrier and an almost bipolar behavior to nerf her down. Dark hues of purples and blues make up her shifting pelt, mane of decaying leaves in autumn, and leaves sprouting out of her fetlocks, withers, neck, you get the idea. Wings made out of timber and leaves.
Another member of the squad is a sentient goose named Erika, another immortal who's made deals with Eldritch Abominations beyond the rift leading to other worlds. Basically, she summons Cthulhu and various horrors. Don't get her mad!
I had another idea for a character that could fit with theses errors of nature, a concept brought from another story i haven't had the courage to write. He might find his way here, but I'll keep the surprise. When he appears in the story, i'll update the Reference here. A little spoiler, though- he is another immortal, made out of ashes.
Darkness, all around. A fleeting sense of purpose, of deep understanding, of cosmic meaning. Motes of light dancing accross my vision. I'm only vaguely conscious of my body- which feels both like rust and pudding, somehow- and a dizzying headache.
As the stars stop spinning around my head, i finally take stock of my surroundings- a bare, ashen wasteland. Bodies all around, innate, charred or otherwise reduced to bits of gore.The strong wind whipping around me brings dust (and ashes of pony parts) into my eyes, in my nostrils, on my tongue. A little whinny and a snort clears my aching sinuses. Bits and pieces of gore clung to my pelt in various places (was that an eye or a gland?) And i swallowed back some bile, my dock spasming a bit.
I had let myself go again. The gamble hadn't payed off.
My eyes are finally open. I can't let it end like this. After all theses lives trying to make them all pay, maling them suffer a fate mimicking the state of my broken heart, i finally realise: Its not what i wanted.
There might still be enough power left to go back. My horn sparks as i try to push a little aether through it- it's sizzling, scalding heat reminds me of just how hurt I am. The battle had been fierce- i hadn't expected them to follow me through my spell, but i was able to overcome them, in the end. My eyes glaze over my wounds- I had a choice to make. Either heal myself, and stumble around the wastes i've created for sisters knows how long.
Or... I could try to go back. I can feel a twinge on the web- other ponies, or creatures, have answered the call. I could join them.
Straining, pushing aether and complex thoughts into my horn, i channel the spell. I've already reached a conclusion. There's no point in wandering a broken Equus. True, killing everything did feel satisfying, but at what cost? I need to try once more... Just once. Then i can give up and sleep. Hopefully definitely, but I wouldn't push it. The fates don't take kindly to those who work against them- and those who aren't born from it.
With a grunt, I let go of the vortex of energy swirling around my horn, and bid goodbye to my crystal. I'll return to being an earth pony, when I go back. I'll forget a few things. But insight... Insight is forever inprinted in my psyche. I'll have to trust future/past myself to do the right choices.
And with a wink, I exhale, and step into the light pouring from my horn.
----------//----------
I startled myself awake. With a little snort, i look through the window on my right- bright sun, pastel colored sky. A few lazy clouds. On the floors under me, i can hear clutter and cooking sounds- and two sets of hoofsteps.
"Home?" My own voice startles me, yet again. For some reason, i expected a dry, hoarse croak, an unintelligible word- but a soft, kinda smokey and honeyed voice reaches my ears. The smells of blood, gore and death are replaced by hints of vanilla and hay bacon, and soft wood, with a slightly metallic twinge, hinting at the Earth Pony styled home I remember growing up in, and breakfast being prepared downstairs.
With a grunt, I push the sheets away from my slightly sweaty body and sit up on the edge of my hay bed. The sun's position tells me it's somewhere between 8 and 9 am, and the softly chirping birds tell me the neighborhood is apparently safe. There are no screams, no tension in the air- ponies are carefree, stumbling down the streets, the stress of a future war completely faded into the recessed corners of my mind.
With a glance, I look at myself in my room's mirror- an antique piece of Earth Pony art, a standing mirror with an etched rune frame, made of a dark maple and with abyssal wood accents. Once a mirror used to communicate between realms, it was now a decorative piece of junk that reflected all manners of lights. As of now, it showed me back my own face, the bags under my slate eyes, with hints of a red sun reflected in it- and the familiar amber center around my irises, showing i had been unter magical strain- no duh- and the whites slightly bloodshot, some veins almost pulsing with aether energies, showed I was making quite an effective recovery, but still needed a little rest. My body wasnt physically hurt, but hints of scars could be seen under my bland beige pelt. Locks of an ashen blonde mane fell before my eyes, and I blew them away with a tail flick of annoyance. I stretched- and cracked a few joints of- my long, long neck, and released a sigh of satisfaction upon working all the kinks out. My furr had thick, ruffled patches, especially my shoulders, dock, and collar, and I knew I would- no, will have to spend quite a while brushing myself off. My cutie mark, oddly placed on my forehead, was itchy this morning. There must be some weird magic nearby, or at least someone in my household has been busy practicing some spell or something- that much I could feel, even without throwing my senses around.
Today will be a good day. One without fighting for my life. I'll be able to rest without keeping an eye open. I won't have to eat rough patches of grass and leaves to sustain my compressed stomach- in fact, I might be slightly overweight now.
Raising a hoof to my chin, a much shorter beard meets my frog, and I streak it slowly, mindlessly.
I can remember a few things this time. I remember the regret of yielding to my rage, I can still taste the bile of regret down my throat. Did i really...? All of them?
I shudder. There were times I wished I wasnt plagued with eternal life- but I knew it was futile to dwell on what ifs and maybes. Stirring my body, getting a feel for every part, i notice the distinct lack of injuries- but the pain is still there. My left hind leg was still half rusted in, and wouldnt move as fluidly as my other limbs- my long neck crickled and cracked in many places, suggesting I was still under a lot of duress, and needed some downtime. My muscles ached but didn't protest much as I tried to stand up.
There was much to do, and lots of time to do it- but time would soon be working against me. I knew where I had to go today- For the sixth time, I would have to gather up a crew, and figure out what manner of big bad evil guy the universe would be conjuring to screw me up the backside today, before setting out on a quest- find some way to stop the eventual war from wrecking the whole known world.
Taking carefull steps, I waddled down the stairs to at least get a little breakfast in me first. Saving the world could wait.
----------//----------
As I trudged down the stairs, a pink tail came into view in the kitchen. Instinctively, my backside clenched shut, and my dock spasmed- my shoulders buckled down and my hind legs flexed slightly. I wasnt prepared for what was coming.
"Oh, you're finally up. Sit down, I'll get your breakfast ready." The voice that haunted every colt in the area. The voice that transcended time and would always make me anxious and edgy, even as an ascended deity with ties to the underworld.
Even the fiddler would hesitate to claim this mare's life- a fambloyant pink and off white mare, a genius in magitech and other arcane sciences. An accomplished engineer and spellcaster- one that had graduated from the mainland's most distinguished school for gifted unicorns- and the most fierce pony alive.
My mother, Dawn Spark.
"Don't trouble yourself. I'll tend to my own meal, just take it easy and relax, Mother." Sweat broke on my brow as I spoke- an act of defiance, any question to her authority, could have desastrous consequences.
"Did I stutter? I said Sit Down. I need to have a word with you." The back of her head was starring right into my soul. I didnt need to see the fiery orbs of molten stone to know there would be no escaping this.
With a wordless nod, I sliently walked to the table and slid into my seat, a high chair of feathers-stuffed vegan leather- and noticed the slight peeling of the leather, the nicks and marks on the softwood maple table. Our household had seen better days, and with our failing bodies, we just couldn't keep everything in top condition- and many pieces of furniture now sported some marks of wear and tear. The entropy was strong in our household, and the strain on the magical spectrum was almost visible around us, a shimmering- not unlike vapor over a cup of tea, which Dawn Spark just placed before me along with a bowl of seeds and nuts, honey and berries.
"-he still hasn't called. Not only am I worried over him, now I'm worried over how we'll fare this winter." Blinking one eye, she aimed the other directly at my irises, taking great care not to waver, or hesitate while she hissed, "were you even listening?"
Disturbed, distracted by my own thoughts, i had missed the first half of her sentence. Already, I could feel her stare bore a hole into my very soul. Quickly reviewing what I heard, I was able to piece back what she had meant- or so I hoped.
Taking a sharp breath, I nodded before clearing my throat. "Should I go-" As I started speaking, I saw the light in her eyes. She was already pissed.
"You will do exactly as I say, today. I don't want to see you sprawled on the couch as long as you haven't reported to your Father. I want the lab to be restocked, and I want you to ask the sisters for more financing before you do. If I have to use my magic to heat the house this year, you won't ever hear the end of it. And make sure your father isn't lacking anything either. I want results before the first snow, but I dont want him forget to eat and starve either. Now gobble up and get going, I want you out of here so I can concentrate upon more pressing matters." And with that, I was apparently spared her ire- for now, at least- and knew what I was going to do today.
With a weary sigh, I nodded. "Sure thing, Mother." She narrowed her eye at me, signaling that the sigh might've been pushing it a bit, and she half stomped, half stormed out of our dining area, and went to sit on the sofa a few hooves farther away into the open-spaced condo we shared. With a little spark of her horn, she was already hard at work back in her own wonderland, somewhere in her mindscape. Being careful not to make much noise, I ate as quickly as possible, making sure not to get any seeds stuck in my teeth and drank the energizing tea in a few gulps to wash the meal down. I quickly took care of the dishes, carefully manipulating it with my lips instead of my teeth to avoid unnecessary noise- or damaging the polish by scratching it, and headed back upstairs so I could get ready to head outside, to the lab we all worked at. Princess Cadence's very own research center on the mind and Thaumaturgical sciences- which was pretty disctincted from magic due to its biological approach to its relation to us ponies. Thaumaturgy was the fields, the magics of earth ponies and pegasi alike, and innate body magic of unicorns, while the more commonly refered to "magic" usually meant the channelable energy unicorns shot through their horns.
I myself possessed a peculiar innate magic. Born an earth pony from the union of a pegasus and unicorn, I was a special case of evolution and cutie mark, magical destiny nonsense. My mark wasn't on my flank like others. It hung over my eyes where a unicorn's horn should be, and was more of a symbol then a pictogram ponies usually have. It was a simple inverted triangle with a dot at its center, and small circles on the triangle's angles- the symbol unicorns use in their texts to represent wild magic, the kind that isn't controllable, that floats around and warps stuff. The bad, chaotic kind that even Princess Celestia can't deal with, and won't stick her hoof in. The foul kind that unaware foals ran into, twisting them into eldritch abominations and the next evil to be cleansed on Princess Twilight's list.
The kind that I, for some reason, seem at least partially immune to, and can somehow absorb. My mark allows me to comprehend the nature of synthesized, corrupt or otherwise eldritch magic, and refine it into stabilised magic- the kinds of which is only a definite amount of available that every unicorn and creature under the sun uses. The kind that weaves this world into atoms and structures you can stand on. You see, my whole reason for being alive is a necessity. I am Essential to this world, and so have made a contract with the very earth we are standing on. Me and my familly, in fact.
Did I forget to mention this? I am approximately 430 years old. I have in fact lived six other lives before this one- a few of which died a bit prematurely, other who lived outstandingly long for the common 70 years old life expectancy of equines. Through an unnatural, synthetic process, my ancestors had found a way to retain their memories and start another life from birth- but few were able to undergo the process and stay sane. It robbed me of a few emotions, and left me a broken husk of flesh with a hollow heart, and I feel like i've been spared the worst of fates such a process can afflict. My power rivals that of other big evils and super powered equines everywhere, and so I am on the royal watchlist- meaning I've been surrounded by the brightest minds ever since my first rebirth, and have always been around to help shape the history of Equines on this part of the globe. Due to aforementioned contract with Terra Firma, I am to assist druids and royals with conserving our age of peace, while forever being on the lookout for the next big thing that could ruin us all. The kind of life that never gets old in more ways than one, and constantly makes one fear for his life- or unlife, as the case may be. My body is of the same flesh as anyone else- but my mind makes me a weapon, an asset, as the royals call it, that must be kept under wraps, for fear of starting yet another apocalypse. Imagine if any other equine you met while grocery shopping was a 600 yrs old deity of some kind. If the one packing your saddle bags was galacticus, enslaver of worlds and now reformed super evil, and if just about anyone had that kind of super destiny magical thingy for a cutie mark? This is why I'm the only one of my kind, and living in semi-hiding. My mother thinks i'm yet another gifted children of our family, as to keep up appearances as much as possible. In fact, only two sisters know of my real identity- Celestia and Cadence- and a few members of the "Royal's intelligence and Special Anti-disaster Team" or RISADT, as we call it, are aware of just how fucked up my life is.
Blinking, I realize that I'm standing before my room's mirror, starring at my own eyes for god knows how long, completely lost in my thoughts. My slate-colored, bloodshot orbs had a hint of metallic, deep blue, and the rind around my iris was slightly yellowed. I looked like shit, but at least i was apparently sane and normal. I wasn't corrupted or otherwise affected by any radiation or Thaumaturgical field of any kind. Safe enough to venture in my own mind, for my morning check up.
It was time to take my medicine and fall into a meditation to see if my soul was still in good shape. Especially after travelling through time like I did- who knows what kind of stuff I could've picked up on the way, that could be hitching a ride in my spiritual realm not unlike a virus or rat on a ship? Though to be fair, my mother would've sensed it somehow, in all rationality.
Taking great care to restrain my earth pony strenght, I fish a hoof into my jacket, and unveil a translucid, smoked glass water pipe. I've crushed such pipes in the past, and my tender frogs remember the pain of little shards of glass dancing a waltz in my flesh, making me slightly shudder. I place it on my room's desk and take a seat before it. Producing a small silicone container, I open it to reveal six little cases each containing a different strain or mix of the drug that's holding my mind and soul together. I take a metal stick in the lining of the case, and proceed to dip it into the most common blend, opiates and poison joke. The latter's aroma, mixed with the poppyish, cannabinoids rich scent makes my sinuses tickle and my mouth water as I focus on the terpenes invading my nose. Hints of pear, peaches and mangoes mixed with the unmistakably hibiscus-lile bitter aroma of poison joke makes for quite a flavorful combination that I especially enjoy in the mornings before my ritualesque meditation- the sativa makes my mind active and awake, though relaxed and focused- while the poison joke cleans the mental clutter away and purges my system of any magical or Thaumaturgical radiation/degradation, a quite effective drug to start your day or burn the rads away.
I take ahold of the pipe and apply pressure on it's switch, making the banger heat up until the quartz becomes a glowing red, and let go to let it cool down to around 350° Farenhoof, meaning i wait about 27, 30ish seconds before dipping the metalic stick into the banger, letting the thick smoke bubble around the pipe and into my lungs as i take a lomg, slow breath. A rich, creamy aroma of a blend of fruits and earthy flowers fill my senses with a little euphoria, which is quick to pass, and makes my senses finally fall into focus. I finally feel normal, whatever that is, and ready to fall in meditation.
Eerie, calm silence filled the air. A slightly moist summer breeze carried the smell of flowers and honey, but also of a certain humidity, like it will rain tomorrow.
It will never rain here, for there were no clouds. Only a comfortable, soothing light coming from nowhere, that pierced the darkness stretching into infinity beyond the confines of the soft, embracing light. In the middle of... Well, nowhere, stood a large building that ressembled a school, or a covent, or some manner of hospital. It was a tastefull bland of old ponish and griffic architecture, something ressembling the mess halls of Valhalla pictured in ancient, northern tribe scriptures- something not quite equine in nature, with hints of centaur technology, could be seen from the outside- such as the massive gate he was standing next to. Usually, said gate is closed to visitors. But he was no visitor- not quite the owner, but far from some estranged acquaintance dropping by. Not either unlike a roomate wondering if he has the right accesss to the living room while his roomate is having a jerkoff on the couch, he took an hesitant step inside the gate, and looked at the door to the main building before him; the doors seemed ajar, as if they hadnt been properly closed and a drifting wind had slightly opened them. He took it as a sign he was half-heartedly welcome, and treaded cautiously inside.
Who knows in what state the heart was, after such a long jump. The last time he was consicious of such a jump, he remembered how devastated the house was. How much time and effort it took to rebuild himself. As of today, he recalls the house looks particularly fine... Maybe too fine. That's why he was such on edge, he expected things to go sideways pretty fast- and he wasn't entirely wrong.
Casting a hoof against the door, he effortlessly pushed it open, and marveled at how everything looked... Fine. There wasnt even much dust hanging in the air, catching the stray beams of light from the skylights above. A jukebox played classical music in a corner. A display glass showed a few pictures of important ponies- most of them dead today, with the exception of a few immortals such as dragons, pony princesses and eldritch abominations- one of which a goose, with a shiny golden label saying "Erika"- and a few other outerworldy beings. There were also a few knickknacks, relics of a bygone era, forgotten to ponies and other modern mundane folk.
The lights flicked open in the hallways, and a door at the end of the room opened- with a soft summer breeze, it swung open slowly, inviting him, beckoning him to go deeper in the bowels of the mansion.
He obliged.
----------//----------
"I figured you would come. You always appear after a large strain on our reserves. Welcome back, Master." A floating pony, made of light, lazily drifted around the room. Her long, shining, flowing golden mane was enticingly wrapping itself around the visitor, embracing him lovingly. "You didn't have much trouble finding your way in? I changed the layout a bit." The floating pony's voice was smooth and silky, with an almost sultry french accent. Her velvety lavender eyes shone with a caring, kind light, and her pelt was a dull, pale yellow, soothing to the eyes.
"I have jumped again. I'm back in our childhood era- i believe i should let you know before you came out. Mother hasn't changed a bit... And I'm about to go see Dad. But before all that... I wanted to know how you were faring." The visitor shook off his duster's hood, and an ashen blonde mane shone with the lavender light coming from the eyes of his first friend. "It's good to see myself again, even if it's you Silence."
The light pony giggled. "I'm glad to see you too. I'm fine, I try to stay busy reshelving the library... And keeping your inner demons in check. Oh, and how do you like the new look?" She gave a twirl to show off her ethereal- yet perfectly plump curves. On her flank was the image of a ripple in a pond, and the reflection of a moon in the waving water.
"You look good, Silence. I'm glad to see you're okay. Handling crystal, centaur magic always makes me worry that I'll find you in a bad state. I don't think i could handle another fire..." His eyes glossed over, and the shadow of regret, mayhaps, took over his facial features. His lip almost trembled, in a rare display of emotion- the fire took a lot out of him. The fire took a lot out of Silence too, and she was left pretty weakened after his death back then. He had found the house completely burnt, and a lot of his memories were lost that day. The day he refused to ascend, and was overwhelmed by a power he couldn't handle.
She lifted a hoof, and caressed his cheek. "Don't worry. I'm stronger today, because of it. I won't let anything break us apart ever again..." She stroked his beard, and rested her head against his long neck. "I won't let anything break us. You can trust your subconscious to me, and put your worries to rest." Suddenly, her features brightened up, along with a wide smile and crows feet under her eyes- "You think I can warp reality hard enough to let Dad see me today? Do you think i've grown enough?"
With a chuckle, he replied, "I think it's worth a try. If anything, i can connect our mindscapes like last time." He quickly put his hooves on his ears, as the filly-minded mare before him shook herself off in a victory dance and a pretty loud cheer. "I bet he's gonna brush my mane, and let me drive the car around! It's gonna be so much fun! Hurry up, get out of here and at Dad's already!" She playfully shoved her host towards the door, pronking all the way towards the massive gates outside the Heart.
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My eyes fluttered open, the light stinging a bit. The exchange didn't last very long, but an hour had passed in the outside world. It was more than time to get up and get going; otherwise i just know I'll pass the whole day on the couch doing nothing. After living for centuries, i can honestly say that my worst enemy is procrastination. When you dont have to worry about aging, and dying, you tend to care little about wasting a day or two.
I could feel the tug in my mind, and after a few seconds, a mote of light appeared in front of my eyes. Silence apparently wanted to come out- and with a mental switch flipping, i let her manifest herself. A shower of lights and sparks twirling like a small dust devil manifested before me, and before long her light was cast around my room, making little dust bunies flying in the air sparkle and shine like pop stars on a stage. The off-white walls were glowing a golden color, and the few frames around the room now reflected rays of the flare coming from Silence's shining presence. Everything felt calm around us- but i knew that the second i'd walk downstairs, mother would sense Silence and give an huff of annoyance as my "mental clutter" filled the space around her and would make her feel oppressed. And just like that, my mood was soured for the upcoming few hours.
Being broken had perks, and disabilities alike.
----------//----------
I had teleported to avoid furtherly souring my mood- Honestly, i can't understand how angry i can be at times- and winked into existence just outside the laboratories in the industrial district of Canterlot. The city was stretched onto a few levels, and the lowest one, industrial, was filled with assembly lines, factories and a few offices. The buiding i stood in front of was actually an old warehouse refitted into a laboratory, a small, inconspicuous space that hid yet another one great equestrian secret: an underground base for one of Equestria's hidden agencies. My Family's order, the one i founded back in one of my earlier lives.
Bearing the symbol of the crown and the order's mark, an alchemical symbol for "heaven", my pass allowed me a direct access through the processing at the entrance, the guard barely reacting to my presence. I hopped into an elevator, and made my way to the lower floors. The underground headquarters had quite a large number of laboratories, all located under our offices and guard's barracks in order to hide our research as much as possibe, in the event of a raid- and the research Dad was working on was quite sensible, as a matter of fact.
The place had seen better days. The first floor above was immaculate- not even a speck of dust- but even the elevator showed signs of wear. Many scratches on it's wooden laqued floor, the paint on the buttons was slightly smeared and washed off, the light flickered occasionally, and the soft jazz playing from the hidden radio was crackling like an old witch- all in all, claustrophobic ponies clearly chose to use the stairs over the old elevator.
With a soft 'ding', the music stopped while a mare's voice announced, "Laboratories - Research and Development". As the doors parted, I strolled out of the elevator, and took a few steps towards yet another receptionist. "Excuse me, is the department's head still working in lab 5?"
Disinterested, the mare casually waved a hoof around and gave a huff of annoyance, her many pieces of jewelry tinkling on her hoof as she twirled it. "Obviously, we can't even get him to leave the lab in order to sleep. It was high time someone came to get him out of there. He has us all on edge with his experi-" she was cut off by a small explosion, coming our left.
My ears pricked, and my nose sniffed. My senses were telling me that it came from after the bend in the left hallway- most likely, lab 5. I sighed. "I'll see if i can't get him to take a break, at least. I'll pay for the damages my idiotic Father caused... As usual." With a swish of my tail, I took of in the direction of the acrid smoke- i could already see ponies running from it. A twinge in my mind told me to be careful- Silence obviously sensed something, and it was wise not to dismiss it casually.
The soft clip clop of my hooves on the tiled floor echoed in a weird way as i turned into view of Lab 5. This peculiar lab was built into the cliffs of the Canterlot's lower spires- and as such, had a large bay window- letting in quite a lot of natural light, for some experiments behaved and reacted poorly to the constantly flickering, magically charged neon lights. The view was impressive, but what caught my attention was the state of the Lab.
Tables overturned, papers strewn about, smokong instruments- and the pod in the middle of it all, seemed intact. Cracks were running along it's lenght, but it still seemed in good enough of a shape. The crystal condensers had held the charge, and the circuits hadn't fried like the prototype a few weeks ago. Promising research.
"Dad? Anything broken?"being carefull not to step ok anything that could prickle my frogs, i made my way over to the pod, and opened it. Inside, a pegasus was curled up on a reclining chair, his golden-brown eyes glued to some screen showing various readings, while his primaries were working on some other pieces of machinery. Revered Scientist of the Apokryphes family, yet an idiotic bridbrain, my father was like me- an unnamed pony bearing only a mark and the Apokryphes name. He used to be an artist, an actor, until he was scouted by the order, purely for genetical reasons. They wanted to create the perfect host body for me-and thus was born Silence. They clearly had the same eyes, the same nose, the same rictus when they smiled. The dextrous ends of his wings were slightly darkened and glistened from the oil they were covered in, but you could still see the golden tips if you looked hard enough- the same golden color Silence's pelt often shone. His dull terra cota pelt was smeared with oils, chemicals and smelled an awful lot like the acrid smoke filling the air.
"Sonny, look at that. The Bose Einstein condensate held! We were able to successfully create another state of matter! Yet another breakthrough- soon, we will be able to make a stable one! I'm so excited! Years of research, hundreds of hours of hard work, isolated in this lab, finally bearing fruit!" He tapped the display once, twice, then twisted it so i could have a look. "Here, look at that. Even the molecular structure hasn't changed. The condensate was stable enough to even create it's own electromagnetic field! This is science that will change the way ponies interact with nature forever!"
I patted him on the shoulder, and a small smile crept unto my lips. This meant i was a few steps away to finally getting healed. "I'm proud of you, Dad. And i'm glad your research finally got you somewhere." A tingle ran from the back of my head, down to my withers. "But could you please leave the lab for a few days? There is so much enervation and harmful radiation around, i wonder how your gums aren't bleeding right now."
He nodded, his frantic eyes still glued on the screen before him. "Sure, sure, we'll go grab a bite in a few minutes. I need to record all of this data before I forget it. Could you go see if Specimen 46 is allright? Loud noises always distress her to no end." He immediately returned his attention towards the flashing screen, and I had a feeling a reply would fall on deaf ears.
I turned my hooves, and walked out the lab towards the containment chambers in the other hallway- passing in front of the secretary, we exchanged a brief nonverbal exchange- she looked over her glasses, stared into my eyes, and i gave her a small frown and a shake of my head. With a sigh, she returned to her magazine, and didn't stop me from going into the securised area in the other hallway.
I presented my pass at the scanner mounted on the wall, and the gate leading towards the containment unit chambers unlocked with a soft click. I pushed open the door, and trudged down the hallway silently- the specimens here were constantly changing, and some of them looked quite innofensive, while others ressembled eldritch horrors the likes of which could be found in centaur ruins- I.E. Skyreach- or other temples to forgotten deities Accross the globe. This section of our facilities was developing weapons against all kinds of creatures, or otherwise was trying to breed peaceful monsters to be used in all manner of ways, from war to industrial heavy lifting.
Approaching a three inch thick steel door at the end of the hallway, i braced myself as i went to open the door- the creature behind was slightly unstable psychologically. At times, it seemed to think i was it's herdmate and best friend. Other times, it seemed to think it's lunch was late and that i passed for a healthy alternative to the synthesized meat it was served usually.
I wondered, would i be friend or lunch today?
Today I'm Gonna Get Myself a Real Job [Not Edited]
The lights over the door flashed to indicate a potential danger- one of the fiercest, most feared combination of creatures could potentially be released right now, and not a lot of ponies could do much to stop it. Or her, as the case may be.
Her pelt is shimmering in the lights flickering above, a rich, Earthy color ondulating with almost golden hues under the spinning yellow lights. Patches of dark brown and dark green leaves ruffled as the somewhat colder air rushed in her "cell", a synthetic forest ground with a few trees and a burrow, in the corner. Her eyes twinkled with an alarming, predatory intelligence- and i know that, with the proper vocal chords, this creature could speak as many languages as i knew existed. With the proper talons instead of hooves, this creature could even build things beyond my imagination- i know she has that intelligence, cause i've seen it.
It is an equine, timberwolf, and bugbear chemical cocktail of DNA, and after quite a few generations of the species being bread in our labs, they somehow got able to rewrite their DNA themselves. In the past, one of them was able to change her skin's color, pattern, and even shape not unlike an octopus- another had chamouflage abilities witnessed in certain reptiles, and one of them was even able to produce a web stronger than steel cables used in modern construction work.
But this specimen was particularly special. She had an adaptative DNA strain- which meant she had everchanging abilities. Once, i had opened her cell to find her aloft, apparently able to control her buoyancy through the air itself. One night, i found her leaves glowing a deep red color, illuminating her full cell (which was kinda massive, by the way- almost 12x20 feet).
One time, i even found her with a live deer, calmly tearing apart it's flesh and slurping her blood as a rare delicacy meal. When i asked around, nopony knew how she had obtained it. The logs on her cell told us back then that someone had forgot to feed her...
Did she produce the deer through magical means? Did she leave her cell, somehow, and went on an hunting spree in the forests down the mountain, only to come back? To this day, it is a question i believe best left without answers.
At least, she hadn't preyed on ponies that day.
Closing the door behind me (and the distance between us, carefully) i lifted a hoof towards her, slowly, and let her approach it. The relationship between us wasn't unlike that of a dog and it's master- although this dog could shoot acid and razor-sharp barbed darts by it's bulbeous romp and tear me in half without much effort- and at times, it felt as if i lost the master ownership title with her. Some days, she wanted to be the alpha, and have her way. Other days, she was surprisingly docile and submissive, almost afraid of ponies even. It led me to believe that some of the workers here weren't as patient with her as I was, and some manner of foul emotion almost bubbled up into my brain, were it not for my sheer willpower: i couldnt show weakness before that creature, or i could end up on her menu if i lost her respect.
Of course, being an immortal being with hundreds of years of experience, i was able to keep my emotions in check... When my life depended on it.
I let her sniff my frog a few times, and when her eyes softened into a happy look of recognition, i went to pet her, stroking her coarse pelt softly. She angled her head, so that i could scratch her behind the ears- i obliged, and watched the ribbon of drool dribble down her chin, andnher eyes glaze over in a pleased expression of relief. I let go of a breath i didnt know i was holding, and kept petting her for a few minutes, loosing myself in the moment, showing her the attention she was clearly lacking.
In the future, she would become my valorous steed and irreplaceable friend. For now, however, she still needed to grow into adulthood, and grow her bug wings. This fascinating species made a chrysantemum out of her thick saliva, which became a kind of silk if they dried it up in a certain way, and in a matter of hours would grow two wet set of dragongly wings, not unlike a butterfly. It was a really interesting process to witness, one i had the pleasure of seeing once. The wings of the bug-like timberpony would have unique carvings and patterns, not unlike ponies' cutie mark magic, and they would etch themselves under the light of the sun, it was one of the most impressive works of synthesized nature we had developped here.
Welcome to Unity Labs, where magic and science blend together like in the days of the Centaurs- a feat made possible by sharing my knowledge with Celestia, which shared it into the good hooves of her capable ponies. A lot of the science is still lost to time, but thanks to modern thinking, we were able to adapt things that were still working- and we were pretty close to understand them, by regerse engineering it. But things like the bug timberpony were still far too complex and above our real understanding- we were able to splice the DNA on remains found in Centaur ruins, and stabilized it with Pony DNA- leading to the smart, probably sentient creatures we have today.
I made sure she didnt need any more water or food in her feeder, and excused myself from her cell- she wasn't shook from the explosion, and was faring pretty well. I'm glad my Father seemed to like her as much i did. I wasn't worried the random technicians of the lab would mistreat her when he's around, at least.
Making my way towards my Dad's temporary workplace, Lab 5, I yet again had to pass in front of the secretary. She barely batted an eye this time, but slid forward a note on her counter. Without having to read it to know its contents, i pocketed it as i passed in front of her, and nodded to acknowledge her slightly pissed mood, and for good reason. That was the third receipt for broken equipment I had the pleasure of shoving in the princesses' faces this month.
There was no great leap in technology without a few broken machines, Dad always says. But I know the actual truth behind those words- my Dad was a stupid bird, and he didnt know how half the machine he theoretically owned worked, or at least how to properly operate it. We both shared the same 'curse', as i call it, in which our knowledge came instinctively to us. We didnt have to study lile other ponies, or read a book over and over to memorize it. It's a peculiar kind of genius that is actually an hereditary disease, one that I had in my very first life- one that i passed down to a few branches of the family, sadly. It has a few advantages, for a scholarly sort- but it made one socially inapt and questionably sane.
Must I remind you that my Father actually loves my Mother? That they've been married for over twenty years? Can you believe how a single pony could ever be able to withstand the raging fury of my mother, and ask for more?
Lost in thoughts, I suddenly realised I was back in the lab, and just about to step in a sharp looking piece of broken glass- With a thankful nod to Silence, I carefully treaded to the pod- my father still working inside. "Hey, you done yet? I've got to go see the princesses today, and would like to get there before the line is too long." I brushed my long mane out of my eyes, and stared at the softly moving form of my father tinkering with the wires hanging on the ceiling of the pod.
"Yeah, give me a moment and I'll be right out. How about neighponese for lunch?"
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"Ugh... Remind me not to eat fish with you ever again, Dad. Honestly, how can you eat so much? You're a pegasus for fuck's sake!" I was scolding the not-so-much older birdbrain, runbing my swollen stomach while walking- quite a feat for a four-legged creature-, holding the most baleful stare i could muster in mock-indignation. Every time we went out for lunch, my immature Father would call out a contest and, in something in my somehow-still-young-and-immature mind would make me compete with him. Every time, he would somehow win, for he has such a deep and intense willpower, he would always take two more bites just to prove he still had some room left in his stomach, and would proceed to walk away like nothing ever happened- like right now, he was casually strutting around with his half-stretched wings, like pegasi often do to boast their wingspan, as i was almost stumbling around and kept hugging the walls, leaning a bit on them to support my massive overweight. My mother said i had both an Earth Pony and a Unicorn's Stomach- something she was actually proud of. A Unicorn's Stomach was made to be able to handle a boatload of carbs, "glucides", a nutrient that can be quickly burned to produce massive amounts of energy, compared to fat, "lipides", which Earth Ponies were able to store massive quantities of, and then burn them slowly as they worked for sustained periods of time. So actually, my stomach was closer to that of an Alicorn's- except mine couldn't switch as easily, they are made to fall into ketosis at their convenience- thus burning the stored fats to produce just as much energy, just as quickly, then carbs did. The result- a stomach that could quickly loose it's accumulated weight, and produce massive amounts of energy to produce spells of admirable amplitude.
Why am i telling you all of this? Because, i just said it- my stomach couldn't switch as easily. As such, i was now stuck waddling as a pregnant mare for the next hour or so, even though I was stretching my magical senses as far as i could in order to expand my "stored food reserves" as fast as equinely possible- a handy trick i picked up by having been fused with more than one exoskeleton in the past, is the ability to know quite a lot about one's bodily functions, and how to optimise them.
And, with a mad flicker in the eyes, I breach the fourth wall to tell you this- I am a creature of peak optimisation.
We somehow quickly made our way to the TransLift, which communicated between the "Floors" of the city, and rode our way to the Royal district- where the Canterhorn stood proud, and the Castle of Canterlot could be seen. Celestia and Luna still resided there, even though they had abdicated the Throne to Twilight a few years back- but my contract was binding me to the Diurnal Princesses, not the Friendship one- and as such, even though could occasionally take orders from her, my loyalties were lying to the Sun and Moon first and foremost- just like my Dad's, Mother's and most of my Family's.
Don't get me wrong- the system Twilight works to bring down is far from the kind of world I wanted to live in, in fact, I've been trying to make the system change way before Twilight did. Ok, maybe not quite that long, like a year or two, but i disgress, the point is: While I hold a lot of admiration and respect all of her accomplishments, while i believe she is a perfect host for the Ink, I don't quite think she was ready for the Throne quite yet. There are some things one can't ever quite be ready for until you've been through it, and the Equestrian Throne is just that- something so grand, so complex, is quite a task to organize, manage, and run. It requires a lot of trusting staff, of experience, and grease in the gears. With the world on a tipping edge towards mad chaos, I just didn't trust Twilight could be able to make good decisions in a timely manner. She has a great mind, and tremendously creative ideas, but they take a little time and contribution from her friends to truly emerge.
That, and the base feelings of jealousy of course. After all this time following Celestia around, doing all kinds of tasks for her, after all the time I've spent getting to know everyone in her circles and her specially selected teams, there was even a time i was on her school's board of directors! I can't believe she didnt sought my approbation before putting Twilight in the spot like this.
As if, now that Starswirl was back, now that her teams were all ready, I didn't matter enough anymore. True, I had gotten lazy. Especially in this life- I had asked a lot out of my order in order to make me this host, i had carved quite a future for myself, and aimed quite high. I had ambitions.
But the process took time. Me and Silence took years to merge, before we were finally born. And in that time, my parents had grayish hair, and Celestia was strolling on some beach, while Twilight ruled in her stead. It all happened so fast. And i still needed like at least 15 years to grow up into my body, and attune myself to the new anchor that was this body. All in all, this seventh rebirth took 19 years to happen, and i was now 26. I was in my prime, and my good years were wasted away waiting for something, anything to give me a purpose again.
And that was when it happened. When the Princess finally gave me my real job.
The Castle was still as impressive as ever. Even with all of it's technological improvements, it was still a colossal work of ancient equine architecture. The new, modern details were seamlessly fitting into the old marble-like stone structure, and everything retain it's old charms, while giving off an impression of contemporary, tasteful modern art had been given to the old, now mundane part of the Canterlot decor.
We made our way to the large reinforced alchemical glass doors, glass so resilient it was stronger than steel and held quite a lot of interesting scientifical properties- but most of all, it was sturdy, and let nearly 100% of the light spectrum through, meaning it was quite bright indoors, with only hidden spotlights to shine a light in the darkest of corners, otherwise the castle relied a lot on the natural light of the sun. Many skylights had been added over time, and many sported colorful glass decorations, depicting either equestrian history or scenes of striking realism, and beauty. Only the best artists in the realm were awarded a chance to expose a piece of work in the Castle, as such everything was beautiful and quite a sight to look at.
It made waiting in line less painfully boring, at least, and let nobles window-shop the best, latest tastes in art the Royals were interested in- and as such, what they were interested in too. Something about the sheeple following tastes not their own was slightly revolting to me, as if ponies weren't able to think by, and for, themselves. It was jarring me quite a bit, in fact, and i could feel a feeling not unlike anxiety built up within me. Only, it wasnt asking me to turn around and leave
It was pressing me to ask for trouble.
As I walked to the desk with the Unicorn Officer in charge of the Security checkpoint, my senses picked up many unfamiliar presences. Another batch of dignitaries from some other, foreign country? Likely, but my senses were telling me to be careful. With a twinge into my mindscape, I beckoned Silence to emerge into physical view- and a mote of light shone from my forehead, and came to float before my snout. Focusing on it, I asked her to go investigate the signatures i had picked on. She obliged with a 'nod', and left in the direction of the Throne room.
I had a peculiar feeling, and darting an eye towards my father, he had picked up on it too. It sure didn't look like it, but in my earliest life, I had adventured quite a bit with a certain pegasus with a peculiar alchemical symbol for a mark, not unlike mine- turns out he became my father in this life.
Yes, sometimes living my life can be pretty confusing, borderline awkward. The gruff pegasus i sometimes remember wasn't anything like the birdbrain of a Father I have now, and so I've come to believe it's merely an act to hide his more bloodthirsty, savage nature. It was best kept in the past, after all, seeing as he grown up quite respectfully despise coming from the farthest reaches of a large, forgotten cloud kingdom. I had found him when he was nothing but a shivering colt, unable to even speak or read. i had groomed him into a scientific mind. Into a gentlestallion.
Father flexed his knees slightly, and unruffled his feathers. I took that as a sign we won't be waiting in line today, and with a twinge into the astral realm, winked us a few feet west, into the throne room.
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''I'm surprised to see you here, Queen Rhydaelle. It's been decades since we last spoke. Please, make yourselves at home. I'm sure the journey was long and harsh, If you would follow my assistant Raven, she will lead you to your lodgings. We can talk later, in private.'' Twilight sure had grown into a fine ruler. For all the bitterness I held towards the fact that she snatched my opportunity, I was glad it was her that got the job, in the end.
It would make for a slightly smaller target on my back, i suppose.
Looking at the Deer dignitaries- and the huge one leading them, for rulers always had to be twice the normal size of species anywhere, I couldnt help but feel a familiar feeling. Some of them looked more than tired- they looked frightened, half-starved, and quite a few of them were obviously grieving a relative of some kind. It was more than visible in their expressive eyes- even the queen's were filled with a deep sadness. Silence was hovering over the Queen's stubby antlers, and a quick telekinetic exchange confirmed my suspicions.
There was going to be a lot of work to be found in their native forests of Cervidas. It might only be a hunch, but i was rarely wrong. As the Queen and the dignitaries made their way out the throne room, I brazenly stood before the next in line, flashing him an intimidating toothy smile full of pointy teeth, making him back off a bit, and changed my expression into something a little more innocent, before facing Princess Twilight's gaze.
''Again? Wait, don't tell me- you need more money for Research. I don't know how many bits I've sunk into your "project" lately, and I don't want to hear it.'' Twilight waved her commanding hoof at us, and I knew i could make two of my interests coincide if I played my cards right; Summoning my confidence, and radiating an aura of positive energy, I attempted to bluff the Lie Detector of Princesses.
"Milles Excuses, Your Highness. I do come for more financing... But i believe, in exchange for all the help you've benevolently lent us in the last few years, with our increasing funding needs- that you are due a little something in return.'' I awaited a sign to continue, so as to not impose my will on Twilight. With a nod, she got hooked, and i knew it would turn out in my favor some way or another.
''Your humble servant, as well as my devoted Father, would like to offer you a deal- one for a continuous financial support to our research, until completion. With the breakthroughs we have achieved, we believe it fair that such a deal can be reached. But before any of that...'' I inched closer to the Princess, and she scooted closer on her seat, a sign that there was no backing away now- i had more than her attention. I had her curiosity. If there was one thing us Immortals agreed on, it was that life was boring- and anything interesting is worth pursuing. Anything to stave off the boredom.
''And, I suppose you already have something in mind, Knowing you, Apokryphes. Every time you barge in here, it's never without a plan in mind.'' My eyes and mouth betrayed me slightly, and my lip quivered as my eyes narrowed. She had seen through my bluff, but obliged me anyways. What a kind Princess.
''Indeed your Grace, Votre Éminence, I do have something in mind. With my longstanding relations with the Cervideans, I believe you don't have to look far, in order to send an emissary help in the Native Forests. I would be glad to take that matter out of your hooves, and will expect compensation only when I'm done lending a kind help to those good Deer folk.'' With a little wiggling of my beard, and a smooth look right into the purple orbs of the Princess before me, i anxiously awaited- The Regal Deity before me took her sweet time contemplating my offer- And you would too, if you knew about my history working for the crown. My success rate was high, but so were the casualties. On the other hoof, the Cervideans were a proud, noble people, and they were pretty secluded. Not many ponies in Equestria knew of their customs and how to properly interact with them- And they weren't exactly trusting of outsiders. The fact that they came here for help suggested a dire situation indeed- one that needed the proper. immediate response by capable hooves.
The Princess sighed under her breath, and showed a tentative smile to ease off the tension in the Courtroom- it had fallen eerily silent after my proposal. Ponies were even more afraid of upsetting Twilight then they were about Celestia, and that's saying something. What i had just did, although very politely, could be perceived as pushing my own agenda, or worse, imposing my will on the Royals. ''Taking into account the high opinions Celestia has of you, I will trust you to do good by us, and act with the Crown's interests in mind. I will allow you to help the Cervideans with their problem... But do you even know what that problem is? You might be biting off more than you can chew here, no offense.'' She said that last bit a little low, while holding a hoof to her chest as to know she sincerly didn't mean anything by it.
But i did perceive it as an insult. Though, to be fair, she didn't know who i really was, unless Cadence had slipped off a little something after one of our many therapy sessions... I know she has regular meetings with Twilight coinciding with the end of our sessions. Some of them left her particularly vulnerable, and she has sobbed into my neck more than once. Knowing her, she might've said a little about me to Twilight, her own confident.
And I wouldn't mind... Much. I know Twilight can be trusted. But will she want to make her friends ascend too, would she hold my knowledge? Would she make them immortal, as to hold them by her side forever? Those with the greatest potential for good, also hold the greatest potential for evil.
''Milles Mercis, votre Altesse. I shall await until you're more available, and join in on your talks with the Cervideans later on- And afterwards, we can discuss the deal for the financing. I shall leave you to your duties for now, and will await your official summons." Bowing, I pulled my Father with me, and we left the Throne Room through the back exit.
''I can't believe you, Sonny. How... You really think you can handle this? Some of theses Deer looked... Devastated. I can't even begin to imagine what happened out there.'' My Father pulled me close, into a stallion's hug. ''It reminds me of my adventuring days. I don't want you to run into what I've been through. Please promise me you'll be careful.'' He locked eyes with me, and i could see intense regret, pain, and other conflicted emotions through his eyes. I knew what he went through... What we went through, all too well.
"Trust me Dad. I'm the perfect pony for the job.'' Pushing him away to avoid getting my own eyes misty, i proceeded to take the lead, and walk out of the Castle. I still had to face Mother with the news, and will anxiously await the meeting with the Cervideans.
If your Queen Doesn't Have Antlers, You've Got Two Changelings [Not Edited]
The air inside the guest wing was very still, like no windows had been opened in weeks, and the sun no longuer shone through the skylights of the Castle. Queen Rhydaelle strutted, pacing in a roughly oval shape- the room wasnt that large for a being as large as she was, and the stuffy air made it pretty warm inside the room. Her assistant, a small doe with an over submissive attitude, tried in vain to come up with something meaningful to say, some reassuring words, but the words were caught in her squeezing throat- her eyes almost bulged, and she was having trouble breathing- and that did little to appease her ruler, who strutted even faster, and lost the oval shape for more direct lines, and her hooves stomped with a little more vigor.
Outside, on a nearby bench, i was throwing my senses in the room- anything i could pick up on would help me impress the ruler and appear as if i had a good standing with their species. I had to look the part, or Twilight might reconsider our whole underhoofed dealing.
Don't get me wrong, nothing about our deal would appear illegal- but usually, when faced with a problem, a Princess is entitled to listen to said problem, draft a list of ponies for the job, and offer it to the most obvious, reasonable choice- and wouldn't dare straight out offer it to a friend of the Crown. Such things could be perceived as a favor treatment- as some kind of privileged bonus for being a "friend" of the most important ponies in the land; and that could be bad for the image he was trying to set. He didn't need to be held in some bad spotlight like the over capitalistic companies, the same companies being dismantled and purged of corruption by the very same Princess he was dealing with.
In this age, one needed to constantly be aware of perceptions. Of images. The masks we wear... Some are heavier than others. For good reason.
My senses picked up on some weird energy- it seemed to emerge from the door i was keeping an eye on. As my eyes darted over said door, a flash of green light could be seen under the door...
I just knew that my day was going to go sideways. That energy level wasn't unlike... "Changelings?" I said the word aloud, without meaning to, and it startled my Father. "What did you say?" He shot me a puzzled look, and scooted closer in his seat, as to usher as silently as possible, "you don't mean..."
The door swung open with some impatient force, and a long, elongated neck, and some unmistakably large decorsted antlers came into view. The Queen's eyes were piercing, and full of authoritative fervour. There was no mistaking it- that large Doe was a matriarch, a leader, and her prickled ears just caught up on my earlier exclamation. Our eyes locked.
"You seem to know much, Pony. Would you mind coming in, explaining yourself? We can wait for your princess... together." The way she insisted on that last word made me shiver and gulp a liter of saliva before nodding and shuffling my hooves towards the imposing suite door.
I really had to learn to stop my magical mouth.
----------//----------
With a sigh of relief from both the Queen and I, the tea tray carried by a maid finally found it's way into the room, and i gave a nervous chuckle at our timed expression of satisfaction. A long dead friend of mine used to say that Tea kept the hooliganism away- i prefered to say, that Gentlestallions and Ladies alike drank tea, as to become hooligans for a brief, tender moment. Tea made your conscience drift- it brought clarity, focus, and calm into the mind, yes, but fully partaking in the moment, living it, savouring it, made one prone to say the funniest things- or the most embarassing, depending on the kept company, and/or the extra ingredients one added to his cuppa.
With a solemn expression, i took care to serve the tea in the traditional neighponese way- as to be as respectuf as possible- and kept my senses active. If i could display my abilities to the Queen, she might be more prone to accept our help- more specifically mine.
In a moment of wisdom, I realised what I looked like, what I was wearing- and remembered the stench of acrid smoke I carried since I went to the lab. Fighting the urge to blush, i served the team for the Queen first, then her diplomat/assistant, then my father. As i went to serve my own cup, i realised that I was long due for my medication- the air around us was already starting to waver like a pot forgotten on the stove.
Just as I was about to excuse myself to take care of my emminent radiation problem, Twilight came into my senses' reach, and I just knew she felt my senses brush up on her.
"Twilight will be here in exactly 2 minutes. I need to ask you something before she gets here..." My words were met with careful consideration, and the Queen, visibly impressed by the fact i refered to the Princess so casually, nodded to let me continue. "I know you've been through a lot. I can feel your grief and the pain you carry. I also feel the magic around you is warped- I think i know what's going on, and I have just one question for you. Why come to us, when the Zebras, your neighbors and known allies, could've helped you with their own shamans?"
It was a pretty risky question. In diplomacy, that was considered as a suicide move. I literally just gave her every advantage I had, and hoped she would be impressed enough to answer, yet not too much as she would question me and how i knew all that- for i could not answer truthfully, and that could mean an early end to theses negotiations.
"You see... I've already asked the Zebras. The Griffons. The Hyppogryphs, and the Camels. Not anycreature's magic could help... And it just cost us our home. A few of our tribes are still okay, in their forests, but our capital... My city, it's..." I could see the defeated look in her eyes. The devastation.
An all too familiar sight. Lifting a hoof, Nodding, i signaled her that she didnt have to finish her sentence. "Who, or what, could do such a thing? What was it after?" I believe i got her hooked, but i still needed to know if something could be done- i wouldnt want to promise my help and support, only to find myself powerless to do anything in he favor.
Her eyes glazed over. I could see the gears turning in her head. She was reliving a painful memory, and it shown in her drooping ears, her twitching lip, her eyes... They were frightened. For something to be this scary, to shake the grand Queen of the Cervideans, it had to be something utterly horrible. Some repulsive eldritch abomination.
"For years, we saw it advanve on us, while powerless to stop it. No force of nature, not any element we can conjure can affect them. Worse, it turns our magic against us! It commands the flora and fauna, turns our ancestral homes into battlefields. They can traverse any obstacle without fail... Without any difficulty. We were powerless to stop them... And they were last heading towards the aether wastelands east of our forests." She excused herself and used a tissue to clean her tears away, and was clearly fighting back a sob in the back of her throat.
I didnt need any more convincing, but... "I'm sorry, but I don't seem to understand. What... Are they?" My inquisite look was met with a look of abject, pure horror. I could see her eyes were no longuer fixed on mine, or on anything in the room, but on whatever memory was plaguing her.
"Pockets of wild magic... They have assembled. Gained awareness. They hundle together, throw chaotic magic at everything- warping, shaping the land and anything in their path, to ressemble them and their kind. Abominations. Mutated horrors. Our young, our old, every deer they could prey on..." With a sniffle and a little shake, she composed herself, and the look in her eyes went from pain, to unbridled rage, to exhaustion. "I don't ask you to take back our homeland for us- I merely want some... Pony, to go there, and finish off the monstrosities they have created... Please, even though they became monsters, they are still my people. Please... Put them out of their misery. Bring the few of us peace, and allow us to finally grieve properly our... Lost relatives."
Twilight chose that moment to make her entrance- she was no doubt listening to the exchange, and gave the larger than life doe before her. "Rhydaelle, i Promise you, my friend will take care of it. I know he can, and will, bring you and yours the peace that you need." I could feel the eyes of the Princess on me, even without looking.
This was going to be quite a pain in my flank, i just know it.
----------//---------
The buffet table sprawled before us was full of many types of food- there were hayflour pancakes, barley and oats muffins, even Meat! Bacon, Eggs, Cheese, and fine delicacies of exotic cuisine- Loukhoums, Gulash, Indian bite-sized fried meats, sushi, all kinds of different cultures were organized around the table. In a corner of it all, what appeared to be Peach Scones- wait a minute, lemme tell you just for a second, i gotta confess my love for... Theses Scones. Just the variety- Strawberry, Blueberry, Pumpkin- which is actually a freaking squash, how do you turn squash into a Scone it blows my mind!
Wait, where were we? Ah yes. I just had a cup of the special Royal's blend. Then another. And another. It tasted Divine. The aroma alone, as it flowed within the mist rising from the cup- was enough to take you to far away coasts of Zebrica and the Land of Camels, the sweet yet bitter, terribly bitter, and tangy, refreshing taste left me feeling unsated. I wanted- no, needed more, the velvety crema giving my moustache a glossy brilliance, but perfectly matching my facial hair's color, making it unable to notice if it was wet or not, made my Father's eyebrows wiggle in the most perplexing way- as if they were two entirely different entities of their own, and tried to wiggle themselves free of my Father's face. Everything in his expression reflected his anticipation- like me, he could hardly contain himself. It wasn't rare that we had brunch around the Royal's table- every other week or so- And the Princesses were getting used to it by now.
We were unequinely fit, hardly deserving to sit around this table, if one was to judge us by our table manners. Don't be mistaken, I am the most perfect gentlepony you've ever met. I've been around the most important social circles Equestria and it's neighbors has to offer- but the food served in this particuliar kitchen, on this particular table, the "staff's hidden break area" where we held our meetings, was completely devoid of any form or sense of decorum. As stated above the door before entering- Ponies forbidden. Animals welcome.
And as such, we were happy to let go of our "respectable citizens" masks, and dug right in. With all the poise and elegance, grace expected from a Gritish GentleStallion, mayhaps more of a Parish Aristocrat, a true Lady, whilst she was abusingly gorging herself on sausage patties, already piss-drunk at breakfast- I quickly hoarded as many of the scones as I could, knowing it's tender, sweet fleshy insides full of fruits, squashes and even sometimes nuts were a treat unlike any other. The sheer complexity of the crust's texture, the crumbly, flaky, and moist breadish consistency was not only an experience for the senses- it was dense and filling, and would leave me feeling queasy for probably a few hours. But it was worth it... Even in my already sickenly full-stomach-already state.
Because today, i had been invited around The Table unexpectedly. It wasnt our regular bimonthly meeting- The Queen had a peculiar hunger that needed sated, and Twilight obliged by showing her to the *best* table of all Canterlot.
Also, coincidently, the most secluded- Even amongst the Castle Staff, it was a secret room for the most deserving of Equines. It formerly was Celestia Personal Tea-Cake Break Room- and still had more than a few unique enchantments active.
Being a regular guest at the table, i knew them per heart, and was already attuned to them- The fields would clean it's occupants of any and all radiation, and dispel any spells that could be considered harmful on the ponies eating inside- and had a state of the art antidote glyph, that could neutralize the rarest of poisons- the reason for that wasn't that Celestia was paranoid, but rather she enjoyed the most exotic of cakes, and some ingredients were delicious when properly served... But incredibly harmful otherwise, and she didn't want to take any chances.
When a Nation was at your beck and call, a sick day just wasn't an option.
In the blink of an eye- things went way sour. To cite the popular expression, shit hit the fuckin fan. Had I barely took a bite of the warmest, freshiest Peach Scone i had the pleasure of setting my eyes on, I recieved a bloody, severed hind leg to the face- Flank and all.
That's when i realized that we were under attack.
My sense couldn't even alert me- the wear on the enchantments overhead snapped, the magic in the room warped in a weird way, and as fast as the blink of an eye, the room literally exploded. Literally, the walls expanded outwards, the ceiling gave way, and the guests- whom were mostly Deer, moments before- suddenly turned into ghoulish-looking bug ponies. Most likely, a Changeling had infiltrated the Deer envoy, and the magic- gone wild- decided that a heavily-radiation-cooked fusion of Deer and Changeling would make for an interesting new species.
Wild magic wasn't smart- thus, it was wrong.
That's right- half of them guests turned into what appeared to be Changelings- and the other half were turned into Pony/Deer salsa. Chunks, bits and limbs were flying every which way- and mists of blood slowly evaporated unto the carpeted floor, mixing with colorful stray pieces of tails and manes, in an almost psychedelic pattern, but soon became hidden from view as large portions of the ceiling came down unto the buffet table. The food, drenched in bloods and gorey pieces of flesh, got squished under the rubble with an interesting, wet squelch. In the Chaos, a large piece of column went flying right into my face, effectively knocking me out cold.
----------//----------
I woke up, covered in bandages, laying in a rather comfy bed- it's soft mattress was almost swallowing me in a sea of pillows, the soft sheets feeling like velvet against my scruffy pelt, and a scent of honey and medicinal herbs filled my nose.
It could only mean one thing: I was in the medical wing of the Castle, and something had gone wrong. Vague flashes returned to me- the vision of the table full of food, smiling Deer faces- but nothing tangible yet.
Suddenly, a violent twinge on my horn- i kept feeling a part of me that i had lost, and it was so weird- shook me awake, and a glowing ball of light erupted from my forehead.
"Quick! Wake up! There's no time!" The shrill filly voice made my head feel like i was swimming- everything rocked to the rhythm of unseen waves, and it felt like I heard that while i was underwater. There was a pressure against my ears, which prickled every which way in a vain attempt to pop.
I had suffered a concussion. That much was clear.
"We don't have time for this! Remember already!" The dancing ball of light, nervously pacing around the room moments prior, darted towards my forehead, and with a magical 'shump', everything came back to me.
The blood. The Squelch sound of the ceiling. The column that had knocked me out- but most likely supported some rubble overhead and saved me, somehow.
I took stock of my body's condition, slowly. Lifting my left hoof... No pain, yet- the summary inspection showed barely a scratch. Good.
I grabbed the covers, and yanked them off me. Immediatly, the sight of bandages accross my ribcage worried me, but I didn't let that stop my hoof from pushing the covers yet further, revealing my hind legs. The right one was in a cast- hence the slight itching i could already feel on my flank- but didnt seem in much of a bad state.
The bandages accross my ribcage showed bloody stains. This was more disconcerting, and i could feel a little anxiety rising. Once the endorphins would die down, once the drugs would wear off, I already started to feel the pain. Not looking forward to it.
"It looks bad, but no organs were touched." Silence reassured me, no doubt feeling y heartbeat rushing and my nervosity rocking up. "An Antler flew right in there-" she floated right above the blood stain, inches from my heart and lungs, "and got stuck pretty deep in. But they did a good job of stitching you up. It's looking worse than it actually is- its basically a really bad cut, nothing more." The ball floated towards the door leading to the hall. "Father, however... Can you stand? Can you walk? They wheeled us at the same time, and i saw them carry him down the hall. I can't exactly get far enough from you to see him..." Sadly, she could only float about a hundred meters away before it started to strain us. If i were to focus, i could notice a strand between her and my heart- shimmering like a spider's web under her light, the tether that glued us together until death parted us.
Did that mean we were, in a sense, married? My drug addled mind reasoned that yes, a contract like ours wasn't unlike a marriage.
I tried to sit- and immediately regreted it. Its not as if I couldn't move, but I could feel the tearing sensation of the 'cut', as Silence put it, right between my lungs, and under my heart. It took my breath away, and felt so Alien, I'd almost rather they'd leave the Antler there. Not unlike a mare being deflored, I begged for nothing but something to fill that void of a hole. Feeling every 'wall' of flesh move around- i could almost hear the squelches and tightening muscles around the wound crinkle like paper- brought unbearable pain, so I slid back in a laying position. I had to forgrt the feeling of the cool air sipping in the wound, and come out warmed- cooked by my insides. It was most, most unpleasant. Very verily, much much so.
"Master? Can you stand?" The worried tone, while trying to sound recomforting, only made slightly pissed. I didn't need anyone's pity- especially my own- and, yet again, i felt a clenchin sensation in my bowels at the mention of the title she called me with.
"I'm fine." Knowing what to expect now, i pushed my body upwards, and bit back the whiny of pain down my throat. I was finally able to stay in a seated position.
Walking would be painful, but possible with a little support. I could always ask Silence to take the strain of the pain on herself... But it always made me feel bad, even if she would gladly do it.
Our relationship was that of master and servant- she was wired, her whole psyche had been modified to feel a sense of accomplishment upon serving her master.
It made me feel a little sick. To think that, in my first lives, I was able to devise such a thing... Such an elaborate Law. Magic of that level, that transcended time and destiny- it broke everything Equus stood for. Magic had rules- elaborate, quantum physics kind of rules- and I was defying at least half of them. A synthetic mind, a fake-spirit, haunting another mind and enslaving it. Drawing upon it when needed. Sharing pain wasn't the worst thing i could do to her- I remember the 'settings' tab from the hud, back when i had a horn.
Just what kind of monster was I?
I wanted to get out of my own skin. To be someone else- but theses were the cards I'd been dealt. This was the result I had been working for, the culmination of centuries of research and expectations. Something that tried its best to have some equinity, but ultimately was nothing more than a facsimile.
And I wasn't the only one. The fact that this magic wasn't unique, that it could be replicated, improved even, mass-produced to some extent, made my stomach churl and my wound ache. I felt so empty. So dull. Apathic to the core.
Yet, I was alive, and there were no changing things- I was gifted, and i was privileged. Others would kill to be me- to have access to such levels of luxury and immortality, both unreachable aspirations shared by many- and yet here I was, Self-loathing, my expression locked in a rictus most hideous, a gnarlish snarl, a most profound frown that would leave crisses and wrinkles on my face forn hours to come.
I did not deserve my handsome face. If only i could find myself repulsive- I could find some manner of comfort in the fact that i wasn't likeable. Dear sisters, i hate myself. Might you strike me down.
Then, i felt something snap. My eyes burned- i could feel them acting up, the yellow rim around the iris turning much, much darker, shades of burnt oranges, almost red- and my furr thickened around my body, darkening around the edges. The layer of skin under my pelt felt like it was bubbling- and had i had my horn, i could tell you exactly what was happening.
I had absorbed wild magic. My insides weren't equine anymore. Any second now, i could transform into an Eldritch abomination. Or worse, explode. Would that be worse? Was exploding painful? How can the brain register pain when it's liquefied?
----------//----------
The library floor was stained with so much ink, so much blood, over and over- it was impossible to know where one tile ended and the next started. The gouges between them were filled with a black, crusty ridge of filth, one she pawed at with a palmed bird's talons, mindlessly. The screams in the distance were almost boring to listen to. The skies overhead weren't filled with pleasing air currents anymore- ever since the doors locked eons ago. Now everything stank of necrosed flesh, and sulfur- the smell of foul magic, as was expected from the Eldritch dimension. The never ending library. A maze full of arcane secrets, and ink. So much ink everywhere. A flawless Goose's white plumage's worst enemy. The ink was strong here- sentient, a slimy, massive syrup that bled from the walls and filled every shelves. Fountains of light here and there- and the colorful mechanisms that activated all kinds of things- kept the Ink at bay, which boiled in the light. She was currently basking in such light, next to one of the doors, hoping for a breeze or some air current to ride. You see, her other brothers and sisters didn't share her wonder for the outside world as much as she did. And their form wasn't much suited for outerworld exploration either- shapeless masses in the sea of ink, only tentacles emerged once in a while to turn the pages of a book, or scratch a spot on some wall. What lurked under the Ink couldn't be properly described- it was beyond words, really. It hurt to look at. You couldn't comprehend it. Your mind lacked the parts necessary to make sense out of those shapes, of that magic- and creatures that made it here, or were snatched away, always died within a few moments of starring at the tentacles- their constant cries and yells now a dull background noise that one barely paid any attention to.
Grooming her wings, straightening the puffy feathers along their length, the Goose was the most bored creature in all of existence. If only there was someone, something to annoy, or some open skies to glide in. Some lakes to swim in. Alas, everything here was either dry or soaked in ink and blood, the abominations requiring such a cocktail to stay alive, feeding themselves of the knowledge in the blood and ink. This was the plane of Ancestral Knowledge- what transcended the Ink, and what was best left forgotten. Everything here chipped away at one's sanity, and the spells etched on the stones, stored in the scrolls, and hidden in the books all lead one's mind to oblivion- it was a price to pay for the most powerful of sorceries, the most complex of magical structures and the most horrific of creations. In the wrong hands, it could lead the universe into a permanent doom. The whole multiverse, Yggdrasil, could fall if the lowest roots where to find those golden apples at the top. And ripe fruits always fell from the branches. With barely any notice- a soft hum of magical energies- a large rune circle etched itself in the air around the dull stone doorway, vertically along it's length- and with a deafening cackle, almost like a disembodied evil laugh from the witches of old- a portal spun open, magical sparks flying everywhere from it's roaring green flames. As it flickered open, a vortex of wind sucked in the air near the door. The Goose barely had the time to let out a honk of surprise, she found herself flung the other side, into the infinitely stretching void of space, confused- yet glad to finally leave this forsaken dimension, hopefully leaving her boredom along with it.
A nurse wheeled me into the gardens, the setting sun reflecting harshly on the metallic parts of the wheelchair, occasionally blinding me. The wind rushed through my pelt, making me shiver, regretting the comfort of my bed moments prior. That, and the devastating news. I still couldn't believe it- come to terms with it, as if it wasn't real yet. As if closing my eyes and retreating into my mind would efface the horrible truth.
My actions, or inaction, had caused the death of others. And not the deaths of innocent, unknown equines.
My father was laying so very still on the chrome table, half of his body blewn away into oblivion. He had jumped in front of me and the falling debris- the wild magic passed through half of him before being absorbed in my body. Why did he only partially blew up? Why haven't i blown up yet?
Silence had retreated in the back of my mind. Her only wish of spending time with Father, of somehow finding a way for him to see her- It all culminated to this dissatisfying end. Never would he set eyes upon her again- not that he ever really did, but you get the idea. She was devastated- i sent her a few pings, to which she only responded to the first, as if to tell me she was alright but didn't want to talk. I could respect that.
I couldn't come to terms with it yet. How could i face Mother with the news? How in the world did such a thing ever happened in the first place? Was that an attack from the Changelings, a pure happenstance, or something else entirely? I hoped the information wasn't leaked already. Imagine the panic, the Chaos. a band of dignitaries, the last of their capital, the highest authority of the Cervideans and what remained of her court, reduced to deer jam on the still smoking walls?
What would the public think? How could i survive this? I didn't want to face the music. I didn't want to talk it through with the guard, and get pulled in that investigation. Be held under watch- treated like some common thug, all the while facing the judgement of my fellow equines? Held responsible, even?
Nodding my thanks to the now leaving nurse- her sashaying tail barely registering in my mind- i proceeded to wheel myself further into the gardens. I needed to collect my thoughts, to face whatever was about to happen with rationality. I needed to... quell down those emotions I was feeling, as if for the first time. Never had my heart bled with so much... Regret? Grief? It was hard to tell. One thing's for sure, I don't like this hopeless feeling. It's not as if i had reality bending powers- I tried rummaging through my extensive magical knowledge, and there was no way to bring back the dead without some severe consequences elsewhere. If i really wanted to go down that road, I would have to find more flesh to restore his body. To weave an artificial breath of life, animate his organs, and call for his soul to haunt his body back- running the risk of letting any number of abominations and horrors in his body instead of him. He was long dead- he could've already sailed the Styx, beyond any magic's reach.
There was still the option of time travel... But nopony could time travel since Twilight had ascended. Her and her friends had created an organization called the ''Comission'', that would hunt down anything messing with time or cutie mark magic- anything that altered the natural flow of destiny and free will of living creatures.
''Honk?''
I was pulled away from my thoughts, my most nefarious plans, by some manner of duck, looking at me with a puzzled expression. It's beady eyes had heterochromia- one eye a pale shade of ember, with a red dot at it's center, the other a lazy shade of lavender that couldn't decide if it was more red or blue, a perfect imbalance of purples. This eye was milky, and i could see many things in it's reflection... ''Honk!'' Now with more insistence, the duck- no, it was a Goose- inched closer, and gave me a wave with it's palmed talon- which i noticed was razor sharp in the sunlight's glint. It- for it wasn't clearly male or female- had glistening feathers, and a lustrous pelt of minuscule feathers. It looked excessively soft to the touch, yet the oil-like saliva coating the wings looked kind of viscous, repulsing me slightly. ''Honk!'' this time, slightly annoyed, the Goose went for my hind legs and gave me a little peck. Out of surprise more than pain, i let out a little yelp, and the strange Goose took a few steps back, flapping her wings in an imposing manner- her wingspan was impressive, longer than i had expected from her height. that's when i noticed the shimmering of magic around her, and a fraction of a second later, a whiff of sulfur hit my nose, making me snort and feel like sneezing. Sensing something was wrong, i threw myself out of my chair.
My instincts had saved me- a second later, my wheelchair got swallowed by a large gaping mouth, full of sharp teeth, that appeared out of nowhere and vanished just as suddenly. Turning my gaze towards the Goose, which I felt i couldn't underestimate, i started to run scenarios in my mind. I could attune myself to her magic, hopefully take control over it- but it would require time and leave me vulnerable. I could try and cast offensive Qi, strike her down with my hooves. But i was pretty sure she was way more nimble and agile than i was- Clearly not the best course of action. with a battlecry, the Goose charged and tried to peck me, her beak shining with a foreign magic. I jumped out of the way, and slapped her with an hoof- a simple attempt to see how her body reacted to damage.
First mistake.
With a snarl, she twisted herself to face me as i brought my hoof down upon her, her form moving swiflty, as if meeting no resistance against the air. She gave a mighty flap of her wings, sending feathers in my face.
Sharp, slicing feathers. She almost took my eye- my whole face felt like it was covered in paper cuts. The saliva coating must've been slightly poisonus, since i felt my head spin, my neck grew weary of supporting my heavy head. I needed to end this quickly.
My eyes lit up- my pelt and eyes taking on dark colors, my irises surrounded by a burnt orange, surrounded by a vivid teal color, and my coat almost charcoal grey. This seemed to take the Goose by surprise, who took a step back and fell into a defensive position, guarding her neck and face with her wings.
It wouldn't matter much against what I planned to do. With a grunt, i summoned the weird, chaotic magic inside of me, and focused upon the Goose. I wanted her to blow up, implode, get covered in knives, get disembowled- anything, really. And with a large whirr, my forehead shone briefly, before a nova erupted around me. The Goose went flying- she was flapping her wings in an attempt to get some wind under her wings- and i chose that moment to strike.
With a mightly leap, and a flip, i brought down the back of my hind leg directly on her head, a resounding crack sending shivers down my spine and a twinge of pain on my hoof. Just how sturdy was that Goose? We both fell to the ground, and with the adrenaline slowly fading, i took conscience of how much my chest hurt. The wound must be bleeding profusely. My vision kept going in and out of focus...
The Goose stood on her talons, as if nothing had happened, and walked to me slowly. Her eyes were full of fright, yet she bravely tip toed to me, her feet plit platting against the slightly charred ground around us.
The surge i had underwent had barely affected her, yet the gardens around us had been burned by aetherfire, the invisible flames accompanying high level magical spells, the kinds of which Twilight Sparkle left in her wake with almost every tingle of her horn.
The Goose tilted her head on one side, then the other, before slowly bringing her beak upon my breast. With a little green light, i could feel my insides stitching themselves back together. Was she... Healing me?
She let out a soft honk upon noticing my mended flesh, and proceeded to inspect my hind leg, no doubt slightly broken by the mighty kick she shrugged off. A little green glow later, and i felt like i could stand... Odd. The weird tension in my body was gone, too. I felt... Relaxed. At ease, even.
She ruffled her feathers and came up to my face. The mismatched eyes starred into mine for what felt like an eternity... Until a voice echoed in my head. ''Can you... Understand me?''
Shook, i nodded. I was too flabergasted to talk- this Goose showed up of nowhere, and had nearly killed me in a matter of seconds, and now we were exchanging words within my mindscape. Was she another product of the Lab, an experiment gone wrong?
She shook her head from side to side. ''I don't know where I am, actually. I'm not from this... Lab, as you put it. Why did you smell like my brethren? Why is the scent gone?''
The conversation was too confusing to me. I barely understood her voice- it was as if she was talking from underwater, or behind a large , thick panel of glass. It echoed softly and the words were hard to distinguish from the echoes. I had no answer to what she was asking. I literally didn't understand anything she was talking about- it felt weird to think that i was holding a conversation with one of Equestria's non-sapient species.
''Non... Sapient? What do you mean?'' Shit, i needed to restrain my thoughts. This was kinda invasive, actually. She was crouching, a manic gleam in her eyes burrowing itself into my soul. It was almost painful to handle her stare- but i did, to let her know i wouldn't be intimidated.
''Look, i don't know what you're talking about. What brethren are you going on about?'' My question seemed to calm her down slightly. She didn't break the stare, her unblinking eyes steadily making me cringe more and more- but rose from her crouching position, her wings still half-unfurled in an aggressive manner. The feathers looked like they were taking metallic properties- the wind smelled of sulfur, the feathers were almost glowing with a silver light, and her talons dug into the ground.
''My brethren... Brothers, Sisters, my Flock! They were left behind? Only I crossed over?'' She was looking a little bit more calm, less aggressive, but the calm hid something underneath. She was... Scared.
''Hey, calm down. Let's take our time and figure it out, okay? To my knowledge, you are the only Goose that i know of who can connect to other minds. I've never heard of another one like you.'' I tried a peaceful, honest approach. I had a feeling lying to her- She was obviously female, at this point. I could see the shape of her lady parts between her short legs, and the shape of her head was clearly round and soft, unlike a male's slightly bulkier frame and squared facial features.
''I was bored, so bored. I wished for wind under my wings. The light brought me here...'' Giving a few flaps, she found out she could hover about three inches from the ground. ''The smell of the Ink... I won't miss it.'' She craned her neck form side to side, still studying my expression of pure confusion. ''Tell me, why were you smelling like the Foul magics of my kind? Aren't ponies supposed to smell like honey and watered down magic, like you are now?''
I tried to proactively process the information in my brain. Silence being sleeping, or weeping still, i couldn't rely on her to make connections with the dots we were just given. ''Hold on a second... What do you mean, Foul magics?'' I sat down, and rolled a large trunk for her to perch on. She obliged.
''I mean, the magics of my people. From beyond, over the veil. Let me show you an exemple.'' With a flick of her wing, and a curious sound from her beak, a circle of green flames surrounded us. The air was filled with the scent of sulfur. Suddenly... I took conscience of the fact that the Garden, while wrecked around us, wasn't filing with guards and there was a distinct lack of Princesses asking questions.
This was unnerving.
With a honk, the flames consumed us both, and I let out a startled whiny.
The flames slowly died down at my hooves, the scenery around us back to it's pristine, tended-to state. Every single flower, bush, tree, every single blade of grass has been restored around us. The sun was high in the sky- only a few degrees east, and different manner of animals went startled-eyed at us, before running away, the smaller rodents diving in bushes while the larger ones made good use of their longer legged strides to scatter between the trees, away from the little path i found myself on.
The wheelchair was nowhere to be found. No signs of damage against the Castle a few hundred meters away, no collapsed roof, or signs of any explosion.
My jaw fell limp, my mouth opened on it's own. I couldn't comprehend what had possibly happened, while the signs were all there before me.
This Goose... warped us back in time. Her mismatched eyes blinking non-simultaneously, a bored expression etched on her face, as if nothing had happened. she released a small hoquet, and an emerald ember went flying away. I could not believe it.
She had puked us back in time. Her body... It was nothing but a disguise. She was a creature of green flames- an Aberration not unlike changelings. A result of wild magic. It all made sense now. The explosion. the Goose. The Deer...
I needed to find Rhydaelle- Make sure she wasn't replaced by one of these monsters yet. There were different varieties of Changelings, you see. There was the sentient, well more like drone-type changelings from Changelings hives still uncovered- theses ones were mostly harmless. They fed out of emotions- positive ones like love, and ever since Twilight got her wings, and all of that Jazz, they figured out a way to sustain themselves via Friendship- theses Changelings are actually quite friendly and used their Foul magic for good reasons, no longer for nefarious purposes. It was limited to transformation-type magic too, so it wasn't what was scaring me here.
Some changelings, like earlier- or i guess later, actually- are quite another thing. They are born from the enervating, wild radiation of theses ''wild magic pockets''. It offered ponies a glimpse into realms quite far away from ours, it would blend one with another, Eldritch dimension, one that went through the veil. It gave theses changelings all manners of different magics- some of them pretty dangerous to deal with. The horns of crystal were actually designed to deal with otherworldly threats like these. Only they could interact with theses strange pockets of wild, unknown magic. Theses pockets were caused by casting so much high-tier magic, so quickly in succession, in such a small area- or decaying, old spells casted by powerful casters. It could even happen by simply botching a spell- Like, per example, interrupting a unicorn from casting.
''So that's how you call it. Wild Magic, huh?'' The Goose pecked me in the ribs, and i instinctively raised a hoof to my chest. I was wearing my coat. Said coat i wasn't wearing before.... The warp. ''Indeed. You're catching up quickly... Are you sure you're not one of my brethren?''
''Am I... What? What defines your Brethren? Do i share a magical affinity with you?'' I chuckled. I could barely understand my powers in this life.
''I know I can share your magic, yes. But I think we can agree my skin and bones are that of a Pony. I don't even have feathers... Yet.'' I ushered that last word under my breath, missing my horn. Being stuck in an earth pony shape was exhausting, for one being used to the grace and slim body of a unicorn. I might be modernized and open minded, but my tribalist ancestry sure made me sneer at the earth pony ways at times.
The Goose looked up at me, her eyes slowly blinking one at a time. ''If you are not of my kind, then I must study you. You are an anomaly my kind would very like to know more about... But it will require an exchange of sorts.'' she paced around me, her talons digging into the ground with each step- and perfectly slicing each blade of glass with her claws. This creature could most probably gut me open in the bat of an eye- at any given moment. But... ''You know, my order would very much like to know more about you too. How's that for an exchange?''
The pink, lavender eye took on a blueish hue. The pensive look on her face was oddly disconcerting- but at some point, she nodded. ''It would be beneficial... But are you agreeing too quickly yourself? We barely started talking efficiently. I believe we need to talk about this more before i can officially agree- after all, I'm far from home- but sure. I'll let myself be studied... If you do too.'' her eyes glinted in a very malicious way. It sent shivers down my spine and i could feel all manner of muscles tense up in my body, my tailhole clenching in the most upsetting of ways.
''Could we keep it as casual as possible? I promise that i won't let them do anything you're not comfortable with.'' With those words, her eyes turned even more icy and i swear i could see daggers pointed at me through that milky eye of hers.
''Do not ever show me weakness- I am not one of your loving pony kind. I thought you were above such sentiments. It's kind of you, indeed, to worry about me. But do not be mistaken-'' She scooted closer, and put a talon on one of my legs. I could see the claws just pressing into my flesh, not enough to draw blood. ''I hate weak creatures. I have an irrepressible urge to just gut you open to see where all that boldness went- don't make me satisfy my curiosity so soon, pony.'' With that, she strutted away, ruffling and puffing her feathers.
the conversation will have to wait until we got stuff done.
----------//----------
The halls were oddly empty. No guards roamed the palace between the medical wing and the guest wing- the only access that lead into the outside directly from the guest wing, and where i guessed i'd find my target.
I could swear that the Deer Queen's antlers were decorated when i first saw them in the throne room. But, when i later joined her in the suite, she was surrounded by Deer, and her antlers weren't decorated. It lead me to believe that she had been replaced somehow, but when exactly? It was a mystery. One i intended to solve, and quickly. I still had other threats to worry about.
The imminent explosion overhead, in fact.
''Honk! What are we doing here? Where is the pocket you spoke of?'' The Goose's- Which had yet to provide me with any name or way to address her, really- palmy feet pit patted against the tiled floor, echoing and no doubt, giving us away if an enemy were to sneak about. I lifted my eyes up and peered into any corner, any tapestry or decorative plant could actually be an enemy here. Even any guard I might stumble upon.
The threat of Changelings was no laughing matter.
"It's over us, in the Guest Wing. But we have to be careful- there might be an Imposter among us, here in the Castle.'' The Goose flapped her wings about, her head darting to and fro, left and right, up and down- mimicking, possibly mocking my own behavior- and let out a soft startled gasp. ''Wait, I think i see something! Pure Bullshit, right there on the floor!'' She gave me a peck on the scruffy hair around my hooves, and almost cut a few stray hair with how fast she moved. ''Stop acting like a scaredy cat. You won't find that thing with your eyes alone. It's hiding from us.''
The Goose was clapping her beak as she talked directly into my mind, giving me the impression of speech- but to the overlooking outsider, i was literally talking to a normal Goose. Holding a conversation, with an animal. This still left me feeling a little queasy- Like i had stolen Fluttershy's whole thing. ''You know what? you might just be right. We need to find the Queen and shadow her- Wait until he strikes. I don't know what i was thinking, looking for him while I could've just ambushed him instead.''
My ears suddenly picked up on some noise- some glass shattering. ''Or maybe we could investigate that sound. Follow me!'' I silently darted forwards, on the edge of my hooves as to not make too much sound. Tip-top running like this, i was skittering and sliding across the waxed floors, almost moon walking at some point. This was harder than i expected- I was ill-suited for infiltration work, and yet again missed my horn, for a muffling spell would've let me run without any difficulty, at least. Tripping every now and again, i ended up falling while trying to turn a corner. The Goose behind me, hovering about, flapping her wings, snickered at my display of apparent lack of dexterity.
With an annoyed growl, i stood back up, only to see right before me, emerging from a non-descript room, a pony wearing hooded robes. We locked eyes, my slate and pale yellow orbs starring deep in his lime green glowing eyes. Unmistakably, he was a Changeling. And a Radiation-born kind, not a friendly bug type. It's slightly mismatched limbs skittered on the tile floor, and he half ran, half slid away down the hallway. I had to catch up to him... ''Goose! Portal us in front of him!'' I exclaimed, buckling my legs and preparing to tackle him.
The Goose beside me simply looked at me, with her creepy mistimed, mismatched blink of hers. ''Why would we stop him, actually?'' I couldn't believe what she was saying. ''What do you mean? If we don't stop It, it's gonna destroy an entire Castle wing, an act of Terrorism! We can't let that slide!'' I frantically moved around, wondering if i should try to convince the Goose or run after the aberration while there was still time- ''Him. Not It. I won't fight my Brethren without a good reason.'' She pawed at the floor, her head tilting left and right. "The way I see it, you're just trying to stop him without taking into consideration why he's here, what He's doing. We have a purpose just as much as you do, you know.'' Releasing an exasperated sigh, deciding to talk it out with the Goose before it became a problem, i sat on my haunches and locked eyes with her. ''If we don't stop him, innocent lives will be lost. What remains of the Cervideans's main tribe will be wiped, along with any sick or injured in the hospitals bellow. If I understood what happened properly back then... Without me there to absorb the explosion, it'll be much, much worse. I won't kill him, i promise, sorry for referring to him as an object. Can we warp now?'' She took a moment to think about it. Really, i could see my bluff was well received, but I could feel it was against whatever ''values'' and morals she has. ''Alright. So long as you hear him out...'' She sighed and with a hiccup, barfed down some emerald flames that etched a rune circle around us, and next thing i know, I'm starring down another hallway, flames dying down at my hooves.
----------//----------
A suprised Changeling before me, sliding down to a halt, and let out a surprised jumble of clicks and growls in a rapid succession- a natural language of sorts, that i couldn't understand without my horn. I brought an hoof over my head, and slammed it on the floor, releasing a small burst of earth pony magic- sending the Changeling half flying, half sliding on the tiled floor, and ran after it to pin it down before he could stand back up. Sliding down next to him and putting my hoof at the base of his neck- and bearing down half my weight on him, as to not crush his windpipe- I looked at the Goose hovering next to me. ''Can you understand what he's saying, Goosey?'' I received a wing-slap behind the ears, for the lame nickname.
''Of course i understand what he's saying. Why don't you? I thought better of you, Pony. For all your tricks and potential, you sure are dumb.'' She carefully put a palmed feet over my mark, on my forehead- and suddenly, I understood what she meant. ''This is going to take a minute or two, at the very least.'' I nodded at the Changeling squirming under my unmoving hoof. ''Hold him down, will you? You can release him if he cooperates. I'm willing to extend that much trust to you.'' The Goose hovered over, and ushered herself softly unto the Aberration's head- and stretched her neck, twisting her head backwards to hold a stare contest with the Changeling- who stopped moving, hypnotized by the mismatched Goose eyes slowly burning their way into what passed for a soul, making him cry a bit.
I took a deep breath, sat down unto the cold tiled floor. The Castle was still completely devoid of any guards or security personnel of any kind, the Guest wing was in fact still completely empty. the Changeling's plans clearly were into motion, for the Deer hadn't come upstairs after introducing themselves to the Princess. My internal clock (which wasn't precise by any kind of measure) told me it was around two in the afternoon, or maybe a bit earlier. we had been scouting the halls for quite a while without stumbling into anyone- and this was unsettling me. Sure, I could hear some ponies in some rooms once in a while- but the fact that I still hadn't seen any made me feel like this wasn't real... Like I could somehow stretch my hoof and reach past the floor beneath me, or the walls around me. I lacked the perceptions of an Alicorn at the moment- but this gave me an idea. Mayhe I could alter my perception of reality, "borrow" someone else's point of view for a second.
I cleared my mind of any stray thoughts- of which they were quite a lot- and tried to focus my senses upon the Goose and Changeling before me. My sharp magical senses could tell me they shared a common inherent magic, one i could tap into. Reaching out, i could feel the damp, dark and empty magic that the two shared- It came from beyond the planes known to equines, beyond the ''Veil'' that surrounded the ''Tree'' of multiple universes we currently found ourselves in.
''Honk! That's it! How do you do that, Pony?'' The Goose asked, not breaking eye contact with the Changeling under her, but showing a perplexed look on her face. She had small folds over her eyes, in her thick plummage, that somehow looked like eyebrows, and it rendered her eyes most expressive. I could sense them, see them through my closed eyes, and it somehow shook me awake to realize how i could now feel and hear her better through our telepathic link she was maintaining, through her own magic.
I looked at her eyes, both with my senses and open eyes- i could feel the magic behind them, and see through the milky haze in her lavender-pink eye. I could see ink, and deep in it, nightmarish visions like no other. I could tell apart that very distinctive, absolute terror i felt creeping from deep within my bowels- It was from the Tantabus itself, creature of condensed nightmares and one of the most ancients of entities that lurked the abysses beyond the Veil. Just what kind of friendship was i getting involved in?
''I... Don't think this is the best place to answer that question in deep detail.'' I looked at the Changeling she was hypnotizing, and realized i had a golden opportunity to demonstrate my Order's abilities passed down to me by my Mother- ''But i will explain that at some point, I assure you. And I think I'll have some questions for you as well... '' I took a look at my body- my coat was definitely more brown then beige, and darker then ripe hay. I was charged with chaotic energy, but i couldn't feel any pressure- as if my ''tank'', my fuel capacity, was pretty much empty. I had successfully absorbed just enough magic from them to attune to their field- to other magical, unicorn senses, we now appeared the same, or close enough. My magic frightened me in this life- just what kind of things this mark can achieve? And, perhaps the most intriguing question of All- Who, or What, Drew it? I had a feeling the Goose might actually know... Perhaps because I was attuned to the most peculiar, unknown and wild magic in existence. I still had no idea how i could store that energy, and not be harmed by it. Those Radiations would usually mutate, disfigure and disembowel a Pony.
''Wait... Let him breathe for a bit. I think he's ready to talk." I took a seat next to 'him' and the Goose, trying to appear as non-threatening as possible.
The Goose turned her head away, and unkinked her neck- with a nightmarish series of cracks and popping sounds that would no doubt hunt me forever-, and the Changeling's eyes stopped spinning, shutting themselves in a restful looking expression. ''Honk! I'll do the translating, I picked Changeling Chitter in College.'' The Goose ironically said, as she sat more comfortably upon the Aberration's head, and pecked his ear to wake him up. ''Also, I think you owe me an explanation at some point.''
I took a moment to think about all that had happened, in such a small amount of time. We barely trusted each other, and yet she was following me, following my commands and even extending some trust towards me. ''Listen, that guy was either on his way to set off a bomb, or replace the Queen of the Deerfolk. That much I know- I don't understand much of what's going on either. I wonder how I haven't turned even more insane yet. But now's not the time for that talk yet. Our friend is waking up.''
The large, alien looking eyes fluttered open- the eyelids vertical, just to make it slightly more off-putting- and the same series of clicks and mumbled gargles- nothing i could normally comprehend. But... I could now feel emotions, and intentions behind those clicks and guttural sounds. It sounded scared and desperate- but what struck me was that this creature had emotions and... a sentience, too. Quite unlike the impression i had of them at first- and what anypony would normally think, the kind of thing your parents just eventually told you, when trying to scare you into behaving nice. That theses Changelings were horrors, mad, insane, emotionless killing machines.
But they were still equine. They hadn't lost that tinkle in the eye- It was just hidden. Somehow... Just coming to theses realizations was quite a lot to assimilate. The Goose shot me a worried look- My mask, my usually stern expression had definitely slipped. I took a deep breath, exhaling for as long as possible, and came back to my senses- which I then focused upon the Changeling. ''Who sent you? Why the Cloak and Dagger act?''
The Aberra- The mutated creature before me proceeded to talk it's chittery language. I took a feel for the language this time- and actually came to understand the structure a bit- Nouns where clicks, verbs a guttural repetitive noise of varying tone and repetition- and it resumed to clicks to precise an action, or give details about said action. It clearly gave a certain name too, For he used another language to convey his name- a throaty, clickety Kekle-Cuth'Rah, Gorg? It sounded something like that. It must've some better way to pronounce it, though. The Goose cleared her throat, and replicated the weird guttural sounds, clicketing with her sharp beak, a reply of some kind. The Changeling seemed to understand it, and so did I- It sounded scared, and even apologetic- a kindness well received by the creature i now almost felt was a proper Equine now. It made me feel a bit sick inside- To think I wouldn't have hesitated in the slightest bit to smite it moments prior, something about feeling this affinity with him now made me realize that violence most probably wasn't going to be an option here, and if there was, it would stain my Ka- my Soul. Not that it was pure, by any means, but I still didn't want to needlessly soil it, if avoidable.
The Goose locked eyes with me- and i could see the lavender definitely taking on a blueish hue briefly, as her beak contorted into a frown. ''He's just a pawn. He serves one of my Brethren, one of the few that i despise. You may do as you wish with him- my stare gave him momentary clarity, but as soon as it wears off, He'll most likely try to kill you. It's nothing personal, I assure you.''
The Goose flew from his head to come rest at my hooves, starring at the Changeling softly weeping on the ground. It's eyes were flickering- the lime glow was slowly returning, and i could see how painful it must've been. To have one's mindscape tore from your grasp and polluted by another was dreadful. There were ways to actually, without pain, in total consent and in complete harmony, bind two souls together, or achieve some control over other beings- My Order was proof of that, stood upon this very value in fact. Sure, it was slightly immoral, and the way my direct ancestor did it wasn't quite ethical- but my point still stood. Abominations that possessed the weak-willed to do their bidding were unmistakably evil- even that transdimentional Goose agreed with me on that one. Without a word, i took the Changeling's head in a bear grip, and as swiftly as possible, i snapped his neck. Some problems just couldn't be solved by peaceful negotiations. Yes, the Irony wasn't lost on me. Going from an extreme to another made me realize how much of a monster i was, though not without a good cause, for good reason- I couldn't let the one possessing this creature know my identity- Death was the only option here.
The Goose pecked at her wings, her expression almost indifferent, she pruned her feathers without shame, almost in an idle manner. I could see her beak wasn't quite straight, though- she definitely felt sorry for the other creature. She just couldn't let me see that it affected her. The Goose wanted to appear strong. That much, i could feel by being attuned to her ''harmonic signature'', her peculiar magic frequency. Just what kind of abilities my mark gave me? I needed to figure it out, sooner rather than later.
''What should we do with the body? Can your 'Brethren' infect other nearby minds through his corpse?'' I instinctively asked, without actually knowing where that came from. The Goose did something quite upsetting- she shrugged. How in Tartarus could her wing's joints bend that way was sending shivers down my neck. ''I don't think so... But you're never too careful. I'll take care of it.'' She stretched her beak open- wide, wide, so wide it didn't make any sense. How was it stretching? How was her jaw able to dislocate itself in such a manner? Her large gaping maw open, large serrated teeth on full display- you don't want me describing how bad her breath was, honestly: How foul could Ink smell left me mystified- She used an extending, expending wing to grasp the Changeling, and carelessly engulfing it in a single bite. With quite the bump traveling down her throat, she released quite a honky-sounding, retching belch. It left my nostrils numb by how disgusting it smelled. Then, as if nothing had happened, her beak crawled back into place and shrunk in the blink of an eye. ''Sorry, I'm definitely going to need a minute to digest this. Go ahead, I'll catch up.''
Recoiling from what just happened, suddenly taking stock that what i had just witnessed was real- and still somehow retaining my grip on my sanity, i turned tail and ran down the Hallway.
I still had to check on the Queen- and launch a large scale magical scan, to make sure I hadn't missed any threats. I would eventually had to report this, however, so I would have to keep some manner of tangible proof to support my claims.
The deserted hallways echoed with my hoofsteps- If I wasn't too disoriented by the little chase, the room I was looking for wasn't that far- just overhead, in fact- and I couldn't hear any sound coming from over me. true, my hearing wasn't the sharpest- but my acute, attuned senses told me there were other mind-controlled Changelings nearby.
But where exactly? Without having eyes on the Queen's room, I couldn't possibly compare where the signatures were coming from. All i could tell was slightly on my left, and overhead- and that the energy signatures weren't as intimidating as the changeling now getting dissolved in Goose stomach acid. They must be either lesser creatures, or ones capable of cloaking magic- Either way, it didn't matter much. They would sense me as one of them- giving me the element of surprise.
Gauging my "tank's" remaining fuel, I estimated I could take care of two of them, maybe three- any more could overpower me. I couldn't make out exactly how many they were, but there couldn't be more than five or six, or they were standing really close to one another- which wasn't a bad thing. If i could trap them in a room... I'm sure the Princesses won't mind a little ceiling caving in, if it meant avoiding an explosion and needless casualties.
Sliding to a halt, I finally made it to the flight of stairs and servant's lift, or trolley as you could call it- And I was considering using it. It could conceal me slightly as i went up the stairs, offer me some cover, and wouldn't make as much noise as my hoofsteps that would no doubt echo loudly in the open staircase. But it could also trap me in place, and the small metallic box won't do much good if it where to be turned against me. With a groan of annoyance, I proceeded to tiptoe up the stairs- slowing my approach considerably, but the sound traveled quite far in the empty halls of the Castle, and being alone at the moment, I couldn't risk an offensive strategy- but I still needed to hurry. Making my way up as silently as possible, I threw my senses ahead and above- It was already getting more precise. I could feel a total of 5 signatures- three just outside a room, and two right at the top of the stairs. I couldn't waste time on theses two- but I still couldn't leave them be while i charged ahead at the three- It posed the risk of having to fight them all at once, and without some serious charging up, without a horn, the odds weren't in my favor. I had come to rely on spell casting too much- If only i could get my hooves on some weapon...
And that's where i realized there were tapestries hanging over me- Hanging on a metal rod, with large spherical, decorative weighs on each sides. It probably would bend and break quickly- But it was just what i needed to deal with the two guarding the stairs. I put my front hooves against the wall, and with a mighty push of my hind legs, managed to get a hold of the tapestry with my teeth- and with a good pull, i managed to make the tapestry and metal rod fall at my hooves.
The noise was kind of absorbed by the heavy fabric- but one of the weighs hit a potted plant on it's way down, as well as a hanging dish- meant to hold lavender at night- making the chains rattle against the wall. Cursing under my breath, I pulled the metal rod out of the heavy cloth, and threw the fabric at the two Changelings attracted by the noise. Moving swiftly, i used the tapestry as cover while it was in the air- and collided heavily with one changeling, tackling him to the ground. I spun in place, raising the metal rod still in my mouth, and brought it upon the head of the second Changeling- who fell limp to the ground, and tumbling down the stairs.
One down, four to go. the creature on the ground wasted no time, and it's horn started to glow a bright green. I ducked and rolled, as the released spell shattered the tiles i was standing on just seconds prior. with a grunt, i spun to gain momentum, and threw the bent rod directly in the Changeling's face- To be continued after this commercial break!
Two in two, perfect score. panting slightly, I took a look at the hallway- my fight visibly hadn't got the attention of the other group further away. Good. I brought my eyes upon the two bodies at my feet, their black, viscous blood staining the tiled floor. I had no time to deal with them, and swept my hooves against my belly to keep them from slipping on the dry, waxed tiled floor. I closed my eyes and focused my senses towards the end of the hallway, on my left, giving me a clear mental picture of what awaited me before the Queen's guest suite.
I could feel two changelings, and one... One other creature like the Goose- It's shape isn't unlike a Pony, except it's all wrong. It is mutated, twisted like a Radiation-born Changeling- alien, buggy eyes, crooked horn and fangs- but the proportions weren't wrong like i would normally expect. And it didn't have holes, either. An hybrid of bug and radiation Changeling. I could feel the tension around him, or her, too. The air shimmered not unlike inside the pockets of wild magic-and a kind of silver thread linked it to... Apparently, the ceiling- but I knew it stretched way, way further. My instinct were telling me this was the mind control of a higher being, one residing in the astral realms, or beyond. It could explain the silver color of the thread, at least. The dark, emerald energy emanating from it's eyes, not unlike mist or smoke in appearance, made me come to some conclusion. One, an Abomination wanted to impersonate the Queen, most probably capture her, and then the squad here would suicide themselves by overpowering the enchantments in the hidden room, creating a pocket of wild magic that would cause the 'explosion', in an effort to disguise the kidnapping. A clever plan, for who would suspect such a thing? Who would rush to the Queen's aid, if everypony believed her dead?
I needed to stop them. But the energy I felt made me hesitate- I wouldn't walk away unscathed from a confrontation against something with such power. And they probably had other tricks up their sleeves too- Which forced me to use one of mine. I could probably try to reach into their minds and severe their consciousness and subconscious- letting me slip Silence in, let her take control of their subconsciousness, and finally 'switch' their conscious and subconscious. In other words, I could make one of them my puppet. And as it so happened, one of them was quite the host. True, it was a high-risk, high reward kind of thing, and true, luck hadn't been on my side so far- but I knew I was a lucky pony, in normal circumstances. I have no other option but to put a little faith in, and hope i'll come out okay.
Without any kind of warning, a runic circle of emerald flames sprouted at my hooves- and an annoyed Goose winked into existence before me. Before she could say anything, i moved a hoof to my lips and shushed her- getting an acknowledging nod out of her. I pointed at the curve, at the end of the hallway to our left. With her by my side, the odds were a bit more even. I had come to expect the unexpected out of my feathered companion, which both made me feel a bit more confident, and scared of what kind of thing she might do to me in my sleep. But theses were troubles for Future me. I still had Present me to deal with, and something told me Past me made the wrong decisions this morning, and maybe should've stayed in bed. Let somepony else deal with all of this.
We slowly, silently crept down the hallway, and i signaled my companion to take care of the two smaller targets. By that, I mean i actually used the mute-pony hoof signal language- To which the Goose shrugged. So i simply mouthed at her ''Take the two smaller grunts, I'll take care of the Big guy.'' I made sure to exaggerate my mouth and tongue's movements, as to make it extra clear. She nodded, visibly having understood enough of what i said. Nodding back, i narrowed my eyes and took the lead. I could feel the Goose likewise getting ready for a charge- We would turn the corner and each take on our opponents- I hoped I could make the old 'Possession' trick work again- I still hadn't really tried making Silence fight yet in this life. Of course, being who and what she is, she already knew all about combat and how to handle herself in pugnacious mindscapes, and only hoped her opponent wouldn't be too tough.
-----------//----------
''Silence! Think you can handle this one?'' I felt the voice echo around me, coming from nowhere and everywhere at once. A command from Master. Looking through the large bay window, which was showing me what He saw, I prepared myself for the attack. Readying my shield and spear, I sprouted wings of light from my back to help me wield my weapons.
It was time to hunt.
I sent him a tug through our mental link, saving my energy for what laid ahead. I could feel all of what he had read earlier on my target- I made sure not to memorize his name, for fear the abomination could use it to get a hold of me somehow. Sometimes, knowledge could be an edge used against you in foreign landscapes. Most were pretty hostile- a pretty natural thing, in fact. But I had a feeling this one was going to be quite different from the mindscapes little ponies and friendly creatures had. Having the Goose as reference, I couldn't begin to fathom what i was getting myself into.
All of a sudden, I saw him charge, and I was flung into the air, towards him- In a diving position, my shield before me- shot at bullet speeds, i threw my spear into the biggest Changeling's forehead, and dove into the ethereal wound, into the creature's mindscape.
At first, everything was dark. I fell for what felt like a solid minute- but must've been a millisecond. I had to adjust to the creature's mind, and as such, his perception of time. I felt something enter the wound too, following me inside- Looking up, I saw only white feathers. How could it follow me? That Goose was all kinds of unforeseen-able.
We both landed on soft ground, covered in snow, near a little wooden cabin in the middle of nothing There was hardly light around, And I was thankful that I was made out of light. I hated the dark with a Passion unmatched. I was the Lightbringer, my psyche's 'programing' forced me to hate the darkness. In order to keep my Master on track within the path of the Light, and to banish every shadow in His way.
A voice chuckled overhead, coming from everywhere around me and the Goose- which I still couldn't decide if she could be trusted- and i rose my shield before me instinctively. ''Greetings, Visitors. I knew you would eventually find your way here. Turn back now, and I shall spare your lives, just this once.''
The Goose let out a defying Honk, which made the whole realm shake slightly, and made me jump back. I now kept one eye on the shack's door, another on the Goose, just to be sure. ''You know why we're here, then. I was getting tired of waiting, Brother. Your games have gone too far. Stop at once, or else.'' The Goose stood straight and tall, and in a flurry of white feathers, grew twice, thrice her size- and took on a distinguishable Pony shape, with a beak, talons and palmed duck hind legs.Her wings were huge, so large I had to duck when they sprouted, and made me instinctively feeling jealous. I thought my wingspan was large...
No time for birdbrain stuff. It was time for Fighting stuff. The disembodied voice overhead- It clearly sounded like it came from over us this time- chuckled again, and the void around us turned a ghoulish green, the snow at my hooves took on a greenish glow that made me feel sick- even though i had no stomach, or other organs for that matter- and my eyes narrow, for with my own light and everything around, it was getting pretty bright in here. The Goose's eyes didn't seem to have any problems though, as a regalia of emerald flames appeared on her whiters, and all four of her... legs? were her talons on arms or legs? My mind had trouble making the distinction, and i wasted a precious second trying to make sense of the Pony-ish, Equinesque creature before me. The Goose-Hyrbid stood in defiance, and snorted at the laughing void.
''Then, do come in. Let us see who has the right to influence the Oz, the etch and flow of the weave. Let us see who really is Chosen!'' The Shack's doors swung open, and a powerful aura could be felt from within the shelter. I rose my spear, getting ready to go in, but the Goose's wing blocked me. She was holding me back. ''Let me do this. It isn't your fight... And don't mention it to your Master. I owe him one and I don't want him thinking we're even... Yet. You too, lack the foresight to understand what really is going on here. Stay safe.'' Without leaving me time to answer, she dove inside in subsonic speeds, leaving me stranded in the sea of green snow.
It was getting cold.
----------//----------
The fight was over in a second. The Goose had outstretched her wings and grabbed the Two Changelings, and whispered a weird language in their ears, making them convulse and turn insane. I put my hooves on my own delicate ears, making sure to focus on the Large Changeling walking slowly towards me, his eyes flashing with a weird glow, flickering on and off, a clear sign that Silence was doing well. I braced myself, and brought my bent metal rod before me, to hold him back. He would act like a zombie at this point, and so long as i kept him from touching my forehead, i would be fine. I cracked my neck in anticipation- so it wouldn't keep me from dodging, if need be.
When this was all said and done, i deserved some special medication- and by that, i meant drugs. I wasn't ashamed to say it- I was long past due and could feel it throughout my whole body- The ritual binding me with it was painful, and as such i had taken the habit of smoking opiates and cannabinoids, to keep the pain a dull sensation instead of this rusty feeling i had in my muscles. It was as if my body weighed several tons more than it should, and I tried to keep my mind off of the pain by focusing on the Changeling, sending willpower to Silence- no doubt helping her, somehow.
And suddenly, all the Changelings felt limp to the floor, the two smaller ones emanating some wild magic ennervation- and without taking a second to think about it, just let myself breathe it all in. It was as easy as breathing, at least- but it was more similar to Changeling feeding then taking a deep breath. It left me feeling full, all bloated somehow, and I now knew what it felt like to be pregnant. The Goose opened a portal of dark emerald flames, and pushed the two small bodies in as i felt Silence slipping back into my body, making me shudder. It was such a weird sensation, when she exited and entered my body- and no matter how many lives i had lived through, It still left me feeling queasy and uncomfortable. It was as if something tampered with your physical brain, like undergoing surgery with just enough painkillers not to feel your head being split open, but to leave you feeling these thousands of little needles in your brain. It was quite unsettling, to say the least.
Dismissing the weird feeling with a little shake, I took a better look at the changeling on the Floor before me. With a scan, i could tell he was still alive- he just didn't have any consciousness left. Only a broken subconscious that left his organs pumping, and the juice-blood flowing in his veins. ''Is it worth saving, Silence? Is his mind salvageable? Any stray memories left, by any chance?'', I asked through our telepathic link. I could sense some hesitation coming from her, but she quickly replied, "there's not much left... But with a little work, he could still be saved. Of course, he's only going to be an emotionless drone, but it's better than death, i assume.'' I took a moment to consider it. I was about to go on an adventure, I just knew it. My talent, my purpose was clear, and I could feel the familiar itch of the road begging to be traveled. Having another set of hooves, one that didn't require sleep or food, would be quite useful. Perhaps i could even transform it into the new kind of Changeling that populated our cities today. I sighed. ''Ready to leave my brain again? Just make sure he can stand and follow us around for now, we'll have plenty of time to work him out when we have our talk with Goose and the Princesses. Not looking forward to that...'' A ball of light shot itself from my forehead, and dove into my new companion's forehead. Within a few moments, empty gray eyes fluttered open, and he stood mechanically two steps behind me. The Goose looked at me, then the door. With a nod, I pushed it open.
Little did I know, Destiny had already worked itself. It was too late to go back, too late to change what had happened.
An Officer, a somber Thestral with a Solemn emotion, his golden eyes annoyed by the typical kind of repetitive, meaningless office work he was assigned ever since he came back form his 'post war depression' leave a few months ago. He couldn't believe the nonsense he had to deal with on a Daily basis. Furthering the science and technology of Equinedom through Unity had brought upon the worst in Ponies and sapient races everywhere. The proof? This very mundane, yet blown out of proportion conflict he had to resolve.
This time, it was between two ponies in his department- an Earth Pony stallion, and a Unicorn mare- the latter was pretty peeved, at least her eyes betrayed her anger- which were sitting on large cushions before his mahogany desk. The Earth pony was clearly uncomfortable- he kept darting his eyes across the room, trying to occupy his mind with anything but the mare beside him. I could sense the tension between them, and knew i would have to somehow resolve this before the day was done. I sighed, and shuffled around the files on my desk, eventually taking hold of one, and skimmed it's pages.
The Earth Pony broke the silence, letting out a little nervous chuckle. ''What's going on, Officer?''
I tore my eyes away from the documents before me- a resume of the situation, a report by the mare before me- but i wanted the stallion's version of what had transpired. ''You do know what's going on. Tell me, if you please, are you the author of this last memo sent on our work's mail system? I took the liberty of printing it.'' I Took out a page out of the folder.
He swallowed, audibly, and strained while doing so. With a little cough, he looked at his feet, and finally dared take the letter held in my primaries, which i was dangling before his nose. ''Would you mind reading the first line?'' Shaking, he started reading aloud, ''Hey Gang-'' when he was interrupted by the mare ''Exclamation point! He dared add an exclamation point! So aggressive!'' She whiped her mane around, and threw him a venomous look. ''Not just hey gang, but an overly dramatic HEY GANG! It shook me to the core!''She took on an overly dramatic pose, one hoof held to her chest, and the other waving around like crazy- So I held a stiff, authoritative hoof towards the mare, and she stopped.
''What did you mean by that, exactly?'' I let the stallion steady himself, he was shaking like a leaf. ''I just thought I'd say a little something to the team. We got through the monthly objectives and even beyond, so I wanted to congratulate them-'' Again, using my authoritative hoof and gaze, i stopped him. ''Sure, but why the use of the word, Gang?''
His pupils shrunk and he let out a startled whiny. ''Because... Because I thought it sounded pleasing and unifying, Sir- you know like, Hey, What's up, Gang?'' The mare barely let him finish his sentence, and she pivoted on her seat to face him. ''Let me give you the proper definition of the word Gang- Organized Regrouping of Malefactors or Criminals.'' I sighed. ''your coworker here was pretty offended by that 'label'-'' And then she had the nurve to cut me mid-sentence- ''Hey gang. With an exclamation point. HEY GANG! GANG! It's not just gang. GANG!''
The stallion whimpered, and melted in his seat- a foal sized puddle on a velvet cushion. ''I only wanted to make other ponies happy. Congratulated, that their work was appreciated... Unified-'' She cut him off, her eyes wide with rage. ''Sure, it's Unifying if you wanted to be labeled a criminal on your workplace! When I read your memo, what I understood- Perceived- was ''hEy GaNg! We've met our objectives! By the way Twinkle, you should be in jail, getting raped by some guard, fumbled the breasts in exchange for a pack of smokes and two Celestia~Colas.''
I snorted, and with the most sarcastic tone i could muster, added ''And that's a valid interpretation by our lovely Twinkle here.'' Equine Resources had evolved so much lately, they had regressed to pre-colonial era. The Stallion picked himself up, and finally decided to show some backbone. ''But it's not what i said-'' Twinkle's eyes shined with a malicious intent, and she pointed an accusatory hoof at him. ''The use of the word 'Gang' encourages problematic, aggressive and hostile behavior between employees. Raise an hoof, those who've been the object of stares, those who've got their daisy sandwiches stolen in the Staff's kitchen?'' And she obviously raised an hoof to prove her point. Typical angry, Drama queen mares. She even let out a ''Here!'', as if taking presences at the start of classes in elementary school. It got a chuckle out of me, I'll have to admit.
''I think you're... Slightly, Exaggerating-'' The Stallion just said the worst thing possible right now. He belittled the enraged mare. He was in for it... ''Exaggerating?'' The tone at which she shrieked the word was the same one I would've used upon realizing the Princesses were in fact toads, ruling us from the shadows, sometimes wearing oversized costumes, since the dawn of time. ''Slightly?'' The lightning in her eyes stroke the Stallion dead- or so he wished. ''Honestly, since yesterday, every time I leave my desk on the way to the fillies room, I'm afraid of being stared at the filly-end, or worse, afraid I won't ever make it back- If I won't end up in a motel, saddled up and chained against a stained under-mattress, refusing clients left and right, kicking them with my hindlegs, bloated full of spe-'' I stopped her by clearing my throat, before she could utter unforgivable words. ''There are other coworkers offended by your use of the word Gang. Nightwing!'' I called for the Thestral mare from the office opposite mine. She quickly appeared upon the doorstep to my office with a soft ''Yes?'' She was one of the quietest ponies in the office. She always appeared submissive and almost scared of anything- But i knew her skill with a dagger, and knew this demeanor was only for appearances. Twinkle further turned on her seat to face the bat-pony mare, her eyes still burning with equal parts passion and hate. ''Gang, is that a word that leaves you unconcerned, since you're a basic bitch without an ounce of judgment- or does that make you feel oppressed and offended, like a true gender equalist and anti-tribalist militant- a good and proper, intelligent, self-respecting mare with proper values and morals, that wishes for a safe and secure workplace?''
The speechless, shy mare took a step back, and eventually replied, "that... second thing?", hiding herself behind her mane.
It fueled the enraged mare, and Twinkle had quite the twinkle in her eyes. "I knew it!" She bounced happily in her seat, her eyes narrowing on her prey- the squealing, shuddering stallion twirling his hooves. I nodded my thanks to the Thestral, dismissing her, which she did as quickly as possible. Nopony wanted to further enrage a Twinkle Dinkle- for fear of being the next offense needing to be repressed on her list. Smiling a shark's smile, the unicorn pointed at the Thestral departing behind her. "The poor dear is terrorized- us mares can't stand the constant tail-starring and judgement of oppressive coworkers! I can't stand it anymore- Now if someones smiles at me the wrong way, I'll cave their faces in with a mighty buck- and you're the sole responsible Pony!" With the deadliest stare she could muster, she pointed a hoof directly into the Earth Pony's face- "It's entirely your fault. learn to live with that.''
Steering the conversation in a more positive direction, I took out a sheet of paper I had prepared. "Here's a list of other words you can use in the future, to replace the word 'gang', authorized by the Administrative Offices, Equine Resources department." I slipped it to him, pinching the paper between two primaries.
Carefully lifting the paper before his face, he frowned in consternation. "There's only one word there. Coterie." I nodded. "Yes. It's a one-word list... But Coterie is more eh, festive and fun, don't you think?" I gesticulated to better translate my enthusiasm- in my own ears, it sounded more like a term a herd would use to vulgarize their arrangement. I ironically added, "It doesn't encourage the staff to host knife parties and exchange violent, heated debates, and possibly sexually offend each other." I barely contained a giggling snort, but i think my emotionless mask didn't break.
The mare cleared her throat. "I would feel better if you'd use 'Group of Equine creatures unified by a common ideal, and sharing common values like a safe workspace' but you know, I'll leave it to your discretion. Otherwise, everything is just fine!" Eyes still somehow angry, she clucked her tongue while starring at nothing in particular. I knew my job wasn't done yet- that mile wide stare told me there was still some unresolved conflict.
"I sense some bitterness here. Is there something else offending you, Twinkle?" I regretted asking the question, but knew I had to ask it if i wanted to keep my paycheck and indemnities. I hope my eyes didn't betray my annoyance too much.
"Oh you know, I'm not the kind to whine for no reason..." I could hear the stallion mumble under his breath, "Of course not...", as the Mare continued, "But I'm also rather offended by the use of the term 'Hey'."
I blinked, not understanding exactly where she was going with this, and the Stallion and I shared a confused look, one which transformed into worry on the Stallion's face- If I was confused, things clearly wouldn't end well for him. "People are already judging me for being an Alicorn..."
The stallion shot her an incredulous look- while i sagged into my seat. It was yet another problem i had with Twinkle- her stupid delusions. The stallion looked at me, and i just now realized he was a 'Temp', one of those the company enrolled for 3 months or less, so they wouldn't become on the permanent staff with the pay increase and benefits. Indemnities.
The confused stallion locked eyes with me, and quietly asked, "but she's not a Princess?" The mare's face fell into a somber expression. "I refused the job. But I'm still an Alicorn!" Her horn shone, and ethereal wings appeared at her sides- vivid, colorful wings made of light, shining every color in the rainbow. "I could've been your direct superior- be glad I'm not asking for disciplinary action against you, Earther."
And once again, it started. For all her equalism talk, if someone got her started on her fake-Alicorn nonsense, she turned into the most tribalist horse i had ever known- yes, the insult was intentional. I had almost lost my job twice because of Twinkle- she was Evil Incarnate.
The stallion, unaware of how much trouble he was getting into, ran his mouth again. "But... Those aren't physical wings. You're not an Alicorn?" Even with the inquisitive tone, the message was mistranslated by Twinkle- who took it as a personal insult. "Are you accusing me of Lying? I identify myself as an Alicorn! I demand to be treated with the respect I deserve!"
The stallion couldn't help himself, and melting into his cushion yet again, dared open his mouth again. "But, you don't have Earth Pony, or Pegasi inner magic. You're not-" And i Stopped him, but it was too late. "It doesn't have anything to do with magic! To me, being an Alicorn is characterized by my superior intellect and magical ability, thats without mentioning my foresight and wisdom. It's also clearly visible by those wings at my sides, no?"
The Stallion shot me the most confused, lost and flabbergasted state I had ever seen- "But... She's not an Alicorn, Officer Sir?"
I sighed. "Technically, ER says we can't possibly know if she's an Alicorn or not. Legally, us Officers don't have the right to ask- I learned this the wrong way."
He whinied. "But how is that related to the word 'Hey'?" Rookie mistake. He got into her sights again. Missile Twinkle had locked in. "It's a tribalist expression popularized by Earth Ponies, derived from the word 'Hay', inciting Earth Pony supremacy and extreme-right thinking. We cannot hold such political and tribalist views in our workplace."
The stallion was pitiful to look at- completely crumbled and crinkled like a rolled up piece of paper- while the towering Twinkle menacingly twirled an accusatory hoof at the poor Pony's nose. "But it's such a common word..."
The relentless, savage and pitiless Twinkle grinned. "Yes, I can understand- however, used in that context, in that sentence, I felt like i was indoctrinated by your Traditionalist ancestors, and didn't like it one bit. I only ask that everypony changes to accommodate my awkwardness- is that too much to ask?"
I interjected myself before he could ruin the situation any further. "And so i hereby decree that we should change the word hey for... Hippity-Hoppity?"
The stallion cleared his throat, and tentatively tried, "Hippity-Hoppity Coterie, How's that sound?"
Twinkle nodded. "It's convenient to me, as an Alicorn." And the stallion just had to add, "But you're not-" before his head rolled to the ground, chopped by a glowing, shining wing of sharp light.
"I! AM! AN ALICORN!" she let out a roar of rage, and I pressed a button on my intercom. "Clean up requested in office 307, as well as an escort for Twinkle back into her cage. The therapy was yet again unsuccessful."
Ponies in body armor emerged from all corners of the room, and held Twinkle down as I pressed another button on the intercom.
"Sir, the results are negative yet again today. Should we try again tomorrow?" An exasperated sigh could be heard in a robotic voice. "Just send her to Equine Resources. We'll brainwash her and try again."
I looked out the window in wonder. The large landscape view was amazing- From the mountain range of Fillydelphia, to the whole of Ponyville and it's Everfree Forest, to Dragon's Mountain-and Manehattan further, past the horizon- and further right to the Drackenridge Mountains. We were able to see from the extreme north to the extreme south, a view only rivaled by the Castle's spires. I was in one of those spires, actually- but this one was atop the labs where i worked. I still had to arrange for supplies back to the Personal Laboratory at home, the one we were doing our most secret of experiments in. The one that we couldn't just leave out in an undefendable area such as the Industrial District of Canterlot- so we kept such important research and projects at hoof, in our home.
Now, why I was here, you might wonder? I needed a safe place to hide the Goose. We had to set up somewhere that could act as a base of sorts, somewhere I could get working on getting my quest sorted out. I needed to start planning a little earlier than I did last time- which was still two years from now. My hazy memory, complex web of past lives and an uncertain future- was sketchy at best, if not completely unreliable. I had to find myself some entry into the south's many tribes of varrying species- one of them, the Tapirs, had access to a very peculiar magic of the Earth, and i believe they were the ones to start the conflict against the Zebrican allies of the south. I had to escort back the Cervideans' Leader, reunite the tribes that were scattered around in those jungles, and somehow find a way to make a whole army cross the Quiet Sea without getting noticed. Talk about an easy task... One that would require getting a better social standing, and some way into the Royal Guard...
Otherwise, my next option could be to gather a small offensive crew- by that i meant gather two others to make a complete party, for I was still ill suited for combat until i acquired a crystal horn, after all, and try to somehow infiltrate the Tapirus Republic's seat of power, it's largest temple, And hopefully finding enough stuff on the way there to learn the many ancient languages of their Civilization so that I might come up with some way, somehow, to stop their rituals and counter their weird magic. If we could also climb the Tower, maybe we could secure what's at the top ourselves. My guess was that they used whatever they found up there to create some new kind of magic, and develop their war machines on it- but I could only theorize, at the moment. I needed a crystal to navigate my memories properly, for Silence wasn't able to navigate my labyrinth of a 'Neural Library' by herself.
The Goose before me was fidgeting, pecking at random containers strewn about the place, nervously tearing the tarps over the mountains of boxes to find stuff to decorate our room, or at least that's what i could understood. In short, she was pissed. We had met with the Princess, when the dust finally settled. While I was doing my report, the Goose defied Twilight, and taunted her somewhat. A battle ensued- and at the end, the Goose was forced under a contract not unlike mine, an offer of Friendship followed, naturally, and they had a private chat while i went for a stroll with Celestia. Long story short, I got some news of the growing tensions between the southern tribes surrounding the Cervideans, the camels and tribal zebras and so on- while the Goose settled whatever she had to settle with Twilight, and both talked about Ink, as Goose promptly resumed with a huff earlier. She had yet to explain much about herself, and I still wanted to explain to her just what I was- but the tension in the air made it hard to talk. I was just done getting a little survival gear set up in an improvised camp in front of the largest curved bay window of the whole spire- bigger than the one in the high administrator's offices downstairs-, a set of cooking devices and a small workshop, with laboratory equipment stored in the workbench instead of raw materials. It was made to carry out into the field, to force field scientists to work with what they had instead of costly materials that could sometimes be costly to order from foreign countries, and encouraged the members of my Order to be as versatile and adaptable as possible.
I needed to adapt, and be versatile right now. I was just now aware of how my companion was from any other races on Equus- and somehow understood just how out of place and unfamiliar everything must've been for her. And to make it worse, she was now forced under the laws of the kingdom- and forced to obey a few laws that were against her values and morals, most likely. She didn't understand why squishy flesh wasn't made to be torn and shred, or why blood wasn't meant to be shed. She was a creature of Violence, Knowledge and Ink, as she proudly declared before. I still didn't understand the deal with the Ink that well, but I knew it was a terrible force I couldn't understand, much less wield and harness, even in my prime. I knew it was something like pure, condensed knowledge, that wasn't bound by physics or regular magic rules, and had it's own set of laws. So to me, it made sense that one who was raised on Ink clearly evolved in a different kind of society. Emotions and many of our concepts and values hold no meaning when you've been seeing the bigger picture, the outside of the box, ever since you could walk and talk. I needed to level with her if I wanted to make her open up, and I had a feeling it will require more than Tact or honeyed words. I wasn't even sure an Apology would be the way to go, for she seemed to hate weakness quite a lot.
As she came down from her pile of 'junk', pushing a large box with her larger-than-life wings- it was almost cringe-inducing to see how large they could grow without the pressure of magic hanging in the air- I cleared my throat to get her attention. She came around her huge luggage, her large mismatched beady eyes looking straight through me. ''What is it?'
The Telepathic Network she used to talk to me scrambled with a warm, unsettled rage that could boil at any moment. ''I think we are overdue for a little chat-'' With a Honk, she stopped me, and with a flap of her wings, she was hovering before my nose. ''You are overdue for an attitude shift. I was willing to follow you and study you. Now I'm put under you in a hierarchy I cannot understand. I've never been stripped of my authority before, and I don't ever want it to happen again. I know you aren't to blame, but I still feel resentment towards you. I want you to prove your worth to me again... Enough so that I can put my aspirations between your hooves, and put great trust into you. If you could only fathom what that entitled, what it would mean. I cannot trust a mortal with this.'' As she spoke, I took a seat on the floor, and tried to keep her as calm as possible by nodding and showing I was really attentive to what she said. but at the end, I couldn't resist letting a smirk rest on my lips. ''I could perhaps tell you about my past, and my family? You might trust me more then. Oh! I know!'' I tore a piece of paper from a notebook resting nearby, and produced a pencil from a pocket of my duster. ''Twilight and I did this exercise at first to build up trust. We shared what we felt, some secrets, or whatever we wanted to entrust one another with, then burned the piece of paper together, as a symbol that we'd keep each other's secrets safe. Would that work for you?'' The Goose nodded, and nervously preened a wing as i started scibbling our names on top- Pony and Goose, and separated the paper in two with an horizontal trait- making two columns to write in.
''Let's start with our names. For over four hundred years, I've been known as Orpheus Apokryphes.'' I hastily wrote down my name under 'Pony', and held the pen out to her. She slowly grasped it with a wing. ''For longer than time can remember, my brothers called me-'' And what followed built up such pressure between my ears, i almost passed out. The pain wasn't intense- but it forced me to keep my eyelids tightly shut, and i let out a small wimper that couldn't reach my delicate ears.
As i recovered a bit, and came back to my senses, i could see her blue eye shining a caring, apologetic shine- while her lavender one turned slightly more fuchsia/reddish, and held a steel-like coldness that shook me out of the kind of stupor I was in. ''I can see you won't be able to repeat that without passing away, sadly. As I said when we met, there is much power in a name.'' She Looked away, and her reddish eye returned to a lavender... Actually, it even turned a bit blueish, and a milky cloud of nostalgia could be sen hanging over her pupil. ''You might call me... Erika. But only if i can trust you with my life, and choose you as my Servant. I'll need to work you into shape, though.'' She scribbled down 'Erika' under 'Goose', and held the pen out to me. I took it, with a smile. ''Of course. I'll deserve the honor before we burn this paper, Goose.'' I took the pencil, and gave it a thought. ''You should know... I'm not exactly mortal. I can die, yes, but I can come back from death in another body. The whole process is hard to convey through words, but it involves another, synthetic soul to fuse with yours, and having a second personality to live within your head. Mine is called Silence-'' She raised a wing to stop me. ''We've already met. I think I understand... But I do not want to. Not just yet. I want to come to understand by myself, don't tell me the details right now.'' She took the pen from my hoof, and wrote 'Silence' under 'Pony', before clearing her throat. ''She's very kind. But... who is the synthetic one between you and her? Aren't you both humonculi at this point? Can you still be considered Equine after all that misshaping?'' She let out a soft honk at her own joke, and an hint of malice could be seen twinkling in her eyes. ''I've been defying my brethren, actually. Trying to claim the leadership of my people. If you can somehow do this for me... If you can help breach the veil between our worlds and stop this bloodshed, and establish a working relationship between Mortals and Gods... I shall grant any wish, when I become the Chosen One.'' I nodded as she wrote 'Aspiration' under 'Goose'. ''Now... I have two questions for you. You mentioned coming back from death...'' Her eyes locked with mine, and the warm-colored orb swirled with an intimidating, somber tension. I could feel the full intent of her soul bearing down through her gaze, while a soft compassion emanated from the milky, cloudy baby blue eye, and the contrast between the two looks shook me a bit. ''Pony... After dying more than once, can you remember what is on the other side?'' I took a deep breath.
I did remember what awaited us mortals at the end. I believed she knew too. ''You already know the answer. I am part of the process, now, and it's all I'm allowed to say.'' I broke eye contact with her, so I could grab the pen and etch down a little symbol on my side of the sheet- the one referring to the gates of Tartarus. ''Gods have made me their plaything, in the past. I rose above it, Ascended myself... But it cost me my anchor. I can see you're pretty sharp, so I won't hide anything from you- but I cannot go into details here. I don't want to draw the attention of the Gods by speaking ill of them.'' Her face remained emotionless, but I could see something cold in both of her eyes, something calculating. ''My second question... What is your Oz, your destiny driving you to? In layman's terms... What is your end goal?''
I took a moment to look out the window in wonder. After ending the war... What is it that I wanted? What did i want to leave the world with? I had already done much, left more than one legacy behind. I had created many artifacts, wrote new laws of magic, ascended to divinity and much, much more- but as I grew older, I became... Bored. I grew tired. Weary.
I was old... But to other entities like the Goose before me, I was but a smear on the great wall of History. Another Ink stain. Did I really want this pseudo-immortality? What is it that I wanted? ''Goose... I'll be honest. I don't even know what it is that I want... For centuries, I've pushed the limits of magic, of this world. I helped develop the technologies and the civilization of Equestria, and been on countless adventures. What I want... Is retirement. I want to sit back, and know the world is in capable hooves- that the equilibrium is restored. I've shared your aspirations for as long as I can remember... To create a world of cooperation and compromise. Built on Friendship and Trust. Building on Faith like Celestia and Luna did before isn't enough. Building on Science like Twilight is doing is prone to lead to a downfall eventually. We need an evolving civilization- one built on versatile and adaptable values. I have tried to build my order for this task... But the truth is, it's out of my control now. The Technology I've helped advance, it now fuels the ambitions of more corruptible equines. It as if none of my attempts ever succeed... Nothing I've done so far has really worked- It all backfires eventually.''
I took a step towards the window, and motioned towards the city down below. ''After all I've done to save them, they always end up turning against each other. I believe the cause is the magic pouring down from the breach...'' I pointed at the large, gaping tear in the sky, so far away from us that it was barely half an inch long- ''Whenever I come to life into another body, the Cutie mark magic changes the symbol on my forehead. This time... I've been given the ways to purify and stabilize this magic. So this shall be my end goal, as you put it.'' I took a moment to let my thoughts drift a bit- I could only now realise just out of reach it all was. Once again... I would tear down whatever they call reality. Bring down the walls of physics and laws, and reduce everything still standing to ashes and dust. It was the only way to make way for a better tomorrow.
The Goose let out a small honk of surprise at the mention of my changing mark, and had been silent ever since. I could hear the sound of palmed feet pit-platting- for she was no doubt pacing nervously. ''Does that mean... We really did meet before?''
I looked at her through the reflection in the window... Hoping she wouldn't catch my grin. ''There are things I can and can't remember... There's only so many memories that can be held in a brain, even less accessed at any given time. But I factually remember having done deals with entities out of the veil in the past. Maybe I could've dealt with you then.'' Her reflection's eyes bulged a bit, as a honk got caught in her throat. ''But... That was millennia ago. Eras ago... And you mentioned being only centuries old. That doesn't make sense...'' ''... Unless it takes me a long time to find a proper host to come back to life. Few are those who can bear strong alchemy mutating their bodies, and having their psyche torn to shreds. This one had to be genetically selected, the work of over 4 generations... And it's a complete dud so far.''
I shook with inner laughter at my self-deprecation. ''But I already know much, enough about what is and what will be. And most importantly... I know how to ascend- I myself had to do it twice, and found a way to keep some source magic on the second time around. The only thing I don't know, is who our foe is.''
She was completely still. Silent. she didn't even appear to be breathing. Slowly, she blinked, and in a shaking breath, she finally managed something in her native language that hurt my head a bit. ''The thing working against your Oz, pushing against your Zah, is no one else but my little brother. For convenience's sake, call him Yba'sokug. I wasn't raised alongside him, and know very little about him. He looks like a bug, or a toad, and has the ambition to devour all, hoping to become All, so he can kill himself and thus destroy Everything known to creation.''
It was my turn to become speechless. As soon as I started to think we could level with each other, she just casually flaunts that her brother is Fenrhir from another dimension. How nice. I regained my composure, and gathered my wits. I had to step up and take the role she entrusted me with... And that meant no more hesitation. No more doubt. Stiff upper lip, squared shoulders, i turned to face her.
''We'll stop your brother. We'll bring the world under a single order, one the masses will make for themselves. Let them decide, together, how to move forward. We'll be agents of change and nothing more, and we'll bring the whole system theses Gods and Cosmik entities have erected faster than they can blink. Are you with me, Erika?''
