A meteor crash brings a rarity the denizens of Equestria have only seen in books. And with this new arrival comes a myriad of adventures.
This takes place immediately after chapter 11 of The Adventures of Flare Brimstone and serves as the official, direct sequel.
Far beyond the verge of stars and further still, a portal seldom forms agape. A large rock, a meteor, hurls to the world of Equestria, amidst a star shower. The blistering rock crashes on the plains and caught the attention of Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, who investigates the fallen meteor.
What they uncover will shock them, and when they understand what it is and why will astonish the celestial sisters.
"Are you ready, milord?" inquired a black-hooded creature, draped in a tattered dark cloak. "The place you're heading toward is young compared to ours, and once you get there, you may be confined to a rule or two."
Another creature with long sapphire hair and crimson skin stood tall over the cloaked creature, his pure white eyes glowing with a comfortable light. "I understand," he said solemnly. "My mission is sound, and I will achieve it, in time. I thank you for your assistance, Enoch."
Enoch chortled. "I've known you ever since you were conceived by our Lords, sire. You know you don't have to act all proper around me, but it goes without saying that it's difficult for ya." Enoch looked around the tall creature, bemused. "You didn't bring anything with ya, youngster?"
"I did not," he answered starkly. "Where I am going, anything from here will not be needed."
"What about your guardian?" Enoch asked. "You know... Well, speak of the Lords, here she comes now!"
"Master!" shouted a dark slender creature, skidding to a halt in front of them and bowing. She had blood-red eyes, skin as dark as charcoal, unruly short black locks, and matched the cloaked garb of Enoch but without the hood.
"Ahh, Nerissa! Are you coming along?" Enoch questioned amicably. "Were you granted permission from our two Lords?"
Nerissa raised her head respectfully. "Yes," she responded. "It took some coaxing, but They allowed me to venture with my master."
Nerissa's master narrowed his eyes. "You weren't joining my journey because I did not want you to be subjected to harm," he said levelly, his white eyes making her flinch. "I urge you to remain here, where it's secure."
Nerissa stared right into his eyes. "Master Alexander... Alex, I was chosen by the Lordress to safeguard your life with mine. I understand your worries, but I can't sit here awaiting your return; I'd be frantic. I'll always be by your side, forever... I must accompany you!" she told him ardently.
Alex stared at his dutiful servant with a face of ambiguity. She was right. No matter where he went or gone, Nerissa had always been by his side; she was a devoted, loyal servant. Relenting with a dip of his head, Alex allows his guardian to accompany him. He watched as Nerissa did her best to contain her triumph.
"With that out of the way, shall we begin?" The voice was Enoch, who had an amused glare sparking from his bright orange eyes.
Alex turned to him with Nerissa taking residence to his right. "We are."
"Good," Enoch said, smacking his two hands together and making a loud, resounding clap. "Now, to get there, you two will be encased within a meteor while I open the portal to your destination. Like I said before, there might be a rule or two when you land on whatever planet."
Nerissa stepped forward. "What kind of rules?"
"You both might experience a physical change when you land on a planet," he begun to explain, "and that planet may have different rules and concepts far different than ours, of things that never existed in Dawn.
"Now for the mission. The objective the Lords bestowed upon Alex are clear: There is an imbalance of particles of light and dark, and it's the job of Alex and his sister to ensure enough of each particle will be able to sustain the universe. If anything happens to you or your sister, Lords forbid, then that universe will eventually face a peril that could lead toward destruction. It's underdeveloped and dreadfully young.
"It might seem horrible at first, but all you have to do is stay alive and you will complete your objective in a timely manner, and you are free to do anything else you'd like. Unlike your sister, this isn't the only reason you are going, sire. It's a personal mission, yes?"
Alex nodded solemnly; his pure white eyes were unblinking. "I desire knowledge," he told Enoch numbly, "and an understanding of any planet I visit."
"That's correct!" Enoch pronounced heartedly, snapping a finger as a large rock appeared out of thin air. A portal forms agape within. "Jump on in and I'll do the rest! Also, I am under orders to assist you in any way during your journey, courtesy of our Creator. All you need is to say my name with some moderate conviction."
Alex's white gaze shifted to the massive rock above him. "Thaney is already there?"
"She's on her way and she is under a strict edict to refrain from participating in any of her normal... activities whilst there," Enoch replied, a slight edge to his voice. "You have nothing to worry about, sire."
"Good," he said. "The last thing we need is Thaney being her usual self; she knows how important this is for me, but I have to wonder: Will she abide by the edict?"
"Possibly," Nerissa chimed in with a shrug of her shoulders. "It was from the Lordress, and you know how accepting She is of Thaney's... quirks, but we have to trust that she shows some self-control. Let's do this."
"You will find many new and exciting experiences during your mission, so try and have a little fun," Enoch suggested. "Make connections and allies, and you may find something more than just knowledge, sire."
With another snap of Enoch's finger followed by a sparkling azure ripple, Alex and his faithful servant Nerissa were transported into the meteor, heading to not only a new world, but a whole new universe.
Princess Celestia and her sister, Princess Luna, were standing side by side gazing at a meteor that had fallen from space. Behind them and encircling the large rock were royal guards brandishing spears, swords, and crossbows, looking grim-faced and wary. Alongside the two sisters was Princess Twilight Sparkle, appearing to be confused and cautious at what was happening.
During a meteor shower, this immense rock, by Luna's account had appeared suddenly, hurtled toward the Plains of Equestria, a vast stretch of land near Ponyville, and crash landed on the earth, leaving scorching skid marks. When Princess Luna noticed it descending to the plain, she attempted to intercept the meteor, but had found that she was unable to, for her magic was repelled. With relaying this information to her elder sister, Celestia took cautionary action, and this is where Flare Brimstone found herself.
The bat pony watched through her vibrant pink-slitted eyes the two sisters whispering to another, and, using her great hearing, was able to make out a small dispute on what the two should do to interact with the meteor. Flare Brimstone found it strange that a large rock from outer space was able to repel Princess Luna's magic, and thought the obvious choice was to smash it to pieces and forget about it.
"It could be nothing for us to be concerned about," Princess Luna murmured. "However, I feel as if we should not ignore this odd phenomenon; it did resist my magic."
"Yes, you're right," Princess Celestia assented. She turned to her former pupil. "What do you have in mind, Twilight?"
Princess Twilight stepped forward to stand beside the two sisters. She looked wary, but also curious. "I think we should study this meteor," she suggested, her eyes sparkling with an apprehensive interest. "It repelled Princess Luna's magic and plummeted to the earth. It's just a rock, but it resisted magic, and that should warrant investigation and careful examination."
Princess Celestia smiled promptly at Twilight's astute suggestion. "I believe that this should be the correct course of action for us to take." She turned to Luna. "Don't you agree?"
Princess Luna bobbed her head, gazing questioningly at the meteor. The giant rock was giving off so much heat that there were heat waves in the air. "When should we begin?" she adjured, her face serious.
Princess Celestia's lengthy horn glowed brightly, and a smirk etched itself across her heavenly visage. "We can begin right this very moment," she said smugly, shooting a small beam of magic above the meteor.
Flare Brimstone watched in awe as the blistering steam from the meteor suddenly vanished, it looked as if it had cooled down. Princess Celestia had taken away the meteor's heat, an impressive feat, but what would one expect from the princess of the sun?
"How will we conduct research on the fallen star?" Princess Luna inquired. "Magic on the wayward comet seems to be impossible, and it's seeming to be too heavy to move; the meteor's massive."
Flare Brimstone zoomed up to the three princesses. Celestia wore a heartwarming and adoring smile. "I can carry it to wherever you desire, my princesses!" she offered mirthfully, trotting in place excitedly. "Just tell me where and it'll be done!"
Princess Celestia gave a small titter. "Although we greatly appreciate your gracious offer to lend your super strength, my lovely agent, that will not be necessary," she praised, bending her head down to nuzzle the bat pony affectionately. "We shall conduct research here, and you and the rest of the guards will keep watch while Twilight and a researcher from Canterlot will begin their studies; I can only assume Professor Akard would be nothing short of ecstatic. I just hope he's not too busy on his project..."
Flare Brimstone knew of this professor, a well-known scientist and workhorse, whose head of the research facility in Canterlot. From her memories of him, the stallion was a bit aloof and eccentric, but one with a good heart to do the country of Equestria some good.
"Do you think he'll come if we asked?" Twilight ventured.
Princess Luna nodded firmly. "Mr. Akard is known to work well into the night, so if Celestia contacts him, he'll heed her call."
"I think it'd be best if Twilight went and collected our workhorse," Princess Celestia suggested with a glint in her eyes. "Twilight, can you? You're very proficient in teleportation magic."
Twilight bobbed her head swiftly. "You can count on me," she assured her former mentor, her chest swelling. With a glow of her horn, Princess Twilight Sparkle vanished in a bright purplish flash.
"What should we do now?" Flare Brimstone asked, still trotting in place as if her hooves were on fire.
"Rein in some of that excitement," Princess Luna implored. "We may be in need of your energy soon."
Princess Celestia gave a chuckle of amusement. "Admit it, little sister, we're all a bit excited."
Luna scoffed, rolling her eyes. "At least I can conceal mine," she replied, but then she cracked a small grin. "This meteor resisted my magic. It's not ordinary in the slightest. Until Twilight comes back, why not us examine the meteor? The heat and steam have passed now, so our touching of the rock is safe."
"We could," Celestia wondered. "It seems Twilight is taking longer than expected; our workhorse must've been in the middle of a breakthrough. We can indulge ourselves but remember to use caution." She turned to Flare Brimstone expectedly. "Come, and be by my side, my lovely agent."
Complying, Flare Brimstone took residence on Celestia's right while Luna was on her left. With the royal guards armed and at the ready for any threatening changes, the two sisters and Flare cantered forward, cautious yet filled with the allure of curiosity.
As they got closer, Flare began to feel something odd. It was like a wave of something that filled her with unease and excitement and caused her to stop moving. Gazing at the two sisters, the bat pony knew they felt it as well.
"This...feeling." Princess Celestia was in as shocked state of awe. She stared at the meteor with even more interest than before. "Luna, do you feel it too?"
Her sister gave an uneasy shudder, looking rigid. "I thought the heat was gone, but there's this... this warmth exuding from the meteor. But there's something else pervading the warmth."
"It's something uneasy and cold," Flare said, transfixed on the meteor. "It mingles with the warmth. What in Equestria is this? I think these presences are coming from inside the rock!"
Princess Celestia gazed down at Flare. "Are you sure?"
The bat pony nodded firmly, her tail swishing behind her. "Whatever it is, it's coming from within the meteor," she replied warily, peering closely at the rock in the hopes of seeing something. "Be careful, my princesses."
Slowly and carefully did the three mares venture closer to the meteor, each cautious step bringing them that odd, cold-like warmth. It was getting intense, and the three mares had to steel themselves, and when they did, the threat of the mysterious presence overwhelming them lessoned. When they managed to reach the meteor in all of its hulking bulk, they halted.
Flare Brimstone reached out with her hoof and gingerly touched the meteor. It was marginally cold but maintained a faint remnant of heat despite Princess Celestia's spell. She pressed her hoof harder on the rigid-like surface of the meteor and suddenly heard a crack. She was yanked away by Princess Celestia so quickly, she had barely registered it.
"W-what's wrong? What's going on?!" Flare sputtered in the cradle of Celestia's embrace, struggling to see from her white fur.
"Something's happening to the meteor," Princess Luna responded, sounding wary as she and Celestia began to back away.
The meteor had begun to crack, and the middle of it was splitting open. A bright white flash infused with black light surged out of the meteor, causing the three mares and the all the guards to be forced away. The whirling wind howled, dark clouds had begun to form overhead, and light from the sky flashed once or twice.
Celestia, Luna, and Flare Brimstone all braced themselves for something horrible, but as soon as the harrowing event began, it faded away. The environment started to become serene once more, but the pounding hearts of the ponies were racing, and all were silent, for the center of the meteor was open.
Wide eyed and stricken with a fearsome awe, the ponies around the meteor began to see something rising from within: It was some kind of towering, daunting figure.
A mane of brilliant sapphire was seen first, then a horn slightly longer than Celestia's, followed by a coat of crimson fire, and large, immaculate wings. When the wiry creature stepped from out of the meteor, the lower half of its lean legs were white that slowly turned redder toward the main body. Its tail was the same gorgeous sapphire color.
When it opened its eyes for the first time, they irradiated a mysteriously pleasant white light. Lastly, there was something wrapped around its neck; it was fabric, a bandanna, black as an abyss. Its cutie mark was hidden.
Flare Brimstone couldn't believe her eyes; she was staring at an alicorn. When she got a good look at it, she began to tremble, not with an overwhelming amount of fear, but with an overabundance of joy. This type of alicorn hasn't been seen in centuries, or maybe even longer, and here was one standing before them.
"Princess Celestia, it's a male alicorn," Flare Brimstone whispered, unable to take her eyes off him. "By the looks of him, he's a head taller than you. And those eyes. What... What does this mean?"
Princess Celestia didn't respond to the question. The alicorn just a few feet away from her had grafted her attention completely. "How is it... What is he... Who is he?"
"That feeling is back," Princess Luna uttered hoarsely. "It's fainter then before, and it's coming from him."
The weird warming presence came from this alicorn, but Flare did not know why or how. Was it magic? No, it couldn't; the alicorn's horn wasn't glowing at all. Did that mean he innately gave off such a soothing presence? What is this alicorn, really? Flare wanted to know.
The three mares and the guards watched as the alicorn suddenly moved, turning his head to view his body. His face gave no expression, but the way he examined himself seemed to mirror interest and confusion.
"I am... changed." His voice was deep and lucid; it flowed well, and it was easy on the ears. "This is what he meant."
"What course of action should we partake?" Luna asked Flare and her sister. "This... this alicorn does not appear to be hostile. If anything, he seems bemused and uncertain."
Celestia looked to Flare Brimstone. "My lovely agent, what is your suggestion?"
Flare was at a loss of words. What could she do to an alicorn? Like Princess Luna said, he wasn't hostile, at least not yet. Perhaps the simplest thing to do was the right choice.
Taking a few wary steps, Flare began to approach the alicorn, her eyes looking for the slightest sign of threat. As she got closer, the alicorn seemed to pay her no mind, continuing to examine his body. Once she believed she had gotten close enough, she halted in her hoofsteps. She was dreadfully conscious of Celestia, and she knew her princess would swipe her away at the clearest sign of trouble.
Taking a deep breath, Flare called out to him. "H-hello?"
Immediately the alicorn's incandescent eyes locked onto Flare and she found that she couldn't move. Her heart begun to beat quickly, and she felt a slight rise of panic. Was she ensnared in a trap? No, she wasn't. She couldn't be. There was no sign of magic from the alicorn, so what seemed to hold her in place?
"Don't move!" she warned Celestia who was trotting towards her. She stopped, looking anxious. The last thing anypony wanted was a problem. "Don't do anything!"
"Nerissa," the alicorn uttered, his calm voice sending a brief shudder down Flare's back. "You may release this creature; I am safe."
Flare Brimstone saw another pony rise from the meteor, smaller than the alicorn but nearly as tall as Princess Luna. It had a jet-black mane and tail, a coat of obsidian barely hidden under a dark cloak, and blood-red eyes that shimmered eerily in the night. It bore two piercing white fangs, oddly shaped pointed ears, and brandished what seemed to be a white sword to its side. Flare couldn't believe it. It was a bat pony!
"Yes, master," the bat pony said. Flare felt whatever was holding her release, and she swiftly backed away, into the embrace of Celestia. "We have changed, sire."
"Indeed, we have," the alicorn said, examining Nerissa. "Are you well? Any signs of discomfort?"
Nerissa shook her head firmly, hiding an obvious smile. "Don't you worry about me; it's my job to worry about you!"
"Consider your worries unfounded; I am well," the alicorn replied. "Although I've changed, it feels as if I had this form since my inception."
Nerissa agreed, sitting next to her master. "Well, we are here now, and we wait until it is done. What shall we do, sire?"
The alicorn glanced at Flare, at Celestia and Luna, at everypony, and then back at Nerissa. "Enoch informed me to produce connections and have experiences." He pointed at Flare with his tail. "Introductions are in order. I would like to start with the creature that approached me."
Nerissa glared at the bat pony, and Flare felt the cold presence from before, though it was faint. "I don't trust it."
"We will be here for quite some time, and learning about the creatures here would be beneficial." The alicorn glanced at Flare Brimstone. "None of them seem dangerous."
Nerissa scowled at Flare Brimstone and the rest of the ponies before shuffling as close as she could be next to the alicorn, as if daring any pony to try their luck. Flare admired the dark bat pony's fierce loyalty, and judging by their words, though they spoke lightly, the alicorn is of some kind of royalty or is important in some way.
Even more careful than before after loosening herself from Princess Celestia's grip, Flare cantered forward a few feet before stopping. She saw the alicorn trot slowly towards her, his hooves seeming to glide effortlessly across the ground; it was so smooth and majestic. Before she knew it, the alicorn was right in front of her, his towering height dwarfing her.
The alicorn bent his head down to Flare and scanned her over with those mysterious white eyes. After a moment of silence, he spoke. "Greetings," he said to her. He slowly blinked. "Can you understand me?"
"Y-yes, I... I-I can," Flare stammered, beginning to feel overwhelmed. The alicorn's warming, soothing-like presence was stronger now that she was close to him. She took a deep breath to calm herself down. "Can you understand me?"
"Indeed, I can, and so does my companion," the alicorn replied huskily, gesturing to the dark bat pony. "This is Nerissa, my guardian, and my name is Alexander. If you prefer the name Alex instead, then you may call me as such. Do you have a name?"
Flare nodded slowly. Alex and Nerissa were very odd names, and she said them a few times in her mind to get used to the words. "Flare Brimstone," she answered. "My name."
"Your name is interesting to me," Alex said, his face barren of expression, yet he sounded pleased. "Those two creatures behind you... What are their names? They are quite different from you and the rest of the other creatures."
It was odd. Alex called her and the ponies around her creatures. Doesn't he know what he is? Does he NOT know what a pony is?
"Alex, sir? Uh, sire?" She assumed he was royalty by how Nerissa treated him. "I, uh... I don't know how to refer to you."
Alex shook his head. "You do not need to refer to me as 'sire'," he said. "Alex is fine."
"But don't ever think about disrespecting him," Nerissa snipped, her blood-red eyes glaring with distrust.
Flare held in a snort of amusement. "The two ponies, that's our race, behind me are the rulers of Equestria, the country you both are in," she informed them, beginning to get comfortable. "Princess Celestia and Princess Luna."
With their names called and with Flare Brimstone's assurances, the two sisters trotted up beside the bat pony, bowing their heads lightly in greeting. Flare watched Alex tilt his head as if confused, but then he mirrored the gesture and so did Nerissa.
"We welcome you, Alex," Princess Celestia said, sounding formal and kind. Flare noticed in the princess's eyes showed a great interest. "As my agent has said, I am Celestia, and this is Luna, my younger sister, and we rule over this country as a diarchy."
Alex approached the two sisters and appraised them closely, followed by his dark guardian. Flare Brimstone still found it incredible that there was another pony taller than Princess Celestia.
"It seems we've landed on a planet of great promise," Alex said to Nerissa, to which the dark guardian nodded silently, watching the two sisters and Flare. "I want to inform you both that we are not here to rule over your planet."
Flare watched the two sisters exchange a look and then back at Alex. "Why are you here?" Celestia asked. "There hasn't been another male alicorn in many centuries."
Alex tilted his head again in confusion. "I am unfamiliar of that species," he said. "Is that what I am here?"
Celestia nodded. "You're an alicorn, a pony of wings and a horn that inhabits the aspects of the three pony races that live here."
Alex examined Nerissa and shifted his white gaze on Flare Brimstone. "What about my guardian and Flare? They seem quite unique among the rest of us."
"Bat ponies are of a rare breed here in Equestria," Princess Luna answered, stepping forward and peering down at Nerissa, who in turn stared unblinkingly at her. "They are creatures of the night, and endangered ponies. As I recall, there are only a few in the country: Flare's family and some others. And now Nerissa is one... somehow."
"That's very interesting," Alex said, though nothing of his interest was expressed. "I would like to know more about this, but I assume there are questions you both wish to ask."
Princess Celestia nodded, her magenta eyes shimmering. "Where did you come from?"
Alex sat on the ground with Nerissa following suit. "Up there," he answered simply, pointing towards the sky with his muzzle. The ponies gasped.
"You're an alien?!" Flare shouted excitedly.
"I do not know what that means."
"An alien is an extraterrestrial being not from this planet!" Flare said, her joy beginning to overflow.
"Then Nerissa and I are aliens," he affirmed.
"You are from the stars?" Luna asked, her eyes widening.
Alex nodded. "The stars but further still, far beyond the verge."
"But...how did you come here?" Celestia implored, bemused. "How did you survive inside a meteor of all things?"
"Our bodies are immune to such intensity," Alex answered, his white eyes gazing unblinkingly at the night sky. "We were transported here by meteor. It was the only way for us to arrive."
"You were transported?" Flare Brimstone asked, rubbing her chin with a hoof. "Who transported you?"
"Enoch," Nerissa answered, moving and sitting in front of Alex. "A servant of my master."
"It seems we have many more questions that need answers, but there's one question I have that must be answered," Celestia said.
"And what may that be?" Alex inquired.
"Why have you come here?"
That was an important question, Flare knew. What was Alex and his guardian doing here, in Equestria of all places? Depending on his answer, things could go very differently.
"There are two reasons. One is a mission regarding a personal interest of mine," Alex said, standing up, towering over Flare.
Luna looked guarded and stood up with Celestia following. "What is this interest of yours, then?"
"Knowledge and understanding," he said. When no pony spoke, he began to elaborate. "I am a scholar, and I am here to learn about your planet and its uniqueness. I have...become a creature that doesn't exist where I hail from, that of what you call a pony, an alicorn specifically."
"Alicorns are extremely rare, and to become one is even more so," Flare Brimstone informed him. "But what's interesting about you is that you are a male alicorn. There hasn't been another in... I don't know how long."
Celestia agreed. "Your existence as an alicorn is a mystery, and what's more enthralling about your peculiar situation is that you simply are one, without undergoing special means or trials. If your real form isn't that of an alicorn, then what are you?"
"A bipedal, skinless creature with arms and legs," Alex answered. "I was told that coming here could change me. My physical form had been altered drastically to this planet's dominant species: ponies."
"So, you aren't a pony, but something else entirely," Celestia said. Alex nodded. "I see... What is the second reason?"
"In due time," Alex told her. "Nerissa and I come in peace."
Before any pony could say anything, a flash of purplish light came from behind the two sisters and Flare Brimstone. They all turned their heads to see Twilight Sparkle and a stallion donned in a white lab coat. He had a messy black mane and tail, and his dark grey coat was unkempt. He adjusted his well-worn, grimy-looking glasses as he and Twilight stared dumbfounded at Alex and Nerissa.
"I... I think I need an explanation on why...a MALE alicorn is here with a bat pony I've never seen before!" Twilight demanded eagerly, her mouth widening in shock.
Meanwhile, on the same night...
Leaf Storm galloped as quickly as she could, leaping over large fallen branches from the tall trees and evading thorn-sharp bushes that could rake and tear her coat to shreds. She was panting, limbs aching and heart thudding madly in her chest as the creatures snarled viciously behind her.
She was being chased by timberwolves, wooden canine-like creatures with flesh-ripping fangs and saliva that reeks of carrion. They were a tenacious lot, adamant on their prey. Leaf Storm was their prey, and she was getting tired. She was stumbling and rasping, and unfortunately tripped over her own hooves and tumbled painfully to a stop.
Her shuddering sides heaved desperately for air, her throat was dry, and her tongue lolled onto the mossy earth. Her eyes bulged with fear, and she tried to move her burning limbs, and Leaf Storm found that she couldn't go any farther.
She was going to die here, to be eaten alive by malicious wooden wolves. She was too far to call out for help, and even if she could, she wouldn't be able to; her exhaustion hampered her ability to yell.
Through her darkening eyes, Leaf Storm saw them as she lay: the wolves surrounding her, their tongues dripping slime-green saliva that made her retch. She felt one bite her right hind leg; a timberwolf tugged lightly and applied minimal pressure as if it was testing how much force it and the rest of the wolves had to exert. Then they began to feast.
Their sharp wooden teeth felt like large needles jabbing and stabbing into her flesh, and she could feel her skin beginning to rip and something warm seep out: blood. She couldn't scream or struggle; she was too tired to cry defiance. Despairing, Leaf Storm accepted her fate and waited for the torture to end.
As she felt her life wane, a faint golden light caught her attention, and the timberwolves had stopped gnawing on her flesh. All of them looked toward the light and saw an alicorn with a coat of pure white and a golden, black-striped illustrious mane. She wore a scarlet fang-like necklace and round blood-red earrings. Her eyes were a dull, faded white, and her cutie mark was a black orb with a white marking in the middle.
"Creatures should never play with their meal," she told the timberwolves, her haunting voice carried by the wind. "Begone."
The timberwolves had suddenly begun to scream and howl in agony, and Leaf Storm felt a wave of terror enshroud her like a dense fog. There was a foulness in the air, stronger than the putrid stench of the wolves. This was not magic. It was something otherworldly, and terribly wrong.
She watched in horror as the wolves fell to the earth, writhing uncontrollably until they all went limp, their glaring green eyes eerily hollow.
Leaf Storm moaned in agony, crawling towards her deathly savior, and reaching out a desperate hoof to the alicorn's legs. She was terrified, but she needed this pony, regardless of what came of it. "Please," she begged hoarsely, "help me..."
The white alicorn stared at the dying mare with an insane glare and showed off her pearly white teeth. "Yes. I will help you. I have questions, and you can provide me with answers." The alicorn began to let out an eerie chuckle that caused Leaf Storm to tremble. "Indeed," she whispered close to Leaf's ears. "You will do nicely..."
"This is so exciting!" Twilight was quite literally jumping for joy, and Flare had to hold in a burst of laughter. "A real male alicorn, from space! Not from our space, but from an entirely different one! There's life beyond our planet, beyond our own universe! Praise Aeternia!!!"
Flare Brimstone hadn't seen Twilight so happy before, and though it was warranted by a pony of her stature, she wished Twilight would calm down just a little bit. But who wouldn't be excited that aliens came from outer space?
"By the Lords, this pony's odd," Nerissa muttered, her pointed ears splaying back. "I thought Knox was too much, but this is different."
It was no surprise to anypony, Flare thought, that Nerissa hadn't liked the purple alicorn so far; she was actively baring her fangs at the princess whenever she got too close to Alex by accident on account of her unfettered excitement.
Alex, when Flare watched him interact with Twilight, was so calm and patient with her and trying to answer questions that shot from the purple pony's mouth, but since she was speaking so fast, he couldn't get a word in. She sighed. It was going to be a long night.
Shifting her gaze on Celestia and Luna, Flare saw that they were speaking to a bat pony. It was the leader of the Shadow Troop, a unit of elite guards that serve and protect Princess Celestia's life from the very shadows, accompanying her anywhere she went unless told otherwise.
Although she had never seen him before, Flare Brimstone knew the Shadow Troop leader's name, courtesy of Agni: Bay Banks. He was handsome and tall; his dark azure coat rippled with lean muscle, his grey mane flowed lazily in the breeze, and his scarlet eyes were intense.
"Hey."
Flare Brimstone started and turned to the voice that had frightened her, but only to relax. It was Agni. After completing a mission for Princess Celestia where they had to team up, she and Agni began to develop a close relationship. He was also a part of the Shadow Troop.
"Agni, you startled me," Flare chuckled, jabbing him playfully with a hoof before rubbing her muzzle against his neck affectionately.
"It must be my lucky night; nothing scares you," he replied warmly, giving her a small smile. He turned to where she had been looking. "Ah, I see. Bay Banks. This is your first time seeing him, right?"
Flare nodded, brushing her coat against Agni's. "He looks interesting; his eyes are quite rare, and he looks a bit different from your average pony."
Agni agreed, spreading a wing over Flare's back. "It's said his bat pony mother married a Saddle Arabian unicorn, so his features and his height are quite unique," he explained. "He may look tough to get along with, but he's polite and cordial."
"I'll take your word for it," Flare responded. She cleared her throat. "Anyway, what do you think is going to happen with Alex?"
Agni gave a light shrug and sighed. "It's all a lot to take in," he admitted, resting his head on Flare's. "As Princess Twilight said, close examination of the meteor and the study of Alex and his guardian. Our job is to sit and watch."
Flare Brimstone twined her tail with Agni's. "At least things will get more exciting around here," she murmured. "It's been so boring lately, so I greatly welcome the change."
Before Agni could answer, his superior, Bay Banks, approached him. "Agni, Princess Celestia wants to have a word with you, so I suggest you get a move on," he ordered. "Now."
Agni bowed before breaking himself away from Flare. "Of course, sir," he said, saluting. He gazed longingly at her. "I'll be back."
Flare Brimstone nuzzled him again. "Go on then, soldier." She watched as Agni trotted away, leaving her with Bay Banks. She gazed at him. "Nice to finally meet you," she said.
Bay Banks nodded in assent. "I have heard a lot about you and your adventuring, and I must say that I am impressed," he complemented with a smile that showed off his white fangs. "So... Agni, huh? You both seem quite the couple; I'm jealous."
Flare Brimstone blushed internally. She and Agni weren't each other's special somepony, but she had to admit that they both acted like it. Ever since the mission they did together for Princess Celestia, they've spent as much time as they could without their work getting in the way. They weren't a couple. Not yet.
"That's good, for Agni, I mean," Bay Banks said.
Flare was confused. "What do you mean?"
Bay Banks guided Flare's attention to Agni speaking with Princess Celestia. "He's a little different, more cheerful and less uptight," he said, turning his scarlet gaze on Flare. "He actually smiles. I don't know how you were able to break through that stone skin of his but keep it up. You're good for him."
Flare was taken slightly aback by Bay Banks' praise. "Uh, thanks," she responded, feeling somewhat awkward. It was nice that she was in the good graces of Agni's boss.
"I need to rally the rest of the Shadow Troop," Bay said, gesturing with a hoof at the Everfree Forest tree line. Flare saw glittering eyes amongst the trees. "Princess Luna has a request for us, so when Agni comes back, tell him to convene at the tree line with everypony else, will you?"
Flare Brimstone nodded. "O-of course I will," she promised.
Bay Banks jabbed Flare's side lightly with his wing. "Thanks," he said, trotting off. "We'll meet each other again in the future, Ms. Brimstone!"
"I guess we will," Flare muttered, shifting her pink gaze on Alex, Twilight, and Nerissa. She trotted over to them. "What's going on?"
"Ahh, Flare Brimstone." Alex sounded pleased. He craned his neck toward her. "Princess Twilight-"
"Has been harrying him with so many bloated questions, he can't get a word in to respond," said Nerissa, a scowl stretching across her dark visage.
Flare sighed inwardly and gazed at Twilight: there was a quill and tons of parchment in her magic, and she was vibrating with joy despite Nerissa's harsh comments. She had to admit that the bookworm wasn't going to get anything productive done if she continued to ramble, so Flare thought of a compromise.
"Princess Twilight," Flare said, raising her voice. "Twilight, perhaps I could help with the questioning!" She saw Twilight's ears twitch and the purple alicorn peered at her with sparkling eyes.
"Oh, Flare! Look at this list!"
Flare backed away, but Twilight's list smacked her right in the face and all she could see was erratically written questions that seemed too hard for her to read properly. Before she could say anything, the parchment suddenly poofed in a purple flash, dazing Flare's eyes.
"I, uh... I think I can help," the bat pony said, rubbing her eyes. "What's the first thing you want to know?"
"The presence!" Twilight replied almost immediately. "Can't you feel it? It's warm but also cold at the same time. It's not even magic! I don't know what it is!"
"That was aura you were feeling," Nerissa answered, her eyes narrowed in agitation. "Mine and my master's."
"What...is that?" Twilight asked, spawning her quill and parchment again.
"Aura is a type of energy we can emit, and this energy can affect creatures in certain ways," Nerissa explained. "To ponies, my master gives off a soothing, warm atmosphere. It can pacify creatures and helps to discourage violence, but you must've felt something else, Flare Brimstone, when you got too close to him."
Flare tilted her head. She remembered the intensity of Alex's aura, but she was caught off guard, and when she was able to steel herself, his aura had lessened immensely, though it was still there. And Nerissa was right, there had been something else. It was similar to Princess Celestia and Luna in an odd kind of way, except Alex and Nerissa didn't need to use magic.
"I felt...heavy," she murmured, her eyes narrowing as she tried to explain. "There was this weight bearing down on me, but I had hardly noticed it."
"That's the pressure," Nerissa told her. "It's a sudden change in gravity, to make it a little denser and harder to move around. You'll get used to it if you're planning on being around my master long enough."
"But what about you?" Flare asked. She had felt two presences.
Nerissa gave a dry chuckle. "I don't have the pressure, just the aura," she answered with a shrug. "The pressure is something my master has. My aura makes you wary; it lets you know that I'm dangerous and that you should keep your distance. Once I see that any of you or your race isn't a threat to my master, I will turn it off."
"You can just turn something like that off whenever you feel like it?" Twilight Sparkle asked, the quill in her magic scribbling madly on the parchment.
"Of course," Nerissa responded with a scoff, glaring at the purple pony princess. "What's the use of a power I was born with if I can't properly control it? Anyway," she added after a moment's silence, "what else do you want to know?"
"There's another thing," Flare said. Nerissa glanced at her, the agitated look on her face lessening. "The first time I tried to speak to Alex, I had felt...stuck, like I was rooted to the ground. What was that all about?"
"Oh. That." Nerissa sounded uninterested, but she went on. "I did that."
"What did you do to me?"
"I seized your shadow," Nerissa said simply.
"You...seized my shadow?" Flare asked in awed puzzlement. She tried to ignore the mad scribbling coming from Twilight's quill. "How did you do that?! That's so cool!"
Nerissa was taken aback slightly, and her dark face grew a bit red. "Your shadow is connected to you whether or not you can see it, it is always with you," she answered promptly, settling herself. "My race are called Dark Residents, creatures born in darkness. We live on one of the corners of our world where light doesn't shine. We were given the power to manipulate shadows and control darkness.
"I used my power to seize your shadow when I believed you to be a threat to my master. Since your shadow is connected to you and goes wherever you go, if I took control of it, I could control you."
Flare stared speechless at Nerissa, who stared unblinkingly back. "That's beyond cool, but I'm glad you only made me freeze," she said finally, chuckling a bit. "I would like to see a demonstration of that again on something that isn't me, but I have another question."
Nerissa softened the glare in her eyes, beginning to look relaxed. "What is it?"
"How did you and Alex meet?"
Nerissa smiled at that. "I met my master at a young age, when the Lordress visited my village," she said, looking up into the dark sky fondly. "My kind are warriors, and I was a promising addition. The Lordress wanted me to guard Alex's life. It was an honor to have one of the creators show up at my village, and even more so to be given the chance to safeguard a life as precious as Alex's.
"When I agreed to become his guardian, I was taken to a celestial tower and guided to a grand library where Alex was educating himself. We introduced each other and we were always together."
"Who are the creators?" Twilight Sparkle asked, a bemused yet enchanted look on her face. "What do they do?"
The soft look in Nerissa's eyes hardened, but she glanced at her master to answer the question. Just as Alex was about to explain, Flare noticed Princess Celestia, Luna, and Agni coming up to join the group. As the princesses settled down to listen, Agni came to sit next to her.
"Bay Banks wants you to head toward the tree line with the rest of the troop," Flare informed him quietly, brushing her dark orange coat against him affectionately.
Agni leaned against her. "I will leave after Alex gives his explanation."
"The Creators are Lord Zain and Lordress Alba," Alex answered when everypony settled down. He blinked slowly before going on. "They created the universe I and Nerissa come from, and They are the ones that birthed me."
"You're the son of two gods?" Twilight murmured, her mouth widening with awe. "Holy hay, that's amazing!"
"Be quiet, he hasn't finished yet!" Nerissa spat harshly, a hint of a snarl in her throat before she forced it back. Twilight kept her mouth shut.
"Lord Zain is light incarnate and responsible for life of all creatures in my universe," Alex continued, his deep, sonorous voice captivating his audience. "Lordress Alba is where all life comes from; She is darkness incarnate. The planet They hail from is called Dawn, the cornerstone where everything started, and is Nerissa's and my home planet. Everything in the sky, in the cosmos, everything, it was Them who made it." He turned his pleasantly glowing white eyes on Celestia and Luna. "You wanted to know the second reason of why I'm here, so I will now tell you."
"When he tells you, listen to him carefully," Nerissa chimed in. "It's highly important."
"Then please go on," Princess Celestia urged.
"As you know, I am here on a personal mission to learn about your planet and the creatures that inhabit it, but I am also here because my Lords have seen that your universe is in peril," he told them, hearing the collective gasps of his audience.
"What do you mean?" Princess Luna demanded, standing up to her full height. "Our universe is in danger?!"
"Luna, calm down," Princess Celestia soothed. Flare noticed that the white alicorn was trying to keep her voice steady. This was a shock to everypony. "Let Alex explain further."
Straining to rein in her panic and shock, Princess Luna forced herself to sit back down. Celestia prompted Alex to continue with a hoof. He dipped his head.
"Your universe is in danger," he reaffirmed. "It is in an unbalanced state, and if things continue on without doing something about it, your universe will grow more and more unstable until it implodes, ceasing to exist. Your universe is young and underdeveloped, so it doesn't yet have the needs to persist on its own without assistance."
Everypony was silent. Eventually, Celestia broke it, saying, "What could you do to prevent such an event, Alex? This all seems so...out of our hooves."
"Do not worry, there is a solution," he assured her. "I was sent here because my body gives off particles of light, something your universe desperately needs to reach stabilization. To make sure this works, I must remain alive until your universe is stable enough to survive on its own."
Flare gazed around and saw the dark, apprehensive faces of her ponies. It was a lot to take in, but Alex somehow made it sound so simple, and that comforted her a little. "So, all that has to happen to avoid this event is to make sure you do not die?" Flare asked. Alex nodded.
"I am my master's guardian," Nerissa said with pride. "I will make sure that Alex doesn't die. I would give up my own life first before that happens!"
Flare Brimstone felt somewhat as safe as one could be with the looming dread of the universe imploding and killing everypony. Still, Alex and Nerissa seemed to be pretty strong if their aura and pressure was anything to go by, and there wasn't a lot of dangerous creatures that could kill a pony these days since times were peaceful. It seems that there isn't much to worry about, ironically enough.
"I understand this can be overwhelming, but I am almost finished," Alex said.
"What else do we need to know?" Luna pressed.
"I alone cannot balance your universe," he told them. "I need the aid of another, and that is Thaney."
"Who's that?" Flare Brimstone asked.
"It's my master's sister," Nerissa answered, but Flare noticed that she sounded tense.
"Where is your sister?" Luna inquired. "She hadn't arrived on the same meteor as you did."
Alex shook his head. "I do not know where she is," he admitted. "All I know is that she left Dawn just before I did, arriving the same way Nerissa and I have. It is possible she is somewhere nearby."
"Should we go looking for her?" Flare suggested.
"There is no need," Alex replied, stretching out his large crimson wings. "She gives off particles of darkness, so as long as she is here, there is no need to go searching for her."
"Before we go any further, I would like to issue a word of caution," Nerissa said. She sounded serious and even perturbed.
"What is your warning?" Princess Celestia asked. "Is there something we need to know about Thaney?"
Nerissa nodded grimly. "Though Thaney is kin of my master and may share some qualities with him, she isn't like Alex at all. If any of you come across Thaney, it is best to keep your distance," she warned them. "Thaney can be dangerous and unpredictable; she is likely to cause more harm than good." Nerissa took in a deep breath and exhaled. "Ironically enough, Thaney is under a strict edict to not cause any problems, but we do not know if she'll abide by it."
"Would she be an alicorn like Alex?" Luna asked.
"Most likely," Nerissa replied. "Thaney knows how important this is for Alex, so we can only hope that her admiration for him overshadows her penchant for causing mayhem."
"Why would Alex be something that could stop her?"
"Because Thaney loves Alex very much," Nerissa said simply. "And her...love for him may be enough to stop her from doing terrible things. Besides, there really is no use in looking for her. If she doesn't want to be found, then there is nothing we can do. So just take my words as caution."
For a moment, Celestia looked stern, an expression Flare Brimstone hardly ever saw. "We will," she uttered, standing up and shaking any grass that clung to her white coat. She had a much happier disposition. "For now, we need to study the meteor. Twilight, can you aid Mr. Akard?"
"Sure thing!" the purple alicorn chirped excitedly, making her quill and parchment disappear with her magic.
Flare had forgotten about the scientist. She looked around for the wayward stallion, spotting him next to the meteor and running his hooves down the rigid surface. He looked to be in awe, staring at the meteor with a dumbfounded expression.
As everypony began to break apart, Flare suddenly felt Agni's lips on her cheek and froze. It was soft, and it tickled a little. She gazed at him, trying hard to mask the blush threatening to appear upon her face.
His piercing orange-slitted eyes glimmered faintly in the moonlight as he rose to his hooves, gently lifting Flare to hers. "I have to go," he murmured, disappointment in his voice. "I'll talk to you later, okay?"
Flare was still stunned, but then came to her senses as she replied, "Okay. I'll... I'll see you soon." Just before Agni could turn away, Flare held him back. "Whatever request Princess Luna wants you and your troop to do, be careful..."
Agni stared at her silently for a moment. "It's not like you to worry," he chuckled, but then he looked more serious when he saw she wasn't joining in. "I promise I'll be careful."
Flare Brimstone gave him a brief nuzzle against his neck before he trotted away into the trees of the Everfree Forest. Letting out a sigh, she turned to Alex and Nerissa who had watched the entire exchange.
Alex tilted his head. "Who was that?"
"Agni," Flare answered, feeling a tad awkward that these aliens had watched her be intimate with him. "He's a bat pony like me, and he works with a group of other bat ponies that serve Princess Celestia."
"Are you his lover?" Nerissa ventured.
Flare shook her head, even though she felt warm inside. "We aren't special someponies yet," she told them. "But... I guess we kind of act like we are, huh?"
Nerissa nodded. "I've never been in love before, but I know it's a great experience," she said, rising from the ground with Alex. She looked at Twilight and Mr. Akard around the meteor and rolled her eyes. "I guess I have to explain a few more things. Will you be joining us?"
She glanced at Celestia and Luna speaking to one another and didn't want to disturb them. With Agni gone off with the Shadow Troop, Flare nodded and trotted with the two aliens toward Akard and Twilight Sparkle. When she got close enough to hear them fretting over the meteor, she heard Nerissa give a small snort.
"This meteor is remarkable," Akard said joyfully, his face pressed against the huge rock. "Magic doesn't work on it as you informed me, which is odd. I vividly remember studying meteorites in my lab and I was able to pick them up in my magic just fine, but this is something different."
"Even if we could pick it up with magic, it'd be too heavy," Twilight pointed out, sharing Akard's enthusiasm. "It seems to operate differently; it isn't from our space, but from another."
Akard agreed with a dip of his messy brown mane. "It seems that the meteor doesn't follow the same rules." He noticed shadows creeping over him and turned to the two aliens and Flare. "Greetings!" he announced happily, trotting up to Alex and Nerissa. "I'm Genesis Akard, head researcher and scientist of Canterlot's research facility!"
"Hello," Nerissa murmured, her ears twitching.
"We saw you appear with Princess Twilight in a purple flash," Alex commented, dipping his head in greeting. "It is a pleasure to meet you. When you appeared, you almost headed straight toward the meteor. I am glad to establish formal introductions."
Akard gave a sheepish chuckle before bowing his head. "I apologize for my brisk manner; I was just so interested in this meteor. Magic doesn't work on it at all," he said, turning his gaze to the rock. "What I know for sure that it exudes a type of energy I can't seem to identify."
"That's Enoch's energy," Nerissa said, trotting up to the meteor and placing a hoof upon it. One measly push and the rock moved. Flare, Twilight, and Mr. Akard was stunned. "He created the meteor."
"You are more than welcome to study it to your heart's content," Alex added, craning his neck down to Akard, who backed away slightly out of respect. "If you need it relocated, Nerissa can aid you."
Akard turned to the dark bat pony, his eyes shining with excitement. "Can you?! Please?!" he implored, going so far as to drop on his knees. "This could really help my research!"
Flare watched Nerissa recoil at Akard's begging and she saw that annoyed look creeping across her face. She thought the bat pony would refuse, but Nerissa had agreed to help the scientist. She probably would've said no if Alex hadn't suggested she'd help.
"I will have to leave you for a little while, and I am unsure if I can entrust any of these ponies to protect you," Nerissa said, sounding concerned. "Perhaps you could come with me?"
Alex shook his head, causing Nerissa's ears to droop. "I need to talk to the princesses and secure a place of residency for the duration of our visit," he told her, placing the tip of one wing on Nerissa's head. Flare saw how attentive and immersed the bat pony was. "These ponies are friendly and kind; I am safe here. Try not to worry too much."
Nerissa looked as if she'd argue, to find a reason why he shouldn't part from her, but instead she fervently dipped her head in obedience. She glanced at Flare, scanning her up and down as if she was trying to find any imperfections, but in the end, she looked somewhat satisfied with what she saw.
"Look after him," she told her. She then turned her attention on Mr. Akard and picked the huge rock up with her hooves. "Tell me where to go."
Stricken with awe, Mr. Akard fumbled over his words. Twilight Sparkle was speechless, and Flare Brimstone looked amazed that another pony other than herself that wasn't an alicorn had some pretty good super strength.
"We... w-we need to go to Canterlot," he stammered, clearing his throat. "It's the capital of Equestria, and the journey there isn't long. Princess Twilight, could you carry me in your magic? It would be faster if you helped."
"Of course I can," the purple alicorn said, finding her voice after Nerissa's feat of strength. Horn glowing, Mr. Akard was coated in purple and was lifted gently off the ground. "Let's get a move on; I want to know a lot about this!"
Nerissa turned her head to Alex, and Flare saw a flash of concern glistening in the bat pony's blood-red eyes. She watched her sigh, following Twilight Sparkle as the alicorn took to the sky.
Flare felt slightly weird. She was standing next to an alicorn taller than Princess Celestia, who came from a different universe. She was no stranger to monsters and the like, but never before had she encountered a cosmic being sent here on a mission to save her universe from imploding. That was a lot to take in, so she couldn't help but feel weird with this alicorn.
On the other hoof, she was positively excited. She wondered what Alex could do now that he has access to magic. When he came here, his real body had changed to suit the planet he landed on. It just so happened that he landed here, so he looks like a pony.
A sudden burst of joy filled her hooves, and she trotted in place as if she was on burning coal.
"You seem quite excited," Alex commented. Although his expression never once changed from the blank stare, Flare could tell he was happy and interested. "I must secure a home before I can start studying. I hope the two sisters will permit me so."
Flare dashed around Alex before skidding to a halt in front of him. "Don't worry big guy, Celestia and Luna will help you. They might even let you stay in the castle!"
Nodding, Alex and Flare Brimstone headed toward the two sisters, who were a little way off speaking to a few royal guards. When she and Alex approached the sisters, they greeted them warmly, Celestia especially with a heartfelt nuzzle to Flare.
"Anything the matter?" the celestial sun princess asked.
"Alex would like to know if there is a place he can stay while he and Nerissa are here," Flare answered.
Princess Luna tapped her chin. "They could stay with us at the castle, but the arrival of a male alicorn will be quite the shock to everypony."
Celestia agreed. "News of a male alicorn should be disclosed in gradual chunks," she added. A bright smile crossed her face. "There is a house in a clearing within the Everfree Forest."
"There was?" Flare was confused. Why was there a house smack-dab in the eerie forest?
"It was built on my orders by a building contractor from Trottingham named Moulder," Celestia explained, uttering a sheepish titter. "It served as a getaway home for me and my sister, but we never ended up using it. It was constructed near Fluttershy's cottage, so if you decide to live there, you'd have a neighbor."
"I see," Alex murmured, shuffling his wings slightly. "Who is this Fluttershy?"
"She's a timid, quiet and kindhearted pegasus with a love for animals," Luna said. "She has wings like us."
"Does any...pony else live around the Everfree Forest?"
Celestia nodded. "A zebra named Zecora," she answered. "She uses magic differently from us ponies. Instead of having a horn, she opts to utilize potions; it's quite interesting to learn."
"It seems I'll have a few neighbors," Alex said, his tone thoughtful. "I desire to live in the house."
Princess Celestia clopped her hooves together. "Splendid!" she exclaimed. "I am glad that the house will get some use after all. There isn't much else for us to do now, but when your guardian returns, you both can head there. Luna?"
Her younger sister stepped forward. "There is a paved path that will lead you to the house," she explained. "Do not stray from it since you are unfamiliar with the Everfree Forest. It can be a dangerous place, but the house is situated away from just about any dangers, save for a few strays."
Alex nodded in understanding. He placed his lofty wings on the celestial sisters. "I appreciate your generosity and kindness," he told them gratefully, blinking. "Thank you."
Celestia gave a small titter. "I think this can be a good start to a great relationship, don't you agree, Luna?"
Luna nodded, a tiny grin finding its way on her face. "I do, and I am glad that Equestria has a new ally and friend."
Alex tilted his head. "Friend?" he said, sounding puzzled. "We've only just met."
Flare stood beside the two sisters. "And you've already proven to be a good pony," she told him. "You're here to protect us from a threat we can't face alone. I can see that you are kind and gracious, and that is the mark of any good pony."
Alex stared at Flare Brimstone for a moment before dipping his head in assent. "Then we are friends," he said. "That is a good start to my journey." He sat down, letting the soft breeze flow through his crimson coat. "Perhaps my new friends can indulge me; I want to know about magic. It seems to be something I've never heard of before."
Celestia and Luna sat in front of him, followed by Flare Brimstone. "We have some time before we and the royal guards need to head back to the castle," she told him, her magenta eyes glimmering in the moonlight.
Luna agreed. "What do you want to learn first?"
Later on the same night...
Leaf Storm awoke, chest heaving as she drew in a desperate gasp of air, but only to cough horribly, her body racked with violent shudders. The pain around her legs had dulled to stinging aches, and the bleeding had stopped. She felt the ground, uneven and uncomfortable; a rocky surface, but to Leaf Storm, it had felt like she was back in her tent.
She blinked hard for a long moment, her eyes adjusting to the silent darkness that swamped her vision. "Where... Wh-where am I?" Her words slurred and she began to feel a wave of nausea hit her, but she held back the vomit rising from within her throat.
Taking in the cold, tasteless air to help soothe the roiling in her stomach, Leaf Storm forced herself to look around: she was deep inside a dank cave. She lay there confused for a moment, trying to remember how she came to be here, but the memory eluded her. Whatever happened, she was safe at the moment, or at least she hoped that she was.
Too weak to stay fully awake, Leaf Storm laid her head back on the ground and closed her eyes, falling into a dreamless slumber until she was reawakened by a sudden noise, forcing her head to shoot up in alarm. There, in the churning darkness, was a skulking form moving towards her with slow, deliberate steps that echoed eerily in the cave. Leaf Storm attempted to move but her body was too weak, and she winced at her injuries.
As the daunting figure loomed closer, Leaf Storm saw through terrified, squinting eyes a horn and wings. Suddenly her mind rushes back: She was being pursued by timberwolves and almost devoured by them until a pony, an alicorn, came to her aid and saved her from a gruesome death. But something from the memory warned her to be wary. There was also a sudden chill that invaded the cave. It wasn't there before, and Leaf didn't know what was going on, and all she knew is that it was getting colder and colder.
Forcing her mouth to open again, she says, "You're the alicorn that saved me, weren't you?" Her voice was strained and quivering.
The figure stopped and Leaf Storm began to smell something. It was a musty stink that pervaded the air. She froze. It smelled...of death and blood. Focusing harder, Leaf Storm saw that the shadowed alicorn had an outline of something dangling limply in her mouth, and she fought to contain a gag at the stench.
The alicorn trotted closer until she was a few hoofsteps away and dropped what she was carrying. Trembling from the ever-increasing cold, Leaf Storm could see it clearly now, and she was horrified and disgusted. What lay in front of her was a dead deer; its head was twisted at an awkward angle and its throat was torn out with ruthless abandon.
By now, Leaf Storm could see her breath billowing out in a small cloud as fear and panic began to overwhelm her. "What's going on?!" she blurted out, her voice quavering with terror and disgust. As soon as she said something, the cold presence lessened a little and her shaking reverted to a light tremor.
"You should eat," said the alicorn sweetly, the lilt of her voice hauntingly low and gentle. She craned her head forward and Leaf Storm saw the blood around the alicorn's white muzzle. "You are weak. You must eat."
Leaf couldn't move; she was afraid. This alicorn killed an innocent animal, dragged it here, and was telling her to eat it. What kind of pony would do something so heinous? Her tired eyes trailed slowly to the corpse of the deer, and she recoiled at the foul sight. Glimpsing at her savior, she noticed the alicorn tilting her head as if she was confused as to why Leaf rejected it.
The alicorn nearly touched Leaf's face and all she could smell was the stinking blood. "You should eat," she insisted in a pleasant tone, edging the corpse closer to Leaf Storm without taking her eyes off her. "It's rude to neglect such a delicious meal. You must relish it..."
This couldn't be a pony, it just couldn't. Even the most ruthless ponies had standards. Leaf Storm was struggling to find the words to express her repugnance to this killer, but she wondered if she should be careful with what she would say. If this thing, not a pony, because a pony would never do something like this, decided to kill her, there was nothing Leaf could do to defend herself. She was injured and in the presence of an alicorn. She was powerless, but she had to say something.
"I... I-I don't eat m-m-meat," she mumbled fearfully, stammering over her words like a filly. There was a sense of dread looming over her.
The alicorn stared at her with those lifeless, pale eyes. "The flesh of another does not suit your preference?" she inquired quietly, fervently washing away the blood that bathed her muzzle with ravenous licks, much to Leaf's disgust. "What do you consume, then?"
Leaf Storm took in a shuddering breath. Things were going good so far. "I eat fruits and vegetables," she answered, forcing back a wave of shudders from the alicorn's unblinking stare. "I just...don't eat meat. I don't mean to be rude..."
"Shame," the alicorn said, her voice still sickly sweet. Her gaze turned to the dead deer. "The taste of this creature is remarkable, but I understand your reluctance. It's an acquired taste." She looked back at Leaf Storm. "I will return with food you can devour. Do not move your legs too much or the wounds will split open again."
Silent, Leaf Storm watched the alicorn slink off into the darkness. Letting out a sigh of relief, Leaf backed away as careful as she could from the corpse and laid her head down to rest. She wanted to sleep for a little while to escape this cave.
When she reopened her eyes, the alicorn was looming over her and she felt the odd chill in the air again.
"I have returned," the alicorn said, gently pushing berries in front of Leaf. "These may suit you. They look similar to the ones where I come from. Go on," she urged Leaf. "Eat and regain your strength."
Leaf tentatively took a few into her mouth and chewed slowly, well aware of the alicorn watching her eat. The berries were nice and tasty, and the nourishing juices soothed her dry throat.
"They're good," she murmured. "Thank you."
"Eat until you are satisfied," the alicorn encouraged, a large smile stretching eerily across her face, unnerving Leaf Storm. "I have finished my meal." She pointed to a pool of blood and bones stripped clean of any meat. "I realized how uneasy my appearance could be when blood and viscera are around my muzzle, so I took the opportunity to devour my meal while you slept."
Well, thank Celestia for that. It was kind of her to do something like that while she was sleeping. Leaf couldn't imagine listening to the alicorn ravage the deer corpse.
After eating a few more berries, Leaf Storm fought to sit up, careful to move her legs as little as possible. She dipped her head graciously. Whatever she felt, she was thankful to be alive and well.
"You saved me from those timberwolves, brought me to a safe place to rest, and given me food. Thank you," she said. Despite the dead corpse and the odd chill that seemed to be increasing and lessening as if on a whim, Leaf Storm owed her life to this alicorn.
"I am glad to be of service," the alicorn said, though Leaf swore she sounded too pleased. "I have a few questions I would like for you to answer."
It was the least she could do. "What do you want to know?"
"What is your name?" the alicorn asked.
"Leaf Storm," Leaf answered.
"Where am I?"
That was odd, but Leaf Storm shrugged. "You are in Equestria, a land lived in by ponies, which are us," Leaf said. "We have princesses that rule over us. If you want to get specific, I couldn't tell you. I'm not familiar with this cave, although since you found berries and... a deer, we might be in a forest of some kind."
"So that is what happened," the alicorn murmured, almost too softly for Leaf to hear. "Enoch told me as such, of how things could change." She cleared her throat. "What type of pony are we?"
Now this was getting weird, Leaf thought. Doesn't the alicorn know anything? Perhaps she hit her head or something. Could explain why she was so strange.
"I'm an earth pony," Leaf answered. She pointed at her savior. "You are an alicorn, a mixture of earth ponies, pegasi, and unicorns; a strong but rare race often put into positions of power."
"Ah, I see," the alicorn said. She craned her neck forward and Leaf Storm could see her long, golden black-striped mane. It didn't flow with magic like the sun and moon princesses, but it was immaculate.
"What's your name?" Leaf asked.
"My name is Thaney," the alicorn answered. "I am not from around here. In fact, I am a long way from home. I came here to help."
Leaf looked confused. Help? Was there something wrong? "What do you mean?" she asked.
Thaney settled herself comfortably on the cave floor. "Listen and listen well," she murmured, her haunting voice echoing slightly around the cave. "Your world, your very universe, is in danger, and I and my brother can save you..."
Princess Celestia sat on her lofty throne with a stack of papers to her right, looking troubled as she read through them. There were a few she put off to the side; the ones that unnerved her the most.
She sighed and leaned back, her eyes trailing toward the smaller stack. "So much for peaceful times," she muttered sullenly, placing a hoof against her cheek.
"Your Majesty," said a mare with a white coat, dark brown mane, and glasses. "Is something the matter?"
Celestia shook her head, trying to shake the concern that clung to her. "Everything is fine, Raven," she replied. She sounded tired and slightly stressed. "I just have a lot on my mind."
Raven stepped close and placed her hoof on Celestia's. "I am one of your best aides; perhaps I could help alleviate your concerns?" she suggested, her light brown eyes, though usually hard and sharp, were soft and bright.
With a glow of her horn, Celestia levitated one of the papers she put off to the side into the hooves of her friend. She watched Raven's eyes slowly grow as the earth pony read the paper.
She glanced worryingly to Celestia and then back at the paper. "There are.... are reports of low rumblings; tremors," Raven Inkwell said uneasily, confused. "Appleloosa, Trottingham, Stallinggrad, Manehattan, and some parts of Western Equestria have been sending reports. What in the name of Aeternia is going on?"
"I don't know," Celestia murmured, rubbing her head with a hoof. "These came in a few days before the meteor shower. I do not know why these small tremors are happening, but if they continue on, they'll turn into earthquakes."
"Does Princess Luna know?"
Celestia nodded. "She's been wanting to investigate why they are happening," she told her aide, sitting up straight. "During the arrival of Alex and his guardian, she's taken command of the Shadow Troop to go out and investigate some of the cities and towns. I'll know more information in a week or two."
"Could it be tied to what Alex had told you?" Raven asked, sounding tense. "About our universe?"
Celestia shook her head firmly. "With Alex and his wayward sister here, our existence is safe; I have full faith and trust in his words. This is something else entirely, it has to be," she said darkly. "I refuse to believe that the tremors are natural occurrences, there's too much overlap with the locations affected."
"What are you thinking?"
Celestia gazed down at her friend. "I'm not sure," she answered. "Right now, it seems that there's nothing to worry about, but I would like to be cautious. Bay Banks and the rest of his troop will return with what they found, and judging by what any of them bring is when I'll start thinking."
The day shone bright in the tepid, cloudless sky, and the freshly wetted grass filled the warm air with a sweetly pleasant scent. It was quiet, aside from birds chirping off in the distance and the wind making the tassels of the grass sway rhythmically in the breeze. Indeed, the day promised good tidings.
Alex was sitting on the grass a few hoofsteps away from his newly acquired house graciously bestowed to him by Celestia and Luna. He held a journal and pen covered in his glistening white magic, given to him by Twilight. He was writing about his learnings of magic from the two sisters.
He was quite enthralled with the possibilities magic presented, absorbing every scrap of detail his new friends elucidated. Before his friends had to return home, he was briefly given magic lessons, and practiced and learned: the levitation spell, the conjuration spell, and the barrier spell.
In just under thirty minutes, Alex had shown great focus and magical control; he was a natural, and he had strong magic potential. Impressed, Celestia had summoned a book from the royal library he could read to begin more beginner-level magic all the way up to advanced magic; like self-levitation, permeation, and teleportation, but she advised Alex in practicing the spells he learned first, and he agreed.
When Luna had asked him if he wanted to learn any offensive magic, he had refused. He was only interested in spells that can aid oneself and others, foregoing any spells that were designed to harm.
Two days had passed since he came to Equestria, arriving on a meteor with his guardian, Nerissa. Alex was given numerous books detailing Equestrian history and some of the history from outside Equestria by Twilight Sparkle, and he balanced studying the material with his magic practice. So far, everything was going smoothly.
"Master," called a voice. Alex turned and saw Nerissa trotting up to him with Twilight Sparkle and a new pony, who looked meek and unsure. "We have tress...visitors. I found them traipsing along the pathway and intercepted them."
Alex closed his journal and laid his pen down before getting up. Whenever he was resting outside the confines of his tower in Dawn, Nerissa would patrol the area around him to ensure there was nothing that could threaten his life, no matter how many times he'd say that he's safe. He found it curious that Nerissa spoke of the two ponies as if they were intruders invading his territory.
He trotted up to the three ponies and gazed down quietly at Twilight, who was waving excitedly, and the new pony. It was a yellow mare with glistening blue eyes, short wings, and a long pink mane and tail. On her flanks had a set of differently colored creatures Alex learned were called butterflies.
He craned his neck down at his visitors. "Welcome," he said, sounding pleased. "It is good to see you again, Twilight Sparkle."
"Good morning!" the purple alicorn said heartedly. She guided the yellow mare closer to him, who was trembling slightly. "I want you to meet Fluttershy, a good friend of mine."
Fluttershy slowly rose her hoof in the air and waved it shakily. "Welcome to Equestria..." Her voice was so low that Alex had to swivel his ears forward to hear her better.
"Greetings, Fluttershy," he said, his deep voice soft and warm. "I am Alexander, but you may refer to me as Alex if you wish. I was informed that I'd a few neighbors if I accepted this house. It is a pleasure to meet you." He saw her tensing muscles relax a little.
"I am Nerissa, his guardian," the bat pony said, peering at Fluttershy closely. "You have a burden on your back. What is it?"
"Oh!" Fluttershy exclaimed. Her wings were holding something in place on her back. It revealed to be some kind of white and pink frosted treat with little red bulbs on the top. "When I heard I had a neighbor, I wanted to welcome them, so I baked a cake...if that's okay."
Alex tilted his head. "What is that?"
Twilight let out a gasp, much to Nerissa's annoyance. "You don't know what a cake is?!" she shouted, instantly spawning her quill and parchment. "You never ate one before?!"
"In Dawn, we don't need to consume food for energy," Nerissa informed, trotting over to Fluttershy and sniffing the cake suspiciously. "We are self-sustaining creatures; food and the consumption of liquids are a choice, not a need." She wrinkled her muzzle and stepped away. "This...cake you call it. It doesn't seem to be laced with anything."
Fluttershy's eyes grew round. "Of course not!" she protested, shrinking under Nerissa's unblinking gaze. "It's perfectly fine to eat, I promise!"
Twilight stepped in front of Nerissa, looking slightly perturbed. "Fluttershy is the kindest pony I know," she told her. "She just wants to make you and Alex welcome."
Nerissa gazed at Alex, looking incredulous but grudging. "Master, do you wish to sample this cake?"
Alex watched Fluttershy intently before examining the cake. He was sure it was fine to eat, and he wanted to put Nerissa's paranoia at ease. He bent down and took a morsel into his mouth and savored the taste. It was nice, creamy, and very sweet.
"It's good," he murmured, his compliment making Fluttershy's eyes shine, and he noticed she stood a bit taller than before. "I eat rarely, but I and my guardian will consume this treat. Nerissa, can you take this inside please?"
Though Nerissa still looked unsure, she obeyed with a dip of her head, taking Fluttershy's cake and heading inside the house to put it away for later.
"It is nice to meet one of my neighbors," Alex said, craning his head down towards Fluttershy. "I was informed that you have a likeness towards animals. That's a good skill to pertain."
True to her name, even if she held herself a tad more confident, Fluttershy lowered herself to the ground slightly. "Thank you," she muttered, graciously dipping her head. "I'm an animal caretaker, so I have a lot of experience. I always loved animals, and I am glad my cutie mark told me that my destiny was to be with them."
Alex tilted his head, looking confused. "What is a cutie mark?" he asked. "Is it the images etched on your flanks?"
Twilight Sparkle bobbed her head ardently; barely restraining her glee. "A cutie mark is something a pony discovers, typically at a young age, though some ponies don't have them until they're well into adulthood, like Princess Celestia and Luna," she explained, showing Alex her cutie mark. "My cutie mark is an indicator that I am good with magic. Many ponies can have the same cutie mark; many of them are a slight visual change, but it's always something that they are good at. All that is needed to acquire one is for a pony to recognize their special talent."
"Would this talent be the only skill one would be good at?" Alex asked.
Twilight shook her head. "Not really," she answered. "A pony can be good at many things, but their special talent is what they're best in. Let's take Flare Brimstone for example," she added, going on. "Her cutie mark is a burning compass with no needle. It's a symbol for adventure and navigating one's way, but since it has no needle, adventure for Flare can be found just about anywhere, and the fire around the compass signifies how often dangerous those adventures are or could be, in uncharted or less-than-familiar regions and locales on the planet.
"Even though Flare is an adventurer at heart and her cutie mark is tied to that, she works for Princess Celestia as an agent, she's a captain of her own ship and crew in Duty Shoals, she owns and runs a trinket shop that sells the treasures she's found on her adventures, an extremely fast and capable brawler, and is a talented tracker."
Alex nodded seriously, steadily taking in Twilight's information. He was curious of his own cutie mark, and Nerissa's. He gazed down at his flank and shifted his huge wings to discern his own. His cutie mark was a white orb with a black marking in the middle.
"Curious," he murmured, showing his flank to his purple friend. "Would you be able to explain this?"
Twilight studied the cutie mark for a couple of heartbeats before shaking her head, befuddled. "Now that's a unique-looking cutie mark," she told him. "Those are rare, but out of all the ones that has been on a pony's flank, yours seem to be quite out there. Fluttershy?"
Fluttershy stared at the cutie mark, but she couldn't figure out what it could infer. "I'm sorry, but I don't know." She turned to Twilight. "Could it be tied to magic in some way?"
Twilight gave a hesitant nod, looking unsure. "Well, I was informed that Alex had displayed some astute magical potential, so it could be. I'm curious as to what type of magic he can use, but that'll be something for another day." She gazed at him. "So, what's on the agenda for today?"
"I was peering at the locations in Equestria and found one I'm curious about visiting," Alex said. "It's a village called Zebanda, a settlement for zebras in the far west. They seem to be a rarity in Equestria."
Twilight nodded. "It's a recent settlement after Zecora managed to convince some to come to Equestria looking for a new life."
"Is Zecora home?" he asked. "I would like to meet her."
"Sorry Alex, but Zecora went to her homeland, Farasi, to visit friends and family and won't be back for a good while," she told him apologetically. "I'm surprised you don't want to head into Ponyville; everypony liked you and Nerissa."
Alex's mind trailed back to yesterday: He was trotting into Ponyville with Nerissa, all eyes on him, as a pink pony called Pinkie Pie zoomed up to him and welcomed him to the village, proclaiming he should have a welcoming party commemorating his first visit in Ponyville. With help from Twilight Sparkle, she managed to convince the hyperactive mare to forgo the party for a brief song about coming to Ponyville.
He recalled back to Celestia and Luna and their concerns about the populace freaking out that a male alicorn had suddenly appeared out of nowhere. He was assured by Twilight that Ponyville was a place where weird and strange things were a common occurrence; and most of the ponies there weren't too shell-shocked to see him, though they were curious and eager to know him and his guardian.
"Though many were polite," began Nerissa, trotting up to Alex and standing beside him, "too many faces asking too many questions. We would like to ease ourselves into this world at our leisure, so we will be departing to Zebanda soon and will return a few days later."
"I hope you understand," Alex murmured to Twilight. "You must be disappointed."
Twilight gave a sheepish titter before waving her hoof. "No, no, of course not!" she told him, then her ears drooped a little. "I'm just sorry I couldn't make you feel more comfortable." She saw Fluttershy placed a hoof on her back for comfort.
Alex laid a wing on Twilight's mane. "When I come back, I will tell you about it," he promised. "We are friends, and friends share exciting experiences with one another. You can also aid me in my magic practice, if you have the time."
Twilight's cheeks went a little red and she cleared her throat. "I'd be more than happy to help you," she said, a delightful twinkle shining in her eyes. "Zebanda is quite a long way if you trot there. Do you know how to use your wings yet?"
Alex shifted his wing from Twilight's head to his side. "In Dawn I was able to fly, but it seems to be...unavailable. At least from the method I was usually familiar with."
"What do you mean?" Fluttershy asked.
"I was told by Enoch that I may be confined to a few rules," he explained. "My body has changed, and skills I used to retain are absent or currently unavailable. However, it seems the ability of flight wasn't lost to me completely."
"I heard you mention this Enoch before. Who is he exactly?" Twilight inquired, spawning a quill and paper.
Nerissa stepped forward and said, "Enoch is a servant of my master. He is aged, serving our Lords before I and my master's inception." Nerissa smiled fondly. "He is a good soul with a good heart. I assume you do not know what a warper is?"
Twilight shook her head. "What is that?"
"A warper is a creature with the power to create portals to travel through various distances, depending on how strong and how proficient one is," Nerissa began to explain, swishing her dark tail across the verdant grass. "Enoch is a warper, the first. His portals can travel through a whole universe."
Twilight was enthralled by the explanation. "The meteor from a few days ago... You said he created it."
"That's correct," Nerissa told her, sounding approving. "He's a bit special, imbued with a miniscule amount of energy from Lord Zain, granting him access to create very specific objects. One of these objects are meteors. With a snap of his finger, he can summon one, like the one we came in."
"He made a portal that you two went inside, and then he opened a portal to our universe," Twilight said, excitement layered in her voice. "He sounds very powerful; I would love to meet him one day!"
Nerissa gave a wry grin. "Then you and your yellow friend are fortunate."
"What do you mean?" Fluttershy murmured.
"Whenever Nerissa and I are ready, we call upon Enoch to open a portal to return us home," Alex told them, stretching his lofty wings. "He wouldn't know this planet or its areas, so he can't send us to Zebanda due to a lack of knowledge."
"He is connected to me and Alex so that he can always open a portal to us," Nerissa added. "Since his control over portals is so strong, he can virtually open one to us no matter how far away we are."
"We are going to call him so he can connect a portal to our new home," Alex said. "This way he can always send us back here whenever we call to him."
"And once you two are done in Zebanda, he will open a portal to the both of you that he can connect back to the house and send you there, making any return trip nonexistent!" Twilight shouted, her quill writing so quickly on the paper that smoke was coming from it. Fluttershy was trying to fan it down with her wings. "But how will he know he's needed?"
"Enoch is always watching over us, and he has informed that to summon him we must call him with some level of conviction," Nerissa told the purple pony. She glanced at Alex before looking back at Twilight. "I will be doing that part. Master?"
Alex nodded, moving over to Twilight and Fluttershy and enveloping them with one large wing, sweeping them close to his side. He stared down at their reddening faces. "Enoch likes to make a grand entrance, and I would like the both of you to stay where you are." With his two friends secure at his side, Alex told Nerissa to call Enoch.
Nerissa raised her head to the bright morning sky and shouted, "Enoch, I call upon you! Appear before me and my master!"
The wind began to pick up fiercely, and the thick-trunked trees around Alex's home began to creak and shudder. A current of air had begun swirling in front of Nerissa, and the wind howled. Then orange light suddenly appeared, creating a rectangular-shaped portal.
Two massive blue-gray hands gripped the sides of the portal followed by two dark blue legs with steel-black hooves, and a hulking body concealed underneath a tattered dark cloak. When the head came through, it was shrouded in a black hood with two glaring orange eyes that glowed with a fiery emission, and ominously sharp jet-black horns that looked as strong as obsidian ore.
Alex gazed down at his two friends and saw their eyes as wide as a moon. Clearly, they were surprised, and it pleased him to see how attentive and immersed their faces conveyed.
When the creature was out of the portal, the orange energy that held it together vanished, causing the portal to collapse on itself and fade away. The daunting figure was barely taller than Alex, and when it gazed at him with those orange eyes, it bowed its head low in deepest respect.
"Enoch, it's good to see you," Nerissa said, trotting up to the huge beast and giving him a heartfelt hug. "Didn't expect to be called so early?"
Enoch let out a hearty bellow of laughter before breaking the hug and thumping his chest with a fist. "Not at all, Nerissa; I'm happy to be of use! It's why I was created!" Enoch gazed at Alex. "May I say that you are looking immaculate as ever, sire. Nerissa too! I am glad the formchange went well!"
Alex receded his wing back to his side, allowing Twilight and Fluttershy, who stared dumbfounded at Enoch, to move around freely. "The formchange was fortunate for you as well, although I could not tell what kind of creature you've become."
"He's...a minotaur," Twilight Sparkle answered. "They are strong, versatile creatures. There are hardly any here; you can find them more easily outside Equestria."
Enoch examined himself and gave a light shrug. "It feels as if I've been this creature all of my life," he told her. He walked cheerily over to Alex and embrace him tenderly. "You seem to be in good spirits, sire. I assume you are comfortable here?"
Alex nodded, breaking the hug. "The inhabitants I have encountered have been most kind and helpful." He swept his sapphire tail at Twilight and Fluttershy. "These are my friends, Princess Twilight Sparkle and Fluttershy."
Enoch peered at the two ponies, squatting close to the ground. "Salutations!" he told the ponies happily. "I am Enoch, a servant of Alex and the two Lords. I thank you both from the bottom of my heart for being Alex's new friends!"
"G-greetings, Enoch," Twilight said meekly with a friendly wave of her hoof, stammering. "And welcome to Equestria." Fluttershy only waved back, too daunted by Enoch's hulking bulk to speak.
"My apologies if my presence disturbs you," Enoch said happily, stepping back and flexing his hulking muscles. "To be put back into a more youthful body was indeed quite fortunate; I never felt so great! GAWHAHAHAH!!!"
Nerissa stepped to him. "Reel in your excitement for a moment, Enoch. I summoned you to connect a portal to our new living quarters," she informed him.
Enoch looked at the large house and gave a whistle of amazement. "Seems adequate enough for Alex. And don't you fret," he assured her. "I'll have a portal whipped up in no time at all." He cracked his knuckles and rubbed his hands together. "Everybody, stand back!"
When everypony was at a safe enough distance, Enoch snapped a finger, the sound seeming to echo loudly in the air, and creating an azure ripple. Orange energy began to gradually manifest, shifting into the rectangular-shaped portal from before. It let out a low, continuous drone, the orange energy swirling madly inside the portal.
Enoch blew on his finger as if it was smoking. "All done!" he told Alex and Nerissa mirthfully, turning to them and placing his hands on his hips. "Whenever you two want to come back here, you'll be able to. Just give me a call!"
Twilight cantered up to the portal cautiously, Fluttershy following behind. She peered at it before looking amazed. "I was told that this was your energy," she said, turning to Enoch.
Enoch walked up to her and squatted down. "It's the energy of a warper. Its color is determined by our eyes, and mine displays itself as orange," he told her, gazing unblinking at Twilight's mystified eyes. "This energy is what gives me the ability to create portals. There aren't many warpers out there, only three. Other than me, there is one who serves a person called Knox. You may have heard of him from Nerissa or Alex."
Twilight nodded her head, narrowing her eyes trying to remember. "I vaguely recall Nerissa uttering that name."
"You'll learn more about him later," Enoch said, waving his hands dismissively. "The third warper used to be from Nerissa's village, a fellow Dark Resident, but she moved to another corner of the planet."
"That's interesting and I want to know more, but what is your energy called?" Twilight almost sounded impatient.
"Origin," Enoch said, sounding suddenly solemn. "There's two energies: Origin and Empyrean. Origin energy is what certain sentient beings contain in Dawn, and it allows us to fly and perform other actions, things Nerissa and I have. Empyrean energy is what Alex has as he is the son of the two Lords, and it allows him to do a variety of things we can't."
"Alex's presence is empyrean energy," Nerissa informed the purple alicorn. "You know, willfully shifting the weight of gravity. Our aura is origin energy, but not everyone in Dawn can be permitted to utilize it. Remember that Enoch has a small amount of Lord Zain's power?"
Twilight nodded slowly, trying to understand. "His empyrean energy!"
"Yes," Nerissa said. "Warpers normally can't cast portals that can travel to and from another universe, because they simply won't be strong enough."
"But Enoch can because he has empyrean energy, and that's what makes him special," Twilight said, her eyes shining with excitement. "I have a whole lot more questions, but I can refrain from asking them until later."
Fluttershy, who's been silent this whole time, nodded furtively. "I have to go back to my cottage," she mumbled to Twilight. She glanced at Alex with a small smile. "You should come visit. I can make us some tea."
Alex bobbed his head in agreement. "There aren't many creatures in Dawn, so I'm curious of what type of animals you have, and sampling what this thing you call tea is." He trotted to his two friends and placed his wing tips on their heads. "I will see you both when I return. Be safe."
Twilight giggled. "You too, Alex."
Fluttershy agreed. "Take your time and learn as much as you want..."
"We will," Nerissa said. She turned to Enoch, warmth in her blood-red eyes. "You may go; it was nice to see you."
He dipped his head to her and Alex, and then waved goodbye to Twilight and Fluttershy. With a snap of a finger, Enoch vanished, all evidence of him being here gone completely.
"Oh, I almost forgot!" Twilight exclaimed. "I heard from Pinkie Pie, since she's so aware of parties and celebrations, that Zebanda is holding a festival for a performer visiting them for a show. You might see them on the road, so keep a look out! It's bound to be a great experience!"
Waving to Alex and Nerissa, Twilight and Fluttershy took the paved path that would lead them out of the Everfree. Before they could get out of sight, Nerissa followed them to make sure they leave despite Alex telling her that there was no need.
As Alex watched the three leave, he turned his attention back to his journal laying on the softly swaying grass and trotted over to it. He levitated it and the pen that laid beside it, opening to a blank page and began to write until Nerissa returned.
"That cake Fluttershy concocted was delicious," he murmured, jotting down his experience in the journal. Then he shook his head, suddenly disappointed. "I will have to ask how to create one the next I see her..."
A young creature in a tattered and dirty pale-gray frock sat in the middle of a dusty and messy room, playing with shoddy-looking dolls. She innocently chirped as she played, but quietly like her mother always told her.
"La-la-la...phoosh," she uttered with her mouth in a sing-like trill, making her dolls twist and twirl. "Dancing, dance, all day, all night."
As she played, her ear twitched, hearing the sound of a door open and close. Excited, she turned around to see her mother walking towards her. Abandoning her dolls, she rushed and embraced her, rubbing her face across her mother's feathered chest.
Her mother held her close and kissed the top of her head. "I'm happy to see you, sweetie," she murmured.
The young creature gazed deep into her mother's emerald eyes and saw a look of sadness. Concerned, she asks, "Mommy, are you okay? Did work make you tired?"
Her mother was silent for a moment before nodding her head. "Yes," she rasped quietly. "Did you remember to be quiet and stay from the windows and doors while I was...away?"
The daughter bobbed her head and puffed out her chest proudly. "I did!" she said with pride. "No pony tried to get in, but...I heard some angry ponies outside and stuff breaking."
Her mother sighed and closed her eyes, seemingly making a decision. When she reopened them again, there was regret in them. "I think... I think you should come to where I work," she suggested, every word seeming to be forced out. "You'll be safer there than being here alone all day."
The daughter tilted her head, confused. Her mother worked at a building where a lot of ponies, usually stallions, came and went. Her mother was popular with the customers, and many ponies came to see her, if only just to admire her. She was beautiful and had a voice that could captivate anypony, but the daughter wasn't sure if she wanted to go.
"Do I have to?" she asked. "No pony came in."
"I know, but it would put my mind at ease if you came with me," her mother said, sweeping one of her talons delicately across her daughter's cheek. "Ponbar isn't as safe as other places in Saddle Arabia. I could keep an eye on you, and I talked with my boss. He would like for you to come. Although..."
She held her mother's talons with her own. "What's wrong, Mommy?"
"For you to be with me all day, you'll have to work," she murmured, sounding resigned. "But not at the start. I'll... I can teach you. You are a pretty fledgling; I can teach you to put on make-up, how to sound like me, how to move and present yourself, and...and to serve the customers. But like I said, you will not start right away, I promise you."
The daughter's eyes lit up and she bounced with excitement. "I always wanted to be like you!" she said, trying to lower her voice but failing. "You're so pretty, and young, and smart, and everypony likes you!"
"That's good," her mother rasped, not sounding happy at all. In fact, she was on the verge of crying, her eyes watering. "I'm sorry, dear..." She wiped tears from her face. "I'm just..."
Her daughter leaned against her, worried. "Don't be sad, Mommy," she murmured. "I'll help you the best I can. Whatever it is, I can do it!"
Her mother stared at her, love and sorrow layered within them. "Oh, my wonderful daughter," she lamented, hugging her tightly. "You deserve so much more than this..."
"When I'm older, I'll make sure we can get out of Ponbar," she avowed ardently, gazing into her mother's green eyes. "I'll become something that you can be proud of. I promise!"
As the day flowed into the evening, Alex and Nerissa were out on a beaten road venturing out to the more obscure locations in Equestria: Zebanda, a zebra settlement in the far west. A day had passed since their departure, and Alex was relishing the gentle breeze flowing through his coat.
He learned how to use his wings yesterday when Nerissa came back from escorting Twilight and Fluttershy from the Everfree Forest. His guardian had helped him since she was able to figure out how to use her wings when they landed on Equestria, but that just goes to show how adept she was. However, he wanted to take in the world's atmosphere, so he decided to travel there on hoof.
The breeze was mild, and the sun was pleasantly warm on his crimson coat. Whilst traveling, they come across a large, lengthy wooden structure with wheels sitting on the road in the near distance.
"Master, should we investigate the wagon?" Nerissa suggested. She narrowed her eyes, pointing her muzzle into the air. "There's an interesting smell pervading the air around it."
"We should," he assented. "It has an odd structure I would like to examine."
Curiosity guiding his hoofsteps, Alex approaches the wagon to investigate. Upon further inspection, the wooden brown wagon had a type of tan-colored cover or awning. The wheels were large and made of wood, and they looked strong. He circled the wagon and saw an opening at what seems to be the back entrance. Once he looked inside, he laid eyes on a bed with pillows. Certainly, and it was decorative as it is adorned with gold and silver, and many other objects that looked to be expensive and invaluable.
"Curious," he murmured, his ear twitching. "I have never seen such things. Who lives here, I wonder?" He gazed down at his guardian. "You have sharp senses; where is the smell coming from?"
Nerissa raised her muzzle into the air and sniffed. "Well, it's not coming from the wagon," she told him assuredly. "It seems the creature that commands this wooden vessel is nearby."
"But who?" he wondered.
It did not take Alex long to wonder when Nerissa's ears suddenly pricked. He listened closely and he began to hear the faint sound of jingling coins making their way from the front of the wagon to the back where he and his guardian stood. Nerissa flattened her ears and held onto the hilt of her sword she kept sheathed, hidden underneath her dark cloak.
"That sweet aroma is getting stronger," Nerissa hissed, trying to use her muzzle to pinpoint where exactly the aroma was coming from. "Whoever it is, they don't smell like a hostile, but I would like to be safe regardless. Stay near me, master."
Alex and Nerissa stepped back and looked around as the coins grew louder until the sound ceased. He watched Nerissa suddenly shoot her head up to the top of the wagon. A shadow fell over them, and Alex gazed up to discern the unknown creature, but only to tilt his head in confusion.
He found it odd to gaze at a tall bird creature wearing such odd-looking clothing. During his studies into the history of kingdoms and countries outside Equestria, one came to mind: Ornithia, the kingdom of birds, or avian-like creatures, ruled over by a king, queen and their children. How peculiar Alex found that a bird native to a faraway kingdom beyond the boundaries of Equestria was right in front of him.
The cream-colored, emerald-eyed bird wore a fitted pink top, a fitted black hip belt, and a long pink see-through skirt, all adorned with differently colored shimmering beads, and glittering coins that jingled and jangled. Her face had a pinkish veil and wore makeup with the intention to, it seems, be sexually pleasing to the eyes. On her sharp feet were decorated with gold and silver rings, and she wore a platinum necklace.
Across her exposed belly were piercings of ornate white coins and small, black-speckled crystals that glistened faintly in the sun's light. She was tall, slender, had well-toned hips and a supple chest.
The way she looked at Alex was nothing more than desire and hunger, her emerald eyes eerily lit with a want, but as he searched her hungry gaze, it seemed to be trying to restrain the strong passion that oozed from her like smoke from a fire. He watched her leap from the roof of the wagon and landing neatly on her feet. He could hear Nerissa trying to force back a snarl.
Alex attempted to speak with the bird. "Your clothing," he said simply. That was all he had to start with. He saw Nerissa glancing at him, looking somewhat taken aback and slightly upset, but for what he didn't know. He almost expected her to use her aura, but she must've thought the bird wasn't a big enough threat.
"Yes, what about them?" she asked him with a playful chirp. Her voice was alluring and lucid and had an accent he was unfamiliar with.
"I have never seen clothing like yours before," he told her, shuffling his wings slightly. "Where are you from?"
The bird gave a low, sensual titter. "Can't you tell by my accent? I'm from Saddle Arabia," she announced, shaking her feathered breast. "My name is Saldora, honey."
It was a good name and different from the ponies, he thought. "I am Alex," he introduced, before stretching out a wing over Nerissa's back. "And this is-"
"Nerissa," she interrupted with a snort, sounding wary and a little hostile. "I'm his guardian."
The bird stared down at Nerissa for a moment. It seemed to Alex that they were exchanging silent, unknown words to each other, but he didn't know what. And never before has Nerissa cut him off so abruptly before. Was she worried for his safety? If so, from what? Saldora looked as if she wouldn't harm a butterfly.
"You have a cute name," Saldora complemented Nerissa, leaning forward. "I like it."
Nerissa began to back away, but she held her ground and glared at the bird. "Yeah? Well, thanks."
"You have a nice stallion, an alicorn no less. He must be ravishing," she told Nerissa huskily, a good-natured gleam twinkling in her vibrant emerald eyes.
Nerissa glanced at Alex, her dark visage reddening with embarrassment. He tilted his head in confusion. Why would she feel embarrassed? Or was it something else? He shook his head, unable to form a reason. For now, he wanted to shift the conversation to make his guardian feel less uncomfortable and instead fuel his curiosity.
"It is nice to meet you, Saldora," he said, instantly gaining the bird's attention. "Pardon me, but I thought Saddle Arabia was home only to ponies."
Saldora stepped close to Alex, despite Nerissa's warning snarls, until all he could scent was her pleasant aroma. "Most ponies would think that, but I and my mother settled into the Desert's Pearl a long time ago, honey. A lot of ponies outside of Saddle Arabia don't see us birds since we typically stay within our border."
"Ah, I see," Alex murmured, nodding. "Then it's quite fortunate that I and my guardian was able to come across you. You look to be on the road. Going somewhere or are you merely roaming?"
"Going somewhere," she said tartly, scanning Alex's figure before stepping away, coins jingling, and examining her talons laced with jewelry. "I'm going to Zebanda to show off my belly dancing. The zebras there really like me. They're even holding a festival in my honor. How can I pass up on such a... thrilling joyride?"
Alex swished his tail behind him. "How fortunate. We are currently on our way there."
Saldora's eyes glimmered in the sun's light. "What a chance meeting this is. We should travel together," she suggested. She glanced at Nerissa with a playful look and lowered her voice to a silky whisper. "Wouldn't that be a thrill, sweetheart? I can show you both my dancing."
Nerissa stepped close to Alex, shielding him with her body. "We don't need to travel with one another," she retorted hotly, her ears splaying back and baring her sharp teeth at Saldora. She felt Alex's wing laying gently on her back and she tried to settle herself. "We'll both reach our destination in another a day or two."
Saldora bit down on her talon softly, looking mischievous. "Why are you two trotting to the zebra settlement?" she asked, shifting the conversation much to Nerissa's annoyance. "It would be much faster to fly there, right?"
Alex bobbed his head in agreement. "I would like to take in the atmosphere," he answered her. "It's quite peaceful and calm here, and I would like to bathe in that tranquility."
"Then you are in luck, honey," Saldora said merrily, her eyes lighting up as she guided the two to the front of the wagon, her hips swaying rhythmically with each step. "You and your sweet little guardian can bask in the tranquility right here." She gestured to the steps that led to the wagon driver's seat. "We can...get to know each other better while lounging on or in the comfortable confines of my wagon. It's quite spacious, so don't worry about taking up too much room."
Alex thought about it for a few seconds before nodding his head in agreement, despite Nerissa's disapproval. "I was told that I could meet the performer heading to Zebanda, and it seems to be you." He dipped his head graciously. "Thank you for sharing your wagon with me and my guardian; we appreciate the kindness."
Nerissa lowered her head reluctantly. "Thanks," she muttered.
Saldora clapped, looking very happy. "Oh, I haven't been on the road with other creatures in so long!" She climbed the steps and sat in the driver's seat. She beckoned them with a talon. "Let us head on."
"I don't like this," Nerissa hissed, glaring at Saldora.
Alex couldn't understand why Nerissa was acting like this, but he hoped it would end soon. Perhaps he'll talk to her about it tonight.
"You can head up first and I will follow behind you," Nerissa told him, only to hear Saldora let out a wry titter, and she held back a snarl, but Alex noticed her face was reddening again. "I'll go first instead, and you can follow."
He bent down to face her. "Are you well?" he asked her, peering closely at her face. "These new bodies of ours might invite sickness."
Nerissa shifted her blood-red gaze at the ground, seemingly avoiding his eyes. "I'm fine," she murmured, turning away and stepping up the steps. "This bird just makes things weird..."
Alex watched her in silence, unable to understand. Nerissa sat on the far end of the wagon seat, looking away from Saldora's glistening emerald eyes. Climbing up, he sat between the two. He looked down to see a wheel made for steering and a silvery cloth that shimmered faintly in the sun's light.
He was confused. "How will this vehicle move?" he asked Saldora.
She gave a low giggle, shuffling so close to Alex, his coat was brushing up against her feathered body. "That cloth gives the wagon locomotion; it's magical," she informed him.
Alex was interested. "Really?"
Saldora nodded. "It's used to help out gals like me get around without much effort, certainly useful for long-distance travel. The magic is Saddle Arabian, putting motion into inanimate objects," she explained. "With a touch, or a good stroking as I prefer to do, and a thought, the wagon can move without the use of horsepower or machines. And with the wheel, I can steer it."
"Interesting magic, Saldora," Alex complimented, causing the bird to blush. Using his horn to cast the conjuration spell, Alex summoned his journal and pen. He opened it and began writing. "This is good information to retain, I thank you for sharing with me."
"I've no qualms in sharing anything with you, honey," Saldora murmured, her voice low and sultry. Alex saw a sudden flash of realization in the bird's eyes, and she stopped leaning on him. "Let's get moving!"
The evening sun had begun to set red over the horizon, and Alex was asking Saldora about the various possessions that lined the inside of her wagon. He would've assumed she was royalty with how much gems and the like that decorated the wagon's wooden walls.
Saldora had told him that those were gifts she's received over the years travelling around Equestria and beyond, for her immaculate dancing performances.
When Alex wanted her to talk about her dancing, Saldora replied that ever since she was a small fledgling she wanted to become one because her mother took her to see a belly dancer perform for a crowd of ponies. She was taken by so much beauty and grace from the dancer that it fueled her with passion.
She went on to tell Alex, and Nerissa, when she wasn't brooding in the background, that she wasn't really good at anything else, even though she tried. One of the more common jobs that ponies in Saddle Arabia wanted was to become a guard in service of the king, but she didn't have the strength nor the diligence to become one.
"I see. When did you become a dancer?" Alex asked.
"As early as sixteen," Saldora answered mirthfully, but then her voice lowered, and the excitement that had shown lessoned a little. "The youngest wannabe dancer in years. It was better than my other job. Anyway, I had to use my dancing to gain bits, and it worked out for a while, but there's only so much in Saddle Arabia, y'know? I couldn't travel around there much because of the dangers hidden beneath the shifting sands, so I turned my attention to the outside world."
"So, you left your home."
"Yep," Saldora said. "I was granted with this wagon and the cloth after my last performance by the king's adopted daughter."
"I had read something about an adopted daughter in the care of the king," Alex said, placing a hoof on his chin. "Her name was..."
"Marina Trench," Saldora told him, warmth in her sultry chirp. "She's a good pony; a friend, the nicest I've ever had the pleasure of meeting. The vessel she gave helped me move around with relative ease, allowing me to focus more on my dancing. It led me into getting more opportunities to go around different places, reach new heights, and make so many more bits."
"And you surely made good use of your money," Nerissa commented. She didn't sound grudging or sarcastic.
Saldora chuckled. "Thank you," she replied, sounding gracious, "but a lot of my bits does go to my mother back home. I wanted to make her life easier with the difficulties she had to face while raising me."
"You were poor?" Nerissa asked.
Saldora nodded. "Grew up in a dirty and run-down village called Ponbar," she explained, a bittersweet edge to her tone. "A lot of ponies there were poor, and those who weren't were just a little bit better off than the rest of us." She shook her head and gazed out to the darkening sky. "Let us stop and continue in the morning; we've been going on for a while now."
"I agree," Alex said, gazing around at the lush greenery. "This does seem like a good place to rest for tonight."
"Shall we search for wood for a fire, master?" Nerissa suggested.
"No need to go off looking for wood," Saldora objected. "I have some tucked away inside my wagon." She got up and headed inside. Alex heard her rummaging around until she came back out with a few logs. She seemed to be struggling.
"I can carry those for you with my magic," Alex told her, his horn white. "It'll be good practice."
Saldora's arms were trembling, and she nodded her head quickly. "I got too much; I can't take them all on by myself!" she whined pitifully, but she looked to be playful. "I was just so excited to have traveling buddies again!"
Taking the logs with his magic, Alex trotted toward a pit dug by Nerissa, and placed them inside. A few moments later, Saldora walks up with small black stones to line around the pit so the fire wouldn't be able to escape.
"Any pony got a lighter?" she asked.
Nerissa rolled her eyes and unsheathed her white sword. "Don't need whatever that is," she muttered, scraping the sword inside the fire pit. There were sparks, and eventually the pit flared to life, the fire burning strongly.
Saldora was amazed, her emerald eyes widening. "Whoa, that was beautiful!" she exclaimed, staring at Nerissa with admiration. "I've never anything like it! What type of magic did you use?"
Nerissa was taken aback by the force of Saldora's excitement, looking a little awkward. "It, um... it's a sword imbued with the elements," she explained before letting out a slow sigh. "My mother used to wield it."
Saldora gazed at the bat pony, sympathy deep within her eyes. "She must've been quite a beautiful person, if you are anything to go off of."
Nerissa nodded, feeling a little better. "Yes," she murmured, "she was." She shook her head. "Anyway, enough about that. Let us enjoy tranquility."
"Agreed," Alex said.
Saldora rose to her feet, looking giddy. "I'll go get snacks!"
Nerissa stoked the fire in front of her, feeling sullen and brooding. Saldora hung around Alex like a chained dog, and only now has the irritating avian finally dislodged herself from him. Her master was sitting away in a field of flowers near the fire pit, writing in his journal about things he's learned from Saldora.
She stared at him for a long moment, his crimson coat glowing like a silver flame in the moon's waxing light. A certain feeling of something fierce simmered beneath her pelt.
"He's quite the looker, isn't he?" It was Saldora's voice, cutting into Nerissa's thoughts.
Nerissa gazed warily at the avian sitting a few steps away from her, consuming some stuff called apple slices and roasting marshmallows on a wooden stick. "He takes care of himself," she grumbled. She watched Saldora rub her chest with a talon while watching Alex, and she scowled. "Whatever scheme you have concocting in that head of yours, leave my master out of it or else."
Saldora gazed at her softly, apparently deaf to her threat. "It's nice he has a loyal pony like you to look after him. But it's also a shame."
Nerissa straightened. "And why is that?!" she demanded, raising her voice, but then she forced down as to not disturb Alex. How could she be so riled up by almost anything this bird said?
"He seems to be a bit too... veiled, don't you think?" she asked her, chewing on a marshmallow and swallowing.
"What do you mean?"
"I'm saying Alex doesn't see how much you care for him."
Nerissa didn't understand. "I always express my care for him, and he knows that," she retorted.
Saldora gave a small titter. "Not what I mean, doll," she said, leaning close. "Deeper affections goes unnoticed."
Nerissa stared at the bird, and then she lowered her head, gazing into the fire. "This is all I need," she murmured, stoking the flames. "I like my purpose too much to jeopardize our relationship. We're close; we've always been since we met. I don't need my affection to overstep its bounds."
"And you're happy with that?" Saldora asked, sounding surprised. "It's a missed opportunity."
Nerissa's eyes hardened. "I already told you," she growled, her ears splaying back, "that I don't need more than what I have now. I like it this way, and I don't want that to change. All I need is to support him; I'm his guardian, not his lover, nor his betrothed. I'm happy where I am."
Saldora leaned back and smiled, a naughty expression across her face. "Then you don't mind if I...sweep him away?" she asked, narrowing her eyes slyly. "I'll take very good care of him, don't you worry, doll..."
Nerissa held back a snarl, but her eyes narrowed to threatening slits. "Why are you so insistent on vexing me?"
Saldora shrugged, saying, "You're too easy, and it's obvious you don't want Alex spending time with anyone else. Right?"
"That's not true!" she spat, standing up. "I worry for his safety because it's my job to look over and protect him! Yeah, I have feelings for him, but those feelings do not get in the way; what I feel for him is a deep affection, not love. If Alex wants a mate, then he is free to do so; I'll have no objections. However," she continued, "I will express my disapproval if his choice is some creature that doesn't have his best interests at heart, wanting nothing else but to bed with him!"
"And that's what you think of me?" Saldora asked, looking calm and laid-back. "Some creature wanting nothing but to have sex with him?"
Nerissa glared at the avian for a moment. "With the way you speak and act, how can I think of anything else?! You act like a...a..."
Saldora let out a small, amusing chirp. "Act like I'm a what?" she prompted nonchalantly, urging Nerissa to say the word. "It's on the tip of your tongue, doll. No need to tease."
"Was that your other job?" Nerissa questioned, her frustration ebbing away. "You were a courtesan?"
Saldora looked at her as if Nerissa said something stupid. "Well, that's a fancy word of saying I used to be a whore," she chuckled. "But that's exactly what I was."
"I... I didn't know," Nerissa murmured, feeling awkward. "Was it...common for belly dancers?"
"Of course it wasn't," Saldora replied, letting out a trill of laughter before calming herself. "Few are, most aren't. My mother and I were poor, remember? Well, she worked at a brothel, or whorehouse, and she was quite the popular employee. It wasn't decent pay, but it was something to put grains of food on the table."
"You worked together?" Nerissa asked, shocked.
"When being alone at home was becoming too dangerous, my mother decided that bringing me with her to the brothel was the safest place for me to go," she answered. "Her boss said I could, but he wanted me to work."
"How old were you?"
Saldora tapped her cheek with a talon, trying to remember. "I think I was...six or maybe five?" She shrugged. ignoring the shock on Nerissa's face. "I don't remember exactly what age I was, but once you spent most of your life sucking up to stallions, you tend to not remember a lot of things. It all gets a little hazy after a while." She yawned, stretching out her limbs. "I didn't work right away, I had to learn from my mother on how to look and act like a proper employee to the customers."
Nerissa never thought that Equestria could have something like this. All she's seen so far was happy-go-lucky pastel ponies being the nicest creatures she's ever came across. She assumed that most other creatures acted this way too. What a shock it was that something like this could even exist on this planet.
What's even more of a shock was how Saldora didn't seem to see it as a big deal.
"I'm sorry," Nerissa said. Saldora wasn't acting the way she did on purpose or just to rile her up for fun. That's all she knew. And she had to admit that the avian had stopped herself from being too intimate with Alex, like she was going against everything she knew in an effort to appear decent.
And she must've been lonely. Saldora never said how long it's been since she had folks to travel around with, so when she saw her and Alex, she tried to be on her best behavior, probably as to not drive her and her master away. She's been wanting company.
"Are you pitying me?" Saldora said. Her eyes were soft as the bright moon's light. "I guess it is pathetic."
Nerissa didn't. It was just something Saldora had to deal with. She felt a bit of admiration for the avian instead. She persevered and became something she could be proud of.
"Life can be unkind and unjust," she told her, grabbing an apple slice and sniffing it. "All we can do is make the most of it." She bit the snack and tasted the juices. It was good. "I want to apologize for being brash; I was only looking out for my master."
"I guess I deserved it for being all over that hunk of a stallion," Saldora said huskily, but then she drew in a sharp intake of air, as if struck by something. "Sorry, it's hard to control all the fluff in my mind from spilling."
Nerissa sighed. It seemed like something she would have to get used to hearing. "Tell me about your mother."
Saldora sat crisscrossed, holding her feet with her talons. "She's kind and beautiful," she began, sounding wistful. "She always knew what to do and say, and she made me feel better whenever I was having a bad day. But...she was always sad. Even when we played together, my mother never seemed truly happy, and I tried to say and do things to make her feel better, but nothing I did worked." She gave a shameful chuckle. "I thought it was because of me."
Nerissa trotted over to Saldora and sat next to her. "Why would you think that?"
Saldora rubbed the back of her feathered head. "Well, because she never wanted children."
"Then, how are you here?"
For the first time, Saldora frowned, and Nerissa suddenly felt stupid for asking a question that had such an obvious answer.
"One of the customers got a bit too rowdy one night," she began slowly, shaking her head. "No pony was supposed to get an employee pregnant; it was a well-known and commonly respected rule. This unicorn was young and foolish, and he had gone too far.
"My mother got pregnant and had to stop working while the stallion that knocked her up left Ponbar and never returned. She was the same age when I would eventually become a dancer: sixteen. Remember when I said my mother was popular?"
"Yes," Nerissa said quietly.
"During the months of her pregnancy, she was looked after and taken care of," Saldora told her, warmth in her voice. "Even her boss. Some even helped deliver me. It was mares because stallions would get all squeamish. When my mother could look after herself, she was left alone with me.
"Once I became a dancer, I worked my tail off to get enough bits to get my mother out of that village. These days, she's in another, safer village, serving as a waitress in a pub."
"Is she happy there?" Nerissa asked.
Saldora nodded. "She likes it a lot; she gets to tease the stallions," she said, giggling. "Last I heard, the pub had been quite popular."
"She seems quite the fighter," Nerissa said, grinning a little.
Saldora agreed. "She's all the family I have. Anyway," she went on, "what about your mother?"
Nerissa stared blankly at the bird. "I don't remember much about my mother," she began, narrowing her eyes trying to recall back memories. "My father told me that she was one of the fiercest warriors he'd ever seen, but one that could show just as much gentleness. She mastered the blade better than anyone else, and the Lordress was so impressed that She bestowed my mother a sword infused with the elements as a prize."
"And that's the blade you hold now?" Saldora asked.
Nerissa nodded, gazing longingly at the sword. "Yes," she whispered. "My mother held this sword once, and it was passed down to me."
"What happened to your mother, if you don't mind me asking."
"She died," Nerissa said simply, shaking her head. "She had gotten weak while bearing me, and when it was time for me to come into the world, my birth had sapped all the strength my mother had left."
"Oh, Nerissa." Saldora comforted her by holding her close. "You sweet little thing..."
Nerissa wanted to shove the bird off of her; she didn't need pity, but something about the way Saldora stroked her mane and pressed her warm body against hers consoled her, and she found herself leaning into the embrace. She had to admit it felt nice.
"Thanks," she rasped, surprised to find herself rubbing her muzzle against Saldora's feathered chest.
Saldora broke the embrace. "Whenever you need a hug, just tell me. I give the best hugs."
Nerissa wasn't sure if there was a another meaning behind her words, but she couldn't help but give a grin at the suggestion. "I'll think about it," she told her. "Anyway, after my mother passed, I had only my sisters and father to look after me. We were warriors, and the moment I was able to hold a weapon, I trained and trained hard, until I became the best one in the whole village."
"How many sisters do you have?"
"Three," she answered. "Triplets. Even though they were all older than me, I was looked up to as an example of a prime warrior."
Saldora chuckled. "I can hardly pick up logs without struggling. If I had to swing a sword or use a pike, I'd be of no use," she joked. She flexed her muscles. "All of my hard work went to my stomach, hips, and my flank."
"Well, in your line of work, they certainly serve you well," Nerissa pointed out. "Belly dancing focuses on those parts of the body."
"Of course," she agreed, looking a bit naughty. "When we get to Zebanda, you'll see those black-striped hunks drooling all over me." She placed a talon on the tip of her beak, letting out an airy sigh. "I'll even give you and Alex a private show when I practice tomorrow."
Nerissa rolled her eyes. She was sure the bird was joking, but she had to ask. "A regular one?"
Saldora leaned back, looking innocent. "That's exactly what I meant," she replied earnestly, fluttering her eyes rapidly. "But I wouldn't mind a little...interactivity."
Nerissa raised a brow, looking incredulous. "From me or my master?"
"Both of you is fine; I'm no stranger to threesomes," she said jokingly.
Nerissa shook her head and got up. "Alright, no more of that tonight."
Saldora feigned hurt. "I was just joking." Her voice didn't sound apologetic. She tilted her head to one side. "Hey, you got a nice little cutie mark."
"My eyes are not down there," Nerissa said, sounding reproachful. "Shouldn't you go after stallions?"
Saldora shrugged. "Nothing's wrong with checking you out; you should take the complement, and I was being serious about your cutie mark."
Nerissa glanced down at her flank. Her cutie mark was a white sword hovering over a white, luminescent ring. When she returned from escorting Twilight and Fluttershy out of the Everfree Forest, Alex had wanted to see her flank.
Nerissa nearly refused at first, feeling indignant and confused, but once Alex had explained that cutie marks held meanings and that he wanted to learn about them, she allowed it. Her face turned red, remembering how intense and focused he was on her flank.
"It's a symbol conveying the protection of something important," she told Saldora, grabbing another apple slice and eating it. "I am the shield, and Alex is the ring I am protecting."
"Wow," Saldora murmured, gazing closely at the cutie mark.
Nerissa felt a little embarrassed. "What is it?"
"Your flank is quite well toned," she complemented, but then saw Nerissa glaring daggers at her. She chuckled nervously. "I mean, what an interesting cutie mark! Very, very important! It fits you so well!"
"Indeed," Nerissa said darkly, her voice edged with menace. She grabbed another apple slice and ate slowly. "I would think so."
Saldora gulped, holding up a bag of marshmallows as if it could shield her from Nerissa's intense glare. "H-hey, did you know that I have a cutie mark?!"
Nerissa didn't know that, obviously, but she guessed Saldora was trying to shift the conversation in an effort to get out of trouble. Luckily for her, Nerissa obliged. Besides, she was somewhat intrigued, and she knew that her master would like to know this information.
"I thought only ponies could get cutie marks," she said, sounding faintly interested. "How could you have one? You aren't exactly a pony."
Before Saldora could respond, Alex trotted up to them. Nerissa felt his wing on her head. "It is getting late," he told her and Saldora, gazing at the bright moon looming over them. "Let us preserve our energy for the morning."
Nerissa would've liked to protest, but Alex had a point. Although she and her master didn't need to sleep or rest, they weren't in Dawn anymore, and their bodies had changed with restrictions.
One of the restrictions was that their new bodies needed rest in order to properly function at full capacity. An understandably vexing nerf.
With a dip of her head, she complied, and Saldora had no qualms with going to bed with Alex. Now that was something Nerissa had to deal with, and she was going to make sure that bird kept her well-tended claws off of her master.
But before they had to turn in for the night, Nerissa handed an apple slice to Alex. "You should try one," she suggested. "Those little things are tasty."
The morning sun shined brightly across the lush landscape, inviting a pleasantly crisp wind that filled Alex's nose with an earthly scent. He closed his eyes for a moment to let the wind whisk around his crimson coat and sapphire mane. He, Nerissa, and Saldora were in a different location, near a crystal blue lake surrounded by tall trees and red flowers, the sunlight trickling through the canopy and hitting the water, making the lake glisten and shine.
Alex was glad. Turns out whatever was bothering Nerissa seemed to have vanished when they had stopped to rest for the night. She was a bit more chipper and more tolerant to Saldora and her sometimes-odd way of speaking. It seems that the two had settled their differences.
Now he and his guardian were about to be treated with a dance from Saldora, as practice for when she arrives in Zebanda. Alex had never danced before or known anyone that did dance, but he knew the concept existed in Dawn, and now he was going to see how a belly dancer did. Using context clues, he assumed the dancing revolved around smooth movements.
"Master," called Nerissa, trotting up to him and sitting down. "Saldora is about to start; this should be good."
"I agree," he replied, sounding pleased to hear Nerissa speaking favorably about the bird. "Good spirits revolve around you this morning."
Nerissa gave a slight chuckle and rubbed the back of her black mane. "Yeah, well, Saldora and I had a talk," she told him, looking relaxed.
"What was it about?"
"Well, it was about a lot of things, but I will tell you when we head back home," she answered. "It's a lot to take in."
"Then I will wait with anticipation."
It didn't take long until Saldora exited her wagon and walked to him and Nerissa. Alex could tell she was excited by the way she couldn't stay still. She got in front of him and Nerissa, striking an alluring pose.
"Okay," she said, taking in a long breath of air and exhaling, "I'm ready to strut my stuff!"
In one swift motion of her talons, Saldora started, closing her eyes and focusing. The world seemed to slow around her, Alex noticed: the birds chirping in the trees had ceased, the wail of the breezy wind lowered to a faint cry, and the light from the canopy of trees looked to have dulled. The whole area had waited for Saldora.
She glided a foot forward, sweeping it to the right, stretched out her feathered arms into the air, and her hips began to sway, all of her accessories were jingling in some type of odd rhythm. Her arms began to sway gracefully through the air like calm water, her hips moving with them. She shimmied back and forth on her feet, and she began to twist and turn, flowing with the silent wind that graced her soft, delicate face.
Alex was fascinated. Saldora moved so effortlessly, so confidently that he felt admiration swelling inside his chest. When he gazed at Nerissa, his guardian looked to be entranced, staring at Saldora with an unblinking stare. It was quite the sight.
There was something Alex noticed. The wind around Saldora seemed to be following her whenever she moved in one direction. It seemed to be supporting her. It was growing intense, and before he knew it, the petals of the flowers flew into the air and surrounded her.
The dance went on for twenty minutes. When Saldora bowed to end the dance, the jingling of the coins stopped, the flow of the wind died down, and the red petals drifted to the grass. She opened her eyes, panting but looking proud. Alex and Nerissa stood up and applauded the bird's immaculate performance.
"Good showing!" Nerissa called, trotting up to Saldora's side. "I've never seen a dance so intriguing."
"Thank you, doll," Saldora murmured, taking a moment to catch her breath. "I was a little nervous, performing in front of you two, but I'm glad I was able to satisfy you both..."
Nerissa gave a light scowl. "Don't make it weird," she chided, but Alex detected a bit of playfulness in his guardian's tone.
"How did you pick up those petals?" Alex asked, trotting up to the bird. "I've never seen anything like it."
Saldora looked a bit meek, but she said, "I have magic..."
"You do?" he questioned, sounding confused. "I understand from the books given to me explain that magic can exist in a variety of forms and creatures, but those who can other than ponies are sparse. Are all birds from Ornithia have magic?"
She shook her head, rubbing her arm with a talon. Clearly, she looked displeased talking about it, but she went on to tell him anyway. "My father is a pony, a unicorn specifically from what my mother told me," Saldora explained, going on in further detail. "Ponies are magical in nature, from the moment they are born; magic is within them. Perhaps my father passed on the gift of magic to me. Probably the most useful thing he's done only second to bringing me into the world."
"What type of magic can you perform?" he pressed, draping her back with his wing for comfort
Saldora shrugged, but she looked to be a bit more relaxed, seeming to relish his touch. "It's just a bunch of wind and stuff," she told him, sounding slightly disinterested, as if she would've liked to speak about something else. "I don't have a horn or some staff to help me cast all willy-nilly. It only comes out when I'm dancing, so it's not like I can use it anytime I want. Don't get me wrong, it's nice and all; it helps amplify my dancing performances."
Alex stared at her, contemplating. He recalled back to one of the rules he had read in his magic book. For one to have more and greater control over magic, one must be diligent in their study and practice. It would get easier to cast, boost how many times one could use spells, and increase their potency.
"You just need training," he told her, blinking slowly. "I'm new to the concept, but we could learn together."
Saldora looked sultry, narrowing her eyes seductively and wrapping Alex's wing around her body. She stepped to him closely, using a talon to play with his chest. "Hours spent alone together, getting all hot and bothered... Oh, yes," she whispered ravenously. "We could learn...so much..."
Alex was glad Saldora was so passionate about learning magic. Despite her disinterest, it seemed the bird would like nothing more. "Then perhaps after Zebanda we could start?"
Saldora gazed at him, delight seeming to shine in her emerald eyes. "So forward, so sure," she murmured, her feathered chest shaking. "Perhaps after being on the road for so long, a change of scenery was in order."
"You don't need to decide right now," Alex told her. He suspected that it would indeed be a change if Saldora stopped traveling. "Let's wait until after Zebanda."
"Good deal, honey," Saldora said, leaning close to him. "I can even teach you a few posit-"
Suddenly, Alex saw Saldora freeze up. Then she began to turn stiffly around and walk clumsily over to Nerissa, who had an expectant but exasperated look on her face.
"I took control of your shadow," Nerissa told her with an edge to her voice. "If you are thinking about joining us, then you will need to learn a little self-restraint."
"But Nessie," Saldora whined, "this is who I am! Alex is just begging for it!"
Nerissa groaned and rolled her eyes, forcing Saldora over to the wagon. "I believe it's the other way around," she said, unsympathetic to the bird's outcries. She raised her voice. "We're getting back on the road!" She forced Saldora up the wagon's steps. "Hurry up already and quit your bemoaning; you aren't in any danger."
"Ow! Hey, watch the moneymaker!" Saldora huffed, smoothing her rump after Nerissa plopped her down on the wagon. "My ass is quite sensitive; you have to show it care and affection!"
"Someone is sympathetic, I'm sure, and for the Lords' sake, stop whining! I didn't hurt you!" Nerissa retorted.
"I'm not whining, I'm complaining!" Saldora shot back, stroking the silvery cloth and making the wagon come alive again. "Those are two different things!"
"Then use them differently!" Nerissa spat. "You're acting like you've never been disciplined before!"
"I'll have you know I dealt with punishment foreplay!" Saldora said haughtily, raising her beak into the air as if she was offended by Nerissa's statements. "There was a time I had to slurp apple cider off of a stallion's-"
"I'm going to have to stop you right there," Nerissa interrupted, putting a hoof in the air. "Keep those details to yourself, it's early morning, and I don't want to deal with it."
Saldora gave a vexing sigh. "I was going to say his stomach, you know."
Nerissa deadpanned. "Of course that was going to come out from that beak of yours." She gazed at Alex. "Master, let us head on!" she called. "Quickly, before I begin to lose my wits."
"Coming," Alex called back, hoping he didn't have to settle a dispute.
Another day had passed by before Alex, Nerissa, and Saldora reached their destination: Zebanda. The blue sky was beginning to turn red, and as the trio rode through the entrance, they were immediately greeted by a large crowd of zebras calling out Saldora's name with glee.
When they saw Alex, they all bowed in respect, believing he was royalty in Equestria.
"Well, at least they mind their manners," Nerissa commented, her ears splaying back from all the uproarious cheering.
"They are kind, but bowing to me is unnecessary," he told her, gazing at the crowd. "I've never seen a zebra before. I like their unique appearance from ponies."
Nerissa didn't seem too interested in that, but she nodded her head in agreement.
When that was over, the zebras crowded around the wagon, shuffling out of its path, and calling Saldora adoring cheers and compliments about her appearance and how they hoped her performance would be even greater than the last she came.
Saldora waved back, winking a few, and even striking a pose that sent a lot of the male zebras roaring into the skies as if the bird gave them a sudden burst of energy.
As the cheering died down and some of the zebras went back to stalls that were set up for the festival, Saldora halted the wagon and leaped down, almost being swamped by her fans. Many of them were asking for her signature or autograph on various places on their bodies, and Saldora obliged without hesitation.
One of the zebras, a female, trotted up to the wagon and bowed her head at Alex. She had colorful flower-like ropes of red, green, and blue around her neck. "Welcome to Zebanda, newcomers!" she exclaimed happily, smiling as wide as she could.
Alex stepped slowly off of the wagon with Nerissa following him and bent his head down. "Thank you for welcoming us," he told the excited zebra. "I am Alex, and this is Nerissa. We've come for the festival."
The zebra was trotting in place so much Alex thought her hooves would catch fire. "Here you go!" she said, putting one of the flowery ropes around his neck. It was white. "It's a new custom of ours to supply visitors with a flower necklace during events and ceremonies." She gave a yellow one to Nerissa. "Hope you enjoy your stay!"
"Interesting," he murmured, spawning his journal and pen. "Saldora seems she'll be preoccupied with the crowd and getting ready to perform tonight, so we can search for the nearest library and procure knowledge from the texts."
"Wherever you go, I will follow," Nerissa told him.
"If you're looking for the library, we have one near here," the zebra said merrily, pointing to a building with a black and white striped roof. "I can take you there; I own it!"
"This is quite fortunate," Alex said, sounding pleased. "What is your name?"
"Zenny!" she answered, a delightful sparkle in her blue eyes. "I'm one of Zecora's family friends, if you know her. She's the one who helped build all of this together with Princess Twilight and Princess Luna." Zenny began to look a little embarrassed. "You can't check out any books and stuff since the library is quite new, but you are welcome to read anything you'd like!"
"Thank you, Zenny," Nerissa said, looking warmly at the excitable young zebra. "If you could le-"
Zenny all of a sudden let out a screech of joy, forcing Nerissa to step back at the sheer volume of it. Alex gazed forward and saw Saldora walking up to them with a dark-colored unicorn in a suit and hat.
"Darling, this is Havel," Saldora began, looking a bit uncomfortable; she was rubbing her arm with a talon. "The one responsible for coordinating the festival."
"Um... 'Darling'?" Nerissa echoed, narrowing her eyes in suspicion, but Saldora tried to ignore her. "What does Havel want?"
"He wanted to meet the ponies I travelled with," she went on, looking a little meek, "to thank them for being my escorts."
Nerissa glared at the bird, but then she rolled her eyes and said nothing. Alex didn't seem to mind Saldora's white lie.
Havel gazed wide-eyed at Alex, taking off his hat and bowing in respect. "Never thought I'd live to see a male alicorn, but here I stand, graced by such beauty," he said with praise, putting a foreleg on Saldora's waist. "And I got to thank you and the bat pony for escorting this desert jewel all the way here, and not a moment later! Will you both be staying for the dance show? It'll start soon."
Alex nodded, dipping his head in greeting and respect. "Nerissa and I are here for the festival," he replied, "but we are mainly here for the library." He looked to Saldora. "We'll be there to watch you perform."
Saldora gave a hesitant nod. "I want you to watch me closely, Alex," she told him, warmth in her tone despite how she looked. "I want you to see everything; it may not be my last performance, but I will try my hardest just for you."
"Are you feeling okay?" Nerissa asked. She saw how uneasy the bird looked. "You look a bit...off."
"Well, I... uh, I..."
"She's doing just fine; it's probably butterflies in her stomach," Havel cut in. He gave Saldora a pat on the back. "Saldora will put on an excellent show fit for an alicorn." He glanced at the bird. "Won't you?"
Saldora nodded fervently, the unease lessoning. "I'll do my hardest!"
Havel cackled mirthfully. "That's what I like to hear! Now, let's get you ready for the show," he said, guiding Saldora away from him and Nerissa. "And you gotta sign a few more autographs for your fans, including me!"
As Alex watched Saldora go, he gazed at Nerissa and saw a scowl easing its way across her dark visage. He bent down to face her, lowering his voice so Zenny couldn't hear. "Are you well?" he asked, sounding a bit concerned.
Nerissa shook her head quickly. "It's just... Didn't Saldora look a bit uneasy?"
She was right. Saldora had looked uneasy, and uncomfortable. "Perhaps anxiety is getting to her."
Nerissa didn't look convinced, and if Alex was honest with himself, neither did he.
"Permission to investigate?" she asked, looking serious.
Although Alex thought that spying on Saldora was unnecessary, he dipped his head. "Stay out of sight; use the shadows to conceal yourself," he told her, and then he narrowed his eyes. "You are not to engage in any conflict. Understand?" Nerissa nodded. "If something goes wrong, you come and get me; you know where I'll be. Go on."
Nerissa saluted, her piercing blood-red eyes narrowing to slits. She stalked off, blending into the shadows and following Havel and Saldora. Alex turned his attention to Zenny who was admiring the festival. He touched her with a wing to get her attention.
"Oh!" she exclaimed, looking around for Nerissa. "Where'd your friend go?"
"Running on ahead without me," Alex said, trotting beside the young zebra. "She will be back soon. For now, lead me to the library."
Saldora was heading backstage to prepare herself for the dance performance. When she got to her green room, which wasn't really green, more like a black and white room, there were two zebra guards protecting the entrance. With a wink and a few choice words, the guards had left to join the townsfolk outside.
"Stallions," she whispered huskily, shaking her head and letting out a giggle. "So eager to please."
Inside her room was a chair she sat on, facing a large mirror. She gazed at herself and saw a bit of worry across her face. Never before has a performance garnered such unease, but she knew the cause of it: Alex. Her interest in the alicorn was unnatural, she knew. He wasn't any old stallion looking for a quick romp in the sheets, but something else entirely, and she liked that about him. She was surprised when he told her what he was and where he came from, and why he was here, but just made her more interested in him.
Alex was polite, cordial, eager to learn, and sweet. She liked the way he looked, how he sounded, and even how he smelled. He was just pleasant to be around; it was like he had this alluring warmth surrounding him, and it confused her that Nerissa never once acted on her feelings toward him. Saldora couldn't see it as anything but a missed opportunity; stallions like Alex don't come often, and she was given the chance to live with him. She had scored big this time, that's for sure.
And she wondered, after the performance, if she truly would settle down for a while. She wasn't going to give up being a dancer, that's what she wanted to do, but she had to admit that taking a break from traveling was quite enticing. She could still hone her dancing skills while learning how to use her magic with Alex. She never really thought much of the magical side of herself; perhaps it was time to focus on that.
There was something else: a feeling deep within her feathered breast. She hovered a talon over it and pressed lightly. Her heart was beating a little fast, and it went faster the more she thought of Alex. She thought it was affection for him, and she would be right, but it felt more than just a deep affection like Nerissa had. She didn't know exactly what it was, but it was strong.
Saldora shook her head again. She was distracting herself from the nervousness that prickled at her belly. As she attempted doing breathing exercises, she heard a knock on her door. It was probably another fan that sneaking around to see her. Regardless, she got up and went over to the door and opened it.
It was Havel.
Stunned, Saldora began to back away, but stopped herself to not be perceived as being rude. "Mr. Havel, why are you here?"
"To see you," he said, sounding faintly worried. "Are you feeling okay? Your face looks a little dim."
Saldora relaxed a little. "Oh, I'm fine, I just... I don't know."
Mr. Havel saw the look on Saldora's face: hesitation and anxiety. He urged her to sit in her chair. Confused, Saldora went over and sat back down and faced the large mirror again. He then went behind her back and placed his hooves on her shoulders, massaging them.
Saldora froze. "Mr. Havel?"
Havel hushed her quietly. "Relax, Saldora," he murmured soothingly. "Your tense; you need to calm down and take a breath."
Saldora closed her eyes and took in a long breath before exhaling, beginning to feel comfortable. "I am. I don't know why. I was thinking it was because of Alex."
Havel stopped the massage for a moment before resuming. "Ah, yes," he said. "The alicorn!"
Saldora nodded, starting to feel her heart beating quicker. "Yeah. His main reason for coming here was to learn about the history of the village, and he had gone to the library," she told him, rubbing a talon tenderly on her cream-colored chest. "When he is with me, I feel happy inside. More than usual. I've been on the road for so long by myself... I guess I began to feel a little lonely."
Havel stayed silent for a few seconds before replying. "Hmm... so you love Alex."
Saldora clutched the feathers on her chest. "Love? I used to give that a whole lot. I suppose...that is what I'm feeling?"
"Yes," Havel said. "With the way you're speaking, I can't think of anything else. You found the creature you love. Now when you are apart from him, you may feel a bit empty inside, and then you start longing for him."
"I love Alex," she stated, feeling a large thump in her chest. It felt exhilarating to say it. Then she lowered her voice. "But... I barely know him."
Havel chuckled before letting out a sigh. "Love works in mysterious ways, young one..."
Saldora nodded in agreement. "My heart tells me now. It's so clear, but Alex doesn't have those same feelings. I can see it in his glowing white eyes. He doesn't share what I feel." She suddenly felt cold and shuddered. "He doesn't love me like I do to him..."
"Even so, wouldn't it be great just to be by his side?" Havel asked her, placing a hoof on Saldora's talon.
Saldora appreciated the comfort. "That would be selfish of me, right?"
"When you're with Alex, you simply enjoy his company. That isn't selfish."
Saldora's eyes brightened. "You're right, Mr. Havel," she said, sounding happier than before. She suddenly felt Havel's hooves slide down to her waist, and she jerked, surprised. "Mr. Havel?!" She turned to face him.
Havel had a faraway look in his eyes, as if he was in a dream. It looked as if he was gazing beyond her, looking for something he thought was there, but that wasn't entirely true. He was looking at her. Whatever it was, Saldora didn't know. She watched him shake his head, and the light in his eyes returned.
"Mr. Havel, are you feeling well?"
"Of course, and I am sorry," he murmured apologetically. "I was lost in thought. I was making a decision, and I wasn't conscious of where my hooves were going."
It was an honest mistake, Saldora thought. She remembered daydreaming many times while out on the road. "It's okay, Mr. Havel," she replied. "What was this decision?"
Havel smiled. "Talking to you made me realize that I need to tell the creature that I love them," he said. "After the dance, I will... lay out all of my feelings."
Saldora let out a titter. "Well, I hope it goes well for the both of you. You have my support. Is she at the festival?"
Havel nodded, a glint of excitement in his eyes. "She is. Enough about that for now! It's nearly time for you to perform! Start getting ready."
Saldora bobbed her head, feeling confident. "Thanks for talking with me, it cleared up some things," she told him gratefully. She couldn't wait to see the look of amazement on Alex's face!
"Happy to help," he said. "Do your best out there!"
Saldora puffed out her chest, her heart beating with an anticipation that caused her to shudder with glee. "I will!" she shouted heartedly.
Turning to leave out the door, Havel suddenly yelped. Saldora turned her attention and saw Nerissa creeping into the room.
"Nessie!" Saldora exclaimed, surprised and happy to see her bat pony friend. "What are you doing back here? You shouldn't be at the back of the stage."
Nerissa glared at Havel for a moment before concealing her expression. "Just worried," she told her. 'But you seem to be fine."
It warmed her heart to see the bat pony care for her, even after their little disputes on the road. "I'm okay," she assured her, walking up and embracing the bat pony. Nerissa froze for a moment, but she returned the hug. "I'm glad you came to check up on me, but everything is fine. Now you have to leave from back here and join the crowd outside. The performance is about to start soon."
Nerissa nodded. "I'll go and retrieve Alex. He wouldn't want to miss your performance."
Saldora's heart began to beat quickly again. "I can't wait to show everything I have to offer. Now go," she urged, narrowing her eyes and looking playful. "Or I'll have to tell you about the hotdog story."
"If it's tied to what you used to do, then say no more," Nerissa said, turning away and leaving the room, her dark figure blending into the shadows.
Havel took off his hat and rubbed his forehead, looking faintly embarrassed. "I'll head out now."
Saldora nodded, watching him leave. "I'll make you proud!" she called after him.
The night was young, and Saldora was feeling great. After getting her feelings in order with the help of Havel, she was ready to dance her heart out onstage. She felt it within her legs and feet; the urge to dance was on the horizon, and she could hardly contain herself. Never before had dancing gave her so much energy and excitement.
She was ready, to present herself to the crowd, to Alex, and when she got on that stage, she saw him at the front with Nerissa, waving at her. His face held no expression as usual, but Saldora could tell he was happy to see her on the stage. He was so attentive, waiting with anticipation.
It was then Saldora felt her heart beat a hundred times faster. Everything around her was drowned out; muffled, and time seemed to slow. She wanted to mix it up at the start, then segway into her belly dancing. With the spotlights on her and the music playing, it was time to do what she did best.
She struck a pose to start, and everypony, the zebras, cheering for her, fell silent with anticipation. To the right, she started, a graceful stride. To the left, a lovely twirl, and then a beautiful leap. She spun and twirled, leaped and jumped, her shiny coins and shimmering beads reflecting the moon's white light jingled, captivating her audience.
The picture of perfection with no chains; Saldora was boundless, and her flaring dance could not be contained. The wind had begun to pick up, a pleasant breeze that wove through the crowd as they cheered. Her wonderful figure, the light shining on her unprecedented and unparalleled brilliance, and the motions crafted were unmatched. None could look away. They could only cheer her on.
Saldora started her belly dancing, and the crowd went wild, but Saldora could hardly hear the uproar of the cheers; she was too focused. The way her belly rocked rhythmically, and she saw with pleasure the crowd focusing on her torso and hips. They were utterly entranced and that fueled her even more. She shimmied forward, shaking her chest and undulated her belly.
Saldora felt a rush and started to dance faster with even more fiery passion. There was more grace, more of that striking bright radiance shining off of her. This is her grand finale. And just like that, with a grand leap followed by a pose, Saldora ended her dance performance.
She panted, small trickles of sweat sliding down her chest as she waited. There was a silence for a moment, and then the crowd roared, calling for encores upon encores, almost knocking her to the floor with their ardent shouts. She looked to Alex and saw him nod his head and clopping his hooves as he and Nerissa applauded with the audience.
She saw him mouth the words: "It was beautiful. You did well. Be proud." After she struck the pose, time seemed to flow back to normal again. The roars of the crowd were louder now, calling out Saldora's name. Her face lit up like the brightest star in the moonlit sky above. She waved and bowed as she made her way backstage. She had given Alex and Nerissa a signal that they could come backstage to meet her.
After she made her way into her green room, Saldora sat on the chair facing the mirror, her reflection conveying the look of joy. It wasn't long until the door opened, and Havel made his way inside, applauding Saldora for that breathtaking performance.
"Did you see me out there?!" she exclaimed, happiness surging through her. She felt so alive. "It was magical! That was my best dance yet!"
Havel trotted to her and made his way behind, staring at her through the mirror. "Yes, I did. It was a wonderful performance." He placed his hooves on her shoulders, massaging them. "I've never anything so beautiful."
"Mr. Havel?"
"You did so well that I am at a loss for words," he praised her, leaning close to her ear. "Such perfection... You truly are a special bird. There is something I want you to know."
Saldora shuffled lightly in her chair. Havel's hooves were being a little rough, and it made her slightly uncomfortable. "What is it?"
"The creature I love," he began, "is you, Saldora. Ever since I heard of you, I've followed your dancing career, and when I finally had a chance to meet you, I knew you were the right one for me."
Saldora was shocked, but she remained where she was. "I'm flattered, Mr. Havel," she said slowly. "Truly I am, but I don't..."
"Don't finish that sentence," he warned her, a hint of a threat in his voice.
Saldora was getting scared and confused. "I... I don't understand." She swallowed slowly, trying to not tremble from the increasing roughness from Havel's hooves on her shoulders. "C-can I leave?"
"No," he said, moving his hooves down her back. "If you try to leave, I'll pull you away from the door."
Finally grasping the situation unfolding, Saldora pushed Havel away and stood up from her chair, her back to the mirror. "Don't you touch me!" she spat, fear across her face. "What's wrong with you?! I'm sorry, but I don't love you..."
Havel stared at her, hurt glimmering in his eyes. But then they hardened, and all Saldora could see was rage. "You..." He took in a deep, seething breath. "After all I did to help do this festival, THIS is how you TREAT me?!" he snarled, his voice booming. "I guess I was asking for too much."
This was getting rapidly out of control. Saldora knew she wouldn't be able to fight him off; she wasn't strong enough, and she couldn't use her magic reliably. She needed to escape and call for help. She rushed to the door to leave, but Havel stopped her by using magic to chain the door up, preventing her from escaping. He then used magic to forcefully pull her towards him. She tried to resist but failed and fell to the floor.
"Maybe this will teach you not to disobey!" he bellowed, coating magic around Saldora's neck, choking her, and throwing her against the mirror, cracking it. She shrieked as she fell, blood dripping from her head.
She was dragged towards him. Havel looked lustful, almost feral, and his breathing was erratic. Saldora tried to use her claws to get away, but she couldn't; Havel chained down her arms and legs with magic, and she had found herself at his mercy.
"Somepony, help!" she wailed, but her cries were cut off; Havel had used magic to tape Saldora's mouth so she couldn't scream.
He then began running his hooves over her body and burying his muzzle against her feathered chest, huffing her scent. She tried and tried to fight back but there was nothing she could do. Her struggling was useless.
"If you won't love me, I'll just take you right here, right now!" Havel yelled, menace deep in his voice. "No pony is here to save you. No pony will hear you. You are mine and mine alone to do what I want!"
It all seemed to be the end of Saldora, to become a toy once again like her past in the brothel. What a nice night, turned to a perverted nightmare. She thought of Alex and wept, accepting whatever came. When she could feel something brush against her thigh, the door to the room was kicked down, and all of the lights went dark, surprising her and Havel.
Suddenly, Saldora felt heavy, forcing her head to the floor. Havel tried to fight it, but he fell on his back beside her. The weight of gravity had shifted immensely. What type of magic was this she wondered, and who could cast such fantastic power?
In the darkness, where the door was, an ominous pair of blood-red eyes appeared. It was Nerissa! She stalked the darkness like a shadow, and Saldora felt the tape around her mouth and the chains Havel conjured sever and break. She heard a grunt of pain from Havel and a large thump from a wall.
"Nessie, help!" she cried out, but Nerissa didn't move towards her, only standing eerily within the shadows. "Nessie?"
"Stay where you are," Nerissa bade her, her voice chilling. "Do not struggle. Everything will be fine."
The bat pony's slitted eyes looked to the right, and Saldora followed them. A sudden white light shined through the darkness, illuminating the room, and the bearer came through the door.
"Alex!" Saldora yelled, joy filling her heart. She wanted to embrace him, and thank him and Nerissa for saving her, but the gravity was so intense, she couldn't move.
Alex cantered slowly to her, his glowing white eyes giving nothing away. He bent down and examined her closely, his eyes scanning quickly over her. Then she felt the gravity around her return to normal and Alex stretched out one of his massive wings to gently put her on her feet.
"Are you well?" he asked her. There was concern in his tone as he wiped the blood away from her head.
She nodded quickly, holding onto him. "I'm fine, just a little dizzy," she murmured, tightening her grip on him as if fearing he'd slip away. "Havel just attacked me!"
"Indeed," Nerissa said with a low snarl. "Master. Permission to behead this fool?"
Alex shook his head. "That will not be necessary," he told her gently, his eyes fixated on Havel.
"What type of magic did you use?!" he demanded, struggling off the floor. "You aren't some regular alicorn..."
Alex ignored his questions. "Mr. Havel, you have made a grave error. This act of evil cannot go unpunished."
Havel snorted, looking defiant. "You think I'm afraid of you?!"
Nerissa took a menacing step forward, unsheathing her sword. "You should be," she warned him, bearing her sharp teeth. "If my master wasn't so benevolent, I would've killed you by now. You threatened Saldora, and you must be taught a harsh lesson!"
Saldora, though she was a little frightened by Nerissa's murderous intent, was glad she stood up for her so ardently. "What are we going to do?" she asked Alex.
"He will be brought to Princess Celestia," he answered her. "We do not hold the authority to do what we will here. The decision is up to her and her alone."
"I'd rather die!" Havel bellowed, shooting a blast of magic from his horn, but it was blocked by Alex's barrier spell. "How did you..."
"Please submit, Mr. Havel," Alex said. "This doesn't have to go any further than this."
"Never!" he spat, charging up another blast, but with a signal from Alex to Nerissa, the bat pony shot forward and bucked Havel so hard in the face, his head went through the wall.
"Gracious!" Saldora yelped, shocked by such ruthlessness, but she guessed it was appropriate enough for what Havel was trying to do. Even still, he was already beaten. "Don't you think that was a little too far?"
Nerissa gave a wry snort. "If you ask me, it didn't go far enough." She retrieved Havel's unconscious body and heaved him on her back with ease. She turned to Alex. "Master, shall we depart?"
Alex nodded. "Let us head back to the wagon and call Enoch to take us home. Then I will gather Twilight Sparkle and have her get Princess Celestia." He looked down at Saldora. "Our stay here was brief, but we must bring Havel to justice. Do you wish to come with or stay until we return?"
"I'll come with you," she told him assuredly, leaning close. "The festival is only for one day, and after my performance, everypony will have gone to enjoy the rest of the night. It's a shame to leave a little early, but I don't want to stay here. And Alex.... There is something else..."
He tilted his head. "What is it?"
Saldora's heart began to beat fast, and she swallowed hard. "I... I just wanted to say that I want to join you. And... um, recently...I realized something," she stammered, holding a talon over her chest. She needed to tell him. "I lo-"
"I know," Alex said, causing Saldora to stare at him wide-eyed.
"Yo-you did?" she asked, looking surprised.
"Your dance was pretty telling, and the way you looked at him after your performance was plain," Nerissa chimed in. "You love him. Alex may not share the same feelings as you, but he acknowledges it, and he will treat your confession like a precious treasure."
Saldora knew that Alex wouldn't feel the same; the alicorn didn't seem like the one to have a mate, but she held out hope that maybe one day he will see her as she sees him.
"I'm okay with that," she admitted. "All I need is to be by his side." She put a talon on her beak, looking a bit naughty despite Havel's advances that had shaken her. "And who knows? Maybe I'll get him to see me as something than just a close companion..."
Nerissa gave another wry snort, trotting towards the doorway. "I will not tolerate any of your tricks, so tread lightly." Though she sounded serious, Saldora noticed a hint of playfulness and fought to contain a titter. "Let us head on back home."
Alex turned to her, stretching his wing over her back. Saldora felt a warmth like never before, and she let Alex sweep her close to his crimson coat. "You still appear to be bit a winded after the ordeal," he told her, sounding slightly concerned. "Lean on me for now until your body is in properly functioning order."
"Sorry we can't stay longer," Saldora said apologetically. "I knew you were coming here to learn about Zebanda's history; you told me, and it seems to have been cut short."
Alex shook his head. "The journey to this place was fun and insightful," he said, staring at her with those wonderful white eyes. "I met you and formed a connection. The adventure was worth it, and I can come back here in the future." He turned and guided Saldora through the door. "This was an experience I will not forget, and plenty more will be shared with not just Nerissa now, but with you too. Welcome to the family, Saldora."
A joy like no other filled Saldora's chest. "Thanks," she said. "Oh, and by the way... You and Nessie can call me Sal if you want."
A prayer from beyond existence.
Wanderer from the distant land whose future was paved with service to others and later became a dancing saint, though misfortunes had found you in the past. I implore Aeternia Everlast to grant you more than just a few fortunes; may you be set for life with the one you adore.
