Chapter 26

Axel 1st POV

My train ride was a quiet one, despite Diamond wanting me to play with her. The phone call I had with Orion kept playing out in my head over and over. He didn’t know about Dante, but he did have a point. Dante was born from my torment and dark thoughts from my last trauma, along with the shitty people that raised and were sorry excuses to be called parents. It still worries me greatly that Dante’s exploits with this new employment will attract some unwanted heat. I thought the Northerners and Sam Spade’s goons were trouble, now I gotta worry about someone trying to whack me because of Dante.

“Big Brother Axel?” Diamond said as she sat in my lap. “Are you okay? You’ve been quiet the whole ride home.”

“Oh, sorry Diamond, just lost in thought is all,” I said, patting her head.

“Are you thinking about joining the Wonderbolts?” Diamond asked.

“Eh, not sure if I’d do as well as you might think,” I shrugged nonchalantly. “Those guys are pros. I just got lucky with that race.”

“Well, I think you’d make a great Wonderbolt!” Diamond chirped happily.

“Thanks, kid, I appreciate that,” I said with a smile and patted her head again.

The train ride lasted about another hour before we finally made it back home. I helped Mr. Rich with his bags as we stepped off the train.

“Thank you again for accompanying me and my daughter on this trip, Axel,” Mr. Rich said.

“My pleasure, Mr. Rich, it was nice to be able to see the sights,” I said.

“Won’t you join us for some afternoon tea?” Mr. Rich offered.

“Thanks, but I’m not much of a tea guy, maybe another time,” I said.

“Very well, the offer will always stand,” Mr. Rich said.

“Cool, well, I’ll see you both later,” I said as I walked away.

“Bye-bye, big brother Axel!” Diamond called out and I waved over my shoulder.

My smile turned into a serious frown. I dug my hands in my pockets and sighed and made my way back to the library.

“Things are gonna get more complicated, I just know it,” I thought aloud.

As I walked through the streets, and people welcomed me back with friendly waves and hellos, something caught my eye on the outskirts of town. If I remember correctly, there used to be an old bell tower that stood about four to five stories tall. Yet, it wasn’t there anymore, and a massive pile of debris sat in its place. Quirking a brow, I approached the area where the tower once stood, and my suspicions were correct. The bell lay on its side and was cracked as I saw workers clearing out the broken pieces of wood on large trailers.

“What the hell happened here?” I wondered. “Did an earthquake hit or something while I was away?”

“That would be the result of your actions following you home.” A voice I knew all too well spoke from behind me.

I turned around to see my friend, Orion with a blank expression and had his hands on his hips. He wore a white collared shirt and blue overalls and brown boots.

“Well, howdy Orion,” I said in a teasing manner. “I see you’ve adopted the farm life pretty well.”

Faster than I can react, I felt myself being pulled by the ear. “You, me, talk, now,” Orion said as he pulled me behind some buildings.

“Ow! Ow! Hey, what gives?!” I said, rubbing my ear.

“Would you care to explain to me why a group of mafia goons came to this town looking for you? With weapons in hand, might I add.” Orion had his arms folded as he glared at me.

Aw shit, I knew this would happen, I thought and gulped. “Was anyone hurt?”

“Thankfully, no. I managed to fend them off, but not before they caused that bell tower to almost smush Fluttershy and Rarity.” Orion rubbed a part of his arm while thinking back to the events he mentioned.

“That happened? Damn, I didn’t think they’d be so quick to get back at him…” I said but flinched at what I let slip out.

“I assume you are referring to your alter ego?” Orion said with a calm tone.

Once again, I flinched at his words. “How…how do you know about that?” I contemplated how he could possibly know about Dante. “Did Applejack tell you?”

Orion shook his head before leaning up against the building. “No, it doesn’t take a genius to figure out what you have. Granted, I didn’t know right away, but I came to the conclusion shortly after reading that newspaper.”

“Right, the paper,” I nodded. I pulled my beanie off my head and rubbed the back of my head with my free hand. “Guess the cat’s out of the bag. No point in denying it.”

“So, how do you plan to deal with this? I got shot in the arm because of those guys,” Orion said while pointing to the part of his arm he was rubbing earlier. “I’m grateful that those things weren’t something lethal, I was honestly worried about it.

“You got fucking clipped?!” I gasped. “Fucking Dante, I knew him joining the mafia was a bad idea!” Once again, I let a critical piece of information slip out. That was the nail in the coffin as Orion’s glare intensified. “Now Orion, hold on a sec. There’s a perfectly logical explanation.”

“He did what?!” His voice boomed across the air making nearby trees rattle and leaves to fall.

I’ve about had it with this, I heard Dante say. Lemme talk to the kid.

Are you sure that’s a good idea? I asked.

You got a better one? Best to hear it all from my mouth anyway, Dante said.

I guess you’re right, but don’t hurt him, I said as I closed my eyes and slumped over a bit as I felt my conciseness being pushed aside.

Dante 1st POV

My head hung over a little as I opened my eyes. I looked down at my hands and noticed my clothes turned from a light gray to a lightish-darkish-red tint. I glanced up at Orion with a grin and he took a cautious step back, probably from seeing my eyes change from green to red.

“Don’t tell me, Dante?” Orion’s attitude shifted from someone who was concerned, to looking slightly miffed.

“Was it the eyes?” I asked rhetorically. “Or maybe the hair?” I brushed my fingers through my hair. “The light red highlights are natural. So, tell me, did you enjoy my work at the club you read about in the paper?”

“You mean how you were the cause of innocent lives being killed, and now Axel is basically an accessory to murder?” Orion pointed out his voice giving off hints of anger.

“Innocent? Ha!” I laughed in Orion’s face. “Those dirtbags got what was coming to them. They tried to muscle in Mr. Alduck’s turf, and I stopped them. Nobody’s innocent in the underground world, kid. Best you learn that sooner rather than later.”

“Regardless, your actions followed you here to Ponyville. Where real innocent lives are.” Orion stood his ground.

“Here’s the way I look at things,” I said, picking my ear. “Axel and I have an agreement. He plays the goody two-shoes shtick during the day and puts on a smile for anyone who looks his way, and I get to run wild at night or whenever the need arises. The mafia gig? That’s just a way to earn extra scratch. Well, depending on how lucrative it turns out for me, who knows? And honestly, kid? You should be thanking me.”

Orion’s eyes were beginning to twitch with annoyance at that last remark. “Thank you? Why would I ever need to thank you for what you’ve done?”

“Because I’m the one who’s dealing with the scum of this world appropriately,” I shot back. “Let’s face it, Axel doesn’t have the balls to take a life, despite what happened years ago. Sure, he can fight bad guys, subdue them, chase them off, like he did the Northerners, but they’ll always come back. Take the Gala for example. Axel chased them off from Ponyville and the Gala, now there’s talk that they’re becoming more assertive with their bullshit peace treaty. Celestia and Luna are too naïve to see what their true intentions are. However, set me loose on those scumbags, they’ll never even think about keeping doing what they’re doing. Not to mention, as I continue to work for the mafia, I’ll help clean up Manehatten and any other city with festering scum.”

“And do you really think that’s gonna make a difference?” Orion shot back at me, getting up close now. “Violence gives way for more violence. Hatred will be greeted with even more hatred. You are creating a perpetual motion of hate and bloodshed. There is a law that exists, it may not be perfect, but it keeps us from spiraling into disaster.” Orion was poking my chest now. “Every life matters, and no one, not even you, has the right to choose who lives and who dies.”

“Let’s agree to disagree then,” I scoffed as I brushed my finger on my shirt. “Besides, if it makes you feel any better, the more fear I instill into those who cross me, the safer that little farm girl of yours will be, right?” I grinned maliciously at Orion.

Before I knew it, I was yanked off the ground and pinned against the wall, so hard that the wall almost cracked. “Listen here you little shit, I don’t care if you share a body with Axel or not. You do anything to harm those I care about and I will personally introduce you to the ground. And believe me, your relationship will be intimate.” The tone and look alone was unlike anything I’ve seen before.

“Cute.” I grabbed Orion’s hand and began to pull. Orion grunted and strained against me as I managed to pry his grip off my shirt and tried desperately to push back, but to no avail. “You may have some crazy strength for an earth pony-man, but there’s a sheer difference you would do well to keep in mind.” I clenched my fist around his wrist, making him wince as I loomed over him. “I’m not a normal guy. I’m a Conduit. I make up for my appearance with strength and durability you can only imagine. So how about we come to an understanding? You stay in your lane, and I’ll stay in mine.”

Despite the pain I was inflicting, Orion slowly stood back up locking eyes with me. “I won’t let you harm any innocent lives, so bear that in mind when sticking to your lane then.”

“As you wish,” I said mockingly as I let him go. “I think I made my point. Be seeing you, kid.” I closed my eyes and hung my head as I felt my consciousness being pushed away.

Axel 1st POV

I opened my eyes and saw Orion rubbing his wrist and wincing.

“Shit…sorry about that, you okay?” I said.

Orion shot me a glare and turned away. “You better be ready to face whatever consequences that may come your way.”

“Orion, wait!” I tried to say, but he shook his head.

“I think it would be better if we didn’t talk for a while, I’m still angry and wouldn’t want to take it out on you,” he said before walking away.

Seeing Orion walk away hurt more than any punch I took, or magic bullet shot at me. Orion is a good guy, a good friend, and I managed to drive him away no thanks to my alter ego.

With a heavy sigh, I reluctantly walked in the other direction back to the library. I had hoped things would be the same after coming back home, but things just got a lot more complicated. Shaking my head, I walked slowly back to the library with a heavy conscience. The sight of it lifted my spirits, if only a little. I was glad to be back home and soon I’d see Moon again. As soon as I opened the door, I saw Twilight reading three books at the same time and Spike washing dishes.

“I’m home!” I said aloud as I dropped my duffel bag to the side.

“Axel!” Both Twilight and Spike said gleefully as they came up to greet me.

“Merow!”

From under the couch, the little manticore cub, Nala, I adopted crawled out and flew at me happily. I caught her in my arms, and she nuzzled under my chin while purring loudly.

“Hey, Nala!” I said, hugging her closely. “I sure missed you, girl.”

“Welcome back, Axel, how was your trip?” Twilight asked.

“In a word? Eventful,” I said as I held Nala. “How’ve you guys been?”

“Great! You should’ve been here when Rainbow chose a tortoise for a pet,” Spike said.

“I still can’t see the appeal of someone like that girl choosing a tortoise, of all animals, as a pet,” I said. “By the way, where’s Moon?”

Their mood changed completely and frowned. They looked at each other and then looked away, but not back at me. Even Nala seemed to change her mood as her ears drooped a bit.

“Uh…am I missing something here?” I asked.

“Did…Moon not call you?” Twilight asked.

“No, but Orion did,” I said.

“Then you don’t know,” Spike said with a sigh.

“Don’t know what?” I asked, sounding concerned.

“Moon has…been dealing with some things lately, Axel,” Twilight said hesitantly. “Ever since you left, and even before you left, Moon has been…well, harassed lately.”

“The hell are you talking about?” I asked, now sounding concerned. “Harassed? By whom?”

“People, from the town,” Spike answered. “People have been giving her a real hard time lately and telling her all kinds of messed up stuff.”

“What kind of stuff?” I wondered, sounding agitated.

“Her past,” Twilight said sadly. “It would appear there are those who still can’t accept Moon being reformed. I’ve heard them make snide comments about how she’s a usurper and how she’s biding her time to strike. Not to mention, people avoid her whenever she goes out and don’t treat her fairly.”

“And no one tried defending her?!” I barked.

“We tried! All of us did!” Spike said. “We tried talking to her about it, but she said that she would deal with it. We even tried telling people to back off, but it’s like we don’t even register to them, and they completely ignore us.”

Hearing this only made my blood boil more and more. All those smiles and waves I got from them were all fake as fuck. And they dare try to get all buddy-buddy with me after this bullshit?!

“Where is she?” I asked, trying to remain calm.

“In your room,” Twilight said. “But please be careful with what you say. The girls, Spike, and I have tried everything to reason with her, but she’s been so quiet it’s like she’s become a recluse, as of late.”

I set Nala down and immediately walked past them and up the stairs. Nala followed behind me as I approached the room we shared and went to open the door but stopped myself. This isn’t something I should just barge in on her with. I had to be calm and collected, for Moon’s sake. I looked down at Nala who looked up at me and tilted her little head.

“Sorry, Nala, but I gotta do this alone,” I said, leaning down to pat her head.

Taking a deep breath, I slowly opened the door. Laying on the bed with her back facing me was Moon. My heart cracked from the sight of my poor girlfriend. Her hair was a mess, her wings were unkempt, and the whole room and bed was messy with clothes and wrinkled sheets. Sitting on the nightstand were a few dirty dishes that she hadn’t given Spike or Twilight yet.

“Moon?” I called out to her as I shut the door behind me. “It’s me, Ax, I’m home.”

For a while, she didn't move or respond. I feared she had been cut off from reality, but then she shifted a little before saying in a croaked voice.

“Hey, Axel.” She then went back into the position I found her in.

I set my pack aside and slowly approached the bed. I gently sat on the edge of the mattress and looked at Moon, but she kept her back turned to me.

“Moon…are you okay?” I asked. “I heard what happened, what you’ve been dealing with.”

Another long pause before I heard her start to whimper and then full-on bawl her eyes out. Moon then faces me before hugging me around my waist. "I-I-I, hic, I thought I was finally being accepted! Hic hic, I thought I could have a second chance and just be around others! Hic, But I was wrong!" She then buries her face into my jacket to try and muffle her crying.

I was taken back by her reaction but wrapped an arm around her and held her close. I pulled off my beanie as I let her cry.

“I’m so sorry, Moon,” I said as I rubbed her back. “If only I had known.”

“Axel…” Moon said, still burying her face in my jacket. “What are we?”

“What do you mean?” I wondered.

“We’re both outcasts. We look like them, but they treat us like monsters. Why?” She asked before laying her head on my lap.

“People are complicated, especially people from my world,” I said with a sigh. “They’re quick to judge and don’t forgive and forget as easily as you think. They may smile and wave at me when I walk down the street, but I know they wear masks to hide their true colors. Sure, I saved them from Eris’s rampage, but I’m an unnatural force with unnatural power.”

“And I’m a tyrant who manipulated Luna into attacking her sister and tried to force her to usurp Celestia,” Moon said.

“You’re not that person anymore,” I tried to say. “They don’t see what I see.”

“Then what do you see?” Moon lifted herself up and looked at me. Her eyes were red from crying and black rings hung under her eyes. “Do you see me as a woman, or just a pitiful former usurper you claimed to have fallen in love with?”

“Claimed?” I questioned. “What are you on about? There’s nothing to claim about how I feel about you.”

“If that’s true, then prove it. Prove that you love me as a woman.” Moon then wrapped her arms around my neck and brought me in for an embrace. “Let me know I’m like everyone else, and not some monster like everybody says.”

My heart was beating pretty fast right now. I knew what she meant, and I could see in her eyes that she was serious about it. My body acted on instinct as I kissed her. She moaned in the kiss as she leaned back and crawled on my hands and knees over her. When I pulled back from kissing her, I admired how beautiful she was even in her unkempt state. I watched as she slowly reached up towards her pajama shirt buttons and undid the first one. I gulped a large lump in my throat, not able to move as she slowly undid the second button. Just when she was about to undo the third one, my hand suddenly reached up and stopped her.

“I…I can’t,” I said quietly and leaned back. “This can’t happen like this…”

For a long moment, Moon just stared back at me before the tears started up again. “Then it’s true. You only took me out of pity.”

“Moon, you know I wouldn’t do that,” I said but Moon pushed me away and sat up.

“Then why did you?!” Moon snapped.

“Because you didn’t shun me for killing someone like everyone else did!” I shot back. “Every time I even mentioned it to someone back home, I got the cold shoulder and was labelled a killer! It didn’t matter if I said it was self-defense, they could give less of a shit!”

“But what about me?!” Moon yelled. “You took one life. ONE! Did you even bother to ask how many lives I took when I possessed Luna?! The turmoil and heartache I caused those two sisters?! You say I should make amends like it’s so easy to do, but it’s not! I know Luna once visited your dreams! I know she told you to be cautious of me!”

“What I do with you is none of their damn business!” I yelled back. “And sorry for thinking you needed space to grieve! It’s not my fault that I didn’t realize how close-minded you are!”

Slap!

Moon smacked me across the face before turning away. “Get out…”

“No…wait, Moon, I didn’t-“ I was cut off when Moon glared at me and raised her hand. Her eyes glowed and I was surrounded by her magic and was constricted in her grasp, along with my pack and beanie.

“Out!” I was then tossed out of the room, along with all my stuff before the door closed.

I went to go back in, but then I heard Moon cry even harder than before. All I could do was slump against the door, wondering how to fix this.

“Moon…please! I didn’t mean to say that!” I knocked on the door. “Open the door! Let’s talk about this!”

“No! I-I just need time to think…!” I heard Moon say on the other side of the door.

I was about to plead with her some more when I felt a hand on my shoulder. I turned to see Twilight and she shook her head at me.

“I think it’s best if we left her alone for a bit,” She told me.

I could only nod as I sat in front of the door and hung my head. Twilight left to give me some space as I processed my stupidity and harsh words I said. Were my intentions too rushed with Moon? What could I have done differently? Nala slowly approached me and rubbed her head up against my leg, as if trying to comfort me.

“Well, you really fucked that one up, didn’t you?” The annoying voice of Eris came from behind me as I grit my teeth. “And I thought married couples had problems. But you? Didn’t take you for a guy to play with a girl’s heart like a cheap toy.”

“Damnit, would you shut the fuck up?!” I yelled, turning around to glare at Eris as she looked at me with a surprised look. “You honestly think I need to hear your annoying-ass voice right now?! Are you that incapable of reading the room?! No wonder Celestia and Luna turned you to stone! You don’t give a shit about how others feel!”

“That’s not fair! I’m not causing any more problems, am I?!” Eris said back to me.

“You’re my fucking problem right now!” I pointed at Eris. “And if you won’t bother to say anything that is remotely supportive for what I’m going through, then you can just fuck right off! You fucking insufferable crazy bitch!”

Eris floated there for a moment and frowned at me. I thought I saw what looked like a small tear forming in the corner of her eye, but I thought I was just seeing things.

“…fine,” Eris mumbled and hung her head. “You want me gone? Done.” She raised her hand and snapped her fingers and disappeared in a pink cloud.

I stood there and then it dawned on me how harsh I was towards Eris when she didn’t even do anything wrong. Which only made me feel even shittier.

“Fuck…I’m a moron,” I grumbled as I facepalmed. Nala’s ears drooped even more as she sat next to where I stood and meowed sadly.

Two Weeks Later

It’s been a while since I’ve been this bummed out. The only thing I had going for me was my job. Mr. Rich always checked in on me to make sure things were alright, but not even he could help with what I’m going through. My girlfriend and I are basically now on a break, one of my good friends is avoiding me, and I managed to chase off Eris so who knows where she ran off to.

Twilight and her friends could also sense that I was down in the dumps, and all tried in their own way to cheer me up. Twilight loaned me some interesting books, Rarity made some extra custom clothing free of charge, Fluttershy invited me to her cottage to help tend to her little animal friends, Rainbow challenged me to a race and to see who could the coolest aerial tricks, Applejack delivered a freshly baked apple pie, and Pinkie came at me with a literal list of her best jokes.

I appreciated how much they tried, but it all still wasn’t enough. This was all my fault and I had to figure out how to fix it, especially with Moon. Today, I was running some deliveries throughout town for Mr. Rich. Parcels, envelopes, and I later had to pick up Diamond from school. I stood in front of the post office where I handed a parcel to the local mail girl, Derpy.

“You sure you got this, Derpy?” I asked the cross-eyed girl. “Las Pegasus is pretty far, from what I’ve heard.”

“Thanks for your concern, Axel, but I got it,” Derpy said with her trademark grin. “Besides, I got some blueberry muffins for the flight.”

“If you say so,” I said as she flapped her wings and took off. “Let’s see, there should be one more envelope to drop off-…aw, crap.” The last envelope was to be delivered to Sweet Apple Acres, of all places. “Just my fuckin’ luck.” I dragged my hand down my face and sighed heavily. “Might as well… I just hope he’s still not mad at me.”

With no other choice, I made my way to the Apple Farm. I tried to walk as slowly as possible to drag on the amount of time it took to get there, but I had arrived before I knew it. The smell of apple trees and freshly grown apples tickled my nostrils as I walked down the path. I soon saw the farmhouse in the distance and saw AJ and Orion loading apples on the wagon. Blueblood was standing off to the side, hunched over, and trembling like a leaf. The guy looked like was in immense pain.

“I can’t feel my blasted back!” I heard him say out loud.

“Then grow a new spine, or quit your bitchin’,” Orion called out, rolling his eyes as he grabbed three baskets at once. His eyes caught sight of me, and he looked indifferent about my presence. “Hey Blueblood, grab the mail for me and you can have the rest of the day off.”

AJ looked at me and then back at Orion. She sneered at Orion and grabbed his ear and pulled him towards me.

“You git over here right now, mister!” AJ snapped as she yanked on his ear.

“You might as well pull off my ear while you’re at it, then I wouldn’t be able to hear any of his excuses,” Orion said, seemingly unphased by his girlfriend dragging him by his ear.

She shoved Orion next to me and snatched the letter from my hand. The farm girl stepped towards Orion and got in his face, still glaring.

“Make nice, or no fritters n’ pie fer a year, get me?” AJ threatened.

Oof, that’s low, I thought, knowing full well of Orion’s love for their apple treats.

“Fine by me, I needed to go on a diet.” Orion turned away; arms folded.

“And no more buns,” she said, confusing me, but Orion seemed to flinch.

Orion grunted as Applejack walked away. There was a brief silence between us before he talked, still turned away. “Hey.”

“Hey…” I said, sensing he was still pissed. I watched Blueblood painfully limp away while clutching his back. “He looks like an old man.”

“Eeyup,” was all Orion said while watching Blueblood limp away. He turned to a nearby tree and flicked it with his pinky making an apple drop into his hand, then took a bite out of it.

Thinking there was only one way to fix things between us, I walked around so Orion was looking at me.

“Hit me,” I said, holding my arms out. “Hard as you can, don’t hold back. I can take it.”

“And what would that accomplish?” Draco said, taking another bite out of his apple.

“Just hit me,” I said again.

“I’m not. Hitting you isn’t gonna undo your mistakes. It won’t bring back those who died, it won’t stop your alter ego from doing bad things.” Orion took two more bites from his apple.

“I hurt you, Orion,” I said. “You’re my friend, and I hurt you, betrayed your trust. I let my darker half make light of the situation and didn’t bother telling you about him back when we first met. It’s only fair you get a shot at me.”

“But hitting my friend won’t make me feel better,” Orion stated casually. “Hitting you won’t fix anything, you know.”

“I know, but you have to understand that I can’t hold Dante on leash,” I said. “He’s part of me, and in a way, he’s the only one who can help me deal with shit I’ve been harboring inside me for years. He may kill people using my body, but he’d never hurt anyone who doesn’t deserve it. I’m well aware that doesn’t justify the means, but it’s just how it is for me.”

“You make it seem like you’re okay with this. That you are willing to let him possibly ruin your life just so you can let off steam. In no way is it alright for you to kill others. What do you think those who you care about will think? And let’s not forget the more control you give him, the higher the chances he could find a way to make it permanent,” Orion stated.

“It’s not the ideal agreement, Orion, but it’s better to let him do what he wants to those that deserve it rather than let him run wild on those that don’t. Those that know? The girls and princesses? They know what Dante is capable of, and they know I’m the only one who can stop him if he gets out of hand. Bottom line is that you don’t like it, and I’m not a fan of it myself, but it’s the best we got at the moment.”

Orion shook his head and turned away. “I honestly don't know if I wanna be around when things blow up in your face.” Orion started to walk away, before stopping for a second. “You say they know what he’s capable of, but do they know what he’s doing now?”

“No…no they don’t,” I said with regret. “But the less they know, the better. One day I’ll tell them, one day they’ll find out on their own. It sounds ludicrous saying it out loud, but when the time comes, I’ll deal with it.” Orion shook his head again and started to walk away. “You’re one of the only ones I trust more than myself, Orion!” He paused for a moment. “Please…please don’t abandon me too.”

“I’m not abandoning you, but there is nothing I can do to help you if you can’t even help yourself.” With that, he was gone.

I wanted to say more, something else that could possibly change his mind, but the words failed me. I slumped against the apple wagon and pinched the bridge of my nose, cursing at myself for the shitty situation I found myself in.

“Rough week?” A voice said. I looked up to see Big Mac walking towards me.

“Rough everything, more like,” I groaned.

“Ah don’t know what’s goin’ on between you two, but Ah’m sure it’ll pass, given time,” Mac said, patting my shoulder.

“If only that were true, Mac, if only. And if you and everyone else knew the truth, you’d be seeing me differently,” I said.

“Don’t really know what ya mean by that, but Ah’m sure it ain’t that bad,” Mac said.

“I wish I had your optimism, Mac, it would’ve saved me a lot of turmoil over the years,” I said.

“Hmm,” Mac hummed, then snapped his fingers. “Ah think Ah got it. Maybe y’all can reconcile with each other at Nightmare Night.”

“Nightmare Night?” I said, glancing at Mac. “What’s that?”

“Oh, that’s right, AJ mentioned ya ain’t from ‘round here. Nightmare Night is a night of spooky stories and pranks where everybody gets really scared, but in a fun way. We dress up, give our candy, play fun games, the works. The night’s next week, and everyone’ll be together to have fun.”

“Huh, sounds a lot like Halloween,” I said to myself. “You sure this’ll help?”

“Sure Ah’m sure, hang on.” Mac turned to the farmhouse. “Hey Orion! Y’all got yer costume ready fer Nightmare Night, right?!”

“Rarity said she’d have something for me that night, not sure what, but yes, I guess!” Orion called out.

“Fair enough!” Mac said back before looking back at me. “See? Even Orion’s into it.”

I thought about his proposal and figured it was the only option I had at the moment. If this didn’t work, then might as well ask Mr. Rich for a transfer.

“If you think this’ll work, then I’ll give it a shot,” I said with a shrug.

“Great! First thing’s first, ya gotta get yerself a costume,” Mac pointed out. “It’s only right ya look the part for this event.”

Technically, I am wearing a costume in the form of real clothing, I thought to myself. “Sure, maybe Rarity could make me something.”

“Then get a move on, Ah look forward to seein’ ya on Nightmare Night,” Mac said and walked off.

Chuckling to myself, I left Sweet Apple Acres and headed for Rarity’s place.

Despite it being two weeks since the encounter between Orion and Dante, he still gave me the cold shoulder. I knew my decisions would come back to bite me, but I didn’t realize it would bite this hard. I then shook my head. There was no point in crying over spilled milk. I knew the risks when I allowed Dante to do what he wanted, and now I gotta figure out how to face them. For now, I had to find out what kind of costume I’d wear to this Nightmare Night thing. I pondered about what exactly I should wear, but nothing seemed to come to mind.

“If only the Infamous series existed in this world, I could pass off what I wear on a daily basis as a costume,” I said, nearing the boutique. I stopped walking when an idea popped in my head. I pulled out my phone and scrolled through the photo album. “Where is it…where is it…? Ah ha!” I found the photo of the photo I copied to my library and smiled. I then walked up to Rarity’s boutique and opened the door.

“Be right with you~!” I heard Rarity say in her sing-song voice. I spotted her walk around the corner with a few pins in her mouth as she levitated a dress with her magic.

“Ah! Axel! A pleasant surprise, darling!” Rarity said as she set the dress aside and approached me.

“He Rarity, how’s it going?” I asked the fashionista.

“I’m doing quite well, thank you, how was Manehatten?” She asked.

“Eh, not too bad. Hey, listen, I got a favor to ask regarding my costume for Nightmare Night,” I said.

“Ooh! How marvellous! Did you want to rent one of my custom costumes?” Rarity asked as she used her magic to open a door and a whole display of a variety of costumes came flying out. “Take your pick! I have plenty to choose from.”

“Woah, that’s a lot,” I said, then shook my head. “No, I appreciate it, but I got something else in mind. I’d like you to make this.” I showed her the image on my phone, and she arched her brow.

“Darling, not that I’m being judgmental, but are you sure this is what you wish for me to make?” Rarity asked.

“Positive, and it should be as dark and broody as it looks,” I said.

“Hmm, very well, I shall create this,” Rarity said. “Oh, and be a dear, the next time you see Orion, tell him that his costume is nearly complete.”

“I’ll…be sure to do that,” I said hesitantly and turned to leave. “Be seeing you.”

“Goodbye, Axel! I shall await Nightmare Night with great anticipation!” Rarity called out.

3rd POV
Three Weeks Later
Nightmare Night

“Come on, Orion!” Applejack said, wearing a scarecrow costume as she knocked on her room door, inside the farmhouse. “We’re gonna be late!”

“I know, it’s just…” Orion called out from the other side of the door. “I feel like this costume is a bit on the revealing side? Nothing embarrassing, mind you, but I can’t help but wonder why Rarity chose this design for my costume.”

“Aw, come on! It can’t be that bad! Now git yer butt out here!” Applejack said.

“Fine, just don’t laugh if it looks weird."” The sound of door lock clicking filled the hallway before opening. Stepping out, Orion moved into the hallway for Applejack to see. “W-well, what do you think?”

Orion wore a tank armor tunic with both gold doodles traced on his chest and red linings on his neckline and brown fasteners that hold his blue cape, brown Roman-style sandals with leg guards, brown matching belt with a gold metal coin, brown wristbands and red headband.

“Wow…” Applejack said with a purr. “Ya fit into that quite nicely, sugarcube~.”

Orion’s cheeks flushed slightly when he saw the way his girlfriend was looking at him, and by her tone. “Y-ya think so?”

“Oh yeah…” Applejack leaned up to whisper in his ear. “Bet you and I could have some fun with our imagination while yer wearin’ that~.”

Face redder than a tomato, Orion gulped loudly and looked away slightly. “Maybe when everyone goes to bed tonight.”

Applejack giggled and pulled Orion’s arm and walked down the stairs.

“Come on! I hear this year we’re gonna share spooky stories with one another!” Applejack said.

“Hey careful!” Orion gasped as he was being pulled down the stairs, his feet doing their best to not miss a step. “There won’t be any fun if I trip and break a leg.”

The two walked together and out of the Acres and were met with the bustling and decorated town of Ponyville. All the people were dressed in costumes, children were running from door-to-door asking for candy, and there were a variety of carnival games being played.

“Whew! Never gets old,” Applejack said with a smile. “Help me set up the barrels for apple bobbin’, would ya hon?”

“Oh, sure thing babe.” Orion walked over to a large wagon that had large barrels inside, each one filled with apples. Orion wasted no time lifting two of the massive barrels in each arm with ease, his muscles flexed as he carried them to the ground.

Some girls were walking past and got an eyeful of Orion’s bulging muscles and grinned at him.

“Check out the new eye candy.”

“Mmm, I wonder what he’s got hiding under that tunic?”

“Applejack’s lucky to have such a hottie like him~.”

None of these words went unheard by Orion as his ears began to burn, and he had an idea on why Rarity chose the design of his costume.

“Of course, that was her intention,” he grumbled, doing his best not to drop any barrels.

“Hello, everyone!”

Orion looked up to see Twilight and Spike join them. Twilight wore what looked like a wizard’s robe and Spike wore a dragon costume.

“Happy Nightmare Night, you two!” Twilight said.

“Howdy Spike, hey Twilight!” Applejack said. “Nice costume.”

“Thanks! I’m a dragon!” Spike said.

“She means me, Spike,” Twilight deadpanned.

“With that beard, I reckon yer some sorta country music singer,” Applejack guessed.

“Does anyone know who I am?!” Twilight groaned. “He was the most famous wizard in all the history of magic!”

“You are referring to Starswirl the Bearded,” Orion chimed in getting everyone’s attention. “What? It’s obvious by her use of pattern on her robe and beard, not to mention the accuracy of her use of the bells on the hat.”

“Finally! Someone who knows the costume!” Twilights said with a smile, then paused. “No offence, Orion, but how do you know about Starswirl? Aren’t you from Neighpan?”

“Unless he’s a book freak like you?” Spike chortled.

“Well, while I was here in your country, I visited some libraries, I read a book on key figures from magical history. Naturally, Starswirl was the first of many, there was also a picture of him inside the book,” Orion explained.

“Perhaps we can compare notes on what we both know about him?” Twilight offered, stars in her eyes.

“Easy, Twi, this stud’s taken,” Applejack teased.

“Wh-What?!” Twilight yelped, cheeks becoming pink. “N-No! I-I didn’t mean it like that!”

“Oh? Is my little applebottom jealous of the cute bookworm?” Orion teased playfully. “All because she was trying to seduce me with her librarian charm?”

“Um…guys?” Spike gulped when he pointed down the street. “Who’s that?”

All heads turned to see a figure slowly make his way towards them. The people kept their distance and were too nervous to look at him directly. The figure wore a long hooded white trench coat, white trousers, black boots, and a gray scarf around his neck that covered most of his face. Covering his eyes were a pair of welding goggles that glowed an eerie blue glow in the dark of night. Attached to his right hand was some kind of mechanism that went from his hand to his elbow and reached the middle of his chest. The chest area looked like it was also the same kind of mechanism with glowing lights on the front.

“Relax, Spike, don’t go wetting your costume for nothing, it’s just Axel in his costume,” Orion turned to continue unloading the barrels off the wagon.

“Axel?!” Everyone said as the figure stood in front of them.

He reached up and pulled down his scarf and lifted the goggles over his eyes.

“Hey guys,” Axel said.

“But I thought you said you weren’t going?!” Twilight said.

“I never said that. I said I’d come later,” Axel corrected. “It’s…Moon who’s not joining us tonight.” Axel gave his costume a spin. “What do you think? Pretty antagonistic, wouldn’t you agree?”

“Dude! That costume is awesome! What’s that on your arm and chest?” Spike asked, pointing at his arm and chest lights.

“This? It’s paper-mâché and cardboard painted over with lightbulbs taped on it,” Axel said, showing them closely. “The lightbulbs are powered on by my electricity. Diamond helped me make it.”

“Too bad the light upstairs isn’t on.” Orion grunted as he lifted four barrels at once and set them around the ground.

“Nice Hercules costume, man,” Axle said. “Rarity really made it look like from the movie.”

“Movie? What movie?” Spike wondered.

“Don’t worry about it,” Axel waved it off.

As soon as Orion set the barrels down, Applejack pulled him aside to speak with him privately.

“I don’t know what kind of beef you got with Axel lately, but it’s been a month,” Applejack lectured. “More importantly, it’s Nightmare Night. So, could ya please just put it aside just for tonight? For me?”

Orion stared at Applejack for a few moments, their eyes staying locked before he looked away. “I’ll do my best, but I won’t act all buddy-buddy with him. Sorry babe, but if you knew what I knew, you’d understand.”

Applejack glanced back at the others before she leaned in, to whisper. “It’s Dante, ain’t it?”

Orion nodded, he knew that Applejack was aware of Dante, but despite that she didn’t know the whole truth. “I can’t forgive him so easily, and if push comes to shove, I may end up fighting him should his actions affect the ones I love.”

“But Axel and Dante are two different people,” Applejack said. “At least, that’s what Ax told us. We haven’t seen much of Dante, and it’s because Ax made sure we aren’t exposed to Dante as much as possible. You obviously know somethin’ deeper is afoot, but personally? Ah’d rather not know. So long as we see Axel and only Axel, that’s fine with me. And the girls agree, what he does as Dante ain’t our concern, nor it be our business.”

“You keep overlooking the bigger picture.” Orion gestured to Axel. “What happens when Dante becomes too much, and you as well as your friends have to deal with him with the Elements of Harmony? They may be two different people, but they share only one body.”

“That may be true, but me and the girls trust Axel,” Applejack said. “He saved Ponyville from Eris, that’s good enough for me. Don’t you trust him?”

“I trust Axel fine, it’s Dante I can't afford to let my guard down. And by that extension, that now means I can’t trust Axel. You keep saying he’s two different people, but you’re wrong. No matter how many times you keep saying it, one’s actions affect the others.” Orion sighed and walked off. “You guys are just trying to not think of the consequences that may soon arise.”

Applejack wanted to argue further, but she knew Orion wouldn’t budge on the matter. She sighed and reluctantly joined the others where Rarity, Pinkie Pie, and Rainbow were gathered around. The CMC, Pipsqueak, and Diamond and Silver Spoon had gathered as well.

“Big brother Axel, look!” Diamond said as she twirled around in her dress. “I’m a fairy princess!”

“That sure is a cute costume, kiddo,” Axel said with a smile.

“What about me, Axel?!” Sweetie Belle said. She wore what looked like a vampire costume. “Don’t I look cute?”

“Uh…sure?” Axel shrugged.

“Everyone!” The voice came from Mayor Johanna as she called the town’s attention. “If you would please gather around the stage, we shall start our third annual Spooky Story Contest!”

“Spooky Story Contest?” Axel repeated.

“Yeah!” Rainbow said, wearing a makeshift Wonderbolts costume. “Whoever tells the scariest story, gets a mountain of prize candy as a reward!”

The townsfolk all gathered around the stage as Mayor Johanna and her secretary, Raven, stood on stage. Mayor Johanna wore a clown costume and Raven wore a slightly revealing demon costume.

“Now then, for those of you who are new to this event, the rules are simple. Whoever makes the crowd cower in fear from the words of their story, shall win the prize of this large quantity of sweet treats!” The mayor said, pulling the curtains aside to reveal a pile of candy almost as tall as Orion and Axel. All the children, and Pinkie, drooled at the sight of it.

“Damn, you’d need a set of dentures after eating all that candy,” Axel said.

“I could lend you Granny’s?” Orion chimed in as he glanced at Axel.

“Eh, I don’t have much of a sweet tooth anyway,” Axel shrugged.

One by one, people took the stage and told their own spooky stories. Some didn’t get any reaction, others got some gasps in between, and some were actually successful in scaring some of the crowd. However, despite the attempts, there were only two who were unfazed by any of the stories told.

“Are…are these people for real?” Axel whispered to Orion. “They think these stories are scary?”

“I think the only thing scary about their stories is that they even exist.” Orion, despite his anger, seemed to respond.

“Hmm…” Axel hummed as he watched another failed attempt. “Eh, fuck it, I’ll give it a go,” Axel said as he walked towards the stage.

“I’ll go grab something then for my part.” Orion soon walked away back to the farm to grab what he needed.

Axel climbed up on stage and the crowd clapped for his appearance.

“Here’s a scenario that happens almost daily, back where I come from,” Axel said. He pulled out his phone and selected a song to play.

Axel activated Video and made digital figures appear before him. He began to rap the scenario before him as the audience watched in awe. The scene didn’t seem too bad at first, but then it started to suddenly get intense. The figures showed one of them holding another at gunpoint and was robbing the one he pointed at. The audience were clinging to each other as the scene played out. Axel’s tone got louder the more he rapped, and the music raised everyone’s anxiety. One of the figures looked like it was hiding and peered around to look at the robber. Axel made it look like the one hiding caught the attention of the robber. The cashier figure pulled out a gun of his own and aimed it at the robber. Axel’s voice got louder as the one hiding ran towards the robber and jumped on his back. There was a scuffle and the robber hit the hider in the face with his elbow. Shots were fired and the cashier fell to the ground. A second robber appeared and argued with the other robber. The second robber turned the hider over on the ground and Axel rapped that they knew each other. The audience was on the edge of their seats, none could tear their eyes away as the second robber raised his weapon to shoot the hider. Axel yelled and rapped the lyrics, a manic look in his eye as he looked like he was about to make the second robber shoot the hider. Suddenly, more gunshots rang out as the cashier shot both the robbers and they fell down dead. Everyone was silent as Axel finished the rest of the lyrics with a monotone voice and ended his performance by waving his hands and making the digital figures fade away.

“How was that?” Axel said.

“That was terrifying!” One person said.

“That’ll give me nightmares…” another said, shivering like a leaf.

“Ahem…that was quite a performance, Axel,” Mayor Johanna said, sounding unnerved. “Is there anyone else who would like to take the challenge?”

From the crowd Orion held up his hand. “I’d like to try, if that’s alright?”

“Scare the pants off ‘em, hon!” Applejack cheered.

Axel passed by Orion and gave him a thumbs up.

“Good luck, bro,” Axel said, trying to sound sincere.

Orion smiled, despite his feelings, and soon walked up on stage with two items. One was a black box with an odd-shaped nozzle, the other looked like an instrument, but like no other instrument anyone in Ponyville had ever seen. It had a roundish bottom and a long neck with strings on it, it almost looked like a violin.

“What’s that thing?” Someone asked.

“Looks like a weird-looking banjo,” another said.

“Is he gonna play that?” Someone else said.

“Ooh! A traditional Neighpanese instrument!” Twilight said with glee. “I’ve only seen these in books!”

“Yes, for those of you wondering, this is an instrument.” Holding up the odd instrument, Orion showed it for the whole crowd to see. ”This is called a sanxian. It’s a string instrument from my homeland. I was able to make my own a while ago and thought now would be as good a time as any to show it off.”

“Oh boy…I see where he’s going with this,” Axel said with a smirk.

“What do you mean?” Spike wondered.

“If Neighpan is anything like a place that has a similar name, from my world, the people there are infamous for telling some real freaky-ass stories. So you’re all in for a treat,” Axel said.

Orion pulled out a long flat guitar pic, and soon began to strum his instrument. “This is a story from my homeland, about a haunted mountain, this is a story of death and the greed of mortals. High atop the mountain there is said to be a treasure that could rival the vaults of a thousand kings, jewels, gold and only the finest clothing is said to be found within.” He strummed again, faster even.

“Clothing? That sounds lovely,” Rarity said.

“However, the trek up the mountain is said to take one whole day, but no one has even made it back past nightfall. They say the mountain is home to evil spirits and dwellers from Hell roam, who prey on the greed of anyone foolish enough to set foot on the mountain.” Orion’s voice grew cold and low as he strummed his sanxian.

The CMC and Pip began to quiver a bit and the atmosphere started to change.

“Here we go,” Axel said, feeling the hairs on the back of his neck stand up.

Orion looked to the crowd with a cold dead stare. As the lights around the stage began to dim, only the spotlight on him was a source of light. “I know this to be true for I had once stepped on that very mountain one summer’s night during my travels.”

The crowd gasped as they clung to his every word.

“It was the dead of night and I had lost my way while trudging through the forest, the air was warm and still, yet there was no sound as I walked. The sound of the forest was painfully silent and at the time all I could really hear was the thumping of my own heart. The sound of birds and the bugs chirping, and chattering was but a memory.” With every strum of his instrument the air almost felt like it was getting colder, as people shivered.

“As I walked, unaware of the very mountain I was on, I felt a cold breeze fill the air in my lungs, and soon a white mist crept down the mountain.” Soon a thick fog started to flood off the stage and into the crowd of people listening. “Then I heard them, howls and moans of agony and sorrow. The voice of the dead screamed and howled as their souls were forever bound to the very mountain they died on. And then I saw her.”

“Saw who?!” Pinkie yelped, hiding behind Applejack.

“Was it a monster?!” Rainbow asked, hiding behind a cloud.

“I don’t like this…” Spike gulped.

Looking up for dramatic effect, Orion strummed again. “Skin white as snow, hair long and black like a river in the dead of night. A Yuki-onna or as some would call them, a snow vampire. She stood on the other edge of a vast clearing of the mist practically hiding her body. I was absolutely terrified, a snow vampire in the middle of summer.”

“Vampire?!” Some from the crowd gasped.

“Shit, this is getting good,” Axel grinned.

“No sooner did that thought cross my mind, did an icy howl spread across the mountain.” A strong gust of wind soon blew through the stage, and the sound of Timberwolf howling from the Everfree could be heard. “My vision was engulfed by white, and the mountain was soon blanketed in white snow. My body froze in place as my breath became visible with every breath. That’s when I saw her again.”

All of the crowd was visibly shaking in fear as the story continued and the air grew colder. The children were clinging to either each other or their parents and some were beginning to cry.

“When my eyes opened once more the Yuki-onna was standing in front of me, eyes red like blood, her fangs bared and ready to sink into my flesh, and a smile the devil himself would find terrifying. No matter how much I wanted to or even tried, my body didn’t move. I couldn’t even scream my final breath.” As he weaved his tale, he played his sanxian without missing a single beat.

“Bring it home, Orion,” Axel said, enjoying the sight of how the entire crowd was absolutely terrified.

Everyone watched he strummed faster and harder, the music matching the haunting toon as the story. “I watched as she opened her mouth wider than a python ready not only to drink my blood but even devour my very soul with it. Her cold dead hands gripping my shoulders ready to end my life, and all I could do was close my eyes and wait for the end.”

“For Celestia’s sake! Make it stop!” Twilight yelped, covering her face with her hat.

“Mommy, I’m so scared!” One kid cried.

But then slowly, the lights around Orion began to glow brighter and a warmer yellow color. “But by some miracle, the sun began to rise over the mountain’s peak, and the Yuki-onna screamed in pain and soon dropped my body, fleeing back to the darkest depths of the mountain. On that day I saw the shadow of death but was spared from its cold grasp by the light of day. This is my tale, thank you.” Orion smiled and bowed.

There was a dead silence amongst the crowd for several minutes. Everyone seemed to be too scared to speak until someone began clapping. Soon more people started to clap and then the whole crowd applauded Orion while giving him praise.

“That was the most horrifying story I’ve ever heard!”

“I think I wet myself…”

“We need a stretcher! Someone just fainted!”

“I won’t be able to eat for a while, well done!”

“W-Well then,” Mayor Johanna cleared her throat and approached Orion. “Axel’s tale may have been quite scary, visually, but your tale shall be remembered long after Nightmare Night. So as a result, I hereby declare Orion the winner of tonight’s spooky story contest!”

Orion couldn’t help but smile as he was praised by everyone in town. He stood up and bowed his head to the crowd.

“Congratulations, this pile of candy is yours,” Mayor Johanna said, gesturing to the large pile of candy. Orion looked at the candy and then glanced at the children in the crowd. All the kids were drooling at the mound of sweets and got an idea.

“Well, you know, I just had a whole bunch of apples, I don’t think I could even eat one piece.” He turned to the kids and gestured to the pile of candy. “Maybe all the kids here can help me lighten the load?”

“Really?!” All the kids said.

“Dig in, kids!” Orion smiled as he let the kids have his reward.

“YAY!” The all cheered.

They all literally dove into the pile and devoured everything in sight. Even Pinkie joined the fray as she was shoveling candy in her mouth. Orion chuckled as he walked off the stage and was met with Axel waiting for him.

“You sure know how to scare people shitless, man,” Axel said with a nod and smile.

“Well, it’s just a story from home, with my own little twist at the end.” Orion smiled as he looked at the crowd of kids having the time of their life.

“Hey…listen,” Axel said. “You were right, about everything. I’m too naïve to think things will be okay with Dante doing what he pleases with the mafia, but I don’t know what to do about it. I won’t make excuses; this is a problem I need to address.” Axel looked at Orion, his eyes full of regret and desperation. “I can’t do that without my friend. So, think you can lend a hand?”

Orion stared at him for a long silent moment before looking at the kids. “If he does something that could hurt them, I won’t hesitate to fight back. Even if you two share the same body.”

“I don’t blame you,” Axel said. “Even if he’s part of me, I don’t doubt he’ll do something really fucking stupid and cause a shitstorm. If he does, you have my consent to beat the shit outta him.” Axel held out his hand to Orion. “Deal?”

Orion looked at his hand for a moment before taking it in his own and shaking it hard with a tight grip. “Alright, deal.”

“Seriously though…” Axel leaned in. “Did that shit really happen back at your homeland?”

“Who knows?” Orion smirked before walking away slowly.

Axel merely chuckled at how vague Orion was. Suddenly, a strong gust of wind alerted both adults and children to something emerging from the cloudy skies above. Two winged pegasus-men flew from the opening. However, when Axel got a better look at them, he noticed their wings weren’t feathered at all. They were webbed and resembled bat wings instead. They wore black armor that had a gothic theme to them. The one that sat in a gothic-like carriage behind them was a hooded alicorn-human, whose horn was protruding from her hood and her wings were larger than any others. With another flash of lightning, one could see a glimpse of her face and the grin present on it.

“It’s Nightmare Moon! Run!” Pinkie Pie yelled out loud as she sprinted away from the stage with the children following suite as they carried as much candy as they could. All except Pip who hid behind the curtain on stage.

The hooded woman reached up and pulled her hood off to show her face.

“Well, I’ll be,” Axel said as the woman stepped off. “If it isn’t Princess Luna!”

Author's Note

The lunar princess makes her dramatic appearance on this tense night of fright.

Hope you enjoyed!

~WurkyWilk has left the building…