Chapters “Only the dead have seen the end of war.” ― Plato
The man stalked slowly through the dense brush, slowly creeping towards the crest of the hill. Every branch, twig, and blade of grass accounted for in his movements, knowing the slightest creak or crack would give himself away. Carbine in hand and a large pack on his back, he moved with silent purpose, pausing every few steps to listen to the sounds of the forest. Making sure the small noises remained, the squirrel chirping happily as it chewed on an acorn, the birds fluttering and tweeting sweetly, these are the sounds of a happy forest. A few feet at a time, the man moved on.
Ahead in the distance, there was movement, the sounds of fallen branches cracking as they were stepped on, soft whispering, the sounds of people. Dropping to a crouch, the figure reached up on his carbine to check its lethal purpose. A soft tug on the suppressor to show it was locked in place on the muzzle. A light scraping noise as he drew back the bolt to press check the rifle, brass glinting softly in the dim light, loaded with deadly purpose. He was ready.
Ever so slowly, he slid the bulky pack off his shoulders, making sure to set it gently into the underbrush. The forest would hide the bag until he returned to it, covering his dark secrets. Knees bent, the man stalked off into the gloom, getting closer to the voices and the the blood ahead.
In a few yards, the brush began to thin, and the outlines of two ponies emerged from the shadows. The carbine began to rise, the figure comforted by its presence on his shoulder. The circle dot of the scope appearing in his vision as he readied for his purpose. Placing the dot on the shoulder of the nearest pony, the yellow reticule contrasting against the silver armor the pony wore. The figure crouched in the undergrowth silently wishing the ponies would wander off, but knowing what had to be done.
Taking no pleasure in the act, the figure creeped out of the brush. The moment the muzzle of the rifle was clear, a small crack was heard. The first guard falling over limp as red sprayed across its chest. The man twisted at the hips and settled the dot on the other pony as it spun, trying in vain to find where the shot had emerged. Eyes widening in fear just before the rifle barked a second time and the final pony joined its compatriot on the forest floor, crimson dripping down the side of its helmet, slowly coloring his hide the color of death.
The figure turning back into the forest quickly, muttering under his breath, "Damn ponies, why did it have to be this way?" The steps to his pack were quick, but not hurried, the man's eyes watching every branch and bit of movement. Throwing the pack on, the figure turned and began to jog back towards the fallen guards.
As he burst through the brush and into the light, anypony would have immediately known who this man was. There was only one human in all of Equestria. He was somewhat a curiosity, towering over most ponies by nearly a foot. In reality he was short for a human, only being 5'10" but with nothing to compare, he was huge in their opinion. Nothing more could be seen of the human as every available inch of skin or hair was covered in mud or clay to blend in.
Knowing time was short, the man unzipped this pack and pulled a large bolt action rifle out of its recesses. Its very form glowing with malice, as it was only built for one purpose, and that was drawing blood. Lots of it. Picking a tree near the crest of the hill as cover, he slowly lay prone, unfolding the rifles bipod and gently setting them between the roots of his cover. Looking through a small object, he whispered to himself, "Eight hundred seventy two yards... This is going to be interesting." Pausing to consult a small paper taped to the side of the bulky rifle, he did math in his head. "34 clicks up and 16 left. Stupid wind has to make this difficult."
A series of small clicks echoed in the small clearing around his tree as he adjusted the scope for the conditions of his shot. A few small, deft movements later, the man was settled in behind the beast, ready to dispense its deadly payload. The scope showed most of Canterlot as he twisted the magnification knob, the city swimming in his vision as it appeared closer and closer, his target almost where he needed. A white figure began to fill his vision, multi colored mane drifting and flowing in a breeze that nopony could feel.
Princess Celestia moved onto her balcony, preparing to give a speech to the best of her Royal Guard, while a man watched her from a distance. The moment her lips began to move, he knew it was time. Settling the crosshairs on the joint where her shoulder and body met, he began to exhale. Squeezing the trigger steadily rearward as the movement of his crosshairs ceased, the pressure broke and the rifle roared its fury. The fury of a forgotten and missing people, the fury and rage of the last of a fallen people.
The bullets deadly flight was short but visible, a wavering vapor trail following it as it curved down to earth. In the second it took the object to cross the vast distance, the man swore he saw Celestia smile just before a crimson stain erupted across her chest. Knowing his work was done, the man still could not break himself away from the rifle, watching as the Princess slowly toppled over. Even at his distance, he could hear the screams of shock turn into wrath and rage. His time was short.
Stuffing the rifle back into its bulky pack and slinging it across his back, he couldn't help but feel cold knowing what he had just done. Two fallen guards and a goddess. Not how he wanted to be remembered, but it was a necessity. Just as necessary was that he run. Run fast, and run far, as all of Equestria would be following.
Sprinting into the forest, carbine cradled in his arms, pack bouncing on his shoulders, he ran. Pushing himself harder and faster then most people thought was possible, his form started to shimmer, small flickering trails of green flame on his limbs. The faster he went, the quicker his form was surrounded by green flames until only a furred lupine shape remained. His gold eyes flashing around his forest, watching his steps, the trail, and all things around. And yet he ran...
"Love will find a way through paths where wolves fear to prey." -- Lord Byron
The joys of running through a dark forest are something most people will never understand. The smell of wet earth, the slap and sting of unseen branches as they hit your body, the complete and utter joy of freedom. This was not one of those moments though. Harder and harder I pushed myself, the jolt of my paws hitting the forest floor slowly turning into something akin to a solo by an insane drum player. Mouth dry and begging for moisture, lungs heaving, I had to ignore what my body told me. Everything depended on it. The ponies would be behind me soon, and there was only one easy route down the mountain outside the road. The river would be my route to sweet freedom, its clear icy waters swirling down the curves of the mountain Canterlot rested on.
The seconds slowly turned into minutes, and minutes into distance. My sharp ears could hear the pegasus patrols in the distance, their wings thrashing through the air. Knowing it was too early in the game to be seen, I kept under the canopy of leaves as best as possible. Catching a crossbow bolt to the back would certainly hamper my escape in a hurry, so I pushed harder. The straps of my pack digging into my nearly black fur and the muscle under, my carbine bouncing in my arms as they flew through brush, branches and brambles. As the sun set, the forest descended to darkness and yet I ran, thankful for the gifts I had been given on my arrival to this insane little planet.
The smells of the forest slowly gave way to the crisp scent of nearby water. Crystal clear and cold glacial runoff water. The river was close, but other lingering scents made me slow my pace to a near crawl. Sagebrush, sweat, hay and a hint of leather assaulted my nose as I took a knee in the brush. The ponies were close, and there were lots of them. This was no fight I could win without lots of casualties on their side and a sword in my spleen at some point. Care and caution would be my armor for now, speed would come again soon.
Cautiously, I closed my eyes and sought to slow my breathing. Noise was dangerous as it brought the wrath of ponies with it. Taking every breath in slowly, forcing my racing heart to slow I crouched in the brush. The many scents crossing my mind with the cool air, the pounding in my ears gently slowing as I focused on the world around me. The distant sound of mud squishing under hoof, the clank of armor as somepony fidgeted, these were my clues. Ever so slowly I rose, knees bent, and parted the brush around me, stepping gingerly from place to place as I knew the trap was closing. Thankfully the ponies don't have a nose like mine or I'd have been found out by now. Ponies are not predators of the night however.
As I creeped, the fur on the back of my neck began to rise. Somepony was using magic, a lot of it, and that only meant one thing. Shining Armor was nearby and actively looking for me. I just hoped my charms would hold out against the magic that would be coming my way. That thought was rudely interrupted by a loud crack as a large crossbow bolt buried itself in the base of the tree next to me in a spray of moss and bitter sap. No time like the present to get the party started I guess.
Putting every bit of my willpower and limited mana into my movements, I burst out of the brush and onto the gravel strewn clearing at the edge of the river. Every step leaving flickering green flames as my paws hit again and again as I pushed myself harder and faster towards the ponies. A group of nearly 20 guards stood in my way, barring the bridge across the river. More ominously though was a pink glow that rippled in the air as bolts and magic ripped through the air, my insane rush thankfully fouling their aim, for now. And yet the distance closed, 50 yards and shrinking fast, my charms starting to heat up and glow red from the magic feedback and knowing my luck would probably fail soon.
Pink bubbles popped into reality around all of the ponies except one. Silver armor glowing gold in the light of the fading sun, a blue mane tinted with purple flames as magic was focused and fired stronger and faster intending to end me. I guess you could say Shining Armor was pissed. One by one, I could feel the clay charms crack as I neared the stallion, until only one remained on the pendant around my neck, the rest absorbing what would have been lethal hits of magic and turning them into flashes of pain that drove me on.
The flashes of spells impacting me only forced Armor along, purple flames licking the ground along as he drew from some secret well of power deep within him. There was no doubt in my mind that he meant to end me, and spectacularly at that. I only have one chance at this. One insane chance other then death. I pulled every last dreg of mana, willpower, and desperation and focused it into my legs and jumped. Pain filled my body as a lavender and green pulse of magic filled where I just was. I could feel the heat as my fur burned, scorching my legs as I bounded toward Shining. A sudden jolt and my entire body wailed in protest as I landed on his back. I forced myself into the air one more time, over the wooden railing on the bridge, and to a long fall below to an icy tomb.
This was going to hurt.
“And falling's just another way to fly.”― Emilie Autumn
The trick about flying is to fall and miss the ground. In this case, it certainly looked like I was going to hit something. The fall itself isn't horrible, only 30 feet or so, it was the rocks jutting out haphazardly, weathered by the unforgiving water until they looked like infant teeth of a monster waiting to swallow me whole. It was all I could do to tuck my arms and legs close to my body, cradling my carbine like life itself before I hit the water and everything exploded into pain. Swirling liquid ice closed over my head and tried to force itself down my throat as a muffled yell of agony escaped my lips. Knowing I would drown, I did the only thing possible, the only thing probable, the absolute only thing my body will ever do. Fight. Kicking my injured legs and trying to force myself to the surface was harder then it seemed. The water seemed to flow like molasses, and I was just so very tired. The river didn't even seem so cold anymore.
A sharp impact snapped me back to my senses as a rock clipped my carbine and drove the stock into my side, its sling caught on an outcropping. The seconds feeling like years as the surface stayed just out of reach, rippling and twisting like a portal back to reality. Shooting an arm out, I felt the slimy surface of the rock against my hands. Unyielding, but just so close as the flow pulled me away and my vision started to swirl, tinting red as I creeped closer to slipping away. My paws dragging on the bottom of the river as I was swept away. I could feel the texture of smooth stones, swirls of sand cut by currents...wait... SAND! Getting my feet under me, I shoved off the bottom as hard as possible, hoping this was enough. The icy river would not be my tomb.
Vision fading to black, carbine flowing in the current, only supported by its sling, my head popped through the water as I gasped for breath. The crisp night air tasting finer than the sweetest wine as I fought to stay on the surface and swim haphazardly toward shore. Slowly feeling the subtle changes in current as the river got shallower the closer as the rocky edge neared. My paws finally touching ground and pushing me out of the water. Step by agonizing step, I forced myself out of the river that hungered for my demise. The pain of sharp rocks and gravel a dull sensation compared to the rest of my battered and bruised body.
Dimly looking around, I could see the bridge in the distance with small glowing dots moving around like an army of angry fire ants in the gloom. The water streamed off my body and out of my sodden pack as I hoped my long gun hadn't been damaged. No time for that now. Off I limped toward home, but first I would have to cross through Ponyville. I need to find a place to hole up for the night and rest. Anything else would be a quick death. I didn't even think about the prints I was leaving in the moist riverside earth...
The edge of the river slowly turned back into dense brush as I pushed back into the forest. Nopony would venture into the deep forest at night. While not as bad as the Everfree, a dark forest is still home to all sorts of predators that would love to make a snack of an unwary pony. Guided only by the dim light and my nose, I pushed deeper. The near black forest was virtually silent at night, making it seem like the scrape of my injured leg and my labored breathing seem as loud as a man being murdered. The gurgling of a brook off in the distance caught my attention. It might not be a preferred route, but it could offer me safety for the night.
A plan slowly formed in my mind as I trudged through the dark forest. The ponies would start tracking my paw prints come morning, so I had to throw them off. They might not be able to smell as well as I, but a bloody paw print is pretty damn obvious. Thankful to the skills I learned growing up in the wilds of Alaska, I made mental notes of things of use. A massive fallen tree far in the undergrowth off the game trail caught my attention. I'd have to come back to that. A few minutes of walking later, I gingerly drew the knife off my belt and started cutting two small branches off a nearby pine tree. Its sticky sap would seal the wound in a few minutes, and the walk continued.
Finally I reached the edge of the small brook flowing through the forest. Fresh moss and clover grew right up to the waters edge. Time for my disappearing act. Shuffling my pack around, I drew a short bit of cord out of a pocket and made loops around the branches, holding them in one paw as I walked along the streams edge until I slowly ventured in, paw prints disappearing into the moving water. Carefully, I slid the branches onto my feet and cinched the loops tight, the pine needles digging into my paws. Upstream I walked past the game trail I recently came from, until I felt the distance had been right. Slowly, softly I walked out of the water, gingerly stepping on the moss and using the branches to mask my steps. Again, I entered the brush.
It was a long bit of slow walking but I eventually made it back to that fallen tree through the densest part of the brush. Careful foot placement and moving each and every branch was painful but necessary so there would be no trace of me past the stream. Hopefully the ponies would just assume I walked downstream towards the Everfree with the stream, using it to mask my scent and steps. At the base of the fallen behemoth tree was its root cluster, pointing into the air like the hair of an insane medusa. The trick was pretty simple really. The bigger the tree, the larger the hole under their roots. It took a few minutes to find in the gloom but the hole was more of a small cave really. Gingerly I slid the pack of my bruised and battered body and rummaged through a few pouches, pulling out a few items. Pushing it slowly, it fit in the back of the hole perfectly.
Time to make camp and rest. The only easy day was yesterday, and all that as I grew up hearing. Softly, I wiped my burned leg with a rag, swearing softly under my breath as it tugged on the burned skin. Blessing my forethought, the things I purchased from Zecora before starting this quest came in handy as I opened the small bottle of salve. The bitter scent of crushed willow bark, wormwood, marshmallow, and other scents assaulted my nose, all with the sweet undertone of honey. A strange medicine but it would certainly work. Dabbing it on gingerly hurt a lot more then I expected, but soon it was done and a fresh linen cloth (albeit somewhat damp) promptly wrapped it all to my leg.
Unfurling a small blanket, I wiggled backwards into the hole, sliding my carbine in with me, muzzle first in case any ponies showed in the night. The last thought that crossed my mind before sleep took me was that I should have covered the hole with the severed branches from earlier...
Morning came too early, and with it, the assorted noises of the guards looking for me. Its like subtlety had never occurred to these ponies as they shoved through the brush following my old prints. The trick was being quiet and not moving, hoping they would pass right on by. And that is exactly what they did. In the span of an hour probably near a hundred unicorn and earth pony guards flowed down the path and downstream toward the forest. Eventually, the only noises that remained were the chirp of squirrels and twittering birds as the forest returned to normal. I took that as a good sign.
Crawling out of a hole after a restless nights sleep is harder then most people would think. Every muscle and bone in my body ached from the exertions of the day before and the rocks and roots digging in through the night. After tugging the pack out of its place, I dug through a pocket on its side to find breakfast. Thankful to being somewhat human still, I could eat the food I had been able to get in Ponyville. For all her her crazy and sugar fueled antics, Pinkie Pie was one hell of a baker. I had asked her to make me (basically) a hiking muffin of sorts with oatmeal, raisins, apples and the like baked into it. When it was done, she soaked it in honey and pressed it into a block shape. Pretty much a diabetes bar, but the essentials to keep you going in the deep woods. I didn't even notice how it tasted as it disappeared.
Shouldering the pack, my body protested, but I knew this was something I had to do. The cloth from last night tugging on my fur as the salve had set overnight, basically gluing it to my leg and forming a hard cast over the burns. Just one more injury I'd have to deal with before I saw this through. So many steps ahead of me, I set back off towards the brook, and arrived sooner then I imagined.
There was no sign of the guards looking upstream for me, as where the game trail met the water was crushed and tramped as they ran downstream. A couple hours walk to Ponyville and I'd be home free.
Eventually the forest began to thin, its thick leafy canopy giving way to more light and glimpses of sky. Clear and blue, not a cloud to be seen. Despite my commotion yesterday, the pegasus weather team must be working hard. This is where things would get interesting. Hopefully word of my exploits had not reached the little hamlet yet. To keep images up, I took my time slinging the carbine over my back, resting it on the soft side of my pack. Focusing what little energy I had after a rough nights sleep, I felt burning over every inch of my body as small green flames rippled and flowed. Fur quickly turned into skin, my jaw feeling sore as hell as my canines receded. Nopony needed to know my secret after all.
Assured that I could pull this off, I strode out of the forest and toward the nearby town, hoping I could skirt it all and not bump into Twilight Sparkle or any other of the Element Bearers. Things would get... awkward otherwise. Naturally, the universe decided to screw with me as I neared the town, as an apple screamed by my head.
"Git back here ya monster!"
Oh fuck. Of course Applejack found me. It couldn't have been Pinkie or anypony else. Looking back, I could see a very pissed off orange pony roaring across the fields toward me. Naturally, I did what any predator did when outmatched. I ran like hell toward town. I just had to get to the library. Since my cover was blown, I'd have to go to Twilight and hope she didn't make me explode.
I didn't even feel the rocks cutting my bare feet as I scrabbled to get away from the pissed off earth pony, my shoes lost in the commotion of dodging kicks that would probably cave my chest in. The only thing that saved my life was the fact that Applejack would pause her sentences when she would try to buck, kick, or try to bite in my direction.
"Ya no good..."
I ducked.
"murdering..."
I shoved away as I neared the center of town, the smooth pavers of the street feeling cool against my shredded and bloody feet. And that's when they went out from under me as something bound them together, and my face met the unyielding stone with a sharp slap. I could hear the gasps of the ponies in the market as the creeped away from "the human."
"Twilight. TWILIGHT! I got 'im!"
Applejack, just wait one second and I'll ex...
Well, she apparently didn't want to listen as she firmly kicked me in the face, knocking a few bloody teeth skittering down the street as blood arced out of my mouth.
"Ah don't want tah hear your lies Hex. You shot the Princess, ya damn fool."
I did no such thing Applejack.
"We'll just have ta see what Shining Armor has ta say about that."
And with a look of indignation, the farmer placed a hoof on the back of my neck and pushed to get the point across. I was truly and well fucked.
The air in my lungs suddenly was forced out of my lungs as purple magic seized me and hauled my form aloft. Finally Twilight showed up and would listen to reason, I hoped. As usual, I had hoped wrong, as I was thrown across the market into Roseluck's cart in a shower of thorns and petals.
"You. Shot. The. Princess."
Those were the only words the lavender pony said as her magic forced my jaws shut before I could come up with a rebuttal. Her eyes a glowing white, purple magic snaking itself around my body as the market spun again as I was launched toward the library.
"TWILIGHT SPARKLE!" A familiar voice boomed from behind everyone, "RELEASE HIM AT ONCE!"
Finally Celestia showed up so we could explain everything. Immediately, the magic let go of my body. Physics did not however, as pain ripped through my chest as I hit the tree back first. A yell of agony escaping my lips as I felt something rip through me. That noise grabbed the Princess' attention and pulled Twilight out of her bow.
"But Princess, we were told he shot you?"
"He did, Twilight, but I'll explain that later... Twilight, where is Hex?"
"So, how are you here Princess? We've all seen what his weapons can do."
"Another time Twilight. Where is Hex? We need to have a little...talk ."
Their gazes slowly rose to see blood spattered across the side of the library, following the pattern until they saw me buried in the branches, and the branches buried in me. As everything faded from red to black, the last thing I remembered was the look of shock on their faces, and the steady drip drip drip noise of my blood raining on the street below.
Authors foreward: As a fair warning, this next arc is why I have flagged the story for sex. There will also be gore. I'll go through and try to tag the sections with adult material with a series of asterisks just in case you want to skip them. The only reason it is going in here is to further the story. There will be no explicit material in this chapter though.
“You never know how much you really believe anything until its truth or falsehood becomes a matter of life and death to you.” ― C.S. Lewis
How I came to be in this room, I have no idea. White spreading into infinity as far as I could see. Wonder if this is what purgatory was like. The staccato drip of my blood hitting the floor was pretty much taking all of my attention. It was all I could do to watch each droplet hit the floor and slowly taint the pure white crimson. Entrancing really. I don't even want to get into how awkward it is to be able to literally poke yourself in the ribs from suddenly growing several fist sized holes through my torso. Nothing hurt though. Obviously wasn't hell, as my former boss wasn't here with me, and heaven would be lesser for my being there. Where the hell am I?
"You are everywhere, young one. I do have to ask though, which name do you prefer I call you by? Your birth name, or the one that you have adopted?"
The sudden voice surprised the hell out of me. It was something you would expect to hear when you died, but at the same time, you felt it as well as heard. Literally your eyes vibrating from the sound that came from, well, everywhere. I did have to chuckle a little bit as it sounded somewhat like Morgan Freeman, and that is just too ironic.
"You find my voice amusing, do you, " as the voice quieted to a more conversational level, " it has been a long time since I have had one of your kind here. You did not answer my question however. Which name do you prefer?"
I looked around trying to find the voice, but nothing but white and a few crimson drops were around me. Annoying really, but if the gods want to talk, you talk.
"I prefer to go by Hex, if you don't mind. Figure the old name went to a person who doesn't really exist anymore, literally and figuratively. Dare I ask which of the gods you are?"
"Over the years, I have gone under many names. Some you would recognize, others you worshiped as a, how did you people put it, pagan. Yes, Pagan. That's the word I was was thinking of. You mortals are always so creative with your words and it gives us such enjoyment to see. To answer your question though, I know you are expecting the God of Death. Iblis, Baron Samedi, Cemetery, Lucifer, that lot. Depending on who you talk to, I am both Mother and Father to Celestia and Luna, El Shaddai to the Jews, Sekhmet for the Egyptians, you get the point. Death is just another beginning. I do not cause death, I am the final end."
"What do you mean, The Final End?" I asked the elusive voice.
"Simply put dear child, and make no other thought as you are but a child to me, I am the Destroyer of things. I am who you must convince to spare you from dissolution. My dear brother Death has spared you once by allowing this to happen. Now you are in my domain. Your actions will speak for you. Arguments do nothing but waste air, and I grow tired. Let us see what your past tells us."
The white surrounding me began to ripple and flex and fade. Darkening until only the darkest black remained. A black so dark that the candle of one's soul could flicker and fade and never be noticed for all of eternity.
I was back outside again. I...I remember this. This was back when I met...her...for the first time.
"Is it now child? This is one of your strongest memories, both good and bad. Speak no more, and let us watch."
My lips were unable to move, a response stuck in my throat. What I get for trying to argue with a god I guess. I was standing outside my old high school watching myself. God, (sorry) I dressed like an idiot. Seriously, who wears hawaiian shirts to school? Anyhow, I was leaning against the brick wall outside, enjoying the short Alaskan spring and the shade of a freshly sprouted birch tree, when I saw her. Well, to be honest, the first thing I saw was her ass. (What? I'm a guy you know) Tight blue jeans covering a yoga toned ass. I mean, she had long, flowing blond hair to her mid back, crystal clear blue eyes with just the right tint of silver. Either way, I knew I had to have her. And as usual for a high schooler, I completely fucked it up. Epic fail, weapons grade fuckup.
"Hi, my name's..." as I stumbled and accidentally copped a feel, my hand sliding across her ass as I fell. No time to apologize as she kicked me in the gut hard enough to make me see stars and walked away.
"Pervert," she spit out. At least I got another good look at her ass as I tried to catch my breath.
"You humans are such a strange species. Your mating habits are chaotic, along with social interaction and society, yet can create such amazing things in such a short time. I am intrigued, however, and wish to see what happens after. This moment shaped your entire life after all."
The colors of the former school began to twist and shear as reality spun again.
Suddenly it was three years later, and I was standing in the senior hallway. The burnt orange and navy blue lockers still disgusting after so many years. Amazingly, either my memories or the god had incredible recall, as details I had forgotten popped to mind as I saw them. The ratty carpet and scraped white tile floors, security glass on the windows, and that one flickering light that just wouldn't die.
Oh crap. This moment. Why this moment? This is when I asked her out. Ten years later, I'm still nervous, and she is still beautiful as always.
"Hey Elena..." I started. I always tended to stutter around her, even after we were married it took years to shake the habit.
"Oh, hey! Whats up? Hey! My eyes are up here!"
Apparently I started staring at her cleavage. Only a B cup, but as the years taught me, still plenty of fun to have around."
"Sorry! Sorry. I was wondering if you wanted to grab a movie sometime?"
Her full lips parted, as she sexily purred (in my mind,) "I'd love to. Hellboy is coming out if you haven't seen it yet."
"I've actually really been wanting to see that. I guess I'll call you later and set everything up?"
As usual, reality started to ripple and flow, kind of reminding me of MC Escher on an acid trip.
"So, it took 3 years for you to conquer your fear of her?"
"You are a god, you should know it is mind over matter and all that. My mind was confused by her feminine wiles."
"A convenient excuse, I am sure."
The colors started to recede slowly, and I immediately knew where we were. Probably one of my best and most embarrassing (to watch from the outside) days. The tinkle of the shower running was my first clue, coupled with the soft moans coming from within. If this bathroom could have been painted with an emotion, it would be crimson from all the spent lust in that room.
Speaking of which, "Um, God, I don't know if you have a form here that I can't see, I don't recommend leaning on the sink. Or the toilet. In fact, just don't touch anything in here. Trust me."
My statement was met with silence from the invisible deity, which made things even more awkward. More so as the glass wall of the shower evaporated with the steam from the shower and I was left with a view of myself and Elena in a rather *cough* intimate position.
"Come on guy, are you seriously trying to torture me with this? You KNOW what my situation in equestria is. Stop being a fucking dick. This hurts to watch and you know it."
"Very well, Child . if that is your wish. Before we go, you must tell me what happened here, before events take us there themselves."
"This was the day I proposed. During our fun, I pushed her against the wall of the shower and told her she was going to marry me. Happy?"
"That is not the complete story, but I will not have it said that I am not a merciful god. This was your ONE objection however. You WILL follow the threads of your life from here on out, or I WILL end you.
Somehow I had the feeling I royally screwed myself over. Especially since I knew what was coming, and I would rather watch this scene unfurl a million times over then watch that once. But the dic... er... God, gave me no choice as things spun a direction I didn't want to go.
"I love you," I whispered as reality faded, and tears dripped down my cheeks.
“Some things scratch the surface while others strike at your soul.” ― Gianna Perada
Reality was swimming again. The shades looking like technicolor vomit from a possessed clown as they slowly formed to shape a kitchen. Not just any kitchen, the worst kitchen in the world, and the absolute last place I wanted to be. I'd rather die a million times then be here, not that I had any choice in the matter.
So there I sat, in stunned silence as I watched what I knew was going to occur. The tears already streaming down my face as I saw myself sitting on the couch. Elena, my queen, had left a few days prior to visit her family in Houston. They had just moved down and bought a small house in the suburbs. Growing up in Alaska, I have no idea why someone would want to be forced into a cookie cutter home, but so long as they were happy, it was fine by me.
"Stop this. You know what happens. Just stop. I'll do anything you ask, just stop this moment. Stop this...thing," I pleaded to the god who still had not appeared.
"You knew the agreement, mortal," the voice spat, more vehemently then I thought possible. You could practically hear the sneer in the voice as I slowly collapsed to my knees and watched the same tv my past self was absorbed in. I knew every word of this broadcast, every inflection of terror, fear, and panic in the reporters voice.
Everything seemed to loose color in the room as the female reporter said the words I dreaded.
"There was a large scale terrorist attack in Houston just moments ago. A nuclear weapon was detonated in the path of the Presidential motorcade. As far as we know, the entire white house staff and senior government officials are missing." I couldn't care less about the damn President. I tried to punch the couch my other self sat on, only to pass right through it, stumbling to the floor again.
"IS THIS WHAT YOU WANTED? To see me broken on the floor begging for death? FUCK YOU! FUCK YOU, YOU PATHETIC ATTEMPT OF A GOD!"
"YOU MISERABLE WHELP! YOU KNEW THE TERMS AND YOU WILL ABIDE BY THEM. THERE WILL BE NO PEACE OR RECOURSE UNTIL THIS TRIAL IS COMPLETE. CEASE YOUR SNIVELING ON THE FLOOR AND BE A MAN LIKE YOU CLAIMED YOU WERE."
"If you wish dissolution after this trial, you may have it. There are other alternatives that we have yet to discuss. Your life nears its end in that form anyhow. There is not long. Be silent until then. We both know the results of this moment, so we will away, unless you want to hear yourself weeping for eternity."
If the room could have faded any further to grey, it would have before the black took me.
"Before Equestria this was the last thing you experienced, and I must understand it."
Trees, moss, and dirt began to swirl around us to form the shadows of a forest in evening. I knew this day. This is the day I died and was reborn. I had gone hunting again, the outdoors being the only place of solace I could find in a world descending into chaos. After the attack, martial law was decreed country wide, as the highest ranking person left was some senator from Iowa. The entire government was decapitated overnight. Almost all of congress and the senate, the cabinet, everyone important to me, and the masses that weren't perished in that fireball.
An upside to living in Alaska is there was no real way to enforce martial law. When you have seven hundred thousand people in a state the size of 2/3 of the country, things get strange. Especially when you add the fact that there were almost eleven million legally owned guns in my home state. We were pretty much left alone, much as usual.
The forest was the only place that made my life liveable. I lost my job due to not being able to handle the stress. The only reason I wasn't homeless was the fact that Elena and I both had well paying jobs prior to this. We kept our bills paid well in advance, just in case we needed a sudden vacation.
This day in the forest, there was a deadlier predator. A predator I was doing my best to run from. Reality rippled as we slid along behind my other self, looking back in fear and hearing the panting and barks coming quickly. Forcing every footing as I tried to get to an outcropping I knew was near. Not near enough, apparently.
"Watch out you idiot!" I tried to warn myself against what was coming.
Now that I think about it, something did make me look over my shoulder right then. I wonder if it was my yelling. Either way, a bounding shape caught my eye. Grey fur, gold eyes, and jagged teeth meant to carve flesh from bone. The wolves were here. I tried to bring my carbine up, only to have my foot catch on a root and drag me to the forest floor. The loud pop of my ankle audible from a distance away.
"Motherfucker!" I screamed as I twisted at the waist, fingers dancing on the trigger.
From the outside, my oncoming death seemed like something from a Liam Neeson movie. I could feel every bit of the concussion from the muzzle of the rifle as it roared its fury into the world. The streams of blood as bullets passed through wolf after wolf as they charged. Brass clinking as it pooled on the ground next to my right knee.
And the click of the hammer landing on an empty chamber. Months later, that still brought ice to my veins. I didn't realize that I had fired all thirty rounds and the magazine was empty, bolt locked back. One wolf still remaining, just the two of us.
Naturally, the predator didn't have the same thoughts that I did. As I fished for an extra rifle magazine in a pouch, I completely forgot my revolver on my hip. Not that it mattered really. Just as the fresh magazine cleared the pouch, I could see the agony ripping across my face as teeth tore into my left arm. The wolf was faster.
I thrashed with the rifle, jabbing it in the ribs and face, trying to fore it to let go as I screamed. Yes, I screamed. You try having a two hundred pound meat grinder attached to your arm before you can say anything. I felt around for anything that could be used as a weapon, not even noticing the blood soaking my other hand as I grabbed my knife by the blade and slammed it into the wolf's neck. Slicing my hand just as deep as the predator. If I was going to die, I was going to take this thing with me. I tightened the grip on my left hand the wolf was chewing on, intending to hold it's lower jaw and force it to come to me. Come to its doom.
As you can tell, things don't usually go my way though. This is where I found out that sticking your hand in a wolf's mouth is a good way to lose fingers. Blood spurted as everything except my thumb separated in one fell bite, and then the beast lunged. My knife forcing its way into its neck at the same moment the wolf's canines entered mine. I could see its eyes glazing over as blood loss claimed it. But my fingers couldn't hold the knife. Why can't I hold a knife, I wondered as I scrambled for it, only making it slide away further as things began to fade...
The last words leaving my lips... "I'm coming love. Wait for me."
Meanwhile in another slice of reality...
Twilight Sparkle was arguing with a certain mint colored pony. A certain mint colored pony that was dead set on proving that these strange things called "hoomans" were real.
"Lyra, why do you insist that these creatures are real? There is no evidence anywhere in Equestria that they do?"
"Its simple really. I just know they do. You have a few books here that even reference them!"
"I assure you, none of my books have anything on humans in them, not even the tomes on magic. Please Lyra, let this go."
"Well, there is one thing you could do to prove it to me. You are the one who is the element of magic you know."
"Lyra, why do I have a feeling I'm going to regret even listening to you. I'll make you a deal. I'll try to summon something that fits whatever description you have of a human. When nothing happens, you have to admit that humans are not real. Deal?"
The mint pony looked down for a moment, contemplating what she was told.
"Deal. I already have a list of features ready if you want to see it!"
A ream of loosely bundled notes and sketches were thrust under Twilight's nose. "You want me to read all that for a simple spell? One page Lyra. One page is all."
After a moments fumbling through the stack, one crudely written page was presented to the irritated pony.
"This one. This one has everything important about humans. What they eat, what they look like, everything."
After a quick glance to the page, Twilight sighed and closed her eyes, not believing what she was about to do for one insane pony.
A small breeze overtook the library, fluttering pages in open tomes as the lavender librarian focused her magic, drawing it out into the universe and feeling for something, anything, or nothing to end this crazy plot. Naturally, she was completely oblivious to the mint pony who was staring at her intently, a grin on her face as if she knew what was going to happen. As if her crazy theories were about to be proven once and for all.
Everything stopped as Twilight gasped and opened her eyes. Radiant white spilling forth, as if she contained the heart of a runaway sun. White and purple flames flickering around her form, slowly burning a ring into the soft floor of the library. The brightness grew and grew, feeding on itself. A roaring noise coming from seemingly everywhere came from the library, rising in intensity to a crescendo as windows all across Ponyville began to crack and break.
A wave of white magic tore out across the town, with the library in its epicenter. Ponies dropping everything and scrambling to get away, only to be overtaken, but left otherwise unharmed. It did not escape the view of a certain Princess however.
With a soft sigh, Princess Celestia closed her eyes for a moment. When she inhaled again, she was standing behind her prized pupil, who was slumped over, gasping for air from exertion. Shock spreading across her face as she surveyed the seen before her. Just as rapidly as the blood of the creature spread across the floor, filling every groove in the floor, almost as its essence wanted to paint a crimson flower.
"Twlight Sparkle, what did you do?!?"
Life in Ponyville just got a lot more interesting.
"The call of death is a call of love. Death can be sweet if we answer it in the affirmative, if we accept it as one of the great eternal forms of life and transformation." --Hermann Hesse
My head was absolutely killing me. It felt like someone had balanced a watermelon on it and destroyed it with a splitting maul. The rest of me didn't feel much better. Everything hurt. I don't mean that in the sissy "everything hurts" way. When you wake up in the morning and you have a cramp in every muscle, roll over and bend your junk sideways, then accidentally light yourself on fire, that is a good start. Add some ball kicking and you get a decent idea. Fucking pervs.
Opening my eyes was agony. For some reason, the light from the single lantern in the corner felt like someone was swirling around a red hot poker in my eye sockets. The walls were bare stone other then that one single lantern, only interrupted by a very cliche looking wood and wrought iron door. Who the hell raids a movie supply place to save my life anyhow?
"This is the crux of your existence, young one. In this moment, you ceased to be, but continued to be because of my brother's actions. You will forget I am here for a time, but when judgement comes you will hear my voice again and we will decide your fate on this earth and all others in the multiverse."
I tried to speak to the... what was I doing again?
I tested my sore muscles and tried to sit up. I could feel everything, but my body just didn't want to respond. There was this tightness on my chest and arms, as if there were lead weights hanging from them. Why is my body useless, why won't it respond? Sucking in a breath, and trying to force a move did nothing but force a low evil sounding growl out of my throat. Why am I growling? That is pretty damn strange.
A strange noise caused me to look toward the door. It seemed like a mix of a whinny and ancient greek. Guttural but still horse...ish. The only thing stranger was the view as the door opened. I swear to god, a white horse with a technicolor mane and a little purple pony stepped into the room. Now I know the wolf killed me and was trapped somewhere in Satan's magic mushroom trip. I'm just waiting for their heads to melt and turn into a snake or something crazy.
The little purple one came up to me and made a few more of those strange vocalizations. It was...strange. Kind of like watching Mr. Ed, but without the wires and peanut butter. The pony was definitely trying to do something. And thats when it hit me. Both creatures had horns, and the big white one had wings. Strange, but I'm in hell, so I'll play along.
A few more odd noises and head bobs later, it was apparent the little purple one was "talking" to the bigger one about something. Probably me considering it looked like I was strapped to a table in a dreary cell. An odd look crossed the face of the smaller horse, just before its horn started to glow. Naturally, I tried to get away from the demonic unicorn, but considering no muscles besides my eyes and lungs worked, a small weak squeak was the only thing I managed to get out. When you can't move, it is incredibly hard to glare at a pony that is trying to touch a glowing horn to your forehead.
Stranger still is the sensation that erupted in my mind from the contact of that pony. Memories started streaming into my mind. Colors flowing into pictures, pictures into sounds, and those sounds slowly started to make sense. I...I think it is trying to introduce itself.
"My...name...is...Twilight...Sparkle. Do...you...understand...me?"
Only choking noises came out of me, as it felt like someone had stuffed my mouth full of cotton gauze. After swallowing, I decided to try it again.
"What the hell are you?" managed to come out in an abrupt sort of way. With that, it felt like something clicked in my mind and I could understand. Probably understand more then I wanted to. She was a unicorn, the big one was something called an alicorn. Basically a unicorn with wings.
"What do you mean what am I? I'm a unicorn. I am Twilight Sparkle, as I just said. You know, it is amazing with that body structure how you are even able to talk. What can you tell me about your people?"
"Twilight, I think there are more important things to ask," the alicorn interjected, "first off, I am Princess Celestia, the ruler of Equestria. The country you are currently in. Now, are you a threat to my people, and secondly, why should I let you out of your bonds?"
With the "Princess" title, I think it's safe to assume this was a mare. Considering the reason I can't move is I was bound, time to go on the offensive.
"Listen lady, I have no idea who you are, or where I am. What I can tell you is that you are holding a citizen of the United States of America prisoner. My country takes a very dim view of terrorists, let alone terrorists from some country I have never heard of that is full of talking horses."
"How dare you talk to the Princess like that?!" the one that called itself "Twilight Sparkle" exclaimed. "She is the sovereign ruler of this country! And we have no record of any country calling itself that, so no need to make things up."
"Twilight," the larger one exhaled, "the creature has every right to be afraid of his current position. As for you calling me a terrorist and insulting the crown, I will ignore this. Once. Now then, please answer my questions and we can put this behind us."
If I could have looked at the Princess with a look of disdain I would have, but being able to move and see what was going on better was a good incentive to play nice for now. If I could facepalm right now, I would for what I was about to say.
"Princess, I apologize for calling you a terrorist. I have no idea where I am, beyond the name what you are, or what is going on. The last thing I knew I was being killed by a wild animal. As for what I am Twilight, I am a human. Now why do you guys think I am a threat to your people? Especially since I am apparently tied to a table in a dungeon."
The purple (lavender I guess) pony looked at me like I was an alien, although from their perspective I guess I was.
"You don't look like any human we've ever seen before. Granted, it was from old tomes in the library, but humans don't have fur," she said matter of factly. "You aren't anything we have seen before. You almost look like a big timberwolf in a way."
"Huh? You aren't making any sense. I don't look anything like a wolf." Crazy creatures must have one hell of a drunk historian if they could get humans and wolves mixed up. It didn't really help when Twilight looked at Celestia like they were having some kind of unheard conversation.
"We don't allow mirrors in the cells for the protection of both prisoners and guards, but I can show you what you look like through our eyes. Would you like that? It might help you believe us when we say that you are not a human. If we judge you not to be a threat after this, we will release your bonds."
At this point, if it got my bonds let loose, I'd pretend I was a chicken for all I cared. Not being able to move was seriously starting to mess with my calm. Before I could even respond, the princess interrupted my thoughts...
"This will not hurt, but it might be a little disconcerting at first." And then her horn began to glow.
Suddenly I was looking at the table I was on. It was the same table. I tried to look around in my body, and I saw my eyes moving the directions I meant to go. The rest had to be a trick though. Where my body should have been, there was the body of a giant two legged black wolf wrapped in purple glowing rope. Also why were my eyes gold? And why am I a wolf?!?
"WHAT THE FUCK?!? Princess, I assure you, I am a human. I have no idea why you have a wolf on the table. Don't get me wrong, it looks badass, but that isn't me."
She just rolled her eyes and looked over at Twilight, who suddenly was shuffling hoof to hoof awkwardly, like she really didn't want to be here.
"Well... there MIGHT have been a slight mixup. When you appeared in my library, you were nearly dead. There was so much blood..." as she trailed off and looked toward the floor.
"A slight WHAT?" I roared. I swear if this magical retread screwed me up worse, I might need to be tied up.
She sighed and looked back at me, a few small tears forming in her eyes. "You were bleeding so bad, we used magic to try to put your blood back in and then try to close the wounds. We didn't know until later that there was a second blood type, or that it reacted with magic. We just thought what was happening was part of your normal healing process and that you had lost your fur and claws in whatever fight you were in."
I can't believe it, the magical dunce turned me into a fucking wolf hybrid. The fact that I was tied down with some crazy glowing rope was probably a good thing as I started to boil. The more I thought about what they claimed happened, the hotter I got. It started to feel like I was on fire almost, and the rage felt...good. It was like I could feel the ropes loosening. It felt even better as a look of shock slowly spread across the face of the purple pony.
"If...if you stop what you are doing, we'll release the ropes and talk like more civil creatures," she stuttered. The princess just stood there, observing but not saying a word. Granted, I have no idea what I was supposedly doing, so lying seemed like a good enough plan.
"Deal. Release the ropes and I'll behave."
The silent princess just nodded and the ropes fell away. What caught my attention was the ropes themselves. As they pulled away, several of them had flickering green flames dancing on their surfaces...
“Rather than turning the page, it's much easier to just throw the book away.”― Anthony Liccione
All my rage faded as I watched the flickering green flame. I have no idea why but it just entranced me.
"How did your magic do that?" Twilight asked in a fearful tone, " that was enchanted rope that we used to bind creatures that are a danger to all life."
"I don't have magic," I muttered, still watching the flames as they flickered and died, just like my rage. Sighing gently as my wrath bled away with the flames, "Ask your questions, and I'll do my best to answer. And no, humans don't have magic. I have no idea what that was."
As Twilight opened her mouth, the Princess spoke, "if you will answer my questions to my satisfaction and convince me that you are not a danger to everypony, we will let you out of this cell. You will still have armed guards until I decide otherwise, and you will be staying in the castle, but you will be out of this dark cell. Twilight can ask her questions later. This, I need to know now. There are two methods to answer, but make your decision carefully as both can have consequences."
I tried to look at her with incredulity, but somehow I don't think my new wolf face was capable of doing that emote just yet, as she just looked at me with puzzlement on her lips.
"What are your options, Princess?"
"We can spend several hours asking questions and comparing your answers to what we know, or you can let me into your mind and I can have my answer in just a few seconds. Either way, I will need your name before we begin."
Which one do you think I chose? Its not like these crazy ponies could do anything else to me at this point, well, unless they wanted to castrate me or something, but I'm not down with that. The name thing did stump me though. I could go by what I used back home, but it seemed to ring hollow. That life had died for me when my wife had. The less of a reminder I have to go by, the better. Thinking back, there were a few names I had liked back when I was a gamer. Typhus was my favorite, but he was downright evil. One seemed to fit perfectly though, as I based him off my religion and the nickname I was given from it. Hex. Simple, elegant, and it conveyed my point if you crossed me.
"Considering my life ended a long time ago, I'd prefer it if you called me Hex, Princess. And I'd rather let you rummage through my mind and get your answers than spend more hours in this prison."
"Very well then. Twilight, please step outside," she stated flatly toward the other pony, "I do not wish you to see this. No matter what you hear, I am in no danger. Please keep the door shut and locked."
"But Princess..." she tried but was rudely interrupted, "Twilight, I have asked once. Please leave so I may do this."
Bowing slightly, the purple pony turned and exited the room. Her hooves making an almost comical "clop clop" noise on the stone floor. Reminded me of Monty Python on a bad day.
"This may hurt, but it may not. Please do not fight me as I do not wish to damage you...Hex."
Her eyes focusing as a blue haze surrounded her horn and my body went rigid. I wish I could say I screamed like a little girl for the next few minutes. Truthfully, it felt like hours, like someone was slowly using a hand auger to drill an ice fishing hole in my brain, and everything faded to grey... Some time later, I awoke and the princess was nowhere to be seen. A foul smell assaulting my nose along with a dripping noise from the table I sat on. That bitch made me piss myself.
Somewhere in the multiverse, a certain destroyer god was laughing hysterically...
After a few minutes of wallowing in my shame (literally) I found a small sack in a corner. I tried to get off the table and get it, but my new legs weren't used to walking like a human apparently. It took several tries and a lot of cussing to finally be able to walk over and grab the burlap sack. Inside was a few rags and a loincloth. A fucking loincloth. What the hell is up with these damn ponies?!
"Whatever," I sighed as I tied the thing around my waist. Honestly, I was happy just to have something to cover my apparently now super sized... hardware. Don't get me wrong, I was a decently sized guy, my wife even said I was well above average, but this new setup was making me grin like an idiot. Shame Elena wasn't around anymore, as I'd love to show her what I was capable of now. Now suitably attired, and depressed after that thought, I headed for the open door.
The moment my feet...er... paws (now, I guess) hit the smooth floor in the hall, a cough to my left grabbed my attention. A white guard pony wearing polished silver armor gestured down the hall with a tilt of his head.
"The Princess has quartered you down this way, in the Royal Wing. It is part of my duties to state that this is not a claim to status. Simply, if you attempt anything against the Princess, you will be surrounded with guards in moments. Please do not make us kill you or intervene because you are feeling violent. Her Majesty has informed us that you are no threat, and we would prefer to keep that thought."
Kind of hard to come up with a response to that, so I stayed silent and followed the guard through the maze of halls. Some were brilliantly appointed with paintings, tapestries, and art, while others were simple servants passages lit by lanterns. Not once did I see another pony than the guard.
As we stopped in front of a large door, the guard spoke again, "These are your quarters. The Princess awaits within to speak more with you. If she utters a noise outside of conversation, know we will end you." With that, he turned to stand by the door, stiffer than a British Royal Guard. Shame I had no idea what to say to make him laugh or smile. It would be somewhat amusing. With nothing left to do, I grabbed the large brass ring and pushed the door open.
Princess Celestia was standing in the middle of a large room, waiting just as the guard stated. Overall, I would have to give the lodgings a 5 star rating. King (or is it Princess sized) bed, beautiful wood work, crimson carpet and wall hangings, all accented with a tasteful use of mahogany, ebony, and polished brass.
Now, Celestia looked downright nervous to be alone with me as I was free and apparently the better part of a foot taller than her. Benefits of being a biped I guess. Before I could make a single comment, she started into her speech.
"Hex, this will be your room for the time being. If you have need of anything, you just need to ask the guards outside your room. The restroom is behind the door to your left, and it appears we have similar plumbing to what you were used to on your Earth. This is a measure of trust, earn more of it and you will be allowed to explore the castle, and eventually be able to travel Equestria without armed escort. We do have several things to discuss before I leave you to yourself."
What she was saying made sense in a way. She seemed very concerned about the welfare of her people, although I didn't like what she was putting me through, I could appreciate it at least. Without a pause, she continued.
"Regarding the questions Twilight asked of you, when the time is right we will talk about your magic. You will need to earn that trust first. As for getting you home to your Earth, as far as I know, that would be impossible for several reasons. First of all, you were effectively dead when you arrived here. Sending you back would revert you to that state, and I do not like having to order executions. No, we don't have any idea how to separate the wolf blood from your own. It has made you unique, even more so then you could imagine. Again, we will touch on that later. We also recovered several dozen items with you on your arrival. We are not sure of their design, and will return them after examination and you gaining our trust. Twilight should be here soon to ask her questions. I recommend eating before she arrives. I've had the chef make some of your..."Specialties" brought up. The last thing is a simple one. Twilight Sparkle is my personal student. Any affront or insult to her, I will take as insult to me. Remember this."
She closed her eyes, and with little more then a rustling of wind, was gone. As usual, without me being able to get a word in sideways.
A short while later, there was a short knock on the door, then a small blue pony with a red mane pushed a delicious smelling cart into the room. I hardly noticed the strange tattoo on his ass. Now that I think about it, Celestia and Twilight had one too. Some kind of cult thing I guess.
"Your food, Sir," the pony said bluntly, all the while looking a little green around the edges. He slowly backed away from the cart and shut the door behind him.
I tried to keep my calm, but the smells coming off the cart dragged me closer. I could hardly control myself as I ripped the lid of the large tray, my mouth watering from the scents I knew so well. No wonder the pony looked rather ill. Sad little herbivores. Under the lid lay an assortment of masculine treats. A steak with perfectly caramelized surfaces and sauteed onion and mushrooms on the side. Potatoes and gravy, next to some kind of white meat (looked like chicken, but like I cared)
Honestly, and embarrassingly enough, I wolfed the food down, barely tasting more then the first few bites. Absolutely divine, and complements to the chef. Well I would, if he could look me in the eye. Its like he had never seen a wolf before. I could get used to this kind of treatment.
A short while later, a soft knock sounded on the door, and in walked a certain purple unicorn...
"Holy men tell us life is a mystery.
They embrace that concept happily.
But some mysteries bite and bark
and come to get you in the dark."
-The Book of Counted Sorrows
After a moment of uncomfortable eye contact, the purple pony fidgeted softly. I knew she had something to say, but had no idea how about to go and do it. So, I decided to cut to the chase,
"What can I do for you Twilight? I imagine you have some questions you want to ask of me since Celestia is busy. I apparently have all the time in the world to answer."
A quizzical look crossed her face. I don't think she thought I'd go on the offensive. I used to be fairly aggressive in my past life, but now I seemed to take a wolfish (get it *cough*) pleasure out of it. When she starting sucking in deep breath, I knew this sentence was going to be a doozy.
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry for turning you into something that we know nothing about. I was just trying to save your life, and I did the only thing I could think of. There was blood everywhere and we couldn't stop it. The magic cleaned anything dirty out of your blood before we pushed it back into you. We thought it was all yours, as the blood types were the same, just with different looking cells. We had no idea what we were doing, and I'm sorry we turned you into...this. I do have some interesting theories about your abilities though, but we'll have to talk about those later as Princess Celestia has a few questions she wanted me to ask."
Damn, I'm surprised that she got all that out on one breath. The little pony sure had some big lungs to be able to pull that off. Little did I know it was just her OCD showing and she preferred the bandaid method of saying she was sorry. For those "city folk" that have never had a booboo, a bandaid hurts when you pull it off. You can do it slow, it is less painful, but takes a lot longer and you can feel ever hair getting pulled out, or you can just rip the sucker off and deal with it like a man. It'll put hair on your balls. (*author's note: I grinned a little writing the balls part :P )
"Twilight, I am okay. At least as good as I can be considering how my life has been. Celestia has been inside my head and knows the crap I've lived through. Whatever doesn't kill me only makes me stranger and all that. " I had to chuckle a little bit at that. Used it since I was a kid, and it really started to ring true lately. "So what do you want to ask?"
That was like opening a damn. The little creature spent the next several hours asking questions and writing everything down in notebook after notebook. Everything from my favorite color (dark green) to my favorite food, what I did on earth, how I was adapting to my new body, and more. I did have to draw the line a few times when her curiosity got the better of her. I understand a healthy amount of interest in something new and shiny, but when you start asking sleeping habits and then immediately flow into asking about sexual tendencies, I start to get a little weirded out. Thankfully, it turned out to be purely scientific interest. Not to mention the fact that I haven't had a sex drive in quite a while, not to mention the new body and equipment. Things would be "interesting" to get used to.
What really got my attention was a series of questions about magic. Namely if humans could use it, what I thought of it and the like. After a little poking of my own, she slipped up. Apparently, when they used magic on the blood, it charged it. As in, my body has a small pool of magic in it. That said, she seems to think I can only use it when I am under stress. Apparently it explains why I can't normally use magic and why when I was rather homicidal (ponycidal?) my body started flickering with green flames that burned through the ropes. Because I wanted to be free.
What do you know about that. I'm stuck on a planet full of intelligent horses, stuck as a wolven, AND can use magic. Next Celestia is going to say that my gear survived and came through with me. Twilight did say that she'd want to experiment with my magic and seeing what it could do after the Princess decided I could be trusted.
The days turned into weeks, and flowed into months as I rotted in that castle. On the upside, they eventually started letting me out of my room to get some exercise in the garden at night. Apparently, they have a hedge maze that you can only get out of if the princess decides to let you. Still, after being stuck inside so long, I milked that opportunity as often as I could. That's also when I met the other princess. Luna. The goddess of the night. Kind of suitable that a wolf would be out playing at night, enjoying the moon's beauty. Anyhow, I digress.
It was mid-spring, just as the snow is nearly melted, and the clouds have gone, that I met her. I was resting in the heart of the maze near a group of weird looking statues when I heard a rustling noise behind me. The closest I could put it would be if someone waved a bedsheet in the air. As I started to turn, a soft voice carried on the wind.
"So you are the creature my sister has brought into our kingdom. I have heard you go by the name of Hex. I am Luna, Princess of the Night, Ruler of the Moon, and Bringer of the Stars. I bid you welcome."
I honestly didn't know what to say to that. So many logical issues with her statement after all. You need a king to have a kingdom for one, let alone ruling the moon and bringing the stars. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy the self assured, slightly cocky attitude, as she would be fun to mess with, but there was too much derp in that statement. (Only later did I realize why people gave me an angry look when I said that. Apparently there is a very much loved, and very very much accident prone mail pony named Derpy Hooves in the town Twilight is from.)
"It's nice to meet you Princess. Even back home, I preferred the night to the day, only going to bed near sunrise. That said, I have no idea what the other honorifics mean. You have to remember, I have been locked into my room fairly well since my arrival. Let alone the ceaseless constant questions from your sister and her student ask."
It really is an odd thing to see a pony cock its head to the side when they are confused.
"What do you mean when you say you have been locked in your room? Celestia informed me that you were to be released and taught of your magic weeks ago as she felt you could be trusted. There must have been some miscommunication as WE were not informed otherwise. I'll be sure to ask her of this in the morning. As for my titles, feel free to ask Celestia's student. I wish you a good night."
With that, the odd Princess flapped her wings and rose into the crisp night air. Seriously, fucking strange ponies. A few days passed before I saw Luna again, this time from a distance. Longer still to see her in person.
About a month after our last eye contact, I was on my usual night run through the maze. As I rounded the final corner into the creepy garden, I ran nose first into the side of Princess Luna. She gave the most adorable squeak of surprise as I tumbled over her and onto the dew cooled grass. Apparently, it is really hard to knock over an Alicorn, as she stood there like a cliff amongst the waves. Getting up would certainly cause me more effort.
"Good Evening Hex, " she started, looking at how I got back onto my two feet with interest, " I spoke with my dear sister about our last conversation. She feels that things were amiss about you not being informed of your status, let alone that your property has been sitting in the Royal vault for quite some time now. They will be returned to you at your request, which I assume you will give soon. Before you do so, be aware that we do understand what the 3 larger objects in your property are and what they are capable of. Those will remain in the vault until the time you are released into your own care."
I just stood there in stunned silence. Celestia basically fucked up and let me rot in that damn room for months, not even letting me know my stuff survived and came through with me.
"I do have one thing to offer as payment and an apology for this profound mixup. After speaking to Celestia and Twilight, it seems that due to your nature, your magic is...unique. That said, I appear to be the pony most skilled in what magic we have near yours. Largely due to it being banned over one thousand years ago and it being influenced by what most ponies consider dark magic. Mental state, intent, and the phase of the moon control how you can use your abilities. As for your mana well, it seems it is replenished by doing exactly what you have been doing. Being outside, even more so in the night. You draw from the world around you."
Holy fuck. That is kind of awesome, albeit making me sound like a fucking werewolf that can't change shape. Honestly, after so long, I've kind of been getting used to my shape and flexibility. It was also really fun to flirt with the maids and then give them a very toothy smile when I get caught. I always felt guilty afterwards, but the teasing was fun during.
"Hex? Hex. I've been talking to you."
"Sorry, what? I was just thinking about what you just said," I lied my ass off. I wasn't paying the least bit of attention as I was still deep in thought.
"So, are you going to accept my offer to become my student and study your ability? You are in a special position where I can learn just as much from you as you can from me."
Still not knowing entirely what was going on, this still sounded like a good deal here. Like an idiot, I jumped in without thinking.
"Princess Luna, I would love to accept your proposal."
If only I knew how much trouble those words would end up causing me. I swear there was someone laughing at me in the distance. Fuck it though, I am going to learn magic.
"Hex, please just call me Luna. We are going to be working very...closely together from here on out. I'll have your things sent to a room in the Dusk wing. If you have any questions, just find either a Night Guard or Lunar Specialist."
She raised her wings as if she were going to leap into the air, and I swear my ears heard something I shouldn't have. Her lips barely moved, but it was there.
"I'll be seeing you very soon..."
Holy men tell us life is a mystery.
They embrace that concept happily.
But some mysteries bite and bark
and come to get you in the dark.
The Book of Counted Sorrows
In the days following my chat with Luna, her words began to come true. Nearly every night she appeared in the maze close to the statue of the creature called "Discord." Things started slow, as she taught me to focus and draw from the world around me, but steadily accelerated as she found many flaws in what we thought was my "process." I could pull energy from nearly any object with magical potential, including the sun, the moon, stars, and the planet itself. That said, as we found out, pulling from the world around me could have consequences, as a circle of scorched and dead grass proved after one night.
That is when we decided to hold on any further thoughts on how I can draw from the world. For now. I had a few ideas I wanted to try, but needed to find an outlet first. Don't get me wrong, Luna was a great companion and always quick with a smartass comment, but some things I needed to figure out on my own. So, I thought back to the last time magic had manifested itself around me. Back to the pain and the rage. The all consuming rage to watch the world burn for what they were doing to me. As I touched that well deep in me (dirty hehe) something clicked in my mind and I could barely believe it as I saw small flickering green flames burst to life in the palm of my right hand.
To say Luna was interested in this development was an understatement. We spent the next several weeks worth of free time focusing on how I managed to draw it forth. The more I worked, the easier it became until I could call the flames with little more then a thought. My raw magic had been discovered, but it was nothing more then it appeared. Just a flame that could do little more then burn. That's when my ideas came into play. Back home, lets just say I was more then a lapsed christian. I was a downright pagan. I followed several mixed paths that followed my family roots. A little bit of Druidism, a touch of Vodoun (commonly called voodoo) and a gentle sprinkling of Asatru, otherwise known as the Nordic path.
The point is, there were many things I learned back home, and a few of them I wanted to try here. As such, I gently asked the Princess to arrange for a few "supplies" to be dropped off with me. Nothing horrible mind you, but things that would get me started of my crazy idea worked. The look on her face was rather interesting when I asked for a few obsidian shards and some pure uncolored clay. I had to promise to show her what my idea was when the time came though.
It took a few days, but my items finally arrived, and both of us took to the garden eagerly that night.
As we walked into the quiet garden at the heart of the maze, there was only one thing on our minds. Simply, would this work. Or in her case, would this work, and what is "this" in her case. Either way, this was probably going to hurt a bit.
"Luna," I started softly, "no matter what you see, please do not interrupt no matter what I say. If this will work, I'll probably need silence if you don't mind. It doesn't bother me if you watch though. In fact, having someone watching can make things more fun."
I had to chuckle to myself at that comment, as I had really learned to love making the sexually repressed Princess uncomfortable. All she did was nod slightly, so I assumed it was safe to begin my test.
A few weeks back, I had looked for the perfect spot that would be unnoticed for this. They had laid paving stones around the hideous statue in the heart of the maze, so any dead grass would be unnoticed. As creepy as it was to do this with a statue staring at the back of my head, there was no better place to do this. I placed several small clay charms on the ground and softly palmed the razor sharp crystal shards. The statue of discord watching over my shoulders, I felt it was time to begin.
Exhaling, I closed my eyes and willed the flames into my hands. The soft crackle and pop of the sickly flames comforting me with their presence and the ease of arrival. So far so good. With a thought, I started to draw the flames up my arms toward my chest and neck, enjoying the heat as it spread. A slight push and they began to flow over my body, until I heard a small gasp from the Princess when she saw me enveloped in flames. Too late to stop though. Too far to go forward, and too far to go back.
Drawing from within, I forced the flames down, making them pool at my feet. Both the statue and I flickering evilly in the dim light. I felt out from my body, small tendrils of flame reaching out, skipping across the rough stone at my feet until they formed a rough circle of flickering hate. Down they burrowed, into the earth, into the dark, to grab what I sought, the small shards in my hands being squeezed so tight there was a current of blood dripping to the ground only to flicker with small flames when they hit.
The earth below was resisting. My magic finding what I sought, but it tried to slip away. Tendrils bouncing of shields that suddenly appeared around what I needed. Too far to go back, I pulled more from within, pouring my hate and rage into the earth, while it was quickly stained with more of my vitae. Distantly, I could hear yelling. I could feel pounding against the flames surrounding me. I would deal with that later. This was now. This was all that mattered. My magic assaulting what lay below me, seeking the tiniest cracks in armor, and eventually finding it, ripping it open and flooding me with the pure essence of what I needed.
A howl of infinite pleasure and untold pain ripped its way out of my throat as the raw magic of the world tore through me. From the eyes of Luna, it appeared that I was a dervish of multicolored flames, writhing in agony. To me, I saw it all. I saw everything, all of creation laid bare before me as I tapped into the heart of the world.
Lights were beginning to turn on in the castle proper, I could feel ponies awaking, the pounding of guards hooves on the stone floors as they rushed toward the labyrinth and the wolf housed within. I tried to reach out and delay them, use the maze against them, but the moment I touched the hedges with my mind, something unforeseen happened. My magic flickered and died.
The last thing I saw before losing consciousness was Luna standing over me looking incredibly pissed, and the blood soaked face of discord glaring down at me.
Pain. All of the world was pain as I slowly awoke. I had no idea how long it had been since I passed out, but I figured the results were not good. If the scents assaulting my nose were anything to go by, I had an idea where I was. Slowly opening my eyes, I was right. Right back in that damn prison cell.
As I reached up to rub my aching head, I realized three things. First, there was a shard of black stone imbedded in the palm of my right hand, seemingly fused to the bone within. Secondly, why did I have black swirling tattoos covering my skin. Lastly, why was my skin showing? Did it all burn off as I touched the heart of the world? As I looked around, I slowly came to realize that there was a matching gold colored stone imbedded in my left hand. More importantly, I didn't burn off my fur.
I was human again...
*Author's note: I was going to do a complete rewrite of this chapter, but it fits into what I have planned too well. *
The hounds, the hounds
come baying at his heels.
The hounds! The hounds!
The breath of death he feels.
The Book of Counted Sorrows
"What the BUCK were you thinking Hex?"
Apparently there was a pair of obscenely irate princesses in the room with me, lead by one incredibly pissed purple pony. A certain pony who did not seem to care that my head was killing me at the moment.
"You did blood magic at the base of the statue of Discord. Do you have any idea what the consequences for that could be? Do you? I don't even want to get into the fact that you tried to tap into the magic that keeps the world alive. It's everything I could do to keep my sister from executing you while you slept," Luna interjected rather loudly.
All that was left was the speech from the royal one herself. One speech that never seemed to come as Celestia just stood there, glaring at me and shaking with rage. I think I done fucked up. Time to see if I can save my ass on this one. Saving myself the usual sigh I would start with, I just jumped straight in as I tried to sit up. I also realized that I was completely naked and giving the ladies one hell of a show.
"Princess, Twilight, calm down please. This was just an experiment. Granted, it did get a bit out of hand, but I was just trying to see what I could do to draw and use my magic. I didn't know that I was touching the heart of the world. I might be an idiot, but I'm not suicidal. As for Discord, it's just a creepy statue. What does it matter if I get a little blood on it? I'd intended on wiping it off later. I picked that spot so I wouldn't kill anything in the gardens, pony, plant, or otherwise."
They just looked at each other and then back at me like I had grown a third head. (I would have said second, but they were getting a pretty good view of it currently)
"Hex, the statues in that garden are not, and I cannot stress this enough, ARE NOT statues. They are enemies of Equestria that we could not destroy, so we sealed them in stone instead."
"Celestia, can you say that one more time. I think I heard something crazy about statues not being statues," I stated flatly.
"That is the purpose of the maze. If one of them breaks free, the earth itself would try to seal them away behind the elements. The earth and all of its species would rise up and entomb the creatures until we could arrive and deal with it with finality."
Well fuck. I really screwed the pooch this time. I did the only thing that came to mind to keep myself from being turned into a pigeon poop trap. Apologize.
"If I had known that, I would have looked into finding a more suitable spot to do this. If I had known that the earth itself would kick my ass, or was protecting something this valuable, I certainly wouldn't have done this. I'm not insane. That said, if you feel that I need to stay in this cell again, I would understand."
Apparently, the world if full of insanity though, as Celestia sighed and said words I never expected to hear.
"Hex, WE were wrong. We should have informed you of all of this before letting you try to develop your abilities. We should have also informed you about the state of your property sooner. We will forgive your transgressions this one time. If you ever try anything like this again, you will be met with harsh Royal judgement. Understood?"
All I could do is nod. Granted I fucked up, but I pretty much got an apology and a slap on the wrist.
"Considering how you use magic, my sister and I have consulted several ponies, including the Archmage. We have decided on one path regarding your abilities. You will be moved out of the castle effective immediately as you pose a danger to civilized society. Second to this, your property will be returned. You will be released from our care and placed into the custody of my Student. Twilight has worked the last several days having a house designed for you near the edge of the Everfree forest. You will reside there until Twilight feels that you are able to return to the public. If you attempt to leave without her or our permission, the wrath of the Royal Guard will fall on your head."
My head was pretty much spinning at this point. Am I getting banished? Why the fuck am I basically a ward of Twilight Sparkle? What the hell is going on?!
"Your property is currently being moved to Ponyville and can be collected on your arrival. From your silence, we assume you prefer this option to being stoned. If you wish to keep yourself this way, you will remain silent. Twilight will explain everything later. If you need to speak with us, inform my student and she will decide if it is worth our time."
With a swish of her tail, Celestia turned and clopped out of the room with Luna in tow.
"Twilight, I..."
"Save it Hex. We'll talk about this later. It has been a long night. Now get dressed. I want to get home and to bed."
A small growl escaped my throat as I pushed off the table, quickly turning into a snarl when my bare feet hit the cold stone floor as pain shot up my body. More curiously though was the burst of gold flames that erupted from my left hand that was quickly shrouded in black fur.
"Um, Twlight?"
"Not now. Get dressed."
The flames quickly shot up my left arm and spread across my body, hardly even painful, more of an itch as fur erupted anywhere the gold touched. As my bones began to shift, I panted as it forced the air out of my lungs. The pony just stood there with her back to me.
"Are you nearly done with the gross noises? I'd really like to be going soon."
The only reply she got was a deep rumbling growl as my form began to tower over her. A thought about smacking her aside and bolting crossed my mind, only to be overridden by a sharp pain in my temple. I could feel blood dripping down my face.
"Oh yeah, the princesses attached a small spell to you. If you even think about hurting anypony, the consequences for you would be rather...dire. Yes, we know that your form can shift now. Let's go."
Well fuck me. Definitely a case of out of the frying pan and into pedobear's rape cave on this one.
Why the hell does this shit keep happening to me?
Where eerie figures caper
to some midnight music
that only they can hear.
-The Book of Counted Sorrows
The flight to my new home in Ponyville was thankfully short. Twilight did not say anything more than a few terse words and pointed me to a small door set in the side of her tree home. Apparently, I was going to stay in town for what remained of the night and go from there. With the fury of a thousand war drums pounding in my head, I wordlessly went into the dark basement and did my best to sleep away the pain.
Morning came too early, especially when you are woken by a small dragon poking you in the eye by accident. The soft thump of the basement door starting to stir me awake. When I heard small footsteps nearing my head, I snapped awake and sat up. Painfully enough, driving my face onto the finger a little purple lizard was readying to poke me with.
"Son of a bitch!"
The little purple and green dragon jumped back a few feet, startled when I attacked his hand with my face and started swearing.
"Are you okay? I didn't mean to poke you in the face! Twilight sent me down to wake you up for breakfast. I really didn't mean to do that."
"Fuck that hurt, but I think I am okay. I can still see decently, and I didn't wake up in the castle dungeon, so lets call it good. Breakfast sounds delicious. By the way, I'm Hex. We haven't been introduced, but I'm guessing that you must be Spike. I imagine there aren't many purple dragons around. Less that put up with Twilight."
He just stared at me as I slowly got to my feet, creaking and popping the whole way. Its amazing how stiff you can feel after sleeping on the ground for a night. His eyes followed me as I began to tower over the small dragonling, and he tried to stutter out a comment.
"I..I'm Spike. They didn't say you were so big. Lyra said something about how humans aren't much taller then ponies and you are huge."
I just had to cut him off there as I could smell the sickly scent of nervous in the room. Not as bad as fear, but he certainly wasn't comfortable around me.
"Relax, I'm not a danger to anyone, especially after Celestia put a spell in my head. I'm sure you'll have plenty of time to ask me anything you want later. You did say something about breakfast after all."
I'm fairly certain he mumbled something about "how the Princess wouldn't put a spell on anyone," as he turned around and headed toward the steps behind us. I was looking forward to getting out of the dark hole they called a basement. As Spike opened the door into the library, I was blinded by the light flooding in. I actually had to cover my eyes with an arm to be able to see. Any other day, I would have marveled at the design of the library as the light cascaded into its rooms to allow the perfect amount for reading. Today, it was the perfect amount to blind the crap out of me.
"Good Morning, Hex," a somewhat chipper sounding Twilight sounded from around the corner, "Spike made breakfast and then we need to have a good, long talk about what happened over the last few days and where we go from here."
All I did was grunt a response as I turned the corner into the kitchen. Let me tell you what, it is a strange sight to see a horse...erm... pony eating eggs, bacon, and toast. Even weirder was watching the eggs flop in the air as she levitated a forkful toward her mouth. Definitely wasn't in Kansas anymore.
Thankfully breakfast was a quick affair as I was starving, and not counting his size, Spike was one hell of a cook. I half expected those hay fry things that the cook in the castle tried to force on me once. Guess having a dragon in town had its bonuses. The contents on my plate were gone fairly quickly. Just as fast was Spike grabbing them and starting to wash up as Twilight seemed anxious to get into her speech.
"There are lots of things to say and do today, Hex. Everypony said things in anger yesterday, and I had letters from both Princesses delivered through the night with thoughts and apologies." She gestured toward a small pile of scrolls on the table to her left. "The thing is, you came very close to freeing Discord and shattering the magic that guards the garden. Both Princesses had no idea your magic was getting so advanced, and if you had come to them about your test, they would have found someplace for you to do it where everypony would be safe."
"Twilight, if it didn't feel like I was a prisoner in the castle, I would have talked to Celestia or Luna about what I wanted to try. I honestly assumed that Luna knew where this was going, considering she was there through most of my trials. That said, I doubt I'll be doing that again as it backfired so bad."
The lavender pony just looked at me, deep in thought, then reached to her side and pulled out a scroll and started reading it. A small gold colored sun seal rested on the table, obviously from Celestia.
"The Princesses talked about that last night, and came up with a plan. If you promise to give up your magic for good, you can return to the castle. Otherwise, your house near the forest should be done today and we can get you moved in. The spell to keep you from hurting anypony will stay on until Princess Celestia thinks you aren't a danger. You can still do your magic, and I'll be around to help you if you have questions, but you can't do anything that would hurt anything."
"So my choices are pretty well a rock and a hard place then. I either have to give up on what I spent nearly six months learning, or live out in the woods? Honestly, I'll choose the woods. I like it out there anyhow, and I think I'll fit in just fine."
Here eyes just seemed to bug out with that statement, growing wider as I spoke.
"My understanding is you are the Element of Magic. I'm not really sure what it means, but think about this. How would you like it if you started learning about yourself and then was told you had to stop or go live in the woods. Which would you choose?"
"But Hex! There are monsters in the forest. Manticores and Hydras are the big ones, but there are tons of others!"
"I'll be fine. Other then the wolf thing, I've scared off or killed plenty of animals in my time Twilight."
If a pony could turn pale, that would be the best thing I could use to describe the color she turned. Then a little green.
"You've KILLED?"
"Twilight, EVERYTHING kills. Where do you think the bacon we had for breakfast comes from. There is ALWAYS something higher on the food chain then you. Humans were only on top because we learned to be smarter then the rest. We eat meat and plants. Same as you guys I guess. In some areas we are isolated from it, but where I was from, going from the woods to your plate was a common thing. There was no pleasure in it, but it was a necessity. Joy in the hunt, yes, but in the killing, there was none."
She just sat there and stared where her plate used to sit. My first day in a new place and I think I broke the person who was supposed to be watching me. I really couldn't wrap my mind around the fact she had no idea where her food came from. Especially in farm country like this, everyone would have known and participated back home.
Thankfully, her trance was interrupted by a knock on the door as a balloon wielding pink pony burst into the library.
"HI! I'm Pinkie Pie! I heard there was a new pony in town and I wanted to...come... say...hi."
Her voice slowing as she started to stare at me and her eyes got big. Then she blinked, a smile snapping back onto her face.
"I wanted to come say hi to the new pony in town, but I guess you aren't a pony then. What are you? You have big teeth like a timberwolf, but you aren't one of them either. You are really big though. And furry. I had planned on bringing you cupcakes as a welcome to Ponyville present. Do you like cupcakes? They have sugar, lots and lots of sugar. Ooh! What are those shiny things stuck in your hooves? Why do your hooves look funny? Are they hands like Spikes? ... "
I just had to start tuning her out as she sounded like a squirrel you gave coffee to. This was going to be a long day...
Authors note: Sorry guys, I just had to end the last chapter at that. It was too good to pass up. As I was saying in the last chapter, I'm going to try to link up photos at the end of this one so you get a rough idea of what the gear looks like.
It was just awkward. I stood there for about a minute as I realized that I was completely and utterly naked in front of a pony who jokingly (I hope) commented about studying male human anatomy. I honestly expected to get yelled at as I was pretty sure I made a lot of noise during the transformation, as you could hear the pounding of hooves as someone galloped toward the basement door.
Twilight still hadn't moved, a look of shock on her face as I slipped on my boxers. Just in time too, as Pinkie Pie and Spike burst into the basement.
"Twilight! Twilight, are you okay? Where's Hex and whats that thing?"
"OOOOH! Are you new to Ponyville too? I'm already throwing a party tonight. Would you like to come? I can do your welcome to town party tomorrow if you like..."
I just had to cut the hyper one off, as she would keep rambling if I didn't.
"Pinky... PINKY! Its me, Hex. This is what I look like as a human. I'm just happy you guys took a second to get down here. I was completely naked until a minute ago."
"Why were you..."
"Pinky. Check on Twilight for me, okay. She hasn't moved since I transformed. Once I get dressed I'll come over and check on her too."
Thankfully common sense reigned the sugar addicted pony in as she ran over to check on her friend. It looked like she was mumbling something to herself. I'll tell you what though, it felt so weird to be sliding clothes on after so long. As I tugged the pants up, there was a moment of panic as I thought my tail was going to catch. Thankfully, I was wrong since I had no tail now. Shirt and jacket pulled on, as I stepped into my extra boots and zipped them up. Those were a nice feature as I could keep them tied and just zip up the side if I needed them in a hurry.
The last thing to go on was a small pair of thin goat leather and rubber gloves, mostly just to hide the gemstones imbedded in my palms. I'd already seen Spike eying them once or twice, and I didn't want to stand out anymore then I had to.
My soft footsteps did nothing to pull Twilight out of her fugue, so I did the only thing that came to mind. Anyone who has older brothers knows this trick. I bent down and blew a raspberry against the end of her nose. For the record, another one of my bad ideas, as her pupils contracted and she snapped back to herself. And then snapped her head into mine.
Who the fuck knew a pony would headbutt you?!?
It was apparently a few minutes until I regained consciousness. Naturally, my head felt like I had been hit by something heavy, and was pounding like hell. I wonder how many hits it would take to give me brain damage at this rate. I swear I could hear faint laughter from somewhere.
"Hex, are you okay? I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hit you! You just surprised the buck out of me by doing that."
I just waved at her as I tried to get to my feet, groaning softly.
"The only reason I did that was Pinkie wasn't having much luck snapping you out of, well, whatever you were in. She even pulled a small alligator out of somewhere and let it bite you on the butt...erm... flank. Didn't do a thing. By the way, why did you zone out? Liked the view much?"
I just had to smirk at that, especially when the usually lavender pony turned a shade darker.
"Shut up Hex," she chuckled, when you are feeling up to walking, we really need to do a tour of town now that you look like a bush."
I just shrugged and started toward the steps, leaning on the wall as I went. This was going to be a long day.
The general tour of the town went fairly quickly as anywhere we went, the ponies seemed to disappear. I did get to meet a few interesting ponies at least. There was the walleyed mail mare, Derpy Hooves, who seemed to accept the name even though someone would have gotten their ass beat back home for it. They tried to introduce themselves to their friend Fluttershy, but when they bumped into her in the market she only meeped and bolted for cover. Supposedly she'd come out of hiding for the party though. I just hope I didn't scare her too much, as she seemed like the fragile sort.
We were heading toward a place called "The Carousel Botique," when I heard something unexpected. The giggling of kids. That is NEVER a good sign. Especially when you hear them yell "WE'LL SAVE YOU!" and a very undersized net is dropped on your head. Thankfully it only covered my head and chest. That was the good news, because if I could get my hands on those fillies there would be blood.
Why, you ask? They decided to weight the net for some reason. And one of those weights just so happened to swing down at ball height. Oh, but the fun doesn't stop there readers, you know I can't get off that easy. The moment I bent over to puke my speen out, my legs were kicked out from under me and then someone sat on me.
FUCK. MY. LIFE.
If I weren't occupied trying to cough out a testicle, I'd probably be trying to get my hands on the three little ponies that came out of nowhere.
"We got 'em for ya Twilight!"
"We stopped the monster!"
"Yay! Cutie Mark Crusader monster catchers!"
*unintelligible cough and moaning in pain*
"Girls! That isn't a monster. He is a guest in Ponyville and his name is Hex. Now apologize!"
"We're sorry!" all three of them echoed at once "we were just trying to get our cutie marks and saw a monster next to Twilight and wanted to help."
If I could have moved I'd go all Homer Simpson on those fillies. I was a little preoccupied with finding my nuts though.
It was probably the longest and most awkward few minutes of my life as the fillies kept apologizing for nearly castrating me. Apparently, nopony other then Twilight knew the meat and veg on a human was there. After a short, and thankfully lacking detail lecture the girls apologized again and took off. Seriously, today just sucked.
I did learn a few things though. Apparently the little white and purple one was named Sweetie Belle and is Rarity's sister. Rarity was the pony we were on our way to visit when my testicles were brutally attacked in the commission of a crime against humanity. The other two were Scootaloo, an orphan Pegasus who was taken in by several ponies in town, and Apple Bloom, the sister of AppleJack, who I was supposed to meet later. Five bucks says that family has some weird obsession with apples or something.
After some convincing, Twilight decided I could probably use some rest after being brutally attacked so many times in one day, so I would meet the rest of the ponies at the party in the evening. I needed a nap. When we got back to the library, that's also when I realized that there was no bed my size, so the floor was the order of the day. Any port in a storm I guess.
Nightfall came too soon, as I apparently slept the day away. As always, Luna had a beautiful moonrise that I just had to stand and stare at. The night sky was always a favorite of mine back home, even more so now that I understood the artistry put into it. I had no idea how much time had passed as I stood there, just enjoying the feeling of the moonbeams flowing over me from the first full moon I'd seen in a while.
A soft knock on the door frame behind me grabbed my attention however, as Twilight cleared her throat.
"It's time for the party Hex. Pinkie does want it to be a surprise though, so when we get near Sweet Apple Acres I'm going to blindfold you and lead you in if that is okay."
All I could do was shrug. So long as she didn't run me nut first into anything, it was fine by me. I'd never had a surprise party in my life, so this could be fun. So I gently closed the doors to the balcony and started following Spike and Twilight toward the party. Somehow I figured my five dollar bet to myself was about to come true.
The walk was longer then I expected, but I loved every second of it. It was the first time I'd been out of the castle gardens at night and the new sights and smells were wonderful. The soft scent of nightly dew teasing my nose, next to the copper scent of the loamy clay lining the nearby creek, all blended with the sweet, tender flavor of night blooming orchids. The ponies might be crazy, but their world was beautiful.
Soon enough though, it was time for a blindfold as we neared a darkened barn. Darkness covered my eyes as purple magic lowered a cloth onto my head and slowly teased me toward the door looming in the darkness. The smell of ponies assaulted my nose, clover and other flowers, hay, a touch of sweat and soap, the scents I had learned so well lately. There had to be lots of them.
Brightness exploded into my vision as the cloth was ripped from my face, my ears trembling under the volume of dozens of voices shouting at once, then tapering down to mumbles and silence. I could feel every pair of eyes staring at me as they tried to figure this puzzle out. Thankfully the pink one popped out of her hiding spot and into full view of the crowd.
"Hey Guys, this is Hex! He's a human who is going to be living in Ponyville while he works with Twilight on some stuff! I'm sure he'll answer your questions later, but we've got a PARTAY TO START!"
I swear that last bit made my ears feel like they were caving in. Before I could open my mouth to say a word, Pinkie waved her hoof and the lights cut as a bass line I could feel in my chest tore through the barn, neon and lasers bursting to life with the beat. I hate to say it, but I think Pinkie threw me a rave party, and that is freaking awesome!
Somehow or another, I ended up with a mug of something that smelled like hard cider in one hand and a slice of chocolate cake in the other as I was pulled through the crowd. Twilight and Pinkie pointing out different ponies as we walked. Let me tell you, it is hard to balance a paper plate on a glass so you can eat cake and walk. That cake was pure crack though. It looked like a regular chocolate cake, but on the inside it was chocolate on steroids. It was the Chuck Norris of layer cakes. There was coconut, vanilla, and rum buried in the center, I swear there was some cinnamon and chili pepper in the frosting, and just a touch of cherry mixed throughout. That pink pony could bake one hell of a cake.
As the night carried on, I met more ponies then names I could remember. The lights seemed to get brighter and the music louder as mug after mug of cider was handed to me. Everything got a little blurry after that.
Pain. Pain is what woke me up. The amount of pain I think you'd get if you tried to pick your nose with a chainsaw. As I tried to look around with blurry eyes, my hand brushed against fur. Fur in pretty much every direction I could feel.
WHAT THE FUCK DID I DO LAST NIGHT!?!?!?!?!
"In Vino Veritas" -- Pliny the Elder 50AD
"What the hell?!"
Everywhere I touched, my hand was met with warm fur. My other hand just didn't want to move as I sat up. No matter how I tugged at it, the pony gripping it hugged tighter. As my eyes cleared, I could barely make out a banner that said "Happy Housewarming Hex!" on it. At least that answered the where part. Who was something that I couldn't figure out, as there was a mint colored pony wrapped around my wrist. Of course, she just had to be the one with a lyre imprinted on her flank. Pinkie had warned me about her.
As I looked around, there were several ponies sprawled out on the floor of what I assume was my new living room. Overall, I liked the design with its hardwood accents and cream colored paint. If only I could get rid of the furry pastel colored rugs that were snoring here and there. Gently, slowly, I teased one finger after another out of Lyra's grip. For a creature without hands, these ponies certainly could get a grip on something when they wanted to. Still, by being exceedingly careful, I finally wiggled out of her grasp.
I stumbled to my feet and stepped through the passed out ponies, trying to find a bedroom, or better yet a bathroom. Down to the left I found a small kitchen, but no place to lay down. Back the other way I trudged, only to end up at a nearly closed wooden door. Peeking in, I saw a large bed that was free of ponies. That was my goal. Left foot. Okay, now the right. Don't faceplant or pass out. The crimson bedspread just out of my reach. One foot then the other until my knees touched the human sized bed and I fell face first into it. The soft bed taking me to sleep as soon as I touched.
I never did hear the shower running as sleep dragged me into its depths. Or the warm body crawling into bed with me. I barely stirred when the warm pillow crawled out of bed a few hours later.
When I woke up, my headache was gone, and there was a parchment note on the pillow next to me. Why was there a note on my pillow? What or Who did I do last night? Naturally, I grabbed the letter as quick as my fingers would work. The paper was incredibly smooth, and that should have been a hint. Moreso was the words contained within.
Hex,
I had a wonderful time at the party last night and had no idea humans could dance like that. Or do the other things you did. I still want to finish our little chat from yesterday though. I'll meet you in your garden one of these nights. By the way, you are very warm at night. Hope I didn't wake you when I left.
XOXOXO,
Luna
Oh sweet jesus. Celestia is going to kill me.
I stared at the page for a few minutes, reading it over and over, front and back, focused on how Celestia was going to toss me into the sun. I had completely missed a small smudge in the lower right corner. A smudge that looked like a certain night Princess' cutie mark when held up to the light. There was something lighter colored in the ink, becoming clearer as I held it closer and closer to the lamp next to the bed. There was going to be someone else tossed into the sun on this day, and her name was Luna.
Gotcha! Nothing "bad" happened... yet.
That was all it said in the damn scribble.
I'm going to kill Luna.
I stayed locked in that room relaxing and resting for a few hours. A few hours that separated me from the assortment of passed out ponies in my house. Every little bit, I could hear one of them wake up and try to stumble out of the house. They had to have gotten one hell of a hangover to sleep in until nearly noon. After a little bit of no noise, I felt it was safe to explore my new home. Gently, I eased myself off the bed and toward the door that was slowly opened. A quick look around through a crack in the door showed that I was truly alone. Perfect.
Now that I was awake, I could enjoy the artistry that went into my home. The hardwood floors were a dark mahogany color, along with most of the accents on the walls and corners. Subtle bits of polished brass and ebony were mixed in here and there, making the entire house contrast beautifully with the cream paint. For a species without hands, the ponies could build one hell of a house.
Through the search of the house, I did come across a few things that I found curious or just downright neat. The ice chest must have been magically cooled as somepony had left it open all night, yet everything was still nice and cool within. It was even stocked ahead of time with things I'd find delicious. That could have been why it was left open all night. Somepony objecting to the meat eater's fridge. The neat thing was the bathroom. They had over engineered everything. Even the shower was large enough to house a princess and then some. The tile was a dusky blue similar to the night sky with a contrasting white above shoulder height, with silver accents everywhere. Similar colors to a certain princess. Considering Luna's statement, that definitely ended with a raised eyebrow on my part.
All of that was forgotten when I opened my closet. Apparently this was a more thought out plan then I had imagined. There were clothes in both of my sizes adorning hooks and pegs throughout. Some in darker forest colors, others in shades designed to contrast with my skin or fur and look damn good doing it. There was even a dark green, nearly black pair of robes in each size. The material was too thick and coarse to be considered a bathrobe. They were for hiding myself in plain view if needed. There was something else in there though, something strange. In a small corner on the left side, there was a dark gem imbedded in the paint.
Naturally, I reached out and touched it. That turned out to be a bad idea as the moment my outstretched fingers made contact, a sharp pain shot through my hand. I snapped my hand away, and realized I was dripping a small amount of blood. The damn stone was sharp as hell. It took me a minute or two to realize that part of the closet had changed. The section of wall where the robes had hung had vanished, only leaving a pitch black doorway in its wake. Freaking ponies and their magic.
A sharp knock at the front door snapped me out of staring into the abyss, even as I turned away, I could hear the door opening and hurried steps toward the bedroom.
"Hex are you in here? Its Twilight, I forgot to tell you something at the party! Don't touch the stone in your closet."
As I stepped out of the bedroom, all I could do was laugh.
"Twilight, where were you a few minutes ago. I just touched the damn stone and it cut me," I chuckled, gesturing toward my slightly bloody hand.
"Oh, well I guess you figured it out then. The gem is the key for your... what did the Princess call it... safe... yes, the key to your safe. She got the idea from your memories about storing your weapons. Anypony with skill could open one of your safes, so she created a magical one that only you and a few other special ponies could get into."
I just had to stare at her. That answered some, but not the important part.
"Ok, so who designed a safe that slices your hand...erm... hoof open? That's kind of stupid Twilight."
She looked a little annoyed that I cut her off, but hey, I'm bleeding here.
"I was getting to that Hex. The stone stores a sample of your blood. If you are at a point where your magic doesn't work, you can just open it by pushing on the stone now. It shouldn't be sharp now, since it got a sample. Nopony would have been able to cut themselves easily on it. All you need to do is push on the stone, or walk into your closet and will the safe open or closed. I designed that part myself. When you go down the stairs, lamps should turn on by themselves. All magic."
Okay, I had to admit that is pretty badass. I wasn't going to tell her that though. I just got stabbed in the hand after all.
"Anything else I should know about the house Twilight?"
Just in case there were any other special traps around, it was a good thing to ask ahead.
"There are a few things..."
"Of course there are," I muttered to myself as she continued, oblivious to the fact I was talking to myself.
"We came up with something special for when you want to practice your magic. If you look at the front door, to the left, there is a small gem set into the wall. Do the same thing to that as you did to the safe."
I just stood there for a minute waiting for her to continue before I realized she was waiting for me to go and do it. Just a few steps and I'd get stabbed in the hand again. Yay. As I reached toward the stone, cautiously this time since I knew it was going to hurt, I realized there was a small silver colored ring of metal surrounding it. Interesting. Nothing left to do, I touched the gem with my hand.
"SON OF A BITCH!"
That bastard really hurt. Almost like someone hit my palm with a hammer.
"Tell me that was a one time deal Twilight."
"It is Hex. We just needed to get it set to you the same was as your safe. Look at the walls now."
Thin silver threads had appeared in the paint and crossed every surface, curving and swirling on every edge, all starting where that gem was imbedded in the wall. I reached out to touch one, but stopped as I realized that the nearer my hand was to the glimmering lines, the brighter they glowed. Some silver, some gold.
"What the hell is that?"
"That was what the Princesses, myself, and the best unicorns in Equestria could come up with. You can practice your magic all you want in here, provided you turn the wards on first. They isolate the house from the natural flow of magic, so you can't endanger anything by accident. Any magic used when they are on must come from within the house. It even protects the house from magic if something were to happen. The same spell is used on the castle and now on my library and a few other...choice... places."
Oh, that was pretty badass. If I understood her right, no magic in, no magic out so long as that gem had power. That was a pretty kickass security system. Not to mention, I had a few ideas of my own to work into it if I could get it working.
"Twilight, I have to admit something to you. I never was happy to be sucked into this crazy world, but I'm starting to like it here. You ponies went above and beyond on the house. I really have no idea what to say beyond that it is completely awesome."
The purple unicorn only blushed a little bit at the complement as she continued.
"The two spells do have some limitations. The Princesses or any of the Element bearers can turn them off or on if we need to. Just a failsafe in case something happens to you or in the house. Beyond that, the house has all the usual things. Magic pretty much runs everything, the hot and cold water, heat, the ice box, you name it. Oh, and the Princesses had a surprise for you in the basement. Its through your safe door."
Nodding softly at the unicorn, a simple thank you didn't seem like enough of thanks, but it was all I could do as she turned toward the front door. I almost reminded her about the gem in the wall, but just as I opened my mouth, a pinkish haze surrounded the stone and the wards turned off as she walked through the door.
Looking around the house was like seeing it again for the first time. My new home was pretty badass. Oh yeah, Surprise! I bolted toward the bedroom and through the dark chasm in the wall. Magical light exploded around me as the steps and basement burst into light. Just a few steps down were the things I never thought I'd see again.
Hanging on pegs inset into the wall were my toys. The lifeblood of a hunter and soldier, my firearms. One by one, I lifted them out of their resting places and ran my hands over them. I knew every curve by memory. A frown slowly crossing my face as the feel of these in my hands after so long brought other memories forth like a runaway freight train.
It was all I could do to catch myself and gently place one of the pistols on the floor as I kneeled. Months of repressed memories cascaded into my mind, including the curves of someone I would never see again. Amongst the firearms and isolation of the basement, I broke down and wept. Wept for who I was and what I turned into. Wept for the ones I had lost and left behind. I wept for my memories as they tore my soul into a thousand shattered pieces.
My broken mind thinking the screams carried on the wind were only bloody memories...
The Bloodmoon (GORE WARNING)
War is the only game in which it doesn't pay to have the home-court advantage. ~Dick Motta
I sat there in the basement tearfully remembering my past life until I heard the door upstairs slam open, rattling the windows with its force.
"HEX!"
A familiar voice yelled, hoarse (hehe the author made a pun) with the sounds of tears and rage. Sounds I was so intimately familiar with. As I stood, I could hear the hoof beats entering my bedroom, and that is when I placed the voice. The voice of the same guard that stood outside my room in the Castle for so many nights. He couldn't be furious at me. Then again, why have my tears stopped, yet the screams remain?
"Hex, where the buck have you been? Ponyville is under attack! The Princesses are down there with every guard they could spare. There is a basilisk in town! Grab whatever you need and lets go! We'll meet you near the library!"
In my mind, I was asking myself if basilisks could actually be real. Then again, I was in a world full of neon ponies for fucks sake. In reality, my body was doing something much different.
With a quick nod, I turned toward the pegs holding the precious reminders of my past. No time to prepare or load extras, I reached up and grabbed the ever so familiar grip of my carbine. The sweep of an arm, and the clatter of metal against metal filled a nearby bag with the spare magazines someone had carefully arranged on the counter. No time to be soft about this. The guard had already bolted toward town, so I had to hurry. Up the stairs I went, not even feeling the risers as my feet hit them, or the gentle glow of the gem in the wall as it shut the magic behind me.
With a gesture as I passed the door, I sealed the house as the door slammed behind me and I began to race toward town. Timing my breath as I ran, every 4 steps, the crisp night air cross my tongue. My hands grasping in the bag that hung on my shoulder, slapping into my ribs with every step, finally finding what I wanted. The cool metal of a fully loaded magazine met my fingers as I pulled it out of the bag and slipped it into the rifle with a firm push and a resounding click. A second soon followed into the device to the side of the magwell. With a flick of a finger, a sharp snap erupted from the rifle as the bolt rode forward, driving a fresh round into the rifle's chamber, filling it with deadly intent.
Stride after stride, Ponyville slowly grew in my vision, part of down dark, the other brightly lit. The screams filling the air came from the brightly lit side of town, but the ring of steel and blood came from where the two met. That is where I needed to be. Faster, harder, I had to be there. Lives were depending on it. A small bridge flew closer and closer with every pounding footstep. A small kick was all I needed to jump onto the edge of the stone crossing. Both feet slapping into it as I pushed off and leapt toward the sandy shore. The sensation of freefall ending with a sharp snap as both feet hit the grainy edge of the creek. Town was so close now.
A few seconds later, I rounded the corner next to a building that looked like a giant cookie and saw the chaos filling the heart of Ponyville. A large eight legged, armored reptile thrashed against the guards who were charging it with spell and steel. Unicorns and the Princesses sent streams of colored magic into its flanks hoping to stop the beast as it clawed through the guards ponies. A swipe of a claw on the left sent one pony flying with a spray of blood as its claws ripped clean through armor and flesh alike. Screams of agony as a pony was bitten by its thrashing head, grey spreading from the wound like a plague, until the now grey pony cried no more. The magic only seemed to drive it on.
Snapping out of my reverie, I drew the carbine to my shoulder, settling it into shape with friendly familiarity. Knees bent, elbows tucked close, I stepped closer, letting the glowing ring of the sights fill my vision, bobbing with movement. A flash of movement, a pony tossed to the side in the chaos. The entire town square strobed as the rifle spoke, bucking against my shoulder again and again. Again and again, I could see the bullets impacting and deflecting against the beasts hide. A gentle "sproing" noise sounded next to my bleeding ears, telling me the rifle was empty and hungering for more. One small press and the empty magazine clattered to the ground as I was stripping the full one from the side of the carbine. A click, a snap, and the rifle roared again, the gently glowing ring bouncing in my vision, dancing on the surface of the creature.
To my left, I could see Celestia barking orders to her guards, yet I could not hear them. A thought about Luna crossed my mind as my trigger finger twitched again, sending a steady stream of lead toward the basilisk. The guard said Luna was supposed to be here fighting. Another pull, another shot fleeing into the night as it met the curved head of this...thing. Somepony had to try something as the guards were wearing themselves out without scratching its armored skin. Of course, that somepony had to be Luna.
With a battlecry (more of a scream honestly) she dove out of the air and landed on the basilisk's back, striking it with her armored hooves again and again. This only lasted a moment as its tail lashed out and threw her to the ground in front of it. With a infuriated yell, the royal guard began to flow toward the downed princess. The beast issued a roar of its own as it charged the guard, intending to ravage them and the fallen princess.
I can't fail. Not again. This will not happen. THIS WILL NOT HAPPEN! The voice in my head roared back.
My fingers mashed the trigger, venting my fury into the air as I ran toward the creature, flickering trails of flame ripping through the air at the bullets passing. Guards falling silent as I ran past, fingers feathering the trigger, my incoherent yell of rage nearly drowning out the rifle screaming its own. Three more steps until I can stick the muzzle of my rifle in its eye socket. Three more steps and it would pay with its life.
Three more steps was more then I had as its head swiveled toward me and slammed into my chest, sending me flying through the air. My crimson glowing rifle skittered across the ground away from me, with the basilisk between us. The cursed creature not even giving me a second glance as it rested one scaly foot on Luna's flank, its claws drawing crimson blood that began quickly staining her moon cutie mark.
I had failed. The thing was going to kill her. Again, I failed AGAIN!
Rage. Pure rage pushed my sorrow to the side. Pure wrath forced me to my feet. The guards falling silent as time seemed to slow. Golden flames trailed up my left arm, as green consumed the right. The only thing in the world that mattered was killing. Killing the damned thing that reminded me of my failures. Reminded me of every shred of pain and agony in my being.
I was going to rip its FUCKING HEART OUT!
Every footstep toward the creature cracked and split the stones below. Every footstep causing them to glow crimson from my touch. I could see everything. The guards slowly raising their shields to block a death blow on the Princess as the creature tensed to lunge. The slow pulse of the veins in its neck, aching for my touch. The darkly glowing threads leading toward the center of its being.
A clawed paw reached up to stop me, and a furred hand met it. Golden claws cleaving through meat and bone as if they were air. A hand covered in glowing flame grasped the stump and pulled. Pulled with the fury and wrath of someone who has no further to fall, nothing left to give. I could see the skin separate, showing crimson flesh underneath. I pulled and watched the flesh give way to gouts of blood, as the beast slowly moved, opening its mouth with an attempt to roar in agony or attack the creature causing it so much pain.
It was too slow. Everything was too slow now, flames enveloping everything around me, my own blood sizzling as it streamed from my forehead to the ground below, blending with the basilisks. With a yell of soundless fury, I tore the thrice damned leg away from the bastards body. A pair of flaming hands forced into its chest, parting flesh and bone like water as I reached deeper.
BURN WITH ME. ALL THAT YOU ARE ALL YOUR ESSENCE WILL BURN.
I could feel it, a deep pulsing as my hands met the core of the beast. I could taste its fear, its rage, and its pain. It was delicious. Everything I was flowed into this one action. Everything I could be grounded my feet. Every bit of wrath, rage and pain poured out of me as I ripped and tore.
The last thing I saw was a pillar of blood spraying as the still beating heart rest in my hands. The last thing I remembered was the taste of its delicious agony as my canines closed on the massive heart. And the last thing I felt was the heat of a thousand suns washing over me.
“Have you ever wondered what language they speak in Limbo?”― Lee T. Gallup
I was standing in a vaguely familiar darkness as a voice I faintly remembered echoed through the room.
"You again? I told you, when your past is complete and you have entered Judgement, we would meet again. This is not the time. Begone mortal."
What was going on now? The last thing I remembered was ripping the heart out of that thrice damned lizard. Where was I, and why do I feel like I am forgetting something?
The black seems to stretch on forever in every direction.
Wait, was that a flicker of light in the distance?
Why is there a gentle wind in here? Wherever here is.
A brighter flash of pinkish red light.
"Hex..."
What? Am I going crazy?
Nearer, pulsing light.
"Hex you need to wake up."
Blinding light strobed above my head.
"Hex, you need to wake up. You are in a coma."
What the fuck do you mean I am in a coma?
The entire room rippled with pink light as the feminine voice spoke again.
"He's waking up. His eyes moved. Keep talking everypony!"
Light began flooding the room from small cracks that slowly grew larger.
"Hex, wake up. WAKE UP!"
Pain. Why the hell am I feeling pain? I'm alone in here minus some crazy voice and it felt like someone slapped me.
"WAKE UP YOU BASTARD!"
Agony flooded my being as my eyes shot open and the colors flowed into the blurry figures of ponies surrounding me.
"wha? whs thrre?"
Why the fuck isn't my tongue working? It feels like I have a mouth full of sawdust and eyes full of grit.
"Hold still. This will probably hurt... a lot."
A colored haze covered my vision, not that I could tell what color it was. It could have been pleenkue I guess.
Pain streamed through me, coursing through every fiber of my being as I arched my back and screamed.
The black took me again.
When I woke up, my eyes actually worked. I could see the smiling figures of the Princesses, Twilight, Spike, and several other ponies crowded around me. It looked like I was in some kind of bed. A hospital would be my guess as there were lots of balloons with Pinkie's face on them floating around get better soon signs.
"Hex, we are all glad you are..." Princess Celestia started softly.
"Yeah Hex, we're all glad you are better! I brought you balloons to cheer you up. Did you feel the cheer in your coma?"
Of course it was Pinkie. Wait, COMA?!
So it turns out that I was in a coma for nearly two weeks. It took them three days to be able to get me out of the flaming crater I killed the basilisk in. My magic burned so hot for so long that nothing remained of the creature other then a few greasy ashes. The stones in the town square were melted where I had stepped. The Princesses visited me as often as possible, and the girls were in pretty much all day every day. The voices I heard trying to wake me up were them. Luna spent several nights by my bed after I saved her life. Celestia checked in several times herself.
Apparently all of Ponyville was busy while I was sleeping though. With their usual speed, they designed, voted and built a surprise for me, to be dedicated when I was able to get out of the hospital. The curiosity was killing me, but according to Nurse Redheart, if I didn't stay in bed a few more days, my injuries would kill me, as she gestured at my bandaged hands. There was supposedly some lasting effects of the magic I had used. Twilight tried to explain, but it got technical fast.
Thankfully, Celestia and Luna were present to speak normal for me. I might be smart otherwise, but magic is all new to me. In common speak, other then my injuries sustained by the basilisk, I was suffering from extreme magic depletion. The one Twilight was really interested in was what had happened to the crystals in my hands and why my eyes hurt so badly.
Nopony wanted to say anything when I asked what was going on. They just fidgeted and looked at each other or down. Finally, of all people...erm...ponies, the quiet one was the pony to break the silence. I finally get to meet Fluttershy huh.
"Um, what Twilight is trying to say, if you don't mind, was the magical fire was so hot that the crystals, um, spread. You were naked when we finally got you out of the hole"
"What the fuck do you mean they spread?! I was naked AGAIN?!" I yelled hoarsly.
Immediately I felt bad, as the timid Pegasus hid behind her friends with a quiet "meep."
"Fluttershy, I'm sorry for yelling. I just wish someone, I mean somepony, would tell me what is going on."
All I got out of her was a soft nod, which made me feel no better. Thankfully, common sense overruled the rest of the ponies as Celestia began to speak, her horn blazing to life.
"Hex, what they meant by spread was just that." I could feel her magic tugging at the bandages on my hands, slowly unraveling them.
"When your magic burned that hot, the only way it could spare your life was to spread. Look at your hands please."
As I looked down, I could see small green and gold lines tracing on my skin next to the veins. Where my nails used to be were smooth slabs of hard emerald crystal. Before I could speak, a magical mirror flashed to life in front of my face. My eyes, eyes that I prided myself on my whole life, were...different. My left eye was the same shade as the green gems, where as my right was a burning gold. Looking closer, I could see small jagged shapes where the normal swirls and twists would be.
"I...I... what the hell?"
The ponies (and Princesses) stayed by my bed for a few hours trying to comfort me and help me understand what was going on. I was thankful for that.
When night fell, a tingling sensation crossed the back of my neck. Something was going to happen.
With a soft rustle, Princess Luna appeared in my room. Curious that I felt this before she appeared, but I'll have to ask Twilight to explain it later.
"Hex, we...I...I am glad you are out of your coma and feeling much better. My sister and I used as much magic as we could spare to try to heal your injuries. I do hope they do not pain you."
After spending so much time in each others company, I still didn't understand why she spoke like that.
"I'm feeling a lot better now that I am awake. There is some loss of sensation, but I'm guessing thats from having gems where there didn't used to be gems." I had to chuckle at that one. I just hoped there wasn't a gem in my brain or something crazy.
"Nobo...Nopony actually told me what happened in any detail after I sort of blacked out. They just looked around awkwardly. I don't suppose you can fill me in any? Everyone looked so uncomfortable while you all were here earlier."
She just sighed and looked at me. Strange, but whatever.
"Hex, lean forward please. There are a few other things you should know."
That grabbed my attention, and I quickly bent forward, only to feel a hoof running down my shoulder blades. The hoof suddenly stopped when there was a scraping noise.
"Luna, why is my back making a noise like that? Also why can I only kind of feel the touch of your hoof there?"
She sighed again, "they didn't have the heart to tell you that you have crystals imbedded in your shoulders now. I think thats related to what happened though. When your weapon was tossed away, we recovered it by the way, but that is a different subject, you flew into a rage. Around the same time, I was pinned under that creature, but I could still see what was happening as my guards tried to push it away. You burst into magical flame, like everypony already said. What they left out was pretty important though. Black tendrils similar to your tattoos snaked through the flame, you had glowing claws that seemed to cut through the basilisk with ease. The ones that they wanted to share later are what I think are what you need to know. Your eyes were radiant gold and green until you cut into the beast. Then they changed. They changed to the color of blood as you tore into it. Thats not even getting into your wings."
The last bit didn't click. I can get the rest, but wings?
"One more time on the last bit there please Luna?"
"You had wings. Not feathered ones like mine, but they were manifested of the same magic you were killing the creature with. They were more like waves of energy flowing out from your shoulders, exactly where those crystals are."
She just had to emphasize that by tapping my back with a hoof and only getting a small click noise from the contact.
What the fuck.
Luna left some time later after talking about anything that came to mind. I think all the serious talk and me being in a coma wore her out. She looked downright exhausted. Thankfully, sleep came to me pretty quickly after she left.
The following few days were pretty boring. Me begging Redheart to let me out, the girls coming by to say hi and check in, horrible hospital food and the like.
Checkout day was certainly a doozie though. I was still feeling pretty weak, but as usual the ponies had thought ahead to that and conjured up something looking similar to a wheelchair. Twilight pushed it along as she walked, hardly more then a gesture to herself. When the doors leading out of the hospital opened, that was something I was not expecting.
The ponies of Ponyville had lined up outside the doors to welcome me home with cheering and more Pinkie shaped balloons. I guess by killing a rampaging monster one gets accepted pretty fast. As I was pushed along, the crowd slowly formed behind us, gently nudging toward the center of town.
"Hex, when we get close, Pinkie wants me to blindfold you for your surprise, okay."
So long as Twilight gave me warning, I couldn't care less. I just shrugged.
Sooner then I thought, I could feel a tingle in my neck, and then the soft caress of fabric slipping over my eyes as the world went dark. We rounded a corner, and stopped. I could tell we were here. You could still smell the faint scent of smoke and pain.
"Everypony, quiet please." The Mayor started, " Hex, in thanks for you saving our own of Ponyville, we would like to dedicate this to you and your heroism."
The fabric slid away and my jaw dropped. Where a massive flaming crater used to be was a large inset fountain. A fountain that had a statue of a wolf very reminiscent of myself standing in the center of the pool. The cracked stones where I had stepped were replaced with a small aqueduct that trailed toward the pool. Something made my hair stand on end. It was a feeling that was starting to get associated with magic use.
Streams of golden tinted water burst out of the emerald pool, showering the statue in cascading showers of golds and reds. I really had no idea what to say, but before anything came to mind, Twilight whispered in my ear.
"That's not everything for the fountain. We'll have to bring you back at night so you can see what the magic powering it does then."
I can't believe the damn ponies built a fountain of me. What the hell. Kind of awesome though.
The only antidote to mental suffering is physical pain. --Karl Marx
The days that followed were mostly spent healing and learning my limits with my newly modified body. I can't even describe how weird it feels to have small gems sliding around against your skin as you move. Its definitely...interesting. There was an upside though. Luna came to visit every few nights when she could get away from the Night Court. No idea what she did there, but they, I got visitors.
The fountain turned out to be even more impressive at night. The statue remained, but the darker night became, the waters became still. So still it seemed to be a mirror always pointing toward the moon, trailing it across the sky. If you watched carefully, just for a moment when midnight tolled, you could see the moon fade to a dripping crimson, and back to its ivory hue.
Twilight had taken it upon her self to study my new found body parts and see what secrets the universe was hiding from her. Still, I didn't much feel that poking and prodding much. She did end up finding some interesting things though. Apparently, I should stay away from anything but the basic magic that transforms me. Anything further would spread the crystals through my body. It would be a slow thing, but it would happen bit by bit, unless we found something sacrificial to funnel the damage into.
There it was again. The hairs on the back of my neck standing up. God, pony magic feels weird.
*WHAM!*
The entire cottage shook as something hit the barriers that the Princesses had so thoughtfully installed. Gave me plenty of quiet unless somepony decided to knock.
"Damn it to Tartarus! HEX! How many times have I asked you to leave that barrier off?!?"
Well, I guess Twilight wanted to visit. Chuckling softly, I opened the heavy wooden door to see a wobbly lavender unicorn standing on my doorstep.
"What can I do for you Twilight?" I asked smugly "I hope my home didn't interrupt what you were doing."
Immediately, I could tell she was in no mood as she pushed her way into the small house.
"You know, you shouldn't leave these wards on all the time. They can weaken with constant use. We have more important things to take care of than the wards though. My BROTHER is getting MARRIED."
So yeah, apparently Twilight has an older brother that I have never heard about. Stranger still is the fact that he is the Captain of the Royal Guard, and I've never met him. Kind of a moot point anyhow, since Twilight barely gave me 10 minutes to grab a few things and hop on a train to Canterlot. Thankfully I've gotten pretty good at packing in a hurry. That and a werewolf doesn't really need much in the way of clothes. I did manage to stash my revolver and some ammo in the bottom of my satchel before I was rushed out the door.
Freaking ponies.
The ride was fairly boring. Mostly Twilight going between gushing about her brother and rabid comments about some princess she had never met before. Personally, if they are happy, meh, whatever. Either way, I tried to be as supportive as I could, and the miles to Canterlot passed quickly. The scenery was nice as I watched tree after tree of a deep forest pass by. It felt familiar, kind of like home.
"What in tarnation?!"
That got my attention, my eyes following to where Applejack pointed. Canterlot was surrounded by a pink shield. As the train chugged closer, you could see the city ponies going along with their lives in the strangely tinted city. Guards stood on the walls watching us arrive. Watching this was unsettling to say the least. Last I heard we were going to a wedding. I felt a little under armed.
With one last chug and a soft jerk, the train settled into its place at the station in the bustling city of Canterlot. Nopony noting its arrival except a handful of guards seemingly waiting for someone. As the doors cracked open, one voice echoed throughout the car.
"TWILY!"
Oh crap. That means the blue mained one must be her brother. And he is meeting us with an armed guard. Should have brought my rifle.
Thankfully, that thought was interrupted by Twilight bursting out of the car and hugging the stallion. Without a pause, she went into a long speech about how he shouldn't have married someone she didn't know. The result shocked her into silence at least. Somepony...some Princess Named Cadence, who apparently was her babysitter. Foal sitter I guess.
Introductions started to go around, and you could see every muscle on Shining Armor's body tense as she got to me. It was probably a good thing I was wearing my human skin at the moment, as I'm not sure if he wanted to attack or run. We'd end up crossing that bridge at some point, I'm sure.
"What is HE doing here? The Princesses banished him from Canterlot! GUARDS!"
Well crap...
"HE is one of my friends Shining. And the Princesses only banished him while he was learning magic."
Awkward silence filled the air as the guards waited for an order, not sure who to follow and whom to put in chains. Thankfully, common sense reined in the ponies.
"IF the Princesses gave that order, we'll follow it. Just know this Hex. We'll be watching you."
The rest of the trip to the palace seemed fairly calm compared to the situation at the train station. Yes, the assorted ponies would occasionally stop and stare at the 6 foot thing walking with a group of guards, but no questions were asked until we were at the castle. Things just got weird when Twilight ran up to the pink alicorn I assume was Cadance and started dancing. The look of WTF on her face was pretty obvious, even for Twilight. Even more so as she pushed past the stunned twilight.
Thankfully, I got to spend the time the girls were spending on the wedding by myself. I did spend a night talking with Luna on the balcony looking through her telescope. That was fun. Not so much fun was Twilight seemingly loosing her mind. Obsessed that the Princess was an imposter. Personally, she seemed to fit right in with the bitchy princess stereotype.
The next morning, there was a soft knock on my door. Considering the other girls were pretty well absorbed into the wedding planning, there was only one pony who would knock.
"Come on in Twilight."
The door gently pushed opened and in walked the purple unicorn I was expecting.
"Hex! You need to help me. Princess Cadance is an imposter. She is Evil. She IS NOT the Princess I remember!"
I did my best to calm her down, but with only a little bit to the rehearsal, she bolted when the music started. It was the least I could do to keep up as I threw my pack over a shoulder and took chase. Whispering to myself as I ran... please don't do something stupid... Please don't do something stupid...
"...SHE'S EVIL!"
Well, there went the crazy train. It was all I could do to duck behind a door as Shining Armor started chewing her a new plot hole. I won't even go into the fact that he sounded like a lecturing little girl as he stomped off in a huff.
I stayed hidden behind that door, listening to Twilight try to apologize, getting snapped to my senses with the words "YOU WILL BE" echoing through my ears.
Out from behind the door, and sprinting into the chapel, I could see Twilight being surrounded by a haze of greenish flame.
"What is THAT?!"
Not much time to figure out she was talking about my two legged self as I leapt into the ring of flame to try and grab Twilight, only to have my feet sink into the floor like my purple friend.
Fuck me...
Hope is the destination that we seek.
Love is the road that leads to hope.
Courage is the motor that drives us.
We travel out of darkness into faith.
--- The book of Counted Sorrows
I clawed at the soft stone as I slid ever deeper. No purchase was ever made as my fingers slid through it as if it were nothing more then water. Barely managing to grab a small breath of air as the liquid stone slid over my nose and eyes, pitching me into the darkness. The seconds felt like hours as the earth swallowed me whole. Lungs burning, arms pinned in place as there was nowhere to move anymore. I wonder if this is what it is like to die again...
Time was lost to me by the time I felt my feet breaking through another surface. The stone sliding up my legs feeling like someone grabbing me in the dark. I kicked. I tried to scream but the earth muffled my voice as it tried to flow into my mouth. Small yellow and purple stars swirling in my vision as everything started to fade.
I awoke on a cold stone floor in pitch black. Even my magically augmented eye couldn't make sense of where I was in this hellish cavern. My ears perked in the darkness as I swear I could hear a voice echoing in the darkness. Maybe it is Twilight or that bitch so I can gut her!
"MINE ... MINE... Mine ... mine... mine ..."
What the hell? Either way, it was a voice and a direction. At least I thought it was a direction until I ran face first into stone. Fuck. Of course I didn't bring a flashlight. Hmmm... I dug around blindly in the pack slung over one arm, feeling my way through its contents. The rough feel of my camo sliding across a hand. Nope, not what I'm after. Several cool round metal objects skidding around the bottom of the pack... That's ammo. Not what I want either. The rubber grip of the revolver dragging across my skin. Where the hell are they?!
Thats when I remembered pockets. A quick rip of velcro and two small tubes fell into my hand, and with a small cracking noise a little light erupted from my palm. Glow sticks for the win! Orange and green, not ideal but making lemonade here. I kept the green clenched in one hand as I tossed the orange in a random direction, hoping the light would spill out into a passage. By sheer stupid luck, the stick bounced off something furry.
"What the buck?"
"Twilight?! IS that you?"
"Hex? How did we end up finding you? I didn't know you got dragged down with me. Cadance and I are trying to get out of these caverns."
Bright white light spilled from her horn and washed away the dark, only leaving deep contrast against the dark crystals that surrounded us.
"By the way, this is the real Cadance. The one you saw in the throne room is an imposter."
I really hope she didn't see me facepalm. Either Cadance was really evil or she was an imposter. No duh.
"Well, lets get out of here then! Oh by the way, Nice to meet you Cadance." I said to the very dirty and tired looking alicorn behind Twilight, who was staring at me with fear under her sleep deprived eyes.
I fell in behind the girls, hoping Twilight could find us a path out of here. Sooner than later as I could hear wedding music starting to echo into the chasm holding us.
Thankfully, between the pink and purple ponies, they managed to find a winding way towards a light in the distance. Even better was that it wasn't too far, just reflected over and over in the dark crystals. Just a few minutes of walking really. The evil Cadance must not really be that smart to drop someone into hell just a few feet away from it's gates. More benefits for me I guess.
As the light loomed, the girls began picking up pace to a full gallop. Completely forgetting that bipeds can't run that fucking fast. By the time I was blinded by the light, Twilight and the Princess were racing across the plain outside Canterlot towards its main gate. Fuck those ponies are a lot faster than me.
*facepalm*
They were faster because they had four legs. I could have four legs. Idiot.
I willed the flames to life, urging them to spread and consume. Gold energy wrapped my body as I could feel it changing. Fur sprouting where there was none. The uncomfortable shifting feeling as bones slid and muscle grew. Only a second to someone from the outside. A lifetime of agony for me. Pulse racing in my throat, I caught the girls in my vision and gave chase, my paws hammering against the ground in a steady beat. Hands digging into the dark freshly tilled earth with every few strides, dragging me on.
Looking back, Cadance squealed and pushed herself harder. Running just makes Hex chase. The sweet pungent scent of her fear, the sour tones of their sweat. The smells of prey. The sounds of prey fleeing. Faster. I had to go faster. A growl rose in my throat, rumbling out of me in bursts as my paws hit the ground and the distance closed. The ponies were just getting through the massive wood and iron gate set into the walls. The guards over looking past them towards the oncoming horror, and the doors began to close.
Soft earth sliding between my toes, parting against my claws. The click of claws hitting stone, shock jumping up my legs as I neared the closing gate. Closer... Closer still. Only one chance at this. I pushed with both legs and launched myself toward the narrow gap in the doors. Wood tugging at my fur and scraping my skin as I forced my way into Canterlot. Then, everything turned pink and all I knew was pain.
"Hex! What the hell! You looked like you wanted to eat both of us!"
As the pain faded, I found myself against the unforgiving wood of the town gates. The strange thoughts fading...
"Sorry Twilight, the only thing that was on my mind was chasing. You guys just left me so far behind, I had to catch up. I guess I just got lost in the thrill of the chase. Don't we have a wedding to stop though?"
Both ponies gasped and tore across the square heading toward the palace. I guess they forgot. It took me a minute to achingly get to my feet. Seriously, that magic fucking hurts. I think I have splinters in my ass. No time to think about that though. With a loping stride, I started up toward the palace, leaving stunned guards in my wake.
As I neared the palace, I could hear yelling. Yelling that quickly turned to screams. I guess Twilight started the party without me. Rounding the final corner, I could see Celestia on the ground, horn smoking, surrounded by ponies who turned and ran. Ran my direction, flowing around me like a stone in a river.
"HEX! COME ON!"
Well, at least the girls wanted my attention as they ran past. No chance to catch my breath I guess. That thought quickly turned sour as I realized that my chance for life was fading as the purple shield around the city flickered and failed. Thousands of black pony shaped dots descended on Canterlot.
My paws slapped the ground as I chased the girls. Ears perked to the sounds of combat as I raced towards where I thought I heard them. Hands digging into my pack as I ran, its weight bucking against my chest with every step. Trying to find the few weapons I brought with me. Hoping they would make a difference.
A burst of purple magic screamed by my face and made me skid to a stop as I looked into the melee ahead of me. Hundreds of ponies were fighting in my way. Every one of them looked so much like my friends. Every pony fought like my friends. All except two. You could barely see a pink blur inside a cloud of confetti as a cannon roared over and over, throwing ponies everywhere. A lavender burst of magic on the left of the area pointed out where Twilight was. Any Pinkie or Twilight was fair game. Let the games commence.
My right hand found what I was seeking. The smooth rubber grip of my revolver filled my palm as I drew it out of my pack. My left with the two speedloaders as I let my bag drop with a soft thump. Eighteen shots. Only eighteen shots against hundreds. "This is going to be interesting," I thought to myself as I lowered the sights to the side of the nearest Twilight. The green dot of the front sight contrasting against her purple fur. Squeeze... Don't pull. You only have one shot before they know you are here.
*BOOM*
My presence was announced with the roar of my magnum and a six inch fireball as the nearest Twilight was thrown sideways in a shower of gore. Green blood showering across the nearest changelings as the hollowpoint tore through it. As one, the group closest turned and charged. My fingers danced on the trigger, expending the remaining five shots in a staccato burst of sound and fury. Too few of the charging ponies fell to the ground. Five shots, five gouts of blood and screams, but five was still too few as they neared.
A quick push of a button and I snapped the revolver open, a shove on an exposed rod tossed 6 smoking cases to the ground, as I rammed one of the speedloaders into the gun. A twist and the rounds unlocked, filling the revolver with purpose again. Knowing I wouldn't get another reload, I dropped the other speedloader. Sometimes a good defense is a homicidal offense. Just a few strides kept the oncoming horde away. Just a few strides took me into their midst. A howl on my lips and flame on my claws, it was time to show these creatures why humanity was the apex predator.
The first creature I ran into was stunned out of fear or insecurity. Either way, it didn't matter as I slammed my revolver down on its head, cracking its horn as it screamed in agony. Screams that only increased in volume and fear as I grabbed the cracked horn with my other hand and ripped it from the changeling's head in a spurt of blood. There was no resistance as I kicked it to the ground.
Movement behind and to the left. My ears perked as I spun, imbedding my newly acquired horn into the throat of another pony that could do nothing but paw at its throat and make gurgling noises as blood filled its lungs. Pain erupting from my side as I was kicked. The changeling knew it was a mistake as it was immediately looking down the barrel of my 357. A loud noise and a faint green mist, and I was looking through it's head.
Combat swirled all around me, but I only attacked the ponies that I was sure were the fakes. The moment they showed hostility, I ended them. One after another, long after the revolver was empty. My claws sought purchase in nearby flesh, ripping and tearing. The revolver working as a club. My howls driving them either to or from me. At some point, I lost the revolver. Last I saw it, the firearm was imbedded in the skull of the changeling that tried to gore me. I offset its insane charge by ramming the weapon into its eye socket and shoving the creature to the ground.
My left leg went numb and I fell to my knees as a bolt of changeling magic impacted my side. They had gotten smart, staying out of my reach. Barely staying upright as charge after charge hit me, the numbness spreading, until I was slumping over, falling face first onto the smooth stones of the Canterlot streets. A weight pressed onto my back as one of the bastards stepped on me and whispered in my ear.
"The Queen wants you alive. You will serve her or die."
Apparently the gurgling noises I made as it stepped on my spine weren't what it wanted to hear. More weight piled on as changeling after changeling piled onto me. I really was going to die.
Fuck that.
Fuck you bastards.
FUCK YOU!
FUCK YOU AND YOUR QUEEN!
The thoughts echoed in my head as I came to a realization. A realization in panic that I just hoped was correct.
I reached down into myself, touching the gems imbedded in my body, the crystals fueled by all the magic I had gathered. By all the magic absorbed, and most importantly, the rage that kept me running.
"Hold him down!"
Like hell.
Flames started to spread across my skin.
"Knock this freak out! He's trying to use magic!"
The changelings tried to move around so one of them could do something, but their something never came. A hoof came down on the palm of one of my numb hands. I grabbed it with everything I had and forced the flames to flow. Bright light spreading. Leaping from one doppelganger to another as I fed it my wrath, the fire hungered.
I could feel the crystals in my body burning hot. Good. Give into the hate. Feel their blood on your hands. Remember what Twilight said.
Screams of agony filled the air again as crystals exploded out of the bastard I was gripping so tight, impaling his friends. Tying them together with chains of blood as black gems burst out of any soft spot on their body. Blood raining down on me as they tried to run. Tried to flee. Tried to survive as I tore their lives from them.
I was kicked. I was stomped. I was bruised and battered. I was victorious. The last thought as I lost consciousness was that I hoped I killed enough of the bastards to help the girls. I welcomed the darkness and respite from the pain.
The Wolf in You (Content Warning)
Content Warning: This chapter contains clop and a large amount of it. Chapter highlights, sans porn will be in the next chapter as they are story relevant
“I felt like an animal, and animals don’t know sin, do they?”― Jess C. Scott, Wicked Lovely
I barely remember what happened what happened next. There were blurs of color and the feeling of being dragged along a slick stone floor. The sharp noise of armored hooves hitting stone assaulted my ears as my vision faded in and out. Blue. I remember blue filling my vision and a female voice saying... something. A soft pillow gently was placed under my head and the darkness claimed me yet again.
I assume a few hours had passed when I opened my eyes. I was in bed in a dark room that was not mine. Looking around, it was obvious even to my fuzzy vision that I was not in my bedroom. Dark blues and silvers adorned everything, matching perfectly with the sunset out the balcony doors. Trying to sit upright, the colors began to swim around me, and tugged me toward the pillow and oblivion yet again. I did not notice the warm figure under the blankets next to me as my eyes closed.
Author's note: INCOMING! You have been warned. Safety. Pin. Spoon Check. FRAG OUT!
I love dreams like this. A naked beautiful lady in bed with me, raven hair contrasting perfectly against her ivory skin. The softness of her as my hands slid over every curve, exploring as I pulled myself closer. Pushing her dark hair away with my chin as I leaned in, gently kissing that tender spot where her neck and shoulder met. Enjoying the sweet taste of her skin as my hands found her hips and slid her body tight against mine, her firm ass grinding against my thighs as I wrapped around her.
Soft whimpers escaped her crimson lips as I nibbled on her neck. A trail of kisses and small bites starting just below her ear was just the beginning, as I teased every little bit with a nip from my canines. It had been a long time. Too long since I've felt like this, and considering it was my dream, I was going to enjoy every bit of it. Every last bit of her. The soft noises she made just drove me further, feeding my own flames as I kissed down. Whimpers trailed into soft moans as I kissed down her back, following every little curve. My fingers slipping over her back, massaging just a few inches away from my lips. I wanted every bit of her willing. Every bit of her so very hot. Every shred of willpower to hold back, gone.
Gently, I rolled her onto her stomach as I kissed the small of her back. Hands caressing her hips while my thumbs kneaded the her hips and firm ass. Teasing as my kisses turned to nips and a slight drag of a canine across her behind as I worked lower. There was still so to do before the main course. My lips tempting the backs of her thighs as a soft moan escaped her hips. I knew she wanted more. A sweet scent in the air as she tried to part her hips and push herself into the air.
"None of that yet love. I still have so many things for you to enjoy first."
The first words spared in the night, as I pushed her hips back to the bed and nipped the tender skin near the back of her knee. Gently mixing the pleasure and pain while I showed her who truly was in charge at the moment. Her soft moans increasing in urgency as I started kissing up her other thigh, parting them slightly as I kissed higher yet again. Teasing with the tip of my tongue against her innermost thigh, getting every so close before drawing away, drawing away even further as she thought I would as I pulled her onto her back.
Midnight blue eyes met mine only for a moment, as she followed my actions. Leaning forward and kissing her inner thighs, relishing the look of pleasure that crossed her face, causing her to bite her lip and keep from moaning. Exactly where I wanted her. Just a small bit of resistance left to crush, and that would taste downright delicious. I kept eye contact as much as I could as my kisses trailed up to where she ached for me to be.
The soft, salty taste of her skin quickly fled to both sweet and tart as I kissed closer to her hidden rosebud. My questing tongue sliding between her incredibly wet lips, feeling for that one spot that she would love so very much. A sharp intake of breath and a hand at the back of my head pulling me closer told me exactly what I wanted to know. Lessons before pleasure though. I nipped her softness with a canine as I pulled away, growling softly.
I took her hands in mine as I kneeled, pinning them to the bed at her sides. Her breathing turning into panting as my kisses trailed toward her other lips that I had yet to claim as mine. A predatory smile appearing on my lips as I started at the base of her mountains and nibbled my way to the peaks, only to pause for a moment to twirl my tongue around her very hard nipples. Any signs of protest were destroyed as I leaned forward and nipped the very edge of her crimson lips for a moment before leaning into the kiss fully. A questing tongue exploring as she wrapped herself around me, moaning into the kiss.
Moaning that got more urgent as she suddenly found a few "wandering" fingers teasing her thighs as I couldn't quite reach what I wanted so badly. Badly enough to pull my lips away from hers and push myself down the bed. Bad enough to weather the whimper of disappointment. That disappointment only lasted a moment as my fingers slid between two wet lips and began their dance. Her legs wrapped tightly around my shoulders, hands pulling me closer as I kissed ever so closely to the sensitive place she desired. Moaning turning again to urgent whimpers as my fingers and tongue explored her delicate curves, occasionally teasing at her entrance, only to return to a certain spot I was steadfastly teasing and licking.
A blue haze enveloped me as I was dragged away from her hips and tossed bodily onto the bed. This wasn't part of my plan, but any other thoughts disappeared as she pounced on me, pinning my shoulders down, my hands on her hips, pulling her tight to my hips as she rocked, enveloping me in a haze of pleasure.
The moment her hips slammed against mine, all pretense disappeared. All civility was gone. The thoughts of being in control were disputed. All that was left were two people determined to show the other who was boss. I grabbed her hips and shoved them down against mine as she tried to rise away to tease. Her nails dragged across my chest, leaving faint bloody scratches and a momentarily loss of control from me. In that moment, my wrists were pinned next to my head as she leaned forward and pushed her hips back. A grin crossing her beautiful face between moans as she thought it was over for me. All I gave in return was a deep growl and a show of canines.
Before she could react, I drove my hips up against hers hard and fast. Over and over, until she started to slump forward, half moaning, half screaming in pleasure. One hand pulling her lips to my neck, the other on the small of her back, pinning her hips against mine. If she wanted to fight, she should have done it when she had the opportunity. All that was left for her was a hard pounding until all she could do was moan and twitch in pleasure.
Anger and pleasure mixed as I pulled her closer, slamming our hips together again and again. Thin crimson trails led down my chest and neck as she bit and scratched as she moaned. Her arms wrapped around my neck, pulling her closer, letting me hear every panting breath turning into throaty voices of pleasure. Soft slapping noises filled the room as our soaked hips smashed into each other like a clash of the titans. Stuttered moans escaping as she climaxed over and over, only driving me on.
Both of my hands were on her hips now, raising her up, only to muscle her back down as I raised my hips to meet. Harder, deeper, enjoying the heat and every curve within her. Loving the feeling of being completely enveloped within her, the feeling of hitting bottom and the look of absolute pleasure crossing her face every time I did it. Getting so close to the end myself, I had to make this memorable for her.
My thumbs leaving small bruises as I gripped her harder, hips sore as they were battered against her castle walls for eternity. Dragging her down to me, pinning her hips down as everything faded to red as I climaxed with her. A scream of pleasure in my ears as she shoved back to meet me as my hips spasmed. The taste of blood filling my mouth just before I passed out.
It was still dark out when I awoke. That was one hell of a dream, considering I felt like a million ponies had danced on my chest. My mouth tasted like blood, and I smelled like sweat and sex. That was certainly a first for a dream.
Of course, those thoughts quickly went out the window as a figure under the blanket stirred, crimson blood stained across her ivory skin.
Oh fuck, tell me that was a dream. Please... Please... Please
I tugged the blanket off her naked form, still delicious in any way, only to notice two things. The first were a set of wounds in her shoulder, similar to ones my new canines would make.
Secondly was a strange mark on her hip. Looking closer, I realized that it certainly looked like a crescent moon against a night sky.
Oh shit.
I think I fucked Luna. Celestia was going to kick my ass.
Oh fucking shit.
And then I passed out.
Full Moon Fire (Some Content Warning)
“It's a curious, wanting thing.”― Sarah Waters, Fingersmith
I don't think I was out long, as darkness still reined when my eyes slowly opened. Standing over me was an image that made my blood run icy. Princess Luna towered over me as I lay on the floor, not breaking eye contact as she chuckled. It was then that I noticed something important. When did Luna get a predator's canines?
My voice sounded like gravel as I forced the words out.
"Luna... what happened, and why do you have teeth like mine? Also, I thought all this was a dream. You were human after all."
Without breaking eye contact, she raised a hoof to her neck, brushing some of the still dripping blood away from a set of fresh bite marks. Staring intently into my soul, she slowly parted her lips and teasingly licked the blood off her fur.
"Well Hex, we both got something we wanted there. It has been a long time since I've been rutted like that. As for the canines, I've always had those since Nightmare Moon took over. I just keep them hidden. If you look close, you'll see something on your shoulders too."
That got my attention, as I snapped my head to the side, suddenly feeling pain that I didn't know about. A series of bite marks trailed down the side of my neck to my shoulder. Turns out she got me better than I got her.
"As for the human bit, as I taught you magic, I studied yours. I can't change shape for long, like you can, but I can still manage a few hours every now and again. I only wanted to keep you company, but you definitely gave me a surprise. Its something that we should talk more about...later..."
She closed her eyes and darkness seemed to flow around her, shading her from my sight and making the Princess vanish in the dimly lit room. The touch of soft skin on my unbitten shoulder stopped my wild thoughts as I looked around the room. Not that it helped much as the room was plunged into shadows so deep my enhanced eyes could see nothing.
A fingernail trailed down my chest, scratching as it went over tender flesh and scars, until a weight gently settled on my bare hips. I could barely see the outline of two dark eyes, and a matching pair of teeth as a supple pair of breasts pressed against my chest. An even softer pair of lips touched mine, I could hardly hear her whisper.
"It is only fair that my consort be rewarded...vigorously for being so pleasurable to the royal self...
Outside the Royal Chambers, a pair of guards fidgeted nervously at the noises that flowed from within.
Hours had passed, the moon still rested in the sky as a rather irritated Princess Celestia approached her dear sister's quarters. The guards could only look down as they bowed, as they didn't want to make eye contact after hearing Luna's "night time activities."
The well oiled door slid open, but magical darkness kept the guards and Princess from seeing the scene withing. The scents alone told Celestia everything she needed to know. She just nodded at the guards and began to walk away. The soft noises of her hooves against the palace floors speaking volumes. As if a second thought, she looked back at the two embarrassed soldiers. Soldiers that flinched as she spoke.
"When Luna and Hex are awake, have them meet me in my chambers after they... clean up. I have a moon to lower, so please excuse me."
Celestia pretended not to hear the guards talking to each other as she walked away.
"... we are so bucked. I just hope we aren't kicked out of the Lunar Guard after this..."
"This is going to be a long day."
They could not see the grin on Celestia's face as she rounded the corner, or hear her laughing to herself.
"This is going to be so much fun..."
"Remember, if you smoke after sex you're doing it too fast."---Woody Allen
Sunlight streamed into the chambers through an opened balcony door, gently illuminating the mess within. Several hours had passed since Celestia left orders with the guards outside the barred door. Barred for a reason, as if anypony had been able to see the damage to the Princess' quarters, Hex would have been in front of Celestia in an instant. Books and baubles littered the floor haphazardly, the bed's linens lay tossed to the side with visible smears of blood across them. Centered in the chaos, naked and bleeding human lay, with a similarly battered and bloody alicorn curled up against him. Back home, this would have been considered "one hell of a weekend."
It took several minutes for the light to make the couple stir. Foul language, grunts, and groans of pain as they started to move around and try to sit up, the results of the evening apparent.
"Son of a bitch!"
A lot of the sensations coursing though my body were new ones, as the night just turned into one big blur of violent sex. I know at some point, there was a lot of scratching, and for the finale, both Luna and I came away with a deep set of bite marks on our necks. Fun or not, it felt like I had gotten my ass kicked by a Hells Angel holding a chunk of 2x4 after getting caught with his sister. Even less fun was all the pops and creaks my body made as I stood up, only to see Luna's alicorn ass disappear into the bathroom. Once I heard the shower turn on, I limped that way hoping the hot water would wash the soreness away.
"Luna, I'm going to hop in too if you don't mind" I chucked to myself. After last night, she better not be offended to see me naked. I'm pretty sure she broke my hips after all. The only response I got was a throaty moan from within the shower as I pushed the bathroom door open.
As always, the decoration was immaculate, fitting the color scheme of her quarters perfectly, while seemingly giving light from the blue and white tiled walls. Everything else was forgotten as my eyes caught a massive shower in the corner. It was easily large enough for two ponies. Then again, that could have been the point, considering she pretty much called me "The Royal Consort" before the main festivities started.
As I slid the glass doors open, Luna looked back at me, doing the pony version of grinning and wiggling her ass. Tease. I tried to smack her on the rump, but moving my arms like that hurt. Rather a lot I might add. It did bring a memory to mind though. Something about pinning her against the wall of her chambers next to the door, her legs wrapped around my waist as I had my way with her. Then some rope used on me later. Fuck. I don't remember everything but it must have been fun. I think the grin on my face was enough as her blue eyes sparkled in the light before she turned up the water. Jets and streams pouring out of the ceiling and the walls, it was magnificent.
I didn't even notice how half the water washing off us for the first few minutes started out as crimson and turned to a pinkish red as it ran near the drain.
The shower was amazing, but looking in the mirror after the fact was a shock. I stood there trying to make sense of the myriad of injuries across my body, mostly scratches, scrapes, and bites. Mostly. Somehow I acquired a black eye and a massive bruise that explained why it hurt to breathe a bit. Luna thankfully, was in better shape, mostly scratches and scrapes, the bite marks disappearing into her fur now that she was back to her normal self. Either way, it was going to be interesting.
"Hex, if my dearest sister finds out about our...tryst... she will make our lives difficult. If you do not mind, I'll try to use a small amount of my magic to heal or disguise the worst of the injuries. We don't want to entirely forget last night after all"
The chuckle afterwards got my attention. Just not fast enough as she nipped me on the ear before her horn started to glow and a blueish haze began to surround us. Figures its my luck to be stuck with the Royal Nympho. Could be worse I guess. Luna was a demon in the sack after all.
The magic did its work though. I could feel small injuries itching as they closed, and one sharp pain as a rib popped back into place on my right side where the bruise was fading. This was going to be an interesting day. Hopefully Celestia didn't find out though. Naturally, my hopes were wrong again.
A while later, as we exited Luna's rooms, her guards approached and said something that gave us both pause. Celestia wanted to see us. NOW.
The walk to Celestia's chambers was a short one, but it seemed to take forever as the dread carried between Luna and myself. I was genuinely worried, Luna switched between muttering to herself and fidgeting as she walked. So mostly irritated was my guess.
Soon enough, we were facing a large wooden and steel door with a solar emblem emblazoned across it in a dark bronze. All in all, it was striking. Then again, I am fairly certain I was going to hell for smacking the royal butt. The two guards at the entrance didn't help either. As they pulled the doors open, they just glared at me grimly. Wonderful.
I will admit, I did not expect to see Celestia just sitting on a couch sipping on a cup of tea. Nor did I expect the words that came out of her mouth as the doors clicked shut behind us.
"Welcome Sister and Hex...the Royal Chew Toy, judging by the marks on your neck"
I just stood there stunned as Celestia laughed at her remarks. I didn't expect Luna to growl a bit and let anger get the better of herself though.
"Sister! HOW DARE YOU! Everytime I have a pony in my life, you HAVE to say something. The last one before my banishment you called "The Royal Slut!"
I just stood there silently. I'm pretty sure they are like T-Rexes. They see motion and would both turn on me.
"Lulu, I am just kidding. Relax. I just wanted to have a little fun with you, considering I had to lower the moon. AGAIN. After catching you in one of your trysts. Hex, there was nothing meant by the comment. Luna and I have always gotten a little...excessive... teasing each other."
"I... um... It's ok I guess. I've had stranger reactions after getting caught. And probably the nicest one yet considering you two are sisters."
Breathe dude. Breathe. Wtf was that shit?
"I do have to say that if those noises keep up, I might have to borrow Hex for a little bit sometime though. Half the castle was kept up all night with your moaning in the Royal Canterlot Voice, Luna."
She just shrank down and blushed. At least as much as a pony could blush. Any thought of a rebuttal knocked straight out of her mind. All I could do was facepalm.
"That course business aside, could we get to breakfast and the conversation I was meaning to have with Hex?"
She gestured to a couch adjacent to her own and then clapped her hooves. Immediately, a white pony wearing chef's clothes rolled a cart into the room as we seated ourselves. A series of plates and bowls adorned the tables in front of us, then the pony silently turned and wheeled the cart back out.
Celestia and Luna used magic to pull the covers off their plates, revealing what you would expect from a wholesome pony breakfast. Oats, fruit, juice and the like. Mine however, was a bit of a surprise. As I lifted the lid, there was only one thing I could say.
"What the fuck, Celestia."
That snapped both Princesses eyes to me in a heartbeat.
"Is there something wrong with your meal, Hex? If there is, we can get Copper Pots back in here to fix it immediately."
I looked down at my plate and back to Celestia who had an unamused look on her face. Luna just sat back watching, gently crunching through an apple.
"Wait. You didn't do this as a prank?"
"Why would I joke around with your food Hex? That is simply absurd. To joke around is one thing, to waste food like that is simply another thing entirely."
"So thats a no."
"No, this isn't a joke Hex. What is wrong with your breakfast? I thought it was something appropriate for your appetites."
I could only laugh as I completely revealed my plate. A half dozen eggs, four strips of bacon, peach slices and toast. Why I was laughing eluded Celestia, so I figured an explanation was in order.
"Celestia, where I come from, a breakfast like this usually means one thing, and one thing only. It usually starts with an insult like How many eggs would I need for breakfast to plow your sister"
I laughed harder as realization crossed her face that she gave me a "go ahead" breakfast. Luna just scooted away from me on the couch and tried to make herself look smaller.
Fucking ponies. At least they are good for a laugh. Well a laugh and some earth orbit destroying sex.
After our awkward breakfast, Celestia carried on about what she wanted to talk about. The seriousness in her voice being a dead giveaway.
"After the Basilisk encounter, most of the guards felt that your weapons were inefficient and incapable of hurting anything or pony. The changeling invasion changed their minds slightly, but not entirely. Oh, before I forget, this is yours."
A small box was magically levitated onto my lap. The top quickly taken off to find the prize within. Wrapped in several layers of gold colored silk was my revolver. My revolver that had new engraving and gems studding it.
"Celestia, I am glad you found my revolver, but why it is engraved? Moreso, why are there gems sticking out of it?"
"The engraving was accidental. We have the weapon to the royal armorer for cleaning, as it was filthy from blood and debris. He felt the engraving was something worthy of a hero of Equestria. As for the gems, they were imbedded in it when we found it. As best as we can tell, it is a result of direct exposure to your magics. We do have no idea what that will do to the weapon however."
I could just nod as my eyes followed the patterns that were painstakingly hammered and carved into the living metal of my revolver. Knots that arced and flowed crossing the surfaces, almost in a celtic way, only to arch back to a flaming crescent moon symbol that covered the areas above the trigger guard. Beautiful work really. Even more ironic considering last night.
"What I was needing to ask you is fairly complicated. Luna and I have discussed this, and we feel it is the best way to show the guards why we need to learn of your weaponry, and potentially learn to use and make it ourselves. I would like to imbue a small amount of your... rounds, did you call it... to not cause damage, just a flash of magic and fake blood, causing immediate unconsciousness on the target."
In my head, my only thoughts were "oh shit..."
"So you want me to do what exactly?"
"Its simple really, Hex. I know that you are incredibly capable with these weapons, but the guard is not understanding this. As such, I want you, to shoot me."
"Holy fucking shit! You want me to do WHAT?" --- Hex
"Um, you want me to do what now?"
Celestia just looked at me with what equates to a smirk on her face.
"I want you to shoot me. Not up close mind you. I want the guards to understand the capabilities of your weapons so they will see why they should want to learn. I even have a place in mind. "
I'm still not familiar with what is going on. Back home we had a meme that would have fit this perfectly. You know the one. Anchorman's "Well that escalated quickly" one.
"To prove that your weapons are effective, I'm also going to post a few guards along the path to where I want you to take your shot from, should you prove capable. I'd like you to use the same magic bullets that we are giving you for your other weapons on them. Again, it will only knock them unconscious for a few hours. I'll also have a prepared message for Twilight Sparkle to be sent the moment I get hit."
It really seemed like she covered the bases. Probably a bad idea, but with the ruler of a country asks you to do something, you just do it. It really didn't help that Luna only nodded along with her sister's statements while eating another apple.
A yellow haze enveloped a small box on the table next to me and opened it. Inside the simple wooden box lay a bright yellow velvet interior with several rounds in different calibers laying next to each other. The only difference was that the bullets looked like they were made out of swirling red magic. Kind of cool in a fucked up way.
"I guess I have no choice on this Princess. I'll do this, but only once. I really do think this is too risky."
Little did I know I was right again.
Several hours later, I was back at my small cottage loading up a pack with the gear I felt I would need for an afternoon hunting trip. Small pouches situated here and there as I adjusted the straps and weight of the pack, definitely not enjoying the weight of the situation the Princesses had placed me in. Spare mag for the carbine on my left hip, magical ammo for both rifles resting snugly inside the weapons. It was time, I guess.
The entire thing was supposed to be a surprise for the military and Elements, so avoiding everyone was the order of the day. After making sure to activate the wards on my home, I locked the door and turned toward the forest. The dim places between trees would be my camouflage for this.
As the dim light swallowed me, I gently patted the hex bag on my chest and the few runes I had placed on a string around my neck. Hopefully I was wrong. That was my last thought as the dark encompassed everything I knew.
"Apparently, you were not wrong in your thoughts, Child. Now tell me, why should I spare your life. There are many things that intrigue me about your actions, but I am uncertain of why. Your chaos has a certain balance in it. A balance I have felt a long time ago. "
"Honestly, I don't really know. As you said before, I've been spared before. It would really suck to die again, only for doing someone a favor, but that's the way life is."
The dark voice chuckled softly.
"I've seen inside your mind, young one. You will be spared for one reason alone. I saw what my brother saw in sparing you. There is still some purpose in your being that may be vital. It may not. Either way, your actions will have consequences. Know this though. We WILL meet again soon, and for the final time. Until then, begone from my presence. "
I could almost feel the voice dismissing me with a wave of its invisible hand, but other things grabbed my attention first.
My entire being felt as if molten lava was being pored through me, my pain quickly turning into silent screams as I fell to the floor of the dark room. All I could see was light. Pure, unadulterated white light flowing through my eyes. I could almost feel my bones glowing, shattering, and turning to dust.
Back in Ponyville, something strange was happening. Lavendar and Gold magics were slowly twining through the branches, tugging here and there to try to free Hex's corpse. A crowd had began to gather, as the death of one of the locals was a rarity. Moreso if it was a town hero. Some ponies sobbed, others just bowed their heads in respect. None expected what was to come.
Just before the energies could touch Hex, they were thrown back hard enough to stun both Twilight and the Princess. The scent of burning wood began to fill the air as a golden light teased between the branches. It only grew in intensity as the flames grew, until everypony was looking away from the miniature sun imbedded in the lofty tree. That brightness only lasted for a moment, as it flashed to nothing and an earth shattering noise exploded in its place.
Nopony saw the flaming figure standing behind the crowd until it spoke.
"Holy fuck."
As one the ponies turned to see a very naked Hex standing, just for a moment, golden rays emanating from his body while black tendrils of magic curved around his skin. Heroically, he tried to say something more, but the only thing that came forth was a groan as his eyes rolled back and he passed out.
Twilight and Celestia were the first to reach his fallen body, and the first to be confused.
"Princess, why aren't there crystals imbedded in his skin? Why isn't he dead?"
A dark voice chuckled in the blackness, rumbling with black intent.
"Good luck brother. We both know your plan is the only way to save this planet. I wish you well. "
“You must have chaos within you to give birth to a dancing star.”― Friedrich Nietzsche
"...NOT your fault Twilight. It was my..."
"...is a threat..."
"Awake, Child. "
As my mind floated in the void with voices coming in and out of focus, that one jarred my mind. A voice I knew so very well.
"Ow, my fucking head."
The room was entirely too bright as I opened my eyes. At least I could tell I was back in my home, apparently surrounded by more ponies. Why I keep getting knocked out, I don't know but it is better then dead I guess. As I tried to sit up I did realize a few things though. My body felt great. Aches and pains I'd had for years weren't there, even the fuzziness at the edge of my vision had vanished. One thing came to mind though.
"So what the hell happened? I thought you planned for this Celestia. Getting impaled WAS NOT part of our deal. I could deal with Armor's magic, but trees through the chest piss me off."
You know, I never realized how coarse the fabric of my couch was until I was shirtless on it and turning to glare at a certain solar princess. All she could do was look at the floor as she started to talk. Pretty sure she knew this fell apart, and badly at that.
"The letter was sent as planned to inform Twilight. We just didn't expect Spike to be out helping Rarity hunt gemstones when it happened. It was an assumption on my part, and a poor one at that, which nearly cost you your life. We are sorry Hex. Then there is the matter of your crystals. We'll need to talk about that later."
I sighed, unsure of what to say to all of this. Nearly getting killed on a screw that really couldn't have been prevented without blowing the plan. Sure, life sucks sometimes, but I can't around letting it control me. Fuck it, I'll deal with this later and maybe milk a favor or two out of it. Maybe a vacation for me and Luna or something. Worst case, I can always rub the fact that I'm railing her sister in her pony face.
"Celes..."
And that was the sign for everypony to start talking at once.
"SHUT UP! Fucking hell, I get stabbed through the chest and everyone can't even give me the courtesy to take a goddamn number and wait in line?! Let me talk."
A small squeak from the back of the group pretty much said that Fluttershy was here. Probably to check on Ponyville's latest invulnerable resident.
"As I was saying. Celestia, the fact that Spike was out of reach was something we could and should have planned around. We both screwed up there, so no hard feelings. We'll, maybe a few since I got stabbed. Either way, for some crazy reason I am fine and feel fantastic, so I'll leave it be for now. As for the rest of you vultures, you can talk one at a time if you want to be welcome in my house."
I think that got their attention as the small group shuffled a little bit, until a quiet voice broke through the silence.
"Well, um, I'm glad you are okay Hex. If you are in pain or anything, let me know."
With that, small mumbles came from the group, mostly apologies and whatnot as ponies came and went. Thankfully, a short while passed and only a few figures were left. They were going to be the most interesting ones to talk to as they had the most to do with all of this.
"Ah sure am for tying you up like ah did Hex. If ah knew what was goin on, ah would have stayed out of the way."
Its got to be the southerner in me, but seeing Applejack apologize like that with her stetson off, definitely made everything ok. A slight nod in her direction seemed to brighten her demeanor quite a bit. When I was about to open my mouth to speak, a certain pony exhaled loudly behind me. One that I've purposely been putting in the corner since I woke up.
"Yes Shining Armor? And you better not be trying to apologize. You did exactly what I expected you to do. Granted I got a little bruised up, but it was fun in a way."
"In the forest we could track you. It wasn't easy and apparently you are very good at what you do there. What I want to know is how you kept all of our combined magic from hurting you?"
"Magic didn't hurt him?"
"Nope, didn't do a thing to me Twilight. And its a dirty secret of mine Armor. I don't think you ponies are capable of doing it as it is based in my magic, but I'll try to explain. Back home, I was what religions called a Pagan. There were different types, but I was one of those that followed what was in their blood. In my case, religions that were called Asatru and Voudoun. And bear with me, I'll get to your answers."
I gave them a short lecture on what humans believed and why it was relevant to all of this. Naturally Twilight was taking notes on pretty much everything, occasionally interjecting the odd question or comment. As a whole, I managed to boil down centuries of human experience into its essence in regards to this.
"...So, there are lots of different things that humans believe. In my religions, there are also beliefs about shielding ones self from others, both physical or mental. A lot of people believed, but more didn't back home. When I got here and started learning about my magic, I tried to create what we called wardstones or wyrd depending on where you went. Basically, you put everything you need for the shield into the clay, even using the magic to dry and bake it. When the ward is overwhelmed it lets you know by breaking. Hex bags are another similar thing, but I won't get into that."
I could tell Twilight had an idea floating around in her mind about trying all this. It probably wouldn't work, but if it did, more power to the ponies. From there, the conversation sort of went everywhere. I had completely forgotten that Celestia was in the room until she chimed in with bits of her knowledge.
All in all, for a day that I died, it didn't turn out to be a bad day. It wasn't until about midnight that I realized that I hadn't even thought about how my firearms were and if they survived whatever the hell happened.
"SON OF A BITCH!"
Over the next few days, the weird behavior of the deer stayed on my mind. No animal had ever acted like that before, out of all my years of hunting. As delicious as the meat was, knowing this soured the enjoyment of my meals. Like all problems, they are oft forgotten though.
The weather had held on its cool and crisp pattern, dipping even lower at night. If I didn't have fur, I would have started a fire in the fireplace. It was nice to wake and see the tracings of frost dancing on the windows and the edges of leaves shimmering in the raising sunlight. Most trees had taken on the golden coloring of fall, one of my favorite seasons. Still today was a day I'd been looking forward to for a while now. Little bit of work around the house, maybe a jaunt into town to see Anvil, a nap, and then Luna. Hopefully she'd be in a fun filled mood, or at least a decent one.
I had this crazy idea to try to blend my religious magics and personal ones. This was going to be an experiment that a certain purple unicorn didn't need to know about, but it seemed like the idea would work. When I was healed, the crystals didn't really disappear, they just shattered into smaller and smaller bits until they were literally in my blood. I grabbed that knowledge and ran with it. Anypony would say this was an insane idea, but it had merit. Just to be safe, I slapped the activation button for the houses wards before I went downstairs. No need to accidentally blow up Ponyville after all.
Walking through my room, I disrobed as I went to make sure I was bare when I went into my workshop. This was probably going to hurt a bit. Flames flickered around my body as I descended the wooden steps, the rough grain feeling strange against my bare skin. This would only work as a human. Probably. Either way this was going to hurt. A quick tap on a gem set into the wall made my workroom burst into light. Time to get started I guess.
Sitting on a wood stool while naked is certainly an interesting experience. Still, what I was about to do was going to be even more demanding of my thoughts. I placed my left hand onto the table as I grabbed my thinnest skinning knife.
A deep intake of breath.
This shit is going to hurt.
A quick exhale and gritting of teeth.
The sharp blade slid into the skin of my left hand, slowly tracing a circle around the gem imbedded in my palm. My mind willing tiny flames to life just behind the blade, searing the wound into my flesh. Small lines traced across my hand in blood and flames as I worked, slowly carving detail after detail into my flesh. The room slowly filled with the scent of char and blood, but soon enough the first part was done. To anypony it would look like a madman carving into his own flesh out of insanity or for pleasure, but I hoped this would work. Sweat dripped down my forehead as I inspected the runes that now adorned my burnt and crystal infused skin.
Now all there was to do was test it. I had an idea but it would hurt worse either way. Still, a test is a test. Upstairs I went, making sure to wipe off blood as I slid clothes on. Thinking to myself "this really isn't a good idea" but still planning on going through with it none the less. Before I knew it, the front door lay ahead of me. A quick glance showed that the wards on the house were still active. One simple tug on the door and I was outside. This was going to hurt, and I knew it.
To keep myself from chickening out, I didn't think. Spinning on my heels, I slammed my left palm into the wooden and iron door with all my strength.
"SON OF A BITCH!"
Ok, that didn't work.
After dancing around for a minute waving my hand around, I literally facepalmed when I realized what I did. Some days I swear I'm a little "tardy" as Twilight puts it. A quick thought and I could feel small flames flickering across the lines in my hand.
Time for round two.
Taking a deep breath, I planted my feet and shoved my hand into the door. Immediately I could tell a difference in reaction as blue magic and flames spun around my hand, flowing towards it.
"Sweet!"
And then the magic fucking exploded.
I awoke to a certain blue Pegasus laughing her ass off. Rainbow was literally rolling on the ground half saying that it was awesome and half crying that I blew myself up. It was pretty awesome though.
By the time I explained to Rainbow why telling Twilight was a bad idea it was mid afternoon. Too late to continue my tests if I wanted to have happy fun time with Luna later. As I waved to the cyan blur leaving my yard, I shut the door behind me and headed to my bedroom. Time for a nap.
The feeling of someone nibbling on my ear woke me up. By scent and the feel of her in the room, I could tell it was past dark and Luna was here to say hi.
"What do you command of the Royal Slut, Princess?"
It was really hard to say that without laughing, but a smirk still ended up on my face.
"Why do you insist on using the nickname my sister gave you? I find it less than...pleasing."
To press that point, I felt a pair of canines graze across the side of my neck.
I opened my eyes to see Luna as a human snuggled up next to me. What caught my attention was the slinky nearly skin tight blue and black dress she was wearing. Yum. It showed *every* curve if you know what I mean.
"Sorry, um...what? Wow...."
"You really are a master of words Hex," she deadpanned.
"So I did have a question though. Are we officially...whatever we are? Speaking of which, what exactly are we?"
A soft chuckle filled her throat as she eyed me. This was going to be a rough night, I could already tell.
"Well, officially you are my Knight. You are ranked below the Generals, but above the Captain of the guard, but only report to myself and my sister. There are some perks, but we can get to those later."
The way she was licking her canines was seriously starting to make me nervous. At this rate I'm probably going to feel like a guy left in a room full of horny vampires at the end of the night. Drained in more than one way.
"As for us, you are my consort. Not less than special somepony, but more then a, how do you humans say it, fuck buddy. There are protections there too, but this isn't exactly what I wanted to talk about tonight."
Stall for time dude... Think think...
"You know, at some point our magic will slip and you might end up getting bent over by a giant wolf, or anything betwee..."
Yeah this is going to be interesting. Hand over my mouth, she pushed my head to the side and starting kissing and biting down my neck.
Then again, stalling was forgotten as she hiked the dress up and straddled me. I could feel her magic trying to force my arms up near my head and onto the pillow as her hands worked to undo my belt.
"What is THAT?"
I looked up to see my left hand surrounded by blue flames.
"Oh yeah, that. Working on protective magic"
The look on her face made me grin like an idiot as she realized that I wasn't as pinned as she thought. One arm around her waist was enough to roll her off me and free myself from her bonds.
Of course, the moment I was on top my hands slid up the soft skin of her thighs, pushing the dress up as they went, only to put her hips on my shoulders as I kneeled.
I licked my lips as I looked down at my very tasty dessert. Time to start this night in earnest and make the Princess of the Night see stars.
Thankfully nopony was near enough to hear the noises coming out of my cottage, or so I thought.
Sunrise came too early for Luna and myself. As usual, the blankets were all over the floor as they only got in the way of festivities. During the night's chill, we had curled onto each other for warmth and comfort. Despite our relationship, it was still odd to wake up with a pony's plot pressed tight against your crotch. Not really sure how we were going to make this relationship work out as there was magic involved one way or another, but so long as I didn't get turned into a pony, I'd gladly enjoy her company.
I was mid snuggle against her neck, about to bite between her shoulders when there was a knock on my front door.
"Fucking hell. Its barely morning, what do these guys want now?"
Rolling out of bed, I headed for the front door as I grumbled to myself. My hand found the door handle before my mind processed what I was doing, and the door pulled open.
"What do you... Oh hey Twilight. Whats up?"
She just stared at me, mouth open in silent horror.
"What? Do I have a little blood on me or... OH FUCK! Be right back!"
I didn't even close the door as I bolted to the bedroom to find clothes. Poor Twilight just had the door opened and was greeted by a very naked and somewhat bloody human. And a certain part of human anatomy that just happened to be roughly at pony face height.
Not my morning.
Luna hadn't even stirred from the noise, soft snores still coming from her as I slipped on a robe and closed the bedroom door behind me. This was going to be an awkward talk, I just know it.
"Sorry about that Twilight. If I had some mind bleach, I'd offer it to you."
It was really hard not to chuckle at that.
"Its okay Hex. I've seen you nude in Canterlot, remember? What is with all the blood and bruises anyhow? It is only eight in the morning."
Oh thank god for innocent Twilight. And the fact that most ponies didn't know about Luna and myself of course.
"Fluttershy said there were a lot of strange noises coming from over here for most of the night, so I figured I'd check in on you since we need to talk anyhow. Would you mind if I came in?"
Looking behind me to check that the bedroom door was still closed, I shrugged. Hopefully she won't ask why the whole house smells like sex. Gesturing to the couch as I turned around, "make yourself comfortable. I do have a guest, so please keep it quiet."
"Okay, I'll try to keep this quick. Princess Celestia sent a letter to me earlier this morning requesting to meet with the Element bearers, you know, myself, Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Fluttershy, Rarity, and Rainbow Dash, plus you. Something about a Crystal Empire and how you might be of use there. I can't find anything in my books on the Crystal Empire though."
Yawning, I could only nod. The yawn also kept me from squealing as I heard the bedroom door open and a sultry voice drift my way.
"Hex, are you ready for round three? Your Princess demands it."
I really hope Twilight didn't realize who the voice was. I really hope...
"I'll be there in a minu..."
"Princess LUNA!"
Oh fuck me.
The bedroom door slammed and I was left with a stuttering Twilight who was starting to connect the dots.
"So you... Princess Luna... last night... EW EW EW EW EW EW EW EW! I THOUGHT THIS COUCH SMELLED FUNNY! EW EW EW EW EW EW EW EW EW!"
She bolted for the front door screaming about needing a shower.
Well, so much for that innocence.
"Coming Luna dearest..."
Figure I had a bit before Celestia called both of us back to Canterlot after she probably will get a very panicked letter from her dear student.
Fucking day off my ass.
The Crystal Wolf Pt 2 (Extended)
The Crystal Wolf Pt 2 (Extended)
I really hate it when I am right. Knowing there was little time to be had, Luna and I had bolted back to the bedroom. Per the universal law of blueballs, the moment things started getting hot again, some fucker just had to knock on the door. I wonder if I can invent landmines for my yard. Either way, one annoying knock turned into a constant pounding on the door while I found a damn towel. I would have rather been giving Luna a constant pounding, but that's life.
As the door slammed open, the Royal Guard flinched back in fear. Well it could also have been what I said.
"WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU WANT?! "
I'll admit I felt kind of bad for the guy.
"M...mmm... message from the p...p...p...Princess sir. You are not needed in C...Canterlot this afternoon. The missive will explain i...it."
Okay, I felt more than a little bad for the guard. Little guy seemed scared as hell. Of course, it could have been the golden flames that were licking the door frame where my hands were resting. Or the fact that even in my human form, I could feel my canines getting longer.
Either way, I snatched the letter out of the air. A strange tingling passing through my hand as I pulled the scroll out of the guards magic and slowly closed the door.
"Thank you."
No idea if he heard me or not, but it was still polite of me, especially after being a little...cruel.
The scroll bore a wax seal in the shape of Celestia's cutie mark. Her personal mark adorned the wax, not one done by one of her many scribes and servants. This should be interesting. With the push of a thumb, I broke the seal.
"I'll be back in the bedroom in a minute Luna. Just have to take care of this real quick. If you really want, you can start without me."
I really hope she heard the smirk in my voice, otherwise I was in for it. Those thoughts disappeared as I started to read the note.
Hex,
I know this is short notice after your injury, but Equestria has need of your unique talents. As you already know, I am sending my prize student, Twilight, along with the rest of the Elements of Harmony to the newly rediscovered Crystal Kingdom this evening. I would like you to travel with them for part of your journey. I will be by at 3pm this afternoon to explain the rest of your travels. Please enjoy the rest of your morning, and I will speak to you further on this subject in a few hours.
Celestia.
"Fuck..."
A small voice drifted out of the bedroom before I could finish the sentence.
"Well, that is what you are supposed to be doing right now my knight. Come ravish your Princess."
Lets just say the moans that started after that sentence made me forget all about the letter as I tossed it, and my towel on the bed and ran to my bedroom. Both items all but forgotten.
"Coming, my Princess..."
The rest of the morning passed in a blur of naughty acts between me and a certain lady friend of mine. Everything came to a standstill when I looked at the clock. 1:07PM.
"Oh shit! Luna, your sister will be here in two hours!"
"My WHAT?! Why didn't you tell me about this?"
"I kind of...forgot. You were making all those sexy noises after I got the letter from the guard. Then we had a lot of fun and got all sticky."
"Hex! That is something that..."
My fingers started kneading the joint where her wings and shoulders met, and her voice quickly disappeared into soft moans of contentment."
"Now then, my dear Princess, we have two hours until your sister gets here and tells me about whatever scheme she has going. Until then, I propose we open the windows and let the house air out, go enjoy ourselves in the shower, then have some breakfast."
Whatever protests she was working on only came out as half panting, half moaning as my fingers teased, massaged, and explored.
"The shower awaits Milady."
Two Hours Later
Luna and I sat side by side listening to her sister detail what was needed of me. It was a plan that nobody...nopony else could manage to pull off. Completely suicidal by the way. The weather changes were not just in fact due to the seasonal change the ponies pull off. The arctic winds were just that. Cold and wind being pushed from the far north. Beyond the Griffin Kingdoms, even the Crystal Empire. Far to the north, deep in the tundras where nopony could survive was the center of the ongoing changes. And apparently, I was the only person that the monarch thought would survive the trip.
"So let me get this straight. You want me to take a train to the Crystal Empire with Twilight, then hike across the arctic tundra until I find where these storms are coming from. THEN find my way back to Equestria? Don't get me wrong, its possible, I grew up in the arctic, but this is kind of insane Celestia. Do you have any idea what I'd need for this trip?"
Her eyes bored into me as the next words crossed her lips.
"Yes, I know exactly what I am asking. If I sent anypony, they would starve or freeze to death within days. I remembered the stories about your childhood and the skills you learned. If there were anypony else, I would ask them. I do not relish the idea of sending my sister's lover to his possible death. The safety of Equestria takes precedence over personal feelings however."
All I could do was sigh. I'll admit, she had a point. Her guards, her ponies were...soft. They would freeze or be dinner for a predator sooner than later. My hand met the soft fur on Luna's back, fingers kneading softly as I thought.
"I'll do this Celestia. BUT I'll need everything I ask, and I'll need it today if you still intend for me to travel north with the girls. After I do this, Luna and I get a vacation wherever we want, hopefully somewhere tropical. And you will owe me. I'm not sure what as of yet, but you will owe me a favor. I'm not counting the one from getting me killed either."
"If you save my ponies and figure this out, you'll get more than your favors as a reward Hex. That, I promise."
"Then, Princess, you have a deal. You might want to get a scribe or a quill, this is going to be a long list."
Several hours later, I was standing on the platform of Ponyville Station. The cool breeze was still enjoyable despite knowing what was to come. A large pile of baggage leaned against the wall, mostly Rarity's, but several of them were mine, and destined for the car I was using for the trip. I'm going to have a lot of packing to do while we ride the rails. Thankfully the crew of the train was gentle with the loading and the bags disappeared rapidly.
A soft sigh broke my attention as I turned to the dark alicorn standing next to me. Her eyes focused on every bit of me, as if Luna was trying to burn me into her memory. A single tear silently falling just before I could wipe it away. The only thing that crossed my mind was a simple act. I leaned in and kissed her on the nose. I know biology wouldn't work any other way, and it was all I could do, but it didn't feel like enough.
"I'll see you soon, my Princess. Your moon will guide my way every night, and the stars will be my light. I will return soon."
Just a few steps into the train, and the doors closed behind me. I never did hear Luna's parting words, nor see the fleeting tears.
On the platform, one Alicorn watched the train depart, and quickly disappear into the distance. The occasional tear wetting the stone next to her hooves.
"Goodbye my love."
This was going to be a long trip.
I watched out the window until the station was out of sight. The car was sparsely appointed, mostly with stacks of bags here and there covering couches and whatnot. Either way, I had a lot to do and not much time for it if I wanted to get some rest before we arrived in the Crystal Empire. I pulled a tattered list out of my pocket and began digging through the bags set aside for me. A large pile of gear slowly began to appear on the tattered carpet in the car as I worked.
An hour or two had passed as I laid out everything I imagined would be needed for this suicidal journey. My assortment of bags and frame pack lay next to the piles of things that were supposed to go within. Knowing that food was going to be sparse, I even brought my long rifle and revolver along. I just hoped they would continue to serve me as they had.
Even more important than food was shelter. The arctic is an unforgiving place. As I grew up hearing, be smart and you'll be fine. Be dumb and you'll be dead in a day. I made sure to ask Celestia for warm clothes, materials to make shelter, all the things that would hopefully keep me from turning into a Popsicle. Either way, before getting off the train I was going to get into my wolf form. The fur should help keep me warmer, and if it was anything like home, warmer could be the difference between life and death.
Little by little the piles disappeared into the bags until I was left with a large and bulky pack covered in smaller pouches. The last thing that was attached to the pack were two things that could save my life. A small shovel, and a short sword. Now, I have no idea why ponies have swords with proper grips, but I'll take it.
All that was left for my trip to begin was a good dinner, some sleep, and more food. Better to start a journey with a full stomach and full of energy after all.
Author’s foreword: I’m using a journal format for most of the travel time until we get back to the main story. (next chapter probably) Any significant events will be told the way I always do, don’t worry guys.
Three weeks. Twenty one days. That’s how long I’ve been walking through this tundra wasteland. The sound of crunching snow is just grating on my ears after this long, and it is only broken by the noises of my breathing or the occasional times I mutter to myself. I haven’t even seen a sentient creature in nearly 16 days, and that was a griffin patrol in the distance. They didn’t have the heart to chase me further into the tundra.
I’ve been trying to supplement the meager amounts of food I have left with anything that I can scavenge or hunt, but besides the occasional rabbit or small game, the odds of finding serious food under feet of snow are pretty grim. The temperatures have been crisp but not harshly cold. That will change soon though, as I am nearing a mountain range. That will be a challenge to traverse, but if I’m going to do this, it has to be done.
Day thirty seven. The climb through the mountains has been hard. The temperatures are dropping fast, and I’m not sure how I can get out of here. I’ll keep pushing on, as the only choice is to freeze. Thankfully, the warm weather gear that I carried with me has fared well through all the jostling and climbing. The wool cloak over my snow gear helps to hold what little heat I have left. I can’t wait to get off this damn mountain.
Day forty. My pack ripped on an outcropping yesterday. I had no idea that I was losing the last of my food over the past few miles. After finding a crevice to shelter myself from the wind, I tore through the remains of my main pack to take stock of what was left. If I ration carefully, there is enough to last me a wonderful two days before I have to eat snow. There really isn’t any nutrition in that though. Hollow calories and all that. I’ll keep a sharp eye out for some kind of food. Any kind would do really. At the rate I burn energy, I don’t think the rule of 3 will apply for survival here. Normally, it is 3 minutes without air, 3 days without water, and 3 weeks without food. In these temperatures, I doubt I could last a week. If someone finds me or this journal, tell Luna that I’m sorry.
Fucking day forty two. I am cold and hungry.
Small puffs of steam swirled around my head in the frozen air, whipped into a miniature tornado from the icy wind that was buffeting my battered frame. Small icicles hung from the fur around my muzzle, flash frozen moisture from my breath. Thankfully, with the woolen cloak pulled over my head, along with the heavily padded cold weather gear, I was somewhat warm, albeit hungry. Of course, that brings me to what I am looking at now.
In the distance, there was a nearly pony sized blob of white moving against the swirling snow. Unless this crazy world had yetis, there was only one thing that it could be at this altitude. Dinner. Gingerly, I kneeled down behind an outcropping, the crisp snow crunching as I sunk into it slightly. Slow, gentle movements were the order of the day as I slipped a fabric wrapped bundle off my shoulders. A few twisting motions and the muzzle of my rifle slid out of the material. Two soft popping noises soon followed as the caps sealing the scope from the weather were pushed open.
Finally, I could settle the rifle into my shoulder, enjoying the sensation of familiarity that I had missed for the last several weeks. After an incident with a griffin patrol, I kept the rifle ready, just in case. With a round in the chamber, all I needed to do was find my dinner…er… target. The twisting winds would be a challenge for this shot, but it was do or die. My fingers quickly found the bulge on top of the scope, and slowly twisted the cat tail to make the image I saw get clearer. Closer. The blur of moving snow quickly resolved itself into a male dall sheep with a full curl pair of horns. Beautiful creature, but soon to be in my stomach.
With no real way to precisely gauge the wind, I was left with little option but to guess. The snow was falling at a decent angle, so my thought was about seven miles an hour crosswind. Distance was about two hundred and fifty yards, so an easy shot compared to other hunts. Two hold over, three to the left. And just like the damn deer, the sheep just paused and stared at me as my finger slid over the trigger.
You never hear the shot when you are hunting, but you can always see the impact. A fraction of a second after I felt the rifle buck in my arms, a crimson flower erupted on the chest of the pristine white creature. Far forward of where I wanted it to land, but still a lethal shot, judging by the shower of blood spurting from its ruined chest. I sat there in the freezing snow as I watched the sheep kneel after a few seconds. A heartbeat longer and it fell to the side. The painful part remained, as the last of instinct took over, spasms shaking it’s whole being as it tried to run, tried to flee from what was coming.
Finally, after too long, the sheep was still. I readied my knives, and took off across the frozen expanse toward what I hoped would keep me going until I got off this forsaken rock. My voice swallowed by the cold unforgiving wind.
“Thank you for your sacrifice, that I may live.”
Day forty nine. I finally made it off the damn mountain. I nearly fell into a fissure on the glacier, but my reflexes saved me. Barely. I’ve lost track of how many times this place has nearly killed me. I see what looks like a snow covered forest in the distance. It is about three days away by my guess. Could be an extra two depending on the conditions as I get closer. Either way, I am happy that I got that sheep the other day. The first day, the only thing I could do was eat the meat raw. Not too bad if I don’t say so myself. Still, I miss the taste of properly cooked meat.
I’m going to try to find a place to shelter for the night, and maybe get a fire going to cook a bit. Don’t have to worry about the meat spoiling as it has frozen solid from the chill. If the memories from home are accurate, I’m guessing the temperature must have kept dropping as I descended the mountain. It feels similar to -30f or so. The air bites your nose and lungs as you breathe, small bursts of pain if you inhale too deep. Exposed skin going painful and eventually numb after a few minutes. Thank the gods for a decent coat of fur.
Author’s foreword: If anyone has questions about Arctic weather/survival/whatever feel free to ask in the comments and I’ll try to get back to you on it. This is all stuff I’ve learned in my 26 years of living in the northern reaches of Alaska. The Arctic Circle is 100(ish) miles from where I live, and I hunt fairly close to there. The average winter temps in dec-feb are -40f to -80f at my house.
The wind chill tore into me as I crossed the frozen tundra, hoping to find shelter near the edge of a creek, barely visible through the howling snow. It would be better to find cover there, than staying on the frozen but soggy tiaga that currently impeded my progress. Step by step, my paws found purchase on the frozen ground. The sensation of frozen lichen snapping off the buried rocks was strange at the very least. Soon enough, the creek was within reach.
Knowing a fire was impossible in weather like this, I did the only thing possible. I inched myself down the steep incline toward the frozen ice, pushing snow down the slope with my paws as I went. My face stung as some of the granules were flung back at me as I crawled. The lower I got into the channel, the less the wind bit and clawed at me, turning from a banshee’s wail into a simple zombie’s moan. A large pile of snow finally built at my feet. It slowly was kicked into the shape of a lumpy windblown wall. My pack quickly joined the snow as it was shrugged off my shoulders and pushed into the wall to support it. Trying to make myself flat as possible, I lay down behind my pack and wrapped my cloak around me.
“Not this shit again…”
With the screaming cold rendered down to a damn chill, getting to sleep was going to be rough, if not impossible. Time for a trick that I had used a few times to stay warm on this journey. It wasn’t fun and it made magic difficult for a day or so, but it had been the difference between life and death. My gloved hands dug into my pockets, feeling for a round, golf ball shaped stone. Even through my gloves I could feel the warmth coming off of it. In my mind, I could still see the round chunk of jasper that I discovered in a cave that I took shelter for a night.
The stone felt rough, even though my gloves, but the small amount of heat it put out was worth it either way. I closed my eyes, slowly tuning out the noises of the wind and snow, leaving only the feeling of the stone in my hand. Its warmth, the texture of it through my gloves, the small spark of energy buried deep within it. Little by little, I fed energy to the kindling in the stone, slowly feeling it take hold. Warm turned to hot, which soon turned into angry red heat that soaked through my gloves and flowed over me like a rising tide. Soon enough, my aches, pains, even the former chill of my icy prison faded away, and I was pulled into a dreamless sleep.
Morning came too early, but impossible to resist either. As the rising sun peered over the frosted horizon, the frozen wasteland exploded in showers of color. The snow and ice magnifying and splitting the colors of the sun until everything had a golden hue. As I stirred, the thin veil of ice and snow over my cloak could be heard cracking and shifting, as if some monster came from below. In some religions they would be right.
Quickly I collected my pack and headed out toward the trees. The sooner I could find firewood, the sooner I can cook and eat.
Several hours later, I was what I assumed was 2/3 of the way to the forest. The closer to the trees I got, the larger one of the trees in the distance appeared. The thing would have to be absolutely massive, and it quickly turned into my goal for shelter and survival for the next week or so. A forest that dense would have an abundance of wildlife. That just spelled dinner to me.
In the snow ahead, I spotted a small game trail. Worn deep into the snow by what was probably one or two deer sized animals following the same path over and over. After a moment of looking at the prints, I realized they looked familiar, but I could not place why. Either way, that meant more meat to collect and cook later. I am a big fan of living longer by not starving to death. With a slight alteration to my path, I began to jog down the trail toward the edge of the forest.
Soon enough, the sun was beginning to go down again. It was the curse of the arctic. During the winter you only had a few hours of sunlight, and even then it could be bitterly cold. Knowing I had to find shelter, I kept my eyes out for anything that would do. Off the trail there was a large indentation that looked to be between some rocks that would do perfectly. As I stepped away from the trail, I dropped into waist deep snow. I could feel it wrapping around me, trying to get into any crevice in my clothes, almost like a wild animal seeking to be warm.
After a half hour of slowly shoving my way through the icy hell, I reached the rocks. The closer I looked, the less they seemed like rocks and more like a collapsed wall. That was a point quickly driven home as I tripped on a section buried in the snow and quickly went under myself. I could feel my paws slipping against the ground. Ground that felt a lot like wood now that I paid attention to it. With the thought of a fire fueling my actions, I began to dig. With my hands at first, then I remembered my shovel. With numb fingers, I set to work digging out the remains of whatever this building used to be.
Soon enough, the snow was mostly outside the remaining walls and I had cleared away a nice section within. Someone had been looking out for me this day. In a corner under a collapsed section I found a small stack of dry wood and kindling. It would only last a night, but a night with a fire was better than nothing at all. Not to mention it would give me an easier way to recharge the jasper that had saved me so many times before.
With my back in the corner of the rocky walls, I set about making a fire. It would be visible for miles as the clouds had begun to clear, and dearest Luna was going to be gifting the world with another beautiful night. On a small pile of tinder and shavings from one of the dry logs, I placed the chunk of jasper, quickly followed by more tinder to make a birds nest shape. After a few moments, the tinder started to smoke. The smoke quickly turned into small flames which I fed, little by little until small snapping noises and a low rumble came from the fire. That was the time to place the larger logs into a teepee shape above it all.
Eventually, the fire was roaring and pushing the chill out of every bit of me. The feeling of being warm was indescribable after being in the cold for so long. The only thing that would be better would be a hot meal, and that was started quickly as I stabbed a chunk of frozen meat with one of my skinning knives and held it to the fire. This was going to be delicious.
As the hours passed, I dozed idly by the fire, slowly feeding it wood and enjoying the sensation of heat. Basking in it really. Eventually, my mind began to drift back to my new home and those I had left behind on this insane assignment. I hoped they were doing okay and nothing had befallen them while I was away. At this rate, it would be some time yet before I was home.
With those thoughts, sleep overtook me, and for the first night in a long time, I began to dream. In those dreams, I spoke to Luna about many things, how much I missed her, what had gone on in my absence, and how little I had learned.
All of this ended abruptly as I felt the sensation of icy cold steel against my throat. As my eyes shot open, all I could see were armed shadows standing over me.
“Fuck.”
Authors note: I am still working on the dream sequence that happens before Hex is taken prisoner. I just can’t work on it at work as it is nsfw and all that. I’m hoping to have it up soon though. There is another chapter that will be completed midway through the story that is a hex x luna bit ;)
In the dim light cast by the embers of my fire, I couldn’t see who or what threatened me. The point was very clear that I was going to do what they said, as there was the edge of an axe held against my throat. The cutting edge felt cold, as if soaked in the icy chill of the grave. Realistically, I knew it was probably just the windchill, but it drove the point home either way.
Slowly I lifted my hands, palms out to show I had no weapons in them. When the moment presented itself that would change, but for now I better behave. The creatures stepped back as I stood, eventually towering over them. And that’s when it hit me. I knew the shapes. I knew the antlers. Considering the rest of the world, why wouldn’t there be heavily armed caribou.
“Son of a bitch…”
"Hvað ert þú og hvers vegna ert þú í landi okkar?"
I just cocked my head to the side as I couldn't understand what the fuck it was saying but the one that was poking me in the stomach with an axe handle was seriously starting to get on my nerves.
"Svara spurningum mínum eða deyja, hundur!"
Whatever it said spurred the others into movement as they tensed. Somehow I didn't think this was going to go well. As a precaution, I summoned a little energy into my hands and feet. Not enough to be visible but enough to make a difference should I need it.
"HVAÐ ERT ÞÚ! Hvers vegna ert þú á yfirráðasvæði okkar og nálægt Yggdrasils askr?"
"I don't know what the fuck you are saying, but your yelling is seriously pissing me off."
"Hvað sagðirðu? Drepa hann!"
Whatever the bigger one yelled certainly seemed to do the trick. The nearest one to me raised its axe in an effort to split me like a log. The look of terror that spread across his face was delicious as I tore the axe from its grasp, ripping several teeth along with it. A small arc of blood followed the axe as its previous owner yelled out in pain. Yells that quickly turned to squeals of terror as the axe burst into golden flames in my grip.
Motion blurred in the corner of my eye, and out of reflex I pushed myself backward. Just a moment too soon as a spear brushed past my muzzle. The bearer of that weapon quickly regretted it as a flaming axe was plunged into the space between its antlers. The razor edges of the axe finally coming to a rest in a shower of gore, imbedded into the caribou's spine.
A soft dripping noise caught my attention as I spun towards the creatures behind me. They had backed against a wall of flickering golden flames that I didn't even remember creating. The snow under the caribou was tinted yellow, and a certain cloying scent drifted in the air. Cowards.
"Some warriors you are. One injured, one dead and you cower. You threaten me for just being on this land and not understanding what you are saying. You are NOT my enemies. You are my MEAT. RUN LITTLE CREATURES! RUN AND TRY TO ESCAPE MY HUNT.
The moment the flames died the three remaining caribou ran as if the hounds of hell were chasing them. If only they were so lucky. The one who seemed to be in charge would be the last to die and he would watch me consume the others while their hearts were still beating. To make the chase fun, I let them have a few moments to run while I used my magic to create a beacon of sorts so I could find my pack later.
Stupid creatures. They are running in a pack toward the same place. Either they are very stupid or there were more of them around. Either way, I'll get the information I need and they will ALL die. I found the shaft of the axe buried in the dead caribou near my feet. The texture of the wood felt interesting against the palm of my hand, the grain dragging as I pulled it from the meat with a wet squelching noise. Without regard to the blood, I slid the axe into my belt and set after my prey.
A few minutes later...
The snow cracked under my paws as I sprinted after my game. In the ten minutes they had to get away, they certainly didn't get very far. Their scent was still sickly sour from terror and easy to follow. Through the forest we ran, dark branches being easily dodged by my improved vision. In the distance, I could see the four caribou having a tough time of it, getting whipped by loose trees as they ran, even occasionally stumbling or falling into snow pits. Either way, my game would not end this easily.
The closer I got the more they stumbled, each of their panting, agonized breaths driving me on. The first victim to my rage was the one missing its teeth. Either it was weak from blood loss, or just a weakling, it didn't matter. Its screams would work wonders for making this hunt more interesting. The moment I judged myself to be close enough, I pushed myself off the nearest fallen tree and leapt onto the back of the gasping animal. As I landed, my hands wrapped around the small antlers that sprouted from the top of its head while my weight bore it to the ground. With a shudder, I could feel bones break in the caribou's front legs, a scream of agony exploding from its lungs. If only for a moment as my full weight drove its chest into the snowy ground and I could feel ribs break under me.
"I'll be back for you."
I could see the other three pause in the distance as their compatriot cried in the depths of pain. So close, all of them were just so very close. Time to close for the kill. With magic flaring around my paws, I tore off into the woods again, determined to close the distance as quickly as possible. Every step brought me closer and closer while they were frozen in fear. The axe found its way into my right hand as I neared, its steel head rippling with black flames. Thirty feet, one of them finally had the thought to run. The other two stood there and shivered.
"The cowards aren't even fit for prey," I thought darkly to myself as the distance became shorter and shorter.
The time for blood came sooner than I imagined, but lasted less then I had hoped. With the three caribou in a small clearing, it was just too easy. Shock ran up my arm at the same time I heard a soft thud. The axe was buried to the shaft in the ribs of one of the paralyzed animals.
It's eyes were already glazing over as I spun towards the one behind me, my hands meeting the haft of a spear thrust towards me. Slight contact was all it took as black flames began to dance over the caribou, fear quickly turning to mind destroying pain as it danced a volta of immolation in the depths of the forest.
One left. The one that ordered the others to kill me. This one would suffer beyond what anything else would suffer. Until I found the rest of its society, it will suffer for their crimes. Spear in hand, I chased it toward the tree line. The sounds of my heartbeat in my ears was deafening, but would be nothing compared to his screams.
Five steps, five more heartbeats and he would be mine, and his pain, terror and agony would be delicious.
Three steps, you could see the blood flecking his muzzle as he looked back. Eyes wide in abject terror.
Two steps, time started to slow.
One step. Time to strike. With all of my rage and hate behind it, I struck with the spear. Only a slight shudder traveled up my arm as I drove the spear clear through his rear hips. The sounds he made can't even be described as I dug my paws into the snow and used all of my mass and muscle to drag him to a stop. The motion didn't completely stop as I lifted with the spear and pulled him onto my back.
"Time to go see your friends and learn what you brought on your people. You do not know what game you play CHILD ."
After a few minutes of walking toward the clearing, the moans and screams of pain quieted, to whimpers and shudders as shock set in. By the time I walked by the two corpses, I'm fairly certain what little remained of his mind had fled. Before I finished it would be completely gone. Without a second look, I walked past both the smoking pile of bones and the splattered gore of a caribou with it's chest caved in. Soon enough, I arrived at the crippled caribou that was simply crying in the snow. Its eyes bored into me as I approached, eyes that went even wider as I smiled and showed every tooth I could.
With a shrug, I dropped the sack of flesh from my back, so the leader of the group smashed into the snow inches from the face of his compatriot. That seemed to break him from his shock just fine. Biding my time, I fiddled around on my belt, waiting for him to attempt to speak. The moment his mouth opened, I drew my hand forth. Benevolence drove my actions here. The moment he attempted to speak, I made sure he would remember that moment for the short remainder of his life. He would remember the copper taste of blood, the bitter taste of brain and bone. I put a 200 grain hard cast bullet that I normally reserved for grizzly bears between the eyes of his friend, now corpse.
"Now that I have your attention, you are going to tell me exactly what I want to know. You will do it in Equestrian, or things will be very unpleasant for you. Do you understand?"
"Ég segi þér ekkert skrímsli!"
With that, the caribou spat into the snow. Snow very much speckled with crimson bits. Snow that was going to get a lot more crimson very soon.
Several blood soaked hours later, I finally stood. The answers I needed so desperately were at hand. Luna would never learn of what I did this night, but I learned what I needed to save her people. At what cost though.
The snow made soft squishing noises as I walked away from the remains of the caribou and towards my pack. Time to finish my journey. The objective was only an afternoons walk away. I never did look back toward the corpse pinned to a tree by several gems. I never did pick up the set of skinning knives that were set on the ground next to a gut pile. A gut pile that seemed to only have organs that would serve no purpose keeping a creature alive a little longer. Atop the pile sat two glazed over eyes and a tongue.
At least his heart was delicious.
Too soon, I arrived back where I had left my pack. Its familiar weight was quickly placed on my shoulders. Too many things to do, too little time to do it. Armed with the knowledge I had forcefully torn from its owner, I set into the darkened forest. I had to make my first stopping point and well hidden before the patrols came by. Somehow I think getting caught near the mess I had made would be a bad thing.
After a minute or two of walking, I was back on the well packed trail that the guards seemed to follow. My pace picked up, and my walk turned into a quick distance eating jog as I headed up the trail to find the intersection the guard spoke of. By this time, the night was at its deepest, and I felt completely at home in the darkness. The only light came from Luna’s full moon in the sky. Light that seemed to dye everything a pure silvery blue. Even though I was on the hunt, the sound of the snow beneath my paws, even the bite of the frozen air in my nose was quickly forgotten by the beauty that blanketed everything.
To my right, I could see the path separate into a pair of trails. One led into the distance, supposedly circling the massive forest. The other led into the heart of darkness toward Yggdrasil, as the caribou called it. I doubted the world tree would be here, but then again stranger things have been seen under the moon. Things like myself. Either way, I steeled myself for what was to come. The morning would be here in just a few hours, and shelter had to be found before then.
The snow pounded under my paws as I pushed myself faster up the trail. So much distance to cover before light, too little time to do it. The straps from my pack dug painfully into my shoulders, even though my cloak and fur. It never was designed for this kind of stress. Thankfully, the path was clear and very hard packed from the rotation of the guards so movement was quick and easy as I charged deeper into the forest. Thin small willows soon gave way to thicker birch and even larger spruce trees the further I quested. Even the temperature seemed to rise as I neared my destination.
The soft gurgling of a half frozen creek grabbed my attention. That was exactly what I was looking for. My pace slowed as I approached, needing to be silent as possible. Drawing every breath of the cold, but moist air though my nose, refusing to pant, or even breathe hard, I dropped to a crouch. Every step from here on in until the guards passed needed to be silent. Step by step I made my way toward the stone bridge, hoping I would beat the patrol to it.
As I walked onto the bridge, there were no creatures in sight. Perfect. Where the bridge started to slope back to the shore, I climbed onto the icy stone retaining wall, claws gripping as tight as possible. Slowly, gingerly, I lowered myself until I was hanging in the air, feet inches above the icy water below. Bit by bit, my hands shuffled sideways, intent to get me closer to the frozen shore under the bridge. Perfect concealment from prying eyes until night fell again.
Deep in concentration, I didn’t hear the soft hoof falls of the approaching guards until they were nearly on top of me. No choice left, I bent my knees and tried to push myself toward shore as I let go of the bridge. A fraction of a second later, a muffled thump was heard as I landed where I had hoped. No matter where they looked, there would be no footprints to show anything was hidden under the bridge unless the guards wanted to brave the four foot deep snow.
The bridge echoed with a mixture of clopping and thumping noises as the group of guards walked over my head, completely unaware of the enemy under their hooves. I stood there, freezing in the slight breeze, not moving a muscle until I could not hear a single noise in the distance. With the stone arch to my back and my pack on the ground, I readied myself for a long, cold day ahead of me. Hopefully I could find some sleep.
The residual heat of the jasper in my hands eventually lulled me to sleep around the same time Celestia’s sun broached the horizon.
-------------------------------------------------------------Nightfall------------------------------------------------------------------
It took forever for the day to pass. Thankfully I spent most of the day saving my energy for the insanity to follow in the darkest parts of twilight. My pack had been lightened significantly as anything that could make noise or rattle was gently set in a hole scraped in the earth next to me. Even my provisions were stripped down to a minimum for stealth. As I escaped, I would come back to the bridge and reclaim my possessions. All that would come with me tonight would be my long rifle, which was thankfully not damaged by the pack driving it into the snow, my revolver, the last of my knives, the jasper that had kept me so very warm, and a few other little items. Light and fast was the plan.
As darkness fell, I slowly stirred out of the half slumber I spent the last few hours in. The last patrol had passed over the bridge shortly before, and the sound of their steps had been lost to the distance. No other guards were expected to pass this way for another few hours. That would be a few hours for me to get to the tree, find the info I needed, and run.
To mark the easiest trail from under the bridge, I simply strode out into the snow and walked to the path that every creature seemed to follow. The cold snow dragged against my cloak but after a moment or two, my paws met the hard packed road that led me to Yggdrasil. Without a second thought, I set off at a the same jog I did the night before, letting the distance fade behind me as I prowled the dim forest once again.
[BR]
Soon enough, the forest canopy gave way to a tree that towered over the rest. One of the mighty redwoods of back home would have nothing on this tree as it seemed to tower into infinity above me. Leaves barely were visible in the incredible distance above me. Somehow I think the caribou named it properly.
The closer I got to the tree, the larger it became. Even the roots seemed to rise out of the earth and overshadow the path I was on. Considering no creature besides a predator seems to look up, traveling on the roots seemed like a safe path to follow. The moment I found a hand hold, I scrambled up the rough bark and onto the ancient veins of the behemoth. The temperature had continued to rise as I traveled, the snow fading to slush, which quickly gave way to green grass on the ground below me. Something special was here. I just wish I knew what. Either way, I was going to find out.
I followed the rough trail of bark up and down across the terrain for hours. The moon was easily past its peak at this point, and I had little time to lose. Looking across the expanse below me, I could see the occasional caribou milling about in the clearing at the base of the tree. Several openings dotted the bark of the massive plant, implying the caribou lived in and around the thing. If there was anything important, it would be in the sanctum. That would be in the heart of the tree. This was going to be interesting.
A few minutes longer and the root I was on finally terminated at the body of the World Tree. The trunk of which seemed to go on for miles in either direction. Of course, the only one that mattered to me was dead ahead. Below me was an opening carved into the side of the tree, as if the caribou were some kind of satanic termite. Without a guard in sight, I kneeled, ignoring the rough bark digging into my knees, and slowly began to climb down toward my goal.
[BR]
The interior of the tree was dimly lit as I followed the tunnel down into the depths. The cloying scent of sap assaulted my nose as I passed the occasional lit and freshly carved tunnel. Something kept drawing me deeper into the abyss. I could almost swear I saw a dim, pulsing red light at the end of the tunnel, pulling me closer like a moth to a flame. The time constraints were quickly forgotten as the red light was the only thing on my mind, consuming all of my thoughts.
The tunnel opened as I neared the end, the red light was coming from within. The terminus of both the tunnel and of my journey. Everything was within this room. The secrets to life, the secrets of death, ancient knowledge that should have been brought to dust eons ago, all came from within this room. It called to me. It called to my soul, and it called to all that I was and will ever be.
The caribou packed into the room parted from my path as I walked toward the object of my desire. A massive crimson gem that pulsed with infernal light filled the heart of the great tree. The light spread hypnotically, drawing me nearer. I never felt the first blade enter my flesh, nor the second as the caribou bit, clawed, and stabbed me. Hand outstretched toward the gem, toward the summation of my being, I pushed on.
Blood flowed in rivers from my rent and torn body as I placed one foot after another, bringing myself up the carved dais step by step toward everything. Arrows peppered my back, but remained unfelt. A dagger was broken off in my chest and remained unclaimed. I fell to my knees as I reached the top of the final step, blood loss taking its toll.
One knee ahead of the other. An axe imbedded in my ribs. Pulling myself forward with my one good hand, great trails of blood behind me. Just one more step. Just a few more inches. Hand outstretched, I felt the cool unyielding surface of the gem. Perfectly smooth, perfectly cut, perfection incarnate. I was so lost in the beauty of the stone that the flames that roared about my hand were hardly noticed, but not a concern. Just a few more movements and I lay against the stone, flames crackling about me, but the crimson light comforted me as my mind swirled. The secrets of creation were explained one by one. The universe in its infinite glory and complexity exploded within my mind and I was at peace.
All around the giant wolf, the creatures stopped and stared uncomprehendingly as the flames rippled and roared, screamed and popped. A sickly foul scent filled the air, yet nothing moved as the arcane flames devoured the creature that lay against their holiest of icons. Nothing was said until all that remained of the beast were gently glowing bones atop a small pile of ash.
The Worldstone had claimed another blood sacrifice.
None of the creatures noticed the pair of glowing gemstones buried within the ash and bone. Small cracks had formed where the wolf being had touched the Worldstone, but none were the wiser.
“Three weeks. THREE WEEKS! Sister, where is he?”
“Calm down Luna, I am sure wherever he is, Hex is fine.”
Their yelling echoed down the hallways and corridors of Canterlot castle, driving the servants away and making the guards very uncertain of what was going to happen between the Princesses in the near future.
Indeed it had been three weeks since our brave hero met his fate. Strangely enough, the deadly weather had cleared within days of the last time Luna spoke to him. Since that fateful night, she scoured the dreamscape hoping to find some trace of her lost love, yet finding none. Even if he had died there would have been some residual energy as he slipped into the abyss. It was simply as if he had been erased from the face of the world.
Tonight would have been a very special night for Luna should she not have been so distraught over the loss of Hex. Somewhere in the back of her mind, the date echoed in her subconscious, screaming that it was Nightmare Night, and on this night, anything was possible.
Even the nobles of Canterlot thought it was strange that the night court had convened on this day. It was expected of Luna to travel the countryside and spread terror and joy through the villages as was soon becoming the new custom. However, nopony wanted to point this out to the enraged Princess.
Nopony noticed it as it started, a vibration barely audible, ignored over the yammering of some random and easily forgotten “noble” in a garishly pink suit as he groveled on the marble floor in front of the throne. Quickly it built, in the span of seconds making the whole throne room vibrate, skittering the neon pony across the floor with a clattering noise of hooves on stone.
At this point, every pony in the throne room was looking around, trying to find the source of the vibration, finally audible. A low rumble turning into a keening wail, as if someone in tartarus was playing with a chalkboard. As the crescendo rose, the ancient Saddle Arabian rug in the center of the room began to smoke and smolder. Luna’s look of confusion quickly turning into one of worry as her shouting for guards went unheard over the clatter of items falling from walls and the horrible noise that came from everywhere.
As one, the ponies in the throne room turned and ran as the heart of the room was enveloped in pure black flame. The marble floor cracked and crazed under the relentless heat that was nearly unbearable to the Princess nearly half a room away. Her fears of a lost love were utterly forgotten as barely contained terror screamed at her senses. It willed her to flee, to hide. It was right.
With a clap of thunder so powerful it shook the foundations of the castle, the flames exploded into nothingness. The rush of air down the hallways snuffed out every non magical light, lamp, or candle as it passed. Formerly scorching air quickly becoming frozen as even the heat from the infernal flames fled. Small tracings of frost skittered over the well-polished stone, crawling over the ancient stained glass windows, and across any other surface that would bear it within the pitch black building.
Yet there was light in the throne room, along with a vaguely familiar yet nearly forgotten coppery scent. Strangely, a pair of crimson lights floated in the darkness in the heart of the room. Curiosity at what they were quickly turned to unadulterated terror for the Princess of the night as the two lights seemed to move, yet there was no sound No sound except a deep rasping voice. A voice steeped in the roots of the word, a voice that was so familiar, yet utterly terrifying that it made movement impossible.
“You called, my love?”
In the swirling dark, a massive grinning set of canines could be seen shimmering wetly as the beast smiled. Whatever words she intended to speak were quickly forgotten as magical light poured into the room, the Royal Guard flowing from all corners to surround the creature and the royalty they defended. In the light, Luna did not like what she saw at all.
It towered above her guards, even above herself. The twin ears atop its wolfish head nearly touching the peak of the arch it stood under. Similar to her lover, this beast stood on its hind legs. It even stood like Hex. The only differences were the massive size, thick white pelt, the evilly glowing crimson eyes, and the utterly massive great axe that rested in one hand. The more Luna looked at it, the more details screamed at her. Well, that was until she realized that the screaming wasn’t coming from her inner mind, but from herself.
When the beast brought itself into the palace through whatever foul magic it used, blood, gore, bone, and offal spattered across the room. What should have been pure ivory white fur was traced with great gouts of fresh crimson. The foul magic even dared to etch itself into the eternal marble below the creature, and into the arch around and above, forming some kind of profane rune. This was NOT Hex. It was an abomination to be destroyed. With barely a whimper of a word, she gave the order.
“Kill it.”
And try they did. As one the guard surged toward the arch and the goliath below. As one, every single pony in the throne room froze in mid stride, mid cast, as if reality was paused. It took a moment for Luna to realize that the deep rasping noise was the beast chuckling to itself as the axe was hefted onto a shoulder. Her legs would not respond to the command to flee as the beast claiming to be her consort strode across the room toward her. She refused to flinch as an ice cold claw slid down her cheek toward her chin, lifting her face toward the thing as it spoke.
“You know, I did this all for you.”
Any reply was cut short as the giant wolf was thrown across the room, toppling motionless guards like living dominos. A crudely assembled animal stood between the Princess and the beast. Discord only paused for a moment before tearing across the throne room after the airborne wolf, pummeling it again and again with a massive maul that he carried with ease. Blow after blow rained down on the white and crimson creature until it was imbedded in the living marble of the throne room floor.
With the usual ego missing from his voice, Discord spoke to the prostrate and captive wolf.
“Welcome home, Brother. And Hex, stop being such an asshole.”
Consciousness fled from Luna as she realized the implication of the Chaos God’s words. Thankfully, a frozen guardspony slowed her fall to the cold tone floor. The last thing she saw as her eyes closed was Discord hitting the wolf between the eyes with this massive hammer.
Deep below Canterlot, buried under untold tons of stone and earth was the Canterlot dungeon. Down many dark corridors, past dozens of cell doors, at the base of the pit lay a massive wooden door set into the stonework. Thick bands of cold iron and steel crossed the wooden edifice, securing it from physical damage. The perceptive eye would silver lines tracing across the broad surface and onto the walls beyond. Strange silver lines that looked very similar to the ones used to protect a certain cottage at the edge of the Everfree forest.
Within the darkened chamber lay a giant wolf. Bound both hand and foot by chains crafted by the finest smiths in Canterlot. The individual links dwarfed the hoof of most ponies. With the enchantments imbued therein, each link cost more than an average pony would make in a year. Different metals, different tempering, all forced together by untold magics for only one purpose. To hold any creature that posed untold threat to Equestria. The elite of the Royal Guard stood watch over this chamber on the orders of Princess Luna herself. Two pairs of soldiers stood on either side of the door, both within and without, watching the beast tirelessly for any sign of revival. For days they watched as it lay there. Today of all days, the beast stirred.
A rough pattern of hoofbeats on the door told the guards outside to summon help. A few moments later, a Pegasus guard tore down the hallway, wingtips brushing the soot caked walls with every wing beat. Only two levels to go to be outside the magic exclusion zone. Two levels and a unicorn could summon the Princess.
A short while later, the creature managed to sit up and lean against the wall of the pitch black room. Even with his enhanced vision, there was no sign of anything except the shackles around his limbs and the cold stone walls of its cell. A very familiar voice came forth.
"Where the fuck am I?"
Words that were met only with silence by his unseen observer.
"Seriously, if I ever get out of this cell, I am going to kill those damn caribou."
Pain exploded across my mind as something hard smashed into the side of my face, throwing me to the ground. A voice I never expected to hear again spoke, dripping with utter hatred.
"WHAT DID YOU DO WITH HIM? "
As I opened my mouth to speak, I was hit again and again, driving me closer to the damp stone floor.
"WHAT ARE YOU? "
It could have been the head injury, but I would swear that I could see stars in the darkness. They flowed and flickered like the lights of the damned. Somewhat suitable considering my circumstances.
"Why did you take him from me?"
The blows were coming softer now, even her voice was getting weaker, choking with emotion.
"Why... why did you make him leave me? Why are you tricking me? Why?..."
I could feel the next blow coming toward me. Hoping my timing was right, I grabbed her hoof an instant before it connected and dragged her weakly fighting body to me. With every tug more of her appeared out of the darkness that fogged my vision. Dark fur, blue eyes deep enough to drown in, and a starry mane that would make you want to float in space for an eternity. It was my Luna. Against her will, I pulled her as close as the shackles would allow.
"I'm sorry love. I am so very sorry. I have no idea what happened or even why I am here. I'm so sorry."
For quite some time the only thing that could be heard from that cell was the sounds of a goddess sobbing.
Some time later the door opened and the Princess led the unshackled beast forth. To say the guards were stunned was an understatement. One look from Luna crushed any opposition to her will. As one, the guards fell in around the duo to walk them to the next checkpoint. The dim cell was quickly lost from view.
Luna was oddly silent as we walked, but considering the massive gap in my memories, let alone the fact that I was very different led me to the fact that I was missing something vitally important. The damp tunnel made traveling irritating at the very least. There was an odd feeling that made my skin just itch down here. Thankfully, the further I got from that damn cell, the more it faded. In the distance the tunnel opened out into a large room with several guards in it. Seeing the Princess and other guards with me, they relaxed slightly. I only tensed up when I saw a figure sitting on the edge of a table. One word screamed in my mind. Draconequus. The words came to mind unbidden, yet were spoken in my voice, unwillingly.
"Hello, dear brother. "
He just laughed and cocked his head at me quizzically.
"Tell me you aren't going to be using that old trick with your voice. Especially on me. We've been through too much, you and I."
I wracked my brain trying to figure out what the hell the strange creature meant. Let alone that fact that I called him brother when I was a single child. Those thoughts were quickly dispelled as he walked up to me with a grin on his face and an arrogant swagger in his step.
"Oh, I get it. You really don't know what is going on. You are still disconnected and detached. Here, let me help you with that."
Before I could say another word, there was a flash of light in his hand as fingers snapped against each other. The same hand that I quickly found imbedded in my head. I tried to scream as the pain drove itself into me, but there was nothing I could do as my body seized and shook. After a moment, everything faded to white.
I stood in a white room. Soft white that seemed to go on in infinity in every direction. The only contrast to this was the two figures in the room with me. Discord, in his usual chaotic way decided that dressing in a tuxedo with a matching top hat and monocle would be suiting the occasion. The figure next to him was just as confusing as figure out what Discord was made from. It looked like the body of a Pegasus but with the talons and head of an eagle. The word hippogriff came to mind from mythology. Either way, it was quickly forgotten as they spoke.
Where Discord's speech was erratic and almost like William Shatner in a way, the new creature spoke fluidly, eloquently in a melodic voice.
"In this place, an eternity can pass without the ending of a heartbeat. My name is Themis. Like Discord, I am one of your brothers as well. Though they are not here currently, you also have many sisters in the order of the gods. Next to Mother and Father, we are the eldest. I am sure you have many questions, but our time is short for now. Discord can only hold the connection for a little longer."
Forcing my stunned mind to the side for now, I tried to make my mouth work, but couldn't find the words. Thankfully the one calling itself Themis found the words I couldn't.
"If you are wondering how you fit into this, it is quite simple really. Your memories should be returned when you awake. To use the modern euphemism, I will "jog" your memory though. Brother Discord is Chaos incarnate. He can do anything, anywhere, for any reason. I on the other hand, am the incarnation of Order in its purest form. I follow a strict set of rules to keep everything orderly in the universe. YOU, dear brother, are the god of balance. Like us, you have fallen under several names over the eternities. Some of my favorite are from the planet you chose to vacation on as a mortal. People there called you many things. Loki, Nemesis, Prometheus, Anubis, even my personal favorite, Lucifer. Granted the silly humans were rather quick to demonize you in several religions for only keeping the balance of power."
My mind couldn't even wrap around what he had just said, but the damn thing kept talking.
"Yes brother, I just called you quote, unquote, the devil. You are nowhere near as evil as the stories say. You give each creature a choice and judge them on their actions, nothing more. Speaking of judgement, how did it go seeing Father when you died? It has been an infinity since I have seen both of our parents, and never in the same place."
"I...what?!?"
The white of the room was starting to swirl and twist in motions that were soon to make me lose whatever I had eaten last.
"We'll meet again brother. Once you find your powers and yourself, we will cross paths. Until then, be well."
I found myself standing next to Luna and Discord in that dreary underground room, with my mind still reeling from the sheer absurdity of what I was just told. Only one thought forced itself through the muck. I turned to Luna and said the one thing that was buried in my mind. Her eyes bore into mine as I spoke.
"Luna, am I a bad person?"
The following days passed in a blur. Most of my free time was spent learning from Discord, and there was an absurd amount of history to learn about myself. He had started with the most recent bits, as they would seem more familiar to my mind. As he lectured, I could feel connections forming in my mind, one idea or concept flowing into another. Things that seemed alien at first quickly felt familiar.
Strangely enough, he chose to sit on the pedestal where his petrified body used to stand while we talked. I never did ask, but I think it was knowing the sights and sounds of the palace gardens for a millennium made it seem like home. As he spoke, the discomfort of sitting on the hard stone around the pedestal quickly disappeared. Some days he used great verbal flourishes to make my past thrilling and heroic. Others, he spoke very plainly, somber even as he described how our family fell one by one until only Discord, Themis, and I remained.
It was the mortality of my family that drove me away. Not that we could die, but the fact that over the endless years we dwindled. My brother Alexion passed from a tragic accident while he was fighting a magical clone of himself. Apparently getting run through by a sparring sword is lethal, provided it is the sword of a god. Dear sister Sirona perished trying to heal the world while I was away. That was what broke me. Her death was directly my fault, and I knew it. Instead of a short jaunt to the mortal realm, I returned to Equestria to create something to balance the universe while I spent a few eons as a mortal.
The fact that I had created the object of my own mortal death was a bit of a shock to put it kindly. The Worldstone was the physical manifestation of my power and will in the mortal plane. While I was away, the stone would regulate the balance of the world, help calm the weather, make sure the species and planet survived. At least that was the plan until it was discovered by a group of caribou that believed they could use it to return their fallen god to reality. I remembered Aeron, he was necessary back in the raw days of the world. Even back then he was a psychotic god, even for the god of slaughter. Through him, the caribou believed they could gain immortality through honorable death in battle. Fucked up viking mentality if you ask me.
Thankfully, I was smart enough to safeguard the stone until I could return to Equestria. I wasn't smart enough to figure out everything though. Through breaking the balance of the world, the northern tribes were breaking the seals placed on the stone, and my power. A god's blood was the last thing to begin Aeron's reformation. Even though I was just a vessel back then, it was enough. There was one other major kink in the plan though. To regain my full power, I would have to return to the great tree and touch the Worldstone again. Until then I would be a shadow of my former self and would be an easy kill for my insane brother. What bothered me the most was Discord's final words for the night before disappearing in his trademark flash of light.
"Remember those games we used to play as children, Dungeons and Soldiers? You are balance and can sway to either side with a small push. Control yourself brother of the smallest of things can cause the end of everything."
It would have been nice to have him say that Luna and Celestia were standing behind me for the last few minutes. I was listening to intently to what Discord was saying that I never heard them approach. It took everything I had not to jump to my feet...erm...paws when Celestia cleared her throat.
"Good afternoon, Hex. I hear you have been spending an inordinate amount of time with Discord...your...brother."
The distaste in her voice was certainly audible. Then again, I was away when the Chaos Wars had happened. One more thing to feel guilty over since my hand in the direction of the world was missing. Thankfully, Luna came to my rescue.
"Sister, don't be so hard on him. It's not like he could choose his family. From what we've heard from Discord, we could have dealt with far worse gods in the war."
Naturally, Luna would have to turn to me and ask the one thing I didn't want a reminder of. Her dark eyes drilled into me as she spoke.
"Of course, WE are still wanting an explanation to how you returned in such haste and why you attempted to slaughter Discord, our royal guards, and myself. Out of curiosity, why haven't you returned to your human form my love? Don't mistake me, I do like your new look, but claws are no substitute for fingers."
Talk about being put on the spot. At least she broke up the stress a little bit by using the royal WE to imply that her sister wanted to know, along with the cute little wink at the last part of her speech. It was so hard not to laugh as Celestia blushed after a few seconds, the meaning of Luna's words finally sinking in. So I wouldn't be too rude, I stood and turned to face the Royal Sisters, completely forgetting how I towered over them now. If I focused my magic, I could shrink myself slightly, but it was too much of an effort at the moment.
"Well, Dearest, that is a long story that I don't know fully. I woke up at the base of the worldstone naked and unarmed. Everything for a bit after that was a blur, but at some point, I ended up surrounded and being attacked by the damn Caribou. The axe is apparently part of my will as a god, as for the torn robes and cloak, I have no idea. Anyhow, like Discord was saying you eavesdroppers, I have to stay as balanced as I can or I can swing one way or another. Killing as many as I did swung me toward the darker side of things. It changed my behavior and actions. Instead of judging evenly, I judged on the darkness within creatures. Don't get me wrong love, but you have nearly as much dark as I."
She just stuttered, flustered at what I had said. Thankfully between Luna's lack of words, and the silence from Celestia, it let me flow into the next bit.
"As for getting back to Canterlot, I just willed myself to be here. I might have misjudged a bit considering the bits that came through with me. At least I hope I miscalculated. If not, that was kind of a dick move. Not as flashy as Discord, but effective. Hell of a shock tactic I have to say. Don't think I could do it for anypony but myself though. Sorry about the mess by the way. And for nearly killing everyone...pony."
I leaned forward and kissed Luna on the nose before booping her with a finger, making sure not to use a claw. Since my return she had shied away from them. Understandably to be honest.
"My fingers are a bit of a lost cause though love. If I had any option I would, but it appears that I am stuck like this. I'm sure we could find something fun to keep you occupied though."
Celestia stood there, stunned and turning a strange shade of pink as I teased her sister with a little nip on the neck. Canines barely grazing skin above her jugular through her fur as a soft growl rumbled out of me. I know I'm going to get my ass kicked for this, but I had to...
"Stop standing there Celestia, if you see something you like, come get some."
Apparently the grin on my face wasn't enough to show the joke. That or it was scary. Either way, it ended up with a golden clad hoof heading straight for my face.
Son of a fuck...
I would like to say that my (apparently) considerable life passed before my eyes at that very moment. Instead, I was utterly amazed by my reflexes. Without even being aware of the movement, I had completely stepped aside of the irritated Alicorn's blow and turned it from a skull crushing blow, into nothing more than her hoof resting gently in an outstretched hand.
"H...How did you do that?"
I just stared that the hoof in my hand for a moment until she tugged it away. Uncomfortable silence reigned as everyone stood there wondering what the hell had just happened. Of course, it couldn't be simple as a familiar voice came from behind me, sheer amusement dripping from the tones.
"Oh, that is PRICELESS . I'll admit that I didn't think your reflexes would start to come back this quickly, but seeing the look on Celestia's face was completely worth the risk of you getting your head caved in like a pumpkin. Speaking of pumpkin..."
There was a slight snapping noise and a burst of white light as a slice of pumpkin pie appeared in his hand. Stranger still was that he started chewing on the plate. I can officially say that the sound of chewing porcelain ranks on the worst and most painful things you can hear.
"Seriously though brother, we have bigger things to do than have you flirting with the ladies. Don't get me wrong, Celestia is dead sexy, but you are barking up the wrong tree. Last time I asked her out she put me in stone for a decade. The Chaos Wars were just her way of wanting an excuse to break it off. So what if I wanted to create a strain of Venus Fly Tulips for the gardens. They would have been useful..."
All I could do was chuckle as the white princess sputtered and tried to find the words.
"...Either way, we have bigger things to deal with. Namely our psychotic brother and his little army trying to reincarnate him. If he can tap the energies you put into that stone, he can completely destroy the balance between light and dark in this plane. Let alone destroy you outright in the process."
That last bit certainly got Luna's attention as she cleared her throat.
"Say that one more time please? Did you just say that your evil brother can have the power to not only destroy the world, but also kill my coltfriend?"
All I could do was shrug.
"There is a lot we need to talk about love. We don't have much time before we have to start getting ready either. Lets go inside and I'll give you two the truth on everything I've learned and leave it to you if you want to help or not."
Truthfully, I expected to walk into the palace, but a certain Princess who shall remain unnamed thought teleporting was the quicker method. It took everything I had to not roll my eyes as I felt her magic swirling around our little group. Tension and power building until reality bent under her will.
As we sat in the parlor for the next several hours, Discord and I told the Princesses everything we knew about what faced us with our brother. Celestia seemed more interested in the Caribou viking army, while Luna homed in on anything to do with my changes. Slowly a rough plan was developed toward stopping the world from falling into complete anarchy.
Some time later after both Discord and Celestia left to take care of something, Luna and I were left to our own devices. It took everything I had to not tease Luna about what I had noticed. How the two of them left at the same time. How Celestia had looked back at Discord and bit her lip while wiggling her hips. I don't even know how she missed the fact that my dear brother only had a moment for those movements to register in his mind before he calmly excused himself. The moment the parlor door closed, you could hear his hoof hitting the stone floors as he raced down the halls after Celestia.
None of my business anyhow.
As we lounged on the couches, I gave what little info I had about my changes to Luna. A certain Luna who was resting her head on my chest as she curled up against me, with a wing draped across my shoulders. So much had been learned in so little time. Every one of the gods had a quirk to show their moods. My particular one was my eye color. My natural gold would be varied to either a balefire crimson or energetic blue depending on how I leaned on the balance of things. I had to slaughter caribou to get away, so I naturally tipped toward the evil side of things as I did or considered evil acts. Should be do benevolent acts, my eyes would be on the opposite end of the spectrum. Even my magic was affected by this.
Strange really. Then again, it was no stranger than anything else I've gone through in this technicolor world. I didn't even realize that I had been sitting on the couch, lost in thought for nearly a half hour until I felt something graze across my crotch. That certainly grabbed my attention. The fact that she had gotten up without me even noticing was just proof to how far gone I was. Now that she had my attention, she ripped away any other thoughts by flipping her tail up and griding her flanks across my thighs before bolting for the doors with a tail raised the whole while.
Heart beating like a war drum in my...erm...ears... I tore away from the couch, a squealing noise echoed around the room as my claws dug in for traction. My howl echoing down the halls ahead of me as I chased a certain Princess down darkened passages toward her quarters.
All I could do was laugh to myself as I thought dirty things and horrible puns. I was going to be the first wolf on the moon.
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The Armory (Incomplete as of 8:40pm AK time 9/12)
Over the next several weeks, the group plotted and planned their attack on Yggdrasil. Celestia was naturally concerned about her subjects, first and foremost, while the others had other things on their minds. Strangely enough, Discord behaved himself rather well in this time period, spending his free moments either with the Princess or his long lost brother. Many stories were traded between the estranged family, of passing life and things vital to know. Since that fateful day, Luna remained close to Hex while being strangely aloof and quiet at times. Nopony knew what was bothering her, as her moods ranged from intense passion to dreary boredom. Then again, nopony expected Hex to collect some of his items from the palace vault and wordlessly leave the grounds altogether.
At first, both the god and rulers of the land thought Hex needed some time alone to think. As the missing hours flowed into days they began to worry, as there was no sign of him. After the third day, the Night Guards were dispatched to scour the area around Canterlot and find the missing consort. On the fourth, the Royal Guard began their search of the land, as well as distributing flyers to the towns, villages, and hamlets within several days walk of the capitol. It seemed that the god had disappeared from the face of the planet without a trace.
Eventually, the numbers began to add up as the ponies and guards began to notice things going missing from around the town. It was small items at first, but they quickly added up to a stranger sum. Chemicals, acids, and dyes from several different pharmacies and hardware stores. Grindstones and polishing compounds vanished from an assortment of jewelers in one night. At each incident a small icon was carved into the shelf where the missing items once sat. To anypony but the Princess, it was a meaningless vandalism, but to those few, it was one of the many marks Hex was known for. The fact that he was around, but in hiding still gave Luna hope for his return.
By sheer coincidence one evening, as Luna watched the city from her spire, she noticed a slightly cracked door near an abandoned section of the castle. A door that had a faint trickle of light crawling its way to freedom through the cracks. With her interest piqued, she decided to investigate, as nothing should be in that area, let alone anything that cast light. The wind whispered in her feathers as she glided to the ground from her parapet, landing as softly as possible. Nary a noise was heard as her hooves touched the dew slicked grass below. Step by step, she inched toward the door, hoping for a glimpse of her consort and friend. The scene that greeted her eyes was not one that was expected.
In the center of the room was a large bubble of pure energy. It shimmered and twisted with the mad movements of the god within as colors flowed from one into another. Through the rippling air, she could see her love working like a madman, canines showing through the rictus grin of sheer concentration on his face. Sweat soaked fur was slicked down heavily and tinted black and crimson in spots, with a sickly looking pool collected on the crazed and cracked floor under the otherwise busy god. Ash, burnt fur, and blood were randomly assorted across his full body, but completely unnoticed as he swung a glowing hammer against an unseen object again and again.
Luna just stood there in awe, watching as sparks and flame flowed through the air around her consort as he madly worked. She never even realized that she was slowly working her way into the room, closer to the wall of energy, closer to him. Without a thought, she raised a hoof to poke the barrier and was completely surprised when it rippled slightly with the contact. Any thoughts were quickly forgotten as her hoof exploded into agony before it was pulled back from the barrier. Thin curls of steam and smoke rose from the small area of her hoof that pierced the barrier and entered the furnace heat within. It took Luna a few moments to realize the hammering had stopped as the pain ebbed into nothing. As she looked up, her eyes were met by the golden pair of her lover's. Thankfully, she couldn't read his lips as something was spoken in the magic bubble.
"Courage, love, friendship,
compassion, and empathy
lift us above the simple beasts
and define humanity."
-The Book of Counted Sorrows
After a few minutes of listening to the hyper pony talk, Twilight finally got a word in edgewise, and pointed out that she really needed to show me the town and introduce me today. No point in freaking out everypony by having a giant wolf walking around town. And that gave me an idea.
"Hey Twilight, do you have any of my clothes here? There should have been an extra change of everything in my pack when it came with me."
She looked at me for a moment while deep in thought, and gave the answer I expected.
"The Princess said everything you arrived with was returned to you, so if it was in your pack, it should be there," as she gestured toward a slightly brown stained pack in the corner, "we did what we could to get the blood out, but that's pretty hard after a few days."
I slowly walked over to the pack, not wanting to look anxious to the curious pony, but relished the familiar weight and texture of the pack as I pulled it upright. The soft sound of waterproof zippers opening and contents rustling as I started digging.
"If you were curious about your, what did you call them, firearms? They are locked up until we get you to your house tonight. It could be dangerous to leave them out, as a certain group of fillies might want to see what they do."
That, was an answer I did not expect. I had explained what guns were, but I didn't think the ponies would have put that much forethought into their storage. Fine by me, as I wasn't looking for those, yet. Finding what I really wanted, I wadded up a loose collection of camouflage hunting clothes and a pair of matching boots. If anyone from home saw these, they would have immediately assumed I was military, especially with the firearms I carried, but I just took my hunting seriously. (*AN* at the end of the chapter, I'll to try to link photos of the gear I'm talking about)
"I'll be right back Twilight. I'm going to go get changed."
Thankfully I had gotten down into the basement before what I said clicked, and a loud yell came from upstairs.
"Hex! You are going to do what?!"
The pounding of hurried hoofsteps came down the steps, and I knew there was some kind of lecture coming.
"Hex, what exactly are you going to do now? Your clothes won't fit you as you are, and I hope you aren't going to try what I think you are."
I looked up at her while I laid my clothes across a nearby table.
"I think I figured out what went wrong last time and I know how to fix it. If you want to watch, you are welcome to, and if you think this is a danger, let me know and I'll stop. BUT, I think it would freak the ponies in this town out less if they saw a human, not a giant predator that they are all scared of."
"Well, you have a point. If I tell you to stop you do need to stop though. I think the spell the Princess put on you will keep you from hurting anypony, but collapsing the library on us would be bad too. I didn't even think about the wolf bit though, as I'm used to seeing you so often. Applejack would probably try to buck you thinking you were a timberwolf."
I would have sworn she chuckled a little bit at the thought of another pony kicking the crap out of me. Then again, I'm fairly certain that Twilight is a closet sadist.
"Time to get this party started," I whispered to myself as I walked into the middle of the room and exhaled softly.
I could feel the magic pulsing in the gems imbedded in my palms, all it needed was a little push. As the breath slowly left me, I mentally tugged at the edges of the power, slipping it out toward the rest of my hands, hands that were softly starting to glow green and gold. The moment the embers touched the tattoos hidden under my fur, flames burst into being, a deep forest green that tapered to emerald near the tips, and capped with reflections of the purest gold.
The power roared up the lines imbedded in my skin up to my shoulders and spreading to my chest. Pouring over me as if I took a bath in gasoline, the flames roared with me reveling in the pleasure and agony. The moment they touched the floor, the hellfire dripped down my body to form a ring, slowly etching it into the floor as they faded, revealing bare skin. That's when I realized I was naked. Completely bareass naked in front of a small horse. A small horse who was right about crotch height.
Awkward.
The early rising sun woke me up, its bright rays casting through an open window straight into my bed. Shame it wasn't moonlight, since it's been a while since I've had Luna's company. Either way, it seemed like a good time to get up and get started in a new day. For once, nopony had any demands on me and time was mine. Unlike most mornings, the soft comforts of the blanket's embrace did not draw me back to bed. I had a pony to see about my firearms. Once that was taken care of there would be blood. And then breakfast.
After a quick drag through my closet, I found most of my clothes had been ruined over the past few weeks from the crazy things I've been sent to do. Guess Rarity is on my list also. Until then, might as well have a little fun with it. Not still comfortable with nudity around the ponies, I grabbed my hunting cloak and a pair of pants off the rack. I had to remind myself to be careful as I zipped up. Once a guy makes that mistake, it never, and I mean NEVER happens again. The cloak wasn't pretty or stylish but it worked great when hunting from cover. Even better for what I had in mind.
As I wandered through the house grabbing the things I would need, my mind wandered about the things I should do in town. I still hadn't gone to Crimson Anvil about the ideas I had. Might need to do that if there was time. First comes guns and then breakfast. A small set of knives slid onto my belt, settling above my left thigh, a familiar weight from years in the woods. A few small folded cloth bags were crammed in a back pocket and I was ready. I closed my eyes and called the flames.
If there were anypony nearby, they would have both been startled and confused as a camoflaged wolf ran down the trail towards Ponyville.
The jog into town was actually pretty enjoyable. With the weather ponies running everything, the air was crisp and cool as fall was coming in a few days. After living here so long, it still seemed odd but normal ish. Either way, the firm path made the trip into town quick as I enjoyed the bright sun. Whatever magic had healed me did so incredibly well. The run felt absolutely fantastic as I enjoyed nature's blessings. Too soon, I had to slow down as I got to the outskirts of town. No need to panic the ponies by accident.
As I walked into town, every pony I bumped into said "hello" or "I'm glad you are ok" or something of the sort. Apparently Celestia had one hell of a talk with the town. Either way, less stress for me as I headed to the ever familiar library. The townsfolk...townsponies... had even managed to get the blood off the stones by the great tree. Something to be said about creatures that are skittish about blood I guess.
Soon enough, a large wooden door sat before me. I could hear noises and smell ponies within, so I just pushed the door open and walked in.
"What can I do for... Oh hey Hex! Hows it going? I'm glad you are okay after all the drama yesterday."
At least Spike always seems happy to see me. It was half tempting to bring him back some meat from my hunt, but somehow I think Twilight would have a stroke over that. He has canines you know. That means meat eater usually. Silly Ponies.
"It's going pretty good Spike. Great morning out there, and I plan on enjoying it by heading into the forest here in a bit. Just need to check a few things with Twilight first. Is she around?"
He just swiveled on the spot and looked toward the stairs.
"TWILIGHT! Someone is here to see you."
I had to keep myself from facepalming.
"Really dude? You could have just said she was upstairs you know."
He just chuckled at me and raised an eyebrow as a very red faced Twilight Sparkle came down the steps. Stranger was that she was very out of breath. Five bucks says that little dragon knows a lot more then he lets on and just plays innocent with the ponies. I'll have to pick his brain later about all this.
"Oh... Hi Hex. What can I do for you...this morning?"
"Not much Twilight. I completely forgot about my guns during our chat yesterday. Are they around and can I grab them off you?"
Her look darkened for a moment before taking a breath.
"That was something we wanted to talk to you about. As best we can tell, the big one is alright, but the small one is broken pretty badly. It hit before you did in the tree and parts were bent and torn off. Again, I'm soo sorry about that. If I knew..."
"Twilight, its okay. Could you please just get my damn guns?"
"Oh, okay. They are down in the basement on the lab table if you want to grab them. If you could, I'd like to take a look at the broken one and see if I can figure out how everything works."
Personally, I couldn't see any harm in leaving the carbine with Twilight if it really was broken, so I just shrugged as I headed down the dim stairwell. As the basement came into view, I could tell the unicorn was right though. Even at this distance I could tell the small rifle was fucked. The barrel was bent slightly and the entire buffer tube and stock assembly was snapped clear off.
"Fuck."
Sighing softly, I ran a hand over a friend who used to be so familiar to me, but would never grace my hands again as a weapon. Maybe Twilight will figure out how to make another one, who knows. As I looked left, at least the bolt action appeared to be in good shape. I'd have to check the optics and action out in detail later, but for now I just lifted it off the table and slung it over a shoulder. Heading up the steps, I paused to look back at my favorite rifle, now useless due to lack of spare parts.
"Twilight, you are welcome to research everything in that rifle. Just be careful please."
With that, I headed out of the library and into the bright sun, the heavy wooden door clicking shut behind me. Considering I had a big rifle on my back and how something happened everytime the ponies were introduced to my weaponry, visiting Anvil would have to wait. Guess it is going to be a quick trip home and then into the dark.
Soon enough I reached the cottage and headed straight downstairs. I was in a hurry since my stomach was growling. Bigger game was out since the rifle was iffy at the moment, so I went to Plan B. The long gun was left sitting on the counter next to my balled up cloak as I adjusted what I was wearing. Holster went onto the belt with a small pouch next to it. Shame was that I only have about half a box of .357 ammo left and a few specialty rounds on top of that. Speaking of which, I opened the top of the pouch and dropped in a speedloader I kept handy in the woods. A just in case thing really, but they were the hottest hard cast bullets I could reload myself. Specially made in case of bears, or in this world, manticores.
As I headed up and out, I mused to myself about this crazy world. No bears but griffins and other weird creatures. Whatever. Breakfast is a calling. Shutting the door behind me, I did a quick check on the revolver. First shots were hollow points that would do just fine for anything up to deer size. The next two were shot for anything rabbit or smaller. Personally, I hoped to catch up to something that could feed me for a few days.
A few short strides out the door and the woods began to embrace me. They felt... different from the last time I was in them. Before I was healed or whatever you would want to call that. I could feel the location of every tree around me, hear the fluttering of small birds wings, the gurgle of a nearby brook, and everything in between. I felt ALIVE.
My ears perked at a noise that I remembered so well. Quickly followed by a soft mossy yet somewhat nutty scent. My brain immediately thought deer just as fast as I assumed a well trained crouch. This seemed too easy really. The first ten minutes in the forest I find exactly what I want, Venison. The dim lighting in the forest showed a little wear on the ground. A very sparsely used game trail. At this time in the late afternoon, game would be away from water sources, so I picked the trail that went uphill.
Every footstep was carefully placed as I followed along the thin trail in the forest. Parting branches that occasionally crossed me, but otherwise it was probably the best stalk I've ever done. In a few short minutes I was at the edge of a small clearing with a deer in the center of it. It was a smaller one, but looked absolutely delicious. Tawny colored fur with nearly faded white dots down its sides marked it at nearly a year old. All in all I'd guess about 75 pounds all said and done. It was only about 25 yards from the brush I was behind. Absolutely perfect, except one small thing.
As I raised the revolver, the deer perked its ears as if spooked.
"Please don't run...Please don't run" I repeated in my head. Running shots are always a bitch.
The glowing front sight settled a few inches under the spine above its shoulder. Absolute heart shot, the deer won't feel a thing.
The trigger felt heavy as I started my squeeze, revolver heavy in both hands as the deer did something I'd never seen before. It stared me straight into the eyes, almost as it was trying to see my soul. After a moment, it bowed its head.
In my shock of the moment, I never felt the trigger break or the recoil of the shot.
What was with that deer?
After a few minutes, I rose from the bushes and approached the fallen creature. Eyes slightly glazed, it lay on its side with only a small splash of blood where the round impacted. I kicked a back hoof slightly to make sure it was no more. Hunting safety after all. Especially with the strange animals here. Content with no motion, I kneeled next to the deer. Some may call hunters bloodthirsty, but in my case, it is both for living and a religious experience. I passed a hand over its head to rest just forward of the deer's ears, short brown fur both tickling and poking my skin.
"Thank you for your sacrifice, so that I may live. You will be honored," I said softly.
With that, I set to my task. A small knife pulled from my belt to slit the throat and let the residual blood drain as I worked. Practice and precision was always the proper way to skin an animal. After that, cooling the meat to keep from spoilage. Normally, I would gut a kill but with something so small, it would only be a half hours work to get it taken care of. So I set to work.
The whole while, I couldn't get what the deer did out of my mind. Absolutely strange. Completely strange.
Soon enough, the cloth bags I brought were full of meat and I turned toward home leaving those events behind me.
Seriously, what the fuck was up with that deer?
All the Things that Shimmer
For the first time in weeks, I managed to get a restful sleep. The moment my eyes closed, I found myself in a deep forest, light flowing between the canopy in streams. The only thing that made it strange was the oak four post bed with white silk sheets sitting in the middle of a clearing.
That said, considering who was on the bed, I was perfectly fine with it.
"Luna I..."
Whatever I was going to say was rudely interrupted as I felt her arms wrap around me and soft lips pressed against mine. Any complaint was forgotten very quickly.
As she pulled away, she said the words that I never expected, but had hoped for.
"I love you Hex."
The moment I opened my mouth to speak, she kissed me again, melting into my arms for a moment before breaking away.
"Luna, I..."
"Before you say anything else, I need to fill you in on what has been happening in Equestria while you have been gone."
The bed vanished with a flash and a couch was in its place.
"Sit Hex. It will make things easier."
"Luna, you are starting to worry me here. What is wrong?"
She sighed, rubbing her eyes with a hand. How she got so natural with human gestures I'll never know. I will always remember the speech that followed though.
"Temperatures have continued to drop in Equestria. The first fatalities happened last week in Stalliongrad. With all the magic we had available we could only keep the city heated barely long enough to evacuate. Seventy three ponies didn't make it."
Stunned silence was my only reply so she carried on.
"What makes it worse is the fact that an emissary of the creatures doing it arrived in Canterlot yesterday with an ultimatum. If Celestia and I attempt to flee the city, the same thing will befall Canterlot with a hundred times more force behind it. We have a week to surrender or they will kill everypony in Equestria."
"THEY WHAT!?"
"Yes my love. They said that."
The edges of the forest started to shimmer and flicker.
"You are waking up my love. Stay safe, and come back to me."
"Luna, I lo..."
The forest disappeared into inky blackness around me.
Son of a bitch.
A world away, a certain Princess looked across Canterlot from her balcony.
"BUCK! I forgot to tell him about Discord!"