Live A Life, or Forge It

Chapters

1- Kicking In
2- Anedoctes
3- Bernarda
4-Looming Feuds
5- The rights of the Haunted are always ignored
6-Busted !
7- The Moon's pet
8- Welcome to the Palace. Enjoy your run
9- One Down
10- Indiva
11- Reveal
12- A Tatical Decision
13- Comfirmed Kill
14- The Revelation
15- The Speech
16- The Final Word

1- Kicking In

Where was I, in my narration ?

I've told you about what happened some time ago, when I was pulled unwillingly in Equestria, hosted by the Apple Family, that saw me as a foal (like I seemed).

Since I didn't like it, and wanted to reclaim the estate of my parents before my brothers could, I tried to escape: the first attemps were at no avail, while the fouth one with a cultured filly, name's Silver Spoon, was successfull, but that still didn't carried me at home straight away: I needed to wait the help of Twilight Sparkle, a powerful unicorn.

But I changed my mind when a portal randomly appaeared, and revealed me that, on Earth, only suffering and oblivion awaited me, while in Equestria, a better life was awaiting me, and I was going ot be rembered.

Ah, and after discovering that the Fate was in fact a toddler playing with toys. That's how he decided the future of every living thing.

I told you about what the Great Ferryman, great son of a extra dimensional bitch, did to me in front of my refusal to come back to Earth...

Oh, right, what happened five years later.

I was taking a forced nap in my own bedroom, built some time before by the combined forces of Big Macintosh, Applebloom and Applejack.

The bedroom wasn't much different than the one I had at home: it was basically the same size, 9X9 square meters; on the top of my bed, shelves and on the left side, the clothes drawer. Another bed was on the left side of the drawer.

Clearly, since I hadn't revealed anything to the others yet, the room was decorated like a child's, but, apart from some moments where I felt weird doing some things in such an ambient, such as thinking about my future in a serious way and such, it was fine.

I was loosening up, after some “hard work”, and I thought that nothing was going to be wrong.

That is, until my oldest brother named Franco was chosen by the Eternal Toddler and sent to Equestria for carry out the orders I chose to disobey five years before, when my soul said that if I accepted the “offer” of the Great Ferryman, I was going to live a short life, and get lost in the fogs of time even faster.

Now, from my small bed, I was looking at the closed window and only saw that, slowly, the window seemed to lose consistency, and started to tremble like water moved by the wind.

It didn't took me much to understand that a portal was going to be opened again... but for who ?

I was quite curious about that, so I watched closely what was going on: the blinds started to shatter, and get replaced by the blue light that was a common feature of the inter dimensional portals.

What I saw in the portal disturbed me: the bulky silhouette of Franco, my older brother.

From there, he said:

“Venicio, my dear brother, our feud hasn't ended yet... come back, and die fighting, or go with me, and serve me as a slave”

I answered back:

“Brother, this is my world. You are not welcome on my world AT. ALL. Soldiers, ring your bell: today we will fight our past, and reclaim what is ours.”

Franco chuckled:

“Oh, the small bed wetter, incapable of fighting somebody wants to fight ? What a cute scene !”

I hissed back:

“I am capable of attacking, and stopping you: the scars on your chest caused by my porcelain knife confirm it. “

He stepped in the room and said arrogantly

“Situational. Your might is no match for me now.”

“Clearly, Franco: if you attack me right now, you won't sweat. But won't get any glory by it too: where is the difficult in killing a defenseless child like I am ?"

“You are not a child. You are a weakling in his true body”

“You have not changed since my disappearance: you still believe that I am weak, regardless of the fact that I broke your ribs twice during the year before I disappeared, and the fact that I almost strangled Diana, our sister, countless times. Before, I would simply resort to the plain old balls kick.”

“But you are not capable of that anymore now.” Franco pulled off a knife “You have ten seconds for come with me, otherwise, you will die”

Knowing that I had no hope of holding him back for long, nor I wished to come back on Earth, I screamed for help, since I knew that Applejack or Applebloom will be more than capable of stopping Franco.

But Franco didn't knew what was coming, and did an evil laugh.

Applebloom was reading a book downstairs when she heard Venicio's yell coming from his room:

“Help ! Somebody is attacking me !”

Since she knew what happened some years ago, and wanted to avoid repeating the same cycle, Applebloom springed on her legs and ran in the room... but what she saw in the room would have surprised anypony, even one who's prepared for anything.

In place of the window, there was a pulsing blue light that lighted up the whole room like if the window was open and the Sun had blue light instead of yellow.

But it was clear that Venicio wasn't concerned by that: instead, near Venicio's crib, a bipedal, bulky figure similar to a minotaur without horns was there.

Said figure was looming over a scared Venicio, who, while he ran around frantically, saying that one of his brothers had come, and wanted to kill him.

Problem was, Applebloom had no idea about what to do in front of that: the assaulter seemed quite slow, and seemed unaware of her arrival, but, at the same time, he was armed, and Applebloom wasn't sure of begin capable of stopping the aggressor.

But when Applebloom saw that the creature was, effectively, swinging the knife towards Venicio, and that Venicio seemed incapable of fighting back, Applebloom was filled with anger: how did a past enemy of her brother dared to step in Apple's house ?

Said aggressor was so coward to attack Venicio while he was trapped in a body of a foal ?

How ? How ?

Applebloom charged, and rammed one of the legs of Venicio's brother: the aggressor fall down, and exclaimed:

“Brutta cavalla di merda !"

When Venicio saw that his brother lost focus on him, and saw that the hand with the knife was reachable by him, Venicio jumped, bit the hand causing the knife to fall and took said knife in his mouth.

“Bene, ora chi ride, brutto bastardo ?”

Venicio's brother said:

“Vorrei tanto staccarti la testa e cagarti in gola, Venicio, ma sembra che la tua famigliola di cavalli froci ti protegga. Non cantare vittoria, però: io, Ernico e Diana vogliamo farti visita, e non sarà un' esperienza piacevole per te !”

Venicio angrily answered:

“Voi tre teste di minchia potete tranquillamente continuare a divorarvi per spartirvi l' eredità dei nostri genitori: per quanto mi riguarda, potete farmi anche lustrarmi il culo, a me non non mi interessa”

Franco gazed angrly towards Venicio and spit on him, before entering in the blue light and disappeared.

When, finally, the blue light wasn't there anymore, Applebloom went near Venicio, and asked:

“Venicio, my dear brother, who was that ? What did he want ?”

He answered:

“Meum 'frater' erat: is a domi ferre cupiebat, aut morte nigra expectabat me”

“It was my 'brother': he wanted to take me back home, or else a black death awaited me”

Applebloom guessed that Venicio used the conditional because her help saved his life: smiling, Applebloom hugged Venicio and said that, no matter what, she was going to be on his side.

Venicio smirked, and murmured: “Ii redeant... et caritam non habeant” (They will return... and they won't have mercy)

Interrupting them, a crying filly crawled out from under the bed near the drawer, sweating and shaking with fear, blubbering: “I-i-i-i-is he g-g-g-gone? Is it o-o-over?"

And this was the first attempt by Fate and my brothers to kill me in a long time.

Oh, I forgot to talk about what happened in the span of time between the night that I decided to stay and the attack, and why there was a filly there, my bad.

We fix this right now.

Now, I don't know if you wish to know my experiences in the Apple family, but, since I love to talk about my past, I will do it anyway.

First, I will talk about the step that allowed to me to get understood by everybody: I learned to speak in English/Equestrian.

Until then, I could only understand what the ponies where saying, but, if they weren't cultivated, I could not answer back to them, and that frustrated me to no end.

Since I was incapable of writing too, my only way to learn the language was to listen carefully what was being said, and read many books: while the last one wasn't very easy to pull off, since the speakers weren't usually fond of speaking slow, the last one, thanks to the fact that I was more than capable of reading, was basically my third main activity, behind drawing and playing.

Slowly , I started to try to mumble sensed words in English, each time improving my pronunciation, (it should be noted, I never went past an English with a strong Tuscan accent); eventually, I started saying understandable phrases; although the results were often a broken speech grammar-wise.

By the time I was eight months old, I was almost capable of saying something... but I refused to talk in Equestrian for now: If I did all the normal things that a baby does in a weird way, why not do something like “From Baby Talking to Perfect Speech”, since I was perfectly capable of doing so ? All I needed was just a bit of time for get used to the structure of the language, and all was going to be perfectly fine.

The day that I decided to start to talk was a rather odd choice...

After a big breakfast and a fast check of Venicio's conditions, Applejack was reading the agenda that contained her schedule for the day:

9:30 a.m. : List the paraphernalia for the cultivation, and fix or buy new tools

11:00 a.m. : If possible, start planting some wheat in the fallow field of the last year, and vice versa, otherwise, start to fix the broken tools.

2:00 p.m. : After lunch, take the laundry from the dry cleaner.

3:30 p.m. : Resume the work done before lunch.

5:00 p.m: Carry Venicio to the microippotrician

Applejack sighed at the sight of the last part of the list: it was going to be a looong half an hour in the doctor's office, considering what happened the last time that Venicio was in contact with a white coat; it was when he was found bleeding in the sink: the air was tense that time, and, considered the pain that he should have experienced and the inability of fully understand that the pain was related only, and only to the ramming of the mirror; Venicio surely now had at least some doubts in coming in contact with the doctors again.

But the check up was needed.

After thinking about that, Applejack saw what time it was and decided to get to work.

Later that day, Applejack was tired: after listing the paraphernalia for the agriculture that she owned, she saw that a plow lacked of the blade; another plow had the wood completely ruined by the woodworms, who left only few very thin stick as prove that the Apples had a plow, and not just a unattached blade resting in the scraps; and the sickle was rusted and not sharp, Applejack stood almost all the time into fixing that things: she received some offers of help by the little sister, thought she refused to get help by Applebloom, since Applejack feared that the filly could get hurt, by planting a nail in her hoof, or get her tail cut by a badly-handled sickle.

Applejack, after doing the repairings all alone, almost regret that choice, since it was quite tired now.

Then the orange pony glanced to the clock and saw that it wasn't time to relax since she had to carry Venicio to the doctor... in theory.

Practically, since Big Macintosh seemed still full of energy even after the work on the fields, she was going to ask him such a favor in hopes that the red stallion was going to accept the request.

And so it was: as soon as Big Macintosh got off his field hat, an old straw hat, Applejack said:

“Brother... can you ask to you a favor ?”

“Eeyup ?”

“In ten minutes Venicio has an appointment with the doctor. Now, I know that the task was in theory mine, but I feel too tired to do it... could you please do it for me ?”

Big Machintosh moved his head in a negative way, and said:

“Nope”, and went away.

Applejack sighed and hoped that she wouldn't get broke down by Venicio's behavior: she hopped down the coach, went upstairs, and entered in Applebloom's room, sure that he was in it, playing or drawing something.

When the orange pony entered in the room where Venicio was, she saw him watching an open book: he seemed reading said book, and quite concentrated.

Applejack thought that Venicio was trying to mimic Applebloom in her behaviors, like how Applebloom did few years before with Applejack.

The farmer pony didn't think too hard about that though, poked gently Venicio, and said:

“Venicio... hop on my back: I am carrying you to the doctor”, expecting to see him throw a tantrum or something.

But he didn't: instead, he started to giggle madly and jumped on the back of the orange pony, saying:

“Molto bene!”

That done, Applejack said goodbye to Applebloom, saying their destination. Her sister nodded, then, for some reason, she blinked towards Venicio, and Venicio answered back with another wink.

Well, yes, I think it was a rare sight, seeing a foal not only not fussing about going to the doctor, but also coming with “pleasure” but I think that, by that point, Applejack didn't consider me a “totally normal” foal anymore.

Well, at least, to some degree, since she kept the same security measures usually adopted only with true foals.

Anyway, back on topic: When Applejack and I arrived in the waiting room of the office, I saw around me the nervous or outright crying faces of the other foals and fillies waiting for their turn, and the parents pointing at me, likely telling them to stay nice and calm like me: said scene seemed similar to me to the times when I was a kid and was due to an almost weekly tour of the clinics of my town due my weak immunitary system and the fights with my brothers... When I was carried in the waiting room of the clinic, even at the time, I didn't generally fret much about was awaiting me on the other side of the door, since I knew what was going to happen, and my passivity was, generally, admired.

Naturally, no one apart from the family medic and my family, knew the truth behind my passivity.

Anyway, name after name, the waiting room started to empty, sending in nervous patients and releasing said little patients either calmer than before, or in the middle of a meltdown of biblical proportions.

After a while, my name was called and I and Applejack entered in the room: I saw in front of me a unicorn stallion with green fur and red hair, a pair of round glasses that gave him an air of professionalism. A small mustache completed the sight.

He rotated himself, and said with a very nasal and yet respect-inspiring voice:

“So, here is Venicio, the newest addition the Apple family... let's get started, shall we ?”, then he levitated me with the magic: somehow, as soon he lifted me, I felt necessary say something to him, whatever it was, even the silliest things, but I wanted to say something before the end.

But for then I kept my mouth shut.

The doctor started to check my ears: he mechanically said to me to stand still. I obeyed indirectly, because I was concentrated on thinking about what to say.

Then the doctor took the stethoscope, and checked my heartbeats: I didn't react oddly at the feeling of the cold metal on my chest: I just moved a bit, pretending not to like it, but without any sound coming from my mouth.

Then the medic passed to measures and weight: still nothing from me.

Finally, the doctor grinned, and extracted a syringe, and, by that point, I somehow reacted: I jumped away from the doctor levitating menacingly the syringe for the blood sample, and, finally, I chose to say:

“Vhat ae you tryingh to do, docctor ?"

He answered: “I need part of your blood, so I can see if there problems in you. Basically, what I did before, but much more painful and entertaning for me”

Somehow, the last part made me laugh: such a behavior would be considered, at best, an attempt to refuge in audacity and, at worse, outright sadism.

But I knew he was joking, so I let him saying that, and take part of my blood without protesting.

When we left the office, Applejack was more surprised than anything else: until then, my mouth never articulated any word in Equestrian. Now I had said something, even if it was with a weird accent.

2- Anedoctes

And that's how I learnt to speak Equestrian, and get understood by a wider audience, who now included pretty much every pony in Equestria.

Another thing that I want to tell you, it's an anecdote about when I met for the first time the Cake twins, a meeting that was filled with... few problems of understanding, we could say.

Now, you can guess that the Apples, sometimes, didn't had time for watching me, for a reason or another, and so, they needed a baby sitter for me.

And so the Apples chose the closest offer available: their friend Pinkie Pie.

Oh God.

Pinkie Pie as a baby sitter: I saw how she fared with the Cake Twins, and how she reacted when I presented myself around a month before, and... well, it seemed a pretty good for me, all thing considered: I wasn't annoying and I enjoyed her company, so no breakdowns by her; and she was likely to understand my weirdness, and satisfy it: a perfect mix.

Well, that, until I clashed with the fact that I had no idea about how much effective time passed in Equestria between what we call the “Cake Twins episode”, and my arrival: it could have passed three years, or four months.

Either way, I was bound to met the Cake Twins, who were, clearly, true foal, so, not the best company for a “young man in disguise” like me, but I needed to make the best of things, since I was out of any other choice.

Anyway, the first day where I was left in the hooves of Pinkie, it was a dull day of September: the weather was scheduled as light rain, and, overall, the day seemed the classic dull and boring day of Autumn, but, I must say, that was my kind of day, since it represented my whole life, before I arrived in Apple Family.

Now the most fitting weather was the overcast sky, with few holes for the light, and no rain.

Anyway, I was reading a stolen book from Applebloom's library, in order to help her later on, when I felt a little tap on my back: since it was not expected, I did a jump scare, and did the military greet saying: “Impera ?”

When the scare ran out, I saw in front of me a giggling Applebloom saying:

“Oh, oh, oh, Venicio, you are so funny when you are scared. Come on, today, you are going to meet two new friends ! Yes, I know that staying with the Cake twins MIGHT not be very pleasuring for you, since you are stallion in mind, but you need to do it, since you want to keep your true identity hidden”

I nodded, and said:

“Alright then, bring this on !”

Applebloom smiled, and did the gesture of follow her downstairs, where my means of transport that awaited me.

When finally I and Applebloom arrived to our destination, namely, the service door of the Sugarcube Corner, when the door was opened, I was welcomed by the smell of burned wood and freshly-made roman mola: said smells made me cawing a bit, especially the last one, since it wasn't, in my book, a sweet thing, something with a good taste... or a pony dish either !

After all, a mixture of toasted oat and barley; salt; red wine and burned wheat wasn't properly made for begin eat by humans, but made for begin ate by the sacrificial cows in the Monarchist an Early Republican Rome.

How I knew the smell and the taste ? Don't ask, just know that once I ate it, and it wasn't in a pleasuring situation.

My disturbed reaction was blissfully ignored by Pinkie, who said still bouncing:

“Hi, Venicio ! How are you ? Oh, right, you can't answer since you are incapable of talking, but I still ask, since it's polite. Oh, you will love my way to do...”

And so Pinkie started one of her usual verbal streams that you can't stop: I hopped down , and did the gesture of go away to Applebloom to go home, since she had fulfilled her role there for the moment.

When finally Pinkie stopped, and entered in the house, I understood what was that smell: it was, indeed, a can of wineless mola... overturned on the floor, and raided by Pound and Pumpkin Cake.

I thought that the twins were eating something that should not eat, since it wasn't edible.

But it seemed that it was, indeed, edible: otherwise, why Pinkie would leave me over a table, telling me that she was going to return very soon; went near the two baby ponies, scold them, saying that was the TENTH TIME that they raided the “mola” can; and put said can in the sink

The sight left me bewilded:

Two babies, let's say... almost toddlers

Going into the kitchen.

Looking for a can of the worst food ever conceived by a sane mind, namely, the mola.

And actually eating it with pleasure.

Eating mola.

With pleasure.

That ten times in a row.

It sounded very wrong to me.

Again, THAT was very weird to see for me: alright, they are horse. Understood.

But... I think there is a reason, for why the farmers that needed to sacrifice said animals needed to SHOVE the mola into the animal's throat !

Clearly, the ponies actually enjoyed that, and I wasn't unaware.

Good to know, but still very weird to see, at a first glance.

When Pinkie finished to deal with the twins, she come back to me, and said to jump down, so she could carry me in the playroom.

I obeyed, and followed her upstairs.

The room was, to say briefly, something that hurt my eyes for the brightness, since the room was , for some reasons, the ceiling covered in prisms that created games of lights that, supposedly, changed during the course of day, and, to say at least, said games of light were annoying as fuck.

When I finally I got used to the game of light created by the odd presence of prisms, I sat on my bottom, and greeted them.

For some demented reasons, still in Latin:

“Ave, iuvenes Magna Baca et Tusa !” (Greetings, young Pumpkin and Pound !)

They looked at me weird, and blabbered something, something that I was still, somehow, capable of understanding: they said a phrase along lines

“And who are you ? And what are you just said ?”

Well, obvious my brain went on holiday, when I thought to talk in Latin, and, when I realized the obvious, decided to still keep talking in Latin:

“Venicio sum, quomodo vobis vita gerent ?” (I am Venicio: how your life is going ?)

Pound grinned madly, and blabbered again: this time, my brain registered it as:

“Buck off, you bleedin' idiot”

I don't know why I understood that series of unattached syllables as the above phrase, but maybe it was because I was charged by him:if it wasn't for my improved dodging ability, I was going to be hit, with nefarious consequences.

Meanwhile, Pumpkin Cake just looked me disappointed, only for then giggling when saw the fight between me and Pound.

Not that she was wrong: first of all, I was quite slow in my moves, like a turtle, and, yet, the faster pegasus foal never hit me, and almost crashed several times on the floor, but, defying the basic rule about pain in foals, namely “Every hit will cause a exaggerated reaction of pain”, and kept chasing me ruthlessly, and almost made me panting.

This went on, until Pound soiled his diaper while flying: maybe even him disturbed by the sensation, stopped, landed, and started to cry. As expected.

Only then Pinkie noticed something.

Well, at least the pink pony kept her reputation of airhead, instead of worsen it.

Yes, not great, I know, but, as I said, I didn't asked your appreciation, only your ears.

Anyway, another thing that I want to tell you, is when finally Applebloom got her cutie mark along with her friends...

Well, do you remember when I told you that Applebloom wanted to involve me in every way possible in the activities that she did, back when she didn't knew that I was a human ?

Guess what: since Applebloom knew that I liked stay around her and her friends, she decided to abuse a loophole in the rules of the Cutie Mark Crusaders: the CMC had the objective of getting a cutie mark, and, since there wasn't any restriction for who entered and who not different from pure discretion of the already-present members...

Yes, you got it: even if I wasn't supposed to get, as a pony, a cutie mark the age of ten months or so, they still let me join the club.

Thanks to the experience given by 16 years of life, and my knowledge about what the three fillies already tried, failed and clearly could not do anything related to it, I was capable of restricting the choices, and see if something was doable in terms of danger, and likeness of producing something.

My suggestion were, mostly, more relaxed things, but still got their attention: Barber/Hairdresser (ended with three mares bald, and the refund of nine bits for each mare); Writers (didn't went much far, since Scootaloo got bored halfway through, and flushed the whole production down the toilet); Hospital Volunteers (I must say it, that time, they were doing it right, without any damage or annoyance for the others... but it seemed that the toddler Fate didn't felt in mood for gave them a destiny related to that)

But, even with my help, we achived nothing, but at least we had fun.

The lucky day for every member of the club composed by fillies seeking their destiny came in a warm day of incumbent Spring...

It was a nice day of late winter: three fillies and the one colt were reunited in a tree house on the borders of the Apple Fields where the four usually reunited.

Applebloom was watching the wooden ceiling of the building, looking for ideas about what to do that seemed not coming.

Scootaloo was, again, circling the penknife into the table, creating the nth hole in the only table of the building: by now, the piece of furniture seemed a strainer.

Sweetie Belle was reading carefully a newspaper stolen from a near bar, looking for interesting things going on in the town.

Venicio was checking the list of the things already tried, created a month before for keep track of their attempts of get a cutie mark.

Finally, the silence was interrupted by a jumping Sweetie Belle who said:

“Girls, maybe we have maybe something to do !”

Scootaloo stopped to circling the knife, and said bored:

“What's the deal ?”

Sweetie Belle put down the newspaper, took a crayon, and underlined an announcement about an art contest for young ponies: the contest said that included “Musical; Painting; Theater and Sculpturing” sub-contests.

Scootaloo said:

“What's your proposal, going to paint something ? Well, seems good”

Venicio stopped his readings, and said:

“Y propose to do theate: after all, yt ys the most vyale option, consydered your talents”

Applebloom watched me, and siad:

“Check again: for what I recall, we already did something similar last year”

Venicio said:

“For vhat Y heard, you, Sveetye Belle and Schootaloo refused to styck to vhat you vere good: yinstead, you tryed, and fayled in a miserabe vay, to do things that you vere incapabe of doyng. My proposal, ys to try again, but by doyng the things vhere ve are more skilled.”

Scootaloo smirked, and said:

“And what are the things you think we are skilled in, Mr. Smarty Pants ?”

Applebloom did a peeved gaze towards Scootaloo, while Sweetie Belle, without any order, went looking for fabric; nails; hacksaws and other useful things.

Venicio said:

“Vell: you, Schootaloo, are a good dancer, thanks to your agylity and speed, so you vill dance.

Appeboom is a great carpenter, and, overall, ys good in hoof works, so, sche will do the set design.

Sveetie Belle has a good voice: sche ys the synger.

My ydea on what represent ys already set: just let me transcrybe the lyrycs of the song; choreography and all, and we are all set, and ready for practyce”

Scootaloo watched Venicio's sideways, and said:

“I, dancing ? Are you out of your mind ? No way ! But if the others want to do it, so I will: before doing this, I want to see how many of us vote for try again the musical show, and how many wants to see me dance”

“Then we will wait for the return of Sweetie Belle from her pillaging of supplies.”

Some time after, the white filly returned with a little wagon full of miscellaneous things: paints; saws; fabrics of various colors; needles; thread... everything that could be useful for the show.

But, as soon Sweetie Belle started to untie herself, she heard Scootaloo's voice saying:

“What's your vote for doing this musical show ? Yes or no ?”

The filly was surprised by her question: it wasn't established that they were going to do again the musical show ?

Show that Sweetie Belle buried under layers and layers of mind ground for the shame, before getting up again thanks to Venicio.

Sweetie Belle was going to put back the things that she “borrowed”, when she started thinking about Venicio: first of all, that small foal suggested and put in plan one of the best attempts, for Sweetie Belle, to get a Cutie Mark in something.

He suggested volunteering in the hospital.

That suggestion, at first glance quite boring, got interesting when they discovered that the entertainer of the Foal Ward of the hospital was absent that day, and it was needed a replacement.

Sweetie Belle didn't remembered many detailed events, but she remembered clearly the smiling face of Nurse Redheart congratulating with her, Scootaloo and Applebloom for having done such an act of kindness towards the peers, and for their attitude that they kept while doing so.

And maybe Venicio had a similarlly bright idea.

Another thing that moved the vote of doing the musical show from “No” towards “Yes”, was the fact that she lost her “stage fright” long ago, and that she now wanted to show her ability in singing to everypony.

Finally, the white unicorn filly sighed, went into the clubhouse, and said:

“My vote about the musical show is “Yes” : now let's roll !”: that said, Sweetie Belle placed the fabric on the table, took a pair of scissor, a ruler, and started to cut the fabric.

Meanwhile, Scootaloo started to try some random dance moves for heat up, and, finally, Applebloom transcribed what Venicio had in mind to do for the show.

The show that Venicio wanted to do was a little scene taking place into a meadow with a solitary tree in the middle: under the tree, there is Sweetie Belle singing a song called “Ecce Gratum” made up by Venicio; while Scootaloo danced around the tree, and launched flower petals around.

The last part was cut by Scootaloo's orders.

The next day, the four met again, ready for work and practice again: Applebloom kept sawing the planks of down tree for the scenic design; Scootaloo tried the so-called “satyr dance” done by standing on two legs, jumping, and spinning madly around, and the Venicio took a chair, sat on it, handled the two pages with the song, and told Sweetie Belle to sing it: the filly coughed, and singed sadly:

“Ezze Grattum...”

Venicio said that wasn't correct, and to read it again, and say it with a more joyous tone

So Sweetie Belle read again the pages, and started to sing again ,this time with more energy:

“Ecce gratum...

Ecce gratum et optimatus”

Venicio said again no

Sweetie Belle started again:

Ecce gratum...

Ecce gratum et optatum

Ver reducit gaudia

puppuramur flurum

pattum”

Venicio facehoofed, and said to repeat it

Sweetie Belle snorted, and sang with a more angered voice:

“Ecce gratum...

Ecce gratum et optimatus”

Venicio said again no

Sweetie Belle started again:

“Ecce gratum...

Ecce gratum et optatum

Ver reducit gaudia

purpurarum flores

floret pratum

Sol serenat omnia.”

Venicio did the sign of raise th tone, and say it faster

“Iamima cedeant tristia !

Estas redit, nun recedit

Hyemis sevitia

Iamima cedeant tristia !

Estas redit, nun recedit

Hyemis sevitia”

Venicio did the sign of keep the “a” of sevitia for a long time, before passing ot the next part, and sing said part with a lower tone

“Iam liquescit et decrescit

grando, nix et cetera

Iam liquescit et decrescit

grando, nix et cetera

Iam liquescit et decrescit

grando, nix et cetera

Iam fugit, et iam

sugit Ver Estatis ubera”

The foal with the gray coat gave the sign of raise the tone

“Illi mens est misera, qui

nec vivit, nec lascivit

sub estatis dextera”

Long “a”, lowering of the voice

“Gloriandum et letantut

in melle dulcitudinis

Gloriandum et letantut

in melle dulcitudinis

qui canantur, ut utantur

Premi Cupidinis”

Raising of the tone

“Simus jussu Cypridis

gloriantes et letantes

pares esse Paridis”*

And so the song finished: Venicio clapped his little hooves, and said:

“Alright, Sweetie Belle, repeat it three times tomorrow, and I'm certain that you will make a good impression on everypony !”

Two days later, at night, after two days of preparations; singing; dancing; small accidents; and difficult enrollingin the contest, everything was ready for the CMC muscial show: Swetie Belle rembered perfectly what to sing, and how; Applebloom calculated every millimiter of movement of the scenery; and Scootaloo knew how to dance according to the song.

The music was supplied by Venicio with misterious means, ways that he refused to reveal, saying that he passed the Tartarus for get the music disc.

Since Venicio was excluded by partecipating, he was in the middle of the audience, waiting to see the fruits of his work.

The three fillies placed their costumes on: Scootaloo had a costume that made him appear half goat and half pony; Applebloom wore a warehouse scrap of a plant costume, and Sweetie Belle was disguised as a sheperd girl: toghter, they were watching the perfomances of other colts and fillies, perfomances that variated from the epically good, to the disastrous.

And, finally, it was their turn: Applebloom put the scenography and prepared the grammophone; Sweetie Belle placed herslef under the cutout of the tree, and Scootaloo stood in the backstage, waiting, of course nervous, for the start.

And finally the announcer, a red pony with a white mane and a top hat, announced the start of the performance of Sweetie Belle, Applebloom and Scootaloo.

The lights lit up on Sweetie Belle, who started to sang sweetly the song: arrived at the third phrase, Scootaloo exited, and started to dance around the stage, while Applebloom changed slowly the background accoring what was going on.

After fice minutes of singing, dancing and stuffs, the CMC's show was over: they put off their costumes, and bowed to the estathic audience, who was clapping geneuinely for the show of the three illies.

When the whole contest was over, and the second place was took by the work of Venicio and the Cutie Mark Crusaders, the three exited with the prize in bits, and joined Applejack and Venicio in going home: while they walked, Sweetie Belle asked to her two friends

“Did someone checked her flanks after our work ?”

Scootaloo said unsurely:

“No...”

“So let's do it now !”

The three fillies stopped, and watched their flanks, and they were left bewilded: where before there was a simple patch of fur, there was now a picture, representing their talents.

Scootaloo had a trail of smoke coming througth a wall, representing her agility.

Sweetie Belle had a heart with a muscial note in the middle

Applebloom had a pair of wooden planks crossed.

When the three fillies saw that, they joined into a colelctive hug between Venicio, Sweetie Belle,Scootaloo and Applejack.

3- Bernarda

Now, I've told you about two anedoctes, now we shall pass to others...

What, you will leave if you I tell you ? You don't dare...

Oh, right

Oh, well, as you wish.

I will tell you about why there was a filly in my room, when I was attacked.

That filly, her name Bernarda, wasn't, like I was, a pony since the birth, but once she was a human.

This is her story...

It was the week after the fifth birthday of Venicio, and, in the Apple family, few things have changed since the arrival of Venicio: Applebloom now attended to a Professional Traning School for Artisans in another town, and, since said town was twenty kilometers apart from her house, she wasn't often at home, to Applejack's dismay; Granny smith decided to take part of the money and go “in a far” city: no one had news from her since she left; and Venicio started to do corvees in the farm for make him useful.

For everything else, the life in the farm was pretty much the same: Applejack kept growing the small field of wheat with ability, and to produce food made from apples; Big Machintosh kept his strict regime of harvester and work of the past years; the paths on the border were still visited by cursed painters and poets... to a distracted observer, the farm seemed not changed from some years before.

This kind of life, without too much hitches and full of sweat, was driving Venicio mad: first of all, he didn't liked too much the manual work, especially if said main work required to cover an area around six kilometers, up and down, left and right, because, over to be very tiring, it seemed more like a cruel joke, than an actual work: picking up the fallen apples, and put them in the container of compost IN THE OPPOSITE PART OF THE FIELD ?

The other, irregular, works that Venicio did , were of small repaving of the path and the house; small hydraulics; carpentry; and so on.

Said works were a bit more welcomed by Venicio, since they required a bit of ingenuity for begin done with very little materials, and the fact that were surely less tiring than running back and forth picking apples, and so, the theoretical colt always awaited with impatience the brokering of a tube; the collapse of part of the barn; or a mess-up of the irrigation system.

But that day wasn't his lucky day: no such things happened, and so Venicio was forced into going around the fields for pick up the apples fallen out the buckets, and put them in the fertilizer tank near the barn.

While Venicio was doing so in the north east part of the fields, the running colt saw under a tree a little, colorful profile, that seemed moving in search of something.

Venicio remembered what happened his first day: he was found under a tree, without anything telling about what was going on.

Venicio approached carefully to the outline...

Well, since I don't remember much of it, I will let talk the directed involved.

Bernarda, it's your turn for tell...

I don't know how to explain it.

I was in the old library of my family, drawing the planimetry of an hypothetical “self-sufficent house” near a lake, calculating the cost of the land reclamation; of the materials; of the manpower and everything in-between, and even creating a 3-D computer-generated render of the building, if it was going to be created.

Naturally, since it was just a project for the university, it was unlikely that said house was going to be created.

Sometimes, between a drawing of the draining and purification system for the water, and the calculation about how it was going to cost do to such a thing, I paused from my calculations, and looked at out the window overlooking on the nearby square of my town, and saw my peers sitting on the steps of the cathedral, smoking and talking to each other; walking around with the others; or just taking some fresh air.

All of that disturbed, and yet fascinated me.

I was always closed in personality, and always tried to avoid the contact with other people, not because I hated them, or something, but because I always felt like a burden to the others; the element that ruined a party; over all, ill-suited for stay with others.

Maybe it was because my parents never let me out from my ivory tower until I was 6, for then throwing me in the figurative sea full of sharks without any help once I hit the age for legally start attending school.

Then, all went downhill a long time: my lolliness and incapability of understanding others, translated in a fanatical devotion to authorities and rules, was seen by my peers like an attempt of showing that I was better of them for my culture and money, even if I wasn't behaving like this on purpose, really thinking that I was better than the others (rather, I felt them more lucky than me): I was only doing what I thought right.

And so they mocked me, calling me “Missie Shining Shoes” and “Mind poured in the pocket” for the five years of Grade School; “Wooden Coch” in the Middle School, and, for the Biennio, “Dumb Bitch”.

And they didn't stopped to mocking, nor they did it only at school either: I've lost countless bike wheels and pieces of food, for their fault.

And yet I didn't reported such things: my parents taught me to never fight back. Never.

And so I beared that torture for years, leaving me even more fragile in mind.

Only when I finally saw that the source of my miserable life at school and out of it was my bipolar sight of life, I, Bernarda Garuglieri, finally archived the peace with the rest of the world, thanks to a little group of people more than willing to teach me how the social world was built, and how access it.

I've stored that information, and tried to apply them, but my shyness and weakness still forbade me from fully enjoy the advantages of having friends.

And so my only company; over to my very few friends, the only ones capable of not let me feeling a like a drunk mosquito; were the book and the study: since I was four years old, I always read.

Again, that was due that fact that I was basically blocked in my house with very few moments of contact with the external world

That passion kept going until the adulthood, and here I was: I was doing this project with zeal and attention, without anyone trying to interrupt me from working.

Anyone... but not anything.

In fact, while I was calculating the cost of placing an electric generator fueled by the organic trash, I heard a strong screech from my feet: when I heard it, I jumped of scare and tremble, before calming down, and deciding of checking what caused the noise.

I found out that the source of the noise was a pulsing blue light from under the table: the sight left me bewilded, since I wasn't aware of the existence of such a thing in the world...

I was going to leave the room for a while, and just doing my work somewhere else, when I accidentally put my right foot in: as soon I put a tiny part of it, I felt an unknown force sucking me in the light, causing me to gulp, and scream with every inch of air my lungs:

“HELP ! HELP ! MARIA ! BARBARA ! SOMEBODY !”

But no one came in, and, slowly, my lower half of the body was sucked in.

I could not stand it anymore, and let me suck in, hoping that I wasn't going to be killed, and to come back home in time for the project.

But, when I entered in, it was clear that it was unlikely to return back home in a short time: around me, a tunnel of light circled, and, sometimes, a picture of a colored horse appeared in front of me, for then get atomized.

The sight left me confuse, and I was even more confused when, finally, the tunnel stopped: I saw that I was under an apple tree, in the middle of a field of other trees.

Everything seemed so colorful, compared to where I lived until then: it was a spectacular sight, the sight that many people told me that you could see from the hills of Monte Sensavino in Tuscany, or near the Kilimangiaro in Tanzania.

I was so bewilded by the sight, that I didn't noticed that my body changed: in place of the hands and feet, I had something resembling the actual hooves of the horses, but softer, and, somehow, foldable.

Then I looked at the rest of my body, only to see that I was, actually, an horse.

And not of a color with that the horses usually have: I was mint green, with a black spot over my “belly”.

I was even more disturbed: until few moments before, I was a human girl creating a planimetry for a house for an university project, and now I was a small horse sitting down an apple tree, in a place that seemed like a cartoon.

And so I started to think about how to come back: the light was gone; I had no idea about where I was, and I was turned into a horse, so I could not ask for information.

Or not ?

As soon I started to think about how come back home, I heard a far sing from deep in the fields: the song was familiar to me: it was the song “House Credibility” by the singer Caparezza, with some modifications in the text:

“Era una vita dura quella vita di casa,

con

la caga della tazza che si intasava,

con

Il fratello che si incazza,

entrava

con il coltello e colpiva il tuo braccio.

Quando

il forno si sfasava

la fuga di gas faceva

tabula rasa,

La sorella prendeva la termocoperta

e ti lasciava congelare

stai all'erta, è Striscia

di Gaza.

Que pasa? non è l'hotel Plaza

l'hotel da bomba a Mombasa.

Scoppia

la rissa, e il muro di cartongesso

collassava per le botte,

Ante usate come armi

e chi colpiva per ultimo

cantava "New York"

meglio di Liza.

Cade la televisione

di merda

Vedi la morte in faccia

sono un duro perché vivevo nella casa,

perché

sono ancora vivo nella casa

e se parlo

di sesso e violenza

non è fantascienza,

quella tipo della NASA.

Sono un duro

perché vivevo nella casa

e sono ancora

vivo nella casa.

Non ho più problemi,

stare in questa fattoria

mi piace

come il formaggio

ed il latte.

House credibility,

inutile non mi debiliti

ho house credibility,

house credibility.

Candeggine e detersivi,

irritanti e corrosivi,

veleni nocivi

usati per terminare la concorrenza

all' eredità

petti che colpivi

sì, ma poi eran vivi,

e tu

diventi pazzo e ridi come Beavies.

Prendi

coltelli da serial killer,

elmo, scudo

ma tu non sei Achille.

Cadi dalle scale

se ti scagliano giù.

Era meglio

abitare nel Colosseo.

Crepe sulla volta

per le capocciate date

di volta in volta,

il tetto non protegge più

più di un pezzo di plastica

Col piede di

porco va giù la porta,

ti entrano in camera

e ti staccano la corrente

Metti sulla

soglia dei pasdaran

se coltivi la foglia

del rastaman

per tirare avanti

e sta attento alla doccia

è rimasta

aperta e qua pare l'Aquafan.

sono un duro perché vivevo nella casa..

violenza si consuma a casa mia,

quanta

gente che digiuna a casa mia.

Te lo

ripeto come fossi un cacatua,

ho toccato

il fondo come l'ancora giù dalla prua.

C'è

chi non muore chissà come,

prendono la corrente,

non come il salmone

e rimangono in piedi.

Scivolano per un

flacone di sapone

finché non gli si

propone un sermone.”

I could tell that who was singing it wasn't very happy in living in his home, since he was talking about how in house was common to punch every person that obstacled somebody's objectives.

Since I heard the voice going near, I thought to find in front of me a young farmer; a groom or something.

No.

The singer was a little gray horse with a red mane, carrying a basket full of apples.

As soon he saw me, he went towards me....

When I met for the first time Bernarda, I was surprised by the sight: the situation seemed a lot similar to the one where I was found years ago, when I was a 7-month old foal, with a strong desire of coming back home for get some revenge.

But, right then, how I could knew who I had in front of me ?

She could have been a true foal.

A Changeling.

Or another human...

Considered that the Eternal Toddler seemed prone to place human in Equestria, I assumed hat sh was a human: I put down my basket, and went towards her, saying:

“Who are you ?”

At my question, she squeaked, and curled in a ball of fur.

She seemed scared. A lot.

I went near her, muzzled, and said, this time with a lower tone for not scare her again, and in italian:

“Who are you, filly ? Where are you from ? Please, don't be scared by me”, then i I started to stroke her mane, in attempt to get her relaxed.

It worked quite well.

She slowly put out her head, and said uncertain and trembling:

“My name is Bernarda. I don't know how I got there, apart from a blue light... please, don't hurt me”

I laughed:

“Why should do it ? You didn't anything wrong. Now, explain to me: before coming here, you were a pony, or a human ?”

“I was a human. I was a young woman”

“Mmm.. ok, I can host you for a while in my house, not far from here: even if my adoptive “mother” have some economic problems, I think she can still support another member for two weeks, before getting under supplied”

Bernarda put a hoof under her chin, then said, still a bit unsure:

“But I heard you before singing about serious sibling fight in your house... but thanks anyway. I hope you don't mind it”

I giggled again:

“Well, I'm already glad to have found another human begin turned into a foal or filly. Plus, I was singing about my past: if you want to know more, then hop on my back, and I will tell everything”

The theoretical filly nodded, and hopped on my back, where I put again the basket of bad apples.

Then I started to move again, this time towards the barn, for put down the picked apples and show the “living trophy” found in the fields.

Meanwhile I walked, I told all my story to Bernarda.

When I finally free myself from my load of rotten apples, and could enter in my house, I put down Bernarda, and said to wait me in the entrance, while I was going to take some food.

I put down the mint filly, and moved towards the kitchen on the left: once in, I took one of the chairs, climbed it, and started to look for something to give her:

Integral bread ? Nope, doesen't taste good, as pony.

Hay ? Generally it was cooked, and I had no time to do such a thing.

Apples ? Better no, since she will puke them out her ears in the future days.

White Bread ? OK, but too simple, better add something like... goat cheese and mushroom ham !

And so I took a slice of bread; a small pot of goat cheese, and some slices of mushroom ham, then I took a knife, and cut all along the slice of bread; I took a lump of goat cheese and spreaded it on the bread, and, finally put the ham in.

After crating this, I put eveyrthing back in place, trying to disguise what I did, and returned to my guest.

My entrance in the hall was welcomed by a disgusting smell, so awful to almost drop the food that I prepared for Bernarda.

Then I rembered in what body she wa in.

A 7-month foal...

Yes: she soiled herself, and she seemed extremely embarassed for it: she was basically repeating:

“I didn't mean, I didn't mean to, I didn't mean to...”

Cursing my luck, I put down the food, took a shovel and a bucket, and started to put the shit in the bucket, while I told Bernarda that was ok, since she had the body of a foal, and said to her of taking some toilet paper in the storage closet in the kitchen for clean herself up.

I wanted to kill myself for the embarassament.

While I knew that I was an horse, I hoped that, since there was an equine civilization there, that they had bathrooms, and that I wasn't too little for having control of my bowles.

Guess what: I was.

And all happened suddenly: a moment before, I was singing silent praises to Venicio, and the moment after, the floor under me was full of excrements.

My excrements.

At that point, I blushed hard, and went in tilt: and now ?

What to do ?

Clean this up ? No, I can't with my bare hooves

Await for Venicio ? He might kick me out if he find out that I dirtied the flood of his house.

Every situation seemed a lose-lose, and so, I started to weep silenty towards my unluck.

When Venicio finally returned, he reacted with a “bleargh”, and told me that it was ok, since I was a little filly.

Well, that doesen't made the situation any less embrassing anyway.

Then he said that I should go in the starge room in the kitchen for take some toiletpaper, and clean me up.

I obeyed, since I haed to go around with my bottom covered in feces.

I walked slowly on the left, until I saw something resembling a fridge, and many shelves: no doubt, the kitchen.

I entered in the room, and looked for a door different from the one where I entered... but I found nothing !

I tried to open what seemed a door, but it was a drawer full of pots.

Then I tired another one: it was the flap of the starage of wood fo the oven.

Finally, I found the door between the sink and the fridge... and I realized with horror that the grip was too hight to be reached by normal mean.

I thought of taking a chair, move it near the door, and open it, and so I did... before seeing, with my maximum horror, that I could not move it, no matter how much force I put in moving it, be pullign i with th mout; push it with the front hooves; or charing it with my full body: nothing mvoed that damn chair.

But I ketp trying, and trying, and trying, until I heard footsteps.

Or, better, hoofsteps.

I saw in front of me an orange pony with freclkes, her face with an angered frown.

I frozed in fear.

I was going to get kciked out.

I was going to get kicked out.

Oh God

Oh God.

I started to cry, and beg for mercy.

The orange pony just nuzzled me, and said in a soft voice:

“Don't worry, Bernarda: accident happens. Now go upstairs, so you can get cleaned up”

4-Looming Feuds

I think that should not be difficult to figure out what I did with Applejack, while Bernarda frantically looked for a way of opening the closet: while I was cleaning up the “disaster zone”, and taking some disinfectant for be sure of not leaving anything I was surprised by the orange pony in my act.

She wasn't too happy seeing me cleaning up a little mountain of poop, and asked to me if I did it.

I answered no, and told her about the finding of Bernarda, what happened and so on: Applejack sighed, and told me to go in my room a while.

I guessed that didn't believed me.

But, as you heard, Applejack actually found Bernarda, washed her, and said that she was going to stay with us for a while, before giving her to someone else.

And, three days later, this is where I was attacked by my brother Franco.

After the assault, no one, apart form me, Bernarda and Applebloom seemed noticing anything, or seemed heard anything: in fact, Applejack thought that I had a bad dream.

During a nap.

If only, Applejack : what happened was a true nightmare made real.

But I wasn't still sure about what to do next, thought: the attack of Franco could be a one-time “prank” pulled by the damn Eternal Toddler; or could be the start of a great inter-dimensional haunt for me.

After a bit of thinking, I decided that was time to speak again to Twilight, and see if she noticed anything weird in the last days: who knows if she noticed a magical perturbation going on in Ponyville or somewhere else.

But I was sure that it wasn't the only way to solve it, and I needed a plan B, after all.

And so, I went in the cold wine cellar for get some silence, and gather ideas.

I went downstairs; opened the heavy wooden door diving the underground room from the rest of the world; passed some steps, and took a stool near a shelve full of wine bottles for sitting on it and think about what to do now, since I was attacked and Franco threatened me of coming back with reinforcements.

After I sat, the following options came out:

Do nothing: the easiest option, but... if all the three older siblings arrive, I was going to be screwed, since I was unprepared.

Prepare myself all alone, and be always prepared everywhere: good idea, but, without ideas where they could hit, I was going to be unusefully paranoid.

Reveal myself, tell my past, and see where it was going to bring: at first, I thought that this was the best option, since, if Twilight wasn't going to help me, another pony will... but the act itself would not be sufficient, thought: better do it as next step of a talk with Twilight.

And I kept thinking, and thinking, until I recognized that the best course of actions was going to talk about it with Twilight, and cross the fingers, hoping that the purple princess could do something for me.

And so I exited from the cellar, and went in Applebloom's room: when I stepped in it, I saw her with her head bend on a book, likely studying something for Basic Economics, or things like that.

When I saw that, I was going to just ignore her, and go to the Library all alone.

But, as soon I went out the room, the yellow pony closed the book, and said:

“Venicio, where are you going ?”

I said annoyed:

“I am going to the Library: after what happened with Franco, I want to know if Twilight knows something about that...”

She glanced me:

“Do you REALLY think that she has summoned Franco ? Are you kidding me ?”

“No, Applebloom, but I think she knows something about dimension transportation, and maybe Twilight has intercepted some incoming moves by the Great Ferryman, and the Fate. Hell, maybe she can tell how prepare myself to the eventuality of a portal opening !”

The yellow wanna-be carpenter mare said:

“And how do you think to arrive to her, without any means of transport ?”

“I have my hooves”

“The Library is too far from here for be reached before sunset by hoof, and you can't go alone, since Applejack still sees you as a true colt”

I said with a tip of anger:

“And Appleajck can't go fuck herself for once ?”

“No: after all, she has the power here, and we must obey her”

“Alright, I can't go alone. Get it. And so how I am supposed to go there ? Digging a hole in the floor, and reach Twilight from there ?”

Applebloom stared at me bewilded, and said:

“Well, you will come with me, no ?”

“You are studying: I wished to avoid to disturb you, even if this was a quite important task for me”

She faked a spit, and said:

“I can study later: your protection is more important. Go downstairs, and wait for me”

I smiled, exited from the bedroom of Applebloom; passed in my room for calm down a scared Bernarda; and went downstairs, waiting for Applebloom.

In the Library, Twilight was reading for the nth time a small report about blue lights appearing and disappearing all over Equestria: she was reading said reports because the population started to get concerned about the origins of the lights, and their capability.

At a first glance, Twilight thought that the reports were exaggerations of Sant Elmo's fires that appeared time to time in an area where many unicorns operated at once.

But, reading deeply, it was clear that was something different: first of all, some of these lights appeared in places where no unicorns where present at the moment; second, the Sant Elmo's fires generally appeared on top of the building, or of the trees.

Those lights didn't: they took place of whatever object was there, for then disappear, leaving what was there before like nothing happened. The fires generally burnt the object.

And, finally, some ponies reported that they saw in the lights a bipedal figure similar to a minotaur without horns. A human, basically: only, the existence of humans was hid to the population, for reasons that Celestia refused to clear up to Twilight, even when the purple alicorn became a Princess.

Twilight Sparkle thought hard about what was going on, and tried to think about what to do in this case, apart from placing “dimensional blocks” everywhere, since it was too expensive; and how to deal with the fact that, sooner or later, the humans in the portal will came in Equestria, since only her; Celestia; Luna, and few “hired mouths” knew about them, and only Celestia seemed knowing them deeply.

Then the purple mare thought about a human she knew: Venicio.

Even if it had passed five years, and he was in a body of a colt, he was still quite reliable.

But... how to explain to Applejack that she needed him for a while ?

The orange pony could tell if Twilight was saying a lie, and she could not let her know.

The purple mare was going to give up, when she heard the door opening, and a high-pitched voice saying:

“Ave, Sullucis Scintilla”

It was Venicio ! A part was eliminated, and that caused much rejoice by Twilight's part.

Twilight Sparkle kept her self in line, thought, and answered:

“Hi, Venicio. What brings you here ?”

Venicio went upstairs, and said with a little frown:

“It happened: the Fate got angered with me, and it's sending my brothers for kill me. I don't want to get killed, and, since they can arrive here only by magic portals similar to blue lights.

Since you knew about travel across dimensions, I thought you had the solution for stop them from appearing. Or, at least, weaken them, so I can fight them even if I am in a body of a colt”

Twilight gasped: the bipedal figures in the lights were actually Venicio's brothers ?

And they were looking for him for kill him ?

Really ?

She said:

“Are you serious ? Your brothers are arriving form magical portals resembling blue lights ? I thought it impossible !”

“Yes, I'm dead serious.”

Twilight was even more disturbed: the events of the past weeks were, basically, omens of death for Venicio.

She said:

“I've received reports of blue lights appearing everywhere... do you know something about them ?”

“Yes: the Eternal Toddler, namely, Fate, is pissed off with me, and sent my brothers to kill me. Since the damn Toddler doesn’t know my position, he sent my brothers a bit everywhere, for see where I was. He finally got me while I was sleeping in Applejack's house. Luckily, Applebloom could send Franco away... but he, my other brother and my sister will return. And they want my head”

“Fate” ? “Eternal Toddler” ?

What Venicio was saying was confusing Twilight, since she never heard about “Fate”.

She asked politely:

“Fate ? Who is ?”

Venicio sighed:

“The higher force that rules without begin seen the worlds. He decides the course of life of everyone... unfortunately, begin a toddler, apart from few lucky exceptions, most of the toys who play with are made of wood, lead, or copper, meterials that tends to broke easily, meaning that they are destined to be forgotten.

How I know that, if he is invisible ? Simple: between dimensions, there is an entity called 'Great Ferryman', tasked to carry the living things between dimensions: said entity talked with me, and told about what the Fate was doing, and said that, lately, he was playing mostly with the toys that represented me as a pony and human.

And so I heard that my destiny on Earth was the one of despair and oblivion, while here, in Equestria, it was one of fulfilled life and great legacy for the future generations.

The Fate decided that I was going to come back home.

I decided to stay here.

And now, it seems that Fate wants to kill me.

Since he had at hand my brothers, it's likely that made a deal with them, for changing their statues made of fool's gold, meaning a fake glory, into statues made of silver, which is, as you can guess, a better memoir of them, and, in exchange, they are going to kill me. “

It was now a bit more clear for Twilight what was going on.. but she was still unsure about what Venicio wanted to do.

“I know, and understand that you are concerned for your security. But what I can do ? I don't know what to do !”

Venicio shaked his head, and said annoyed:

“Well, if you know a spell or something for avoid to get a portal opened somewhere, it would be useful !”

“I know a way to avoid the creation of a portal in the range of three kilometers. Problem is, it's very expensive, and it will cost too much cover Ponyville with that things only for you !”

Venicio said angered:

“I don't want to cover the whole city, I want to cover my house so I can sleep without fearing of getting my throat cut ! For the rest, we have two options: either turn me into a human, so I can fight them any moment, but losing my cover; or you can ask to your brother Shining Armour if he can give me some fighting lessons, so I can effectively counter-attack !”

Twilight felt unsure about Venicio's proposal: yes, she could cover Apple's house, and that wasn't a problem.

But turn Venicio back into a human ? Before that a program for soften the contact with them was deployed ? Unthinkable: between the fanatical cospiractionists; the xenophobes and such, reveal him just now was plain madness.

And the other option ? His brother, even if he would do anything for her sister, surely was going to take it as a bad joke, and say that he had no time for teaching an everyday foal how to fight like a soldier.

But the latter was the only sane choice: after all, if Shining Armour wasn't going to trust her right there, she could prove that it wasn't trying to fool him, and that the apparent colt was REALLY an alien creature needing training for combat his blood lusting brothers.

After two minutes of thoughtful silence, Twilight broke it, and said:

“Venicio, you had a quite good idea, about your self-defense. I will look for the interdiction spell against the portal; I will cast it on your room; then I will try to contact my brother for see if he can left apart for a while his duties, and give you some combat basics.”

Venicio did the military greet, and said: “Yes, madam !”, and exited.

Twilight sighed at the sight.

As soon I was out the Library, I started to bounce around happily like a child in a candy shop: not only I was going to get my ass covered while sleeping, also Shining Armour was also going to teach me how to fight as a pony.

My day could not go any better.

While I was walking, I tried to greet every pony that I knew: Sweetie Belle, who now sings in pubs and bars for money; Scootaloo, who generally wanders around the world doing stuns; Rarity, a never-chaing pony as it was Pinkie Pie.

Fluttershy seemed more open, compared to five years before, and now hangs out with other ponies that I didn't knew.

Rainbow Dash was still doing her job as weather controller, even if she did it with less interests and more annoyance.

When I finally arrived at home, my happiness was noticed by Applejack, who asked me what caused my happiness.

I didn't answered.

5- The rights of the Haunted are always ignored

Four days later, after the meeting with Twilight corncerning my security, I was woken up by the soft feeling of Bernarda thightly hugged to me.. boy, Bernarda seemed the kind of girls that were breastfed until the Third year of the Middle School.

And that had the tendency to grip the first soft thing available in the room, when she had a nightmare: incidentally, that night the soft thing was me.

I kicked her away softly, since it brought back bad memoirs of dawn in the latter years in my human home.

I said:

“Bernarda, I know that you were scared and such. But, please. Don't grip me: it brings me bad memoirs”

She immediately separated, and said:

“Uh, sorry... I didn't mean to... I will return to my bed...”

I smiled, and got up, ready for preparing the breakfast for me, Bernarda and the rest of the family, as I did since I hit the age of 18, if you count from my age as human.

As soon I reached the kitchen, I placed five place mats over the table in the kitchen; took a chair for reach the shelves with the cups and the cutlery; put three coffee cups in the places occupied by Big Macintosh; Applejack and Applebloom and two milk cups in the places occupied by me and Bernarda; placed a spoon for everyone; placed the sugar bowl with a spoon already in it in the middle of the table; prepared the percolator and placed it on the fire; filled the milk cups with cold milk; put a pile composed by ten biscuits each, and waited for the arrival of everypony.

When the breakfast ended, it was time for me of going in the fields for doing my duties as “vassal” of the Apple Family: said duties where picking up fallen apples; cut down dead trees; check if the tools were broken; burn down the piles of tomato leafs and parsley around the fields for keep the mosquito away and so on.

Quite boring, I have to say.

But it was my duty, so I did: I took two buckets, tied it to my back, and started to collect the fallen apples.

After three hours, I was very, very tired of running around the fields, picking with my mouth fallen apples and signaling the dead trees: I started to wish to have a break longer that ten seconds; or the arrival of midday altogether.

But it was the ten of the morning, and it seemed that I had no way to finish that torture before other two hours of running.

But, as soon I come back to the tank to fill of rotten apples near the barn, I saw a purple shape flying towards the barn... Twilight, no doubt.

While I put the apples in the tank, I greeted her, and asked what were her business there: she answered that she was there for, hopefully, cover up my room, and try to create cover-up for his absence for a while in the afternoon.

Probably because Shining was coming. Or because she changed her mind, and wanted to tell me her new plan, where place an invisible mine layer on my back, so I could be covered whenever I went; to an expedition of soldier ponies sent to kill off my brothers.

But I was certain that she had the solution.

Unfortunately, as soon I was going in my room for see how Twilight Sparkle did the enchanting of my room, Applejack told me to get back to work.

I went back to work with a snort.

Later on, after lunch and a hour of resting, finally I was ready to go in the Library, and see what Twilight had to say to me: I asked to Applebloom to carry me there, and she complied gladly.

Shining Armour was waiting with a sense of curiosity pervading him: he was called by Twilight, her sister, for offer his combat experience to “a friend in need”: Shining was going to just send one of his subordinate officers, and leave at that.

But he didn't saw her sister for something like... five years, since the birth of his daughter Indiva, and her official addition in the Royal Family of the Crystal Empire: after so much time, it would be nice stop for a little while the flood of red tape, and pay a visit to her little sister.

While the white stallion waited the arrival of “client” needing a favor from the “patron” Twilight, Shining Armour talked with Twilight about what happened during that five years of lack of contact: diplomatic mix-ups; anecdotes regarding the ruling and more private part of their life... up to the strange happening of the past days.

“Twilight, lately I and many of my subjects have noticed the appearance of... strange phenomenas, similar to the Sant Elmo's fires, but less destructive, and more... alien-looking. From the lights, it's said that you can see a bipedal figure. Do you know something about that ?”

Twilight chuckled: “I don't, my 'client' however...”

As soon she said this words, a squeaking noise was heard, signaling that the main door of the building was opened, and a trilling voice came to Shining and Twilight's ears:

“Ave, Sullucis Scintilla ! Quod me vocabat ?”

The white military stallion recognized the language, and felt weird in hearing a phrase in said language pronounced by a trilling voice: after all, the Latin wasn't properly a common language among the people, especially the colts !

The situation got even more awkward when the source of the voice, a colt with light gray fur and a red mane, arrived upstairs where Shining was sitting; bowed his head in front of Twilight, and did a military greet to the white pony while saying:

“Ave, Armatura Fulgente; Pannum Crepuscoli et Augenti Crepucoli filio; ante dux Regalis Praesidiae; nunc co-rex Crystallo Imperium; vir Mi Amore Cadenzae, amoris regina.

Ego sum Venicio Eulocleo, adoptatus filio Malorum Gentis.

Nunc tuo servo sum: tua imperia ?”

The stallion didn't answered, and, instead, stared disturbed to the gray colt: first of all, he just got, supposedly, the full formal greeting by a foal that had barely the age of his daughter Indiva. In correct Latin, language that Shining learned mechanically, understanding only the base greet, and few names: for the rest, he was ignorant as the colt should have been.

And the colt knew who he was, even if, according to his displayed age, he wasn't even born, when he and his wife were crowned as rulers of the cold Crystal Empire.

That should have been a dream: Shining slowly pinched himself.

No: in front of him, a colt just outsmarted him in the second very thing he should have learned during his life as pony soaked in the regal habits: the language. If somepony catches that news, his pride would be shattered... again.

For come back from the shock, and lower his dangerous levels of surprise that could make him snap, Shining tried to imagine the colt like a male filly Twilight, when she was still in the house: very knowledgeable, but still blissfully unaware about when show his knowledge.

And, in that case, he had showed that knowledge just in the right moment.

Twilight said:

“Here it is my client: Venicio. He is an adopted son of the Apples, a family of farmers from around here”

Shining started blankly towards Twilight again.

The purple pony said: “What's your problem, Shining, do you feel well ?”

“Yes, but... what did just he said ? Don't understand a word...”

Venicio started to laugh, and so did Twilight.

Twilight said:

“Aahaha, Shining Armour, I knew that you weren't, and you aren't, used to such things, and I should not laugh at it, since you are my brother. But, hey, that was the last thing that I expected by you !”

Venicio, bowing his head, said: “By the way, my sir, I said 'Greetings, Shining Armour, son of Twilight Velvet and Twilight Crescent; once captain of the Royal Guard; and now Co-ruler of the Crystal Empire with your wife Mi Amore Cadenza, master of Love.

I am Venicio son of Euloco.

I am your servant now: what are your orders ?'”

Shining hissed at Twilight, then asked:

“ What do you want to do with my services ?”

“My dear brother, I requested your assistance for train Venicio to combat...”

Shining frowned: “Stop doing jokes on me, Twilight: I know that this isn't your true client. After all, why you would call a combat expert for a six-years old ? It makes no sense ! That, unless this is a prank pulled by you, and which I don't like”

Twilight sighed: “Brother, I was dead serious when I called you. This “colt” isn't a colt”

“What is it ? A table ?”

“No ! He is... a “witness”, somepony haunted down by his acts, and needs to be protected by law”

Shining Armour smirked, and said:

“I understand that you want to cover him, but I suspect that you are overly paranoid about him: if he needs to be protected by the law, then let the law doing its job”

Twilight started to gesticulate aimlessly, and said:

“But it's a special kind... he isn't recognized by such by the law, but still he is important for a state affair...”

“Just like any citizen”

“But it's different !”

“How it's different, Twilight ?”

And the discussion went on, and on, and on, until Venicio intruded in it and said:

“Look, I have a sister and two brothers trying to kill me with the Eternal Toddler's blessing. Since they don't know my position, they are appearing all over the kingdoms in blue lights that appear and disappear. This is all I need to say about the topic, Shining Armour”

I know that was a dick move.

Very stupid perhaps.

But, God, that was going on forever, and seeing Twilight trying to beat around the bush for saying that I was a human without saying it right away, and Shining Armour believing strongly that his sister went nuts over a colt speaking Latin wasn't enjoyable.

And so, while Twilight repeated for the tenth time that I needed a military training because I wasn't a true colt, but a “witness”; I launched myself on four hooves, and said:

Twilight face hoofed, while the white stallion asked confused:

“'Eternal Toddler' ? “Brothers trying to kill you' ? What are speaking about ?”

“About my safety, sir. I am really chased down by my brothers. And, about the Eternal Toddler: it's the name of Fate. He is the higher force that rules without begin seen the worlds. He decides the course of life of everypony... but, since he is a toddler, everypony is a toy in his hands.

Apart form some lucky exceptions, most of the toys are made of wood, lead, or copper, materials that tend to broke easily, meaning that they are destined to be forgotten.

How I know this, he is invisible ? Well, there is another entity, namely, the 'Great Ferryman', who is tasked to carry he living things between dimensions. One time, when I was in front of a mirror, he started to chat with me, and told me about a toy that represented me: said toy was very sued by the Fate. What did he do with this toy ? He was going to launch it into the ceiling for hit the lamp, and see how it was going to fare.

Since it meant sure death, I refused to came, and play at the Fate's game.

Since he is both a toddler, and a every-powerful begin with limited understanding of the world, he likely called my brothers, who already hate me, and told them that the “toys” representing them made of fool's gold will be replaced by silver toys. They accepted, and now they are chasing me down”

Yes, I told a quite lie, and so ? Twilight forbade me of mention humans to everyone but her; the Princess and the “hired mouths”.

The white stallion said: “This seems to absurd to me... I mean, other dimensions ?

Children-gods ?

Brothers who wants another brother dead ?

This is a joke. A cruel, stupid joke”

I face hoofed, and so did Twilight, clearly on the verge of insanity and fratricide anger.

“Well, I think that my job is done here. Goodbye, Twilight, thanks for the farce, even I didn't appreciated it”

That said, Shining Armour exited from the door silently, with an exasperated Twilight watching, and a colt (namely me) annoyed to no end.

It seemed that I needed to be turned into a human, or to be self-trained.

Fantastic....

Or maybe I could learn a bit of artistic fencing !

According to my sources, the artistic fencing could, and can, be turned in effective attack style with knifes and swords, with the proper desire of learning about how do so.

I said: “It might seems dark. But I have a Plan B”

Twilight said weeping a bit: “What is it ?”

I pointed to the Fencing Manual lying on the floor, and said:

“Guess”

After she saw what I was referring to, she nodded, and said that was a good idea

And so I took the fencing book, and come back home: meanwhile I was carried at home by Applebloom, I thought about how use the work in the fields as training for fight my brothers: after all, running around didn't seemed very useful... that, until I thought to just take the rotten apples, put them in four sacks, create a training dummy with targets on the vital areas, and use it when I was free.

Yeah, the human flesh is less resilient and bulky than a bunch of apples, but it was better than nothing at all.

And so, the next day, when I started to take the apples, when I carried the buckets back, I didn't put the apples in the tanks: instead, I went in the barn; looked for some jute sacks; opened them; cleared them from any debris left in it; and put in them the load on my buckets.

When the day ended, I managed to fill four sacks, still not enough for create a true dummy, and I still lacked of a pole for support the dummy.

And so, another week passed: in this week, I bought whatever it as necessary for complete the dummy, while I practiced fencing with a normal knife on a solitary fence, at the extreme border of the fields, with Bernarda that read me some basic techniques from the book, telling how to do them step by step.

When the dummy was finally ready, I thought that I had already found the attacks needed to me for defend myself, and so, I put Bernarda as jury of my attacks, for evaluating the speed the strength; and the likeness of pulling of said attack.

By the end of the Summer, after hard works in the fields; fencing training; and very short rest between them, I felt like an expert swordsman, capable of killing a man with a pencil.

6-Busted !

After the self-training as swordsman, it seemed that nothing was going to stop me from pushing away my brothers for the good, and live in peace in Equestria, getting the glory that the Fate tried to steal to me.

Hell, and maybe no one apart from Twilight Sparkle, Silver Spoon, Applebloom and Bernarda was going to know my true identity until my death !

But I was wrong.

It was a day near the end of August: the Sun was setting, and everyone was eating their fill zucchini carbonara and vegetables cooked on a spit.

Applejack was looking at Venicio, and she noticed how he changed since the start of the Summer: from the four tiny sticks that were his legs, now Venicio had four quite muscular legs, giving to the colt a more aggressive look.

Another thing that Applejack noticed was how Venicio spent his (plentiful) free time: where before the arrival of the summer, he was always reading a book like every other year, during that Summer, he passed the time... “playing” with Bernarda and a training dummy eerily similar to the training dummies usually found in the military barracks, or in the in shooting galleries; and using a knife (vainly) sequestrated, on that dummy, hitting in different ways, and every time asking to Bernarda how the attack went, and if it was possible to repeat said attack in a true combat.

Somehow, what Venicio was doing scared Applejack: he is training... for what ?

Nothing, apparently.

And, yet, if he learns to use this improvised fencing abilities on somepony...

Applejack seriously considered the idea that Venicio was going to wound, or even kill, somepony, if he kept going to play with the knife and the dummy.

And so she thought to strip him of that thing.

Then the orange pony thought that was just begin overly-paranoid about that.

But the risk, even if tiny was still there, since he might not know his strength, and when he starts to cause harm.

And so the farmer pony decided to give him a speech about how he should not apply what he did with the dummy with the peers.

Pretty stupid to say, but considered the fact that he never had contact with other colts or fillies, and was always at home, that advice was decent.

And so, while Venicio was devouring a top-round carrot, she said:

“Venicio... what you were doing today, with that dummy made of sacks ?”

The colt, after leaving only the stick of the aforementioned carrot, said: “I wasn't playing, I was training myself !”

Applejack chuckled: the imagination of the colts never stops.

“Ok, why you were training ? Do you to become...”

Venicio interrupted:

“Self-defense, Applejack, self-defense”

Applejack was left puzzled: self-defense from what ?

He wasn't haunted by anypony; no one was attacking him; why he should try to get some self-defense training ?

Maybe he was mimic Appplebloom's self-defense course that she was doing against eventual aggressors.

Or maybe he read so many books about sword fighting, that he wanted to try it too.

Applejack expressed her confusion:

“Defense from what ?”

Venicio replied with a bow, and said with an acid tone:

“Go to Twilight. Ask her about State Secrets. See.”

What ?

What Venicio was saying made no sense, from Applejack's viewpoint.

First of all, what kind of “State Secrets” could be there, in Equestria ?

If they existed, why they weren't mentioned to the six ponies that, practically, were Equestria's army, the resolvers of the rare conflicts that disturbed the natural flow of the things ?

And, if they were secrets, how it was possible that a bucking colt could possibly know about them ?

The situation got weirder and weirder, and after half an hour of unfruitful asking, the orange pony gave up, and decided that the best thing to do was just go to Twilight, and ask about the “State Secrets” that Venicio mentioned, and see if they were true: after all...

Then Applejack told Venicio to go to bed: the colt complied.

That was close: a word too much, and my cover was fucked.

Luckily it wasn't: Applejack seemed too much in “retarded mother mode” that night, for notice that, unless he's VERY unlucky, a 5-years human child doesn’t know anything about self-defense and training dummies; let alone a colt in a relatively peaceful world !

But, to Applejack, hearing a colt talking about self-defense was only a bit weird, like the little boys that wish to became dancers; or the girls dreaming about military life.

Both were are a bit weird to hear, but, usually, if you think a bit on it, there is nothing wrong.

Hearing a child talking about his self-defense, and trying to train himself to do so, isn't normal at all, unless he lives in a place where it might be required.

And, even there, it isn't usually done with fervent desire by the kid.

Anyway, after that discussion, Applejack told me to go to bed, and I complied: I went upstairs, put on my pajama, usually found bend under the pillow; gave Bernarda her dinner and put her in the crib; and, finally, placed myself under the blankets.

Until that night, I always tried to lock up mind in the best way possible, by thinking hard to a fake imminent danger, and imagine to close my thoughts as soon I felt a noise, and prepare myself for what was going to happen.

When I used it for the first time at two years of age, I literally wake up at the minimum noise, and it took me a while to going back to sleep, since my mind was locked up, and didn't opened without continued orders of opening by my soul.

As the time flowed, I started to not wake up at the noise, and just make off-limits my mind against external influences.

But that night I didn't did the procedure, and I regretted that choice.

As soon I drifted in sleep, I started to dream...

I dreamed me, as a pony, wandering around in the Canterlot Palace, talking with Twilight about politics, and the army.

I said “Twilight, I know that, usually, there aren't enemy armies going around Equestria, but... why the only armed force is the Royal Guard ?”

The purple alicorn answered: “I have no idea. I guess it's becau...”

Twilight was interrupted by a loud boom coming from out the building: worried, I ran towards the balcony to see what happened.

The sight left me bewilded.

In the distance, it was visible a gigantic black army marching towards Canterlot, presumably changelings.... problem was, there wasn't Chrysalis, or a “Mother of the Brood” leading the shape shifting bugs: instead, four colored shapes standed out in the horde.

I gave the order to Twilight to teleport me nearer, but she refused to do so, saying that was a suicide.

I persisted, saying that I had my reasons for asking such a dangerous things.

Twilight seemed understanding, and teleported me on the walls, where some crossbowmen were killing, vainly, the changelings flying into the city.

After killing ten changelings with my kicks, and told Twilight of keep firing, I saw who lead the army.

The Right wing was lead by Diana and Franco, and they seemed enjoying their killing spree.

The Central part of the changeling army was lead, bizarrely, by a kid with a blue night vest too large to fit him, and a plastic crown: said kid was doing bubbles, and eating biscuits by a jar, without caring about what was going on around him. Since the look seemed, oddly, familiar to me, I assumed that the kid was Fate.

The Left wing was lead by Enrico, my other brother, and said wing seemed the weakest: the changelings on the Left wing died easily by crossbows' darts, while the other changelings seemed almost invulnerable.

I knew what to do in this case: hit the leaders.

I told to a couple of guard ponies of aim to Fate's head, and to the head of the other leaders.

Then I told to Twilight of teleport me back to the Balcony.

When I was finally again in a safe position, I watched the going the course of the battle worried: after all, if they reach the Palace, then I was surely dead.

For a time that seemed infinite, nothing seemed happening: the battle was in stall, and, meanwhile, a good chunk of the population was running away, or panicking, and screaming aimless.

That went on, until the gate broke down, and a flood of changelings carrying Fate, who was now, supposedly, throwing a tantrum, in the city.

As soon Fate entered in the city, a war horn was heard, and a voice propagated for the whole city:

“We stand toghter !”

And, shortly after:

“Drown them in flames !”

When these phrases were heard, everyone stopped, and was left puzzled by the declarations coming from nowhere.

After a minute of pure, tense silence, from the houses that I thought evacuated, exited platoons on platoons of modern soldiers with machine guns, who shredded every changeling that was so unlucky of not react.

Then, from BEHIND the changeling lines, some crude trucks with some tanks of some kind arrived.

Said trucks went near the confused changelings, and, literally, opened fire: a river of flames propagated down the bug's lines, roasting countless.

Only then the changelings reacted, and started to counterattack.

Naturally, they failed.

When the most of the army was killed off, only small packs of black bugs, and the leaders were left standing.

Since I thought that it was safe to get near and laugh in the face of my defeated brothers, I asked to Twilight of going down in the streets.

In front of me, the kid Fate was raging, and screaming :

“Why can I not win this ? Not fair ! Not fair ! Not fair !”

The voice itself was irritating, the source was even more.

Since I was tired of hearing him screaming in rage, complaining for the defeat, and demanding to win like if he had lost to a boardgame; I decided of kill him once for all: I told to a nearby crossbowman to hit Fate's head, and not question it, even if the target was a kid .

The pony nodded, and hit the head of Fate, who fell down on his knees, cursing his “mother” with “insults” typical for a toddler.

What happened next was unexpected.

As soon Fate breathe his last breath, I heard a scream of pure rage filling the air, and the sound of claws tearing apart flesh.

Soon after that horrible sounds, someone creamed:

“They are everywhere ! And they feel no pain !”

Oh God.

Now my brothers and the changelings where inspired by Fate's death.

Dammit, dammit, dammit !

I gave the order to every soldier in the area of going to the palace, and cover every entrance, trying to kill as many changelings as possible.

After a general “Yessire” coming from the soldier present there, I returned back to my palace, waiting the outcome of that situation.

After arriving back to my palace, shut down the door, and waited anxious for the outcome.

Half an hour passed: somebody screamed that the east sector was overran, and that they needed to send reinforcements.

An hour passed: boots steps were heard coming near our shut door.

Two hours passed: sustained fire shots; screams of pain both human and bug; taunts coming from my brothers.

Five hours passed: the seemingly last soldier dies wheezing; bug steps get near.

When the door finally opened, a blinding light lit up from nowhere, vaporizing everything in sight, and a voice was heard:

“GET OFF FROM HIS INNOCENT MIND, THOU BEASTS !”

The light was so blinding, that I closed for a while my eyes, and when I opened them, two big irregular purple spots where in my vision.

Not that it forbade me form seeing what was going on.

In front of me, a blue equine with a blue ethereal mane stood up: didn't took me long for recognized who it was: Princess Luna.

The sight left me quite surprised, leaving me with a face between the scared and the bewilded, but I went over it very quickly, and I immediately gave her the apt greet:

“Ave, Excellentia Luna noxfera; patronus somnios. Quod vos portatis hoc ?”

Princess Luna watched me a positively surprised look and said:

“Thou are a very polite and sapient colt. We never saw a colt calling us with this greeting. We came here for doing out task: avert the nightmares afflicting the ponies”

I smiled:

“Interesting...”

Luna asked:

“Your dreams seems dimmed by blood and violence... not a common sight, in the minds of the little ponies living in loving families such this”

“Even the ones living in peace dreams about death and blood, if enough stressed”

“But.. thou are stressed ?”

In a moment of pure dementia, I revealed my secret:

“Yes, a bit: the Fate signed a deal with my brothers for kill me. They are not ponies, thought: they are humans, as I was. And they are coming in blue lights”

Since I knew that Luna was a loner, and with, we can call, “professional secret” towards what's in the dreams of ponies, I was sure that my confession was risk-proof.

Boy, I was wrong.

As soon I said that, Luna watched me surprised, then smiled widely, and said:

“Thou are a human ? Really ? Oh, joy ! Can we host you for a while ? Don't worry about your brothers and the risk of coming back to Earth: we won't tell to Celestia. In exchange, just come with we. Do you accept ?”

The question left me surprised over every limit: Princess Luna, controller of the nigh, and once a villain; the most solitary by choice thing in universe; the one that you'd never expected to have even a pet hamster; fangirling over me BECAUSE I WAS A HUMAN ?

That was just incredible.

My silence was ready as a yes by Luna, who said, clearly losing her shit by the joy, saying in her Canterlot voice:

“ALRIGHT ! IT'S SAID 'WHO STAY QUIET AGREERS', AND YOU STOOD SILENT ! I CAN'T PICK YOU UP NOW, BUT I WILL NEXT NIGHT !”

After that, she sqeed. Squeed. SQUEED.

That could not get anymore dangerous and awkward from that.

Worse of all, that left me speechless.

But I dare you to react differently: you are in your own mind; with a physical goddess capable of entering your dreams; said goddess is excited to discovery your identity as human; and she doesn’t seems aware about your reaction.

Imagine it.

I dare you.

Only when Luna said that she must leave me for other business, I regained my ability of speech.

But it was too late.

7- The Moon's pet

At my awakening, I said quite loudly:

“Vaffanculo ! Se torni qui, giuro che di te ritroveranno solo lo zoccolo destro. Masticato. ”

The phrase woke up Bernarda, who asked coyly from under the sheets:

“W-w-hat I-I h-h-ha-a-ave d-d-d-done ?”

Noticing that she worried if I caused me to snap, I said with a softer voice:

“You aren't the problem. The problem is Princess Luna: she entered in my dreams, and as soon she discovered that, in fact, I am a human and not a colt, she went nuts, and said that she was going to take me next night. Naturally, since her sister knows about humans, and likey don't want us there, she will send me peacefully back on Earth... in my brother's hands. Basically, to certain death.”

Bernarda went near me, and, in a moment of tenderness, hugged me, and stroke my mane, saying:

“Oh dear. Come over here: you will find a way out”

I was going to kick her back, since I didn't liked much the hug for reasons that I explained before, but, since she was trying to give me some moral support when she was powerless, I let her doing so.

When, finally, Bernarda deattached from me, I went downstairs, and prepared the breakfast as my usual; sure that, after the breakfast, another day of working in the fields was bond to going on.

And it was.

As it was for the subseguent three days

But the fouth day after the visti of Luna, it wasn't my usual work day in fields.

As soon I bond two bucktes on my back, and prepared myself for pick up the fallen apples, I was reached by a confused Applejack saying:

“There is a letter for you, Venicio !”

A letter ?

From who ?

I mean, the only letters that concerned me were only garbage mail and medical notifications from the ASL, and both types weren't usually announced, why this time was different ?

Curiousity guided my legs, when I reached Applejack.

Then I saw what was written on the envelope.

The address, and the name of the sender were, respectively, “Solar Square 1” and “Majesty Princess Luna”.

Oh God no.

Luna had found another way than kidnap me in the middle of the night.

She chose “Your son interests us for a special program” path.

Fine, maybe it's even better.

But the basic idea, namely, take me to Canterlot, and be her “pet”, was still no good for me.

The reasons ?

First of all, my brothers and my sister would have half of their job cut, since the part “Seek Venicio” was cut down by restricting the choice to “Canterlot; Royal Palace; Luna's Wing”.

Second, even if I hated Fate, I still wanted to comply the destiny that the Damn Toddler gave to me, since it was very positive.

That could be done if no one knew.

But, once pigs and dogs knew my identity, what mare would breed with me ?

No one.

Third. Living in some luxury ? Fine.

Living in the purple, submerged by the pure burecracy everyplace you go ? No thanks, since I am, and was, used to a simplier life.

But I was still curious about how Luna covered her true intentions about me.

I asked to Applejack to give me the letter: after a minute of silence, she handled it to me.

I started to read:

“Esquire Madam. We are happy to inform You that Your son, Venicio Apple, is invited to join the Royal Early Burecrats School in Canterlot. Please, send back a reply of agreement in his join, or of disagreement.

Best Wishes.

The Principal”

“Namely Luna”, I thought deadpanning: it's impossible that Luna had such an idiotic idea for get me in her court.

And it was even more unlikely that Applejack was going to belive her.

And yet Applejack belived to the farse.

In fact, as soon I averted my eyes from the letter, she said smiling:

“Well, it seems that your capabilities have been noticed, thought I wonder how, since you exited rarely form this walls. But, ok, it seems a good offer for your future.

So, where or not you want to go here, get some luggages, and fill them of everything necessary.”

I stared Applejack bewilded: really ?

That orange pony was so dumb to not only belive to a cut-and-dry scam, but was determinied to send me there “sine mora” ?

Without asking to THE FUCKING KID INVOLVED ?

I mean, she could always send me there no matter what, but, hey, at least give a fake sense of discussion and democracy !

Nope.

No discussion: just do it up.

But at least I was going to avoid that daily, wearing, run in the fields for take some apples that could just get left there, and fill with said apples some compost tanks that weren't used.

No: a more intelectual thing to do every morning; some study, and it was all done.

That was a credit to the idea.

There was fact that, finally, I was going to have a more variated lunch and dinner, once there.

The fact that, since Luna knew my true age, I had finally the possibility of talk with somebody quite freely.

And, best of all, if all went decently, I was going to have a guard system, and a combat training against my brothers in no time, and done with the best of the best, for avoid the attack of my brothers.

Overall, a fair trade: live with a sword of Damocles over your head, but studying instead of working , and having, in the future, a more suitable job.

I nodded, and said that in the afternoon, I was going to pack up my things.

And, while I was doing my tasks in the fields, I started to thougth about what I was leaving behind, with my forced moving to Canterlot: the family that hosted me for five years.

But I lacked of a deep bound of them, apart from the deserved ξενία bound that I had with them, that forced me to host them and give them something in exchange for the past generosity in giving me a roof.

The town. Buuut... who cared about that. Ponyville wasn't my town of birth, so no feelings about going away from it.

Some external people out the family. Again, my lack of emphaty with the inhabitants mad difficult feel pity for leave them.

And, finally, Bernarda. Well, we weren't going to be separated for long. After all, she was a human too, and her tendency to have nightmares and don't lock the mind door made her prone to be detected by Princess Luna. And, as I experienced, Luna LOVES humans.

Anyway, the rest of the day passed quite normally, and without accidents.

Well... the day. But not the night...

It was all set: the Night Court was briefily ran by two clerks; her absence was calculated to the minute for avoid problems; and she covered the picking of Venicio legally, by saying that, techinically, Venicio was invited to come into Canterlot. How he was going to reach the city wasn't explained, meaning that taking Venicio in the middle of the night for a night flight was a perfectly legal way for transport him.

Luna landed, after a long flight from her balcony in Canterlot, into a meadow full of red and purple flowers barely visible thanks to the weak light coming from the Moon.

Luna watched around her, looking for the target's building, until she saw on the top of a hill a house, whose style was recognizable, even if the light was scarce.

A building with a rural style, and some symbols of apples.

It was the house of the Apple Family in Ponyville, no doubt.

After determinating that she was near her target, the princess of the night flied up, looking in the windows for find Venicio's room.

But the seeking of Venicio's bedroom wasn't long: the first window that looked upon the meadow was the unorthodox entry for the bedroom containing the human colt.

And so Luna flied into the dark room, and started to looking for Venicio.

But that wasn't so easy.

As soon Luna moved a hoof in front of her, a squeaking noise, similar to the one of a rubber duck, was heard by the princess, causing Luna to look around her surrondings, and see if somepony was awakened.

But nopony did.

So Luna moved again by three steps, and, this time, a more strong noise, a crack was heard.

After the cracking noise, a small whimper coming from Luna's left was heard.

The whimper inspired fear in the heart of Princess Luna: if the source of the whimper noticed the blue alicorn, then the latter would be in BIG trouble, since she was, techinically, kidnapping a subject...

Luckily, the one that whimpered didn't caused any lod noise, and, insted, kept whimping: the soft whimpering, similar to the one of a small, scared, foal, was almost melting Luna's heart; and, on a more pratical viewpoint, could turn in anymoment into a loud cry.

So the blue alicorn moved carefully towards the source of the small cry, hoping to avoid anymore noise that could wake up Venicio.

Again, Luna wasn't so lucky.

This time, she accidentally hit a bookcase with her nuzzle, making it shake violently, and causing a little swear to come out from Luna's mouth.

But the light pain on Luna's muzzle wasn't the problem: the trouble was that the books fell down, along with a shelve, causing a loud thump that could wake up the dead, if amplified a bit.

But Venicio didn't come out from his sleep: he stood still, only grunting a bit, hinting that Venicio was more an heavy sleeper than somepony would tell.

But the thump was followed by an “Eeep” coming from the whimper source.

Since Luna didn't knew if the foal was going to cause even more noise than she already created, and would feel guilty in leaving said foal weep, the alicorn controller of the night reached the foal, and said with a low tone of the voice:

“Sssh, little one. Don't worry, don't worry. I am not herefor attack you: I'm here for your brother”

The foal exited from the blankets, and stared bewilded to her.

Luna giggled: the foal's face was so cute to see, that she would take her too, if she wasn't there just for take Venicio.

And so she simply smiled to the foal, and went to pick up a sleeping Venicio: the blue alicorn put aside slowly the blankets, lifted with the magic Venicio, put him on her back; tied him; took the suitcases lying near the bed; then she flied away, towards Canterlor, sure tha she was going to be at the Palace before dawn.

And so it was: after two hours of flight, Luna reached the balcony of her room, where, for the first night, Venicio was going to sleep.

After landing on the parapet made of stone and smmothed obsidan, Luna opened the window, entered in the room, and left Venicio on the end of her bed.

Then the princess of night returned to her duties.

I was awakened by a muffled speech, and hoofsteps: common sound for me, if I woke up late.

Since I needed to hurry, if I wanted to get to work without begin late, I springed on my hooves, and opened my eyes...

What was around me stated clearly that I wasn't in my room in Apple's house: first of all the room was dark.

Very dark, since the walls were painted with black paint, and only occasionally, some recess cointaing candles made the room brighter.

In front of me, a fire was crackling, and, over it, there were a suspended pot of unknow fuction.

And, finally, there bed where I was in was round, and pretty large: I guessed that the owner was quite big.

Clearly: Princess Luna, in attack of fangirling, just kidnapped me, what I should expect ?

Then the door opened, revealing the dark shape of Luna.

I said to her with an acid tone:

“Well, now you have upsetted four ponies, and one of them is one of the bearers of your most powerful weapon. Said bearer considers me like a true son. I hope you are happy”

Luna smiled widely, again, and said, clearly not picking up my tone, or ignoring it:

“Oh yes, I am happy of it: I have you now. Don't worry about the food and everything: I gave instructions to the guards about your presence; the only one that isn't aware of you is my sister, and the visitors. For the rest, you are free to roam around, as long you don't damage anything”

I rolled my eyes: “Well, maybe you didn't undestood me: you have just took me in the sleep from my adoptive family. Said family is aware that I was going to leave, but not this way. Two members see me like a member of the family, the younger knows that I am a human, and she is worried for my safety; while the older sees me as her son. Both of them won't stop in front of anything for take me back, unless they recieve a proper explaination. That rests my case, your excellence.”

Luna giggled, and started to stroke my mane: “No need to call me with titles: just call me with my first name”.

Somehow, I was both amused, and creeped out by Luna's behaviour.

After that little scene, I asked to Luna where I could find something to eat: she said that I could sneak up in the kitchens in the Gray Hallways, and see what I could rack up in terms of food for me, for that day.

Since it was the only way to get something to eat, I decided to move: I jumped down my bed, opened the door, looked around me for see if anyone was patrolling the area, and started my skeaky journey from Luna's room to the kitchens.

It might seem impressive, but it isn't: it was just a repeated used of stautes found in the hallways, and a clever use of my mane and the shadows for hiding.

After a long trip, I reached my goal: the kitchens, recognizable by the strong flavour of burned mola (again... that smell haunted me) and grass; and the wooden swing door of pompous look that made possible to see the hooves of the cookers frantically going around doing tasks.

I was dubious if it was the right moment to enter... or if enter at all: after all, in a royal palace, no matter how big it is, NO strangers go around in the most private parts without a reason !

Why this, if the blue alicorn just told me that I was know to eveyrpony, Celestia excluded ?

Luna didn't seemed very trustable: telling that she told to everypony present in the palace about my presence, and, yet, don't inform Celestia (who is the Head of Staff, for clear reasons) seemed just the perfect recipe for pure chaos ensueing.

And I wasn't prone to that, not at least in the first hours of morning.

And so I waited, and waited, until I had enoguht of that, and decided to tempt the luck, and enter in the kitchens.

Well, thankfully, Luna wasn't lying, when she said that they were going to give me something to eat, nor they seemed surprised by me: they just blinked few seconds, asking if I was the “special secret guest” of Princess Luna, for then move along, and say that Luna had her reasons, no matter how weird they were.

I could not agree more, about the weird reasons.

8- Welcome to the Palace. Enjoy your run

In the kitchens, as soon the first doubts died down, the occupants immediately got back to work, ignoring my presence.

But I was hungry.

Very hungry. I could eat a hippopotamus full of boar, if I had it.

Naturally, I lacked of such a dish, and I wasn't allowed to cook for myself my food, so I resorted to begging and whining.

For around ten minutes, nothing happened.

After fifteen minutes, two cooks started to twitch their eyes in annoyance.

After half an hour, said cooks, clearly desperate over every limit, decided to satisfy me, and letting me eat something.

They told me to exit from the room, thought, saying that if I wanted to have something to eat for breakfast in five minutes, I needed to wait outside, so I could not deal damage to the kitchen, if I started to lose patience.

Naturally, that offended me a bit, but I understood their point: after all, I annoyed them for half an hour for get my food.

As result of my begging for food, I got two omlettes; three toasts mushroom ham and cheese; and a good deal of salad: finally, I ate something different from cooked apples and mushroom ham.

In fact, I was so glad to eat that food out in the hallways, that I didn't cared much about who was passing near me, and just ate with pleasure, moaning of pleasure slightly at every bite.

When, finally, my take of “food porn” was done, and I had left only empty dishes, I returned said dishes to the kitchens, and started to think about what to do for pass time, since I was left anything to do by Luna who was now, considered her nocturnal life, sleeping soundly in her room; and I had no idea about what was the layout of the building, so I could not tell where it was wise to go, and where not.

I looked around me, and saw that the kitchens where in a dead end, so I could not advance further: my only option was only go back to the first crossroad between the hallways, right behind me.

And so I did: I reached the center of the crossroad, and started to think about where I could find a map of the palace, without destroying part of the wall and using the flakes of plasters resulting by the damage as reminder about where I went.

Oh, and I lacked of paper and pencil for trace the places that I already saw.

Not that the two items were going to be much useful anyway, since I sucked at drawing, and I could not write with my hoof: simply put, without a map not drawn by me, all I had for going around the big building was my memory.

Since I didn't knew where to go, I decided to take a random hallway, and see where it was going to brought me: I took the left hallway, an hallways full of plants like ficuses; palms; oleanders and so forth.

After a very long walk in the well-decorated hallway, full of classical statues in marble, and plants that gave some life to the place, I saw two guards coming right in front of me: they were talking to each other, so they didn't saw me right away, but I needed to find out somewhere to hide, since, again, I didn't knew if the statement of Luna “Everyone in this building but my sister knows” was true, considered her tendency to avoid like plague every contact with other ponies.

That would mean that, maybe, the two guards weren't informed of my arrival, and maybe they could see me as an intruder.

Yeah, I knew that they weren't going to kill me... but getting kicked out the Palace, or imprisoned wasn't really a good idea.

And so I tried to hide behind a ficus: I curled up myself at the base of the plant, put down two leafs on me, and waited.

Just when I finished to disguise, the two guards stopped to talk, and watched where they were going... only for then stop right in front of the ficus I was in.

One of the guards, a black pony with a white spot on the muzzle, after rotating a water clock upside down, said:

“So, Spearhead, what are your programs for your day of leave for the Ascension ?”

The other guard, a spotted gray and brown, answered:

“Apart use that time for 'reorder' the 'Playcolt' collection that I own ?”

The two laughed.

From what I understood, they were talking about a pony equivalent of “Playboy”.

Basically, I had in front of me a great wanker.

Not big surprise.

When the laugh died down, they returned to their normal position, then they come back from where they came.

But, before leaving their place in front of my ficus, the spotted one asked:

“Do you know about the 'special guest' that Luna said that was going to arrive today ?”

“Yeah. She was very excited about him, like a ferret in heat.”

“Weird, no ? After all, she is the most lonely pony ever existed: in fact, the first time that I saw her, I wondered how she could be the sister of Princess Celestia.”

“Right. But it still can be, since Luna was send on the Moon for around 1000 for her envy and I bet that stay on a deserted rock for so long doesn’t help you in deleplov social skills. Or liking towards the others, for the matter.”

“Anyway, I wonder what does the guest have of so special to cause overwhelming joy in Luna for his arrival... maybe the guest is a shrink ?”

“Or maybe he is the twin soul that the charlatan mare Madam Fregon said that Luna would have as love interests. But Madma Fregon isn't really very trustful: she said that my twin soul was a certain mare, her name Fluttershy. Turns out, FLuttershy is a mare afraid of her own shadow, and can't talk to you for more than a minute without lowering her voice to gibberish. Guess where is the problem in a eventual relationship between me and Fluttershy”

“Well then: Princess Luna will learn to not trust to the scams.”

The black one looked at a water clock at his right, noticed that more than hour passed since their arrival, and said:

“Anyway, let's back to our work as patrol”

The spotted one nodded, and they returned form where they came.

Since they knew that there was a unknown guest hanging out in the palace, I idiotically felt sure that was safe come out, and go to explore everything without fear.

Clearly, I forgot about the part that they talked about a love interests for Luna: they thought that the guest was an adult stallion, not a human-turned-in-colt, like I was.

And so, as soon I got off my disguise, and moved towards where the guards were going, said guards stopped dead in their tracks.

I thought that it was just a stop of their patrol.

Turned out, they detected my hoof steps.

The one with spots on the fur said quite loud:

“Heard something ?”

The other one nodded, and slowly rotated.

A shiver went down my spine: they got me.

I thought that the only option that I had was run away from the guards.

And so I did: I jumped in the opposite direction form the one that I was facing, and started to gallop.

The guards screamed, at no avail, “Stop right there !”: when they say that I wasn't stopping, they started to chase me.

After some running, I arrived into the crossroad again, and I was confused about where to go: I already went north, where the kitchens were located; clearly I could not go back from where I came right now; and so I went south.

It seemed that the guards had the same idea: in fact, when I turned towards the more sober, in terms of decorations, southern hallway, I heard again the sound of armored hooves on marble, like when I was running away from them in the hallways before.

In front of me, the hallway kept going, so I kept running, even if this was wearing me pretty fast.

But I guess that my chasers were even more tired, since they were covered in full plate armor, and they were armed with a spear: at best, they were going to run for twenty minutes, before running out of strength for keep chase me, who was lighter, and used to run very fast.

But, after a long run, I found myself in front of an apparent dead end: I started to panic, and kissing goodbye to my chances to live normally... until I saw that, in fact, that “dead end” was just a fork.

Relieved, I took on instinct the left turn: after a short distance, thought, I found myself in front of a door with a plank placed on a hook on the wall as closure, and the door was locked... and the guards were coming.

In despair, I tried to open the door, even if I was a bit too short for do it comfortably, and see where it was going to bring me.

Celestia was sitting on the throne, starting a new ruling day, with the same routine, and the same, continued, paperwork to sign and fill; problems of the princedom to acknowledge and discuss later with a council; accepting the occasional diplomats... the same things everyday.

While Princess Celestia was awaiting to receive the first pile of documents, a thought occupied her mind: Celestia heard that the last night, there were some complaints about the Night Court, because said Court was ran by two clerks, and not by Celestia's sister Luna.

The white alicorn wondered why Luna wasn't doing her duties at the court: after all, when she dismissed for go to bed that night, Luna seemed perfectly healthy and sane in mind: she had no reasons for not going to the Night Court, and do her work.

But maybe it was just an instance of laziness by Luna, that wanted to just keep doing... something.

Something that made her excited and happy, a mood that wasn't common in the blue alicorn.

In fact, Celestia saw that in the past days Luna got a bit more excited about.... something.

Something that Luna refused to explain to her, like if Luna had a new found secret pleasure that her sister Luna felt so obscene, that she could not tell to anypony what was about, not even her sister.

Whatever it was, it was likely that said “pleasure” was linked to her decision of placing to clerks in the Night Court and don't care about duties.

Celestia's thoughts were interrupted by the arrival of a secretary with a quill; the inkpot and the paperwork to fill and sign.

The secretary, an old red unicorn with a gray goatee, levitated said items, placed them at the base of the throne, then silently bowed, and went away, into the Bureaucratic Archives.

And so Celestia started to read at a fast pace what was written on each document, then, depending on what was for, Celestia signed the document; filled the space for the signature with a “X” for the rejected; made a double cross for the irregular documents and so forth...

While Celestia was signing a document regarding the economy, attesting that, for the third consecutive month, the mines near the capital city produced only flies, and that was advised to shut them down, a loud bang was heard in the room, causing Celestia to launch the inkpot all over the stacked documents, and causing an heart attack to the poor copiers that witnessed to the scene, who now needed to write again something like 300 pages of State Documents.

All in three hours. And with other documents to write in said three hours.

Anyway, Celestia moved with a burst of speed her head towards her right, where the noise come from.

What she saw was... weird to say at least.

The pony that banged the now opened door was a gray colt with a red mane: said colt was panting, and seemed melting for the sheer amount of sweat poured form his fur.

That was... uncommon to say at least: Celestia didn't recalled that in the private parts of the palace were accessible to everypony.

Even less to colts of the age around the six years.

At first, the colt just stood there, breathing, each time slower than the time before, until he reached a normal breathing rhythm.

Then he lifted his head... and screamed with the few air that he had left:

“EH, MA CHE SFIGA ATOMICA !”

Soon after that, he dropped himself.

After he dropped, two guardsponies, their names Spearhead and Fugientes Interfector, ones of the oldest guard in the palace, exited from the door form where the colt entered. Their faces were, at first, a mixture of worry and tiredness, for then turn into tiredness and relief.

Spearhead said:

“Oh, Your Majesty, you are safe and sound: this intruder has consumed all our energies, but he finally fell”

Celestia looked quizzically to Spearhead

“Really, Spearhead ? I know that he is an intruder, but... I don't know how he could hurt me in any way.”

“Who knows: considered how many fanatical democratic and nationalists groups have risen in the past years, and their tendency to assail your person, he could have been attacker over every doubt”

Celestia said:

“Well, he doesn’t seem a pony sent to harm me. It seems more a lost colt. Just carry...”

Celestia was interrupted by the colt, who said:

“Excuse me ob intermissionem, magna Regina Caelestia, mea culpa non est: tuam sororem Luna, ut late me a domi, culpa est.”

The two guards looked at the colt with a surprised look, while Celestia, after the very brief moment of confusion caused by the sight of a colt speaking Latin, said:

“A well-educated colt that was grabbed by my sister Luna. That would explain why she wasn't in the Night Court last night. Guards, carry him into the guest room for the diplomats: I want to discuss something with him later.”

The guards looked at each other, then looked at Celestia, then to the colt.

Fugientes Interfector asked:

“Are you sure, majesty ? He doesn’t seem so important to deserve the room...”

The white alicorn hissed a bit, and said:

“I have my reasons for doing so, my dear Fugientes. Now escort him to the room”

Sighing, Fugientes nodded, and took on his back the colt, then Fugientes and Spearhead exited from the door from where they entered.

Well, that was really a good: not only I was kidnapped by an over-excited Princess Luna; I was also got caught by two guards, and I revealed myself to Celestia without thinking twice.

Great.

At the time, I was in the room for the guest diplomats: said room was decorated quite finely, with pictures of good quality depicting landscapes and busts of important ponies of the past, important ponies that were eerily familiar to me: there was a portrait of a certain pony, “Benito Muzzlelini”, that, both in traits, name and clothes, seemed very familiar to me: Hell, he had also a black shirt, and a black flag with the phrase “O Roma, O Morte” (“Rome or Death”) written on it !.

Yes: the ponified version of a fascist dictator was hanging in the room where I was in. You can guess that, when I noticed that, I was a bit surprised, considered the... unfortunate implications of hanging such a thing in the bedroom of the foreigner diplomats.

Anyway, moving on.

The other things that the room featured were three small windows, that made as daily illumination, and five unlit torches as night illumination.

As bookshelves, there was a very classy furniture piece in ebanon, that used as columns three bags sustaining the shelves and, on their flanks there were the drawers where place whatever small object you carried.

And, finally, the bed was a king-sized bed with line sheets and (for some reasons, considered the setting) mais pillows.

While I waited to talk with Princess Celestia, I read a book found on the bookshelves: said book was a (slightly modified) version of “La Reserchè” of Proust.

As you can guess, I didn't managed to finish the book before the arrival of Celestia.

In fact, I didn't noticed her arrival until she poked me softly my back, and said:

“I need to talk to you, my little loyal subject”

I rotated myself, and asked:

“What do you wish from me ?”

Celestia sat down, on the bed, and started to talk:

“So, you just said that you got kidnapped by Luna. Tell me, what she did to you, before you exited from her room ?”

Weird question: after all, that question hinted that Princess Celestia feared that I was sexually molested; or beaten; or both, by Luna.

Well, I know that, until few days ago, I would never say that Princess would be a fan of the humans.

But seeing Luna assaulting foals felt very... not in character.

It seemed more something that her possessed form would do.

Or a drunk Celestia eventually.

Anyway, I answered:

“Nothing, Majesty: she just cuddled me a bit, and sweet talked to me. She didn't harmed me in any way.”

“Was she drooling ??”

“No, why she should ?”

“Did she asked if you wanted to became her personal student ?”

That question took me off-guard: why it should be a negative thing ?

Then I thought that, maybe, Princess Luna ad took foals from the unwilling families, and suing said kidnapped foals as students.

Problem is, there is a reason for why the Personal Student must came from a family willing to gift their son or daughter to the State's cause.

At first, I thought to say no, like at all other questions, since it didn't happened... but then Princess Celestia would figure out that her sister kidnapped me because I was a human.

I knew that Celestia was going to send me back to Earth, if she knew my true identity, and, since my brothers were still around, I was going to be sent in their maws.

Hoping that Luna would figure out my decision to say that I was kidnapped to be made Luna's student, I said:

“Yes, Majesty: Princess Luna asked me if I wished to became her student, but she left before I could answer.”

Princess Celestia nodded, and said:

“I understand, my little subject. Don't worry, you will be home soon. While you are here, thought, you can come with me, and have something to eat.”

Celestia pointed with one of her armored hooves the door: since I was hungry, I nodded, and followed her outside the room.

And, boy, I wish to describe what I ate at lunch that day, but, boy, I forgot everything: the food was so... heavy on the stomach, that made me forgot what I just ate !

9- One Down

The discussion that I had after the dinner with Celestia, thought, was quite remarkable.

While I was eating the last seeds of a cob with sour cream, Celestia poked my back, and said:

“You told me earlier that you was kidnapped by Luna because she wanted you as personal student...”

Dammit !

“But you told me a lie: my sister Luna said that she went over that desire long ago, and that she took you for another reason. I don't know why she took you, since she refused to explain what was that reason, but I know that you are lying. Now I want to know the truth: why you were took by Luna ?”

I felt trapped: what now ?

Clearly, Celestia went in Luna's room for have explanations about why she took a colt into the Palace, and using said colt as student, since the family wasn't consenting it.

Luna refused to play along, and said outright that I wasn't kidnapped for be her student.

Celestia eventually stress-tested her sister, until she was sure that Princess Luna was saying the truth, and so decided to have a talk with me at dinner.

And so I was there: between a rock and hard place.

I could tell that I was a human, because Celestia will send me back, no matter what.

If I told her about my brothers, for then omitting the Young King Fate and the fact that my brothers are humans, then Celestia will question why I decided to rely on Luna, if I could report to the Police my abuses.

But telling Celestia about Fate would make me look like a fool.

I was divided, and the fact that the white alicorn was persisting in her request didn't helped me to think about what to say to her.

I blabbered something, trying to make Princess Celestia occupied in thinking what I said, but in vain: she kept asking what was the true reason for my presence.

In a moment of desperation, I said:

“Your Majesty, the reason for why I'm here, it's for my brothers: they want me dead, and they are seeking me everywhere. I found shelter in Ponyville, and lived wit the Apple Family, a family of generous farmers, for some years.

It seemed that I was out of the reach of my brothers

But one day, one of my brothers came, and tried to kill me during the night.

I managed to make him flee form my room, but from then on, I lived in fear of encountering them again, if I kept living there, so, at first, I tried to contact a military instructor who was also brother of one of my acquaintance Twilight Sparkle.

The name of the instructor was Shining Armour.

I tried to ask to Shining to give me some basic combat training, but he saw my request of help as a farce, and left me alone.

So I asked to Twilight Sparkle, to give me some defenses for the night, and give me a book for train myself to combat: she gave me both.

But my mind was still tormented by the thought, and, one night, Princess Luna entered in one of my nightmares for dispel said nightmare.

Your sister Luna asked to me why I was dreaming a nightmare full of blood and death; while in most of the nightmares done by the colts, there is more anxiety and despair.

I told to her my story, and, since she was shocked by the revelation, she decided to take me to the Palace.

That's all, Magna Caelestia”

Celestia watched my sideways: it was the usual reaction of my listeners to my story, watch my sideways, but... the one of Celestia had a special degree of peeving.

It caused in me a feel of shame and disappointing that I never experienced in my life.

And, considered my life with abusive brothers that never gave me credit for anything, that says a lot.

If Fluttershy's Stare tames wild animals; Celestia's tames humans. And maybe ponies.

And that would explain why Celestia has no record of attacks even slightly hitting Celestia: she tamed the attacker with her eyes.

Anyway.

I said:

“Princess Celestia, I know that sounds incredibly stupid, but, if you can, you can enter in my mind, and see my memories ! What happened to me in the past !”

Celestia smirked:

“I don't usually use such powerful spells for things like this. After all, I have my duties to do, and I can't spend much time into looking in the pure and innocent mind of a colt, even if it would relax me”

Oh, Celestia.

You are so wrong on this: children aren't totally innocent, they are cruel as adults.

Simply, most of the times they lack of the conditions and the ways to be cruel.

But when the children have both, the things gets nasty, as I experienced on my skin.

After all, Enrico had only four years of life, when he started to beat me to the figurative pulp.

Plus, the statement offended me to no end, so I said without thinking twice:

“Princess, your thinking about children is wrong: I can prove with my past.

See it for yourself, if you don't believe to my story !”

The white alicorn snorted, and said:

“Alright, let's see what's your past. But if I don't find anything wrong, you will be punished for your intrusion in the Palace”

I nodded, and grinned: I wasn't going to be punished.

I had only to lock up the parts about humans, and my imagination was going to fill the gaps about the look of my brothers.

The white alicorn said:

“Now, take a seat, sit down, and close your eyes”

I complied, and waited the start of the visit of my mind.

As soon I closed my eyes, I heard a small hiss, then, I felt something circling around my head like: said thing seemed going back and forth from my extreme nuzzle, to the base of the neck.

After a while, the sensation vanished, and, in front of my eyes, my modified memories appeared: a generic moment where Franco stole my toys for no reason whatsoever when I was 2; when my lip was broke, at the age of three years, by a hit of paddle by Franco, and I reacted by biting his testicles, sterilizing him for the good; when my computer was broke by a hit of Glock because I had forgot to take a shirt from the laundry; when, at the first year of the Biennio, my leg was broken by a Diana driving the motorbike, since she was jealous of my new Ape [a motorcycle, see the author's notes].

Then, after this memories of when I was almost helpless, the show took another direction: it started to show my success.

Examples ?

When I told to Ernico that he could not distinguish the good from the evil, if he beat me in the past years, thinking that it was the right thing to do; or that I actually enjoyed get beaten.

When I broke Franco's face with a kick, because he was trying to set on fire my Ape.

When I broke Diana's arms and burned her leg hairs with an heat up knife, because she was, literally, crapping on my schoolbooks.

When I sent FRanco in coma for three days, since he was trying to do so on me.

When I finally managed to have a breakfast without a coffee fight.

When the “Pax Venicea” was established.

And the fake memoir of when I escaped because I was sued for a fake sexual assault on my sister.

Then the slide show of memoirs stopped, and I opened my eyes.

In front of me, a shocked Celestia was staring at me.

I knew why she was staring like that: for a person that never experienced house abuse, and lived in a world where the peace is almost archived in every field, see something like my memoirs is a shock.

Not that I was left apathetic by that display: from my usually dry eyes, two tears exited.

I had in front of me the images of the events that made my nature.

In front of me, I saw what caused my fear of coming back.

What made me wish to have sons and daughters in quantity, over to the “bloodline pride” installed by my father: I wanted to see how my life could have been without such beasts, and imagine to live it in their place.

And what caused hearty joy in me, when I felt some love without lust on me, or he others.

Because I never really felt it.

I said:

“Now do you believe me, Princess Celestia ? Seeing again some of that scenes caused me spiritual pain. I'd wish to never experience them again”

Celestia said a bit unsure:

“I understand... you will receive a room here for a while. But I don't know how I can avoid the entrance of your brothers and your sister... they seem quite expert into sneaking in buildings... and maybe they don't care if they kill all my guards....”

“Understood, Princess, but I think that some training by my part would suffice: the only one that could beat them, is one that knows them well. But I don't know who would be my trainer...”

Celestia put a hoof down her chin, then she said:

“The one that rejected you at first: Shining Armour. He is there for a short visit, and he will depart tomorrow afternoon, unless he receives orders by me. Guess what I will do for you, my subject.”

I nodded, only for then notice that something was missing...

“Celestia, but what about this night ? If they arrive ?”

The white alicorn:

“Well, true, right now you are exposed, and I have no time for cast said spell. However, I can ask for a reinforced patrol of guards around your room, ok ?”

I nodded again, then I watched the hour, and saw that was late night, and so I bid a good continuation of her duties to Princess Celestia.

She bid me goodnight, and left the room.

I doused the torches, and placed myself under the blankets, and drifted to sleep.

Later on , I was woke up with a jump by the sound of steps coming near the door, and a mind choir singing... something in my head.

The words that I heard sang by said invisible choir were:

“Destati! Tendi la mano

E'giunta l'ora, destati

Le porte verranno schiuse

Su rimembra tu trepida

Su sveglia! Ehi ricorda

Destati, Destati

Forza, tendi la mano

Destati, Destati,

E'giunta l'ora

E ancora una volta

Apriranno le porte

Su rimembra tu trepida

Su sveglia! Ehi ricorda

Eh? Come? Non lo vuoi?

Tuttavia t'appartiene

Cio che hai perduto

Diventerà uno!”*

The words were clear in their meaning: the choir was signaling that I had my opportunity for take back what I had lost... but what ?

How, at that hour of the night ?

With what ?

Then I thought to the steps heard before, and realized something about their sound... they were different from the hoof steps of the armored guard: the steps had the familiar sound of vulcanized rubber on marble.

That meant one thing.

Shoes.

And so another human in the area.

Since I knew that the only possible human right there with shoes was one of my brothers, I immediately got up, and took a knife that I found in one of the drawers of the artistic bookshelves.

Well, it wasn't really a knife, it was much more a paper cutter, but it was likely to still work, as weapon.

Anyway, I slowly moved towards the door, and opened it: I saw that no guard was passing, and a long, dark shape going away from my door... said shape was nicely dressed, judging by the few light that came in: smoking; coordinate trousers; and military boots that jarred with the rest, form said boots, the ivory handle of a knife peeped out.

No doubt: the shape was around for kill.

But I didn't knew is specific identity, if he was Franco or Enrico, and that was a bit problematic.

Why ?

Because, while Franco is cocksure of what he does, and he never checks if he is doing it right; Enrico always double check everything, before doing anything.

And so following Enrico was a problem, because he was likely to catch me, while Franco was less likely to notice that I was shadowing him.

Anyway, I waited tow minutes, and saw that he didn't turned around, so I assumed that he was Franco: grinning madly, I started to go behind him, and see his moves.

After some time of shadowing, he opened slowly a door, and entered...

I was tired of that shit, and of that haunt for Venicio.

Really.

Four years have passed since the start of this haunt for that weakling, but it seemed that I had passed centuries in exploring everywhere this crazy world filled of colored equines, from forests that competed in wildness and size the rainforests; deserts; industrial cities that had a very clear distinction between rich areas and working-class district; villages in the middle of the wildness; sometimes cities on the clouds... and, every time, I didn't found anything.

My sister alwasy killed the wrong kid, cuasing a meltdown in fate; and Ernico had always an excuse for not work.

I was always in the wrong place; in the wrong city; in the wrong forest... every time, I failed to report anything of matter.

And that was starting to make nervous Enrico; Diana, and my new boss Fate.

That kid.

I hated him: he was just a spoiled tyke that never, ever, talked correctly.

Just like Venicio: since he was born, he was always covered in toys, and he received all the attentions that were once on me, while I needed to became the “man of the house”.

They told me that Venicio had a very weak immunitary system, and so he needed more care than anyone else.

And that raised the question “Why not suppress it ? He is weak !”

My parents said that, no matter what, a parent needs to take care of his son.

Yeah, I know, a very stupid logic: keep living the weak parts of the DNA, because you love them, even if they pester the bloodline.

And since I hated the spoiled kids and weaklings, and Venicio was both, I was merciless with him, like he deserved.

But Venicio still dared to say that he was suffering abuse from me, Diana and Enrico.

Also, when he turned 14, he dared to take the arms, and defend himself at all costs with everything in his power.

And so my last trace of my power in the house vanished: not only I wasn't the favourite of of my parents, and so capable of reclaiming the best part of the estate; but the youngest also toned own his physical power with his scarce one, AND WON.

For two years no other fights went on, since we all feared a brutal counter attack by Venicio, but, in heart, we all wished his death.

And when he disappeared in the nothing five years ago, we rejoiced, while our parents cried like idiots on the empty coffin for the weak Venicio.

But, one year after the disappearing of Venicio, that snotty kid named Fate contacted us, and told us about our destinies.

The destinies, unlike how you would expect, are represented by toys of various materials and size: each material signals for how long its memory will last, and his size is related to his wideness to other fields, the special features indicate the details.

Our destinies ? Not so good, since we were represented by coarse spiked dolls made of fool's gold: we are flashes in the pan, quickly forgotten by History, and lives full of sorrow and regrets.

And Venicio ? He had two toys to represent him.

The human form was made of gold mixtured with copper, hinting that he will be remembered, but it won't last long, and a crow with a lily in its beak specified his early death.

A destiny not so different from ours.

But “Pony Venicio”'s form had a completely different destiny: a long life, with both a strong mind and flesh; memoir of his life spanning for a very long time, and his privilege of creating a new bloodline.

That destiny pissed us off, but, according to Fate, Venicio's destiny was already thwarted once, so he could not do much for modify his destiny as pony.

Then he told us his deal: he said that he was going to carry out the fate that he put on us... unless we killed Venicio, who caused Fate's anger. In case of our success, our dolls will be made with gold.

Since we hated see our lives wasted, while Venicio prospered, we accepted the offer, and started to look for him.

We never considered the length of our research.

Anyway, I was finally, for the second time, in the building where Venicio was sleeping: he was going to wake up dead.

But there was one problem, related to the building:

IT WAS FUCKING HUGE, AND FULL OF GUARDS.

Now, I wasn't afraid of combat and such.

But I wasn't stupid, either: if a guard spotted me, and cried havoc, then I was done for the good, since I was going to be killed, or lifelong imprisoned.

Not a good end to a searching that lasted for five years, and forced me and my brothers to jump between our home dimension, and Fate's “Playroom” everyday.

That “jump” was so annoying that, in fact, when I found Venicio for the first time, I was relieved that I didn't had anymore the duty of having only five hours of interrupted sleep a day; than the fact that Venicio was near to death.

And I was quite pissed off, when I was kicked out from that room, since it meant coming back to go back and forth.

Anyway, thankfully, I was capable of slipping past a group of ten guards patrolling an hallway: by their number, and weapons, I could tell that the hallway contained the most important inhabitants of the house, and the hosts.

And so, the guards were patrolling the bedrooms: I arrived in the right place, now it was time to figure out what was the room hosting Venicio.

The first door that I found said: “Diplomat's Room”.

I guessed that it wasn't the room where Venicio slept.

And so I moved on.

Next door: “Service Room”.

Of course not.

I finally reached the end of the hallway, where there was a door, with a sign saying that the room behind the door was the guest room.

Bingo !

The last time that I saw, Venicio was in a farmer's house.

Since Fate said that it was sure that Venicio was in that Palace, the only room that could be his bedroom would be the guestroom of said building.

So, I slowly opened the door, and took out my knife.

In front of me, thanks to the weak lunar light, I could see two ponies sleeping hugged tightly together in a round, king-sized bed, and, near said bed, a smaller one where a little shape was sleeping.

I could not tell if said shape was Venicio or not, but, hey, it looked like a lot !

And so I moved slowly towards the bed, licked the blade for check its sharpness, then kneeled down, on the foal, saying:

“Sweet Dreams...”

But, soon after saying that, I saw the shape yawning, only for immediately retreat at my face.

Thinking that it was Venicio seeing his death in the face, I laughed madly.

My laugh was interrupted by a sharp pain in my left leg, followed by a hit on my back that made me drop the knife, bend over, and shout.

I tried to rotate my head, but I could not see the aggressor.

In fact, as soon I rotated myself, another pain distracted me, this time on the back.

Mu senses were undecided about what to do, if see the location of the first attack, or the second one.

I opted for the first option.

I touched with my left hand the still paining leg, only to see that was bleeding.

I still wondered what hit me, until I bed over, and avoided narrowly an hit on the back of my head.

I lifted my head, and saw in front of me my true target, armed with a knife, and a determined look on his face.

Venicio.

Even as foal, he humiliated me.

I said to him:

“Put down that knife Venicio: you will only get hurt”

He charged me with said knife, and hit my lower hip, and made me collapse, then he said:

“Franco, you still suck in combat. Stay still: a group of guards will come here, and make you visits the dungeons soon”

I spit on him, saying that it wasn't going to happen.

He jumped to the left, then kicked my nose, cracking my nose bones with great pain and making my nose bleed.

I could not stand it anymore.

I felt took weak for keep fighting Venicio: I kneeled, then hit with my face the floor.

Yes !

I had stopped Franco from killing an innocent filly !

Actually, I was disappointed by the ease with I stopped him: it took only a hit on the leg; one on the lower hip, and, finally, one on the nose.

When he finally fell down on his face, I sighed of relief, and moved towards the door for call in the guards.

But, as soon I reached the doorstep, a squeaky voice said:

“Who are you ? What was that monster ?”

I looked at the source of the voice, and saw that the filly that I had just saved was asking me something.

Since I found not polite not answer to her, but I still wanted to catch Franco, I said:

“I am Venicio, and that monster was a human. If you want to know more, you find me in the Dinner Room at the Seven o' clock. Good night”

Then I exited, and reported the intrusion of Franco in the guest's room.

10- Indiva

After reporting to a patrol of guards the presence of an intruder in the guest room in the Palace, I went back to bed with a proud smile on my face: one of my brothers was captured; now Diana and Enrico were left to stop.

I woke up an hour later than my usual routine of sleep, thanks to the fight that I earlier in the night, so I needed to hurry, in order to not miss the “appointment” that I established with the filly that was endangered last night.

And so I did: I covered the smell of my sweat with some rosemary oil that I found somewhere in the bottom of a drawer; drunk said oil in hope of covering my bad breath; and put on some wear clothes left by the diplomats that once occupied the room where I was in.

By the end of that process, looking myself at the mirror near my room, I looked like a pack rat from the sewers, and turned into a pony.

Since I didn't liked it, I put off my clothes, launched the out the window, and cleaned my fur soaked in oil with the blanket.

When I finally undone what I did before, I ran behind the servers already in motion for carry the breakfast in the dining room: in the process, I ran over accidentally three serves, who, after sniffing and shrugging away the food they were carrying, the returned back to the kitchens for take another dish of the wasted food.

After that run, I entered in the fine dining room, with the table already set; and everyone already sitting down, and eating: Celestia, who greeted me with a small wink; Luna, who welcomed me with a “Hello, my dear guest Venicio !”; a lilac unicorn filly with a light blue mane, that I recognized as the one that I saved the night before, who did the gesture of come near here, on her right side, since the left was already occupied by... Cadance ? And near Princess Cadance, Shining Armour ?

That was unexpected.

The fact that the filly was, supposedly, daughter of Shining Armour and Cadance, not their presence at all.

But I stopped my surprised reaction, and politely greeted everyone know in the room:

“Ave, Magna Caelestia, luxfera et correx Equitis Humi cum sorori Luna noxfera; ave, Reginam Mi Amor Cadentia, amoris regina, co-rex Crystallo Imperium cum vir Armatura Fulgente; Pannum Crepuscoli et Augenti Crepucoli filio, ante dux Regalis Praesidiae.

Tuo nomen, parva puella, filia Cadentiae et Armaturae Fulgente , non congnosco: mihi licet tuo nomem quaero ?”

Well, the result was... interesting, to say at least.

Shining Armour seemed mostly surprised to see me, since I was the same foal that had received a deny from him for taking some defense lessons: now I was in front of him in the Royal Palace, a place that, in a normal situation, I should not be in.

The filly looked at me with curiosity mixed with happiness, and asked to her mother Cadance what I just said.

The pink alicorn said: “He asked what is your name, sweetie”: after saying that, the alicorn looked at me fascinated, like if she was praising silently my knowledge of the Latin.

I blushed a bit to the idea, then I move on, and I proceed to sit down.

And so, while I sat down near Cadance's daughter, she asked:

“What's my name, you ask ? Well, my name is Indiva, nice to meet you. What's your name ?”

I bowed slightly while taking two slices of bread: “My name is Venicio. Nice to meet you in a more relaxed situation, Indiva”

Cadance looked at me and Indiva with a slightly look of doubt, then she said:

“More relaxed situation ?”

Indiva talked to Cadance:

“Yes, mommy: Venicio stopped that monster that tried to attack me last night !”

I slightly bowed towards the pink alicorn, and said: “I really did, madam”

Cadance looked at me quizzically, only for then saying:

“Sure, I believe you...”: by the tone of her voice, I could tell pretty surely that she wasn't convinced at all by me and her daughter.

Not that it mattered: after all, the only one that should know all the truth behind the assault is Celestia.

After saying so, I started to eat the sandwich made with mushroom ham and salad, while Indiva kept me bombarding of questions: she seemed quite excited of having me near her, and, somehow, I understood her: after all, she was just a five years old unicorn filly that was saved he night before from an attack, how she could react differently ?

Anyway, when I finished to eat, I said:

“Sorry, Indiva, I was too much concentrated on eating for hearing you. Could you please ask your questions again ?”

She asked:

“First, I asked your age.”

I said smiling: “The theoretical, or the real one ?”

She looked me widely: “You have two ages ? Wow, how interesting ! How you could have two ages anyway ?”

I chuckled:

“It's a VEERY long story, and I feel that this is not the right place for talk about it since it's... a bit sad story”

She frowned: “Oh, sorry about that, didn't mean to”

“No worries, other questions ?”

“Why you are here ? I didn't knew that every pony could enter in the Palace of Celestia”

That was a stress-test of my alibi:

“Well, you see, I was picked up by Luna”

I pointed at the blue alicorn looking at me adoring:

“After a VERY bad dream. The details, however, are not to be discussed there”

Indiva looked at me bewilded, like if I was revealing to her a very shocking truth about her past, and asked:

“Really ? Sooo.. you arrived there for having a nightmare ?”

I nodded, then I gave a quick look to Luna, in order to see if she was going to blew up my cover... again: the blue alicorn was hinting a gesture of “not true” towards Indiva, before stopping herself mid-act, and returning to eat her breakfast.

Good: she knew what game I was playing.

I finally answered to the lilac filly:

“Yes, a nightmare. A very bad one indeed”

Then Indiva asked:

“Sooo... if I have a bad dream, sometimes Princess Luna will carry me in her bedroom ? Wow ! And for how long you will stay there ?”

I chuckled:

“I have no idea, puella mea”

After saying that, I saw that everyone finished the food: since I had nothing left to do, I went away, bidding goodbye politely to the ponies there present, and went back in my room, in order to think what to do.

After around one hour and half, while I was reading a book found on the bookshelves, I heard a knock from the door.

Since I was quite absent-minded, I just said:

“It's open”

The door opened, and, behind me, a fast trotting sound came.

Soon after it, my bed shook up,and, near me, a lilac shape appeared, and said:

“Hi, Venicio ! What are you doing ?”

It took me a while to understand that was Indiva.

I answered:

“I'm just reading something for pass time. What brings you there ?”

Indiva smiled:

“Oh, nothing, I'm just curious about you, and so I came her to find some answers: do you want to answer to them ?”

“Of course: go ahead”

Indiva rolled towards me, and asked:

“So, you said that you are here because you had a very bad dream the night before... and, in exchange of that, what do yo need to do ?”

“Nothing at all, apparently, since we are foals. I don't know about adults.”

Indiva nodded:

“Alright. So, if I start to dream something of really scary, Luna might pick me up, interesting...

My next question is: why you talk like my mother with some special kind of grown-ups ? I never saw anypony using such way to talk outside the 'formal situations', whatever they mean”

Indiva didn't knew that I was Latin.

Predictable.

But... she doesn’t know what “formal situations” are, and she doesn’t discern a totally different language from a WAY to talk your native tongue ?

That was a bit weird, considered the ambient where she grew up.

Anyway, I answered:

“The 'way to talk' that your mother uses is actually a totally different language: the Latin.

Now, you don't see it usually spoke because it's, actually, a dead language, since no one has it as native tongue, but it's still used in the diplomacy, the arts, and politics”

Indiva looked at me confused.

Not the confusion like “What are you smoking for saying this bullshit ?”, but “What are you talking about ?”: apparently, my exposition wasn't suited for children.

Well, at least I knew that explain it without considering the kind of person in front of me wasn't going to carry me anywhere.

The lilac unicorn spoke:

“Sorry, I didn't understood: what are you talking about ?”

“Apologies. Let me reexplain it: what your mother uses for talk with some adults isn't a 'lingo', but a totally different language: the name of said language is Latin.”

I awaited to see if she wanted to know why she never heard a single word of Latin in the streets, but only in the royal palace, either hers in the Crystal Empire, or in Celestia's in Canterlot.

She asked it:

“Oh, I understand. But, let me know, why I never heard it spoke by anypony that I know, either in school or in the gardens, but only in the Palace, only with certain adults ponies ?”

“It's hard to explain, Indiva, but I will do my best to explain it.

Imagine that the language is a water mill with a river moving the wheel. Do you imagined it ?”

Indiva nodded.

“Alright. Now, you know that, as long the water flows, the mill grinds the wheat.

Now, imagine that the water is the number of ponies using it. Imagine that the strength of said water is the number of ponies having it as native tongue, meaning that said ponies use said tongue commonly with family members.

As the time passes, a new tongue creates itself, or it's canceled by wars, and so the people having it as native tongue starts to dwindle.

Reached a certain point, no one has said language as mother tongue anymore... yet someone still knows it, and decide to use it a certain field.

That's the case of Latin: no one has it as native tongue, but the ponies of a certain social level will know it”

Indiva said:

“And how you can know it, if I am in the social level that knows it, and yet I don't know it ?”

“It's called 'education': my parents taught me this language now, I won't need to learn it later”

“According to you, will I have to learn this... 'latin' ?”

I laughed hard:

“You are a royalty. Of course yes !”

She blinked to me three times, and said:

“So, you can teach me ?”

I blushed:

“I can, but it's a VERY long thing, and it actually requires two years of study. But I can give you the basis... plus, I don't know if you can read and write...”

She proudly smiled:

“I can ! I am a very intelligent filly !”

I chuckled, and started with the first declension.

Meanwhile, in Ponyville...

It was a tense situation: Venicio disappeared, and no traces were found.

The day before, when I woke up, I remembered the eerie presence of a blue horned figure watching me during the night, only for then leave me without say anything.

When the sunrise with the pink fingers arrived also in my room, my first thought was reach Venicio's bed, and talk about what happened during the night.

But, as soon I reached the bed with my tiny hooves, I saw that Venicio wasn't there.

At first I thought that he was at the bathroom, so I just went downstairs.

But when also Applebloom went down, it was clear that something was wrong: Venicio always woke up before everyone else.

And stay in the bathroom for so long wasn't properly a sign of good health.

In fact, as soon I saw that Applebloom had a worried expression, I understood that something wasn't right.

The yellow would-be carpenter pony asked to me:

“Bernarda, did you saw Venicio ?”

I answered negatively without saying a word.

When both I and Applebloom realized what it meant, we were left speechless.

After two minutes of pure shock coming from both parts, I said:

“I hope to see him again: he is the only human that I know there, and he seems to know the key to escape from there...”

Applebloom hugged me, and said:

“We will find him. But we need more time: wait until this afternoon, and we will discuss about it.

Now it's time to inform Applejack”, and she did, as soon the orange pony arrived downstairs.

Applejack went, rightfully, crazy about finding Venicio, and said that she was going to visit all her friends for ask them if they had found Venicio somewhere.

I hoped that they knew where he was.

Unfortunately, Applejack forbade me of exiting from the house, telling me that it wasn't the moment for do it.

It wasn't the moment for what ?

Look for my brother ?

Well,maybe, since I was just a little filly, my “help” was going to be worthless anyway.

So, anyway, a tense morning, full of thinking and fears of what could happen if I lose him, passed, and so a tense lunch.

Soon after eating, Applebloom gave me the sign of follower her in her room for talk about the research.

When I entered in the untidy, and yet orderly, room of Applebloom, the owner lifted me wither her mouth, put me on bed, then sprawled on the bad near me.

That done, she said:

“Alright, here's what we have gathered so far.

First of all, Applejack's friends don't know a darn thing about Venicio's position, as Applejack saw.

This means that he might be everywhere now.”

I said a bit unsure:

“Venicio isn't a true foal... that, if I don't remember wrong: he surely didn't exited willingly from this house, considered the threat of his brothers...”

Applebloom commented:

“You are saying ha he might got kidnapped ? Well, that would be a possibility, buuutt... what kind of stupid kidnapper would take a foal from a FARMER'S HOUSE, knowing that the parents aren't likely to pay much for their son ?

The kidnapper should know both about humans and Venicio's secret.

In the actual state of the things, the only ones that have both qualities are me, Twilight, you, and Silver Spoon.

Now, Silver Spoon actually healed the wounds that she opened in my years of Grade School, and actually became a decent friend with me.

But she is a fanatical scholar: maybe she kidnapped him in these last years because...”

I knew Silver Spoon: it was a good pony, and she seemed so similar to me in many aspects, that it hurt. I also remembered that Silver Spoon was wingless and hornless, or an “earth pony”, as Venicio called them.

I felt so wrong accuse a clearly innocent pony for something that didn't do.

And yet I stood silent: I was too scared for reply, and just heard her rant against Silver Spoon.

When she finished to speak ill of the gray filly, Appleloom told me to jump on her back, and get ready for reach Spoon's house.

After a rather long walk from my house in the fields to Silver Spoon's house, we finally reached our goal: Applebloom ringed the bell, and waited the arrival of a servant; Silver's father, or whoever was in the house.

After a minute, a croaking and yet deep voice asked:

“Who is there ?”

“Applebloom, mister Stamp Spoon. We are her for talk with your daughter Silver Spoon: is she there ?”

Stamp opened the door showing to the world his (bad) shape of a sixty years old:

“Yes, she is in the house. She is studying, but I think that she won't mind a break. Come in”

That begin said, Applebloom moved towards the white door, and entered in the house, towards Silver's bedroom.

The house was, esthetically, gorgeous: the gray marble floor was almost shining, and gave a sense of luxury to the house; while the red walls covered in family portraits and landscapes improved the overall look of the house; two statues of two equine Venuses stood at the base of the stairs, like two guardians in front of a door.

In that place, I almost felt that, sooner or later, my servant Barbara would come out, since the layout and the decorations of the house were very similar to the ones that in mine.

Applebloom went up on the pine-and-acacia staircase, up to the floor were, supposedly, Silver Spoon was studying.

When I entered in the Library, a strong stench of old ink; cheap wax and such hit my nose.

It felt good: it recalled images of Benedictine monks going around libraries, either copying scrolls, or reading them while walking.

The Library itself recalled at that imagine: bookshelves made of beechwood placed in a circle around the main table; the scrolls and the books on the shelves placed according to the topic, and not the alphabetic order; the candle holders hanging everywhere; the writing desks placed between a subject area and another... all seemed reminding older times.

Anyway, we finally reach the center, where Silver Spoon was studying.

Applebloom sat down on a stool, then said:

“Silver Spoon, I have something to discuss with you...”

Silver Spoon scare jumped, then recomposed, and said:

“Appre Broom ! It iz good to zee iou again ! What bringz you here ?”

The yellow pony put me on the table, and said frowning:

“Give him back to me”

Silver Spoon looked at Applebloom bewilded:

“What ?”

“Don't fake stupidity, Silver Spoon. You don't fool anypony”

The gray pony started to sweat:

“What are iou talking about ? What 'him' ?”

Applebloom face hoofed:

“This farce is stupid: you know that I am talking about Venicio. And that you are holding him captive for whatever reason. That needs to stop: give him back”

“Venicio ? Hold captive bi me ? Thiz iz impozzibre ! Whi I zhould take him awai from iou ?”

Applebloom launched herself over Silver Spoon, picking her neck skin, and I started to tremble, fearing the worse:

“Stop this stupid shit ! Applejack will freak out even more, if she doesn’t have him back ! Now tell me where you hold him !”

Silver Spoon said gasping:

“I... have... no... idea on.... what you... are... talking.... about...”

Applebloom gave a slap to Silver Spoon, then a kick, then screamed:

“I WANT VENICIO, NOW !”

Somehow, I felt the desire to cry.

And so I did: from my eyes, flood of tears exited, and a continued sobbing came from my mouth.

Silver Spoon, touching the hit areas, said:

“Zee ? Iou made Bernarda cri !”

After that, the gray pony went near me, and started to stroke my mane, whispering sweet words to me, words that calmed me down.

Applebloom was unamused:

“You already stole my brother. Do also want to steal my sister ?”

“No, I don't”

I said:

“Applebloom... you should know this... how Silver Spoon could... reach my room if she is... wingless ? She would have done a very strong noise while... coming in our room”

Applebloom face hoofed to herself, apologized to Silver Spoon, and said that the next stop was Twilight's Library.

11- Reveal

When we finally exited from Spoon's house, thought, I noticed that the Sun was going to set soon: since it was likely that the Library was already closed, it was unuseful do other three kilometers of walking towards the Library, only for find it closed.

And so I said it to Applebloom:

“Applebloom... the Sun is almost setting... maybe the Library is already closed... we will visit her tomorrow”

Applebloom watched me:

“Tomorrow ? Do you have ANY idea about where he is ?

And if he in danger ?

If he in the hoofs of weird cultists, or something like that ?

We can't postpone it !”

I said timidly:

“Venicio had passed the Hell, when he was on Earth... I'm certain that he is capable of taking care of himself for a while, of course, he can't stand forever, but I still suggest to wait the next dawn... if it's ok for you...”

The yellow carpenter pony put a hoof under her chin in a thoughtful move.

For few minutes, she stood still and perfect silence.

Then she said:

“Bernarda, you are right: the distance between us and the Library is too big. It' better to come back home, and wait”, then she moved towards our home.

The dinner was tensed: the dialogue was reduced by an incoherent series of thoughts about Venicio's position; what he was doing that time; what the captors wanted from Venicio...

Big Machintosh theorized that Venicio was took away for a sacrifice for some kind of cult sacrifice.

Basically, he believed that Satanists had kidnapped Venicio,and wanted to use him as victim.

Highly unlikely.

Applejack thought that the kidnappers simply wanted money.

Seems legit. But why they would target a farmer's house in the first place ?

But, since it was needed to left them unaware of the truth, we didn't spoke our mind, and instead pretended to approve one point, or another.

Then I and Applebloom went to bed together: ahead of us, a long day awaited.

Since the next day was a free day for Applebloom, as soon I and Applebloom went out of bed and finished the hasty breakfast made by Applejack, we exited, and headed towards Twilight's Library, where, hopefully, Venicio's real position will be revealed.

When we finally reached the Library, a sense of anxiety filled me: what if Twilight didn't knew where to find Venicio?

What if she didn't knew how to reach him ?

Since Venicio could be everywhere, that meant that he was also in danger.

And that made me feel a knot in the throat; a weight on the stomach... something of invisible, and yet heavy, oppressing me.

Applebloom opened the door, stepped in along with me.

In front of me, shelves, and shelves, and shelves full of books stood proudly on the walls; while a layer of scrap paper covered the floor made of stone; the empty ink pots were everywhere.

Overall, the whole building was a total mess: clearly, the genius is in the chaos of the place where it lives.

Anyway, while I was looking around me, the yellow pony faked a cough, causing a small echo.

When the echo dispersed, a faint flapping was heard, and the purple shape of Twilight appeared in my peripheral vision: as soon I noticed her presence, I turned my face towards the one of the purple princess.

Twilight Sparkle said:

“Applebloom, Berndarda, who brings you there ?”

Applebloom said with a tone slightly more “hammy”:

“A grave thing happened: Venicio disappeared two night ago without leave traces. Since we didn't found anything about him in these last days, we hoped that you have some ideas about where he is...”

Twilight got pale in the face.

Two long minutes of silence followed.

The silence was broke by Twilight herself, who said:

“Alright, calm down, clam down, get back to the logic part. No one would kidnap him for get the ransom, since he lives with farmers.

No cult would take him away, since they only pick foals between the age of one and four years.

The only reason for why he disappeared, is for his human heritage.

So far, the only ones aware of humans are me, you, Silver Spoon, the princess, and some hired mouths.

Now, said hired mouths aren't there; so, only the princess might know something about him.

I hope that Celestia didn't sent Venicio back to Earth already.... I think we need to send a letter to Celestia, in order to check if she knows something, and, if the response is that she knows something, visit Canterlot for have more infos...”

Without thinking twice, Applebloom said:

“Spike ! Get over there, we need your services !”

Some heavy steps were heard and, slowly but relentlessly, a big purple shape went down the stairs.

Yep, Spike had changed quite a lot, in just a month by my visit: he had something resembling a beard, but made of scales and loosened skin under his chin; his overall body was bigger and bulkier, denouncing a feel of brutality that you would expect mostly from old dockers, rather than from scribes; his eyes were a bit dull, and, overall, Spike seemed under the effects of a terrible hangover.

Then Spike said with his deep and daunted voice:

“What do you want, Twilight ?”

Twilight Sparkle smiled to her assistant:

“I need your abilities of writing for...”

Spike moved away, again with his heavy steps, and said:

“Twilight, I'm under the effects of an hangover, how I am supposed to write ? I'm returning back my bed, goodbye, folks”

“Spike, you need to do this !”

“You are not a six years old filly that has to learn to write. You are a fucking Princess now: you should be more than capable of write something on your own”

Twilight rolled her eyes, and said:

“Even the Princess needs assistants for their jobs”

Spike deadpanned:

“Not for clean their asses”

“Spike, if you keep doing something like this, I will be forced to kick you out”

“Whatever you want. I auto-fired myself three years ago, but you never let me leave this place, since you feared that I would get in trouble”

“You still will”

Spike face palmed:

“Many things have changed, Twilight, since I was hatched for accident by you.

I was a small and weak dragon, a shame for my race.

Look at me now ! I am big, muscular, and strong: what kind of brain dead dickhead pony would attack me ?

Also, all I need is some food, and a cave.

My food is gems, and, as you estimated, the 20% of this planet is made of gems: I cannot starve !

The caves are abundant, so no problem.

And yet you still see me as a baby”

Twilight said:

“This because it already happened in past ! You left this house for envy towards an owl.

You left this tree for see what you were, and realized that your race is mostly composed by hot heads with vandalistic attitudes, attitudes that disgusted you.

And yet you want to try them again.

If you leave, you might return in the same situation of before, but, this time, no one will came to save you.

Plus, I'm still your legal guardian: you can't leave this place without my consensus until the age of seventeen.

So, take quill and paper, and write down”

Spike took the ink pot, the quill, and the paper, and sat down on the floor grunting and moaning about his boring life.

After sitting down, Twilight started to dictate the letter... but Spike didn't write: instead, an evil sparkle appeared in his reptilian eyes: it seemed that he had a pal for Twilight.

In fact, when Twilight bow down for check the paper, the purple alicorn noticed immediately that the paper was blank like the snow.

Twilight, smiling nervously, said:

“Spike this letter is white: could you please write ?”

The purple dragon said:

“I have a faster way to tell to Celestia what happened...”

The purple princess looked quizzically to Spike, confused about what he said.

Soon after that, Spike inhaled, and breathed fire on Twilight, making her frantically shake for the fear while she burned away.

The last words from Twilight that day were:

“Spike, you were the worst co-workeeeeerrrr....”

Then sh disappeared.

Then the purple dragon told us to leave, since he wanted to do a “special process” to Twilight's books... supposedly, burn them down

In Canterlot...

I was explaining to Indiva the Present of the First Declination, when I heard a scream, and a loud thump coming from out the room.

Now, I might seem paranoid, but, since Fate now knew my position, and maybe Celestia didn't covered the whole Palace, it was likely that another of my brothers came for my head.

But who caused said noise could be anyone, spacing from a drunken guard to a clumsy servant: still, I was too curious to not go to see what happened.

I said to Indiva, who was repeating the first declination:

“Five minutes Indiva, I want to check something”, and I exited from the door, towards the source of the noise.

It seemed that every other pony in the Palace had the same idea: a small flood of guards; servants and the like went towards the source of the noise.

When I finally saw where all the ponies were going, I realized that something must have happened to Celestia: in fact, the noise came from the Throne Room.

Thanks to my little size, I was capable of slip past the bodies of the other ponies struggling to enter in the room, and see what happened.

The scene that I had in front of me was... uncommon, to say at least.

On the throne, a confused Celestia was watching a unconscious Twilight Sparkle with several burnings.

As everyone there did, I wondered what just happened to Twilight; why she was in the middle of Celestia's throne room with many burnings; and what caused such situation.

For a long time, there was only an awkward silence.

After that time, Celestia finally spoke up:

“Pick her, and put her in the Diplomat's room: we will figure out what just happened later”

Two Earth ponies servants nodded, and took her on their backs: I followed them back to my room.

After that the two servants placed Twilight on my bed, and went away, I placed myself near the purple alicorn, and awaited her response.

Response that didn't came much later.

In fact, as soon I put myself near her, Twilight moved a bit, and bumped on me: as soon she did that, the purple alicorn blinked her eyes, and said tired:

“Where I am ?”

I answered:

“Diplomat's room, Canterlot”

Suddenly, scare jumped, and said:

“Venicio ! What are you doing in Canterlot ? Why I am here ?”

I placed a hoof behind my head, and said grinning:

“It might seems weird to you, but... basically, one day. I had a nightmare, and Princess Luna entered in one of my dreams. Up to this, all normal.

But, when she asked why I was dreaming so much death and blood, I said about my human origins.

I thought that, since she was very lonely, she wasn't going to tell it to anyone; plus, professional secret about what's in ponies's dreams.

But no. As soon she learn that I was a human turned into a colt, she had an attack of fangirlism, and decided to kidnap me another night.

At first, since a letter for a fake 'Royal Bureaucrats School' arrived to Applejack, I thought that Luna was going to do it more subtly.

Turns out, she kidnaps me anyway in the middle of the night, and carries me to the Palace, and it's a miracle that only Luna knows that I am a human, in the Palace: the situation where I was put in stress-tested my lies.

About how you arrived there, no idea.”

Twilight said:

“Understood, Venicio. Well, prepare yourself: we come back to Ponyville this afternoon”

I nodded.

Then I realized something...

My fight with my brother Franco.

I have beat him during the night effortlessly, and talking with him.

Alright.

But how I could explain to Celestia, and the guards, how in the Hell I was capable in order to:

1 Foreseen the arrival of a unknown bipedal creature with foalcides intents in that night, at that hour

2 Not get scared by it

3 Beat it effortlessly

4 Talk with it .

Cover all these points would be hard for a normal adult pony, imagine a frigging' colt ! I should have been aided by external powers.

Which I was, since a mind choir woke me up, and I was a human arrived in Equestria by the means of a portal made by a child god.

For now, Celestia didn't asked me anything, but that's maybe because she wants to know the answer in private.

And, since Princess Celestia didn't wanted humans in her country...

I talked about this issue to Twilight:

“Twilight... I fear that we can't do it: in the night between this day, and yesterday, I knocked out and imprisoned Franco, one of my brothers.

How this halts our return, you might ask.

It's simple: since I stopped Franco all by myself, in the middle of the night, armed only with a paper knife, I did a feat that's outright impossible for a colt.

For now, Celestia and the other ponies didn't thought too hard about that.

But they will ask me how I was capable of doing such a thing, once the zenith will arrive.

And so my castle of game cards will crumble, they will find out about my origins, and send me back to the Earth.

Now, since you arrived there and know about my whole story, you can prove my point, and succeed to save me.”

Twilight said:

“Uhu, well, this was a really big problem.

Fear not: I will talk to Celestia for make you stay”

That begin said, a small bell rang twelve times, telling the hour: 12 o' clock, hour of lunch.

I and Twilight went out, heading for the dining room where our lunch awaited.

Following Twilight, I reached the Dining room; sat between Indiva and Twilight, and, since I was very hungry, I went in a polite eating spree.

Well, at least, compared to the eatings sprees at Applejack's house, at least what entered in my mouth never exited, and I used the cutlery, instead of my hooves.

But, still, I tucked over the food, terminating something like...

-Two plates of six of what resembled the greek δδολμάδες, but bigger.

-An entire bowl of vegetarian Trabaccolara (admittedly, it was utter crap, since it was only seaweeds).

-MANY dishes of Pan Carusau

-Standard issue salad.

And many other foods... look, the only thing that I didn't touched was a mishmash of herbs; salad and eggs that looked like the vomit of a vegan without teeth and weak gastric fluids.

And maybe I was right to not touch it, since Indiva, who ate just a spoon of it, did several disgusted faces before swallow it, and, from that moment on, never touched again that.... theoretical food.

Anyway, while I ate, I listened to the conversation between Celestia; Shining Armour; Cadance and Twilight.

Nothing special, really: they just talked about the everything and the anything; and Celestia dismissed Twilight's arrival as “accident with Spike”.

Indiva just ate, and looked at me smiling, and purring with the eyes: it seemed that she had deployed a sense of admiration for me.

Or she had an accidental inter species crush, like the (non-mutual) relationship between Rarity and Spike.

Only, Indiva wasn't aware of my true status, and I was more than ready to have a future relationship with her .

The “chitchat” between Twilight and the two princesses slowly died down, leaving silence behind.

During this silence, some more hot coffee arrived from the kitchens: Cadance and Twilight served themselves, and started to take slow sips; while Shining Armour tried to drink it.

Tried because Indiva wanted desperately to wanted to take a sip of the coffee, and, since Shining wanted to avoid the clear problems resulting by having a kid under the effects of strong caffeine, he said that Indiva could not drink it, but in vain: the lilac unicorn kept begging.

Since that the little arguing was bothering me, I poked Indiva's back, and said:

“Don't do it: it's quite bitter, and, for some minutes it gives you a very strong boost in energy. But, when it ends, you will feel VERY weak, and I guess that you don't want to feel weak later on, right ?”

Indiva rotated her head, and said closing her eyes and grinning:

“And why I should feel weak, if this gives me energy, as daddy and you says ?”

“Well, the sheer energy input is big enough, and, likely, the physical activity you did while under its effects, that, once the caffeine effects runs out, you will feel deprived of energies, since until a moment ago you could, figuratively, pull a train; and the next moment you return to your normal sense of strength.

Which seems nothing compared.”

Indiva nodded, but still kept going: sighing, I gave up to help Shining Armour, and returned to look at the princesses, who now were back to talk.

Not for long, thought: as soon Celestia saw that y attention was back to her, she said:

“Now, Venicio, I want to ask you something in private. Would you mind come with me in my chamber ?”

Alright, the time had come.

It was the moment to say all the truth to Celestia, no matter what.

I knew that I needed to do it.

But I still had some doubts about saying that, since I wasn't sure about Celestia's reaction to the reveal of my true form: I might seem repetitive, but, again, every destiny was better, than going back to my brothers.

Since I wasn't sure about how to tell it to Celestia, I said “What ?” for take some time, and find an explanation

Celestia sighed, and repeated:

“Venicio, now, I noticed some events happening lately. Said events are, somehow, connected to you.

Since said events might threat the life life of somepony, and you seem perfectly aware of what's going on, I wished to ask you some more questions about you.

Don't worry, it isn't a full-force interrogation... or an interrogation at all.

Just some random information that I'd wish you share with me”

Well, that was long enough for think a coherent speech.

But I still needed some help.

I nodded to Princess Celestia, and asked her politely to guide me to her chamber: she stood up, and moved towards the door, saying to follow her.

And I did.

Not before winking to Twilight, for remind her about her role in avoid my return to Earth.

Anyway, I followed Celestia until her chamber, in a series of hallways that made Caserta's realm pale in comparison, in terms of sheer size, but not in terms of aesthetics.

Celestia's chamber was guarded by two black guardsponies with elaborately-sculptured armors, and halberds on their sides.

As soon they saw Princess Celestia, they did the military greet, and opened the door, and didn't let me in, saying that no visitor could come in the private chambers.

Celestia explained that I was carried there because I was wanted by her: one of the guards slightly jumped back, while the other just gave the sign of come in.

Celestia's room was... impressive, to say at least.

The handle was shaped like a sun, and was made of bronze; a very big door-window, with the “glass” made of a sheet of white alabaster between two thin glass panels, giving the sense that the Sun was always rising, all day. Out of the window-door, a big balcony facing the from a part of the city near the palace, and, on the other side, the steppe near Canterlot.

The bed was a round mattress with red sheets made of silk, and, on the borders of said bed, there were a little bronze chain that had a small decoration each ten rings of the chain.

Several portraits of, supposedly, past students, and, overall, servants, hanged almost everywhere on the wall: Hemlock Drinker; Senica; Bug Transfigurator; Dripping Face... they were quite everywhere on the wall, both in solemn (especially the older) or more relaxed (mostly the earlier ones) attitude.

I wandered for a while with my eyes around the room, before Celestia reminded why I was there:

“Enjoying the sight of my chamber ?”

I answered:

“Yes. But I know that I came here for another reason”

Celestia nodded, and started to talk:

“Venicio, I've heard of your feat of bravery that you have shown last night, byttaking down an aggressor who was endangering the life of one of my hosts.

That is a very remarkable act by your part, and it shall not be discussed.

However, your doing is ridden with several questions.

Questions that I want you to answer sincerely.”

I nodded, and said:

“Go ahead”

“First, some guards that had the task of guard the dungeons have heard several times your name called by the creature you defeated.

Said creature spat several times on your dignity, saying things that must not be repeated.

Now, I don't know if you have answer for this, so you are allowed to stay in silence, if you lack of ideas about why the creature knew your name”

Oh boy.

The moment arrived quite fast.

I'd expected some questions like “Why you did that ?” and such.

Clearly, Celestia's priorities were asking me how I knew the creature, but, actually, ask it had sense: after all, who knows who I really was, before coming to the Palace ?

For all Celestia knew, I was capable of beating Franco because I was a great monster hunter, regressed to the age of a colt for whatever reason.

As you know, this wasn't my case.

Since, sooner or later, I was going to reveal my identity, I said directly:

“Because I'm his brother. Yes, I am human. Better, I was a human, before arrive here thanks to the stupidity of the Eternal Toddler Fate”.

Celestia looked me with the same gaze that, one day ago, did to me.

I felt again shame on me, but this time I didn't lost faith in me, and explained the whole thing:

“You might ask who is Fate, since you never saw him in all your long existence.

Well, it's simple: it's the higher force that rules without begin seen the worlds. He decides the course of life of everyone in every dimension... unfortunately, begin a toddler, apart from few lucky exceptions, most of the toys who play with are made of wood, lead, or copper, materials that tends to broke easily, meaning that they are destined to be forgotten soon after their death.

One day, maybe in an attack of boredom, he sent me in Equestria as a foal.

At first I tried everything in my power to come back to Earth, thinking that my destiny lied there.

But, when I was going to leave your kingdom, the Great Ferryman, tasked to carry the living things between dimensions talked with me, and told about what the Fate was doing, and said that, lately, he was playing mostly with the toys that represented me as a pony and human.

And so I heard that my destiny on Earth was the one of despair and oblivion, while here, in Equestria, it was one of fulfilled life and great legacy for the future generations.

The Fate decided that I was going to come back home.

I decided to stay here.

And now, it seems that Fate wants to kill me.

He made a deal with my brothers, telling them about their bad fates, and saying that they could avert them, if they carry to his feet my head.

For five years, they never found me.

But one week ago, while I was sleeping, Franco, the one imprisoned, tried to attack me, but to no avail, since I pushed him back.

Now, the rest of the story that I told you yesterday is true, only, Luna kidnap me because I was human.

That's it, magna Caelestia.”

The white alicorn looked at my sideways for a little more, before going out, and saying:

“Well, that explains a lot. But, how you could cover the fact that you were a human yesterday, when I looked in your mind ?”

I pointed to my head, then smiled:

“I have an almost full control of my mind, and I am capable of lock down some parts of the brain for a purpose. And when I mean 'lock up', I mean 'block the access to everything from the outside'”

Princess Celestia started to play with the decorated chain attached to the bed, and she did so for a while, leaving me in a tense silence.

Then...

12- A Tatical Decision

Celestia stopped to play with the chain, sighed, and spoke up with a proclaiming voice:

“Venicio, I perfectly understand that you are in danger of death, and that you are hunted down by your blood lusting brothers...”

A knot spawned in my throat: she was going to really say it ?

Was she going to tell me that I needed to go back on Earth, where my brothers could kill me ?

Or she was going to, finally, use some of her experience gave by millenniums and millenniums of ruling over a very unstable nation, and, overall, of life ? After all, what kind of threat I could be, if I saved the life of one of her relatives, without asking anything in return; and had little to no power over to the events going around me ?

But the first option was still a real possibility, since it was possible that Princess Celestia just didn't wanted human, for a reason, or for another.

And so I awaited impatiently how Celestia was going to finish her sentence, but she just stood for a bit in silence, giving the hint of a suffered decision.

Finally, the white alicorn controller of the Sun spoke:

“You shall stay here in Equestria, where you can live in peace and harmony, and you will be freed from your brothers.”

I stared bewilded to Celestia: she had just granted to me that she won't try to send me back to Earth.

I wasn't sure if hug her tightly, or, more formally, bow down for the gratitude towards her.

While I was staring at her, and blabbering happily, Princess Celestia added a condition to my stay:

“However, if you wish to stay in my kingdom, you must stop your brothers from hurting any pony else: I am going to cast a protection spell over the Palace, so they can't enter.

However, by doing so, over to avoid the creation of said portals, I will avoid the possibility of even access it for who used a portal from less than two days.

I fear that, lost the ability of killing you in less than two hours thanks to the portals, Fate will lose his temperance, and start to send your brothers in the houses of the families for kill the foals, either thinking that you left the Palace for another place, or that you will surrender to sorrow, if you see too many early death by your fault.

Nor I can cover oyu for all your life.

And I, as Princess of Equestria, can't allow this.

So, neutralize your brothers, and I will let you live in my kingdom.

Fail to do so, and you will be sent in their hands.”

Well, that was very logical, by Celestia's part: she knew that, since Fate is an amoral toddler with a short memory, if he sees that he can't send some of his hired assassins directly to me, he will either think (stupidly) that I had left the Palace, for another house in Equestria; or he will think (wisely) that I would break down, if I saw many kids get killed in my place by my brothers.

But I had no idea about how get rid of them, and so I started to think about it.

Challenge them to duel ? Fate will give to my brothers inhumane strength, so no.

Run around Equestria, in order to get them wore down by the time ? Nope. The Damn Toddler was an almost- everypowerful god, and no one was going to supply me.

Try to create a portal for reach Fate, and lay him flat ? Fate is immortal...

Surrender ? No way ! I had too much to lose for accept it !

Since I was a human, and the humans are unknown to Equestria, plan an “official revelation” to the public, and so attracting my brothers in a favorable ground ?

That was perfect !

But I still needed some help from Celestia, so I said:

“Princess, I had an idea, for avoid troubles with my brothers...”

The white alicorn sat down on the bed, and said:

“Speak up”

“I have an idea: you have as State Secret the existence of humans, right ?”

Celestia nodded.

“And, apart from few ponies, no one knows this.”

Celestia said a bit annoyed:

“Ok, ok, but, please, get to point”

I inhaled, and said with a serious tone:

“My idea was: plan up a 'Revelation' ceremony, for the arrival of humans in Equestria.

Made it as a very big public event, where you and I will do a speech, and where I will receive a lot of attention.

Since I am the only human around, during that moment, and I am going to, apparently, uncovered, Fate will try to sneak up one of my brothers during my speech, trying to kill me.

However, since Fate is stupid, he won't change the look of my sister or my brother, and will send her or him still in his or her human form in the middle of the crow, with the portal clearly visible...”

Celestia interrupted me:

“I see where it goes. Well, doesn’t seem a bad idea.

I will organize a little 'ceremony' for your 'arrival', and set up some pockets of guards, ready to catch your brothers.

After that, you can either keep your form, or go back to your colt form, and fake a “lethal accident”.

Anyway, you are free to go”

With a bow, I left the room, and returned to my room for pass the rest of the afternoon.

But, while I was reading a book, Indiva returned, saying that she wanted to know some more Latin: sighing, I asked her to repeat the things that she was repeating some hours ago, before having lunch.

She did, then I taught her the Present of all the conjugations, then ,with the help of a piece of paper and a pencil, I said to her to translate some simple phrases, like “Pulchrae pueallae diligentae sunt”, ans such.

Well, the result were often funny, between peoples becoming poplars; men that hates perfumes and archers, while, in their true meaning, they hate the vulgar people, and they shooed them; and other funny bad translations.

In Pony ville...

We had just returned at home, and we had just finished out lunch, when our major problem arose again.

While I was drinking some water from the bottle, Applejack worried asked to Applebloom:

“News of Venicio ?”

Applebloom bend her head sadly:

“No news. I've tried to contact Twilight, but Spike told us that she was called for a critical situation in Canterlot of unknown type. And so we are her,e without any clue”

Applejack sighed, and said:

“Alright... no one can tell us where he went...” Applejack called Big Macintosh.

“Brother, I think it's time to report the vanish of Venicio to authorities: could you please go to the Police Station, and report it ?”

The red stallion nodded.

Applejack said:

“Well, then, I will go to Canterlot for two days, in attempt of track Twilight down, and see if can help us”

Well, THAT was a good idea: after all, from what Applebloom told me, in Canterlot there was also the goodness-queen of Equestria, and her sister, and they said that they were almost omniscient: if they didn't knew, nobody knew.

Applejack continued:

“The girls will stay here, thought”

I frowned.

It seemed that I was going to left me waiting for Venicio's news, and that was quite painful for me, because, if he was dead, I'd wish to be one of the first ones to cry over his dead body, rather than one of the last.

Applebloom saw that the new left me a bit said, and stepped forwards, saying:

“Applejack, I want to come with you, along with Bernarda: I am also concerned for Venicio's security, and Bernarda seems very bond to him. It would be kind from your part buy two train tickets, and let us follow you in your research.

And, think about it, maybe we can help you !”

Applejack looked at Applebloom's sideways:

“Applebloom... please... don't start with it, it's not the moment”

“Applejack, I know that you are sickly worried for him, and so I am, but, come on, what's the problem in coming along with you ?”

“Por se, there aren't problems. But, since I'm not going to Canterlot for a pleasure trip, I'd wish to go alone”

Applebloom dropped her jaw, opened her hooves, then, closing the mouth again:

“THAT'S the problem ? Sister, in this thirty years of life you never heard of separated tickets ? Just buy one for me, and one for you ! Where is the problem now ? We are in the same place, but you are not forced to await me, since I will be deattached from you !”

Applejack hit with her left hoof, and said:

“Right ! Why I didn't thought about that earlier ? Alright, missy, you will receive five hundred bits to spend in Canterlot for train, accommodation, and food.

Once it's done, give me a detailed report of what you have spent, and how.”

That begin said, Applejack went upstairs, for, supposedly, pack up the luggage.

Applebloom took me on her back, and also went upstairs for pack up her and my luggage.

While she was packing up my luggage, Applebloom said:

“Well, we almost did it Bernarda: tomorrow, we will reach Canterlot, and track Venicio.

Are you happy of that ?”

I smiled widely:

“Yes ! After all, he the only other human around here in Equestria that doesn’t want the death of somebody else.

Plus, he knows my status, and said that he was trying whatever he had in his power to send me back to my family, so I can't really say that I don't care about him.

Not that means much, since I care a lot for everyone I know, but I think you got the idea, Applebloom”

Applebloom closed the luggage, and said laughing a bit:

“Guess so ! Come over here, 'little sister' !”, and she did a nuzzle on my head, and I answered with a a playful hoof hit on her side.

She answered back, and so I did, then we started to giggle... for some minutes, it seemed that nothing else apart from me and she existed in the world, and that we were bound to gave to eachother playful hits.

During that exchange, I was so absorbed that I didn't even felt the urine going out from my bladder: I should have been used, after weeks of having incontinence, but I still felt very bad in wetting and messing myself up.

So, finally, with a last giggle, I said:

“Ok, that was very pleasuring, Applebloom, but not it's time to get back to work, and...”

I pointed to my wet diaper blushing.

Applebloom said with a giggle:

“Oh Bernarda, you aren't still used to that, don you ? Well, no problem”, and took me to the changing table.

13- Comfirmed Kill

As the say goes, “tempus fugit”: to me, it seemed that that only few minutes had passed, between my return my room, and the bell that announced the dinner.

Apparently, teaching the Latin to a 5-years old girl is quite entertaining.

Especially if that filly had a slightly Greek accent, while pronouncing some words; and if that filly sometimes did some jokes in-between declination.

And I was starting to like her, all things considered: she was quite smart, for be an equine equivalent of a 5-years old; she had a decent look; and, in a more materialistic perspective, she had a solid estate behind her.

Yep. Perfect.

If she wasn't going to change too much over time; if she kept her attraction towards me; and if she didn't got disinherited in mean time; I had already the mare that will create my bloodline, as Fate foolishly assigned to me.

Anyway, when the bell rang, I said:

“Uhu, it's dinner time already ?”

Indiva, while going down the bed giggling, said:

“Of course, silly ! You didn't heard the bell ?”, then she exited from the room smiling.

Soon after her, I also went out my room, for reach the Dining Room, where my dinner was awaiting me.

While I walked along with Indiva in the decorated hallway, the lilac unicorn asked me:

“You know, it's funny: we know each other by names, and we spent some time together, but we don't know anything of each other yet.”

I chuckled:

“Well, no, it's not THAT strange, but... yes, it will be nice know each other a bit more”

Indiva said:

“True. Sooo... let's get started: where are you from ?”

“I am from Ponyville, Principate of Equestria”: well, it was true, to some degree, even if, technically, I was from Massarossa, Italy.

Indiva's eyes widened a bit for the surprise:

“Ponyville ? Really ? My mommy told me about that town: there, the ponies bearers of the Elements of Harmony live: do you know them in person. And, in the same town, lives Princess Twilight Sparkle, an old friend : do you know her ?”

That phrase caught me a bit off guard: first of all, somehow, I had difficulties to understand what Indiva was trying to say, until I realized that Indiva was saying that Cadance told her about Ponyville, its most important inhabitants, and about Twilight... clearly, Indiva was distracted when her mother told her about their common past, or Cadance just didn't told Indiva.

After realizing what the lilac unicorn just said, I answered:

“Of course: I have met all six the elements in person !

Also, Applejack, the Element of Honesty, is also my adoptive mother !”

Indiva stared at me surprised, then she started to skip happily, saying quite loud:

“Oh my gosh ! I met the son of one of the Elements ! This... this... is...”

Well, appropriate reaction for a kid.

I tried to complete her sentence:

“Interesting ?”

“No, it's... it's...”

“Awesome ?”

Indiva stopped, pointed her hoof at me, and said:

“Yes ! It's awesome ! You found the word ! Have you ever went along with them in their adventures ?”

Oh, Indiva.

“No, Indiva, I didn't. And.... maybe it's good thing, since it means that no one is trying to flood the streets with blood, or send the logic and the physics eternally on holiday.”

Indiva asked:

“Fill the streets in blood ? Who would do that ? For what ? Blood doesn’t look nice over stone !”

I assumed that she didn't got the euphemism for “massacre”: understandable.

I explained it to her:

“Indiva, 'fill the streets with blood' means kill many ponies, so many that, eventually, their blood will flow in the streets, flooding it”

Indiva's response was just: “Oh.”

“Anyway”, I said, “Any other questions for me ?”

Indiva didn't spoke up, and just entered in the Dining room silently: clearly, the revelation left her a bit shocked.

Nothing serious, I suppose, but I guess that was a normal reaction.

The dinner wasn't anything of too special, and nothing of really interesting happened during it: the usual idle chat, common feature of lunches and dinners.

But the after dinner got interesting: as soon I greeted everyone in the room, and moved towards my room, a servant ran towards me, yelling my name.

I stopped dead in my tracks, and asked:

“What happened ?”

The servant, an old and wrinkled, bowed slightly his head, and said panting:

“Your... presence... is.. required in the... dungeons...”

Well, Franco wants to see me.

Alright.

I said to the old pony to lead the way, and he said to follow him...

It was time.

After the humiliation that Venicio inflicted to me the night before, I was going to attract that stupid Venicio in a trap, and carry him alive in front of Fate, and see finally Venicio in chains.

Or without the head.

Anyway, while I waiting, I was thinking about the overall result of our actions, and if kill Venicio was really worth it.

After all, Venicio was believed dead by my parents, so he had lost his part of the estate.

His absence also left us without his obnoxious behavior, and his rants about his supposed “moral superiority” over us.

Then why we had chased him for so long, five years, to be exact, and why we dirtied our hands with the blood of the children mistaken for Venicio ?

After all, we could just left Venicio disappear from our minds, and leave him at that.

And maybe live our lives more functionally, and find our place in the world

Place in the world

Only then I remembered what pushed us to hunt down Venicio, instead of forgetting him after his vanishment: find a better place in the world, than “mere corpse in the mass grave after the plague”.

And the envy towards Venicio's future life: an happy, fulfileld life, with a lasting memory in the family.

The snotty, annoying, and yet almost every-powerful child god Fate was angry with Venicio, because the latter, when he knew, thanks to the Great Ferryman, what awaited him on Earth, decided to stay in that land full of ponies, because Fate had forged a stone chess piece depicting him with long ears while while stepping on a turtle.

Symbolically, Venicio had in front of him a long life, and a lasting memory in the bloodline that he will create.

How this could cause envy in us ?

Our statues were made of fool's gold, were coarse, full of spikes, and had smiling ivory masks covering frowning faces.

The meaning of that statues ? Our life was going to be full of regrets and sorrow, hided behind a curtain of fake happiness; our glory wouldn’t last long, and fade very quickly, over to be fake; and the coarse traits and spikes meant that we were just a mob good only for kill, enslave, and rape.

Not a very good destiny, as you can guess.

However, Fate said that he could change our statues... if we brought Venicio's head at his feet.

Since what Fate was asking was killing a “unchained” human placed in a body that made him weaker, in exchange for a better life for all us three, we accepted, because we thought that was an easy task.

Turns out, begin “unchained” bears more advantages than disadvantages.

Not only he managed to defeat me at night in the body of a foal, he also managed to get believed by a pack of night guards, that immediately transported me to the cold dungeons.

My cell was a special cell, designed for the bipedal creatures: its ceiling was very high, compared to the one of other cells.

The cot found in the other rooms, in my room was replaced by a stack of dried hay.

There were more bars on the door and at the window, and said bars were so crammed up, and I could not fit even the little finger in them.

Not that mattered, since it was likely that Fate already found me, and was already on work for open the portal.

And, since I knew that the Eternal Kid was going to pick up my sorry ass, I decided to try to lure Venicio in my prison cell, only for grab him along with me, in Fate's “playroom”.

Finally, my hated brother arrived, escorted by two prison guards, armed with short sword, and a “raganella”, an old device that caused a very strong croaking, capable of alert every guard in the range of two kilometers: a good way to stop jailbreaks indeed.

Pity that my jailbreak was going to involve another unwilling person, and it was internal to the cell.

One of the guards levitated with magic the keys of the door.

Yeah, magic: Venicio took shelter in a world of faggots.

Anyway, he levitated the keys, and opened the cell's door, then let the gray pest enter in my room.

He asked with his annoying voice:

“What do you want form me, Franco ? Do you want to rant about the fact that I beat the living crap out of your miserable body ?”

I crossed my legs covered in rags, and said:

“No, I want to ask you... do you REALLY feel realized in live here, in a world where you don't belong to; where you can't show yourself as you really are; in a world so peaceful, that if even DARE to slap, or, God forbid ! Punch somebody, you will be treated as murderer.

Plus, all this color and happiness doesn’t shrink your balls, and, thus your virility ?”

Venicio faked a cough, and said with the most serious voice he could pull off, with such little balls and strength:

“Franco, living on Earth under your cruel rule is worse than begin different in a tolerant world, that let me show myself like really I am without too much annoyance.

And this world isn't so peaceful, that eliminated murder: simply, it has found a better way to deal criminals, so they have less reasons for do evil acts, and so, only few ponies actually commit crimes.

One category is the one of madmen that want to see the world engulfed in flames, and are so consumed by envy and rage, that can't place reason above feelings.

You are one of them, Franco: you resented the attention that my parents gave to me, and so, in perfect accord with Diana and Enrico, you decided to make my life Hell.

Unfortunately, if you keep yank the chain, sooner or later the dog will bite, and that's what I had done, once turned 14.”

Venicio's points left caused anger in me: he was going to receive a big part of the estate of our parents, and received a lot of attention.

And, yet, he said that he had an hellish life before turning 14.

Even after years and years, he still considered his rightfully-deserved beatings as abuse.

He was still a very immature child at heart.

And he needed to grow up, either by death, or even more pain.

But I kept myself in line, and awaited for the very low hiss that announced the aperture of a multidimensional portal: I smiled...

But, unfortunately, as soon the hiss started, Venicio screamed:

“Bastardo ! Mi vuoi portare davanti a quello stronzo di Fato ? Bene, dovrai passare sul mio cadavere !”: that said, Venicio jumped, and hit me on the stomach, bending me over, and made me collapse on the wall.

A blue light appeared over the pile of hay, and a gloved hand peeked out of it.

Venicio noticed that, and bite the hand, causing it to retreat, and a loud scream of pain came from the portal; along with the scream, the guard ponies entered, asking what was going on.

Venicio said:

“He is trying to kidnap m...”

I took him for a leg, and he started to flail his hooves in vain.

While he wasted strength, I crawled towards the blue light, ready for take him away: in my support, another hand peeked out, this time covered with a steel glove, and said:

“Grab my hand, Franco”: I obeyed, and proceeded to enter in the portal with Venicio.

However, as soon my head was in the portal, in the space between dimensions featuring only deep black with a white passage, I felt difficult pull Venicio into the portal: something was anchoring him to my cell, and it seemed that nothing could move him anymore longer.

I tried to kick whatever was stopping me, but I hit the air.

I tried to move my left hand towards the right one, in attempt to see if Venicio was grabbing hard a stone of the wall; but the only thing that I obtained was a bite on my hand.

And so I returned to pull in myself and Venicio in, using all my muscles, almost damaging them, but to no avail: Venicio didn't moved.

And another thing added to my already huge list of the things went wrong: time.

In fact, while I was still trying to pull myself in, Enrico, from the other part of the tunnel, said a phrase that freezed my burning muscles:

“Quick, grab him, and get in: Fate can't hold for much longer”

I hoped that wasn't what I was thinking it was:

“Why ?

“He needs to use the bathroom. You know what is his disgusting quirk”

Oh no.

Fate was keeping the portal open while he needed to go the bathroom, and he was near the breaking point.

I was, literally, in utter crap: Fate can keep open the portal as long he wants to.

However, he must concentrate himself on keep the portal open.

Not too much, but it must be in his mind right on the spot.

One of the moments where he lacked of attention about the portals, was when he needed to execute his organic functions.

Yes, you heard well: a god execute his organic functions.

Pretty standard, ok, but... he wanted to be watched while he did so, and be praised for that: even I wondered for such a thing, but I didn't digged too much in, since I wasn’t really sure if I wanted to know the answer for the weird desire of Fate, and I always witnessed and praised Fate.

Now, that habit was going to make my mission fail... or outright kill me.

I asked to Enrico:

“Could you please tell Fate that a true emergency is going on, and that he must shit or piss all alone for once, and must not lose concentration over this portal ?”

Then I suddenly pulled myself in, but I remained immobile.

Enrico answered:

“He doesn’t want to: he wants to do it with our presence, no matter what”

Anger got me: that kid was so stupid, that he prioritized his public pooping, over saving the life one of his servants.

I said angered:

“Then tell him that he can FUCK HIMSELF WITH THAT FUCKING PIECE OF SHIT-RIDDEN PLASTI THAT USES AS LOO !”

Then I pulled even stronger, got by anger, and despair.

Finally, Venicio moved a bit towards the portal.

Took by the happiness, and a sense of inhumane strength, I started to laugh without control in a evil fashion, without noticing that the portal was closing in over my hip...

As soon I saw that the portal started to shrunk down, I asked to the two guards ponies to relax a bit, for give a false sense of joy in Franco, and prove that he was a magnificent idiot full of him, and incapable of feel the incoming danger.

The guards ponies in a unsure tone if I was sure of doing so.

I said:

“Yessir, lose for a bit the grip over me, so you can relax your muscles, and give to that bastard the literal last laugh.”

The guards complied, and let mi slide slowly towards the portal, until the very tip of my tail was in.

By that point, Franco laughed.

Soon, I was going to laugh.

In fact, slowly, but relentlessly, the portal closed, until it closed over Franco's hip, fusing his lower body to the wall, like if his crotch was built in the wall, and not separated from said wall.

Sighing, I said:

“Franco is dead. I will get ready for the next battle. Ah, and thanks for your support, guards: without you, I would be in my brother's maws”

The guards looked at each other confused, then they giggled a bit, and said:

“No problem, Venicio. Now it's time to bed !”

“Guess so ! Good patrolling !”

That said, I reached my room, ready for restore myself.

As soon I put myself under the blankets, and closed my eyes, a music played in my mind ....

Youtube Video

14- The Revelation

The next three days passed fairly normally, without anything of note happening in the middle.

Yeah, the day after the death of Franco everyone asked to me what happened during the night, since they heard screams coming from the dungeons, but my answer was cryptic on purpose:

“I had some problem with... black waters plumbing”

I was referring to the fact that Franco, basically, was killed because he could not leave me for go into Fate's “playroom”, see Fate poop, and make him happy.

While Celestia and Luna figured out that Franco was dead, but never understood the details; Cadance and Shining Armour were left confused, but they, overall, didn't cared about it.

The only one that got interested by it was, incidentally, also the one that, according to the common sense, should be left out from such themes.

Yes, you got it.

Indiva wanted to know what I did in the dungeons of so loud and noisy.

I've tried to make her forget about it, but she kept asking and asking.

I, finally, capitulated while I was eating a mushroom ham toast with goat cheese: while I was eating, she forced me to look at her face, saying with a begging tone:

“Pleeeeseee... teeeeellll meee...”

Then she blinked.

That was pretty effective: I could not say “no” to a such cute face, especially if said face belonged to a very pleasuring filly.

So, after placing my sandwich back in the plate, I said to her:

“Well, it's weird to explain, Indiva, but I will try to tell you: basically, one of the prisoners called me for a 'talk' with me.

Don't ask, I don' even remeber what was his made-up excuse for having me in his cell.

Anyway, once I was in the cell, the prisoner launched a spell that opened a portal open on other worlds, and tried to kidnap me.

Luckily, the guards caught him before he could drag me in, and a fight between the captive and the guards erupted: the results was, of course, the captive killed”

Well, it was decently pulled off: no mention of humans, but I still stated that some guards were involved, and I talked about portals without talking about Fate; and seemed expository enough.

Indiva asked while flailing her hooves:

“Have you fought in the dungeons ? Oh, wow ! Tell me more ! Tell me more ! Tell me more !”

Sighing, I said:

“That's it Indiva, really”

She kept asking and asking, but I still refused to tell her more.

Indiva frowned, and asked to me what ? Had to hide to her.

I answered:

“You will find soon... maybe tomorrow, maybe in two months: this secret is all in the hands of Celestia”

And so Indiva stopped pester me, and started to beg explanation to Celestia, who, thankfully, didn't lost her patience, and said that all was due to be revealed.

Indiva was greatly disappointed.

After breakfast, before returning in my room, I asked Celestia:

“So, is the 'revelation day' already chose ? And, if the answer is yes, the trap is ready ?”

While the white alicorn bringer of the day walked away, towards the throne room, she said:

“No, Venicio, I haven't choose a day for your revelation, but I am thinking about it.

Fear not, thought: I will find it once the flood of red tape will calm down”: that said, she went to do her duties; and I returned to my readings in my room.

Five days later, my sleep was interrupted suddenly by the sound of hoof steps over the stone that made the floor of my room.

I opened slowly my eyes, and saw that the room was still quite dark, but with some visibility, sign that I was woke up slightly before the dawn, or slightly after that.

Either way, I didn't usually woke at hour, nor somebody ever woke up at that hour for nothing, so I said:

“Who is there ? What do you desire from me ?”

A very recognizable voice spoke up:

“Raise and shine, Venicio: today it's the end of your persecution, and the start of a new life.”

I smiled widely, and, in a burst of energy, I went down from my bed, already knowing what was awaiting me.... the day that I dreamed since I tasted for the fist time the fists of my brothers.

The day of Wrath and Tears.

The day, where my brothers were going to regret their choices.

The day, where I was going to prove that the Fate can be fought.

The day, where was going to sign my liberation from my past, and the start of a new life all projected in the future.

I followed the white alicorn in the hallways, towards a room that was set only for the occasion.

While I passed, the last night patrols bid good morning to Celestia, while the first day patrols did a military greet before moving on.

After a rather long walk in the decorated hallways of the building, I finally reached a big, red, wooden door, whose handle was too for from my reach.

Celestia lit her horn, and opened the door with her magic, letting me get in.

The room, unlike pretty much every other room in Palace, was lacking of objects: there were only four candle holders on the sides of a mosaic in the middle of the room, and nothing more.

The light of the candles revealed eight armored shapes in the limelight: said shapes did, I think, since I could not see very well, the military greet.

One of them, a red pony dressed like a red and black landsknecht dress, stepped towards the center of the room, and said:

“Greetings, Excellency. What is the criminal to execute today ?”.

I was offended by this phrase, and I said annoyed:

“Excuse me ?”

The pony rotated his head, and saw me: he stared at me widely, even if I didn't do anything of notable after entering in the room.

He said:

“Majesty ? With all respect for your great wisdom, are you sure of condemn a kid to such a punishment ? I don't think that he is even in the right age for receive the capital punishment...”

Celestia addressed to the pony dressed like a german mercenary:

“He is not here for a crime that he committed: he is here for regain his true body. You will see soon, Mastro Titta”

Odd: Celestia's executioner had the same name of the most famous executioner in the Papal State.

Anyway: the executioner bowed in excuse, and went in the shadows, for then return with a little book that he levitated with a red aura.

Celestia took the book with her magic, and started to flip through the pages at a fast pace, seeking something in them, likely, the spell for turn me back into a human.

Finally, the white alicorn stopped leaf through the pages, and placed the book over a book holder made of ebanon; book holder that I overlooked at the first look of the room.

The luxfero alicorn addressed to Mastro Titta:

“This is the spell you shall cast on him. Don't worry too much about hurting him: he showed to be a very resilient pony, in past occasions.”

That said, Celestia told me to place myself in the middle of the mosaic, try to put my front hooves in the air, and brace myself.

And so I moved into the mosaic in the middle.

To a closer inspection, I saw that the mosaic represented various ponies turning in every kind of animal or object: wolfs; harpies; cats; cows; sometimes pots... pretty much everything.

Said represented ponies were, mostly, weeping and/or suffering, like if the transformation was, for them, a punishment for some kind of crime; or it was painful.

Or both.

Either way, it made the place look creepy, thinking about the fact that the place was ridden with the tears of criminals turned into... something else; and the idea that the transformation in animal,or object is, actually, akin to the Death Penalty in Equestria was reinforced by the words of the landsknecht-executioner, and his name, the same of a famous hangman.

Anyway, Mastro Titta moved slowly towards the book holder, made several signs to the figures in the shadows, who lit their horns: the light coming from the aura gave a better view of the other ponies there present in the room, revealing that the other seven figures were covered by a black cloak with a golden “Ω” stitched over their cowls.

Then Mastro Titta lit his horn, and, after re-reading the page of the book, told me to stay up, like the rearing horses.

I tried once, but I didn't stood up for enough time for let them change me.

So I tried again, and again, and again.

Finally, at the seventh attempt, I was successful: I got on my rear hooves, and reached a stable balance.

From what I could see, from he horn of the supposed executioner, a red beam came, and hit my rear hooves, somehow liquefying them, and causing in me some pain while doing so.

Meanwhile, seven stripes of different shades of red started to whirlpool around me, making my fur fall off; causing me to grow up in terms of height; reducing my nose; and, somehow, creating from nowhere some fabric, that sew itself up while I was transformed.

This process wasn't painful at all, and, actually, it caused in me, for some reasons, arousal.

It was, indeed, the “weirdest boner” !

Anyway, after a minute or so of red stripes and beams hitting and whirling around me, I was completely changed: my red; small; agile body, was replaced by my usual muscular; big; pale white body.

Then I looked to my arms and my hands: I was wearing a brown military jacket with matching long trousers; black gloves and military boots.

Over my left shoulder, where was a green velvet rope, with some tassels hither and yon on the rope.

My green belt featured a black holster, with a Beretta 92FS in it; and, on my right shoulder, an ARX.

The weapons and the clothes I was wearing were familiar to me... I touched my head, and noticed that an ha was on my head.

I took it off, and saw that was a black helmet with a cockade of Italian Flag: over the cockade, a very familiar golden pin; and, most important, three black feathers.

Then I finally realized what happened.

Somehow, my transformation back into a human gave me the parade uniform, and the weapons, of a Bersagliere.

Namely, the Italian shock troopers.

I was pretty surprised by that, since I wasn't in such attire, when I was kidnapped by Fate; nor I had ever wear said uniform.

After my agitation wore down, I put my hat back, and said to Celestia while doing the military greet:

“Bersagliere a rapporto !”

The white alicorn said fascinated:

“Quite impressive dress, Venicio: is it your formal attire ?”

I chuckled:

“No, Celestia, actually, this is a parade uniform of a military unit of my country. Military unit that I never served in”

The white alicorn commented:

“It still looks good, somehow. Anyway, it's time do the last touches for our trap: come with me, we will discuss about it while we have breakfast.”

I nodded, and, finally, in my true body, reached the dining room.

Clearly, I forgot about the implication of begin a human again...

First of all, everyone in the palace looked at me oddly: they didn't freak out, like I expected, but they weren't unresponsive either.

When I entered in the dining room, my entrance was followed by a VERY loud squeak; and two awed voices saying:

“Celestia, what is... this thing ?”.

One, high pitched, lovely voice asked:

“Who is ?”

I said to everyone in the room:

“Venico Euilocleo ego sum, et hoc meam veram forma est”

After saying this, I looked at the faces of the ponies in the room.

They were priceless.

Cadance was looking at me in pure awe and interest, and, when she shake out from her awe, she asked to me where I had found my “dress”.

Once the pink alicorn heard my answer, she commented that, surely, it looked good, for be a military uniform.

Shining Armour, after the initial surprise, started to look closely to my rifle and my gun. He seemed quite charmed by both weapons, even if he maybe didn't had even an idea about what I was carrying; and, when he heard my answer to Cadance's question about the origin of what I was wearing, Shining said:

“This is a military uniform ? Well, interesting: I never saw any other kind of armour, or parade uniform, that had such a pallid choice of colors. But I guess they had reasons for do it like this”

What about Indiva ? She lost control ! She launched herself towards my legs, and started a flow of words and questions that I could not computer, for the sheer number of questions asked, and the noise she made while scraped my boot with her body, like the cats that signed their territory.

Since I wasn't sure about how to react to Indiva's behavior, I started to laugh awkardly , and tried to de-attach Indiva from my foot with my hands.

But what I got was just puppy eyes from the lilac unicorn, and my hands pounded by said filly.

I said to her:

“Come on, Indiva, leave my foot: if you do, I will tell you something about my race, before everyone else, outside from this Palace, will know something !”

Actually, I didn't meant to tell her anything about humanity before anyone else, since I wanted to avoid to tell about the human race with a bored voice; but I wanted to exit from that embarrassing situation as soon as possible, and so I said it to her, in hope that she was going to forgot it.

Luckily, she forgot about that.

My breakfast was, compared to the past days, was quite small: the only edible thing in range were the mushroom ham; the bread, and the salad: as you can guess, the other kind of foods weren't edible.

My lack of food was replaced by loads and loads of words from Celestia: she asked me where it should be held; where the guards should be placed; how said guards should be armed... a very long discussion on the trap that I wanted to set.

Well, it seemed turning out quite, well, since almost everything was chose in the minimal detail, color of the capes of the guards that were going to catch my brothers included.

Anyway, after eating, I come back in my room, telling Celestia that I needed to take a shower.

But, instead, I returned to my room for check out if I had some bullets for my rifle and my gun, and see how many shots I could fire.

After entering in my room, I put the rifle down, disassembled it, and looked at bit closely to it, only to see that it was already loaded with a cartridge, but with the safety still on: I decided to left it on, since I wanted to avoid accidents.

Then I took a quick look to the pistol, and saw that it was still loaded, and that I had other three cartridges for said pistol.

Well, it was decent: in case of danger with my brothers, they would suffice into stop them.

I reassembled my weapons, and went towards Celestia's room, in order to know where my “revelation” was going to happen.

Celestia told me it was in the Palace's courtyard.

And so I went there, already feeling the sweet taste of revenge in my mouth.

I was determined like I never was in my life.

Me, Enrico Eulocleo, and my sister Diana, were going to enter in Equestria, and avenge our brother Franco, killed by our renegade brother Venicio.

Venicio... that poor bastard.

I, admittedly, beat him up, when he was little, but I did because they told me it was the right thing to do.

Plus, his counterattacks were so weak, that I thought we were all playing, or pulling pranks, 17 on 24, everyday.

I thought that behind his tears; there were laughs.

I thought that, behind his despair, behind his rage, behind is desire of run away from home, but never do it for the estate of our parents; there was brotherly love.

I realized that Venicio didn't appreciated that only when he broke Franco's nose, after Franco burned down Venicio's schoolbooks.

I saw the scene, and laughed, thinking that they were funny.

But, when Venicio heard my laugh, he took the collar of my shirt, and asked me:

“What's so funny, Enrico, WHAT'S SO FUNNY ?”

I asked timidly:

“It is... supposed to be funny ?”

Venicio said:

“Ah, so, see your siblings fight is funny ? And, tell me, is this funny"

He kicked me

“Or this ?”

Venicio punched me in the stomach, making me whimper.

When I was on the floor, he said:

“Enrico, now, is it funny ?”

I said no, then Venicio asked me more questions that, honestly, don't remember right now.

Anyway, after a long streak of questions, he said:

“So, your reason for why you attacked in the past... is because you thought that it was the right thing to do, and that I was enjoying my beating ?”

I nodded: when I nodded, Venicio looked a me dumb folded for two minutes, and, after slapping me, he said:

“I knew you were dumb like a bullet... but, what the fuck Enrico, this throws away my last hopes about your intelligence !

Even after eighteen years of life, you can't tell the different from pure evil from pure good, AND YOU CAN'T SEE IF THE OTHER ONE IS SUFFERING FOR REAL OR NOT !

I know you aren't an Asperger, or an autistic, so you aren't justified: this is plain idiocy, Enrico

And, you know what ? Your inability of judge what's a joke and what's a serious business is one of the reasons for why I wish to leave this fucking fuckfest of dickheads like you !

I wish with all my heart to kill you all, but if I do so, then I will be disinherited, and goodbye estate and liberty !

And so I bear you, as I did in the past.

But, soon, you; Franco; and Diana will experience the pain and the fear on your skin !

You will repent for all your crimes you did on me... but it will be too late, and, over your mangled bodies, brambles will bloom !”

Only then, I understood that I was just abusing him, and I stopped to attack him, and, actually, tried to be helpful to him.

He refused any help coming from me, saying that he wasn't going to accept the help of a past enemy, in fear of back stabs.

When he disappeared, five years ago, I weeped silently: after all, I had to apologize to him for all I had done to him in the past.

Soon after his disappearing, the god-child Fate contacted me and my brothers, and offered to us glory, in exchange of Venicio's head.

Since the rewards was interesting, I accepted, but, since Day One, I always refused to hunt Venicio, and spent all my time regretting my choices; creating plans for convince Fate to give up to kill Venicio, and just capture him; or, once he is spotted, defend him from my brothers.

When we spotted him in the house of the equine farmers, I actually stole the gun that Franco was going to use on Venicio that night.

And, when it was time to reach Venicio in the Royal Palace, I didn't told to Franco what really happened to Venicio, despite the fact that I saw him picked up by a blue winged unicorn.

And I kept covering him, by telling to that stupid kid Fate random location in Equestria, telling him that Venicio was there.

Of course he wasn't there.

I actually felt a small desire of revenge towards Venicio, only when he killed, indirectly, Franco, by closing the portal over him.

Garanted, Franco refused to let him go, and just return to Fate's “playroom” for see the Eternal Toddler pee.

Granted, Franco could just have waited some more, and get picked up safely.

But I still felt dismay towards Venicio, and a part of me wanted see him punished.

Plus, since our parents, after hearing that they survived to one of their son (I told them that Venicio escaped somewhere in the world, and that was why we saw them only during Ferragosto and Christmas), over to cry like a river, actually thought about suicide, I felt a huge boost in my desire of punish Venicio.

Not punished with death, but still rebuked.

Anyway, after the horrendous result that he had with Franco, Fate decided, for his next try to get Venicio, to bond Diana to an airy rope, that, according to Fate, was capable of teleport the owner back in his room, if the owner shake it five time from left to right.

And I was tasked to give Diana the weapons, and Venicio's position.

For the first task, it was easy: just a Glock and a combat knife.

The second part ? I saw, on the TV screen in the Tatical Room of Fate's Home, that Venicio, dressed like a Bersagliere, was armed to the metaphorical teeth, and he had a big escort of armed guards at his side: basically, it was impossible go in the crow, and snatch him.

Or kill him, for the matter.

But it was still possible to sneak behind him, yank the rope, and get back to Fate's House.

So, I found a spot, right between the pulpit, and the crow, where Diana could land, and grab Venicio's foot without begin seen.

After I chose the location, I waited the order of open the portal...

15- The Speech

Five days had passed, since Venicio had left Apple's house, for the Royal Palace.

Five days.

But to Applejack, it seemed a much longer time.

The orange farmer pony knew that it was, indeed, a good thing, because it meant that she had modeled a very good pony, if he was chose to be accepted in the Royal Palace.

However, at the same time, she didn't felt ready for letting him go; and the fact that all was left vague to her didn't left Applejack totally sure, about letting him go.

He could have been chosen for be one of the next Bearers, once they will be gone... or a super soldier.

Use his adopted son Venicio as High-Level Secretary; or as Royal Executioner.

Basically, Applejack just gave blank paper for use Venicio.

And now, five days later, Applejack was called back to Canterlot, along with the Bearers of the Elements, for attend to a very unique event: the “Human Revelation”.

Applejack never heard of said “humans”, outside of the mythology books, and some low-end sci-fi novels.

And now she was “invited” to participate to the “Revelation” of said creature in Canterlot.

Applebloom told Applejack that the “Human Revelation” had something to do with Venicio, but the yellow young mare refused to expand her point about how Venicio, a colt, could be involved in a very special event that featured a mythological monster; but the orange pony guessed that it was just a baseless theory, coming from that silly filly of her sister Applebloom.

And now, Applejack was standing, with all her friends, on the sides of a light green carpet, and she was quite nervous, like everyone there.

Rarity was munching the extreme of her orderly-combed hair, and she didn't seemed going to stop anytime soon.

Applejack was tipping alternately her left-rear and right-front hooves.

Fluttershy was trying to hide herself in her own mane.

Rainbow Dash was alternating between grind her teeth, and murmur something at low voice.

Twilight stood perfectly calm and still, like if she was a statue, and not a flesh and bone pony.

Pinkie Pie was skipping on place, like her usual self, and seemed totally unaffected by the atmosphere of the moment.

After several minutes of waiting, a door, situated at the extreme of the green carpet, started to open up slowly, attracting the attention of everyone.

The six bearers stood perfectly still, looking at the big decorated door on the speech balcony, that separated the external from the Secondary Emergency Council Chamber.

Finally, the door opened completely, and, from it, a bipedal figure, dressed with some kind of brown military uniform, of the one used by the officers behind the front lines, exited, and slowly waved his arms in sign of respectful greet.

His peculiarities, over to his composure, and, clearly, the fact that the human was an aline, were his “accessories”: an olive-green belt was around his supposed “flank”, on this belt, a “L” shaped black box was hanging; on his left shoulder, a strange contraption was also hanging: said contraption was formed by an odd stretched box, with a smaller tube coming out of it, under said box, there was a smaller box, that seemed detachable from the main body, near the detachable box, an handle, and a trigger.

The right shoulder had a green rope with tassels.

On the head of the human, there was a black hat, resembling a circular helmet: over said hat helmet, three black feathers of unknown provenience were there. On the front of the helmet, a three-colored cockade was there, and, over the cockade, a golden pin an intricate design.

Both the higher and lower limbs were covered in black: however, while the lower limbs had a more bulkier look, and gave to the human a very heavy step; the “gloves” over his upper limbs gave him a sense of elegance instead.

His appearance got the attention of all six bearers: between a Rarity disgusted by the very pale colors of the uniform, but fascinated by the hat, and, especially, from the golden pin on it; Rainbow Dash that, after a rather fascinated look at the contraptions, wondered where he found such cool things; Flutttershy that just stood there in awe, in front of the human; Pinkie started to tremble with excitement, and almost skyrocketed herself in the sky; Applejack bowed her head; and Twilight Sparkle just looked at him with a gaze of curiosity.

The bipedal creature went past the six bearers, and reached his spot on the balcony: once there, a roar of awe came from the crow below.

Then he spoke up, with a very deep and intimidating voice, a voice fitting to his dress:

“Gauidite, Lauronis filii et filiae.

Venicio Euilocleo sum, et vir sum: ego sum in hunc loco forte. Pacem fero ad vos, et mali ad vos non cupio.

Cum in hunc amenum humum pervenit, parvulum equum eram, et in Malorum domum accipitus fui, et per quinque annos in Malorum domum vixi.

Postquam impeti ab fratris meis, Lunam noxferam in regiam me portavi.

Vos Reginam, Magna Caelestia, me hospitio excepit in sua regia per quinque dies, et suam virtutem mostravit.

Postquam, Caelestia imperavit me monstrare me sibi.

Nunc, ego sum in hunc loco.

Si aliqui, nuntium, nobilem, civem, interfuit non; me rogare, liber est facere hoc, nunc aut in regiam. “

Applejack stared amazed to the human, incredulously: the human, a beast tall like Princess Celestia and with an imposing look, just claimed to be the same little colt Venicio that the orange pony raised for five years.

She never thought deeply why his adopted son behaved oddly, was solitary most of the times, and could read since he was very little: he was an otherworldly begin disguised as a colt.

Pinkie Pie commented:

“Oh, so this friendly giant is your little foal, Applejack ? Well, they grow up so fast, that I missed like... 24 of his birthday parties ! As soon he will.. ”

Applejack chuckled both to the joke, and the inability of Pinkie of NOT thinking to parties.

The orange pony kept looking at Venicio, looking at his true form, and asking to herself if still consider him a son, or not.

Yes, granted, she still had Bernarda, as daughter, but Venicio... was with her for a longer time, and she seemed appreciating Applejack's motherly behavior.

On other hand, Venicio was still a totally different creature; with totally different goals, likely the desire of going home; and he was an adult anyway: it was likely that he was starting to wish to separate himself from his parents, begin them his true, or adoptive ones.

Applejack's thought were interrupted by a scream coming from the crow, and the imagine of Venicio stomping... something.

The speech was going smooth: I already said my intentions, and a brief story, in Latin; repeated it in English, and now I was waiting for questions coming from the crow.

The ponies down the balcony just stood there, looking at me either in awe, or interest.

After a while, I felt something grabbing my left foot, and a rumble coming from the crowd below the balcony: some shouts, louder than the others, said: “There is another human under the balcony !”

“It's coming from a blue light !”

“What is trying to do ?”

“The humans are invading us with blue lights ! We should have seen the signs ! The blue lights...”

I realized that Fate found a clear spot for make the portal appear... pity that a well-placed kick could end the career of my brothers as assassins very quickly.

And so, as soon I felt the hand trying to trail my foot out the balcony, I rotated myself, and stomped the hand: the hand got off from my foot, only for reappear over my right foot.

After stomping it again, I decided that the best course of actions was extract the gun, find a decent spot, and fill of lead either Enrico or Diana.

And so I did: I took my gun from the holster, turned off the safety, and went distanced myself from the place where I was standing.

My reaction triggered the response of the guards, who put themselves between me, and the aggressor.

Slowly, my aggressor went over the balcony revealing herself.

It was Diana.

That was unexpected.

She was one of the most stupid people around the world.

Diana was just a bitch that counted only on her “beauty”, really thought that she could and always refused to get dirty, and so see her trying to kill me in hand-to-hand combat seemed impossible.

And yet it was.

I said to her, taunting, and telling with a gesture to the guards to not capture her just then:

“So, what brings you there ? Are you here for reclaim your prize for your bitchiness, a life-long stay in a moist dungeon ?”

Diana put herself on two legs, and extracted a Glock:

“No, I'm here for put an end to your miserable life as beggar”

I said, pointing my Beretta towards her:

“You should be happy, if I am a 'beggar', since you wanted to reach the fame and the success, but you thought that, with part of the estate in the hands of your brothers, you could not live decently.

Well, pity that you had the moral level of a sole, and picked on your younger brother for envy.”

I clapped slowly my hands.

“Really a good choice. Really. You should get a Nobel for Peace.”

Diana raised her gun darkly:

“Watch out: I have a pistol, and I don't have problems into use it”

I grinned, and showed my assault rifle:

“I have an assault rifle, and a pistol. Your argument is invalid. Also, I'm certain that the Karma will punish you, by making the gun misfire, only to get to work when you, dumbly, look down the barrel.”

She put off the security:

“You aren't any better us: you killed Franco, and showed no remorse ! ”

I said nonchalantly:

“Indirectly: he refused to drop me, and he got killed. That's stupidity, Diana, you know ? And... how I am supposed to mourn over a titanical bastard like Franco ? He was, God-honest truth, a corrupted darwinist that didn't read a single bit of the 'Theory of Evolution', and thinks that it all about 'The strongest species wins. That's that.'. And Franco was envious of the attentions that I got for my weak immunitary system.

Overall, Franco was just a violent spoiled brat.

And you are just a girl that confuses 'zoccola' with 'actress', and, since you don't understand that, I will explain it to you: a 'zoccola' has sex for gain money, and, only occasionally, acts for pleasure; an actress acts for gain money, and has sex for breed and pleasure.

Do you understand that now ?”

Diana flailed the arm with the weapon:

“How dare you ? How you dare insult me ?”

I smirked, and said:

“Do ut des”

She said:

“Don't sue Latin phrases: you aren't talking with your faggot horse companions, you are talking with me !”

“Oh, right, I forgot: you are so coarse and stupid, that if I use Latin for talk with you, I'm committing slander to the Papal State.

Well, no wonder: Franco killed himself y trying to pull me in a portal !”

Diana's voice got angrier:

“That wasn't stupidity, that was bravery: he decided to take you to Fate, instead of do the easy way, and come back with a rifle”

I had an idea for use her idiocy to my advantage:

“So, since you are pointing to me a pistol, are you saying, implicitly, that you are a coward ? You should get me in close quarters.”

My sister threw away the gun into the crowd, and extracted a knife, then said:

“You are right Venicio.” She chuckled “Now, I will show you some moves that I learned over years. Don't worry, it won't hurt a bit, wittle Venicio”

I told the guard to raise the spears, and I said to my jumping sister:

“Yes, it won't hurt a bit for me”.

On Diana's face terror appeared.

“Because YOU will be turned into a canapè”

The emotion stuck on my sister's face, was one of surprise to find in front of her the death for her total idiocy.

The result of Diana's impaling was... quite a mess, to say at least, but I didn't minded it much.

However, some guards were disgusted, that disgusted that one of them almost puked, and started to wonder where that soldiers came from; and, behind me, a certain yellow pegasus fainted, while the other five stared in horror, wondering what just happened.

The crowd was in revolt, and asked for answers about what happened.

I returned to the balcony, and said:

“Una stulta soror verum evasit”

Indeed: a stupid sister just got turned into a piece of meat cooked on a spit.

Half of the multitude was left confused, the other half stared at me fearfully: clearly, the half staring at me understood that someone was dead... but not who.

After that, I left the word to Princess Celestia, in hope she could calm down her subjects, and returned to Diana's body, ready for tear off the corpse from the spear.

As soon I reached Diana's body, thought, I noticed a little streak of blood floating hour Diana's waist: said blood was up in the air, without anything that could sustain it: it seemed, simply, levitating without support.

I touched the area around the trickle of floating blood, and noticed that there was something resembling a rope, around Diana's waist.

Since I was curious to know where the rope lead, I shook it for five times the rope, for spread the blood further.

However, at the fifth shake, a portal, in the classical form a blue light appeared, and dragged me in.

As soon I was in, and saw a swirling white space, I understood where I was going to go, and smiled evily: the rope was an emergency tool for create a portal everywhere the rope carrier was.

Fate designed it to be used by smart people.

Pity that Diana wasn't a smart woman, and that I had found out the rope.

After passing in the swirling space, I arrived in Fate's throne room.

How I could tell it ?

First of all, the walls were colorful, spacing form bright green, to purple, giving a sense of nausea to whoever watched them.

On the floor, innumerable statues; dolls and so on lied around the red marble floor: said toys were mostly of lead or copper, but some of them were of silver, gold, platinum and God knows what other materials.

In front of me, a small pink plataform, connected to ground by a small stair was there.

On top of that platform, a small kid with a plastic crown and a blue night dress was sitting on a small plastic chair.

The kid was blowing bubbles, and eating a sandwich, totally unaware of my arrival.

Either way, he was too distracted for notice me, or the Eternal Toddler simple thought that he could stop me anytime.

Poor idiot.

I faked a cough, and said:

“Buongiorno, Signor Fato, grandissimo figlio di troia, quest' oggi ho un regalo per lei...”

The Eternal Toddler stopped blowing bubbles, and said:

“What you said ?”

I said, the same phrase, this time in English:

“Good Morning, Mr. Fate, great son of a bitch, today I have a present for you...”

Fate, surprisingly, said:

“Watch your language ! Otherwise, I won't accept your gift !”

Well, he wasn't aware of the danger.

I said, while preparing myself for charging:

“The swears will be soon your last concern...”

And so I ran over the Fate, jumped over the platform, and punched Fate in the face.

The kid started to cry.

I packed a punch to his face, breaking his nose, who started to bleed.

Then packed another one.

And another one.

When I was tired of punching him, I decided to pass to slap and kicks.

When I got tired ALSO of that, I passed to more brutal approach.

While I was doing so, Fate begged me to stop, saying that he was going to call some muscular far relative; that he was going to make me pay, once it ended; or that he was going to forge again all the destines that I wished to change.

I answered, respectively:

“I would be afraid of it, if it was true: having no relatives is one of the disadvantages of begin immortal, dear Fate. Now take our beating medicine like the man you aren't.”

“I have severed your chains, and no one is going to wish me dead anytime soon: how do you think to make me pay ?”

“I don't care I am fateless”

After some beating, I stopped: in front of me, a bleeding; heavily-breathing; crying Fate was curled up in the chair.

Fate's plastic crown had a close encounter with the owner's anus; the night vest was almost no more than a bunch of destroyed rags; and his glowing belt was still intact, for some reason.

What about me ?

My sleeves had a lot of spots of blood and mucus; I was feeling warmed up, and, yet relieved; I felt like a god, thinking what I had done: punched, and actually won in a fight, Fate, the controller of the lives of everyone on Earth.

Granted, he was a child.

But he could have answered with a lighting bolt; an arrow; a drop of acid... everything.

And, yet, the Eternal Toddler turned himself into a punching bag for my pleasure.

When I went down the platform, I screamed triumphantly:

“I am strong, you are weak; I am smart, you are stupid, AND I WON, LITTLE BUGGER !”

Then I felt that something was missing, something of... important.

Then I remembered.

I was lacking of trophy proving that I beat Fate.

In a normal case, I would have took his head, but, since it's an immortal god, I guessed that I needed to took one of his few clothings.

I returned near the weeping and bleeding kid, took out the knife, and tried to cut the glowing belt.

However, the belt didn't got cut by the knife.

I've tried several times, until, annoyed, I decided to just steal it by taking it off the normal way.

And so I did: I had in my hands, Fate's belt.

Satisfied, I put it on my waist, and went towards the portal that brought me there in the first place.

However, as soon I went near the portal, a door broke out: instinctively, I prepared my assault rifle, and said:

“Who is there ?”

Then I saw who was.

Enrico.

My last brother.

A dickhead like few.

He was so dumb, that actually needed an explanation by me, for understand that I hated begin beat by him and the others.

However, that day, Ernico's neurons activated again, since he put his arms in the air, and said:

“I surrender, Venicio. I will do everything. Everything, I swear !”

I went near him, ready for shoot him in the face, and re color Fate's playroom with red.

The red of blood.

While I was moving towards him, I said:

“So, we meet again, my dear brother.”

He trembled:

“I swear, I didn't wished you dead !”

I put the safety off.

“Nice try, Enrico, but you don't fool me: you are alone, without Fate's help, without your mortal allies, unarmed.

It is time to pay the price of” I cocked the first bullet “Of stupidity”

However, as soon I said that words, a strong hiss came behind: I rotated myself to see what was going on behind me...

16- The Final Word

I saw that the visitors was Twilight

I bowed to her, and said:

“Greetings. Are you coming here for see Ernico's execution live ? If it is so, take a seat, and watch”

Twilight stepped towards me:

“We are not here to see you kill your brother. We are here for save him”

I was disappointed, and quite surprised.

I said:

“Oh, yes ? Save him from what ?”

My rifle was proptly tore off from my hands.

“From you, Venicio: you are going to kill him, even if he is unarmed, he surrended, and claimed that did what he did to you in pure ignorance”

I said:

“That doesen't mean anything: Enrico could have seen the signs easily at the time.

But, no, he decided to stick with my other two brother's policy”

Twilight said, this time with an harsher tone:

“If you kill him, you will be worse than all of them combined”

I smirked:

“How ? They attacked me for 14 years, and did a contract with an immortal god for kill him. I thought that the winner had the liberty of pass the defeated to sword's edge.”

“Well, supposedly, yes, but, Venicio, Ernico is one of your brothers”

“And so they were Diana and Franco.

And yet you didn't fussed about them.

That, unless you realized only now that I killed them indirectly”

The purple alicorn affirmed:

“Problem is, they were actually trying to hurt you. It was self-defesne, and I should give credit for that, despite the fact that death wasn't, and isn't, really an option. But Enrico never tried to hurt you directly”

I said, while I was playing with the rifle's foadable stock.

“But he gave to my brothers my positions. Even if he didn't attacked me directly, he still brought me my enemies over me”

At that point, Enrico hugged my leg, and said

“He is right... I have told to my brothers where he was... but I always told them a lie, until, for accident, I gave them the right position of Venicio...from then on, I thought a way to diplomatically resolve our problems.. I wished thast this didn't ended like that... with two deaths, and two devastated parents”

My brother was trying to change their minds, and try to make me look bad.

I said

“Shut up !”

“Don't talk like that to your brother !”

I said to the purple princess:

“If you are so sure about his innocence, why you don't dig in his memoires, and see what's in there ? I'm certain that you will find MANY thing that will prove that he was actively trying to get me killed”

The purple unicorn sighed, and said:

“Alright, I will do it, after all, I know how to do it”

I clenched my hands, and let Twilight do the spell.

Basically, she just did the same thing that Celestia did to me, when I needed to prove my point, only, the circle was bigger, and purple.

After ten minutes, where Twilight made squeaking sounds similar to the “squee” in the series; Enrico who cried and laughed at the same time, and other weird things of the same nature.

After doing that, I said with a bored tone:

“So, did you found anything ?”

“No, Venicio, nothing that could prove that he was planning to kill you, and failed for either stupidity, or incompetence.”

I was left speechless.

So not everyone that I knew before I went in Equestria, was really an asshole wishing my head, or a person that didn't cared for me.

There was at least somebody that wanted with all his heart my safety, so much, to actively trying to deceive Fate.

It seemed too good to be real.

But it was real, I was really seeing Twilgith Sparkle telling me that Ernico wasn't evil; telling me that not everybody on Earth forgot me, or wished me in a coffin.

Enrico said to me, crying:

“Now do you velieve me ? Or you still want me dead for no reason, other than a past error ?”

I exited from the trance, ran towards him, and hugged him:

“Yes, I forgive you, and accept your desire to redeem, and I will reforge for you your destiny. However...”

Ernico sniffed, and said:

“However ?”

“You can't come with me in Equestria. I know that you wish to, but you can't: with your reforged destiny, our parents mouring over our premature deaths, and everything in between, you have a better place on Earth, rather than here.

Here, a new destiny, the fame, the joy, and the oblivion about what happened between us, awaits.

If you wish something more than your 'toy' fixed, tell me now”

Wiping off his tears, Ernico said:

“I have nothing to ask to you, nor to Twilight. Your forgiveness is fine enought for me.

Now bring me back home, to our parents, so I can tell them that they had forged two great men: one forged in war, and changed in peace; another forged in peace, and changed in war.”

I shed a small tear: my brother was so morally tormented, and fearful of death, that my pardon towards him was enought for him for live happily.

Sighing, I asked to Twilight to help me in looking for Ernico's statue.

After some minutes of research, Ernico's statue was found: it was just like how the Great Ferryman described it, and transmitted the same sense of defeat and despair that realeased when imagined.

I said to Twilight to turn the fool's gold in pure silver.

Twiligth said:

“Are you sure that it will change something ? After all, Fate might be able of recognize what was made of, before getting turned in silver. Plus, why keep the coarse traits and the spikes ?”

I pointed to Fate, still bleeding and craying, and said:

“the kid you see in front of you is Fate. He is a stupid kid: he doesen't understand anything. Plus, the spieks and coarse traits must be left because, even if I pardoned Ernico, I and him can't cancel the past.

Because, if somebody doesen't learn history, he is condamned to repeat it”

Twilight nodded in understanding, and proceeded to change the statue: slowly, the fake shine of the fool's gold turned into a dull gray typical of pure silver.

Some other minutes, and the silver was totally polished, and every piece of the doll was now made of the precious gray metal.

I took it in my hands, feeling the cold sensation in my hands, and could not help, but smile, thinking about how many blood was shed, for give to Ernico and me a good life.

How many livessaw the end before the time.

How many other people, despite living on, were changed by my fight.

But, especially, when I saw my human statue dissolve, and my pony statue turning in platinum, what I had archived, in my fight: I had humilated Fate; I had changed my destiny,and, maybe, archieved immortality, for what I knew...

When everything was done, I told Ernico to go home; while I returend back to Equestria, ready for reclaim my prizes from Celestia.

What prizes ?

Political power,.

An uterus for the bloodline.

And several historians for keep memory in the future.

And I attained them: Celestia, once she heard what I had done, after “purefying” me with a long journey around her kingdom as fake orphan colt; made me ascend to princehood, and, consequentially, to power.

The uterus was given by Indiva, who I “bought” thanks to a “fidlitatem ut uterum” contract: basically, in exchange of my loyality towards them, I was garanted ot receive Indiva's hoof.

Not that Indiva was reluctant to marry me, anyway.

And so we are at the last point: the hisotrians.

Well, you are one of them, and what you had just wrote, is my whole story.

That's all, from Dux Venicio the Fateless