Reincarnated Immortalityby LordCarnChaptersThe Lord of CarnageIt Would be FateThat one, such as IBe Doomed to DieSo That the WorldThe Lord of Carnage The bones of a fallen unicorn lie in the middle of a forest. Metallic wings protrude from it's ribs. A small satchel lay underneath the skull. This unicorn had seemingly died long ago. Hoof steps are heard, slowly approaching the skeleton. Another unicorn emerges from from the brush, noticed the remains, smiled to himself and said "Finally, I found you." His voice was deep and old, but his body was young. He had a black coat and a red mane, with a small goatee protruding from his chin. His eyes were an even darker red than his mane. He approached the skeleton slowly. The dark unicorn used to his magic to levitate the wings out of its ribs and he began examining them. "Damage is minimal, they will take time to repair, but they are usable." He stabs them into his sides with barely a flinch and stood there for a good while, waiting for the wings to connect themselves to his nervous system. After about ten minutes, he casually flaps then up and down to ensure they were still working. "Ah, it's good to have the ability to fly again. Now, where is my journal?" He examined the skeleton further to find the satchel. "Good to know I've been lying face down in my own journal this entire time." He takes the journal out of the bag and looks to the sky, not a single rain cloud could be seen. "Looks like its smooth sailing back to Canterlot, hopefully I won't run into any more chimeras WHO KILL ME!!!" The unicorn yelled into the forest. "No? Good because I'd rather not die again having just recovered my belongings." He crouched close to the ground with his 'wings' extended, and took off in one quick movement. After reaching a suitable height, he looked to the sun and estimated it was around 5:00pm and what direction his destination was. He adjusts his wings to the wind current and begins flying, a little shakily toward Canterlot. ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, Skygleam was a simple earth pony with no great role in society. Her special talent was gazing into the stars and discerning meaning from them. She owned a small astronomy shop back in Canterlot, and her cutie mark, was that of a telescope. She didn't make much money in her shop seeing as everything in it lasted for a couple of years. She had been venturing out into the woods to find a good place to set up her telescope to watch tonight's meteor shower when she had stumbled across the skeleton. As she heard hoof steps, she dove into the bushes. She watched intently as the odd black unicorn emerged from the brush, approached the skeleton, smiling, and heard him talking to himself. She watched as he inserted the wings into his body. When he flew off, she emerged from the bush and gazed toward the direction he flew off in to ensure he had left. She approached the skeletal remains of the fallen unicorn and looked toward the sky. It was the perfect clearing to watch the shower! All of course, except for the skeleton. She looked at it with disgust, she would have to move it for it to be perfect. She searched around for a long and sturdy stick. After finding one suitable for her purposes, she picked it up and used it to hook the skull lying in the middle of the clearing but as soon is it was disconnected from the main body, the entire skeleton and the skull disintegrated, leaving behind dust. Only a small satchel remained. She cautiously picked it up and examined it. It was rather small for a satchel, only big enough for a single large book. A label on the inside reveals it was made by hoof In Canterlot. A small metallic plate was embedded in the over flap. "Property of The Lord of Carnage, if found, leave it where it is." "You know it's kind of rude to go through some pony else's stuff." Skygleam's eyes widen in terror as she had only now realized the colt had come back. "I'd really like my bag back now, it's taken me a few hours to find it." "I'm so sorry, I didn't know it was yours!" "I'm sure you didn't Ms. Skygleam, but next time your looking for a spot to gaze at the stars, try looking somewhere else other than in the middle of a forest. There are many dangerous creatures that reside here." Skygleam couldn't speak after what she had just heard, she hadn't even told her friends where she was going or why. "You should probably go back home before the meteor shower starts and lock your door." Was this guy some kind of stalker?? Skygleam holds out the satchel in her hoof in front of her. The bag was magically lifted from her hoof and strapped itself around his neck. "Thank you." He steps a few feet back before shooting himself into the sky. His form had eventually disappeared into the distance. Skygleam gazed for a long time at the spot where he had vanished. She picked up her telescope and began walking slowly toward Canterlot. As she grew closer, she broke out into an all-out sprint, running as fast as her legs would carry her. She passed through the gates, up a few staircases , and through the door to her house. She closed, locked the door. She slowly slid to the ground and let out a pent up breath now that she was away from that crazy colt and in her own home. She removed her backpack and started checking all of her equipment for damage. Most of the lenses escaped any wear or damage but the eyepiece was cracked. She grumbled in annoyance, that was her favorite telescope and now she would have to go get Will to fix it. She looked at the clock on her wall, five minutes until the shower. She set her pack aside and grabbed a spare telescope from her display area. it wasn't the same but it would have to do. Skygleam walked out onto her own balcony and looked to the stars. She could see that all of her friends were preparing for the shower as well. She sighed as she set up her own telescope, she wanted to be away from the city when it began but that obviously wasn't going to happen. The sun began to set and the meteor shower had begun. She quickly focused her telescope on the meteors, examining them quite closely, she could hear everyone else "ooo" and "aaa"-ing at the spectacle. She couldn't help but be agitated, she knew this was going to happen. As time progressed, the amount of sounds she heard grew less and less. She looks up slightly confused toward her closest friend's balcony only to see her friend gazing wide eyed and expressionless toward the stars. She noticeed a small crease below her chin. Now, she knew her friend wasn't skinny, but she didn't know she was THAT fat. But then, she saw the small trickle of liquid red seep out the crease. Her eyes widen in terror as she realized what happened. Still she gazed at her, paralyzed with fear at what had become of her friend. She looked out toward more of the houses around her with similar results, more expressionless and empty faces. Her gaze returned to the friend that lived closest to her. The blood that had come out retreated back into the crease and her gaze returned to normal. Her face, still expressionless, looked over to Skygleam's balcony. Skygleam hesitated before turning to run to her door. She was about to turn the handle when she felt something running down her neck. She dabbed the location on her neck where she had felt the liquid and looked with fear full eyes at the blood on her hoof. She runs as fast as she can into her bathroom to examine herself in the mirror, there was indeed a crease across her neck, just like her friend, but there was no pain. She fumbles around her bathroom to find some medical equipment to tend to the cut, but what she didn't notice, was a small shadow that passed underneath her door. It pounced on Skygleam, searching for its entry point. She screamed before trying to frantically separate the thing from herself. Whenever she managed to separate herself from it, it latched itself right back onto her. It had eventually found its way to its desired location, the cut around her neck. She screams in pain as she felt it begin to burrow itself inside of her soul. It felt as if her entire being was forced to compress to make way for something much larger than herself. Skygleam could not resist such power. She took one last look at her hoof to see the blood on it get sucked back in through the cut from which it had come. It Would be Fate The wind softly blows over Canterlot's walls, providing a refreshing breeze to any who may be wandering about. The city was cast in an orange glow as the sun slowly crept down toward the horizon. The meteor shower would start soon. Carn's shadow passed over the main gate as he flew into the city. He scanned the ground for a suitable place to land without being seen, most ponies would not be accustomed to seeing metallic wings, much less, a unicorn bearing them. He spots a suitable alleyway behind one of the local taverns. His hooves touch the cobblestone road behind the "Lonely Dragon Inn." He glances toward the alley's entrance to ensure nopony was going to enter, before sliding his wings out from metal tubes still embedded into his sides. He begins folding the wings until a point that each were no larger than a small notebook. He secured them both in his satchel and then placed a chameleon spell upon his body to avoid looking suspicious in public. Carn started out of the alleyway and into the winding streets of Canterlot.He turned left toward the Craftsman's Square, he wanted to have his wings repaired as soon as possible. They were useable, but occasionally sent a jolt of pain through his body, causing him to lose his balance. He heard some quickly approaching hoofsteps behind him. He glanced behind him to see a rather panicked looking Skygleam run up to one of the doors on the opposite side of the street, open the door, and quickly step inside. "It's a pity that she must die isn't it Carn?" the voice echoed through his head. "But the darkness required one more... sacrifice... For their purposes. Ooh, and she was a pretty one." Carn continued walking but replied to the voice, in his mind. "I am merely in this world to maintain the balance between good and evil. If such an action was necessary, so be it." "Come on, lighten up, I was only teasing you." "I would have thought that after all these years, you would have realized that I was teasing you." "... Ok, point taken, but don't you think you deserve to relax... You know... For just a day? The last day you took off was about 200 years ago." "Yes and during that time, Good gained a rather dominant hold over evil which took me the next 100 years to undo." "What? It's not like you were going to do anything else in that span of time." The Craftsman's Square was in sight. "Why did I create you?" "Because you were lonely and bored." "Good point, now shut-up for a while, I have to talk to someone." "Why can't I talk to them?" "Because you are a voice in my head..." "Yeah but..." "Just be quiet!" The voice ceased it's chattering as Carn entered the square. He headed for a small shop that was rather tucked away from the main square, It's front door was hidden near an alley's entrance. The shop's sign identified it as "The Tinkerer's Workshop" below it in smaller letters read "and smithy." He pushed the door open and stepped inside. A gust of warm air rushed out into the cool autumn night, and a small bell above the door chimed. "I'll be with you in a minute!" an aged, male voice called out to him from a room behind the front desk. "I'm just finishing up an order!" "Take your time old man" "OLD MAN!!! There are only two people who call me that, my oldest grandson and..." A greyish brown stallion emerged from the back room. His body was well built and in a healthy condition despite his age. "Carn! Oh how ya been doin? You're lookin rather young. You didn't... ya know?" "It was a Chimera." He practically said it under his breath. "Well then, I haven't heard that one before. So what brings you into my little shop today?" "I'm afraid the wings have been damaged again. Look, you know I would fix them myself but I'm rather busy this week." "Oh yes, got all the time in the world but your too busy to fix your own wings... Alright, let's see what the damage is then." Carn pulled the two wing bundles out of his bag and placed them on the front counter. "It probably has something to do with the neural sensory wires, I've been getting pulses of pain whenever I shift to the left..." The colt stared blankly at him. "You've forgotten about the entire thing haven't you..." "Hm, me? Oh no I was just wondering when you were going to start talking Equian. Look, I'll just go through and check everything to make sure it's all working properly, I always do. Helps to make sure you don't meet an unplanned untimely demise." Carn chuckled slightly. "Alright, can you have it done in two days?" "Will do." Carn turned toward the door and rolled his eyes "Yeah, Thanks Will." Carn exited the shop and stepped back into the square. "So how'd it go?" "You were there." "Yes but I like hearing it from you." Carn sighed mentally and began walking back towards the tavern he landed beside "Better than it usually goes." "Did he ask you to pay him?" "No, but that just implies that he wants to get paid, more." "How are we going to do it? We did just die." Carn stopped in the street and looked to his right at Skygleam's door. "We'll find a way." He stood there a few minutes. "The deed is done... There isn't anything that we can do for her that wouldn't tip the scales, you know that." Carn turned away from the door and continued walking. "Why must the world constantly be at war?" That one, such as IThe door to Skygleam's house opened, revealing the mare herself. She stepped out and began walking down the street. Carn paused and looked back, she had closed the door but left it unlocked. "Having second thoughts?" "No, but I do know how were going to pay Will." Carn crossed the street and approached her door. "An agent of darkness requires no money." Carn continued down the street, a medium sized bag of bits attached to his satchel. "At least we don't have to worry about money for awhile" "Yes, well let's hope it lasts" The tavern was only a block away. Carn's ears twitched as he heard a familiar pattern of hoofsteps behind him. They had been following him since he left the square. The tavern was in sight, but instead of heading inside, Carn walked into the back alley where he had landed. The pony behind him followed. The alley branched off to the left where it reached its end. Carn approached the back wall and merely turned to face his attacker. The pegasus smiled contently to himself while he brandished a knife attached to his right front leg. "Ya know, I thought you were gonna be a little harder to catch, but walking into a back alley by your own free will is just unforgivable. Now just give me that ittle ole' bag attached your purse, and I'll be on my way." a thief, nothing more. Carn looked into his eyes. He was a simple thief, had a small family that he tried to provide for, member of a thieves guild that he had to 'help' establish, but he was only a thief because it was what he had always been, he knew of nothing else. Each scenario began to play itself out within his mind. Give him the bag. He would bring it to his guild where it would be distributed among its members at the end of the week. Due to the high quantity of bits within, he would be expected to bring in more which he is not capable of. The guild would 'dispose' of him and his family to keep its identity hidden. Refuse to give him the money. He would kill me, take the money and possibly all of my other things, but be expelled from said guild. they wouldn't want to get involved in murder and would alienate him and his family. He would be racked with depression having killed somepony over a bit bag. He and his family would enter poverty with almost no hope to escape it. Kill him. The rest of his family would suffer, and enter poverty. Incapacitate him, turn him over to the Royal Guard. Would be convicted of several crimes of theft and sentenced to five years in the dungeons. His family would turn to the Guard for protection having learned he was a member of this guild. Family support would allow him to find his true calling. Carn looked down at the pegasus' legs as they shifted uncomfortably. "Look just give me the bag I'll go." Carn gazed back into his eyes. "Your family will be most proud of you." Carn's horn erupted with magic, causing earthen spikes to erupt from the cobblestone, pinning the pegasus to the wall, two went for his legs, but instead made a platform for him to stand. two more locked his hooves in place and finally, one formed a claw around his neck. "I'm afraid you won't be stealing from anypony today. Now, if I were in your position, I wouldn't attempt to escape such confines, for you see that rock around your neck is as sharp as any military grade sword. If you were to even twitch the blade will cut open your neck. You would bleed out in a matter of minutes. I'm sure your family would not enjoy being informed about your death. Now if you'll excuse me, I have other matters that I need to attend to." "You can't just..." He slowly sipped in air. He could feel the pressure the blade put on his neck. "leave me here." "Ah, well I don't intend to." Carn shot a magical red flare into the sky, a common signal used by the Royal Guard to indicate that there was trouble. The signal was rarely used, and many guards would not recognize it, but some would. He walked back toward the alley's entrance, hearing a string of curses and insults behind him. "Another criminal spared by your hoof Carn?" The voice questioned. "He will go on to repent his ways. Even root out the thieves guild I had to establish to ensure the guard were still required to actually do something in the city." "Ah yes they did grow quite lazy over the years." she remarked. "But with the arrival of the darkness, they will have their attention divided, making them weaker. This stallion will reveal guild's whereabouts and expose them. The guard will be able to focus on the new threat at hoof after their elimination. This will however tip the scales again. I will have to do something else, something terrible, to keep the two forces at an impasse. While the force of darkness is strong, it is not strong enough. It will require another sacrifice, a leader, to balance this world." The voiced gasped in horror. “No! You can’t do that! That’s just… I mean… they’re sisters!” Carn had created this voice; it had its own thoughts, desires, and conscious. The only thing it lacked was a body. Due to it being a ‘separate’ being it did not posses the gift of foresight that he had been cursed to bear. Their thoughts were their own but they could be heard by each of them. He had nurtured it with knowledge he had acquired over his lifetimes, allowing it to develop as a child might have. “Every time I attempt to create balance in this world something else comes to destroy it. So, I must attempt to keep it as close to being balanced as possible. If one side were to gain permanent dominance over the other…” “Yes, I know. The world will deteriorate into nothing.” “She will return in time and when she does, other evils will rise so fill the void that she will have left.” “I know…” the voice sounded as though it were on the brink of tears. Carn exited the alley and entered the tavern “She’ll be back…” Carn felt the sense of loss creep into his eyes as he heard the clanking of armor echo down the alley beside the tavern. Be Doomed to DieWhen this world began, there were few worries or troubles to be concerned of. Life was simple, practical, and straightforward… I was brought into this world in the usual way. My parents taught me what little they knew themselves and forced me out of their home so I could find my own. As the general population grew, ponies banded together to work toward common goals. But as more villages formed, the higher the tension seemed to rise. They could not all agree on what was best or who had the right to do what. Soon, the petty arguments the villages had with each other turned into conflict and, eventually, war. I followed my friends into a pointless battle against our neighboring village for land. We sought blood for being denied what we wanted, and we were blinded by it. This was when I first died. A crudely crafted wooden spear struck me and pierced my heart. Fool didn’t even have the courtesy of removing it from my body after he struck me; of course, it was probably his body that I found next to mine the next day. All around me I could hear the sound of screams and death, muffled, but still distinguishable from my own amplified breathing. I bled out slowly on the battlefield as I desperately clung to life, hoping somepony would come to save me, but none would come. Who would come to save a savage killer? Darkness eventually crept over me long after the battle had ended, I finally accepted my fate. I could do nothing for the longest time but stare into the black void of nothingness, until I felt my head resting on the cold ground. I opened my eyes slowly, unsure of what I would see, and was surprised to see the battleground before me. Everything was in ruin; dead bodies littered the ground, buildings crumbled to ash due to the fire they had been exposed to. I could only feel sadness in my heart for the tragedy before me. It wasn't supposed to be like this... Tears filled my eyes as I saw all of my friends dead before me. I examined myself for injuries but found none. I stood up and took one step forward to find my hoof had landed on a book, or perhaps, it was more of a journal. It was made with a strange material that appeared rigid but was smooth to the touch. It didn’t have an elaborate design or any markings to distinguish it as significant except that it was kept closed by a small, simple latch. I picked it up with my magic and undid the latch. That is when I heard a soft chuckle and noticed the creature sitting beside me. I dropped the book when he spoke. “I always was rather curious.” He too had been looking out into the carnage. “I suppose that’s why I have a fascination with death. How peaceful it must be to drift into nothingness and never return.” I could not speak, nor think of anything to say to something so… dark, let alone converse with this creature. His appearance however seemed vaguely similar to an old legend your village held, but it was now merely used to frighten children to prevent them from doing anything wrong. The legend told of a creature that bore no fur, save on its head, grew no tail, and could conjure dark magic from two of its appendages, which resembled the arms of a monkey. His skin was primarily green and black, but was a pale tan around his facial region. Considering he was eye level with me while he was sitting, his height must have been at least three times my own. A staff, made of what I assumed were skulls of his own kind fused together, lay in the grass beside him. “Who are you?” He looked at me and smiled. “A simple question with a complex answer.” His gaze seemed to pierce my soul to the point that it felt like the tendrils of death had come for me again. “My name is Carn. I have watched the world turn for ten thousand years and in the process, attempt to maintain a balance between each of the nation’s power. I was chosen by our gods to bear this burden. One hundred years ago, our gods were destroyed and with them, my entire race. But such power and knowledge does not simply disappear, new gods will rise in their place, gods that your race will follow. When they are formed, my duties will be required once again.” So much information was dumped upon me, I could barely comprehend it all, let alone contain the endless stream of questions filling my mind to the brim. “Then why are you here? Shouldn’t you be preparing for their arrival?” “I’m afraid that it’s not my job anymore. I could not do what I would need to do to maintain balance as a member of an extinct race. Besides, I’m about to die again, hopefully for the last time.” “I’m sorry what?” “Ten thousand years is a miserably long time to live, especially when one must experience the pain of death every fifty years or so.” He smiled, but I could see the sorrow in his eyes. “You yourself have already died once.” He gestured a few yards to my right. I followed his arm and found a familiar figure among the dead, one I recognized all to well as my own. I slowly stepped toward it, frightened, but intrigued at the possibility of it being true, the possibility of being ‘immortal.’ “Go, bear this burden of mine my successor. The book will guide you.” It was the last time I would hear his voice. The questions that lingered were stowed in the back of my mind as I approached the body, wooden spear still embedded in its chest. It was impossible yet, here was proof that I had died and returned in a new body. I poked it, stiff, cold, but real. My first thought was of joy, I could do anything I wanted with little to no consequences. I turned back to the creature, but he was already gone. I ran back to where I had woken up and found him lying in the grass on his back, his gaze fixed on the sky, smile drinking in the sunlight that touched his face. I cautiously approached him and searched for some sign he was still alive, but as soon as I touched him, he began to disintegrate. It started slowly from the point that I touched his shoulder, and it quickly spread to the rest of his body. Soon, all that was left was the hard casing of his skin and the skull staff beside it. I looked back at my old body and discovered it had disappeared, most likely due to the same reason his had. I was left with so many questions of from which their answers only spawned more questions. Such a gift would not come by without a price. I searched for and found the small journal I discovered when I originally awoke. He was right, I was very curious, perhaps a little more than I should have been. I opened the journal, and quickly shut my eyes, half expecting my body to be absorbed into some kind of white light, but it never came. I opened my eyes and peered inside. Words. Nothing else, just words. Line after line of random names, dates, events, deaths… deaths? I saw my own name among those lines, as well as many of my old village friends who I had seen die on the battlefield. I kept reading through them, name after name, after name, after name, until I came across the still writing pen held to the paper, being controlled by my magic. So That the WorldCarn solemnly walked through the tavern's door and and smiled when he saw that their 'spot' had not been taken. His happiness quickly faded when he remembered the deed to be done. She would be missed by none but her sister… and himself. Immortality is a curse best shared with others, albeit his curse burdened him more so, having lived and died countless times since he had been ‘chosen.’ He had had several friends, but he always watched them wither, die, and turn to dust. There were few who could understand the pain he endured, let alone accept him for what he was. Luna was one of these few. “It will be another ten years before the event occurs, but I must make preparations for it now.” The voice did not reply. Carn quietly walked through the boisterous tavern toward the bar located at the back of the room. A few patrons’ gazes were drawn to him, allowing him to see that they were all utterly drunk, but they were drawn back to the merriment and festivities occurring around their tables and in their mugs; enjoying themselves too much to be distracted by the newest member to the tavern’s populace. Carn seated himself at a barstool near the edge of the counter and waited for the bartender to finish his rounds and to return. “Just a moment! I’ll be with you shortly!” he called from across the room. He served a few more mugs to a few tables whose occupants yelled loudly with approval. Somepony else sat in the stool next to him. “Why do stallions always have to be so loud…” Carn smiled to himself. “I don’t know, maybe they get some sort of pleasure out of annoying you.” “HA, I doubt they would be so joyous if they knew I was here.” “And I doubt any one of them is sober enough to realize they are in the presence of royalty.” Luna chuckled as she glanced around the tavern from underneath her cloak. “I suppose not… Still, tis good to see a friendly face.” Carn felt as though he had been stabbed in the heart with a poisoned dagger. “You missed our meeting last month, what held you?” She smiled at him. “A chimera… it was a… chimera.” He quietly stated, trying to recover from her previous statement. “Ah, well I’m sure…” she trailed off as the bartender stumbled through the crowd, making his way back to the counter. He opened a small gate, stepped inside, and immediately headed for a small sink. He dumped a few empty mugs into the water and hastily ran to the end of the counter to where Carn was sitting. “Sorry about the wait, now what can get foruuuhhhhhyaaa...” His speech slurred as he saw who was sitting beside him. “Princess Luna!” He fell to his knees and bowed to her “I had no idea I would be serving royalty today your highness! Please forgive me for not attending to you sooner!” She smiled, but Carn could see that she was slightly annoyed. “I’m just another customer, please treat me as such.” “Yes… of course, uh… your highness.” He fumbled with two glasses that he pulled out from under the bar. “uh… what can I get for you two?” “Cider, please.” The bartender looked from Luna to Carn. “The same.” He quickly rushed into a back room to retrieve the drink. Luna sighed, “Always the same.” “Perhaps if you disguised yourself more there would be a different outcome.” Luna removed the hood from her head, allowing her mane to flow freely. “Perhaps, but I do not wish to hide my appearance from my subjects.” The bartender returned with two full mugs of cider and set them down in front of his two new patrons. “Fresh from the bottle!” he announced with faltering confidence. He stood there awkwardly for a moment before saying, “Is there anything else I can get for you?” Luna was the first to respond, “We are content with this.” He bowed before stumbling away to return to his rounds. When he was far enough away, Luna turned to him. “Might I assume the incident in the back alley was your doing?” “It was, he tried to rob me.” “Oh, so it was he who engaged in conflict with you.” She lifted the mug to her lips and took a sip. “I don’t always start the fights, you should know that.” He followed suite and took a drink from the mug. The two sat in silence for a while, occasionally sipping at their drinks. Luna shifted awkwardly on the stool. “What hinders you from speaking with me?” Carn sat up and looked at her. He hadn’t realized he had been not only avoiding eye contact with her, but also limiting how much he spoke with her. “It is unlike you to remain so silent.” “I uh… just have a lot on my mind.” Her smile faded into a worried expression. “What troubles you so? Surely the world is not too far out of balance, especially with the thieves guild becoming a much more prominent threat to our society.” She chuckled as she thought of all the ridiculous demands they’d made for the return of stolen property. “No, it’s just… sometimes I look back at my lives and review what I’ve done with them, and all I can remember about them is all the times I had to do something wrong. Not once do I ever remember one prominent act of good." Luna frowned, and began to speak slowly, as if choosing her words carefully. "The evil you do is but a means to the greater good. We all must endure the hardships of life or we will wither and die. You only remember the evil you have done because it cannot sustain itself, forcing you to take more drastic actions to ensure our world is aligned. But everything you do that is good, no matter how small the occurrence, it multiplied ten-fold. While you may not see it, the good you do is beyond measure." She put a hoof on his shoulder and smiled. "Always remember that." Her touch pained him the most as he could practically feel the large amount of trust she had in him, but he look at her and forced out a smile. "Thank you, Luna." She removed her hoof, glanced about the room for a clock and gasped in surprise at the time. "Oh our dearest sister will be most displeased when she learns we were absent from our nightly court duties. I'm afraid we must depart." she quickly stood and turned to head for the door. "once again next month?" " I wouldn't miss it..." he trailed off slightly "We shall see you then!" Luna stood up and headed for the door and that's when he felt it. An inexplainable to urge to do something he thought he wouldn't have the strength to. Carn's horn glowed lightly as he focused his magic on all of the drunken stallions in the room. Normally, controlling another pony would require an extreme mastery of magic and perhaps a degree in phycology, but because they were all intoxicated, getting them to do his will would be exceptionally easy. He cast the spell, placed ten bits on the counter, and proceeded up the adjacent staircase leading to the tavern's rooms. His work was done.
The Lord of Carnage The bones of a fallen unicorn lie in the middle of a forest. Metallic wings protrude from it's ribs. A small satchel lay underneath the skull. This unicorn had seemingly died long ago. Hoof steps are heard, slowly approaching the skeleton. Another unicorn emerges from from the brush, noticed the remains, smiled to himself and said "Finally, I found you." His voice was deep and old, but his body was young. He had a black coat and a red mane, with a small goatee protruding from his chin. His eyes were an even darker red than his mane. He approached the skeleton slowly. The dark unicorn used to his magic to levitate the wings out of its ribs and he began examining them. "Damage is minimal, they will take time to repair, but they are usable." He stabs them into his sides with barely a flinch and stood there for a good while, waiting for the wings to connect themselves to his nervous system. After about ten minutes, he casually flaps then up and down to ensure they were still working. "Ah, it's good to have the ability to fly again. Now, where is my journal?" He examined the skeleton further to find the satchel. "Good to know I've been lying face down in my own journal this entire time." He takes the journal out of the bag and looks to the sky, not a single rain cloud could be seen. "Looks like its smooth sailing back to Canterlot, hopefully I won't run into any more chimeras WHO KILL ME!!!" The unicorn yelled into the forest. "No? Good because I'd rather not die again having just recovered my belongings." He crouched close to the ground with his 'wings' extended, and took off in one quick movement. After reaching a suitable height, he looked to the sun and estimated it was around 5:00pm and what direction his destination was. He adjusts his wings to the wind current and begins flying, a little shakily toward Canterlot. ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, Skygleam was a simple earth pony with no great role in society. Her special talent was gazing into the stars and discerning meaning from them. She owned a small astronomy shop back in Canterlot, and her cutie mark, was that of a telescope. She didn't make much money in her shop seeing as everything in it lasted for a couple of years. She had been venturing out into the woods to find a good place to set up her telescope to watch tonight's meteor shower when she had stumbled across the skeleton. As she heard hoof steps, she dove into the bushes. She watched intently as the odd black unicorn emerged from the brush, approached the skeleton, smiling, and heard him talking to himself. She watched as he inserted the wings into his body. When he flew off, she emerged from the bush and gazed toward the direction he flew off in to ensure he had left. She approached the skeletal remains of the fallen unicorn and looked toward the sky. It was the perfect clearing to watch the shower! All of course, except for the skeleton. She looked at it with disgust, she would have to move it for it to be perfect. She searched around for a long and sturdy stick. After finding one suitable for her purposes, she picked it up and used it to hook the skull lying in the middle of the clearing but as soon is it was disconnected from the main body, the entire skeleton and the skull disintegrated, leaving behind dust. Only a small satchel remained. She cautiously picked it up and examined it. It was rather small for a satchel, only big enough for a single large book. A label on the inside reveals it was made by hoof In Canterlot. A small metallic plate was embedded in the over flap. "Property of The Lord of Carnage, if found, leave it where it is." "You know it's kind of rude to go through some pony else's stuff." Skygleam's eyes widen in terror as she had only now realized the colt had come back. "I'd really like my bag back now, it's taken me a few hours to find it." "I'm so sorry, I didn't know it was yours!" "I'm sure you didn't Ms. Skygleam, but next time your looking for a spot to gaze at the stars, try looking somewhere else other than in the middle of a forest. There are many dangerous creatures that reside here." Skygleam couldn't speak after what she had just heard, she hadn't even told her friends where she was going or why. "You should probably go back home before the meteor shower starts and lock your door." Was this guy some kind of stalker?? Skygleam holds out the satchel in her hoof in front of her. The bag was magically lifted from her hoof and strapped itself around his neck. "Thank you." He steps a few feet back before shooting himself into the sky. His form had eventually disappeared into the distance. Skygleam gazed for a long time at the spot where he had vanished. She picked up her telescope and began walking slowly toward Canterlot. As she grew closer, she broke out into an all-out sprint, running as fast as her legs would carry her. She passed through the gates, up a few staircases , and through the door to her house. She closed, locked the door. She slowly slid to the ground and let out a pent up breath now that she was away from that crazy colt and in her own home. She removed her backpack and started checking all of her equipment for damage. Most of the lenses escaped any wear or damage but the eyepiece was cracked. She grumbled in annoyance, that was her favorite telescope and now she would have to go get Will to fix it. She looked at the clock on her wall, five minutes until the shower. She set her pack aside and grabbed a spare telescope from her display area. it wasn't the same but it would have to do. Skygleam walked out onto her own balcony and looked to the stars. She could see that all of her friends were preparing for the shower as well. She sighed as she set up her own telescope, she wanted to be away from the city when it began but that obviously wasn't going to happen. The sun began to set and the meteor shower had begun. She quickly focused her telescope on the meteors, examining them quite closely, she could hear everyone else "ooo" and "aaa"-ing at the spectacle. She couldn't help but be agitated, she knew this was going to happen. As time progressed, the amount of sounds she heard grew less and less. She looks up slightly confused toward her closest friend's balcony only to see her friend gazing wide eyed and expressionless toward the stars. She noticeed a small crease below her chin. Now, she knew her friend wasn't skinny, but she didn't know she was THAT fat. But then, she saw the small trickle of liquid red seep out the crease. Her eyes widen in terror as she realized what happened. Still she gazed at her, paralyzed with fear at what had become of her friend. She looked out toward more of the houses around her with similar results, more expressionless and empty faces. Her gaze returned to the friend that lived closest to her. The blood that had come out retreated back into the crease and her gaze returned to normal. Her face, still expressionless, looked over to Skygleam's balcony. Skygleam hesitated before turning to run to her door. She was about to turn the handle when she felt something running down her neck. She dabbed the location on her neck where she had felt the liquid and looked with fear full eyes at the blood on her hoof. She runs as fast as she can into her bathroom to examine herself in the mirror, there was indeed a crease across her neck, just like her friend, but there was no pain. She fumbles around her bathroom to find some medical equipment to tend to the cut, but what she didn't notice, was a small shadow that passed underneath her door. It pounced on Skygleam, searching for its entry point. She screamed before trying to frantically separate the thing from herself. Whenever she managed to separate herself from it, it latched itself right back onto her. It had eventually found its way to its desired location, the cut around her neck. She screams in pain as she felt it begin to burrow itself inside of her soul. It felt as if her entire being was forced to compress to make way for something much larger than herself. Skygleam could not resist such power. She took one last look at her hoof to see the blood on it get sucked back in through the cut from which it had come.
It Would be Fate The wind softly blows over Canterlot's walls, providing a refreshing breeze to any who may be wandering about. The city was cast in an orange glow as the sun slowly crept down toward the horizon. The meteor shower would start soon. Carn's shadow passed over the main gate as he flew into the city. He scanned the ground for a suitable place to land without being seen, most ponies would not be accustomed to seeing metallic wings, much less, a unicorn bearing them. He spots a suitable alleyway behind one of the local taverns. His hooves touch the cobblestone road behind the "Lonely Dragon Inn." He glances toward the alley's entrance to ensure nopony was going to enter, before sliding his wings out from metal tubes still embedded into his sides. He begins folding the wings until a point that each were no larger than a small notebook. He secured them both in his satchel and then placed a chameleon spell upon his body to avoid looking suspicious in public. Carn started out of the alleyway and into the winding streets of Canterlot.He turned left toward the Craftsman's Square, he wanted to have his wings repaired as soon as possible. They were useable, but occasionally sent a jolt of pain through his body, causing him to lose his balance. He heard some quickly approaching hoofsteps behind him. He glanced behind him to see a rather panicked looking Skygleam run up to one of the doors on the opposite side of the street, open the door, and quickly step inside. "It's a pity that she must die isn't it Carn?" the voice echoed through his head. "But the darkness required one more... sacrifice... For their purposes. Ooh, and she was a pretty one." Carn continued walking but replied to the voice, in his mind. "I am merely in this world to maintain the balance between good and evil. If such an action was necessary, so be it." "Come on, lighten up, I was only teasing you." "I would have thought that after all these years, you would have realized that I was teasing you." "... Ok, point taken, but don't you think you deserve to relax... You know... For just a day? The last day you took off was about 200 years ago." "Yes and during that time, Good gained a rather dominant hold over evil which took me the next 100 years to undo." "What? It's not like you were going to do anything else in that span of time." The Craftsman's Square was in sight. "Why did I create you?" "Because you were lonely and bored." "Good point, now shut-up for a while, I have to talk to someone." "Why can't I talk to them?" "Because you are a voice in my head..." "Yeah but..." "Just be quiet!" The voice ceased it's chattering as Carn entered the square. He headed for a small shop that was rather tucked away from the main square, It's front door was hidden near an alley's entrance. The shop's sign identified it as "The Tinkerer's Workshop" below it in smaller letters read "and smithy." He pushed the door open and stepped inside. A gust of warm air rushed out into the cool autumn night, and a small bell above the door chimed. "I'll be with you in a minute!" an aged, male voice called out to him from a room behind the front desk. "I'm just finishing up an order!" "Take your time old man" "OLD MAN!!! There are only two people who call me that, my oldest grandson and..." A greyish brown stallion emerged from the back room. His body was well built and in a healthy condition despite his age. "Carn! Oh how ya been doin? You're lookin rather young. You didn't... ya know?" "It was a Chimera." He practically said it under his breath. "Well then, I haven't heard that one before. So what brings you into my little shop today?" "I'm afraid the wings have been damaged again. Look, you know I would fix them myself but I'm rather busy this week." "Oh yes, got all the time in the world but your too busy to fix your own wings... Alright, let's see what the damage is then." Carn pulled the two wing bundles out of his bag and placed them on the front counter. "It probably has something to do with the neural sensory wires, I've been getting pulses of pain whenever I shift to the left..." The colt stared blankly at him. "You've forgotten about the entire thing haven't you..." "Hm, me? Oh no I was just wondering when you were going to start talking Equian. Look, I'll just go through and check everything to make sure it's all working properly, I always do. Helps to make sure you don't meet an unplanned untimely demise." Carn chuckled slightly. "Alright, can you have it done in two days?" "Will do." Carn turned toward the door and rolled his eyes "Yeah, Thanks Will." Carn exited the shop and stepped back into the square. "So how'd it go?" "You were there." "Yes but I like hearing it from you." Carn sighed mentally and began walking back towards the tavern he landed beside "Better than it usually goes." "Did he ask you to pay him?" "No, but that just implies that he wants to get paid, more." "How are we going to do it? We did just die." Carn stopped in the street and looked to his right at Skygleam's door. "We'll find a way." He stood there a few minutes. "The deed is done... There isn't anything that we can do for her that wouldn't tip the scales, you know that." Carn turned away from the door and continued walking. "Why must the world constantly be at war?"
That one, such as IThe door to Skygleam's house opened, revealing the mare herself. She stepped out and began walking down the street. Carn paused and looked back, she had closed the door but left it unlocked. "Having second thoughts?" "No, but I do know how were going to pay Will." Carn crossed the street and approached her door. "An agent of darkness requires no money." Carn continued down the street, a medium sized bag of bits attached to his satchel. "At least we don't have to worry about money for awhile" "Yes, well let's hope it lasts" The tavern was only a block away. Carn's ears twitched as he heard a familiar pattern of hoofsteps behind him. They had been following him since he left the square. The tavern was in sight, but instead of heading inside, Carn walked into the back alley where he had landed. The pony behind him followed. The alley branched off to the left where it reached its end. Carn approached the back wall and merely turned to face his attacker. The pegasus smiled contently to himself while he brandished a knife attached to his right front leg. "Ya know, I thought you were gonna be a little harder to catch, but walking into a back alley by your own free will is just unforgivable. Now just give me that ittle ole' bag attached your purse, and I'll be on my way." a thief, nothing more. Carn looked into his eyes. He was a simple thief, had a small family that he tried to provide for, member of a thieves guild that he had to 'help' establish, but he was only a thief because it was what he had always been, he knew of nothing else. Each scenario began to play itself out within his mind. Give him the bag. He would bring it to his guild where it would be distributed among its members at the end of the week. Due to the high quantity of bits within, he would be expected to bring in more which he is not capable of. The guild would 'dispose' of him and his family to keep its identity hidden. Refuse to give him the money. He would kill me, take the money and possibly all of my other things, but be expelled from said guild. they wouldn't want to get involved in murder and would alienate him and his family. He would be racked with depression having killed somepony over a bit bag. He and his family would enter poverty with almost no hope to escape it. Kill him. The rest of his family would suffer, and enter poverty. Incapacitate him, turn him over to the Royal Guard. Would be convicted of several crimes of theft and sentenced to five years in the dungeons. His family would turn to the Guard for protection having learned he was a member of this guild. Family support would allow him to find his true calling. Carn looked down at the pegasus' legs as they shifted uncomfortably. "Look just give me the bag I'll go." Carn gazed back into his eyes. "Your family will be most proud of you." Carn's horn erupted with magic, causing earthen spikes to erupt from the cobblestone, pinning the pegasus to the wall, two went for his legs, but instead made a platform for him to stand. two more locked his hooves in place and finally, one formed a claw around his neck. "I'm afraid you won't be stealing from anypony today. Now, if I were in your position, I wouldn't attempt to escape such confines, for you see that rock around your neck is as sharp as any military grade sword. If you were to even twitch the blade will cut open your neck. You would bleed out in a matter of minutes. I'm sure your family would not enjoy being informed about your death. Now if you'll excuse me, I have other matters that I need to attend to." "You can't just..." He slowly sipped in air. He could feel the pressure the blade put on his neck. "leave me here." "Ah, well I don't intend to." Carn shot a magical red flare into the sky, a common signal used by the Royal Guard to indicate that there was trouble. The signal was rarely used, and many guards would not recognize it, but some would. He walked back toward the alley's entrance, hearing a string of curses and insults behind him. "Another criminal spared by your hoof Carn?" The voice questioned. "He will go on to repent his ways. Even root out the thieves guild I had to establish to ensure the guard were still required to actually do something in the city." "Ah yes they did grow quite lazy over the years." she remarked. "But with the arrival of the darkness, they will have their attention divided, making them weaker. This stallion will reveal guild's whereabouts and expose them. The guard will be able to focus on the new threat at hoof after their elimination. This will however tip the scales again. I will have to do something else, something terrible, to keep the two forces at an impasse. While the force of darkness is strong, it is not strong enough. It will require another sacrifice, a leader, to balance this world." The voiced gasped in horror. “No! You can’t do that! That’s just… I mean… they’re sisters!” Carn had created this voice; it had its own thoughts, desires, and conscious. The only thing it lacked was a body. Due to it being a ‘separate’ being it did not posses the gift of foresight that he had been cursed to bear. Their thoughts were their own but they could be heard by each of them. He had nurtured it with knowledge he had acquired over his lifetimes, allowing it to develop as a child might have. “Every time I attempt to create balance in this world something else comes to destroy it. So, I must attempt to keep it as close to being balanced as possible. If one side were to gain permanent dominance over the other…” “Yes, I know. The world will deteriorate into nothing.” “She will return in time and when she does, other evils will rise so fill the void that she will have left.” “I know…” the voice sounded as though it were on the brink of tears. Carn exited the alley and entered the tavern “She’ll be back…” Carn felt the sense of loss creep into his eyes as he heard the clanking of armor echo down the alley beside the tavern.
Be Doomed to DieWhen this world began, there were few worries or troubles to be concerned of. Life was simple, practical, and straightforward… I was brought into this world in the usual way. My parents taught me what little they knew themselves and forced me out of their home so I could find my own. As the general population grew, ponies banded together to work toward common goals. But as more villages formed, the higher the tension seemed to rise. They could not all agree on what was best or who had the right to do what. Soon, the petty arguments the villages had with each other turned into conflict and, eventually, war. I followed my friends into a pointless battle against our neighboring village for land. We sought blood for being denied what we wanted, and we were blinded by it. This was when I first died. A crudely crafted wooden spear struck me and pierced my heart. Fool didn’t even have the courtesy of removing it from my body after he struck me; of course, it was probably his body that I found next to mine the next day. All around me I could hear the sound of screams and death, muffled, but still distinguishable from my own amplified breathing. I bled out slowly on the battlefield as I desperately clung to life, hoping somepony would come to save me, but none would come. Who would come to save a savage killer? Darkness eventually crept over me long after the battle had ended, I finally accepted my fate. I could do nothing for the longest time but stare into the black void of nothingness, until I felt my head resting on the cold ground. I opened my eyes slowly, unsure of what I would see, and was surprised to see the battleground before me. Everything was in ruin; dead bodies littered the ground, buildings crumbled to ash due to the fire they had been exposed to. I could only feel sadness in my heart for the tragedy before me. It wasn't supposed to be like this... Tears filled my eyes as I saw all of my friends dead before me. I examined myself for injuries but found none. I stood up and took one step forward to find my hoof had landed on a book, or perhaps, it was more of a journal. It was made with a strange material that appeared rigid but was smooth to the touch. It didn’t have an elaborate design or any markings to distinguish it as significant except that it was kept closed by a small, simple latch. I picked it up with my magic and undid the latch. That is when I heard a soft chuckle and noticed the creature sitting beside me. I dropped the book when he spoke. “I always was rather curious.” He too had been looking out into the carnage. “I suppose that’s why I have a fascination with death. How peaceful it must be to drift into nothingness and never return.” I could not speak, nor think of anything to say to something so… dark, let alone converse with this creature. His appearance however seemed vaguely similar to an old legend your village held, but it was now merely used to frighten children to prevent them from doing anything wrong. The legend told of a creature that bore no fur, save on its head, grew no tail, and could conjure dark magic from two of its appendages, which resembled the arms of a monkey. His skin was primarily green and black, but was a pale tan around his facial region. Considering he was eye level with me while he was sitting, his height must have been at least three times my own. A staff, made of what I assumed were skulls of his own kind fused together, lay in the grass beside him. “Who are you?” He looked at me and smiled. “A simple question with a complex answer.” His gaze seemed to pierce my soul to the point that it felt like the tendrils of death had come for me again. “My name is Carn. I have watched the world turn for ten thousand years and in the process, attempt to maintain a balance between each of the nation’s power. I was chosen by our gods to bear this burden. One hundred years ago, our gods were destroyed and with them, my entire race. But such power and knowledge does not simply disappear, new gods will rise in their place, gods that your race will follow. When they are formed, my duties will be required once again.” So much information was dumped upon me, I could barely comprehend it all, let alone contain the endless stream of questions filling my mind to the brim. “Then why are you here? Shouldn’t you be preparing for their arrival?” “I’m afraid that it’s not my job anymore. I could not do what I would need to do to maintain balance as a member of an extinct race. Besides, I’m about to die again, hopefully for the last time.” “I’m sorry what?” “Ten thousand years is a miserably long time to live, especially when one must experience the pain of death every fifty years or so.” He smiled, but I could see the sorrow in his eyes. “You yourself have already died once.” He gestured a few yards to my right. I followed his arm and found a familiar figure among the dead, one I recognized all to well as my own. I slowly stepped toward it, frightened, but intrigued at the possibility of it being true, the possibility of being ‘immortal.’ “Go, bear this burden of mine my successor. The book will guide you.” It was the last time I would hear his voice. The questions that lingered were stowed in the back of my mind as I approached the body, wooden spear still embedded in its chest. It was impossible yet, here was proof that I had died and returned in a new body. I poked it, stiff, cold, but real. My first thought was of joy, I could do anything I wanted with little to no consequences. I turned back to the creature, but he was already gone. I ran back to where I had woken up and found him lying in the grass on his back, his gaze fixed on the sky, smile drinking in the sunlight that touched his face. I cautiously approached him and searched for some sign he was still alive, but as soon as I touched him, he began to disintegrate. It started slowly from the point that I touched his shoulder, and it quickly spread to the rest of his body. Soon, all that was left was the hard casing of his skin and the skull staff beside it. I looked back at my old body and discovered it had disappeared, most likely due to the same reason his had. I was left with so many questions of from which their answers only spawned more questions. Such a gift would not come by without a price. I searched for and found the small journal I discovered when I originally awoke. He was right, I was very curious, perhaps a little more than I should have been. I opened the journal, and quickly shut my eyes, half expecting my body to be absorbed into some kind of white light, but it never came. I opened my eyes and peered inside. Words. Nothing else, just words. Line after line of random names, dates, events, deaths… deaths? I saw my own name among those lines, as well as many of my old village friends who I had seen die on the battlefield. I kept reading through them, name after name, after name, after name, until I came across the still writing pen held to the paper, being controlled by my magic.
So That the WorldCarn solemnly walked through the tavern's door and and smiled when he saw that their 'spot' had not been taken. His happiness quickly faded when he remembered the deed to be done. She would be missed by none but her sister… and himself. Immortality is a curse best shared with others, albeit his curse burdened him more so, having lived and died countless times since he had been ‘chosen.’ He had had several friends, but he always watched them wither, die, and turn to dust. There were few who could understand the pain he endured, let alone accept him for what he was. Luna was one of these few. “It will be another ten years before the event occurs, but I must make preparations for it now.” The voice did not reply. Carn quietly walked through the boisterous tavern toward the bar located at the back of the room. A few patrons’ gazes were drawn to him, allowing him to see that they were all utterly drunk, but they were drawn back to the merriment and festivities occurring around their tables and in their mugs; enjoying themselves too much to be distracted by the newest member to the tavern’s populace. Carn seated himself at a barstool near the edge of the counter and waited for the bartender to finish his rounds and to return. “Just a moment! I’ll be with you shortly!” he called from across the room. He served a few more mugs to a few tables whose occupants yelled loudly with approval. Somepony else sat in the stool next to him. “Why do stallions always have to be so loud…” Carn smiled to himself. “I don’t know, maybe they get some sort of pleasure out of annoying you.” “HA, I doubt they would be so joyous if they knew I was here.” “And I doubt any one of them is sober enough to realize they are in the presence of royalty.” Luna chuckled as she glanced around the tavern from underneath her cloak. “I suppose not… Still, tis good to see a friendly face.” Carn felt as though he had been stabbed in the heart with a poisoned dagger. “You missed our meeting last month, what held you?” She smiled at him. “A chimera… it was a… chimera.” He quietly stated, trying to recover from her previous statement. “Ah, well I’m sure…” she trailed off as the bartender stumbled through the crowd, making his way back to the counter. He opened a small gate, stepped inside, and immediately headed for a small sink. He dumped a few empty mugs into the water and hastily ran to the end of the counter to where Carn was sitting. “Sorry about the wait, now what can get foruuuhhhhhyaaa...” His speech slurred as he saw who was sitting beside him. “Princess Luna!” He fell to his knees and bowed to her “I had no idea I would be serving royalty today your highness! Please forgive me for not attending to you sooner!” She smiled, but Carn could see that she was slightly annoyed. “I’m just another customer, please treat me as such.” “Yes… of course, uh… your highness.” He fumbled with two glasses that he pulled out from under the bar. “uh… what can I get for you two?” “Cider, please.” The bartender looked from Luna to Carn. “The same.” He quickly rushed into a back room to retrieve the drink. Luna sighed, “Always the same.” “Perhaps if you disguised yourself more there would be a different outcome.” Luna removed the hood from her head, allowing her mane to flow freely. “Perhaps, but I do not wish to hide my appearance from my subjects.” The bartender returned with two full mugs of cider and set them down in front of his two new patrons. “Fresh from the bottle!” he announced with faltering confidence. He stood there awkwardly for a moment before saying, “Is there anything else I can get for you?” Luna was the first to respond, “We are content with this.” He bowed before stumbling away to return to his rounds. When he was far enough away, Luna turned to him. “Might I assume the incident in the back alley was your doing?” “It was, he tried to rob me.” “Oh, so it was he who engaged in conflict with you.” She lifted the mug to her lips and took a sip. “I don’t always start the fights, you should know that.” He followed suite and took a drink from the mug. The two sat in silence for a while, occasionally sipping at their drinks. Luna shifted awkwardly on the stool. “What hinders you from speaking with me?” Carn sat up and looked at her. He hadn’t realized he had been not only avoiding eye contact with her, but also limiting how much he spoke with her. “It is unlike you to remain so silent.” “I uh… just have a lot on my mind.” Her smile faded into a worried expression. “What troubles you so? Surely the world is not too far out of balance, especially with the thieves guild becoming a much more prominent threat to our society.” She chuckled as she thought of all the ridiculous demands they’d made for the return of stolen property. “No, it’s just… sometimes I look back at my lives and review what I’ve done with them, and all I can remember about them is all the times I had to do something wrong. Not once do I ever remember one prominent act of good." Luna frowned, and began to speak slowly, as if choosing her words carefully. "The evil you do is but a means to the greater good. We all must endure the hardships of life or we will wither and die. You only remember the evil you have done because it cannot sustain itself, forcing you to take more drastic actions to ensure our world is aligned. But everything you do that is good, no matter how small the occurrence, it multiplied ten-fold. While you may not see it, the good you do is beyond measure." She put a hoof on his shoulder and smiled. "Always remember that." Her touch pained him the most as he could practically feel the large amount of trust she had in him, but he look at her and forced out a smile. "Thank you, Luna." She removed her hoof, glanced about the room for a clock and gasped in surprise at the time. "Oh our dearest sister will be most displeased when she learns we were absent from our nightly court duties. I'm afraid we must depart." she quickly stood and turned to head for the door. "once again next month?" " I wouldn't miss it..." he trailed off slightly "We shall see you then!" Luna stood up and headed for the door and that's when he felt it. An inexplainable to urge to do something he thought he wouldn't have the strength to. Carn's horn glowed lightly as he focused his magic on all of the drunken stallions in the room. Normally, controlling another pony would require an extreme mastery of magic and perhaps a degree in phycology, but because they were all intoxicated, getting them to do his will would be exceptionally easy. He cast the spell, placed ten bits on the counter, and proceeded up the adjacent staircase leading to the tavern's rooms. His work was done.
