Homunculus

Chapters

I/ Welcome To The Family
II/ Elksjö
III/ For The Road Is Dangerous
IV/ Companions

I/ Welcome To The Family

Author's Note

Whelp, I've been writing and rewriting this for close to a year now before i finally came up with something that i liked. And i hope any who reads this story will enjoy it as well.
One thing that I would like to disclose right now, is that i goofed on this first chapter. The point of view and time frame (past, present tenses) change quite a bit, which I imagine might get a little confusing. To set it straight, from the second chapter onward, it will be first-person, past-tense in the eyes of Ami. There will be a few parts here and there that will be third person, such as when Ami is not present in the scene.
And if you happen to find any spelling/grammatical errors, then please let me know with as specific of a location as you can.
Thanks, and I hope you enjoy the story. If you do not, then please let me know why, as i am curious.

I/ Welcome To The Family

Knuckles popped and a resounding crack filled the night before echoing off in the smoky air. She wanted to go in for another punch, this time in the nose or maybe break his arm, but the look of utter surprise and unadulterated horror that plastered the boy’s face was satisfaction enough to stay her poised fist. The other two just stared at each other for a long minute before she took another step towards the boy, perhaps overdoing it with the little stomp she added, but it did the trick. The boy made a sound somewhere between a pig squealing and a cry held between choked sobs, before he pushed himself backwards a few feet frantically before scrambling away at impressive speed, his two friends running after him. There was no doubt the boy’s jaw would be broken, but she felt no remorse. In fact, if anything she was impressed that he remained conscious.

It wasn’t she who had started it anyhow. Here was this girl, age 20; minding her own business taking a well-known shortcut through steep alleyways, when out of the shadows came three young gentlemen. Cigarettes hung loosely from their pudgy, chapped lips, and their clothes sagged so much, she thought they were several sizes too large. It was quite remarkable their pants stayed around their waists. The boy in front, seemingly the leader, stepped forward. His numerous gauges, tattoos, piercings, as well as his blood-shot eyes should have been hint enough of his intentions, but she continued to allow him closer, until he was close enough that his breath, which smelt of rotting carrion, clouded her nostrils forcing a strained cough from her lungs.
With a grin that displayed his decayed teeth, he exclaimed noisily, “You’re quite the freak, you know that?” His friends laughed behind him and stepped forward as well, pulling weapons of sorts from their pockets. One; a tall, lanky man with disturbingly long, greasy hair grasped a knife. His companion, a slightly shorter, much more rotund man, slipped forth a small handgun. They laughed again as they brandished their tools.

“Why thank you. You are quite the strange individual yourself.” Was this how she really spoke out of habit? No, but she took much joy in crawling under people’s skin. Her smile continued to shine, and dared not let it falter, if only to hide her slight apprehension.

The boy’s mouth shrunk into a wrinkled “o” and he laughed again. “You got spunk.” He reached forward and grabbed her silver hair, and then yanked, pulling hard until her face connected with his knee. To her honest surprise, his trousers smelt worse than his breath.

Almost instantly, out of instinct, she grabbed his wrist, twisted and pushed her free palm into his chest, knocking the breath out of him and knocking him back. He was surprised at her reaction, she could tell, especially since she had adopted her soft smile once again despite the small droplets of blood falling from her nostrils. “That’s it bitch!” The boy screamed as he spit out his cigarette, and revealed a set of brass knuckles. She couldn’t help but chuckle lightly as the boy rushed her, hand thrown back ready to strike. When in reasonable distance, she solidified her stance and connected her fist with his jawline. She didn’t hold on the force either. And so they all ran off, the others’ weapons apparently having been a bluff not meant to be applied in the case of her current actions.

Now, she walked through the alley, continuing her predetermined route back home. She pulled the hem of her shirt, unfortunately white, up to her nose to wipe away the slowly drying blood, the bleeding having stopped just moments after it started. Now, however she was less than anxious to return home. One look at her father could explain everything. They had such a connection only through years of bonding and an intricately forged relationship. No, it was her step mother who would prove to be the real terror. Therefore, she deviated from her path and continued through the empty street until she reached the park.
No one ever visited this particular park on account of the run-down equipment, and there being a distinct lack of small children in the vicinity, but she loved it. She felt there was just something to be said about the large willow tree leaning into the wind and singing with a lilting tone, along with the peace that surrounded the area. She sat against her favorite gnarled tree and closed her violet eyes. Before drifting off, she, as always, envisioned the large tree house she would one day build in this tree. That was her dream home, and she wouldn’t need anything else, no one else, and no place else. She let out a loud sigh, allowing her eyes to drift open again. The moon was full and pretty, mesmerizing even through the filter of dense pollution. To her disappointment, there were no stars that could shine through such smog that plagued the air. Her brow furrowed, and her eyes focused on a small speck of light she saw in the sky. For the smallest moment, she though she saw a star; a pure little innocent light in the midst of this pervasive darkness. That is, until she noticed it moving and her hopes were dashed so cruelly by the plane flying high in the abyss. Her eyes closed once more, this time due to their insistent weight, and she allowed the cool, gently breeze to lull her into sweet dreams.

‘Silver hair and violet eyes. What kind of genetic combination is that?’ She always thought to herself. Always picked on, bullied, thrown around, spit on, the list continues. Granted, in a town such as this hidden deep in the smog, and influenced by gangs and drugs, it was a wonder if anyone got by without the occasional rude remark or even a nice shiner to brag about to their friends. But nonetheless, she saw fit to allow herself to sink into self-pity under her woeful childhood. She was adopted, that much she knew for sure, so there was no one to place blame upon for her unusual color scheme. She dyed it, the color always faded; she hid it, she could never stuff the loose strands into the full cap. As for her eyes, “those gorgeous gems,” as her adoptive mother used to call them, well there was not much she could do about them, and colored contact lenses was not something she saw worthy of the discomfort and annoyance they entailed.

Whomever her birth father was, did give her one useful gift though: A gaze that could stop a lion in its tracks. By the time she was in middle school, she’d learned that most bullies could be warded off with a cold stare over her shoulder. Still, there were the bolder offenders who insisted on pulling her long hair, or pushing her to the ground. Fed up, one night she had resolved to cut her moon-silver hair, only to find it back the way it was, unharmed, by morning. At first confused, and then annoyed, she harrumphed out the door to endure yet another pitiless school day.

It was only 5 months later that she came home with her very own, likely much deserved, blackened eye and blood trickling from her nostril. Her adoptive father, being an ex-MMA champion (and long gone from that lifestyle since), growled at her for allowing such a thing to happen, and told her that the next time someone picked on her, just punch them. The conversation was promptly dropped and her father went back to finishing his fat sandwich.

‘Oh what great advice, wise one.’ She had mentally chided her father as she climbed the rotted stairs, which always complained with loud groans under any weight, to her room.

She took a long shower, enjoying the comfortably hot water, then afterward stood in front of the mirror, which stood above the sink in the bathroom. It kind of scared her when she would do this sometimes, as her eyes had an eerie glow about them in dark places, so she got rid of the body length mirror that sat in her room across from where her bed lay. Her cat, muffin, a short legged pudgy tabby, which just happened to be black, had all the glowing eyes she needed at night. Standing in front of the mirror, unclothed, age fourteen, was a very pretty young lady. Soft, fair skin; long silver hair which now reached down near to her buttocks; a face which was calm and kind but with a furrowed brow, intimidating; and eyes the color of amethysts. Her hands traveled to her stomach, and she turned sideways. She wasn't by any means chubby, but a thin layer of fat happened to cover her soft stomach, and she vowed to herself that she'd go running in the morning. She turned frontwards again and her hands continued. She got annoyed. She knew she was only fifteen, but her breasts hadn't grown any since puberty started, and she was starting to worry she'd been left without certain... “blessings.” It would only be in her seventeenth year that they would skyrocket to a point where she was satisfied and proud.

In her eyes, it was lucky for her that she grew up with a father who did not buy her dolls, dresses, and playhouses. No, instead each birthday (starting at age 12) she received from him running shoes, boxing gloves, a punching bag, and weights, respectively. Growing up in such a lifestyle (which her step mother never really approved of, but supported nonetheless) put her on a path that most young females do not follow. On the day of her sixteenth birthday, April 13th (according to birth records), her father simply handed her a piece of paper instead of the usual decorative box that weighed more than a gift to a young girl should. The paper explained, in her father's atrocious handwriting, which took her several years to get the hang of, that she had been signed up to join an MMA trainee league. At first she gave a deadpanned look, but the caring, if hopeful, rough smile of her father let her know that he thought she'd enjoy it. Which she did, and threw herself into wholeheartedly. She thought that maybe it was her father's skewed way of passing down the “family business.”

At age 18, she was top of her class, and recommended to do it professionally. As luck would have it, her first pro match was against your typical Russian Helga. Built like an ox, and standing nearly a foot taller than her, she was thrown around like a stalk of wheat in a farmers mouth. It wasn't until after a long year of 4 defeats and 8 wins had passed, that her reputation in fighting world, though just starting out, was secured. During a match, her opponent dealt a bone-shattering kick to her leg and she fell over, dazed and in pain. When the referee came over to her and inquired about her ability to continue, she merely nodded and tried to pull herself together to attempt to finish the match on one leg.. However, much to hers, the referee's, her opponent's, and the crowds' astonishment, she stood on both legs as if nothing had just applied hundreds of pounds of pressure to it. She shrugged, her opponent's jaw dropped, and she lunged forward, driving a swift and deciding punch into the face of her challenger. And it felt good. Amazing even. Somewhere along the line she accrued a nickname: Ami-the-fist. Her name being what it was, it fit, and it stuck. In tournaments, she'd always look to the crowd and find some chanting. She had fans, and she wasn't humble enough to not soak up the praise.

However, her mind, after almost every match, would plant it's attention to the fact that her body healed almost instantaneously. No broken bone stopped her, no punch faltered her. It was always due to her opponent's surprise and a single punch that ended the fight. At the age of 20, she reached champion status, and just when she started to get sponsors and supporters alike, she quit. As much as she loved fighting, she had no desire to continue it as a career for her life. No, she wanted to settle down with a nice man, live peacefully, and finally move out of her adoptive parents' house. Plus, she had the money from her winnings that ensured that if she lived modestly, she would be comfortable for quite some time. She had no knowledge whatsoever of the plans which some greater power had in store for her. And on the day of April 13th, when she would reach 21 years of age, her life would change drastically.

“Ami!...Ami!...Amethyst!!” The noise was abrupt and angry, piercing into even the deepest depths of her dreams.

“What?” She mumbled, not ready to be roused. Her eyes, glued shut by fatigue, where forced open due to a bit of rubbing that she did subconsciously, as her mind tried to put the voice to a source. It was still night, and she was still in the park. And from what she could tell, drenched in her own sweat. Her once loose top now clung to her skin, making her shiver in the cool night air. Her hair drooped around her face in streams and she could tell they were thick with perspiration.
The voice that had called her name was female, and it was kneeling down next to her. Frieda, the town sheriff, was found and she appeared worried.

“Child, are you alright?” She asked it in a careful tone, as if anymore yelling, could send Ami into a fit of rage. She, however, had trouble hiding the concern that coated her question.

Confused, Ami looked at the sheriff like she'd had too much alcohol. It was no secret that she liked to sleep in this exact spot, and she knew that Frieda knew that. And in all honesty, she wouldn't put it passed Frieda to be drunk at such a late hour. “Is... something wrong?” Ami asked, a hint of sarcasm as well as confusion in her tone.

“Well, if I'm not mistaken, and I never am, screaming and thrashing around in your sleep 'ain’t 'right'”

'It would definitely explain the sweat...' Ami thought to herself as she once again squirmed in her drench shirt, annoyed by how uncomfortable it felt. “Ya, I'm all right, just a bad dream I suppose. Thanks for waking me by the way, I should probably get home before Mom has an aneurism.” She replied with a re-assuring smile.

'Do you remember a dream?' She inquired of herself, half hoping she'd receive an answer.

'Nope. You?'

'Not a thing.'

'Hmmm....'

“Alright child, you hurry home.” The sheriff stares at her for a moment. “Actually, would you like a ride? This air's got quite the chill to it this night.” She points behind her with her thumb to a standard white cop car, the high-beams illuminating the gravel on the dirt path that connected the park with the road.

Ami thought about it for a moment. “You know, I may just take you up on that offer.” She lets another friendly smile stretch her lips. “Truth be told, my legs are kind of asleep and I'm really tired.” As they both walked towards the care, neither of them spoke.
Frieda wasn't an ordinary cop. Most of the force you came across in a town like this would either be overweight or tall and lanky. In fact it was almost comical to see a fat and skinny cop working together. Like what you would see in a cheesy cartoon or comedy show. Frieda however, did not fill either of those bills. Tall and muscularly toned, but not built. She was of Tongan blood. She and her family had moved to this area about 4 months ago. She was the kind of person who was friends with anyone who chose to befriend her. But those that didn't... They ran at the sight of her. To put it mildly, she was a devil in her own rights when made angry or given a reason to despise you. To say the least, crime rates were at an all-time low. Those who did anything unlawful either fell in line under her gaze or were discovered to have left town the next chance they got. But then again, she could be the sweetest of angels sent from Heaven if left un-provoked. Ami just counted her blessings that they hit it off as friends within ten minutes of meeting each other.

Even after a single month on the force, she was made sheriff, with no qualms from her fellow cops. Instead, they had learned a thing or two from her and stepped up their game, if only to be in Frieda's good graces.

Ami Stopped once she was within reaching distance of the car, while Frieda jogged to the other side She drove the key into the lock and twisted it to the left, resulting in a resounding sound of moving mechanisms. Frieda then opened her door and ducked inside to unlock the passenger door. As Ami was about to duck inside, she heard a distinct rustle and she looked up just in time to see a black figure jump from nearby bushes and dart from one side of the park to the other disappearing into more foliage. Her heart raced from the event, and she swallowed, willing her eyes to see further into the dark as she stared at the anomaly's exit point.

“Are you coming child?” Frieda asked patiently.

“Maybe just a dog?” Ami whispered under her breath, still staring. She was scaring herself with just how much she phrased that as a question. Then she ducked into the car, and slipped the seat belt over her chest as Frieda lightly pressed on the gas. The whole drive, Ami couldn't help but stare out the window, her mind entertaining various fantasies of what what she saw could have actually been. She knew Frieda was making frequent looks at her,, and she expected her to ask a question but she never did. And she was thankful for that. They both just sat in silent darkness as the car crawled closer to her home.
~-~-~-~-~-~-~

“You have a good night now. Is there anything I can do for you?” The ever present look of concern still adorned Frieda's face as it had the whole night as Ami exited the vehicle now in front of her home. Ami could only imagine the worry she caused the sheriff with all the trouble she gets herself into. Because for whatever reason, the sheriff was her only friend in this god-forsaken town.
Ami smiled. “No, but thanks for the ride! Just wish me luck with my mother.” Her smile became one of mock concern as she waved off the sheriff.

Frieda just gave a knowing grin and muttered, “Mmhmm.” before driving off.

Now alone, under the watchful gaze of the moon which appeared to e a slender crack of light in the dark void, she wandered up the cement steps to the front door. She reached for the door knob but stopped short. It was a gamble: would her worry stricken mother be awaiting her behind that door, waiting impatiently to ask her barrage of prying questions, or would she be able to slip quietly into her room undetected? Even if only t off-put the interrogation until tomorrow? It was late and although the odds were in her favor, Ami backed away from the door, unwilling to risk it.

She was tired and in no state of mind to deal with that cynical woman. So instead, she trailed along the side of the house until she stopped underneath her bedroom window. This method hadn't failed her yet, and even now she was grateful her bedroom wasn't that high off of ground level. She crouched slightly before springing up and leaping with her arms outstretched, to grasp onto the window ledge. She then hefted herself up, but nearly dropped herself when she screamed, seeing her mother's look of disapproval staring back at her through the window. It took her a moment to catch her breath and steady herself while she waited for her heart to calm back down. Once she had, she grasped the side of the window and tried to tug it open only to find it locked. Her mother still staring at her, her scowl only deepening.

Ami sighed, as she realized she wouldn't be getting back in the house that easily. “Fine, you win. I was wrong, you are always right. I'm Sorry. Now can I please come in before I freeze?”

Her mother glared for a moment longer before relenting and un-latching the window's lock. Once Ami had climbed in through the opening she hugged her mother, before continuing to her bed where she peeled off her clothes and hopped under the thick warm comforter, in her underwear. As for her mother, she huffed before saying simply, “You know, you will need to grow up some time.”
Ami took a moment to answer. She squeezed her eyes shut, hoping her mother would simply leave her be. But when that proved fruitless, she offered, “And if I don't want to?”

There is no answer at first, and Ami is holding her breath, waiting for her mother to berate her. The only sound that is heard is a deep sigh, and the closing of her bedroom door. Ami then pulls the comforter closer to her and she tries to drive herself further into the mattress as if she could just meld with it and forget the outside world. Eventually her eyes, weighed by fatigue, drift closed and she once again enters the dream realm. And unknown to her, the pair of emerald eyes that have been watching her since the park now drift in the darkness outside her window.

- - -HOMUNCULUS- - - -

Malik lifted his brush to the canvas again after depositing another wad of tobacco into his stout pipe which hung limply from the Side of his mouth. His lips pursed around the mouthpiece now and then to inhale the smoke, then spit it back out from the other side of his mouth. He mentally scolded his subject, knowing fully well that an outburst would accomplish nothing but scare the raven.

Malik would like to believe he had the patience required for his hobby, but he instead stamped on the grass and growled in frustration as the raven flapped its wings once and hopped to another patch of thin grass to dig for a snack. Reason number one why all of his accomplished pieces were of detailed scenery, not mobile creatures. His favorite piece, not being boastful mind you, depicted a moonlit scene on a rolling hill, the soft, muted light of the glowing orb turning the grass to an almost silver hue. He loved the way he could capture such colors on a piece of rough canvas, as if he were merely taking a picture to show off later.

Shooting an almost murderous glance to the traitorous fowl, Malik shoved his acrylics into their wooden case and lifted it onto his back. He was grateful to the soft, crimson aura that surrounded the large wooden case, it made his life that much easier. The magic flowed through his body, almost as a comforting spirit, and was released through his blackened horn, which he was questioned about all too often due to his light gray coat. His white mane fell around his neck and even went so far as to reach his muscled shoulders. At the moment, his wings were free, allowed to be touched by the cool morning winds, sending a small shiver that ran down the entire length of his spine, and swept the silver mane away from his azure eyes.

It had been a long while, nearly four hundred years if his memory wasn't failing him, since he last entered this valley. In fact he almost did not recognize it with a sizable town in the middle. The only familiar sight was the large black scar known as the Everfree forest, one of the few things on this landmass that rivaled him in age. It gave him a certain nostalgic feeling and for a moment he thought about traversing it's depths as he once had as a child. He discarded the warm memories, deciding to get through the town as quickly as possible.

As he could not risk being seen as an alicorn, he quietly rolled around in his mind figuring whether a horn or wings would be most useful here. He had a list of provisions he was seeking, so his horn won out to increase efficiency when purchasing those goods.

He sat back on the ground, cross legged and closed his eyes, concentrating his magic and will to his back where his wings protruded. He gritted his teeth and grunted, holding his breath as the wings slowly shrunk into his body that simultaneously shrank to the size of an average stallion. He sat panting for a moment before standing again, turning his back to the biting wind, and setting off for the town.

The morning sun beat on his back, offering the only warmth in the cool morning, until a plump cloud, laden with water, limped its way in front of the sun, dampening not only the sunlight, but Malik's mood as well. Not long after starting his walk, he spotted a small cottage that sat, sandwiched by the Everfree and the town. It looked lonely as it sat in the blooming sunlight, the cloud having passed on its way to bother others elsewhere.

"Quaint." He breathed, his gruff voice sounding almost alien to him, as it had been a while now since he last spoke aloud.

Trampling through the grass, he picked his way around boulders with moss and neared the small house. He noticed a small stream that ran by the cottage and nearly dropped all of his gear, rushing over to the reassuring water. Dipping his entire head into the brook, he brought it out breathing heavily but grateful for the refreshment. His horn glowed a dark crimson and a glass appeared before him, dipping into the water and returning filled to the brim. He drank greedily, swallowing every drop his tongue could reach, then, when finished, went for more. After eight full glasses of the cool liquid he sat back, sighing in contentment.

The world suddenly took on a new light just then, as if vanquishing his thirst lifted a hazy filter. His filter must have made him blind as well, because it was only then that he noticed a pair of cyan eyes staring at him. He shrieked in surprise and fell over onto his back.

"Oh dear. I'm so s-sorry, d-did I scare you?" The way she stuttered suggested he had been the one who scared her.

"Just startled me. I take it you are the owner of this humble little cottage?"

"Y-yes, I am." A thick lock of her pink mane covered half of her face, showing how shy she was. The yellow Pegasus started to walk closer to him though, steadily but slowly.

"Could you be so kind as to tell me what town this is?"

"Ponyville, and if you don't mind me asking, where a-are you from?"

"I do not belong to any specific place, I go where the wind takes me." A wanderer, a nomad, a vagabond, call it what you like, he was an adventurer of sorts, exploring new places and visiting old ones to see how they've changed.

Somehow, he'd lost her, her face showing puzzlement, so he tried a simpler explanation. "I am a wanderer, I have no home."

"Oh my, doesn't that get lonely? Don't you have any friends? I-I could never bear to leave behind my friends." Her stuttering had already nearly stopped. Malik was glad he didn't appear threatening to her.

"Not so little one, I have many a friend and the road isn't so lonely with all the animals."

"Little one?" She half whispered to herself but with a criticizing tone.

"Ye-" He swore and mentally scolded himself for having slipped up so soon. Old habits die hard he guessed.

'She might be more cautious if she found out how old I really am, or worse, what I am.'

"Just trust me when I say I am a bit older than I look." He tried to patch the situation, but the questioning look on her face betrayed his efforts.

"Aaaaand I really must be on my way, I bid you a good day." He rather quickly re-shouldered his pack with a flick of his horn, and started off toward the town.

"Hold it right here mister. You say you're older than m-me, but you don't even h-have a cutie mark." She called after him freezing him in place.

Malik looked to his bare shoulder, then turned back to the Pegasus with a look of unease.

'Damn it! She was so shy before, why is she suddenly getting so questioning?'

He was older than Celestia herself. In fact, Celestia couldn't hold a candle to his age. Why was he being patronized by a mere mare that could not have been a day over thirty? Malik feared he was losing his touch, were the years catching up to him? Or was that silly curse finally taking its toll?

But Malik did something even he did not expect. He laughed. More of a chuckle really, but surprising all the same. "Perhaps I shall tell you that tale if we meet again." He then just started walking again. Crisis averted. All he had to do was pass through the town without looking back, avoiding the yellow one at all costs. But his hurried strides were only alerting his enemy that he was housing a secret. He could feel the criticizing eyes boring into his back as he escaped.

Now a good mile from the cottage, but still another half from the town, he sank down to catch his breath. Maybe he should have chosen flight over magic this time. Only then did it occur to him that he could have implemented a simple teleportation spell which would have allowed him to avoid the trouble with the pegasus and take him straight to the city's edge. Again scolding his brain for not functioning properly in the spur of the moment, Malik continued on his way.

Teleportation was sounding like an enticing idea to just pass over the town altogether and not risk any more risky encounters. But he really did need those supplies to carry him to Canterlot, and it would be quite the walk, as he had a destination in mind that would precede his trip to the capitol city.

By the time Malik took his first steps into the town of Ponyville, the noon sun was stretching to its peak in the sky, his fur soaking up the excess heat that blazed down. The first mare he saw, he stopped and asked where he might get a drink and buy some provisions.

"There's an inn on the other side of town called the Sweet Berry Inn. You can get a drink and rest there. As for supplies, there are several general stores in Ponyville, but I would recommend the Town Depot." The mint unicorn mare pointed in general directions as she spoke, but Malik got the idea. A small leather bag then appeared before him and he withdrew from it a single golden coin. He flipped it into the air and levitated it over to the mare who accepted it, albeit surprised, with an upturned hoof.

"No no, you don't have to pay me, I'll gladly help a traveler such as yourself free of charge." She tried to return the coin with a levitation spell of her own, but Malik simply started walking away, waving a hand as he went and shouting a "thank you."

The general store appeared first, but he decided to pass it by and continue to the inn, which didn't take too long to find due to a large sign in the front of the tall wooden building. He swung the wooden door inward and strolled in, finding a seat next to a window. He set his pack down beside him on the ground and heaved a gratifying sigh, sinking into the plush cushion of the booth. The inn seemed to be more of a diner, as he could see several other customers enjoying steamy meals and a waitress going from table to table. However he did notice a set of stairs leading upwards and a board of keys behind a desk.

Finally gaining a sweet moment of sublime rest, Malik slowly closed his eyes, sighing again despite himself. A tap on his shoulder thrust him back to reality and he blinked rapidly to dispel the fatigue.

"Sir? Can I get you anything?"

"What? Oh um... Just some water would be most appreciated."

The waitress, a dark blue earth mare with purple mane hanging over both shoulders as well as wearing a starch white apron nodded, then returned not two minutes later with a tall glass of the liquid he desired. She set the glass in front of him and sauntered off to the next customer who came in moments after he had. He waited for a few drops of moisture to race down the side of the glass before picking it up and taking a reserved sip from it. He would have ordered ale or wine to better relax his nerves, but if he were to get drunk and draw attention to himself it would be the end of his peaceful travels, and he would be acquainted with prying questions.

With thoughts roaming his consciousness, it took him a good thirty minutes to finish his drink. As he swallowed the last mouthful, he gazed out the window and nearly lost it all at what he saw. The same yellow Pegasus mare from before was staring at him through the window, a look of what appeared to be distrust adorning her face. How long had she been there? The mere thought of that question caused him a bit more than just worry.

She then continued to do what he feared and entered the inn, making a beeline for where he sat. Malik froze stock still, with his head pointed downwards, hoping the mare was somehow interested in something else and just pass him by. Fat chance of that. She promptly sat herself opposite him in the same booth and continued her one sided staring contest, never so much as twitching an eyelid. The staring intensified and it was getting immensely awkward for Malik. He couldn't help but wonder if the mare expected him to spontaneously combust if she stared long and hard enough.

"Can... I help you?" Malik finally asked, hoping to break her concentration.

It was a few moments before she answered with a question of her own. "You're not a unicorn are you?"

'Hmm, I can’t tell if she’s perceptive or just nosey.'

"I don't see how I could be otherwise."

"Who are you? I-If you don't mind me asking."

"My name is Soulfire, and I'm a mere traveler passing through this town."

'Yes, Soulfire, let's go with that. It sounds fitting and Malik is a dead giveaway.'

"I'm not s-sure what you are, but you're not a u-unicorn."

"And why is that?" He crossed his arms over his chest and sat up, trying to maintain the superiority in the argument.

“Y-you don't have a cutie mark. And you say you're older than m-me, but you look my age if not younger."

That was true, to some extent anyways. To further disguise his true identity (and in truth it was in part by his curse) he used a young body. It also helped with the more physical aspect of his traveling, making it all the more convenient. And since his kind did not receive "cutie marks" he was unable to conjure one up with magic, due to it being beyond its capabilities. So instead he carried a cloak to wear which would cover his bare shoulders. But in a rather unfortunate event, he lost it in the last town, and his loss had all but escaped his mind. He mentally noted to add that to his list of provisions to get. Or at least a shirt with sleeves for that matter.

The mare continued, suddenly asking: "Are you a changeling?"

Malik only stared blankly before erupting into raucous laughter, nearly falling out of the booth. He quieted down after coming to his senses and realizing the whole inn was staring at him. In truth he was actually quite annoyed that he was being compared to such a young and illegitimate species. When he first heard of them nearly 100 years back, he could only see them as insufferable children.

"Hardly, but I still don't see it as the business of a mare I just met."

"You said you would tell me the next time we met."

"W-" she had him beat there. "Searching for me doesn't count!" He pointed an accusing finger at her as a young colt would.

"T-then I'll just keep following you until you tell me." Why in all of Gaea was she so persistent?

But Malik only smiled mischievously, already having come up with an escape route. "That is, if you can find me." His horn took on the familiar glow as he vanished before the lunging mare could grab him.

As Malik appeared on the outskirts of the town he did a quick victory dance. "Haha, now all I must do is..." Where was his pack? Filled with his art and art supplies along with the remainder of his food and money? And worse yet, his pipe. Since being a pony, he had picked up the habit and become fond of it. It kept him calm. He hated losing it.

He got all huffy and started back into the town with another teleport. "Damn it."

Twilight Sparkle, a unicorn turned Alicorn due to a recent coronation, could more often than not be found lurking in her home-like library where she almost mischievously conducted her magical experiments. Whether it was for a personal gain of knowledge to sate her curiosity or to further the world's understanding of the workings of spells and science, Fluttershy wasn't sure, but she smiled nonetheless when she found the purple unicorn tinkering away with beakers and microscopes. Her experiments weren't dangerous usually, but they made the yellow Pegasus uneasy.

Once Twilight spotted Fluttershy through thin vapors of smoke and Celestia knows what else, she removed her goggles and stepped out from behind a large desk laden with various scientific instruments.

"Good afternoon Fluttershy, is there something I can help you with?"

The airborne mare hesitated slightly before flying back to the door and returning with a, slightly large, wooden box. It was about the size of a grown stallion's back (neck to buttocks, a little smaller than the stature of Big Macintosh), and had a sort of sliding door on the top.

"Watcha got there Fluttershy?" By now Twilight got excited. Her natural urges to sate curiosity took precedence over mannerisms and she took another step towards the box, paying almost no mind to the mare who had brought her such a treat. Her mind swam through possibilities of what the box could contain. Ancient tomes or relics? Scrolls with long forgotten spells? Fossils belonging to early prehistoric mammals? Anything test worthy would satisfy her.

"Twilight," the yellow Pegasus finally spoke up, "I met somepony strange today."

"Strange? How?" She had to constantly pull her mind back to the mare in front of her.

"W-well, I found a stallion outside my cottage this morning drinking from the stream. He was gray with a white mane, but his horn was all black and longer and sharper than an ordinary unicorn's..."

"Black horn, sharpened?" Twilight cut in. The sharpening of the horn was an early practice, among tribal parties. It was mainly used to show dominance and combat prowess, but the procedure was beyond painful. It made her wince to think about it.

"Ye-yes. But the strangest part was that he had no cutie mark. He even said he was older than me. I thought he was a changeling at first, but he only laughed at me when I said so."

Twilight, only momentarily distracted from the mysterious box, tapped a finger on her chin thinking what the strange sounding unicorn could be. There are several spells that could be used to mask identity, one able to change your whole appearance by removing or adding features such as wings or a horn. However this was extremely high level magic that she herself still had not been able to successfully cast. The prospect of another alicorn came to mind but she brushed it away.

"A-and when I found him in town later, he got really defensive when I questioned him and teleported away. But he left this box behind." Fluttershy timidly pushed the box closer to her alicorn friend and eyed them both cautiously, half-expecting something monstrous to burst from the box.

Twilight brushed her hands along her lab coat before prodding it with caution, studying it with a practiced eye and ran a few spells meant to scan. Nothing. The spells only showed a hollow box, but when shifted around, you could clearly hear movement inside. When she finally caved to her own desires, she brought a hand to the lid and tried to pull it open. It wouldn't budge. Her horn shimmered in translucent magenta and tried to pull it open with magic, but still there was no give. She scanned it once more, this time for a locking mechanism, but no such thing was to be found. It should have just been able to slide open.

"Whoever owns this has some ridiculously strong magic guarding it. It would seem that the only way it's going to open is with the owner’s consent. I want to try one more thing though. For your own safety, Fluttershy, please step out of the library.

Fluttershy complied, giving a small "meep" before leaving through the front door.

Now alone, Twilight began her preparations. First she shielded the library and everything inside, but the box. She watched as the magic laced over her instruments and the innumerable books that lined the walls on their shelves. She then applied it to herself as well. Taking a deep breath, she lowered a set of goggles she had on her forehead down over her eyes and letting the breath out slowly, concentrated hard on the box. Her horn steadily grew brighter and the color of the billowy aura went white. All of a sudden the box ignited in white flames and exploded, sending a shock wave that nearly knocked Twilight off her feet.

When the smoke screen dispersed, Twilight released her magic and the barriers fell from the library's contents. Carefully walking back to the box, shock and disappointment filled her mind and adorned her face.

While that spell could effortlessly rent holes in titanium, the box, made of wood, was unscathed. It was completely free of scorch marks or any sign that would suggest she was assaulting it.

The violet alicorn bit her lip. Up until now, she was able to solve any problems thrown her way. Give her complicated algorithms and she'd get the answer in a few minutes, give her a tough spell and she'd master it in a week, give her anything that's broken and she'll return it in pristine condition. She was frustrated that after everything, she was stumped by a box.

"Fluttershy!" She yelled, not realizing how much venom she had added to the word. She hoped she hadn't flown off.

The timid Pegasus slowly poked her head through the door before fully entering. "Y-yes T-Twilight?"

"Find that stallion and bring him here now! I want to speak with him."

"B-but he disappeared and he was trying to avoid me. W-who knows where he could be now."

The deadly gaze that the unicorn shot the Pegasus may as well have been Armageddon. The timid mare squeaked and shot out the door, nearly colliding with the frame as she went.

Twilight re-directed her gaze to the box again. Not that it was any of her business what the box contained, but that box was mocking her. Taunting her. And she took it as a personal challenge.

The food all looked so enticingly delicious. Steam rose off the baked golden crust of a pie. The sweet aroma of fresh fruit mixed into a salad topped with mouthwatering dressing. Or even the heavenly scent of newly baked chocolate chip cookies. It was why Malik hung his head in disappointment when he once again was reminded of the loss of his possessions. It seemed the only result of coming to the market place was to torture himself with unreachable goods.

He had gone back to the inn to see if that mare had left his pack, but, as he feared, it was gone. His stomach growled noisily and drew attention to himself, so he continued on his way.

A yellow dot in the sky caught his attention, and when he tried to squint his eyes to see what exactly it was, he screeched and backpedaled, nearly too dramatically, as onlookers stared questioningly. It was that crazy pegasus again. He knew full well she had sight of him as she was making a straight path through the blue sky, closing the distance between them rapidly.

Malik searched the vicinity for an escape route, he wasn’t about to run out of town yet again, and he spotted a narrow space between two buildings. He charged his magic and teleported to it, hopefully the sudden disappearance would not alert his pursuer to his destination. He walked along the narrow space, avoiding a few trash cans and a blanket that lie randomly sprawled on the dirt, until he exited to another point of the market.

He cautiously looked into the sky and found the pegasus scanning the ground about 30 ft. into the air. At this point, Malik could do a number of things. He could cast a mass sleep spell on everypony, but that would require his alicorn form and take most of his magic. Not to mention he would no longer be able to buy the supplies he needed unless he was willing to steal. In his arsenal of spells, he had a number that could stop the pegasus, render her wings useless, compress the air around her so she couldn’t breathe, etc. but he did not want to cause any harm to a helpless and innocent pony. He could always just ask for the yellow mare to give him his pack back, but for some reason that just didn’t seem logical to him. For a brief moment, the thought of leaving his pack and continuing on his way entered his thoughts, but it was quickly brushed aside without much consideration, but a healthy dose of disgust.

“Got you!” The voice was harsh and tomboyish, not like the yellow mare. Malik looked to his right, which was quite difficult considering the headlock he was currently in, and spotted a rainbow colored mane in a windswept fashion belonging to a cyan pegasus.

“Not sure why, but Fluttershy wanted me to catch you. You’re coming with me buddy.”

A quick incorporealization spell allowed Malik to fall right through her grip, and she stumbled in confusion. Malik allowed himself to chuckle heartily at the mare’s dumbstruck expression. Then, in a taunting voice that had maybe too much enthusiasm, said, “catch me if you can.” Before disappearing once more.

Unfortunately, he wasn’t paying much attention to his coordinates and landed on a dumpster mere yards away from his starting position. He cracked his head hard on the metal and tried to shake away his disorientation as the blue mare dashed at him, closing the distance in less than a second.

Trying again, he landed in a more comfortable spot near a lake. Ponies dotted the grassy landscape, but none seemed to charge him the moment he was noticed.

Sighing in limited relief, he sat down and tried to devise a plan to retrieve his belongings. There were now two mares chasing him and Celestia knows who else the yellow one had recruited. The next step was to locate his pack. Calming his heart rate, he concentrated on his magic, allowing his mind to blank. Out of the numerous protection spells he laced his pack with, one allowed him to track it should it get lost such as now. An image started to form in the back of his conscious, and he brought it forward, enlarging it, but it remained blurred. Pressing himself further, he grunted in exertion, trying to make the image clearer.

A large tree carved its way out of the fuzziness and for a moment he thought the spell wasn’t working, until the image cleared more to show that the tree was actually made to be an inhabitable structure. It was complete with windows, a door, and even a balcony suggesting it was a two story structure. A sign that hung from the side of the door informed him that it was a library. He smiled. He hadn’t seen any creatures build out of trees like this since he last visited the fairy folk before they went extinct due to reckless rule of their king.

He willed the image to zoom out and it complied, showing him the surrounding buildings and landmarks. Making a mental map based on a few of the architectural landmarks he recognized, Malik once again made a teleport to the nearest one. He was in luck, he spotted the tree in question just a block away to his right. Deciding it would be best to save his magic reserves for whatever fight or flight moment that may arise, he set off jogging towards the library.

He didn’t get far, (for some reason he never expected to) before an accented voice with a southern drawl called out, saying “Hey you!”

His normal growl of annoyance turned to a snarl now as he whipped around to face his interference. A yellow-orange mare with a blonde mane and tail, both fashioned into pony tails, bounded up to him looking angry.

“Ah hear ya been givin Fluttershy and Dash some trouble.”

He tried to remain calm and collected, but Malik could hear the impatience slip into his voice. “On the contrary, it has been they who have been giving me trouble.”

“What? Sweet ol’ Fluttershy? Ah don’t believe that fer a second.”

His nerves cracked, his pseudo smile fading, and a frown creasing his face. “I just want my possession, then I will be on my way.” He said it slow, enunciating every word as not to be misheard. “Now, if you will excuse me-“Crack.

Red and yellow danced before Malik’s eyes before he slumped to the ground. He struggled to retain consciousness, but it slipped from his grasp, leaving him in a black void. His last thoughts being that of a criticizing nature towards his own powerlessness against mere mortals.

“Crap. I think I hit him too hard.” Lamented Rainbow Dash. She stared down at the body that lie motionless except for a few twitches in its legs.

“D-Did you really need to h-hit him at all?” Fluttershy could only feel sorry for him. He didn’t exactly deserve to be chased around and harassed all because he had a few secrets that were nopony’s business. She regretted now making such a big deal out of it.

“What I want to know is why he suddenly has wings. I mean, do you think he’s actually an alicorn?” Rainbow Dash prodded one of the limp wings with a hoof.

“No matter, let’s just get im back to Twi.” Applejack looped her arms under the unconscious body's while Dash grabbed his legs. And as a trio, they headed towards the library.

Malik’s awareness swam through the darkness until it re-surfaced in a low-light room filled with curios and scientific miscellanea. Several windows that dotted the walls were covered and the only door shut. His back was uncomfortable on the ground and he realized his wings once again protruded from his upper back. He cursed and rolled onto his side, grunting in pain from his back and head. Crusted blood stained the back of his head and his skull smarted.

A tight feeling on his horn concerned him and he tried to raise a hand to it only realize they were tied. He tried a simple luminance spell but the magic didn’t come to him.

“Where am I?” He asked no one in particular.

“You are in the Ponyville Library.” A disembodied voice answered. A harsh spot light fixed on him, blinding him momentarily until his eyes could adjust. After a moment of blinking, he could pick a figure out of the darkness. “You have no magic to aid in your escape,” continued the voice. “So please just answer my questions.”

Why did all of this seem so badly dramatized? He’d attended several plays, where the actors were pitiful in their parts and therefore unconvincing. This wasn’t all that different.

“May I ask what the hell I did to deserve such a welcome?”

“May I ask why you are an Alicorn with no cutie mark?” She spat back.

‘Oh right, the wings.’

“I don’t recall it being any of your business.” That couldn’t have been the real reason he was here. Nopony could have known he was an alicorn, or rather disguised as an alicorn.

There was scuffling and then a scraping sound as something was pushed across the wood floorboards. His pack entered the spotlight.

“Mind telling me what’s in the box?” The voice was more demanding than questioning.

'That’s it? That’s what this is all about? ' Malik wanted to laugh. He let out a hearty chuckle and sat up, pointing his bound hands at his horn. “Take these restraints and the magic canceling ring off and I’ll show you.”

There was no answer for a while. She obviously didn’t expect it to be so easy and Malik could only imagine the look of surprise oh his captor’s face.

A violet alicorn mare (although she was noticeably smaller than that of a full blood alicorn, so he guessed she was a newly initiated one) stepped carefully into the light and he mentally whistled. She was pretty cute, with indigo hair falling over her shoulder with a purple and pink stripe. She must have thrown what caution she had to the wind and accepted his offer as she removed the ring, a slight shiver running up his spine when her fingers grazed over his horn.

Once removed, and the ropes away from this wrists, he dropped the protection spells on his pack and slid it open with his magic.

Shock and disappointment was all too clear on the mare’s face when she looked inside, so full of wonder and curiosity, only to find such mundane items. All that was in there was a case of brushes, neatly cleaned, some pencils and erasers, a stack of paintings, a sack of bits, and some bread and cheese folded in a brown leather cloth. There was also a wooden pipe stuffed into one corner.
“I-I don’t understand.” She sat herself on the floor as the spotlight vanished as well as the window coverings, allowing afternoon light to filter in.

Malik snickered, “You young pony folk are so amusing. Your curiosity knows no bounds and you’re not satisfied until you have the full truth in front of you. At least you are more entertaining to be around that those griffins. They think they must act so superior and serious.”

The mare said nothing as she continued to look dumbstruck, mouth slightly open. Bemused, Malik shut the lid on his pack and stood up, shouldering the box.

“Who are you?” was the only thing to escape the mare’s lips.
“If you promise not to tell, I’ll show you something.” One mare couldn’t hurt, right? Besides, he was dying to see her reaction. This was obviously a pony that Celestia herself trusted enough to grant such a gift as alicornhood. And those who gained that much trust from her, were trustworthy in Malik's book.

She nodded silently in agreement and stood up. She then squealed as they both teleported to a secluded area of a forest, the trees having been cleared in a 50 yard radius.

“May I ask you your name?” Malik spoke.

“Twilight. Twilight Sparkle.”

“Alright Miss Sparkle, you have to promise not to tell any soul about what you are going to witness. Such a secret must be kept and you will only know of it because I think you an honest and trustworthy mare. In fact, I will put you under a blood oath. If you tell, you will die on the spot. I will allow you a moment to decide whether or not to accept.” He knew that using such old magic wasn’t necessary, but he wasn’t taking any risks. If large amounts of ponies knew of his true self, he could very well be found out by enemies he very much did not wish to alert.

A bead of nervous sweat ran down the side of Twilight’s face as she appeared to consider the weighty offer. “I accept.”

“Very well. I commend you on your thirst for knowledge.” Malik’s horn glowed a vibrant red and a small, thin stream of magic approached the unnerved alicorn.

“W-wait!”

He stopped the spell, beholding her with a questioning gaze, wondering if she had changed her mind.

“What about the princess? I have a duty to report to her.”

He smiled. A smile of nostalgic reminisce. “Oh, she knows. That’s if she hasn’t forgotten her old friend. Her sister as well for that matter.” He continued the spell, the thin stream once again leaking from his horn. It approached Twilight slowly before increasing in speed rapidly, piercing Twilight’s heart. She gasped in surprise but there was no pain.

“Now, watch carefully.” Malik dropped his pack and removed his clothing, as not to destroy them, and stood in a steady posture, positioning his feet wide apart. For a moment nothing occurred, just the noise of a groan steadily growing louder. All of a sudden, his back arched and his wings shot out, growing rapidly and changing shape, losing the feathers and turning to something more akin to skin, leathery and rough.

His feet expanded and the fur on the legs seemed to retract into his skin, being replaced by white scales. Lengthy claws protruded from each digit. His back convulsed twice before exploding, his whole body getting a lot larger. His head changed but the horn stayed, only growing longer and more jagged. Large fangs and teeth grew in his gaping maw, and he let loose a growl.

“A D-Dragon?!”

“INDEED.” The voice seemed to echo through Twilight’s mind.

“B-but how can a dragon have a horn? Let alone use magic to turn into a pony.”

“I am a lot older than those young dragons you see these days. In fact, I look upon your dear princess as a mere infant.”

Twilight could only stare transfixed at the brilliant white scales that adorned the dragon’s body. The sun glinted off each one making them shine like flawless diamonds. The large azure eyes that beheld her with mirth squinted as he let out a hearty chuckle that rumbled the surrounding area, shaking Twilight to her bones.

With a groan, Malik shrunk until he was back to his pony size before losing the dragon features, once again becoming an alicorn.

“I-I have so many questions.” Muttered Twilight.

Malik strode up to her and laid a hand on her shoulder, forgetting entirely of his nakedness. “Perhaps when next our paths cross, we may have a proper discussion. For now, I must continue on my way. It’s been quite some time since I last visited this valley, but I think I might return. You ponies gave me quite the amusement despite being hit over the head and knocked unconscious.”

“Yeah, sorry about that.” Twilight apologized, hanging her head.

“The town is not all that far from here, so this is where we shall part ways. I wish you well Twilight Sparkle.” Malik re-adorned his clothes then shouldered his pack once again and turned in the opposite of Ponyville, starting the long walk he had ahead of him. He turned once and waved before shouting, “Remember, not a soul.” He thought he could see a slight flush of red on the mare's cheeks, and he giggled.

Something crossed his mind and he stopped. He chuckled and swore before moving again. “I never bought my supplies.”

- - -HOMUNCULUS- - - -

Sleep's effects slowly fade from Ami's mind as she is roused by an annoyingly loud alarm coming from her clock. It takes her close to a full minute to find the right button, mischievously hidden on the far side of the device, but once she does, she sighs in relief, relishing the quiet. She has half a mind to roll over, and burrow deeper under the comforter, but seeing as she has already been late to work 3 times this month, there is a voice in the back of her head telling her that she better get up before she loses her job. A loud groan escapes her lips before she promptly rolls off the side of the bed, her head hitting first. The blankets hold her feet and legs captive resulting in her being half on the bed and half on the floor. Another groan. Today is going to be rough, she can tell.
A warm shower shakes the rest of the slumber from her awakening mind, and by the time she has gotten dried and dressed in a worn pair of tan cargos and plain white t-shirt, she is fully cognitive and ready to take on the day. She can blame her father for the inherited enthusiasm, even if she does not agree with it.

Ami comes down the stairs to find that her father is back in his usual spot on the stain covered armchair nursing a bowl of cereal as he flips through channels.

“Hey dad, lazy as usual?” She smirks, as she passes behind the chair, quickly planting a peck on his cheek.

“*sigh* I get one day off of work and what do I receive? Harassment from my daughter. You'd think that after everything I've done, I would receive a little more gratitude.” Her dad whines with a heavy dose of sarcasm. If Ami weren't already in the kitchen, she would smack him upside the head for it.

Her Lunch made and in a brown paper bag, she exits the kitchen and gives her dad another kiss, this time on the head, before heading straight for the door. “You're right dad.” Ami says as she stops with her hand on the knob. “Tell you what, I'll make it up to you. See you later, love you!” She yells once the door is open and she's stepped through it.
“Love you, kick some ass for me today!” She can hear him yell through the door. She just giggles to herself and heads down the path.

It's definitely not the most exciting thing, working at a gas station, but she hasn't heard her dad complain ever since he found out he gets a family discount on gas and beer. She's got the money to buy herself a car to shorten the 6 mile walk to the station, but something about how there is always a cool breeze in this part of town, convinces her that she'd rather just walk it out. Besides, she may have ended her mma career early, but that doesn't mean she can't stay in shape right? “Oh shoot... I forgot my key... I hope Keith is there already.” Already being more than half the distance, she felt it unnecessary to walk back.
Delighted to find that after the walk, the door is unlocked, she quickly walks in and sets her backpack down behind the register counter and enters the back manager office to get some coffee started. And of course she finds Keith lightly snoring with his head on the desk. Smirking with evil thoughts, she walks up until she is within hugging distance and leans down until her mouth is right next to his ear and she takes a deep breath.

“FFFFFIIIIIIIIRRRRREEEEE” She yells as loud as she can, prompting Keith to immediately scream and fall off the chair. He scrambles to the door and throws it open while he's still on his knees, having crawled to it. Ami can be heard laughing as a thump echoes in the room, getting Keith to stop his frantic search for an extinguisher, and look over to the culprit. Ami has fallen onto the floor, her arms around her midsection as she laughs loudly, pausing periodically to look over at Keith's stunned face which only serves to send her into another fit of giggles.

“Oh haha.” He says mockingly as he gets to his feet. “I hope you plan to pay for my new hearing aid.”

“Hahaha... sorry... *giggle*... Thank you. That definitely just made my day.”

“Yes, well, does this mean I can get the hell out of here now?” He says as he picks his hat up off the ground and places it over his long golden hair which is currently tied back into a ponytail.

As Ami calms herself down, she fills up a cup of coffee, overjoyed to find it still steaming. “Another night shift?”

“And I have sweet old Johnny to thank for that. That moron decided to go and get drunk again with is whore wife. If I get to spend another moment in this hell hole, I'll lose it. Good luck.” He says before throwing a bag over his shoulder, lighting a cigarette and heading out to the front. Ami can hear the front door bell ring, meaning she is now alone. She sighs and sips on her coffee. Blegh! Needs creamer.

The day ticks by slowly, the lack of customers only making it halt it's general progression. Her constant glancing to the clock only serves to drive her nuts. Every now and then she can spot a car pulling up to get gas, after which she silently begs them to come in and buy something, anything, but is always disappointed when they re-enter their vehicles and drive off, taking her patience with them. It's now 3p.m. and she's stacking cards, in her futile attempt to speed up time. When the door rings... It rang! It rang! She glances up hopefully and sees a single hooded character enter the station.

'Oh great... a creeper. Ah well, I'll take what I can get at this point.'

“Let me know if you need help with anything.” She chimes.

The man lifts his hood to show a surprisingly fair face with several piercings. One on his right eyebrow and one on his tongue that she catches when his mouth opens to speak. “Actually, I'm just browsing.” He says it with a disturbing amount of glee. His voice is deeper than she first suspected. He has wild light brown hair that goes every-which way, but somehow looks at least decent. It covers most of his ears, but she catches several piercings along the tops of his ears when he turns down an aisle. After a moment of silence, he returns to the middle, looks around, then heads down another aisle on the opposite side. She barely catches an “Ah ha” Before he walks up to the register. He's holding a single dum dum sucker, and places it on the counter before pulling out a dollar bill and setting it as well on the counter.

Ami stares at the sucker dumbfounded, before looking up the stranger almost wanting to say, “seriously?” But the man only looks back at her with twinkling emerald eyes. She rings up the sucker and gives him 81 cents back. He bows low before taking the sucker and spinning on his heels to walk out. He unwraps his prize and popping it into his mouth before pushing the door open. He only gets to the curb before he stops, turns around and re-enters the station.

“Actually...” he starts with a smirk. “Ami-The-Fist.” He says with a sparkle in his eye. Ami gives a curt nod, and that seems to be answer enough for the man, as he bursts out laughing. “Haha! I thought so. Strange as it is to see such a pretty face in place like this. At least I can finally stop my search.”

“Ummm... what can I help you with?” Ami says with apparent apprehension.

“Oh, no. I'm just a messenger right now. So, let me get the message.” He digs around in his pocket for a few seconds before his hand comes up with a folded slip of paper. He giggles a few times while un-folding it, before he stands up straight, clears his throat and recites in a serious tone:: “We know who you are, we know your past. On the eve of your 21st year, we will begin the purge. You will at last be reunited with your siblings.” He gives her a moment to let the message sink in.

Ami can only sit there with a look of unadulterated horror twisting her face. She has no idea what to make of what this man has just said, but if her gut can tell her anything, it's that this guy is bad news and something terrible is about to happen. What's worse, her birthday is tomorrow. Her breathing goes ragged as she begins to panic. The man must have caught onto her reaction as he walks up to her, puts a hand on her cheek, which causes her to flinch.

“Awww don't worry about it too much. Mine wasn't all that bad, and it's so much better afterward. He chuckles lightly as he moves his hand up and rustles her hair. He then backs up a bit and performs another deep bow before walking back outside.
“Who the hell are you?” Ami screams, rushing around the counter to stand in front of the man. She gets into a stance suggesting she is ready to fight him if necessary.

“My name is Alair.” He says with a smile. She wants to ask him more, or maybe just yell at him again, but he ran off quite quickly after offering his name. Her panic quickly increases to frantic pacing as she attempts desperately to make sense of the situation. She may be a good fighter, but her mental fortitude never was her strongest point. She once had broken down into sobs when she saw a dead a dead boxer in the middle of the road.

She was able to calm down after a while, and go back behind the counter. The rest of the day continued on fairly slowly, her apprehension being the cause most likely. However, once Tyler entered, she thanked him and rushed out as fast as she could, running home without stopping. She tripped several times in her rush, but that did little to halt her. Once home, she threw open the door and looked around frantically. Her father, as per usual, was of course asleep in his recliner, a goofy grin on his face, as his hand rested on his stomach. She ran upstairs, taking them three at a time, and pushes through the door to her parents room where she finds her mother sitting on the bed reading a rather thick volume with gothic print on the cover.

“Oh, Ami, how was work?” She asks with a half smile as she closes the book and sets it on a nightstand.

“Um, not bad.” She says as she spins on her heels, and moves to exit the room. However, her mother stops her before she makes it.

“Hold on! Sheesh, why are you in such a hurry?” She doesn't let Ami answer, as she immediately continues. “Your father and I have been talking, and well, we think it's time that you move into your own place. You know, to take that step into adulthood. I mean, we both know you have the funds and some to spare, and we know you've always loved that park, so we talked with the mayor, and he agree to sell you a plot of land near it.” She finishes with a winning smile and a hopeful glint in her eye.”

Ami can only stare at her in bewilderment. She'd thought about it, of course, and it would be a great opportunity to finally build that tree house, but she had just never gotten to sorting through the fine details. However, she couldn't help but feel the at the words stung a little, and she nearly forgot why she had rushed home in a panic in the first place. “Oh... okay. If you guys want me gone, then I can go.” Kind of a sucker punch, but she didn't know how else to respond at the moment.

“Now Ami, you know it's not like that-” Her mom starts to say, before her brain kicks in and tries to diffuse the situation.

“I know, I know. I don't know why I said it like that. It's fine. I've been meaning to do just that for a while now. I'll go speak with the mayor tomorrow to sort something out.”

Her mother's smile returns as she gives a curt nod before wrapping her arms around her. “Thank you for understanding Ami, I love you hun.”

“Love you to mom... Wait... this isn't about you two being able to have sex at night without me being around to hear you guys, is it?” Ami suddenly pulls back with a smile and quirked eyebrows. Her mother's face immediately explodes into a bright blush as she looks downwards, suddenly finding the carpet to be more interesting than their conversation.

'Pfft. Called it.'

Ami can only hold her sides in laughter as she once again turns to leave the room, giggling all the way. “You two have fun!” She calls back as she heads into the hall towards her room. At least now she knows the source of that goofy grin on her dad's face. They probably got it on while she was gone. She continues her chuckles as she lays on her bed, pulling out her textbook to maybe finally get some homework done. Damn Math.

Ami wakes with a start to the sound of knuckles rapping on her bedroom door. She groans and rolls out of bed, unceremoniously knocking her her textbook and several pieces of notepaper onto the floor, then stepping on them in her sleepy stupor. When she reaches the door, she can hear a whisper on the other side, so she waits a second, attempting to overhear the conversation, with her ear against the wood. It stops before she can make any coherent sentences out of the mumbles. She opens the door and is quite surprised to find that there is not a single soul outside in the hall. What she does find, however, is a note taped to the wall saying, in hasty handwriting, to go downstairs and into the kitchen for surprise. Hesitant at first, but then just brushing it off as another of her dad's shenanigans, she shakes her head in annoyance to the early hour and follows the directions. All along the hall and at the top of the stairs, there are extra notes to urge her on. Saying things like 'You're almost there' or 'keep going.' Some even have the occasional smiley face. It definitely appears to be something her father would do. All throughout the house, the lights are off, but Ami has always been able to fair well enough in the dark. She takes the stairs, and when she reaches the bottom, she can see that there is a single light on in the kitchen. It's the chandelier above the dinner table. It strikes her as odd, but it takes her even more be surprise when she spots a large, round cake in the spotlight. It's a simple cake with white frosting, and she is secretly hoping it's a chocolate cake. When she reaches the table and looks down on the baked treat, she can see that in light purple frosting it says, 'Happy 21st Ami-The-Fist.'

'This isn't right.' Ami gasps, realizing what is going on, and realizing who must have done this. She hears a light footstep behind her, and she spins around.

*THUNK*

- - -HOMUNCULUS- - - -

“Brush... canvas... paint... I'm all set.” Malik recites to himself as he packs up his belongings into his mahogany box, that he then straps to his back before getting up off the grassy hill, and starting back towards the path. Once back on the dirt road, he takes a moment to stretch each limb, yawning during the process, and then proceeding to take a long drought from his water skin. Stopping the container with a screw on cap, he starts his long walk to the pearl white castle that can be seen sitting on the side of a mountain. It's old, but not as old as he, and it has definitely been quite a few years since he last visited the upper class city known now as Canterlot. After the 'incident' in Ponyville, he was eager to get there quickly.

He does not get far before he gets a small shiver that runs through his whole body, from the tip of his horn, down to the last strand on his tail. He pauses on the path once more, annoyed by the disruption almost as much as he is frightened by the premonition it entails. He frowns deeply, and shakes his head before continuing. Malik is usually one to enjoy the free spirit of adventure and danger, but this time it feels like a whole lot more. Give him a hydra to slay, perhaps a bandit that crosses his path asking (if not demanding) him to hand his valuables over. Or maybe a nice deep, dark cave to explore at the random happenstance that some enjoyment and the occasional treasure is found. But what he feels at this moment is something that he wouldn't dare mettle with. Unless he had very pressing need to, that is.

The old being now pulls the cloak's hood (that he got in a small village known as Summer's end not long after departing from Ponyville, along with several other necessities) up over his head as he takes a moment to gauge the distance from here to the castle before his horn alights with a maroon glow, and he is gone from where he once stood, as if the universe had just decided to swallow him into oblivion. He would have taken the traditional means of transportation to get there, but with what occurred in Ponyville, He thought it best to avoid as much attention as possible. He reappears in front of the castle's large golden gates, a sly grin on his face. The guards stationed take one look at him and instantly decide to thrust their long pikes toward his direction.

“State your purpose.” The one on the left barks in a deep condescending tone, before letting his face scrunch up into a scowl. His partner following suite, while also taking a wary step towards the figure.

“Gentlecolts,” Malik states in the most calm and friendly tone he can muster. “The Princess is expecting me. You wouldn't want to keep her waiting, now would you?” He finishes off his plea with a serpentine smile, that only results in giving the guards a slight chill down their spines.

“Very well, remain here while your claim is confirmed.” Once again it is the one on the left that answers, and then backtracks until he slips through the gate. Only then does he turn his back to Malik, and continue into a barracks sitting in the castle's courtyard. The remaining gate keeper keeps his weapon lowered, continuously glaring. Malik just grins cheekily and sticks his tongue out, attempting to get a rise out of the guard. It is only a mere minute before the guard that left returns, his face stoic, but his eyes showing contentment as he states, “I'm terribly sorry, but the Princess is expecting no one.”

Malik sighs and grumbles to himself, losing his grin. “Just tell her that an old... well, very old, friend is here to see her, and what he has to say will weigh heavily upon her future actions, regarding the safety of her citizens.” His smile returns. 'That should do it.'

The guard glares, before repeating his earlier actions and leaving the gate to enter the barracks. Returning a moment later, with a deep set scowl, that informs Malik of his success. “You may proceed, but for the love of Celestia, do not cause any trouble.”
“You have nothing to worry about.” Malik chuckles as he steps through the gate, and heads off across the courtyard to the portcullis. Even with the distance, he can hear both guards grumble.

Once inside the castle's vast entrance hall, he stops to think for a moment before closing his eyes and letting his mind roam over the layout of the castle, looking through the various rooms, halls, and even kitchens (and to his excitement, plenty of food. Prepared for the Princesses no doubt, but they wouldn't mind if a croissant or bowl of soup went missing). As his mind reaches to the furthest areas of the castle, he stops in front a rather large set of gilded doors sandwiched between two more of the royal guards. His smile widens and he returns to his body, before beginning the trek through the stone labyrinth that would be required to meet with his old friend. He thought about teleportation, but he thought to himself that while here, he may as well give himself a tour of the castle he had yet to see since hearing about it's erection some thousand years ago. Not to mention, it would be such a travesty to miss out on a few snacks.
~-~-~-~-~-~-~

The moment the alabaster alicorn caught word of a visitor (an old friend, they had been referenced them as) coming to speak to her about the safety of her citizens, she immediately went into a fit of squinting eyes putting her hand up to her chin, and wearing a trench into the area preceding her throne as she contemplated who would request an audience of such importance. The only “old” friends she had, were either dead, plotting to overthrow her kingdom, or were just out in the vast stretches of Equestria wreaking havoc and (as he called it) “glorious chaos.”

Her mind sifted through faces she had come across throughout her long life, but each one was quickly put back into the recesses of her mind as she debunked the possibility of them being this mysterious visitor. She sat back in her throne with a tired scowl upon her face as she gave up the mental search and resolved to just wait and see who it could be. And when muffled speak snuck through the throne room doors, she stared intently at the entrance. When the doors opened very slightly and the familiar tint of golden armor shuffled through, she gave a curt nod to the guard, who then pushed the door open wide enough to reveal the visitor.
The sun goddess's eyes widened to impossible proportions as she realized the pony who stood before her was all but forgotten in terms of eligibility of a visit. In fact, she would go as far as to say she had hoped to never see this pony again. If only to keep powerful emotions locked away and forgotten forever. Her bottom lip trembled as she struggled to mutter the name of the one before her. And when she succeeded it was hardly more than a whisper.

“Malik.”
~-~-~-~-~-~-~

As Malik walks the carpeted hall, he can only grimace at the reaction he receives from the ruler of this land. It would be fair to say that the last time he saw such a sad face, it was in a parting glance backwards as he walked away from a dear friend thousands of years ago. It would also be fair to say that he very much so deserved the hard crack of a palm across his face, once the princess had recovered from her state of shock. It, however, surprises him greatly when the arms of the offender are thrown around his neck in a hug that nearly chokes the life out of him. He chokes and gasps for sweet oxygen but only finds the arms growing stronger in their pursuit of snuffing out his life force. He hears a faint sob come from the right side of his head, so he sighs and brings a hand up to the princess's back. After several moments of reverence, Malik puts a little more force into separating himself from Celestia. The moment he did so, Celestia's face grew to a scowl before growling, “You have a lot of explaining to do!”

“In good time.” Malik starts, wanting to postpone the reminiscing until after he delivered his message, or else he feared he would only forget. “We have much to discuss, and I have grown weary from traveling. May we find a place to sit down to converse?” Not a moment after he says this does the throne room doors burst open, revealing a panting Princess Luna, with a scroll held fast in her clenched fist.

“TIAAAAA.” She yells in her haste. “The minotaurs have mobilized their forces, and have sent confirmation of their desire to overtake our border and engage in wa-” She stops immediately once her eyes meet the gaze of Malik's. Her face immediately takes on a murderous or perhaps defensive tone, as she slowly inches around Malik to stand next to her sister, not once breaking eye contact.

“Luna. It is good to see you again. It would seem I have not been forgotten in these long years.”

“Nay, and neither have your rash actions to spite my dear sister.”

“Luna!” Celestia cuts in, “He is our guest and you will treat him as such. His claim to hold information about the safety of our ponies will be met with gratitude and nothing less. If you wish to stir any bitter feelings, you will do so outside of court.” She doesn't realize how biting her words are with their venom.

Luna, shocked by her sister's betrayal, closes her mouth and stands straight, with a stoic gaze towards Malik. And Malik can only chuckle at the folly of the two sisters. “I thank you Celestia, and if we may, shall we retire to a more comfortable setting to discuss these matters?”

“Of course.” Celestia leads the three of them to a vacant lounge room inside of the castle that is furnished with couches, chairs, plush cushions, and a large table sitting in the center hosting a variety of drinks for the occupants' refreshment. Celestia takes a seat upon one of the chairs, while Luna chooses to rest upon a rather fluffy cushion after pulling it next to her sister's chair. Malik reclines on a plush couch, but not before using his magic to pour himself a glass of brandy and take a long sip. With a heavy sigh, he sits up, setting the glass back on the table and putting his hands together to form a tent, covering his mouth.

“It is apparent to me that you are currently dealing with your own problems concerning certain alliances, but I fear I must place yet another topic for worry on your heavy laden plate.” Another deep breath before he continues. “To put it simply: Something is coming. I have no knowledge of what, who, when, where, how, or any other critical information for that matter. All I can say is that it possesses great power, and is very dangerous. I have lived through many wars, fighting in my fair share, and have stood the test of time. However, I fear that this coming atrocity will be more than I can handle on my own.” When neither Celestia nor Luna offers a reply short of concerned glares, he continues. “The reason I have suddenly showed up after millenia to share this information, is because I have reason to believe it is tied to either one of you, or perhaps both.” Once again, he stops to ascertain their reactions. Celestia has a look of fervent interest, while Luna is a bit more refined in her expression, but her fear is clear to Malik. Such fear being shown in light of the news brings a thought to Malik's mind. One that instills fear in even his mind. One that he hopes desperately is false and just his imagination. The other two in the room are staring at him patiently as he gathers his thoughts, and once he notices this, he coughs and rises to his hooves. “I have something I must attend to.”

Celestia immediately conjures a look and accompanying gesture as if to say, 'You just got here, you better not leave, or I'll restrain you.' and seeing this, Malik smiles warmly and holds out a hand. “Worry not, Celestia. I won't be long, and when I return we may engage in proper discussion to catch up with each other.” He takes her hand in his, before leaning forward and planting a gentle kiss on her cheek that makes her shift uncomfortably, but not with ingratitude. A ghost of a smile takes to her lips, and she nods without a word, if only because she was still shaken by her childhood lover's sudden reappearance. With the given permission, Malik opens the large doors leading to a balcony. He steps slowly outside where he looks with interest over the surrounding landscape, thinking that it would make for a beautiful painting in the future. With a sudden flourish of magical power, her summons a large Roc familiar, before climbing upon it's back and flying due north.
~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

Celestia sat with her gaze directed towards the balcony for several long minutes before reluctantly tearing her concentration away once she could no longer recognize Malik in the burnt hues of the setting sun. She takes a moment to finally set her sun, and in return, Luna connects with the moon to begin it's ascension in the ever darkening sky. When they were both finished, Celestia sighs in the now dark room, lost in her thoughts. When Luna clears her throat, to grab her attention, she turns to the door and heads for it. “Come sister, there is work to be done. I fear we won't find much rest, let alone sleep in the coming days.”

- - -HOMUNCULUS- - - -

Sounds echoed around Ami in the dark as she jolted awake. With her first instinct being to find out what happened and where she was, she attempted to sit up only to find herself chained to a hard stone table. She tried as well as she could manage to remain calm in this apparently dire situation, but panic was rapidly filling her thoughts, and a wave of nausea hit her, causing her to gag and then vomit. She was unable to move her head much, but she was at least able to turn enough that she did not choke on her own bile. A harsh cough followed, and she struggled to regain her breath. Huffing drowned out the background as she tried to calm herself down.

Her body felt numb, and a searing pain dominated her head. She tried tugging on the chains again only to get rewarded with a loud scream of anguish. It took her but a moment to realize it was her. The chains were looped around circlets with a sort of spike that were driven into her wrists. Shifting her position notified her that the same had been done with her legs and feet. All she could do was lay there helpless and in pain. And just the thought of that was driving her nearer to insanity.
It was not long after, perhaps minutes that merely felt like hours, light footfalls could be heard drawing nearer from her right. After agonizing seconds a familiar figure entered her visions, which is to say that the face belonging to the personage was mere inches away from hers in the cool darkness. She grunted in surprise, but grew more angry than anything else when she very much recognized the same man who had entered the gas station store the day prior. Or at least what she would venture to guess was the day prior. Lord knows how long she had been out. Her stiffness, despite her restraints, told her it had been more than just a few hours.

“Welcome, Ami, back to the world of the living. We were starting to wonder if you were going to be waking up at all after the first week.” He chuckled lightly, apparently thinking himself to be humorous.
'A- A week!?'

“Anyway...” He said slowly. “You remember me right? Messenger? The one who accosted you in your home? I do think the cake was a nice touch, if I do say so myself. It truly is too bad you didn't get to try-”

“Shut up!” Ami yelled, surprising herself with how loud the echoes yelled back. “Where the hell am I? Why? What the hell do you want?”

Again he chuckled, and she had to bite her lip to suppress the urge to yell again. She also silently promised him that if she ever got out of this, she would punch his stupid head off his shoulders. “Relax Ami, we are only here to help you. I do promise you that everything will make sense in just a little bit. While the others are setting up, we can just have a little chat hmm? How about this: Question for a question, what do you say?” He had retracted from her field of vision, but she could tell that he was still close.
This man's words were not helping to calm her down, but she knew she had little choice in the matter, so it would be smart to try and glean whatever information she could out of him. Softly, enough so that the sound barely reached her ears, she answered. “Alright.”

The man however didn't seem to have any troubles hearing her. “Oh good. I'll even let you go first.” His silence reinforced his answer.

Hesitantly with fear evident, She asked her first question. “Can you turn on the lights?”

She heard him suck air in through his teeth and then sigh. “Sorry Ami, that's a no-can-do. Though I am with you on that one. I hate the dark. Trust me though. You will be able see again soon enough. Alrighty, My turn!” His giddiness and cheerfulness was dulling her fear and apprehension, only to replace it with annoyance. “Can we be friends?”

The pure audacity of the question alone sent Ami into silence for several minutes, and when he repeated the question, she gritted her teeth hard, and gruffly growled and 'no.' It sounded like he had started to pout, but made no attempt to push further. It was her turn. “Is my family safe?”

He took an agonizingly long time to answer the question, and she was beginning to fear the worst. “Yes.” Her feelings of relief that washed through her were so intense that she almost forgot the situation. “Why can't we be friends?” His voice was inquisitive while having traces of sorrow.

Now Ami really wanted to punch him. “Isn't it obvious? You kidnap me, chain me down in the most painful way possible and lord knows what else you want to do with me, and you want to be my friend? Hell no!” She made no attempt whatsoever to hide the venom in her voice.

It was at this point that she could hear the guy stand up, brush himself off, and start to walk off. 'That's right, go away. See if I care... Wait.” Her body had grown numb again and she was impartially thankful for it. However the fact remained that she was seemingly crucified onto a stone table. Her parents were probably freaking out, and there was no doubt she no longer had a job. The place stunk too much of cigarettes anyway.

Silence reigned for quite some time before more footfalls returned, these ones much heavier and sounding metallic. A voice, much deeper than the man before, spoke. “We are ready for you Amethyst.” She screamed loudly as the metal stakes were pulled from her body and dropped to the ground. It was an itchy, burning pain that she wanted desperately to crawl away from. But as quickly as it started, it stopped. The wounds were gone. It surprised her, but only until she remembered her supernatural recovery rates in the past. “Follow.” Was all she got as instruction, before the figure in the darkness walked away. It was a long walk, and she lost her way several times. Her escort was gracious enough to wait for her to catch up in those cases. At last, they entered into a foyer like room lit by dim torches along the walls. Benches covered in red cloth sat in rows off to either side, while an elaborate rug ran down the middle. It reminded her of an old Christian church, but she couldn't help but entertain the possibility that she would soon be a part of some sadistic satanist ritual. Then she noticed that the light in the room grew a bit brighter the farther into the room they went. A very large and gorgeously crafted stained glass window sat in the center of the far wall, taking up the greater portion of it. It depicted what appeared to be a unicorn, although it had wings as well, black as night, with a mane and tail that were a dark blue, but seemed ethereal in nature. It looked very large and regal, with pieces of what appeared to be armor. There were dark iron horseshoes, an ornate chest piece, and a helmet that covered most of it's face, but framed in it's large and daunting blue eyes. Below the equine there was a crescent moon shrouded in what she guessed would be mist. Surrounding all of this were 4 twinkling stars, but were arranged in a way that would suggest there should be a fifth. The background contained smaller specks of stars. The sight of it accompanied by soft light filtering through it was nothing short of breathtaking and Ami lost herself in it's image for a time, before she was pushed along by her escort.

Now that they were in some light, she understood where the metallic footsteps were from. Her escort was a very large man (or so she guessed from the sound of their voice) who wore a set of complete body armor. It appeared almost fantastical, with large pauldrons and very ornate helm. The chest piece looked to be several overlapping plates with a design carved and painted into it. The gauntlets, cuisse and greaves having a similar design. The whole thing also had a deep blue tone to it.

“Sit.” One word instructions yet again. She claimed a seat in one of the front benches, noticing a large tome sitting on the bench next to her. Curious, she picked it up and started to read. Only to give up moments later once she realized that it was in a foreign language unlike any she had seen before. She set the book back down and twiddled her thumbs, if only desperate to find something to take her mind off of her predicament. To be perfectly honest, Ami was now at this point scared out of her wits, and the anticipation welling in the pit of her stomach, told her that she had better escape while she had the opportunity. Her escort had left quite promptly after his duty of guide had been fulfilled and she was now alone in this chapel.

Standing up, she turned around and headed for the door silently, only to have it opened up in front of her with a tall man standing behind it. He wore a simple trench coat that covered his body, and a top hat that cast shadows upon his face. Upon seeing her, he reached up and tilted his hat forward with a gloved hand and performed a deep bow that only served to leave Ami in a state of shock and confusion.

“Good morning lady Amethyst.” His voice was smooth and lulling, and immediately she could tell he had quite the silver tongue. “I trust you there was no trouble in during your arrival.”
Ami's shock turned quite quickly into vivid anger as she took one step forward, thrust her hand forward and grabbed the collar of the man's coat. He made no move of a counteroffensive, despite the awkwardness of him standing a head taller than her. “I just woke up nailed to a table in the dark, only to be greeted by a maniac wanting to be my friend after confessing to being the one who did that to me. Is that how you treat your guests?”

For a split second, she thought she saw surprise in his eyes, but it was quickly hidden behind behind a sigh of defeat. He muttered something about the last time he told him, before turning his attention back to her and waiting patiently. She caught the hint, and released him. He gave an appreciative nod, and waked past her to the front of the chapel. He reached an alter, and stood there, gazing upon the stained glass window. He spoke calmly, and almost too quite for her to hear, “Amethyst, do you have any idea why you are here?”

At first Ami remained silent, expecting the man to give the answer, but when he made no indication of such, she spoke. “I can't decide if you are sadistic cultists, or trying to pull some out of bounds prank. You kidnapped me from my family and apparently restrained me in the most gruesome and condescending way. I would really appreciate you cutting the gentleman act and telling me why I'm here.”

He chuckled lightly, which caused Ami to clench her fists, and spoke. “For thousands of years I have been away from my home, searching for a way back. You see, I as well as my siblings were cast out due to having been guilty of a crime we had no say in. It was our mere existence that angered a greater power, and since we were unable to be destroyed, we were excommunicated from our own home. During these long years, I have searched diligently for both a way home, and to discover the whereabouts of my scattered siblings. So far, I have managed to rendezvous with three of them.” He paused for a moment. During his story, Ami was dumbfounded, her mouth hanging slightly open in a mixture of pity and disbelief. She had also noticed that the armored man had returned, bringing with him the creep from the basement and a very pretty lady wearing an oriental style dress, with her long silver hair, whose length was not far off from her own, tied into a ponytail. She now noticed that the creeps hair was silver as well, despite being brown upon their first meeting. He too stood a head over her, and his piercings were still present, but now being of a more gaudy nature.

The man up front continued. “Alair, whom you've been acquainted with has been with me for quite some time. Mara, I discovered several hundred years ago. Ajax found us some sixty years prior to now. And now, we are here to be reunited with our last sibling.”

If Ami had not been nervous before, she was now. She stood in horror, at the realization of what her purpose here was. They somehow thought she was their long lost sister, and now they wanted her back. However, she did not understand how any of this could be possible with his claim to be several thousand years old.

“How? How can you be that old? That's.... not possible.” Ami sputtered out, her mouth moving before her brain could formulate a proper response.

Again, he chuckled before replying. To Ami, it was getting old, and she wanted to smack him for it. “I know how hard it must be to understand and comprehend our situation. Due to the nature of our exile, the universe saw fit to position us far apart, not only in distance, but in time.”

“But how are you still alive? You should be six feet under all bones and dirt.”

“If I were mortal, then that would certainly be the case.” He left it at that. He now turned to face the group. “There is one other repercussion, of our exile. We were born into these human bodies, with our memories locked away. I suppose it's the universe's way of punishing us. However, there was a loophole. If we destroyed what brought us into this world, then our souls would seek out that which was once ours, as it would recognize it as a familiar vessel therefore our past selves would be restored. My pseudo parents were killed in cold blood, and in the moment of my intense fear, I regained my memories and abilities, and disposed of the perpetrator. I then set out to find my siblings and instruct them in how to achieve the same enlightenment I had received. Alair, as I said, was the first to be found, and he had no qualms with the destruction of his parents, due to them forsaking him in exchange for a frivolous life of carnal pleasures. Mara came next. She killed her own parents, without a single word of explanation as to why she accepted the gruesome task so quickly. Finally, Ajax found us after his parent's death some thousand years ago. I do not know why it took him so long to find us. He never removes his armor, and prefers to remain silent.

“We discovered you after having the pleasure of witnessing one of your fights. Immediately, I knew your were the last sibling, both from your strength, and your ability to rejuvenate quickly. A gift we all share. We remained in the shadows, so to speak, to fully confirm your identity, before making a move to reclaim you.”

At this point, Ami had no idea what to think, or how to react. She had been hit with an immense amount of information that sounded like a tale spun from a delusional psycho that had taken a few too many shots of LSD. But if she understood correctly, they wanted her to kill her parents. She had no intention to comply with that. Inwards, this is what was going through her mind. However, outwards, her only reaction was her head shaking of it's own volition.

“No... I can't kill my parents... No... you must have the wrong person.” She knew full well, she fit their definition, she was just too stunned to admit it. She hated being in this situation, not being specific, but there was no room for her usual brash tough act, she was left to be a trembling mess, not knowing how to either deal with her sudden feelings of hopelessness, or level her head enough to figure out why it was she felt this way. If what this man said was true, and there were plenty of doubts in her mind, then he could have thousands of years of experience. She found herself constantly wondering if she could fend them off by herself, and get out of this godforsaken place. However, it was always a fleeting thought when as she continued to remind herself she was outnumbered, perhaps out skilled, and not to mention that she had no idea the layout of this place. She was on Their turf. They had the home field advantage. So when silence reigned in the room for a few agonizing moments, she had only one way to cope with her stress and fear. She closed her eyes, and willed over and over endlessly for her to wake up from this sadistic nightmare.

After another long while the man nodded to Ajax, the armored one, who stood up and clambered out of the room. It was now that Ami realized the man had not revealed his own identity, just that of his brothers and sister. She did not know why such a mundane thought pushed it's way to the forefront of her muddled mind, but perhaps she was willing to use anything to distract herself. When she voiced this, he turned his gaze on her. It was not a harsh glare, but it almost appeared as if he had been hurt by the question. Nevertheless, he gave his name.

“Jareb.” He gave another unsettling smile proceeding his answer and turned back to the door, which was now opening once more on old hinges. That which came through the door, nearly caused a fight to break out. Bound, blindfolded, and entirely unclothed, with brand marks blemishing their bodies, were her parents. The sight revolted Ami, and she had to hold back both bile and rage that was pent up and ready to cause a hell on earth for the bastards that would do something like this.

Ami slowly turned away from her tormented parents, and let every morsel of unadulterated rage shine through her violet eyes. She took careful, slow steps at first, which then turned into flying leaps as she made her way down the chapel aisle towards Jareb. She was mere feet away, and about to feel the satisfaction of sending this deranged bastard through the window, when someone caught her arm mid swing and held it in place with disturbing strength. She turned in her surprise to find it was Alair. Shock quickly turned back to horror filled anger as she tried to wrench her hand free. She was able to tear away, but not without delivering a jab to Alair's side. He didn't even appear to flinch, aside from loosening his grip.

“Please understand Amethyst-”

“Don't call me that!” She yelled at the top of her lungs.

“Please understand, that we do this with your best interests in mind. You will thank me afterwords. I promise.” Ami did not know whether it was the audacity of the statement or the smug way he said it, that made her want to rip every limb from his body. Nor did she care to figure it out. She wasted no time in making another lunge towards Jareb, only to be tackled to the side by Alair. His hot breath brushed against her face and she cringed.

“Ami, calm down. We don't want to hurt you.” Alair stated, what almost sounded like worry in his voice.
With as much of a death glare as she could muster, she yelled. “You bastards just kidnapped me and my parents. And now you want to tell me that everything will be alright once my parents are dead?! Fuck you!” She got her legs up under Alair and kicked hard at his stomach, sending him sprawling on the ground a few yards away. For a third and final attempt she lunged at Jareb. This time grabbing at his neck, which she succeeded in doing. She wanted so desperately to crush his windpipe here and now. She knew she had the power to do so. However, her opportunity was lost, when she lost all feeling in her left arm which was tightly clamped on his neck. It confused her even more when there was unfathomable pain erupting from her upper arm. She tried to look over, but ended up falling over, dizziness and nausea filling her senses, as she tried to get a grasp on the situation. She could feel sticky blood around her as she lie on the ground.

“Allow me tell you something about Homunculi in human bodies. We have amazing regenerative abilities, as well as increased strength and agility.” The voice seemed so distant, but she could recognize it as Jareb's. “We don't, however, possess the ability to regenerate our limbs. We can, however, reattach them, if they have not been separated for more than twenty four hours.” Ami did not understand why he was telling her this. What had happened. “Now, I shall give you back your arm, if you cooperate with us.”

'My... My arm?' She struggled to move her unharmed arm, and reached her hand over. She screamed when it met a stump, still pumping out gratuitous amounts of blood. She grit her teeth, and sloppily got to her feet with what remaining strength she had, and looked to Jareb, who was holding her left arm, as if it were some trophy. By this point her ability to think rationally was out of order, and all she could think to do was shuffle over to Jareb. She clenched her good hand into a fist and charged.

“I see. That is a shame.” Jareb beat her to it, and punched her hard in the stomach, dropping her once again. She lay there helpless until she felt her hair being pulled. Ami soon found herself being dragged across the stone floor. It was only for maybe a dozen yards before her head dropped to the ground again. She was losing consciousness, and no matter how hard she struggled against it, she was powerless.

She thought she had fallen asleep, when she was jerked awake by her hair being pulled again. Except this time, there was a bright, golden light, shining into her eyes. It was the stained glass window from before. Except it was glass no more, and instead a bright gateway of sunlight. She stared in awe.

Jareb pulled harder then, bringing her to eye level with him. He whispered, “Forgive me, sister of mine. You will remember soon, and we shall be reunited. I found you once, I can find you again. Once your memories have returned, look for me in a place called the Valley of Shadows. I wish you luck.”

That was the last thing Ami heard besides the cries of her parents, as she was thrown into the light, yet simultaneously plunged into darkness.

II/ Elksjö

I do not know how long I was floating there in a half awake state. I could feel myself falling, but at the same time, it almost felt like I was wrapped in a silken blanket lying on top of a rather comfortable bed. I did not remember what had happened nor why I was there at the time. All that I knew or cared about was that I was oh so tired and did not want to leave the warm presence of the bed.

Wherever I was, it was dark. Not the kind of dark that you achieve when you turn off the lights just before lying down for the night, but a palpable variety of darkness. It felt thick, as I waved my arm in front of me. For a moment, I felt claustrophobic, almost panicking in my prison. But then I remembered that I was tired. So I rolled over and drove myself further under the silk. It felt odd at that moment as I lay on my side. There was a distinct feeling that something was missing. I thought not of light nor logic which both did not seem to be present, but of my hand which was immovable. My free hand moved over to investigate and my breath caught.

I lost my arm.

Only then did the memories of the past few hours return to my remembrance. I panicked, and if someone were there to observe my loss of sanity, I imagine it would appear as if I were seizing.

Suddenly, light burst in small points in the distance. Temporarily, I forgot about my predicament and waited in silence as the light grew closer. Closer. Closer. It was when it flooded my vision with brightness that I dove at it. Not caring much for the consequences, only seeking to abandon this darkness and the feelings of fear with it. It was almost too bright for my eyes to take.

~~~~`~

If you recall back to the last time you saw a sci-fi or fantasy movie where the protagonists get thrown through some portal or teleportation spell and they get spit back out, rolling on the ground only to get up and continue on their way no worse for the wear, It was all a lie.

As the light spit me out, giving me not only my vision, but my cognizance back, I was thrown to the ground. And not lightly either. The only real memory I have from that moment was the splitting and utterly mind numbing pain that ran up my back and coalesced in the back of my skull. I cried out, tears leaking forth almost immediately and infinitely. I was sure I had just earned myself a concussion, and if there were copious amounts of blood that stained whatever I had landed on, well, it would not surprise me nor would I care. My back, I swore, was broken, but I was somehow still able to move my hand to my left side where it grasped a stump. Which I soon found out was also leaking my precious fluids.

Screams were muffled by gritted teeth only to be set free whenever a new wave of pain crawled agonizingly along my back, arm and head. At this point it was only a matter of time before I would bleed out, perhaps not before losing consciousness.

Looking back on that moment, I can't help but wonder why, through all that pain, through all that agony, and lack of hope, the thoughts that seemed to cross my mind were of my perhaps dead parents. They did not deserve their fate. And I blamed myself. I also still do not understand why my body did not pull itself back together with my inherent regenerative abilities. I had sustained many an injury, a lot of them worse, after that time, yet I was made to suffer in that moment of utter helplessness.

I knew I would die if I did nothing. But that was just it, I could do nothing. My body did not respond on command, and that was that. I was doomed at that moment. Or so my weakened mind thought. I had no knowledge of the pair of eyes that watched me. The hands that shook my motionless body. The arms that scooped me up, a hand behind my head and carried me off. The voice that told me to hold on, that pleaded me to stay awake. To fight it. To fight off death.

Those moments are absent from my memories, aside from blurred, half conscious visions of my savior. For the next long while, reality was fiction. The only company I had, were the dreams that riddled my subconscious.

I do not recall much of the dreams that I had that day or, perhaps, days. One included a fight I participated in back when I still did MMA. One of my nastier fights, my opponent had given me a concussion by punching me repeatedly, while I was down. I did not win that fight, however I felt no pain after getting up a minute later.

Another was of the day before this all happened. When I was gazing up at the star ridden sky that somehow peered through the relentless smog. They were fond memories, at least the ones I remember clearly. But they were far outweighed by hazy, twisted dreams that I can only describe at the moment as gut wrenching, and fear inducing.

I did wake up several times, or at least I thought I did. I could see blurry figures moving around a room, occasionally coming to my side and giving me clarity as to their identities. I know my mother was there. I thought I saw the large frame of my father but wasn't sure. I heard voices but never made out any words. I attempted to sit up, but vomited and fell back into the dreamscape. This happened two or three times, but I didn't always vomit. All I knew for sure; the one thing that stood out among the haze, was that I was miserable. And I wanted to die.

~~~~~~~~~`

It was because of cries of pain that I awoke from my slumber. Not my own thankfully, but rather someone outside a door on the opposite side of the room. Bright daylight entered through a sky light, or rather, the whole ceiling was missing. It looked like tree cover was a makeshift roof. There were no windows otherwise. The walls and floor were polished wood, but there seemed to be no distinction between the two. Where they met, it was beveled to remain one surface. The room was generally bare save for a few beds that sat against the walls. Glass lamps also lined the walls, probably to give light during the night.

No one else was in the room with me, but I could hear several sets of voices conversing outside. I could only guess this was some hospital or medical center. With that bit of speculation and the curiosity it warranted, memories came back to me of my earlier ventures on the brink of death. My hands, well, hand, did an immediate search of my body. I learned that I was unclothed, bandaged around my head, and that my back was incredibly sore. My stump was bandaged as well and when I mustered the courage to take a look, I found that it was relatively clean save for a few specks of blood. I guessed that I had been here more than just one day.

For the next couple of minutes, I was left to ponder my location and situation. It was not too long after I started that the door creaked, and in walked what I could only hope was a figment of my imagination. It was short, perhaps just under 4 ft tall. Humanoid in shape but not in features. It honestly looked to have the head of a deer, but more human like. Deer ears were present as well. As one could well imagine, I was apprehensive in my current situation. Then it spoke and I did not know whether to feel relief that it was sapient, or to scream at the fact that a talking man-deer was advancing on me.

But perhaps this was not a man at all. In fact, the voice sounded like a child's more on the female side. It's voice was honestly something you would hear from an anime character. I never caught what it said, as I was either mesmerized or horrified by the creature standing in front of me. It's body was slender and small, giving more to the fact that it was more than likely a child. I instantly decided that I would get the hell out of this place.

“W-wait! You can't move!” It pleaded holding it's small hands up and waving, gesturing for me to stay put. “You just woke up, and if you move around too much you could hurt yourself. Just take it easy and maybe go back to sleep. I could bring you some food if you're hungry. Or I could check your bandages to see if they need to be changed! Or-”

I held up a hand to stop it in the middle of its mile-a-minute ranting. It obeyed. I took a deep breath and held it in for a few seconds before letting it back out slowly. “I am going to ask you a very important question and I need a straight, serious answer. Can you do that for me?” It nodded slowly. “Where are we?”

“We're in Elksjö. It's to the south of Concordia.”

I had never in my life heard those names. And I considered myself to be at least half-way decent at world geography. I took another breath. “Country?”

The creature looked at me as if I had gone dumb. “Cervidas.” It said slowly. I knew for a fact that is not a real country. “Are you okay?” It asked after a while. I suppose it was justified because I was more than likely staring at them with an odd look.

“Okay, this is going to sound a bit odd but humor me: What planet are we on?” I held my breath waiting for the answer. I swear an hour passed before I got my answer. And when I did, it was in the form of a giggle.

“Silly! We're on Earth of course!” The creature went into a fit of giggles before exclaiming. “Maybe you hit your head harder than we thought.” I did not know whether to be offended, relieved, or just go back to bed and hope this all would go away. “Oh, where are my manners? My name is Anika.” Anika had jumped up on my bed and was getting uncomfortably close. “What's your name?”

I contemplated giving a false name. If that Jareb guy was here as well. I did not want him finding me, at least not yet. But then again a name alone wouldn't give much to track would it? “Ami.”

Anika's eyes got rather wide and she smiled wider, if that was possible. “Both our names start with an 'A'!” She started giggling. She went on making jokes about it, continuing in her merriment while I just sat with a worried smile.

That continued until there was a quiet knock on the door, before it opened to reveal another, but similar creature. I would guess they were of the same... species? But this one was clearly male and stood perhaps nearly 7 ft tall. He was built fairly with broad shoulders and his face was rough; mean looking almost. He wore thick cloth trousers, a coat of similar material (one that was open and showed his muscular, furred stomach and chest) and a necklace made from what I would guess were wolf teeth and claws. He himself was a sandy color with dark brown hair that hung loose down past his shoulders. A long set of antlers protruded from his head and his deer-like ears were pierced in several places. At the moment, he wore a rather emotionless expression.

“Anika.” His voice was deep. “Why don't you gather a meal for our friend here. I can imagine she would have quite an appetite after such an ordeal.” He accented the order with a stomp of a foot and a grunt when Anika failed to comply. She sighed and got off the bed.

“Yes Sir!” She quickly said with a mock solute before running out of the room, continuing her giggles.

Once the door had clicked shut, the new man heaved a sigh and smiled. “I apologize on behalf of my daughter. She can be quite the handful. I trust she did not do any harm?”

“Oh, no, no.” I hastily said. “She is a cute one though.”

That seemed to be the right thing to say, as he laughed loudly. “Indeed she is. I apologize, allow me to introduce myself. I am Elesius Clove. Second in command in this humble village. I was actually sent here to inform you that the Chief requests your audience.” After a moment of thought, he added. “After you have eaten of course.”

All I could think of was to mutter a “Thank you.”

After that, he left and I was again left alone to my thoughts. Not too long later, Anika returned with what looked like a salad, bread covered in cheese, and a glass of wine. I had drunken very little in my life, but I was not against it. However, after just waking after who knows how long due to serious injuries, I thought alcohol would not be the best thing at the moment even if it would help to dull the pain. After explanation, Anika was all too happy to fetch me a glass of water in the wine's stead. The meal was delicious, and filling. Perhaps it was my dry mouth longing for some flavor, but I devoured it hastily all the same. The vegetables in the salad were crisp and fresh. The cheese on the bread wasn't anything I was used to but it was creamy and delicious. I guessed it was goat cheese or something.

As I drained the last of my water, Elesius returned. “Are you able to walk?”

“Let's find out.” I said with a healthy dose of apprehension. I slipped the covers off only to remember I was naked, and hastily covered myself again. A quick, embarrassed look to Elesius showed that he had his regular stony expression. I gave him the universal look of 'Get out so I can get dressed, you pervert.' But that look wasn't as universal as I had thought.

“The clothes you were wearing were dirty and torn. They were sent to be mended. In the meantime, you may use those sitting on the table.” I looked over to a table nearby and saw clothes very similar to the ones he was wearing. Thankfully, a shirt was included. However, Elesius still made no indication of leaving.

“Would you mind leaving or at least turning around so I can get dressed.” That must have surprised him, if the look he gave was any hint.

“I apologize. My people are usually not so prudish.” He left the room.

“Prudish?” I whispered as I attempted to stand. It came rather easily and without incident. I walked over to the table, before I was assaulted by dizziness. I leaned on the table for stability until it passed. I hastily slipped on the pants, and then the shirt. I forewent the makeshift coat on account of it looking itchy. That is to say, that the pants weren't all that much better without underwear. They were a pretty decent fit, but just to be safe, I tightened on a belt that I found under the coat. When I finished I looked myself over. To be honest I looked like an Indian. The pants were full length, but the shirt (which was made of a softer material and felt rather good) showed the majority of my stomach.

“Finished?” I jumped, and spun around to find Elesius poking his head through the door. I could only sigh, and nod, before following him out.

Walking through the halls, I soon came to affirm that it was indeed a hospital. There were only one or two rooms on each floor, and we went down five or so floors before reaching the bottom. I knew there were more, because I remember seeing stairs going up the opposite way we went. When we got outside, I found, much to my shock but amusement as well, that the hospital was made from a tree. Large wooden structures sat on thick branches, presumably being each room. Looking around, each building was made of wood, or built into a tree. It reminded me a lot of the elven city in the Eragon books. It was breathtaking to say the least. Along the way, Elesius was all but stoic like I had expected him to be and he was talkative and friendly. He asked me numerous questions about myself, all of which I answered in detail. I was starting to really like this guy. When he asked where I came from, he snorted at my answer. “So you are from Pony lands. Quite interesting considering you are not a pony. Come to think of it, I do not think I am familiar with your species.”

I looked at him as if he had just suggested that I jump from the nearest cliff. “Um... no. Not a pony. Philidelphia. In America. Humans?” I thought it was worth a shot.

“Are you certain you are sane?” He said it almost jokingly but serious enough.

Again, I just stared at him.

“Ah, here we are.” He stated, seeing fit to discard the conversation in favor of his duty. We had arrived at the largest structure yet. Two willows framed the entrance to the only stone building in this whole place. The stone was mossy and covered in vines. Vibrant flowers adorned the vines, and gave the stone a very earthy feel. Large wooden doors were then pushed open by two guards holding spears. Once the door was open, both guards dropped to one knee and bowed their heads, placing a fist over their heart.

“Come...” He cleared his throat. “I do believe I have failed to acquire your name.” He looked down to me with an apologetic expression.

“Amethyst. Just call me Ami.”

He did a slight bow, and motioned toward the open doors. “Then come, Ami. I shall introduce you to our chieftain. I nodded and motioned for him to lead the way. We passed through several long hallways with doors inlaid in the stone every 20 or so feet. Eventually, we ended up in front of yet another set of large gilded doors. Through the same process set forth by the guards, we were allowed entrance into a very spacious throne room. Columns lined the sides, and a silken green carpet led the way to a wooden throne. Flowers, vines, and other various plant life grew on and around the throne, while vibrant green grass blades poked their way through the cracks in the mossy stone. Shafts of light fell upon the area through carved openings in the ceiling, thick vines falling towards the ground through the same openings. On either side of the throne were more guards, lightly armored, and wielding various weapons. The whole scene was something I would typically stereotype towards an elven race or otherwise forest oriented tribe.

“Enter, Guest. I am glad to see you are well.” A soft, and distinctly feminine, voice called out to us as we stepped inside. It was only then, that I laid eyes on this supposed chieftain. Which was yet another surprise as when someone mentions a chieftain, usually it is an elderly man that is referred to. But the one who sat upon the throne before me was a rather young looking (if the creatures surrounding her were anything to judge by), woman; Deer. Silver fur covered her body, much in the same fashion as everyone else I had met so far. Deep green eyes looked upon me with a motherly tone. One I knew all too well. While the guards by her sides were outfitted with armor that looked really similar to leather, but I wasn't too sure, she was adorned with a set of armor that seemed to cover her chest, shoulders, wrists, legs, and feet. Her stomach, upper arms, hands, neck and head were left uncovered. It almost seemed like it was more for aesthetic appeal or dominance rather than functional protection.

The large piercings on both ears jingled softly as she stood. She clapped her hands twice, and motioned for the guards to leave the room. Once gone, she looked passed me to Elesius, and nodded to him. “Your assistance is most appreciated Elesius. I would like to speak with out guest in private.”

He bowed in answer and muttered, “Of course, Sir.” He left immediately after.

Now alone with the strange woman, I felt uneasy. No elk/deer/thing should have naturally silver hair. And there was still the whole thing of them being a foot taller than her. It was... disconcerting.

She took me by surprise with a deep bow that exuded acute grace, obviously one that had been practiced over many years. After returning to her full height, she spoke. “I am Seldanna. The head of this humble village.”

“No offense, but this throne room looks a little more than a village chieftain's.”

She giggled at that and it carried with it a slight echo. “All too true. You see, where we stand was once the largest kingdom in Cervidas, and I it's ruler. Times change, wars rampage, and new powers arise. But excuse me, I get ahead of myself. Please, tell me your name.”

“Amethyst. But please, call me Ami.” I attempted a slight bow of my own. Nothing at all like the one that was performed for me, just a quick dip of my head.

Something flashed in the Chief's eyes, but it was quick and uncertain, perhaps a figment of my imagination. She circled me, looking me up and down, studying me with her luminescent emerald eyes. When she talked again, there was more of a curious, awe-filled tone. “Do tell me, Ami. Where is it that you hail from?”

“Philadelphia.” I wondered if she would reach the same conclusion as Elesius.

She giggled again. “It has indeed been quite some time since we have seen the appearance of a human in this world.

“So you know what I am? Do you know how I can get back home!?” I let too much enthusiastic hope slip into my voice, making me sound all too desperate. Perhaps rude.

“And why would you desire such a thing, when it is here that you belong?” She was smirking all the while, I figured she had an important piece of information that she was hiding. Still, it did not stop me from putting on a very surprised look. She cleared her throat when she noticed it, “Excuse me, forget I said anything. To answer your question, yes and no. There are several ways to cross realities, but I would assure you that you would be very hard-pressed to find anyone that would would willingly perform the necessary actions. I can, however, point you to someone who might have more information.” She was back on her throne now. She must have noticed my eagerness, and she continued. “But before that, there is someone who I would trust you want to meet.”

I cocked my head to the side. “Who would that be? I know no one here.”

Her smile deepened and she lightly chuckled. “Why, your savior of course.”

I did not remember much at all, but I guess someone had to of brought me here. “Yes, I would like to thank him. Where can I find them?”

“I will have a guard escort you to the outskirts where you will be given directions.”

I thanked her for her help and turned to leave, but was stopped. “One more thing. My condolences concerning your arm.”

I nodded and left.

~~~~~~~~~`

I was directed towards a grove on the outskirts of the town. It did not take long to get there, but without an escort, I was not spared the embarrassment of asking directions, which often resulted in odd looks not always due to the question. When I finally arrived, the view stole my breath away. It was more of a glade due to the overhand of many willow trees that allowed only specks of light to hit the ground. Occasionally a breeze would pick up, pushing the branches aside and allowing more light to spill onto the myriad of flowers that painted the ground in all different colors. I could hear a brook trickling by somewhere unseen as well as the occasional rustle as small animals darted from cover to cover, curious enough to scout out the new intruder, but cautious enough to not be seen.

Looking around, I was beginning to wonder if anyone was actually here, but my eyes caught sight of a sitting figure, hunkered down in the crowd of plant life. I was hoping for human, but what I got was again, human in shape, yet vastly different. A gray cloak hid the personages body from view, but the lowered hood that was attached failed to hide the dark purple head adorned with evergreen spines running down the middle, reaching down it's neck and continuing into the cloak.

I drew closer with quite steps, hoping not to startle him, but failed around half-way. At this range I could tell it was in a meditative pose, it's gloved hands with half exposed fingers curled into the stereotypical “o” with the other fingers outstretched. Upon noticing my presence, his head turned slightly, and he muttered, “give me a moment.” And he resumed his meditation.

Slightly off put by him ignoring me, but content to take in the scenery more, I stopped where I was still halfway, and imitated his pose. I took several long breaths, before evening out my breathing and focusing inwards to my thoughts. I had done this a lot growing up, both as a medium to defuse my built up anger and frustration with the world as well as a way to focus my thoughts before a match. It was true that it took a great deal of patience, but in my opinion the outcome was always worth it.

The cool breeze brought a shiver, but the sound of the swaying leaves lulled me into a deeper trance. I must have fallen asleep, because I woke from a tapping on my forehead, and when I opened my eyes, I yelped at the sight of a pair of green reptile-like ones staring into mine.

The man who was meditating earlier was now crouched in front of me. He wore a somber expression, and his interest in my being here seemed to be a little lackluster. When he saw that he had my attention, he stood up slowly, giving a weak stretch, and began to walk in the direction that I had come from. When I failed to follow, he grunted, stopped and used his tail as a cursor to indicate the direction I should be moving. I rolled my eyes and stood, getting the feeling that he wasn't much one for talking.

When I caught up to him, I started to strike conversation. “So I hear talk that you are my savior?” I was hoping this was him, at least to save an awkward situation.

His reaction sparked utter confusion, but nevertheless I ducked to miss his swipe at me. When I looked for an answer, I only saw a gaze of pure hatred. His sharp teeth bared and gritted, while breathing heavy, he took another lunge at me. Ready for him this time, I grabbed his arm and maneuvered around him, pinning it against his back. It was tricky with one arm but his resistance was pathetic and amateurish at best. If he caught me with those claws or got me in a hold with his muscle then I might've been in trouble, but he lacked skill. I pushed him to the ground and put a knee on his spine while holding one arm to the ground with my other knee, and his other with my hand.

I leaned down to where I guessed his ear was. “I don't know what the hell your problem is, but attack me like that again and I will drop you faster than a sack of -” I stopped mid threat on the account of hearing weak sobs. Looking around to the other side, I confirmed the fact that he was crying. Tears rolled down his cheeks and his eyes held shut. He was still gritting his teeth again but the sobs escaped through them.

I was more confused than anything, but I was not without a bit of sympathy. What was his problem?

“Oh my.”

I spun around, releasing my hold on the lizard man and standing up to face the newcomer. He stood about a head above me and had a similar fur problem that the deer folk had. His fur was a charcoal gray and he had silver hair such as my own that sat on his shoulders. I could tell at the very least that he was not the same as the townsfolk I had awakened to find, not only due to the difference in the ears which were shorter and a bit more round, but most of all because of the horn that protruded from his forehead. Azure eyes fixed me in a stare of curious mirth. His body was obscured by cloth trousers, combat boots, a cloak and shirt but I could tell that he was muscular.

“Now what possessed you to incapacitate my pupil?” There was no anger in his voice but instead he chuckled.

Like a child caught in a parents scorn, I mumbled “He started it.”

“Yes, well whoever it was, I will commend you. You look to be quick on your feet.” He directed himself towards the now standing man behind me. “Spike, I would like you to continue where we left off last night while I talk with our friend here.”

Spike's gaze hardened, and he stared back defiantly. He was looking at the man beside me, but I could tell he meant every bit of it towards me. I couldn't blame him after all.

The man matched Spike's gaze and set into a readying stance. Spike continued for little longer before he faltered and turned to leave, kicking a rock at his feet.

“Please excuse him. Now, please accompany me to my abode. It is not far.” He directed me down the same path I had come earlier. I only looked back once, but I was once again astonished, when eyes filled with sorrow and apology followed me down the road.

~~~~~~~~~`

“A sight to behold is it not? The spring in these lands are simply breathtaking, though an understatement if I've ever made one. The vivid petals bloom upon the ground while the lush leaves sway to a subtle cool breeze. Wildlife is an abundance here, and they are docile and confident enough to approach as a domestic dog would be. Of the many places which I have resided in my lifetime this is without a doubt my preferred location. I-”

We had been walking along a dirt path for a few minutes before he had started rambling about the features of the land. Enticing as they might seem, it was not at all what I was interested in at the moment. My love for plant life aside. In all honesty I was quite impressed by the many tree houses that resided in the town. Though it was a bit more literal than my world's counterpart.

“- Oh do excuse my trivial small talk. I beg your pardon, but we have not been introduced.” He dipped to a low bow. “I am known as Malik.”

“Ami.” I said simply.

“Pleased to make your acquaintance Ami. The young bipolar dragon you scuffled with earlier is known as Spike.”

“Dragon?” I shouted in exasperation. I was tempted to not believe him, but I had seen enough to convince anyone today.

“Indeed. Though it may not appear so due to his young age and stunted growth, he is in fact a pure blooded dragon. And I do wish to apologize properly for his ferociousness. He has had a rough time of it the last few years and his mind is a bit broken. Give him time and he will come around.” He leaned down and said in a whisper. “Just between us, I really do think he likes you. He did save your life after all.” He stepped back with a smile before continuing down the road.

“So if he saved me, why did he just try to kill me?”

“My dear you must understand that while you are around him, and trust me that you will be around him quite a bit, you must watch what you say and tread lightly when speaking on a personal level. Please, do not pry further as it is no business of mine to spread speculation.”

My nose wrinkled at his promise. “What do you mean I will be around him a lot? As far as I'm concerned, I came only to thank him properly. I have no intention of sticking around him.”

Malik remained silent for the next few moments as we continued down the road. It was not much further along that we reached a farm that sat on the outskirts of the town. We turned down the slightly rougher path but Malik veered before we could reach the door, heading out into the field. No plants were sprouting anywhere, even weeds and stray grass were totally absent. The ground was tilled and dark appearing ready for plants.

He stopped in the middle of the field and turned towards me. “Now, I would like you to attack me. Do not worry about prying eyes, this farmland is isolate from any and all company aside from wildlife.

“Are you going to answer me?” Frustration was clear in my voice. I did not know anything about this man aside from that he was probably some martial arts master, if his “pupil” was anything to go by. If he was hoping to take me on as another student, he would be disappointed.

“If you win.” He said smoothly with a crooked grin.

“Don't you think it would be a little one sided when I am at a loss for my left arm?” I pointed out, hoping to get out of this.

“I have faith in you.” He quipped.

I did not want to fall for this trap. I very much desired to turn around and walk away. But as foolish as I was, I stood my ground and nodded to my opponent, my pride unwilling to offer any leeway.

He nodded as well and fell into a stance. It was not martial arts, I don't think. I had faced enough of that in the ring as foolish a tactic as it seemed when they would lie at my feet. It looked reminiscent of military cqc, but I was not sure. I took my own stance and readied for the worst. I couldn't have expected my opponent's skill.

I was the first to move to try and gain the upper hand. I erased the distance between us and threw a test punch to gauge his speed. He dodged it with ease, and delivered his own. It was quick and without much power, but when it grazed my ear, I flinched and he took the opportunity to fall to a crouch and sweep my legs out. I jumped up and back with mere centimeters to spare and fell into a back handspring to recreate some distance. The sudden strain on my cold muscles was already hounding on my performance.

“Too late to quit now.” I breathed. I took deep breaths and steadied my already racing heart. Malik waited patiently twenty or so feet away. I clenched my fist and took off, letting my strong legs carry me the shortening distance in little time. Once in range, I feinted a high punch, and while he was ducking under it, I swept my legs around, hoping to take his legs out from under him. He reacted quickly enough that he barely cleared my attack. He jumped back and a split second after landing, dove towards me, a neutral expression on his face. Without missing a step, he landed, twisted around me and knocked me to my knees with a hard elbow to the spine. I coughed and sputtered, writhing around tears from the pain rolling forth. He had no mercy and he knew that I knew he would not be pulling his punches. Could I stop pulling mine?

“If you keep restraining yourself, you will never accomplish victory against an opponent like me. You lack the skill, but your raw strength might save you.” He was by my side, making no move to either help me up nor kick me down again.

I was struggling to regain a standing position. The pain from my back raging in my mind, making me want to effectively give up and just lay there. I closed my eyes and heaved, trying what I could to get my breathing under control. This was twice I was made to feel so pathetic in such short time. Twice now, I was incapacitated within a minute of the fight starting. I had let my apparent strength and skill in the ring go to my head and act as a cushion for my ego. While in reality I was nothing to these people. Whatever this world was, it was better than I.

“Get up!” Malik roared. His sudden change in demeanor frightening me further. “If you wish to die, then I will oblige. But if you wish to become anything of worth, then stand and fight.”

What did he want from me? A stranger was treating me as some chosen hero meant to save the world. I did not agree at the time. I wanted rest. I wanted to return home. I wanted my parents back. I wanted to curl up and shut out the world. If dying would achieve these desires, then it did not seem so bad. Though a spark in my thoughts made me wonder why I had become so soft. A drastic change from how I used to be.

Malik scoffed. “I suppose you have every right to choose your fate... I was wrong about you.” I heard him turn on the dirt and walk away. “Though I wonder what sorrow such a fate would bring your mother?”

I did not know what it was, hope or anger, but something happened within me. I did not know if he really knew anything or if he was trying to get me riled up. Perhaps both, and I wanted to find out. Unbeknownst to me, my body had made my decision before I had time to think it out. I found myself on my feet, wavering in stance and enjoying a particularly terrifying migraine, but I was standing nonetheless.

It was mere seconds before my body made any move continue the fight and though my movements were sluggish at first, they were picking up speed. Malik turned to face me when he heard my footfalls on the loose ground, but it was too late. I doubted even he could evade something as fast as that quick, fierce strike that I delivered to his jaw. I poured forth every ounce of strength I had into that punch, without remorse. But once the dust, so to speak, settled, I felt fear gnawing at my stomach.

The day I had learned to pull my punches was one of nightmare inducing trauma. It was during one of my earlier matches when I was still inexperienced with my limits. I wanted to test them and it was with determination that I walked out to the ring. I stood opposite my opponent and visualized my fist driving hard into her face and a smug grin stretched my face. The girl facing me was looking nervous but had a grin to match mine.

When the match started, I made no attempt to bait my opponent into making a wrong move like I usually do but instead went straight for the kill. If I had known how literally that statement would effect the outcome, I would have never acted. My strike tore through her weak defenses like a hot knife through soft butter and connected with her nose. On impact I knew my mistake almost immediately as I felt her skull collapse with ease under the pressure.

That girl barely uttered a gasp before her lifeless body fell to the ground in a heap. Minutes passed that I stood there staring at the corpse. I couldn't tear my gaze from the one of shock and fear that was lifelessly staring into the void. Eventually, I too collapsed, and my body went into shock.

The ref had finally made a move and was checking for a pulse on my opponent. When he muttered that she was dead and called for a medical team, I completely lost it. Screaming and kicking at those who had come to help me, I still couldn't stop looking at the body. It took my father's strength to get me off the ground, and still I made it as difficult as possible to carry me.

I had murdered someone that day, and it took me several years to accept that fact. However unintentional it was. No charges were pressed, but I did not fight for those several years. Though when I did return, I had not been forgotten. As a matter of fact, hat was also the day I received the name Ami-The-Fist. It was more of an accusation than a glorified title.

Now I had done it again. I let his words get to me and in my blind rage, did something I knew I would regret. Coming out of that wrathful state, I walked towards the body with extreme trepidation. It had landed awkwardly an impressive ten or so feet away. Limps haphazardly bent underneath, and the neck grotesquely spun to a degree not possible of it's own volition. Blood trickled from the lips set uneven by the misplaced jaw.

I bit my lip and tried to look away, though I knew I would not be able to. The only thing I found odd were the eyes that met mine in a gaze that was very much alive. In fact they swelled with mirth, and even seemed to be laughing. All common sense leaving me, I jumped backwards and turned to run, but was stopped by the voice that had caused all of this.

“Hahaha! I knew there was more to you! Your raw strength is indeed unparalleled on a monstrous scale. Tell me, have you ever run into a dilemma of this nature?” Malik's voice, unmistakably, stopped me mid sprint and with a mixture of hope and horror I turned confirm that he was indeed alive and well standing straight. No broken limbs, no broken neck, and no crushed jaw maimed his form.

“No... no no no no! I just killed you, you're dead!” I looked on in wonder, tears of what I believe were relief.

“Now now, my dear I promise it would take a substantial amount more of damage to put me into the ground. Fear not, I am unharmed. Besides, it was my desire to bring about this outcome and I must say that I am indeed pleased with the results. I apologize for any trauma. It was rude of me.”

I did not know what to think at all. Why was he commending my strength when he so easily evaded death from my strongest blow? “And you couldn't have asked me beforehand to demonstrate?” I growled, growing angry from the unwanted trip to past memories.

“Yes, I could have. But I am quite sure in the fact that you harbor some memories that would disallow such a show of strength in your right mind. Am I wrong?” He started walking to the house at the edge of the field, stopping momentarily to see if I was following. When I said nothing, aside from letting my scowl speak for itself, he continued. “Follow me, and I shall attempt to answer any questions you may have. I believe I have a bit of information you would very much want to hear.

Despite myself, I followed him.

“Somehow, I think you knew I would not take this seriously.” I groaned

“I also gave warning that you would have to take what I said in the mindset of not a skeptic but of a dreamer. Sure, it seems impossible, but could you sit there and inform me that I am not real? That all you have experienced is fiction? Do not dubiously throw aside the only full explanation you will likely receive.”

The tea, or so I guessed it was (I did not ask, but it tasted peculiar), aided in calming my racing heart, but did little to soften the blow of the information that was dumped upon me. “Sorry, but I hope you realize that anyone from my world would find it very hard to believe someone who was telling them that they were now a resident of a magical world not unlike a fairy tale.”

“Such a statement is relative is it not? If I were to find myself in your reality, would it not appear to me as fiction or a dream? I understand your skepticism, but please bear with me. Now, any questions?” He set down his empty glass and began to pour himself a second helping of the golden liquid.

“Why I'm here? And no 'destiny' BS.” I too reached for another glass. Mysterious liquid or not, it was delicious and refreshing.

“Destiny? Bah, such nonsense is a childish claim. We forge our own paths, we are not destined for anything. Though this is one inquiry I have not the knowledge to answer. I have my theories, and some may or may not be quite solid, but they are not ones I am willing to share unless I am absolutely sure. According to what you have told me concerning the circumstances of your arrival, I would say that you are... excuse me.” He got an expression of enlightenment on his face and stood up before walking out of the room. Curious to see what that was about, I stood as well and made to follow him. “Please re seat yourself, I will not be but a moment.

“Crazy mysterious bastard.” I huffed to myself as I sat back down. Another glass full of tea later, I was welcomed with the slam of a hard leather-bound tome on the wooden table which groaned from the use.

He spent several moments flipping aged pages in search of something. When he apparently found it, he spun it around so that I could see it. “Do you recognize this mural?”

My brow lifted when I saw what it was. A charcoal drawing of the stained glass window from the castle filled the page. It was accompanied by wear with smudges here and there, but there was no doubt about it. “This. This is what he pushed me through. It's the last thing I remember before waking in this world.”

Malik nodded sagely as he turned the book back towards himself. “This definitely explains how you got here. There are two goddesses who rule over a country across the sea. The one depicted in this work is of the moon. Luna. Her sister, Celestia, is of the Sun. Together they rule as princesses. But that is beside the point. Both have powerful magic and they are formidable, but it can be used against them in a case such as this.

“Magic is not something one can call their own. It resides in objects, plants, the earth, the air, et cetera. When a large collection of magic resides in one area, it can be used as a way point for travel through space. In theory it can be used for short distance travel or trans dimensional travel, it all depends upon the power of either being. However, this mode is very unreliable and unpredictable. The margin of the space you arrive in is large, though it will be relatively close. But time is another variable, so one could very well appear several years from the time he wished. Are you following?” He stopped his lecture with a glance towards me. I was so very confused, but despite myself I was interested and nodded for him to continue.

“I would venture a guess that this is what your Jareb character attempted to do in order to invade this world. It would also explain why he arrived a good seven years before you did-”

I spit out my mouthful, and looked at him incredulously. “Seven years!? But I went through before him.”

“As I said, the time intervals are entirely random.”

“But if he's here, then I need to find him!”

“That will indeed be an issue. He instigates hit and run tactics, appearing when he sees fit and soon disappears entirely when he is finished. He and his little group are notorious but so little is known about them.” The mess cleaned up, he sat back down in his chair and settled for a buttered piece of bread with a slice of cheese on top. “I understand your concern, but as you are, you will not be terribly” successful in your dealings with him.”

“But that bastard killed my parents! He tortured me, and cut off my arm! He mutilated my whole life, and I will not sit idly by if there is a chance I could get revenge.” A stood from my chair and slammed my fists on the table, to get my point across

He chuckled lightly before issuing any response. “That's what I'm here for. I will aid you in your endeavor, but know that your justice will have to wait in a long line of people this man has wronged. You are merely the first of his targets among many he as victimized. A good portion of this world's population would love to get their hands on him. But I digress. Will you accept my help?”

“I hope you realize that I have no obligation to believe anything you've said up to this point. You are a stranger in a strange world after all. But my gut is telling me that I can trust you to an extent.” I stepped away from the table and turned to leave. “I will sleep on it.”

He chuckled again. I was started to hate it because he somehow made it sound so condescending. “As you should. It is late and the sun has long since retired. I have a spare bed if you do not have prior arrangements. You are free to make use of it.”

“Thanks but no thanks. I don't trust you that much.” When he made no reply aside from a defeated sigh, I exited his humble abode, and began my stroll back to the town's hospital. The only thought on my mind was what Jareb had called me. A homunculus. Just what was that? What exactly was I?

Author's Note

I do sorely loathe it when people sugar coat things. Please, let me know how I can improve my writing and do be honest.

III/ For The Road Is Dangerous

As my luck would have it, rain started to pour in gratuitous amounts not long after I left Malik's house. I didn't care enough to hasten my pace or even to find shelter. Instead, it was with a full mind that I continued along the dirt path, allowing myself to get soaked.

“Damn it all.” I grumbled. Again, not towards the weather as a bystander might guess, but instead at my inconclusive thoughts on the matter at hand. On one hand, gaining help would be an excellent decision if I wanted to make any progress in this world but, on the other, I would not only be entitled to trusting others that I'd just met but perhaps a bond of friendship as well. At this point I was still bitter towards all sapient creatures. Human or not.

I sighed and took refuge under a tree with a decent cover. “Maybe I'll just go for it.”

“That would be wise. Malik's not only smart but trustworthy. If there's anyone on this earth that could help you, it would be him.”

It only took me a moment to register the extra voice, and another leap backwards a good few feet. I wasn't expecting anyone to be here, but if I was, it would not be the dragon boy I met earlier.

“Please, I did not mean to startle you. And for what it's worth, I came to apologize. I wronged you at a most inappropriate time, and I have no excuse for it.” He extended a clawed hand to help me up. With a moment's hesitation, I took the outstretched hand and pulled myself up. Not wanting to stand so close to him, I took a few steps back and took a relaxed but cautious stance.

“You're completely different from how you were before. Like you've switched personalities.” I commented. Not intending to be rude, but from the look on his face, it seemed I had offended him greatly.

“Even strangers, huh. Doesn't matter if you save their life.” He grumbled. It was almost inaudible, but I caught the gist of his statement.

He looked back up to me and took a step forward, a scowl set on his face. I matched his move and set a foot behind me. He pursued, taking several steps this time. Again, I copied his movements. His scowl deepened as this time he leaped at me and grabbed. One hand clenched my right arm, while the other gripped the shoulder above my stump. It wasn't painful, but the pressure was uncomfortable, and now his face was at an awkward distance from mine.

“Get the hell away from me, or you will find yourself in a bloody heap.”

His breath was hot on my face as he whispered to me. “Where I come from, people show a little more gratitude towards those who help them.” He then closed the distance in a makeshift kiss. It didn't work all that well due to the nature of the situation and the fact that he had a scaly snout.

My eyes grew wide as I realized what was happening and it took me a while to muster the idea to shove him off. I kicked at him, but his grip held. I pushed and shoved, and finally he took a step back and started to grin, but just before I put my fist into his face.

He roared and dove back at me, pushing me to the ground and sitting on top of me. He started to grope and rub against me, trying anything he could to show his dominance over me. He started to tear at my shirt, when I brought my knee up hard against his groin and slammed my elbow against his jaw. With him stunned, I pushed him off and took my position over him.

Minutes passed as I put blow after blow on his face, blood and bruise taking their place each time I pulled back. Rage filled me, and at some point I thought I may as well kill him. I almost did when I drew back for the final blow, deciding to put every ounce of strength I had into it. However, before I could execute, something stopped me.

His eyes. He was looking up at me with such an intense fear, that I was haunted by it. It was a familiar look before death and I myself was frightened by such a look. Tears welled in the dragon boy's eyes as he almost seemed to accept his fate. I tried to push my fist forward, but I hesitated each time. Instead, I found myself starting to stand and move away from him. There was no movement on his part so I lowered my fist, and turned to run. Back into the cool rain, I never stopped once. Not to catch my breath no matter how ragged it became, and not to look back no matter how curious I became. My legs just carried my numb body until I reached the gates of the village.

“Hold. Why such haste? Is there something after you?” I hadn't seen him in the shadows, but he seemed to materialize out of the darkness. A guard. “You are the one who sought the gardens earlier are you not? Did something happen?”

I tried to answer his questions, but only breath escaped as I fought for control of my thoughts. Finally I broke down into sobs, as I let my fear and anger take over. I fell to the ground, my legs not willing to take me further. I heard shouts somewhere distant, and felt arms around me as for the second time since coming here, I was carried until I lost consciousness.

~~~~~`~

The morning brought an aggravated stump and a sore body otherwise. My feet hurt the most from their uncovered travels, but my head screamed it's own woes. I stared at the canopy above through tired eyes and somehow wasn't surprised to find myself back in the hospital. Thankfully, I was clothed this time.

“Goooood morning!” A familiar shrill voice shouted upon the door slamming open. “My my, it seems you like this place after all.” Anika stood over me with a grin.

“You think I like finding myself in a hospital bed?” I grunted. Saliva slowly coming back to my dry mouth.

“Well duh, you went and got hurt again just so you could come back. Right?” She was nudging me in the shoulder now. I knew she was playing around, but I couldn't help but grimace at the scene that played back in my mind.

“I guess so huh. Could you go get your dad for me?” Strange as it was, I felt he was the most reasonable person to trust. He had shown the most kindness besides Anika.

“What do you want with that old boring grump? I'm much more fun than him!”

I laughed at that, it hurt but it felt good. “Oh I know you are, but it's for something serious. Can you do it?”

She sighed but smiled at the fact that agreed with her. “Alright. But you hafta promise that you'll play with me after.”

“Deal.” I said with a wink.

Again, she giggled and ran off, bumping into a nurse just outside the door. I slipped down further into the thin sheets and tried to close my eyes, but images burned into the backs of my eyelids kept them open. So instead I continued my contemplation on Malik's offer. It didn't take me long to figure against it for the very reason I was back in this hospital. In fact I had decided to never speak with either the dragon who's name eluded me, nor Malik. As far as I was concerned, they were both shady characters and I wanted nothing to do with them.

A reserved knock on the door drew me from my thoughts, and I sat back up in the bed before bidding them to enter. As expected, it was Elesius, Anika of course close on his heals muttering a song or something of the sort. I expected him to give a more mature greeting, but it was not unlike Anika's.

“So you have returned.” He boomed with a chuckle. “These beds are decent, but I assure you we have the means to provide you with more convenient hospitality. Would you like me to arrange for an extended stay?”

“No, I'm afraid not.” I bit back my tongue concerning my circumstances. “I will be leaving soon, and I was hoping you could provide some food and drink for my trip.”

His expression somber now, and his voice with more emotion replied, “Well that is a shame. If it is what you wish, then it is my command. I am under no orders to keep you here, so you may do as you see fit. Though, if I may, you sound distraught. Mayhaps you wish to discuss the nature of your haste?”

I truly considered telling him what Spike had done, but again decided against it. I do not think Spike and Malik were citizens here, and therefore it wasn't of any concern to Elesius. And besides, I doubt my pride as a fighter would allow it. I settled on, “Nothing is the matter. I am looking for someone and I think the sooner I start, the more luck I will have. So can you get me the supplies?” I sounded a little too desperate at the end and cursed myself. Anyone with common sense would pick up that something was wrong and that I had more reason to leave than to go on a search.

Elesius stared at me long and hard, his gaze almost paternal, as if searching for the reason his daughter was upset. I was used to such a stare, so I tried to match it, not giving any information through my eyes. “Very well,” he sighed. “I will fetch you your supplies.” But instead of leaving, he drew closer and set his massive hands on my shoulders. “If anyone has wronged you, please inform me. It is my duty to keep the order and uphold our laws in this community so small of ours. I will not have crimes pardoned on the account of a prideful heart.” With that he left, Anika staying only for a moment, a look of sadness, before following.

I hadn't realized I was holding my breath until I let it out, slumping against the bed's backboard. It worried me that he was able to pick up on so much but Anika's look before she left frightened me. We exchanged words that would hardly incur such a reaction, and that led me to believe that Elesius was going to do something drastic. I could tell he was a goodhearted man, but the title of protecting the law came with radical thought processes.

Not wasting any more time, I slid out of bed and looked for anything I could use as shoes. I suppose these people did not have use for them, so I would have to make my own or cope without. I settled for a set of gauze footpads. My shirt was slightly torn, but nothing jeopardizing functionality, so I left it as it was. Satisfied with my appearance despite the lack of a mirror, I left the room, and made my way out of the hospital tree.

The day was still early when I stepped out to meet the crisp air. Vibrant hues of oranges, reds and yellows were spilling over distant mountains as the village seemed to come to life. I took a deep breath of the surprisingly clean (you come to expect smog after living in the city all your life) air, and did a few wake-up stretches.

“Right, first things first.” I wanted to meet up with Elesius and maybe discuss what it was I wanted to pack. However, and unfortunately, I made it not ten steps before I was stopped by someone I'd rather not exist. “I would not talk to me right now if I were you.” I muttered darkly, conjuring the most hateful scowl I could. Which I'd been told was certainly one to be reckoned with. A look a fear formed on his bruised face.

“Ami, I... I just want to... I didn't....” He stumbled over his words, stammering and sputtering. Eventually, he gave up on words, changing tactics and hoping I could understand his intentions from the look in his eyes. His gaze faltered as well not long after, my glare making him uneasy. He took a step forward, and I stepped back, my hand forming a fist on instinct.

His mouth opened as if to speak but his own voice betrayed him, and he stood dumbfounded. He sighed in defeat when he realized he had no words, and stepped back, looking at the ground. I left him there, continuing on my way.

“Are you sure this is all you desire to take? We have no shortage and you are welcome to however much you please.” Elesius inquired when I filled a water pouch and took a bundle of fruit, bread, cheese, and crackers. Admittedly, I had no idea where I was heading nor how long it would take. I figured traveling light would be best. On the one such rare occasion that my father took me on a hunting trip to Wisconsin, where his uncle lived, I had learned the basics of hunting and preparing a meal from the game. As far as I could tell, there were no guns so it might be difficult to do here, but I thought I could hunt if need be.

I smiled at his concern. “Ya, this will be fine. I have a favor to ask of you though.”

He grinned wide and laughed. “Anything for you, my friend. What is it?”

I was genuinely surprised at his quick judgment of me. It was curious that he was being so friendly. “Do you have a knife I could take? It might be helpful on the road.

“That I do. I will have one for you at the time of your departure. In the meantime, the Chief would like to see you before you leave. If you have no other business, then I would suggest you head in that direction. Afterward, I shall meet up with you at the front gate.” He nodded at me, his smile never faltering, and took his leave of the small storehouse. There were several dotting this village, each containing food, provisions, and tools.

As I was about to follow him out, a glint of silver caught my eye. It was not the dull gleam of the rusted and worn tools, but of something new and of higher quality. As I drew near to it's location, I found it to be a harmonica, or something similar at least. The shape was fundamentally the same, but there were far fewer holes in it than the instrument would require. A thin blanket of dust covered it, so I wiped it clean and studied it, turning it over in my hand, admiring the cold steel. Inlaid in the metal were small symbols above each of the holes. Nothing I recognized, but vaguely familiar in a sense.

I drew it near to my my mouth and hesitantly blew on the leftmost hole, which elicited a light note. It was high and sweet, almost hypnotic and I felt myself going light as if I were floating on a cloud. My mind seemed to dwindle on faraway thoughts, getting lost in a foreign train of thought and for a moment I felt as if I were about to fall asleep.

Yelling from outside brought me back. Just a commonplace yell of busy civilization, but I was startled all the same, and I hastily slipped the instrument into my sack and left before I caught myself in any more distractions.

Eventually the mossy stone of the temple came into view. The guards as always were silent sentinels, keeping monotone expressions, making only necessary movements when I approached to open the doors for me. I couldn't help but laugh at their seriousness but I felt bad for them and wondered if they were required to act like that all day.

I walked quickly down the long entrance hall, and when I entered the throne room, the Chief was indeed sitting there, her head cocked and sitting in the palm of her hand. I didn't know if I was supposed to bow or anything, so I settled with a quick nod and waited for a response.

In return, the Chief giggled and she sat up. “Oh you need not worry yourself with formalities. I merely wanted to wish you luck on your travels and perhaps send you with a little advice.” She was standing now, walking towards me. She stopped when she was at a comfortable talking distance.

“And that would be?”

“I'm fairly sure you have met the nomad Malik. It was his disciple who had saved you after all.” I quietly cursed, when she said that. “I happen to know that he will not be staying in this village for much longer. I would advise you to go with him. He is very wise and I believe his path will intertwine with your own goals.”

“Is that all?” I said bitterly. I'm sure I just sounded childish, but I didn't care since I had already decided I was not going to go anywhere with that man as long as he had the dragon boy accompanying him.

“No. My last gift is this. There is someone in this world who is your friend, and will stop at nothing to protect you. While I cannot tell you who they are, I can promise you will meet soon. Take comfort in that.”

This bit of information puzzled me to no end. “Does this have anything to do with what you said yesterday? You said this is where I belong.”

Seldanna thought for a moment before smiling, “Why yes it does.” That was all she had to say.

“And you're not going to give anymore info?”

“No, I'm afraid not. It is not my place to talk of such things in the first place. What I said yesterday was but of a slip of the tongue. Now, off you go.” She returned to her throne and gave me a wave, signaling that I was getting nothing more out of her.

I sighed and left, muttering curses under my breath. I swear I heard her laughing.

Returning to the tree house made hospital, I climbed the stairs until I reached where I had been staying the past few days. The clothes I had come to this world in were folded neatly on the bedside table, so I stuffed them in my pack. Next I went to the medicine cabinet sitting against the wall across from the bed and stole from it gauze, various antibiotics and sterilizers, as well as an itch cream that I thought might come in handy. My pack bulging now and betraying my own ideas to pack light, I headed out and towards the front gate.

A palisade was more like it rather than a traditional wall and gate. By the time I had found my way, Elesius was there as was Anika. I approached them with a smile, though I was aware of Anika's ferocious glares of hurt from being betrayed.

Before I could say anything, she spouted, “You liar! You said you would play with me, and now you're leaving? You're a meany!” She crossed her arms and 'humphed' turning away from me with a sour face. Despite the difference in species I found her adorable, and couldn't resist kneeling down to her level and throwing my arm around her. She squirmed around in my grasp for a moment before giving up and going limp.

“Please forgive me,” I said in a pleading voice. “I know I promised, but I can't stay.”

She remained silent.

“Pay her no mind. She would not be able or willing to hold a grudge against anyone.” He chuckled as he picked Anika up by her shirt and set her on his broad shoulders. “Now, here is this.” He brought out a long knife in a sheath and held it out to me. “No matter your intention, I pray you will not have to rely on it.”

“Thanks Elesius. You've helped me out so much already. I only hope I can someday repay you.” I shoved the knife in the pack as well but leaving the handle pointing upwards for easy access.

“Think nothing of it, it is both my duty and my honor. We are a proud people us elk. Take care, my friend. Safe journeys and may the spirits guide you on your path.” It seemed wrote, that last part, almost like a recited farewell.

I noticed his large hand outstretched and reached for it, my small hands in comparison being completely enveloped. He gave it a few hard shakes and suddenly pulled me into his chest, crushing the air out of me. “Please, visit us if you are ever in these parts.” Even still, I was in wonderment why he showed such friendship, as if I'd known him a lifetime.

When he finally did release me, Anika took her own liberties in jumping from her father's shoulders and wrapping her arms around my neck. “I'll go out and find you if you don't come back. You still have to play with me!”

“I will remember that. I will miss you Anika, keep your dad out of trouble for me.”

She sighed and looked up to her father then back to me, shaking her head. “You have no idea.” Which caused Elesius to erupt in raucous laughter. It was with that that I turned and walked out of the village. I did stop to look back once, and found smiling, warm faces telling me I was truly welcome to come back any time.

I giggled and spoke to the noon air. “Elk, Ponies, and Dragons. What an unbelievable hoax.” I continued down that dirt road, with the only thoughts occupying my mind being about Jareb and his troupe. And how I could not wait to kill him.

:~H~:

The road is not as lonely as one might assume when accompanied by your thoughts. You are too distracted by your wandering mind to really realize that you have no physical companion. I however was bored out of my mind, despite my thoughts, with the monotonous stamps of my feet on the ground. My bedtime slippers, as they happened to survive the ordeal, were in decent shape, but they were of little use to me at this point. The sharp gravel would tear them to shreds before I would get much use out of them. But that's not to say my gauze footwear were really any better.

The sun had dipped low in the sky and I guessed it was nearing dusk. There was little cover near the road besides the ever thinning trees and the rest was open grassland. Small mountains could be seen in the backdrop of the now barren sky, and little else aided to add variety to the landscape.

I decided a camp would be best and wandered from the road till I thought I was a safe distance and started gathering stones and twigs. After a modest pile, I gave up after giving thought to the most important tool in starting a fire. I had no matches, lighter, or flint. To hell with rubbing sticks together. It wasn't a terribly cold night, and I thought I'd be fine without the light. I was wrong.

Not long after setting myself on the ground and laying my head on my pack, I heard the rustle of grass being stepped on and a low breathing. I was certainly frightened by the thought of unknown company, but making any sudden sounds or movements would not help my case. I decided to slowly reach under my head for the knife hilt protruding from the top of the sack. I drew it from it's sheath, and held it tightly by my side, waiting for the perpetrator to make a move.

By the time my eyes had fully adjusted to dark and aided by the crescent moon's light, I saw a shape standing above me. It was not human, or dear-man for that matter, but a quadruped and a large one at that. It stared at me with hungry yellow eyes daring me to make a move. It's lips were curled back in a snarl, and it's white fangs caught the light giving them a menacing glow. I had to choke back the need to scream and run.

“So a human thinks she can reside where she pleases? Do you not think it odd that no other specimen dare trespass?” It's accusation did not carry anger or impatience, but instead curiosity and bewilderment. “Do not remain silent and hope for my boredom, or did you think me a common beast?”

I was speechless to say the least. What I guessed was a large wolf, was staring me in the face and trying to hold a conversation. I suppose I should not be surprised after talking with elk and dragon, but I let escape a small sound that betrayed my fear.

“Ah, do I frighten you, little human?” He spoke with amusement. “If I wished you dead, you would be, now sit up and take your part in this conversation. Unless you claim yourself mute.”

I obeyed, sitting up slowly and keeping the dagger hidden as not to instill hostility. Losing my face was the last thing I wanted right now. “Sorry, just a little... startled.”

“Understandable. I suppose I am not the image of benevolence. Still, why do you make camp on my grounds? Do not think yourself excused because you are a rare species. Speak up!” He was starting to sound impatient and, once again, I did not seek to anger him.

“Um... My apologies. I had no idea you owned this land. I am new to this world, as I've been told, and I have only just started traveling.” He looked at me unimpressed throughout my excuse. “Uh... sorry, I will leave.” I slowly started to my feet, gathering my pack and inconspicuously storing my knife back in it's sheath. After my first step:

“Halt. You need not fear. I will grant you temporary hospitality, in exchange you will tell me your tale. I am nothing if not curious about a human trespasser.” He dropped his full weight to the ground, shaking it noticeably and making a loud thud. I noticed his eyes were now a deep, vibrant blue instead of yellow as they were. His fur shuddered in the wind, and he continued glaring at me like a puppy would awaiting a treat. To a bystander I would have looked like I was talking to myself. The Wolf's jaw did not move a muscle when he spoke, and instead I heard it as if he were inside my head.

“OK.” I said quickly, dropping my back and sitting cross-legged in front of him. I told him about Jareb, and my quick induction into this world against my will. I left out my parents, and the elk folk in case he would attack them, being so close to his apparent property. He let a soft growl when I mentioned the loss of my arm, but he was otherwise silent and listening. We remained silent for quite some time when my tale ended, and I couldn't help but grown uncomfortable from his continued staring.

Suddenly, roaring laughter ripped from his throat and filled the night air. It hurt my ears with the volume, as well as my feelings. Was he mocking me? His laughter continued for a good few minutes before he settle down. “Excuse me. I...” He laughed again, turning from a deep bellied laughter into high squeaks due to lack of air. “I do not aim to mar your pride. But surely you jest.”

I was utterly confused as one might imagine, all I could manage was a small shake of my head.

“The being known as Jareb. I know it well. He was banished a millennium ago, and you claim it was on your own world that he landed. And he has now returned along with you? Am I correct?

I nodded.

“Well that is some news indeed. One that brings me great joy in fact.” He grew serious, his canine smile dropping quickly into a frown. “What's more. You are, in fact, one of the Homunculi?”

I felt a large pit forming in my stomach. “That's what they said. I don't know anything about it. They said something about bringing back my memories, but I want nothing to do with them.”

“Ah, but you cannot deny your existence as a Homunculus.” He slowly said in almost a hum. Some voice in the recesses of my mind was screaming at me to run. To get away from this massive wolf that could swallow me whole and not think twice about it. His lips formed a grin that should be impossible which gradually formed into a snarl, his massive canines dripping with saliva.

In the blink of an eye, his head darted forward, crashing into empty ground. I thanked my quick reflexes as I was sent sprawling in the grass a few feet away. I heard a very low, very vicious growl to my right, and I rolled a few more feet before jumping to my feet. The wolf was quicker than me however, and was already crouching for another pounce. His actions were a lot faster than before and I had trouble getting out of the way. The side of his muzzle slammed into my shoulder, and I was once again sent to the ground. Adrenaline kicked in as my breathing grew ragged. I knew if I was not at the top of my game, this is where I would meet my end. There was no outrunning this opponent. What's more, with no cover besides a few lonely trees, there was no place to hide or escape to. I coughed and pulled myself up, holding my shoulder. Despite the lack of an arm, I felt that my shoulder was dislocated.

More deep chuckles escaped the cloud of dust, as I struggled to maintain my footing. I felt dizzy and nauseous. “You will meet death tonight, cursed one.” I heard the pounding of his paws, and tried to dodge again, throwing myself into a somersault perpendicular to the direction the noise was coming from. My attempts were more successful this time, and I found myself next to my sack. I quickly pulled my knife out and tossed aside the sheath, running the direction I had come from. I had to get out of this dust.

My efforts were rewarded by a breath of fresh air, as the cloud faded. I turned to assess my position relative to the wolf, but was quickly knocked aside again by a paw. I cried out as my already injured shoulder was knocked back into place. However, before I could get up again, there was a weight on my chest that grew heavier by the second. I looked into the eyes of the wolf, now turned red and seeping with malice.

“You may not realize your past actions, but they are unpardonable under any circumstances. I will be your judge, jury, and executioner this night. Prepare yourself!” He howled and it turned into a roar. With nothing else to do, I drove my knife into this leg as far as I could. The sound that proceeded my actions made me want to die all the same. My head pounded, and I screamed out as well, joining the cacophony of pained wails. I somehow managed to bring myself back enough to dig out the knife and re-insert it a little higher. This lifted the paw from my chest, and I rolled out, wanting to vomit every time I landed on my chest. I suppose it was due only to adrenaline, but I was able to stand again. But I immediately lost balance and fell to my knees. I vomited, seeing blood in the mix, and coughed violently, trying to get even a gulp of air. Without thinking, I started running again, my mind being on a single track. Escape!

I lost all sense of direction as a lumbered around. The world seemed to spin around me, the ground mixing with the sky, creating a slurry of dark colors. My head slammed into the ground and I vomited again. This time, however, I made no attempt to get up. My body was done and so was I. I closed my eyes and cried. I do not know how long it was before my eyes shot open again in shock. I felt my spine crack, perhaps in many places, as hot breath warmed my neck, making the hair there stand straight. My mouth opened wide, but nothing came out. I could not even form a scream. I silently yelled as my body went numb and cold. Colder than I was before. With all intentions of proving the wolf right, I let my body go limp, and I slipped away.

“Ragnar!” The word pierced through everything and I jolted awake. It was loud and angry. Though I could not feel the pain anymore, I felt the weight lift from my back, seeing the paw drop to the side of my body. “Old friend, what have you done?” The voice continued, drawing near.

“This prey is mine. We may be old friends, but you overstep your authority in my own house. Begone.” The wolf sneered.

“Spike! Retrieve Ami.” I didn't understand why, but the wolf allowed it.

'Spike? Who's Spike? What's going on?' Even in my head, my words sounded slow and mispronounced. My body started to move on it's own, sliding on the ground over clumps of dirt and grass. Eventually the adrenaline wore off and the pain bore down on me full force. I started screaming again and I tried to fight back at my captor, but when my arms failed to move, I attempted to form words. Only a cough erupted from my throat, blood coming with it. 'Please stop.' I mumbled to my own consciousness, unable to form the words.

“Hold on.” A soft voice spoke above me. We stopped moving and I silently thanked the disembodied voice. Until my body was lifted from the ground and cradled in scaled arms. I grunted, and lost consciousness.

I woke once more, to see fuzzy figures dancing in the darkness. They were large, both the size of the wolf. They repeatedly connected, only to draw apart. I heard nothing, I felt nothing, and I knew nothing. My mind was tired, and due to a warm numbness, I accepted the embrace of sleep.

Author's Note

If there is by chance anyone reading this story of mine, then I thank you and apologize for the large time gaps in between chapters.
I also apologize for any inconsistencies between chapters. I am often tired and busy, allowing me only to write from time to time. I do not have any editors/proofreaders. If you find anything, please inform me. If, perhaps, anyone is willing to be an editor, let me know. That would be awesome!

IV/ Companions

I was laying on a bed with little padding when I broke free from my slumber. The soft vibrations of a cart rolling along a dirt road threatened to lull me back to sleep if I lazed about. Luckily, I was clothed this time, though the change in garments suggested I had at one point been stripped. I decided to let it pass, considering last nights ventures. True to my body’s miracle regeneration, I could move my body to it’s full extent without the hindrance of injury. However, my muscles still complained from the work and begged me to stay still.

“Water,” I croaked, finding my throat to be bone dry, and my voice hoarse. There was a shuffling in the room, and a canteen met my lips before cool water filled my mouth. I drank greedily, not caring for air as I drowned in the relief. Eventually, I held up my hand to say stop, and started choking. When the container left, I coughed a bit before deciding to open my eyes.

“Good to see you are awake. How you’re alive confounds me.” Evergreen eyes met mine, as I recognized the dragon boy sitting in front of me, the canteen in his claws. His expression was one not of worry for my safety, or relief for my health, but instead a nonchalant glance from the corner of his eye. I only wish I had the strength to hit him. “Now, lay down and rest some more. Malik told me a little about your body, but it can’t be back to perfect health already.” He got up and walked back up to the entrance of the wagon. “And don’t worry, I won’t do anything to you, you have my word as a dragon.” Guilt filled his voice but the way he said it made it seem like the whole ordeal had been my fault.

“Whatever,” I sighed as I fell back and rolled to my side with the arm, curling it under my head. “Where is Malik?”

“Driving. I’ll let him know you want to talk.”

I didn’t really want to, but I felt I should. A minute later, I heard boots approach and I glanced up to see Malik smiling down at me. “So the princess awakens. How do you feel?”

“Sore, but alive.”

“But alive.” He confirms, squatting down and putting a hand on my head. I try to shrink from the gesture, but there is nowhere for me to go, so i bear it. He moves the pipe hanging from his lips and breathes out, facing away.

“That’ll kill you.” I mock, not knowing what else to say.

He chuckles loudly, and pats my head again. “That it will my dear, that it will. But it calms the nerves and helps you think. I myself find it fascinating.” He took another puff of it before blowing it back out and resting it limply in his mouth. “So, since I did you a favor in saving your life, I do believe you should do me a favor. Plus, you get to thank Spike again for saving your ass.”

“I want nothing to do with him.” I say as I roll back over. “If he hasn’t told you already what he did, then you might want to ask about it. Unless that’s something you just excuse to his apparent mental breakdowns.

“Aye, I know well what he’s done. He came running to me with tear filled eyes, screaming his laments. Couldn’t get him to shut up the whole night. You hate him for what he did, but you can’t overlook that he’s saved your life twice now. Once more and I’d say you’d have to marry him.” He chuckled again. “I’m not saying you have fall for the boy, just teach him."

“Isn’t that what you’re doing? Why put it onto me?”

“Well, combat is one thing, but social skills is another. The boy doesn’t know how to behave around others. I’ve acted more of a father to him than a friend, and I think a friend is what he needs.”

“I’m no teacher…”

"It matters not what you are, just befriend him and support him. Anyhow, that’s the favor I want from you. Travel with us a while, and teach him how to live, how to interact with people. In return, I will help you in your search. Truth be told, I’m looking for the same man, and a party will be more successful than a lone wolf.” His eyes gleamed with triumph, thinking he’d backed me into a corner and won the argument.

“If he’s someone you just picked up from the roadside, Why do you care about him so much?” I didn’t want to sound callous, but I was curious more than anything.

Malik looked over towards the entrance and thought for a moment. “None of your business.” He said nonchalantly, a blank look plastered on his face.

I put my face in my palm and shook my head. I rubbed my eyes, finding some crust and brushing it away.

“I think,” He continued suddenly. “The boy reminds me of someone. Someone important.” The air grew heavy with sorrow. If it was something that hard for him to talk about, I wanted to drop it.

“How did you know where I was?” I asked, trying to change the subject. “I mean, why did you happen to be there at the right time. And how did you get away without any injuries?”

“I would say coincidence, but that is certainly a farce. I could say fate, but there is no such thing. Let’s just say the world saw fit to have you live.”

“And the real answer?” I asked with an annoyed look.

He chuckled and rubbed the back of his head, his ears flicking. “Well well, you’re not one to take half-ass answers are you? But you got me, we were following you.”

My eyebrows raised as did my voice. “And you couldn’t step in earlier?”

“Mind you, we were nearly a mile out when you were attacked. Lucky as you are, we got there when we did else you’d be in the belly of the beast at the moment.” He stood up and puffed on his pipe some more as I thought it over.

“And the wolf,” I said quietly after a while. “You knew him?”

He sighed and sat back down, this time pulling up a wooden stool. “I did. A fine fellow he used to be. Ages ago he held a seat on the Grand Council and was a proud father. He was lighthearted despite his appearances and everyone knew it. There was not a soul on Gaea that knew not his face and his kindness. However, souls change with the times, and it would seem his is caught in the past. He lost his pups and his mate was slaughtered while he watched. I suppose that is enough to dampen anyone’s sociability.” He stopped for a moment, refilled the tobacco in his pipe, fire springing forth from air to light it. I watched the fire in a stupor of thought until Malik continued. “Yes, Ragnar was a dear friend and an excellent companion for a time. When I saw him in such a rage, preparing to deal you the final blow, I could only feel pity. I was able to talk him down but not without some force and ultimately, he allowed us to leave. Fair enough?”

I nodded slowly but couldn’t help but think about what happened. Ragnar attacked when he learned I was a Homunculus. Did the Homunculi have something to do with the loss of his family? I was about to ask about it, when the wagon halted and Malik stood.

“Strange.” He jumped out of the wagon and I could hear him and Spike conversing. I couldn’t hear them, but they seemed joyful enough. Suddenly, Malik poked his head in and pointed to the left side. “Your dirty clothes are in a pile over there. We’ve arrived at a lake, so this is your opportunity to wash them and stretch your body. Now hop to it, I do believe you’re going to enjoy the view.

I grunted and reluctantly tried to get to my feet. It wasn’t hard or necessarily painful, but I felt tight and sluggish. Once accomplished, I looked down at myself to find I was actually in my sleepwear that I arrived in this world with. A simple pair of grey cotton bottoms, with a loose fitting blue t-shirt. Where there was no cloth, bandages weaved around my body as if it were the only thing holding me together. I scuffled my way over to the pile and scooped them up, noticing instantly how wet they were with blood and sweat. I scrunched my nose as the smell hit me, and I made my way to the entrance. I pulled back the flap and a gentle breeze met my face as I marveled at what I saw.

We’d moved a little off the path and sat on a small, grass covered hill. Sparse trees dotted the landscape offering the only shade to the mid-day sun. Flowers too were held in patches here and there being violets, blues and yellows, and danced in the warm wind. About a half a mile’s distance from us was a large lake mirroring the wispy clouds that drifted lazily, water flora breaking the surface around the outsides. The whole scene was awe-inspiring and beautiful, holding my gaze until it was interrupted by a waving hand.

“Don’t just sit there all day, let’s go. Spike, you come too, don’t worry about the wagon, I will put some charms around it. Untie Ink. Amy, hop on.” I gingerly climbed onto the pale gray horse with Malik’s help, grabbing on the reins and sending the horse into a slight panic from my foreign presence.

It took us ten or so minutes to reach the lake, and when we did I was surprised again. The lake could only be described as pristine and in every sense of the word. It’s crystal clarity allowing you to see straight to the bottom as if it were glass. It was filled with life from plants to fish as they darted around each other, the smaller keeping their distance from the larger as they stalked the waters.

“Q uite lovely is it not? The Elk folk have named it ‘límni̱ Gyalí,’ meaning ‘Glass Lake.’ It used to be a sacred place where they would worship their gods. Some still do. Now hurry up, we have places to go.”

“Wouldn’t that be frowned upon? Washing in such a pristine lake?” I actually wanted to jump in with my clothes and scrub myself down. It seemed Spike and Malik got most of the blood off of me, but I was not clean by any means and was eager to be.

“Worry not, just hurry.” Without any other comments he and Spike left me and the horse to my chores as I approached the water. Ink I suppose was his name wandered to his own location where he took long gulps of water. He had black swirls in his fur and white patches on his ears and muzzle. His tail was longer than most and did not seem fully equine. It wasn’t one like I’d seen before, the breed anyway, so I ventured that it was native only to this world. He was magnificent by all means, being large and muscular.

Sticking my foot in, the water was crisp and cool, nothing I was excited to bathe in, but I had no say in the matter. My sleepwear wasn’t dirty despite my condition, so I carefully pulled them off, trying not to overextend my muscles. Next I unwound my bandages, except for the ones around my stump, and threw them aside, having no use for them anymore. With one last look around to ensure my privacy, I slowly walked into the water. My breath caught in my throat once I reached waist deep water, and I stood motionless for a minute to let my body adjust to the change. Fish swam around my legs, and plantlife played with my toes while I washed my clothes, which was admittedly hard with one hand. I could see small strands of blood and dirt swirl around as I tried my best to get rid of them, and It took me awhile before I was satisfied with my work. Next I took a large gulp of air and steeled my nerves as I let my legs buckle beneath me and dunk me into the water. I stayed down there for not even a second before I shot up again, splashing around in a panic regretting my decision. Ten or so minutes later I walked out of the lake only to realize I had no way of drying myself.

“I suppose I should have warned you.” I jumped at Malik’s voice, spinning around without thinking to find him smirking, though with a hand over his eyes. Don’t worry, I had no intentions to ‘sneak a peek,’ but I could be of assistance.” Dim light wove around his horn sparking forth from the air and I felt my body grow warm, before the water dripping off me seemed to evaporate in little time. “Better?” He asked, his eyes still covered.

“Uh, yeah.”

“Good. We’ll be waiting at the wagon when you’re ready. Don’t forget Ink.” I was quite surprised and frankly impressed with his gentlemanliness. I expected him to meet me with a childish grin and a red face, but instead he had a plain expression and spoke as if nothing was out of the ordinary.

“Hmph, teach that Spike.” I muttered under my breath.

When I got back to the wagon, Spike was sitting on the bench, head in his hands, and Malik leaning against the side, some papers in his grip in front of his face, a thin trail of smoke coming from behind. When Spike noticed me, he jumped down, helped me down from Ink, and reattached him to the wagon’s harness.

“Right then, first things first. For the sake of our ‘quest,’” He emphasized quest sarcastically. “and trust me, your own mental health, we need to find you a replacement appendage.”

“What, can that horn of yours grow me a new arm?” I replied smartly.

“I see you’re recovering from your shock quite nicely, and no. Well, I suppose I could though it would damn well kill me. I’m not ‘that’ fond of you.” I just rolled my eyes. “But I have the next best thing. You see I know someone with a very particular talent and it happens to be machinery that is enhanced by magic. It would just so happen that he owes me a favor, so we are going to pay him a visit and get him to make you a new arm. From that point, I can connect it to you magically, and huzzah you have an arm.” He had a smug look and seemed to be very proud of his idea.

“It won’t hurt will it?” Was all I could come up with. I was skeptical to say the least.

“Naaa, quick and done before you know it.”

I stared at my stump for a minute, trying to decide. Again, I felt like I was left without any options. If I truly wanted revenge, and I sorely did, then I would need to be in good condition. I couldn’t do anything to Jareb with both hands and with one gone, I wouldn’t get far at all. I slowly nodded.

“Very well then! Off we go. Spike, take us to the next town, shouldn’t be but a few miles ahead.” We both climbed into the wagon as Spike clicked his tongue and flicked the reins, ushering the horse to continue.

A few miles is deceiving when you’re used to crossing such a distance in a few minutes thanks to the superiority of a motor vehicle. We were sitting in the wagon for thirty minutes, in which time Malik was lazily smoking, while I stared at him, trying to deduce what animal he was reminiscent of. The folk back in Elksjö were elk, and it wasn’t hard to learn due to their antlers. It took me a minute, but I figured Malik was a unicorn from mythology due to his horn and magic.

“So you’re a horse,” I said aloud quite randomly. I laughed when he coughed on his smoke and shot me a glare, looking offended.

“Pony would be the correct terminology. The stallion pulling the cart is a horse. More so, I am a unicorn presently.”

“Presently?” I chuckled.

“My nature is not that of a Pony originally, let’s just say I am wearing a disguise. You’ll find out soon enough, and I may as well educate you before you make a fool of yourself so listen up.” I sat up from my slouched seating and crossed my legs almost in a sarcastic way, earning me a grunt of annoyance. “In this world there are many, and I do mean many, different species and subspecies that are sentient as you and I. Dragons such as Spike, Elk as you met, Pony as I, Zebras, Griffons, Dogs, Cats, Birds, and Wolves to name a few of the more common ones. But of the Ponies, there are four subspecies that exist. Those of the Earth like me without a horn, Those of the Sky with wings, and those with the affinity for magic with the horns. Earth, Pegasi, and Unicorns respectively. There is also a combination of the three labeled Alicorns. They are generally seen as rulers and royalty.” He paused to see if I was understanding.

“So which are you?”

“Any I wish. My magic, far superior to any unicorn, allows me to do much. Granted, I am not as powerful as I used to be, but I get by.”

“You didn’t answer my question.” I stated, unrelenting.

“Now now, I don’t give that information out lightly you see-”

“He’s a dragon.” Spike called from outside with a bored voice. He mumbled something else that I didn’t catch then chuckled.

Malik sighed in defeat and betrayal and nodded. “That I am. Though mind you not like Spike.”

“What do you mean?”

“Don’t you worry, perhaps I’ll show you later. We should be getting close by now. Spike?”

“It’s in sight, not 10 more minutes.” He answered, clicking his tongue again to get the horse to move faster.

“This city would be… Hmm let me think… Ah yes, Duskmire. These folk are bit different from the Elks, as they are what you would call Deer. A regal people that take to class and pomposity. Take care that it is also the capital of this country and the King is a rather unlikable fellow.” Much more quietly and seriously he added on: “He is also conspiring with the enemy. He will be looking for you.”

Bewildered, I asked. “Looking for me? How does he know me?”

“You will soon come to realize that you are not unknown in this world. At least not in the larger cities with royal families. Jareb has stuck his hands in the lives of many in his short time here. Furthermore, he makes deals with kings to turn you in should you ever be found. A heady bounty follows.” He stood and started walking to the entrance.

“Wait a minute! If you knew who I was all along, why didn’t you say anything?” I yelled angrily.

“I’m telling you now.” He smiled.

“Bastard! How do I know you aren’t one of these spies? Am I supposed to trust your word that you aren’t looking for a quick buck?”

“Buck… buck…” he muttered with a puzzled look on his face. Suddenly, “Oh right, currency. And no, I have no need for money. I cannot offer any proof other than that I am willing to help you. I have a promise to keep after all, and I fear the retribution that would befall me from failing more than any other disaster. So yes, our party will require a bit of faith. If you have no other objections, then let’s get you a cloak.” He undid some latches on an old looking chest and opened it to pull out two bundles of cloth. He threw a tan one to me and kept the other. I unfolded it to find an oversized cloak with a hood.

I heaved a worried sigh, once again feeling useless to protect myself and despite my doubts, I was growing more and more anxious to get my arm back. I draped the cloak around my shoulders with mild difficulty and stuffed my arm through the twice too long sleeve, leaving the other to dangle helplessly.

“Very good. Do you have anything to tie back your hair? Here, you’ll want that hidden. Despite this world’s oddities you may find, silver hair is a rare thing and will attract attention.”

“But you have silver hair. And won’t the fact that I am human be the dead giveaway?”

“I am known by the king. Just keep your face hidden and remain silent. You will not be bothered if no one has a reason to. One last thing. We will be meeting with the king.” He hesitated a second. “You are a horribly scarred pony with low self esteem.”

“You’re an idiot.” I replied coldly while tying my hair back with a band Malik handed me.

“I cannot deny.” He smiled whimsically. He ducked his head out of the cart and barked a few orders to Spike, getting a grunt in return and the wagon suddenly changed direction, heading to the left. It lurched to a stop after a minute and Malik looked back to me with a hesitant smile. “And we’re off!”

I sighed dismally and followed him out of the wagon after grabbing my bag. Spike was tying Ink to a post in a stable, and soon after joined us, donning his own cloak. Our group now looked like a man with two hooded henchmen in tow, Malik being the only one to walk freely.

“Your business.” Stated a lightly armored guard with a pike as we approached a portcullis. It was tucked into an alcove of the high walls that rose up roughly 30 feet. He leaned on his weapon as if it were a crutch, displaying complete lack of interest in his duty.

“My good man, I seek audience with His Highness, it is of the utmost importance.”

“What could be so important?” The guard asked impertinently.

Malik hesitated ever so slightly but recovered with. “I bring tidings from Seldanna Etter of Elksjö. The words I bear are not for the ears of a commoner.”

“Yeah? And who are these two? Yer strumpets?” He laughed mockingly. I had to bite my lip to keep from punching his stupid deer face.

“They are with me on business only.” Malik answered, not giving way to the man’s taunts.

“Ya ya, very well you may enter. I hear of any trouble and I’ll stick the lot of you.” He laughed loudly while signalling to his partner to open the gate.

The inside was unlike what I was expecting. It did not appear to be a large imperial city and home to a king. We were on a street with small, poor huts on either side, the citizens in rags and cooking on small fires. The deer folk were much like the elk in that they did not bear complete resemblance to Earth’s animals, but looked much more human with animal characteristics. They were an attractive race to be sure, not some hideous beasts one would expect from crossing animals with humans. As soon as our presence was made known, we were the center of attention. The young danced in the streets around us joyfully, while the adults looked at us like we were food falling into a trap. I suppose there is poverty in any world.

“What happened to the pomposity?” I asked as we made our way through the countless stares.

“This is but the outskirts of the city. There are three levels, those being what you see here, the well off, and then the king’s court. Just continue walking.” Malik picked up the pace.

Near halfway through to the next gate, I felt a tugging on my cloak and stopped. I turned slowly, trying to keep my face hidden. A small child was at my feet, looking up to me with a beggar’s eyes and a pouting lip.

“Do you have any food mister?” I ignored the misconception and stooped down so that we were face to face. The child seemed a little taken aback from my face but smiled widely showing slightly decayed teeth. I’m not the best with children having never dealt with any, but I forced my own smile despite the pity I felt.

“I wish I did. I’d give you some.” I rustled their hair a bit.

The child looked downtrodden at my answer. “Oh.” But looked back up to me with an even bigger smile than before and complimented me. “You have very pretty eyes miss!”

It was my turn to be taken aback, never having been complimented on what I saw as a burden. “T-Thank you.” The child was gone as quickly as they had appeared, melding into the small crowd that had gathered. I stood back up and continued walking, spotting a small smile on Malik’s face. “What?” I demanded.

“Oh nothing.” He chuckled, shaking his head.

Our little party made it through the next gate without any issues. The guards opened the gate with little explanation from Malik and let us through with considerably less insults. The city inside was more what I was expecting. Large, ornate houses lined the streets surrounded by cobblestone and fences. Some had gardens or lawns with trees while some were surrounded by stone statues and carvings. There weren’t a lot of people out, just the occasional citizen out for a stroll. Faces appeared in the windows, watching us, but disappeared quickly enough when they lost interest. after crossing the large stretch of road, we arrived at a gate much larger and ornate than the previous two. The guards here wore more impressive looking armor and appeared much more well kept than the other guards. They were courteous enough and let us through after Malik’s simple explanation of a message for the king. However they warned us that if we strayed from the path into places we didn’t belong, there would be trouble.

“This is where your disguise really counts. I’m a little surprised we made it this far without too much trouble, but I’m not about to question our luck. Just leave the talking to me and do not take off your hood. Keep your head down keep your face covered at all costs. Others may not have payed you much mind, but the King will recognize you quickly enough. Any questions?” Malik looked between Spike and I, waiting for a response.

“Does he have something against dragons?” Spike asked sarcastically.

“No, but we don’t want all the attention on one mystery.” Malik answered nodding to me. Spike only sighed.

“What are we really doing here? If we have to be so careful around this king, then why don’t we just avoid him?” I asked.

“Let’s just say we got lucky we met in the place we did. The king is in possession of a porticulum. A device used to transport persons over large distances. It also just so happens that my dear Princess Celestia in Canterlot has one as well albeit dormant.”

“Canter-? You mean Camelot?”

“No, no I don’t. Don’t mistake places in this world with places of your own. There are bound to be similarities, but pay them no mind.”

“Oh. And ‘dear’ Princess?” I commented as an afterthought.

He faltered and I knew I caught him on something. “Yes well, it was nothing more than me be flippant. Think nothing of it.

“Whatever.” I smiled.

“That’s messed up.” Spike added.

The rest of the way to the castle was in silence. When we got to the main gate, a drawbridge no less, we were halted for one last time. It took us a while to make it into the castle, but once we did, I was speechless. I’d always imagined that castles would be large and wonder-inducing, but it seems I underestimated the talent of the local architects. The outside was the cliched stone parapets and towers but the inside was unlike a massive stone structure in the sense that it looked entirely like a furnished mansion owned by an eccentric billionaire. Once inside, we were met by an escort and once Malik stated our business for the last time, he led the way. We entered into a main hall with ceilings that rose perhaps a hundred feet up. There were no windows, but large chandeliers and torches kept it well lit. Red, gold, and silver tapestries fell from the ceiling, the height making it seem they spawned from the darkness, and reached to 5 ft from the ground. The vast majority of the floor was a red carpet and the walls were polished stone. Alcoves with stairwells divided the walls periodically, with ornate keystones above each.

Further in, we arrived at a wooden door so large, I imagined it would take fifty men to push open. I then noticed that a smaller door, though still large, was set into them, which our escort knocked slowly and harshly on. There came an answer promptly in the form of a hushed voice. The escort gave his own response in some foreign language, also a whisper.

“Why the secrecy?” Malik asked.

The escort gave him an odd look, but turned and stated simply, “We take our Lord’s safety exceedingly seriously.”

Satisfied, Malik just hummed in response. The smaller pair of doors opened inward to allow us entrance to a grand throne room. If the halls of this place were common huts, this would be a god’s quarters. The sheer amount of decoration, ornamentations, gold, jewels, stained glass windows, etc. was utterly ridiculous. Bright sunlight coming in through hundreds of large windows held the room in a brilliant radiance, reflecting off of the treasures.

Boisterous laughter could be heard from the throne in the back of the room. A man stood hunched over the king whispering into his ear as the king rapped his large hands on the arms of the throne in throes of merriment. However I was not paying much attention to the fat deer on the throne. No, my undying, devoted gaze was given to the man standing beside. It was in fact the very man who had cut off my arm. How Jareb was now standing before me astounded me more than anything in this castle.

“My dear friend!” The King yelled between subsiding chuckles when he noticed our presence. “Far too damn long has it been since you have visited me. Come, come, sit at my side. I am told you have news for me.” He was an obnoxious sounding man, his lips smacking with every word out of his mouth.

We obeyed, approaching the throne, me keeping my head lowered to hide my presence as much as possible no matter how much I wished to burn holes in Jareb with my gaze. I felt blood dribble down my chin from how hard I was biting my lip.

“Yes.” Replied Malik. “Your old friend Seldanna wishes me to bring her good wishes.”

“Ha! Is that all? Cursed be that whore who refused my hand in marriage and humiliated me in public. You bore me, my friend.” I could feel some attention on me by now and I hoped Jareb wasn’t catching on to anything.

“That is not all, I’ll admit. I have come to ask permission to make use of your porticulum. I have the usual payment of course.” Malik reached into his pocket and pulled out a sack undoubtedly containing money.

“Tch. No doubt this is to run away to your little princess in Equestria? You have my permission, but please do stay a night. I have some things I wish to discuss.” The king shifted in his throne and scratched at his chin idly.

“Of course, and you have my gratitude. I shall depart to find us lodging.”

“No, no that won’t be necessary. You are more than welcome to any of the quarters in the castle, you know that. But do tell me, who are your companions. You are not one I understand to travel with company.”

“One is my pupil that I recently have been taking care of. The other is a traveler such as I seeking the same destination. Their privacy was their wish.”

“Hmph. You are no fun at all, you know that? I’ll be getting a few ales down you tonight and then we’ll see how you talk. None of this stuffy serious talk I hope.”

Malik laughed and agreed half-heartedly. He then made motion to turn around and Spike and I followed suit making it halfway before we were halted.

“Excuse me a moment friends.” Called Jareb. I could hear his running footfalls as he approached us. I began to sweat and pulled my cloak around me tighter. When he was a few feet behind he rested a hand on my shoulder and pulled forward to turn me around. I gasped and got ready to deliver a punch. Malik tugged back my hood and gazed harshly into my eyes. However, before my punch could come through, he stated: “My mistake miss. Forgive me.”

Confused, I pulled my hood back up and noticed my hands were furred. I cautiously put a hand to my face and found that it too had fur. I looked to Malik and he winked before continuing out.

“What did you do?” I shouted once we were in the grand hall.

“Worry not, it won’t last long. You're welcome by the way.” Malik chuckled.

“So why didn’t you do this in the first place? I mean, why did I have to wear a cloak this whole time?” Spike was staring at me and trying to hold back a his own guffaws.

“Because that kind of magic is taxing and hard to use. Now, let’s go find us some rooms for the night.” I had more questions, but I held my tongue, too tired to fight with his annoying beating around the bush.

I was equally impressed and unsurprised with how many rooms this castle held. There must have been upwards of a hundred doors, each wooden with iron hinges and brass knobs. I attempted to count them as we walked, but lost track around seventy and lost interest in the endeavor. Eventually we stopped in front of a larger set of doors held in warm air.

“I doubt you considered your dip in the lake a bath, so you may indulge yourself here. When you’re done, I’ll have Spike waiting for you and he will show you to your room. I will likely not see you two again before the morning, but I offer you one piece of advice: Do not let your guard down. Especially with Jareb here, not only yours but all three of our lives are put in danger. Spike.” Malik turned and walked back the way we’d come, Spike on his heels.

I took a moment to check my body and finding that I’d returned to normal, I grunted in approval and took a deep breath. If this was a bath, I hoped it wasn’t public. I opened one of the doors and was greeted with plumes of steam rising from a heated bath. The room appeared vacant, so I stepped inside careful not to slip on the wet floor. I shrugged my bag from my shoulder and took one last look around, walking around the bath, before I concluded I was really alone and started stripping my clothing. The bath was quite large, perhaps twenty feet wide and forty long. It didn’t look terribly deep but enough to swim in with steps on the sides.

Once undressed, and after shaking paranoid feelings of being watched out of my head, I gingerly stuck my foot in the water. It felt good erring slightly on the too hot side, but bearable, so I continued, walking down until I was waist deep. I completely melted at this point, relishing in the bliss the heated water granted me. I sunk, letting myself sit on one of the lower steps bringing the water up to my neck. My stump ached a bit from the quick change in temperature but it subsided quickly enough. I sighed in contentment, letting myself slip into a slight lull as I hummed a simple tune off the top of my head. I’d seen no soaps, so I figured I’d just relax a moment.

“Enjoying yourself I presume?” Although I’d only heard the voice on two occasions now, It was preserved perfectly in my memory. My eyes shot open and I spun to find Jareb standing next to the water’s edge.

My breathing grew ragged as I seethed with anger. It seemed his face was enough to send me over the edge. I lept from the water and tackled him. I’d expected him to dodge, but he took the blow without flinching. I landed atop him, my hand gripping his neck with what I’d consider a fair bit of ferocity, before I realized I didn’t have another fist to punch him. His gaze remained unwavering, his body motionless as I restrained him.

“As much as I do enjoy the view, I would appreciate some modicum of decency out of you.” His eyes never wandered from mine, but I immediately felt self conscious from his words.

I grumbled and spit in his face. “Give me one reason I shouldn’t slaughter you right here and now. I could crush your windpipe so simply!” I was yelling.

“Calm down please. I am not really here. This is merely a puppet I use so I am not exposed to those that wish me dead. And trust me, there are more than I could handle. So killing this body would be fruitless for your goal. I am here only to talk, I suggest you listen. Now, if you would, please release me and cover yourself.” Jareb spoke monotonously, never giving hint to emotion.

“No! Say what you have to say!” I growled, tightening my grip.

He stared at me, acting as if nothing was wrong. “Very well. It puzzled me why you hadn’t regained your memories. It took me little time though to realize they were not your birth parents. Alair had been given the duty of learning your whereabouts and now it seems he came up with faulty information. I sent you to this world with one purpose. To reunite our family. I can’t do that if you don’t remember who you were, as it seems you’re willing to fight me every step of the way with your current state of mind.”

“Is that all? Is that what you wanted to tell me?”

“Listen to me Amethyst. I love you deeply as you are my sister. I wish you no harm. I am still in possession of your arm and with a bit of work, we can still re-attach it.”

“You’re sick!”

“Call me what you will. I promise that you will return to me in time. I will search out your true parents and destroy them, restoring your memories. Just hold on a little longer.”

“Bastard! And what did you do with my parents?” I shook him, letting his head hit the hard floor.

For the first time since this meeting he smiled. It was smug, proud. “How else would I had known they were not your true parents?”

I screamed then. It was a blur what I’d done to him, but when I regained control of my body, the face was smashed in. It appeared as hard clay and dirt now in place of flesh, confirming what he’d said earlier. I crawled away from the remains and fell in a corner, hiding my face and sobbing. I cried for my dead parents, I cried for my predicament, but most of all, I cried out of fear. I did not know what to do. I felt lost and alone.

Soon enough, I heard the doors slam open and someone stormed in. I noticed Spike through my blurred vision created by tears and the steam. He noticed me and made his way over. I tried to speak, to get him to leave me be, but my mouth refused to work. He looked me over and picked up my hand. It was battered and cut, with blood making it slippery. He looked around and seemed to notice the battered, earthen corpse, looking it over before giving a solemn nod as if he understood the situation. He helped me to my feet and allowed me to lean on him as we made our way to my clothes. I do not know what had come over me making me so weak, and perhaps it was my way of asking for help to preserve my pride, but Spike never said a word. He never complained as I used him as support to get myself dressed. He never complained when I gave up and slumped to the ground, he only helped me back up. He never complained when I wretched, spilling what little contents I had in my stomach. He just remained silent. I was grateful to him, though I was afraid of what he was thinking.

I think I lost consciousness somewhere along the way, or perhaps it was the heat of the steam clouding my mind. Some time later I shook from my trance to find myself in a large, soft bed. The comforter was thick, easily twice as so than what I’d ever owned. The room was dimly lit by a lamp hanging on the wall. It illuminated smooth cream walls and a mirror-like tile floor with a large woven rug. Spike sat dozing in chair, his head lolled back and lightly snoring.

“What time is it?” Made it’s way from my lips in a whisper. I wasn’t expecting an answer, but I heard a grunt.

“Well into the night.” Yawned Spike as he stretched. “You were out for a good few hours if you were wondering. Can I ask you something?”

“No.” I layed back down, resting my head on the headboard.

“What is your history with Jareb?” He pressed.

“He killed my parents, tore my arm off, threw me through a portal to this godforsaken place, and now wants to tell me he’s trying to protect me.” I didn’t intend for so much sarcasm to enter my voice, but I felt every bit as annoyed by the question as I sounded.

“Hmmm.” Was his response. I ignored any possible continuation of a conversation and turned over, wanting to sleep. I sensed he got the hint, as he got up from his chair and I heard him walking towards the door.

“Wait.” I bit my tongue and cursed myself. Silence answered back and for a moment I thought he’d already left, but I caught the sound of his clothes when he shifted. “Nothing.” I opted out.

“I’ll come and get you in the morning.” The door opened and closed, leaving me alone. Sleep came quickly enough, letting me rest my weary bones.

Author's Note

Thank you to Blazing Light for editing.