Chapters |After|Life Adjustment : The Cursed Blessing
Prologue: Secrets of the Past.
New York, USA...
...October 15, 2275...
"Dammit! We're taking too many casualties, here! " A Caucasian human soldier yelled, as he crouched behind a large stone pillar, which was broken in half, while the other half was crumbled, and scattered across the ravaged streets of New York City. Beside him rested another soldier, but this one was holding his left rib, which was bleeding heavily. "C'mon, Jeff! We need to get the Hell out of he-" Before he could finish his sentence, the two were engulfed in a meter-long flaming meteor which ended their lives in the matter of seconds.
From where the meteor came from, the large skyscrapers could be seen falling into large piles of rubble. As the blood-red sky revealed more meteors of equal sizes falling from over the clouds, a large mixture of men, women, and children ran through the streets, trying to dodge the falling meteors.
A few minutes later, in Washington, DC, the president's phone began to ring. As he answered it, the television was on, revealing the rapidly increasing number of casualties scattered throughout the world. When the power to the White House went out, the generators instantly booted up. Then when five security guards ran inside to try to escort the president, the television pointed only two more states unharmed by the "End of the World". Those two, of course, were Washington and Mississippi.
"Mr. President! Is... is it true? Is this the end?" One of the agents that ran into the room asked, removing his glasses. He weakly chuckled. "I had family in New York... but it looks like I'll be visiting them elsewhere, now... and a lot sooner than I might think..."
With a tear in his eyes, the president nodded his head, as he, his wife, his children, and the agents all bound their hands together. "It has been... an honor... to serve this country... in it's final moments..." Those were the last words the president said, as a large meteor the size of a twenty-story high skyscraper fell on top of the White House.
The final thing that could be seen standing in the distance was a creature larger than the size of a giant mountain, standing over the fallen, smoking landscapes below it. The creature had two glowing orange eyes, each in a glare, while it had four hooves, and two massive arms. It's back was facing the direction that led towards Mississippi, but ever-so-slowly, it turned around, as the sound of an unnervingly high-pitched screeching noise began to play for a split-second.
Back In The Golden Oak Library...
Justin's eyes instantly shot open, and in the matter of seconds, his entire chest was raised up, while he breathed heavily. Looking to his right, he saw that Twilight's bed was empty, and she was nowhere to be seen. At first, he thought that she was just simply reading something downstairs... until he felt a stirring movement near his left arm.
Looking to his left, he saw that Twilight was lying there next to him, only she wasn't in the covers. She was staring at him worriedly, until he sighed, and rubbed his forehead with his right hand, and asked. "Um... Twilight? What are you doing in my bed?"
She patted his back, and replied, "You were talking in your sleep... so I thought you might need somepony to be there to comfort you, that's all." Then, she yawned. "It seemed like a terrible nightmare."
Justin sat there silently for a moment, before smiling weakly. Then, he gently swept her mane with his left hand, which caught her by surprise, until she closed her eyes, and smiled at the contact. "Hmm... that feels nice..." She quietly whispered, while Justin shrugged his shoulders.
"What can I say? I'm just thankful that you're still allowing me to live here." Then it was Justin who yawned. "But seriously, Twilight... I don't need someone- err... somepony to comfort me while I have nightmares. Thanks for the offer, though. It really means a lot to me. Now please, may you get back to your bed, and not worry?" The only response he could get was the sound of feint breathing. Looking back at Twilight, Justin's smile dropped, and was followed by a sigh when he saw that she fell asleep while he was talking. "Or..." Justin began, before yawning again. "... You could just fall asleep there, and force me to sleep uncomfortably while you're on my bed." Then he paused, and weakly smiled again. "Well, I'd suppose it's your bed still, but... eh, whatever..." Finally, after gently placing his head back on the pillow, his eyes slowly closed, and at once, his mind raced back into the Dreamscape.
Unfortunately for him, though, he ended up with the same nightmare. The buildings crumbled around the soldiers, the president, his family, and the agents around him joined hands and watched their doom hit them, and the creature turned towards Justin's view, looking him directly in the eyes, followed by the loud screech. This time, however, the screech wasn't the end of the dream. The screech continued, eventually causing Justin to cover his ears within his dream, which didn't stop the screech.
Then, the creature spoke in a low-pitched demonic voice.
"He watches us..."
At once, Justin's eyes widened, and he quickly backed away, only for the creature to slowly walk towards him, standing at his eye level. "Ah, and he hasn't a clue, either..." The creature reached it's right arm in front of Justin's face, as a red glow started to form in it's palm. "Don't worry... your soul shall be ours, anyways!"
Suddenly, a low-pitched woman's voice boomed through the sky, with an echo that shook the ground below them.
"TIREK! "
The sound of the woman's voice caused the creature's eyes to widen, as it's palm stopped glowing. Then the two of them looked up, while Justin used this distraction as a chance to back away. As he did, the woman's voice appeared to be aimed towards him. "Do not be afraid, Justin, for he is not able to harm thee... the Threads of Fate hath sealed that chance from him before. "
When the voice said that, the environment quickly shifted and changed, as Tirek, along with the world around them, faded into a pure white light, until Justin was in the pure white room again. He looked behind himself, and spotted the source of the voice; an all-too-familiar alicorn with a blue coat, and an even darker blue mane that sparkled with, what appeared to be, stars that shined brightly through her mane, which even waved freely at the absence of a single breeze.
Princess Luna smiled at Justin, while he quickly shook his head, and tried to get his bearings together. Then, he bowed over his right knee, placing his right hand between his chin and knee, while placing his left hand on the ground before himself. Luna, having been unfamiliar with this kind of attention, chuckled lightly, then said, "Why dost thou kneel before us? Haven't thou already proven thyself a friend of ours? "
Justin smiled, then nodded his head while standing back up. "Friend or not, I feel like I should still show my respects to the Princesses... especially the one who deserves more credit for her work... am I right, Princess Luna?"
Her eyes widened at that statement, before a smile formed on her face. "Well, thou surely bearest a kind heart within thee... but nay, we fear the credits be rightfully placed, for our former deeds still have yet to be brought at ease... " Quickly, her smile faded, and a frown formed soon after. "Especially since our father knows, and was disappointed about our actions then... "
Justin nodded his head, and asked, "The fight between your sister and you, I take it?" Luna nodded, while Justin walked up to her. "Hey, that was a thousand years ago! I know that you've learned from those past mistakes, and have already come to terms with it! All you needed was a little respect... and I'm sure you're much more appreciated now, since you're able to enter dreams..." Suddenly, Justin's eyes widened, while he scratched the back of his head. "Wait... but if you're in my dreams... and I'm Undead... how are you even able to enter my dreams, if I'm Undead?!"
Luna smiled, and chuckled, before turning her head to her left, and talking to, what appeared to be, nothing in general. "Father, wouldst thou care to explain? " At once, King Solaris appeared from behind her left, trotting out of a dark blue portal that opened vertically. He was wearing a golden crown, and cloaked in a purple and gold coat, while his purple and gold mane and tail flowed in a similar way as Princess Luna's, only this time, his mane and tail appeared to have, what looked like, a large number of galaxies decorating it from the distance, and the gold strips on his tail faded, looking like the fires of a sun getting brighter as the outer tip of the tail grew closer to the viewer's eyesight.
Whenever Justin saw him, he was about to bow, only for King Solaris to place his right fore-hoof on his chest, and smile weakly at him. "No need for formalities, Justin... I may be the king now, but the kingdom is still under the rule of my daughters... I merely help them when needed, is all!" This caused Luna to blush, and turn her head away.
Justin smiled at the two, and nodded his head. "Sorry... but y'all might want to get used to that for now. It's... kinda how I was raised."
King Solaris chuckled, and replied, "Fair enough... though I'm certain you're confused, so let me go on ahead and explain why , and most importantly, how we're here! Which would you like to hear first?"
After placing his right hand over his chin, Justin shrugged, and replied, "I guess we should get the most important first... so how are y'all here, exactly?"
Solaris walked back to Luna, and replied, "Although you and I are Undead, it only means we're immune to Magic... but it's not always the case when we sleep." Justin was about to ask how, until Solaris raised his left hoof, and continued speaking. "Yes, you are simply dreaming, but to dream, one must leave their body, and enter a different plane... it's called the 'Dreamscape '. The Dreamscape, as it's name implies, is an entirely different world altogether, ruled by one of Equestria's dearest allies, the 'Nymphari '... Spirits of Nature."
Justin raised his right eyebrow, and tilted his head. "Nymphari... Like... Nymphs? From the old stories?" He asked. Solaris nodded, while Justin scratched his head. "I'm not sure how the Nymphari have anything to do with y'all being here, though..."
Solaris weakly chuckled again, and trotted towards Justin, explaining.
"Well, Justin, as you may already know, the Undead have a deeper connection with souls than any other living creature out there... and only in the hands of an Undead can a soul be captured. The soul, however, doesn't have to be absorbed! It can also be released, imprisoned, or placed back into the body of whoever it came from, so long as you use a certain spell that's been lost since after my death... a spell that only I know, now."
Justin sighed, and nodded, while asking, "Yes sir. Thank you for letting me know that, but aren't we getting off track here?"
Again, Solaris chuckled, only this time, it was much louder. "Oh, my! Of course we aren't! The reasons why and how we are here are quite one in the same, really!" Then, his chuckling ceased, and his happy face turned into a serious one. "We are here because, while in the Dreamscape, your body is most vulnerable to Magic, so we have requested the Nymphari to protect you while we enter your side of the Dreamscape... and we're here to teach you that lost spell that only I know, should you be unable to protect those dearest to you." Again, Justin was about to ask something else, but Solaris already beat him to the punch. "The nightmare you had twice in a row is no ordinary nightmare, either... it was a vision... a memory... but it wasn't your own." Justin's eyes lowered as the thoughts began to come back to him. "It was Tirek's memory... and it would seem that you're his target, now!"
"W-WHAT ?!" Justin stuttered, before taking a step back in shock. "Then... shouldn't I leave Ponyville, and hide somewhere, so nopony gets hurt?!"
Solaris sighed, and shook his head. "It would be unwise to leave the Elements unprotected... and also, they must be unaware of the danger that they are in." He looked at Luna, and smiled. "There's a reason why I told your sister and you to keep the details of the Elements of Harmony's danger a secret... I know that they will try their best at protecting Justin, here... which is why I refuse to let them know." Then, his eyes faced Justin again. "Justin, if what my daughters have told me is true, and that you've seen the outcome of several events that have recently occurred before, only in a different setting... then perhaps you're aware of the Grand Galloping Gala."
Justin's fear went to a slightly annoyed huff. "And I take it that if I'm to protect them, that means I will have to go, too?" Solaris nodded. "But before then, I'm gonna have to assist Twilight in her lesson that she learned during that 'episode' that I saw?" Solaris paused for a moment, until Luna whispered in his right ear. Then, he nodded again.
"I don't know if I'll be there, like, on the floor, but... yeah, I guess I'll protect them from the shadows up there in Canterlot."
"Good..." Solaris said, before a smile formed on his face. "Oh, and I hear you're living with a young Unicorn named 'Twilight Sparkle', or the 'Element of Magic'! How are the two of you getting along?"
Luna groaned, and looked at her father. "Father, we mustn't tarry on any longer! Justin is about to awaken!"
Solaris gave his daughter a playful frown, before sighing. "Very well, then!" He turned to Justin, and smiled. "I expect a report on your friendship with Twilight! If she is, in some way, related to the Twilight I knew and loved, I expect you to love her equally!"
Justin nodded, before the statement hit him. "W-wait, WHAT ?!"
...But before he could get his answer, he has already woken up...
Author's Note
:Sneak-Peek:
"W-who are you?!" Twilight's voice echoed.
"Hey, Twilight! Talk about good timing, huh?" Justin said...
"Uh, hello? Earth-to-Egghead! You there?" Rainbow asked, waving her hoof in front of Twilight's eyes.
"So tell me, Sugarcube... why exactly are ya hidin' from all o' us? We're practically friends now, so ya know we've got yer back when somepony steps outta line!" Applejack asked Justin.
"It's not like I'm trying to shut y'all out, or anything! Trust me when I say this... I wish that I could tell you, no, everyone why I've been so secretive lately, but it's for y'alls safety that I don't..." Justin's voice echoed in response.
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|After|Life Adjustment : The Cursed Blessing
Chapter 1 : Apples, Rainbows, and Eggheads...
Twilight Sparkle's Bedroom...
...Early In The Morning...
Slowly, Justin woke up from the bed he grew attached to over the week. He tried to sit himself up, but soon found that Twilight was still asleep, and on his bed. This time, however, she was rolled on top of his left arm, and was still asleep... much to his displeasure. "Crap ..." He thought to himself, while slowly trying to slide his arm out from under the sleeping Unicorn. Little did he know, however, that there was a familiar Rainbow-Maned mare outside the window who was just flying by, only to spot the two of them in the same bed.
The next thing he knew, Rainbow Dash was inside the bedroom, with her expression unable to hide the laughter for very long. Before she could burst into laughter, though, Spike walked inside the room, only to catch the sight before him. Silently, he stared at the two on the bed and the one on the ground holding her laughter, before slowly backing out of the door frame, and walking downstairs, his eyes unable to close, due to how widely they were opened.
Then, after noticing Rainbow Dash holding her breath from built-up laughter, Justin deadpanned, and asked, "So... you mind helping me get her off?"
"I don't know..." Rainbow began, finally able to control her laughter from bursting out. "The two of you look... a little 'occupied' right now. Anyways, I need you to let Twilight know that AJ needs her help over at the farm... oh, and you're free to join, too, Justin! It does seem right, after all! Y'know... Twilight and her Coltfriend?"
Justin merely nodded off, ignoring most of what she was saying, only focusing on the important parts, like Twilight being needed at Applejack's farm. It was at the last sentence when his eyes shot open. "W-wait, WHAT ?!" He loudly whispered, only to realize that Rainbow Dash had already left; the window being open was proof enough. With a sigh, Justin turned towards Twilight, and groaned. "And just how am I gonna get her awake, exactly?" " At first, he tried gently shaking her left shoulder, which was pointed up, while her right one rested on his arm. Then, he saw that her facial expression was starting to look worried, while his eyes glowed pure white again. "Oh, no..." He began, before shaking her frantically. Slowly rising from her entire body, he could sense a dark presence inside her that was keeping her from waking up. "Someone's attacking her in her dreams!"
While struck by worry for her safety, he began to tap his forehead rapidly, trying to figure out what to do. Then, as soon as he was about to run to Spike to get him to write a letter, a thought quickly popped into his mind. Lowering his head downward, Twilight's horn pressed onto Justin's forehead, and at once, his glowing vision blackened, as he traveled through the Dreamscape, and into Twilight's dream.
Looking around, he saw Twilight wandering around an image of Ponyville, with a worried look on her face. "This isn't right... why am I not awake, yet?!" She asked, only to hear a dark, low-pitched voice speak.
"Isn't it obvious, Twilight? After we drive your human away, we will hunt you , and your friends after!" The shadowy figure rose from the walls of a nearby house, shape-shifting into a form that resembled Tirek.
"W-who are you?!" Twilight asked, now backing away nervously.
Tirek smirked, and was about to answer her, until Justin ran in-between the two, and yelled, "BEGONE! AND NEVER RETURN AGAIN! "
"J-Justin?!" Twilight weakly stated, but he seemed unfazed by her words.
Tirek began to chuckle, until his wrists were bound by a golden thread that pulled him to the ground. "Grr... you will pay for that, human! " He yelled, before disappearing into the imaginary grass. Then, Justin turned around, and smiled at Twilight.
"Hey, Twilight! Talk about good timing, huh?" Justin said, to which Twilight weakly smiled, before the world around them was engulfed in a white light.
Twilight's eyes were the first to open. When they did, the first thing she saw was Justin opening his eyes, but their faces were literally about six inches away. Justin, of course, reacted the same way, as both of their eyes shot open, and their faces turned red. Then, in the matter of seconds, the two of them were out of the bed, while the sound of laughter could be heard from behind the door to the room.
"Well..." Justin began. "Not the worst way to wake up, right?"
Twilight, while her face was still red, only stared off into space as Justin walked towards the door, and explain what was going on, and what wasn't . All while Twilight just stood there silently, unable to control her face's redness, and the heat that built up in her cheeks.
"W-what was th- that all about? " She thought to herself, while completely unaware of Rainbow Dash and Applejack standing next to her, trying to get her attention.
"Uh, hello? Earth-to-Egghead! You there?" Rainbow asked, waving her hoof in front of Twilight's eyes.
"She's under a lot of stress right now, Rainbow Dash. Please leave her alone... she was attacked by Dark Spirits, after all."
"Yeah, like, two weeks ago!" Rainbow scoffed.
Justin crossed his arms, and glared at the playful mare. "Enough is enough! " He thought to himself.
"No, she was attacked this morning!" At that statement, the two "visitors" gasped, and looked at Twilight, who regained her composure.
"W-wait, really ?!" Rainbow Dash asked, to which Twilight sighed, and nodded. "Oh-my-gosh! I'm so sorry! I didn't know!"
Justin could tell that Rainbow Dash was referring to her laughing at the two of them earlier, but the look Twilight was giving her was out of confusion, because she wasn't awake at the time. At this point, Rainbow was speaking in a speed comparable to Pinkie Pie, only some of it was actually able to be understood.
"It's alright, Rainbow. If the situation were different, I'd say we would've just told you to keep it quiet..." Then, he looked around, and moved closer to her. "Though I'd appreciate it if you didn't speak of it regardless. After all, the process of 'Soul Banishment' is Blood Magic... and we both know how well the locals take that. Right?"
Rainbow nodded, before looking worriedly at Twilight. "Listen, Twilight... I wanted to say thanks for putting up with my brash nature. It's good to know that Celestia sent ya up here to live with us!" Then, she turned to Justin. "And thanks, Justin, for... pretty much the same thing!" Then, she spread her wings, and readied herself to charge out the window. "Anyways, AJ, I'll just leave you with these two lovebirds! Later!" Before Justin could even object to that statement, she was already flying out the window.
From the windowsill, Justin's voice could be heard yelling, "WE'RE NOT LOVEBIRDS! "
In the meantime, while Justin was yelling that statement, Rainbow Dash chuckled heartily, until she flew towards Sweet Apple Acres. Looking both ways, she decided to land on an apple tree, and take a nap on a branch. "Whew! Hate to admit it, but... for some reason, these branches seem more comfortable than clouds!" She told herself, before her eyelids grew heavy.
Back in The Golden Oak Library, Justin and Twilight were speaking with Applejack about what she had planned for work. While Justin wasn't necessarily needed, he still volunteered, after the situation they were in last time. Applejack, while hesitant at first, decided to allow him to tag along, as well. The reason for her hesitation: her Element was telling her that he was hiding something from them when she asked him why he was wanting to go with them. While he has proven to be their friend, she still had a couple doubts here-and-there, despite him rescuing them. Then again, with the ability to cast Blood Magic, she was even more concerned about Twilight's safety, should he lose control.
With that aside, and their goals set, the three of them headed out the door, and towards the living room to grab a bite to eat first, as Twilight's treat.
"So tell me, Sugarcube... why exactly are ya hidin' from all o' us? We're practically friends now, so ya know we've got yer back when somepony steps outta line!" Applejack asked Justin. The three of them were in the dining area, with Applejack, Twilight, and Spike sitting on three small stools, while Justin sat directly on the floor, due to his height. On their breakfast plates, both Applejack and Twilight had daisy sandwiches, Spike had a bowl of gems of different kinds, and Justin had nothing more than an empty spot on the table. When they asked, he said that he was Undead, and didn't need to eat.
Looking up at her, after staring into space, he replied, "I'm sorry for the lack of communication, AJ. Things have been quite crazy when I showed up in public last week. Y'know, with Blood Magic, and all that." Applejack nodded, and motioned for him to continue. "It's not like I'm trying to shut y'all out, or anything! Trust me when I say this... I wish that I could tell you, no, everyone why I've been so secretive lately, but it's for y'alls safety that I don't. Heck, Twilight doesn't even know much more than you or the other ladies, at the moment."
Applejack sighed, and nodded, frowning at the fact that she sensed pure honesty in his words. "Alright, Sugarcube... I guess I'll just have ta take yer word for it." Then, she turned to Twilight, who was gently taking a bite form her daisy sandwich. "So, Twilight, ain'cha excited about the Grand Galloping Gala comin' up?"
Both, Twilight's and Justin's eyes widened up, as they asked in unison, "Wait, how'd you know about it?" Then, they looked at each other, and asked the same question, before the four burst into laughter.
After the laughter died down, Applejack replied, "Well, you'd be surprised what I hear when I'm sellin' apples at the Market!"
Twilight nodded, and said, "Oh, okay. Yes, I'm very excited! Perhaps when I'm there again, I can visit Princess Celestia, and we can talk to each other about the lessons that I've learned, of the magic that I still have yet to master, and ooh! She can even lead me to the Canterlot Archives, where I can read the many Spell Books of Starswirl the Bearded, himself!" She continued "geeking out", as Justin would've put it, for about five minutes, before Applejack broke in.
"Wait, wait, wait... you've actually been to the Gala before?!" She was unable to hide her amazement.
Twilight's constant talking was broken by a slightly ashamed expression. "Actually... no, I haven't. I was just given a permanent pass, due to being the Princess's personal student, and merely used it as an easy way to the Canterlot Archives. It's something we all can do, upon reaching the AUC." Both Justin and Applejack stared at her confusedly. "Arcane University of Canterlot."
They understood that statement, and gave her a responsive "Oh!"
"Why haven't you been there though, Twilight?" Justin asked, hiding the details he knew about the tickets for safety reasons. "Surely the thought must've crossed your mind at some point, right?"
Suddenly, Twilight's face began to turn red. "Well, I would be lying if I said that it hasn't. It's just that... well..." After taking a deep breath, she sighed. "I'd... rather not talk about it."
Justin nodded his head. "It's alright, Twilight. You don't have to answer it, if you don't want to."
With a nod, Twilight headed outside the door, while Applejack and Justin followed. Silently, though, Applejack whispered to Justin. "Sorry Sugarcube, but I need ta speak ta Twilight alone fer a few hours... mare talk, y'know?"
Justin scratched the bottom of his chin, and asked, "Hm... alright, then. Perhaps I could use this time to practice my magic out there in the fields... would that be allowed?" Applejack nodded, and smiled sheepishly.
"Sorry, Justin... I know yer lookin' fer a way ta be recognized as the friend ya truly are, but I think ya won't make much progress convincin' the town yer safe, when ya can't be too sure, yerself."
Justin smiled, and nodded. "It's alright, AJ. I agree with you on that... but if something happens out there, do I have permission to-"
Before he could finish his question, Applejack replied, "Of course ya do! Hay, we might actually need ya to keep yer ears open fer us, while ya practice, if'n that's alright with ya... but I know that that... Figment thing ya told us about ain't gonna be a problem fer us up at Sweet Apple Acres, no more! An' besides... we kinda want ya to... y'know... remain a safe distance from us fer a while. I know bein' cooped up in that library can get bothersome fer ya, by the look o' yer face... no offense."
Justin shrugged, and replied, "None taken." Then, he turned towards Twilight and spoke in a normal tone. "Actually, Twilight, I think I'll step out in the fields for a bit, if that's okay with y'all. It's been a while since I had a breath of fresh air, after all."
Twilight turned her head, unaware of the conversation Justin and Applejack had, and smiled heartily. "Oh, okay! Have fun, Justin! But be careful, though!" With that, the human parted from the group, as the two mares walked towards Sweet Apple Acres, with the baby dragon rested atop the back of the Unicorn.
After Justin was no longer in sight, Twilight turned to Applejack, and smiled. "Thanks, AJ. I'm sorry for putting you through the trouble of telling him off like that. It's for his own good that he try to find out how to control his magic so he can experience the full joys of Ponyville, instead of the feeling of being imprisoned against his will."
"Nonsense, Sugarcube! He seems ta be the understandin' sort, so I reckon he ain't gonna take it ta heart! Besides, as you said, Ponyville needs ta see him for who he really is, an' not what he is!" Twilight nodded, as the two crossed the entrance to Sweet Apple Acres.
Then, Twilight looked up at the sky, and sighed. "I don't know, though... a few days ago, I heard a few individuals talking about him... something about 'Humans being murderers', and what-not... but I don't believe that, since he seems much more nicer than that... right?" Suddenly, her eyes widened. "Applejack! What if he happened to kill his own kind long ago?! Do you think he'd bring that kind of situation up again, if he did?!"
Applejack smirked, then replied, "Twilight... I reckon I gotta tell ya this. I don't really know the fella as much as you do, but if you think that he's too kind ta even hurt a fly, what would make ya think that he would go an' kill ponies like that?"
Twilight nodded. "You're probably right, Applejack... I shouldn't worry myself about such things, anyways. And besides! Even if he did kill things before, I'm sure he'd be willing to change that kind of behavior for us... right?"
Applejack nodded, as the two of them picked up a pair of buckets on their backs, and while conversing about many different things, they started filling the buckets with apples.
"Okay, then... good day to you, too!" Justin said with a sigh. To get to the outskirts of town, and into the wide open fields of the "Hillsweep Meadow", as it turned out to be called, he had to cross the Marketplace, which cleared out the moment he stepped out of the shadows, and into the side. Quietly, he continued onward, noticing a few windows slamming shut, and doors to appearing to be barricaded from inside.
Once he was in an open path, he slowly crossed his legs in an Indian-Style position, closed his eyes, and began to relax, while feeling the power in his veins begin to flow freely inside, through a meditative trance.
|After|Life Adjustment : The Cursed Blessing
Within Sweet Apple Acres...
"Nope, nope, too wrinkly, has a worm, nope, another worm..." Spike mumbled as he tossed apples from the bucket on Twilight's back, much to her displeasure. While it was nice of him to throw the bad ones out, he didn't really care about the ones he was throwing out, due to the fact that there were quite a few good ones on the ground where he threw them. "Ugh, are we done yet? I'm getting hungry!" He whined.
Twilight rolled her eyes, and replied, "Please, Spike! All you did was lounge on my back, while we did all the work!"
Spike scoffed, and replied, "Yeah, but you both took so long, that I missed my snack time!" Then, a grumbling noise could be heard, but when Twilight looked down, she noticed that it was her stomach that was grumbling.
With a light giggle, she said, "I... guess we were out here for a while, huh?" Applejack nodded her head in agreement.
"I reckon' we could've used Justin's help, after all! What with them hangs on the tips of his forelegs, an' all that!"
"Uh, actually, they're called 'hands'... but yes, I agree." Twilight corrected.
Applejack gave a light chuckle. "Eh, well they do hang around his forelegs, though, so I reckon' I was close enough!"
Suddenly Spike's cheeks puffed out, and before anypony could say anything else, he belched out a green flame, which materialized into a scroll with a red ribbon tying it closed. Twilight quickly looked at it, and floated it towards Spike, who grabbed it, and opened it. "A letter from the princess? What's it say, Spike?" Twilight asked. After clearing his throat, Spike read through the scroll.
"Hear-ye, Hear ye! From Princess Celestia of the Kingdom of Equestria! To celebrate the return of King Solaris, the Father of Princess Luna and I, we are hereby giving you a personal invitation from your three rulers themselves, with tickets to the 'Grand Galloping Gala'! Sincerely, Princess Celestia." Then, he looked at the lower half of the scroll, after skipping through the center. "Enclosed within this envelope is two tickets; one for Justin, and one for any of your friends, Twilight Sparkle. Of course, you have special permissions, and have already been placed in the VIP section, so a ticket will not be necessary. -Princess Celestia."
At first, there was silence. Then, after ten seconds of it, both Twilight and Applejack looked at each other, and yelled, "The Grand Galloping Gala! "
"Okay, then... let' try this again..." Justin said, while sitting in the center of the open fields. So far, he managed to lift himself a foot off of the ground through levitation, but only after twenty failed attempts. Finally, after he started losing his patience, he found himself one meter in the air. The sudden change caused his eyes to widen, while he looked around, shocked at the progress. Once he did so, however, he fell down again.
"Well, at least I know how my powers are operated!" He said, as a smile formed on his face. "It would seem that I run by anger!" With that, he looked at a small bag of dirt that he made out of one of the old flour bags that Twilight busted a while back. Then he looked at his right hand, and closed his eyes, trying to think of something that could infuriate him.
Soon, thoughts of the Figment that he faced earlier popped into his mind, laughing at him, as he stood over him. Soon, Justin felt a hint of heat build up over his hand. Opening his eyes, he saw that a small black fire was hovering over his right hand, not making direct contact, but definitely intimidating enough for him to refuse to feel it, even though he was Undead.
But then, another thought crossed his mind. The thought was of the Figment standing over both, Applejack and Twilight, and laughing at them , while Justin felt helpless inside. Once that thought crossed his mind, the fire began to rapidly grow well over a meter long, until Justin's eyes widened in panic. Soon, he was holding a fireball the size of a boulder over his head, before he began thinking of happy thoughts. Nothing seemed to be working.
Suddenly, a thought of his family popped into his mind, which caught him by surprise. His two brothers were sitting next to him, while his dad took a picture of the three of them sitting on the center of a towel. They were all smiling at the camera, which was on a stand. Before they knew it, their dad began running next to them, and managed to reach the area in time, right as the camera flashed.
Just the thought caused a tear to fall from his eyes, as the fire quickly vanished. Even though he was happy that he figured out how to control his magic now, he still felt a slight emotional pain in his heart. "I'm sorry... I shouldn't cry like this, Daddy... but I can't help it, y'know?" With that, he sat back down Indian-Style, and tried recovering his spent energy though a Meditative Trance again.
"Don't worry! I'll figure it out!" Twilight said, as her friends departed from her, after she recently made an outburst for them to be quiet. "... Somehow." She glumly mumbled, as she lowered her head downward, and began to pout.
The next thing she knew, she was sitting at a table for a fancy restaurant that recently opened up. She was about to grumble about who to give the ticket to, until she spotted a mysterious stallion wearing a black cloak trot past them, looking around. Twilight hummed to herself, before thinking. "There's something fishy about him... " Silently, she slipped off of the haystack she was sitting on, and passed Spike a few bits. "Here you go, Spike. Feel free to order something affordable, and head back to the Library. I need to check something out, right quick." With a nod, Spike started counting the bits, while Twilight silently snuck behind the mysterious figure, who began trotting unusually close to the buildings.
After what felt like a few hours of meditation, Justin stood up, and sighed, before turning towards Ponyville. "Well, I'd better get going, before this storm gets worse..." As he said that, the rain was already pouring over him, but what surprised him was the fact that the clothing he wore wasn't getting affected by the water... almost like he was protected from what he didn't want to happen by a shield of thick air. "Looks like I've got my Wind Magic under control, at least!" As he said that, he felt a strange tingling in the back of his ears, which caused time itself to slow down to a snail's pace again. Looking around, he saw something from far in the distance. The sight caused his eyes to widen, as the hooded stallion that Twilight was following began to stand on two hooves. "No... not here! " He thought, before he burst into a full-speed marathon-like sprint, even though the world around him was still moving at a snail's pace.
As soon as Twilight's eyes caught the sight of the hooded stallion standing on two hooves, she instantly backed up, until it spoke in an unnervingly familiar vampire-like voice. "Ah... long time no see, Twilight Sparkle!" The Figment said, before turning to face her.
"Y-YOU ?!" She asked, before nervously backing away slowly, only to bump into something metal behind her. Turning around, her eyes widened as the Figment stood over her, giving her his demented smile, while his right eye's orange lava-like color pierced her with fear.
"I don't have any more patience with you, Twilight Sparkle... I know how much he means to you..." Then, he spoke from behind her ear, which made her jump forward and turn back around at him. "...And I know how much you mean to him!" Finally, she found herself in a neck-grip by the Figment's right metallic claws, which still had a lava-burnt red tint to it. "I shall make sure all of your friends see you like this! Yes, it was me who had this town not accept that puny little human! You know why? Because I planned for him to be alone out there!" Slowly, blood started to fall from Twilight's neck, as the grip of the sharp clawed gauntlet pierced into her skin slowly.
Finally, when she was able to get a good enough breath, she screamed at the top of her lungs in pain, which caused the entirety of the town to look her way, and gasp in horror at the sight that beheld them.
As soon as her screaming ended, the Figment smiled slyly once it heard the sound of thunder building up from the distance. In the blink of an eye, Rainbow Dash bolted towards them, yelling, "TWILIGHT! " Once she was twenty meters away from them, however, she bounced back violently, thanks to a red bubble that was invisible until the second she made contact with it. "LEAVE HER ALONE! " Rainbow shouted at the top of her lungs, not even bothering to fight the tears she was shedding out of both, pain and her friend's safety. Beside her, the other Elements of Harmony gasped at the sight, and galloped towards the bubble, only to be pushed back like Rainbow Dash. Regardless, they all tried even more times to get through the bubble, each time yielding the same results.
Finally, Twilight's eyes filled with tears, and slowly started to close, while the Figment began to chuckle. "As I said before... you are a resilient one... but you won't be able to resist forever..." As soon as he finished saying that, her eyes closed completely, and her breathing made a complete stop. Then, when the Figment looked to it's left, it grinned when it saw Justin rushing head-on towards it, now at the border of Ponyville, but gaining speed quickly.
Finally, when Justin was close enough to see the events that took place, his eyes shot open at Twilight. "T-Twi..." He began, before his hands started to shake.
The Figment gave a short sigh, before replying, "Eh, I'll just give her back to her friends, now... they might need her now, more than ever!" With that, he looked behind his back, and tossed Twilight's body out of the bubble, and into the crowd of five mares, each of which quickly galloped to her, and began crying her name, while trying their best to bring her back.
Then, Spike ran up to her, and gasped loudly. "Twilight?! TWILIGHT?! TWILIGHT! WAKE UP! " He began shouting her name, but to no avail. He quickly threw his head down, and cried audibly over her fore-hooves, which were wrapped over her chest by her friends. The others cried over her as well.
Justin was at the outskirts of the bubble, while the Figment stood there, giving a light chuckle at the sight. Justin, however, was on his knees at this time, with his black hood over his head, and his black sweater within the jacket was zipped over his mouth. He did this beforehand, due to him trying to hide his appearance from the ponies, even though he was the only biped around to his knowledge... besides Spike, that is.
"You..." Justin began quietly, as his hands balled up from his sides. "You... killed... my FRIEND?! " Suddenly, a black and red aura started to flow from Justin, which caused the crowd of ponies that was closest to him to back away quickly. Then, Justin's voice began to get deeper, and from the sound of it, a dark, deeper voice sounded like it was echoing what Justin said next.
"I'm not just going to kill you..." He began, while slowly standing up. Then, his brown Hiking Boots began to turn black, while a black tar-like substance appeared to rise from the boots, and over his jeans, turning it black as well. Once it reached his jacket, the jacket slimmed down to his waistline, which was about one foot wide, and one foot thick. His shoulders broadened out, as his black jacket stretched downward, and took on the shape of a long trench-coat, with a hood added to the top. When the tar-like materials reached his skin, it faded into his eyes, which blackened at the contact, while his skin paled into a pure white color.
Stretching his arms out, his balled-up fists soon materialized two claw-shaped swords that were five feet in length, curved up, and had blades that lowered over the handles, and stretched one foot behind his hands. He pointed the right one at the Figment, and shouted in an even darker-sounding, demon-like voice, which caught the Figment by surprise, as each word caused the ground around them to shake.
"FIRST, I'M GOING TO BUTCHER YOU ALIVE, AND DROWN YOU IN YOUR OWN BLOOD!"
Author's Note
:SNEAK PEEK:
Sneak-Peek Unavailable...
To Be Continued...
|After|Life Adjustment : The Cursed Blessing
Chapter 3: Ending The Feud!
Within The Center of Ponyville...
The rain crashed down throughout the town, which grew unbelievably silent and dark. For miles around the center of town, the only sounds that could be heard were the drops of rain, the cries of distant fillies, the distant thunder, and the cries of Twilight Sparkle's friends, as they all stood over her corpse, with Spike crying the hardest.
Inside the center of town, a fountain that once stood up high was crumbled down, and broken into a large pile of stone and water. The center was surrounded by a large red bubble that contained a magic spell that kept anything from crossing it. Standing at one end of it was the Figment that attacked Twilight and Applejack, who's expression showed sheer terror at the sight of the closest figure from the bubble; a tall bipedal creature that resembled a human, but wore a cloak over it's head, and had pale skin. This figure was formerly a human that stood halfway the height that this creature stood, and was named Justin.
Justin looked at the Figment, and said in an extremely dark, spine-chilling, and demonic voice, "You are going to regret ever coming into existence... " Then, in the blink of an eye, he materialized into a black smoke. The black smoke moved towards the bubble, but instead of getting knocked back, it merely went through the bubble, and hovered one meter inside it, while the Figment took a step back. Then the smoke rematerialized into Justin's "Grim Reaper" type of form, while his hands clutched two sharp-looking blades, one in each hand that appeared to have a blade on both ends, and going through the front sides of his knuckles. Finally, once he started walking towards the Figment, he continued his former statement. "... I will personally see to it that you do! "
Quickly, the Figment's shadow hovered over himself, and soon he was engulfed by it, as it lowered to the ground. Before it could disappear, however, Justin teleported right in front of it, and reached his right hand inside the shadow, and pulled the Figment out by the hair, before slamming him into the ground behind him, leaving a crater where the impact was made, and causing blood to completely cover the Figment's face.
The Figment then yelped in pain, as he was viciously thrown into the bubble, only to get deflected back towards Justin, where he was then caught by the legs, and slammed head-first into the rubble where the well used to stand. Then he quickly jumped back up, and wiped the blood from his face, which was completely red and rock-like, with both of his eyes glowing like lava. His whole face, however, was cracked to the point where the lava-like colors covered a large portion of his cheeks and lips.
"W-WHERE did you get this kind of power?! Y-you... STAY BACK !" He quickly drew the sword that he threatened Applejack with formerly, and lunged towards Justin, only for his attack to be caught by Justin's swords in an "X" pattern.
Then, Justin smiled and shook his head. "Big mistake. " That was the last sentence the Figment heard, before he found one of the blades pierce inside his stomach.
First, he spat a hint of blood, which was colored like lava. The blood landed on the ground, and vanished into thin air. Then, Justin pulled the sword from the Figment's stomach in a fluid motion, before slicing both blades in the same area, causing him to stand perfectly still. Finally, Justin's swords disappeared, before he grabbed both arms, and lifted the Figment's torso in the air, while the legs stood still. Then, he rotated his torso upside-down, and jammed his head into the insides of his legs, causing his arms to flail around, trying to escape. Unfortunate for him, though, Justin already had his legs caught in a magic grip, so there was no escape.
Then once the Figment's arms fell limply, Justin lifted his upper torso, and placed it back onto his legs, before his swords appeared again. With hatred in his eyes, Justin started slicing mercilessly at the Figment's corpse, before dispelling his swords, and snapping his right finger. With the magic grip dispelled, the Figment's corpse fell into a pile of orange-coated rocks.
Slowly, Justin walked towards the orange goo, and lifted his right hand over it, causing the entire pile to shift into a single orb of orange light, which hovered over Justin's right hand. Then, he crushed the orange orb in his right hand, causing the aura to flow around his body, before being absorbed completely, leaving nothing behind.
Finally, he turned around, and realized that the red bubble was no longer around him. At that time, however, he was the least bit concerned, for his attention was on something else.
From the distance, a group of three Alicorns flew towards the town, each of which holding worried faces. When they landed, Celestia was the first to react... and it was far from cheerful.
In her Canterlot Voice, Princess Celestia shouted, "TWILIGHT! " Her outburst caused the five mares to back away from their friend, while Spike remained crying on top of his sister's hooves.
Celestia tried pulling him off of her, only for him to yell, "NO! I WILL NOT LEAVE YOU, TWILIGHT! I WILL NOT- " He was silenced by the feeling of Celestia's left wing wrapping around his shoulders, before he buried his head in her chest, and cried even more. "P-PLEASE, PRINCESS! Y-YOU HAVE... YOU HAVE TO... Y-YOU H... " He stuttered, before the sound of footsteps could be heard from the distance.
Turning around, the entire group quickly tried to block Justin's path, the Alicorns because they didn't recognize him, and the mares because they feared that Justin would only make things worse, since they didn't think he was still in control.
After giving a small sigh, Justin moved his arms outwards, in a "swimming" motion, which caused the entire group to slowly fly away from him, while he slowly walked towards Twilight's body.
"LEAVE HER ALONE, YOU... YOU MONSTER! " Celestia screamed, only for Justin to continue walking, completely ignoring her command. Luna glared at the "monster", and tried to escape from his power, only to find that it was far too powerful for her to handle.
When he was within range, Justin lowered himself to the ground level, and turned Twilight's face towards himself. Then, with his right hand in the air, his eyes started to glow a bright blue, followed by his right hand.
Slowly, a gust of blue mist started to fly towards his right hand, until a purple orb appeared from within the mist, and hovered over his right hand. Then, he opened Twilight's lips and, with his magic, lowered the purple orb into her mouth. The last step he took caused all eyes to widen, though. Lowering his face to hers, he pressed his lips over her opened mouth, and exhaled a gust of air into her lungs, which caused her whole body to glow purple. Then, he stood from the ground, and walked away from her, before dispelling his grip from the others.
"W-WHAT THE... YOU HAVE A SICK MIND, JUSTIN !" Rainbow Dash shouted, before hovering in front of him. "Y-YOU JUST KISSED OUR DEAD FRIEND ! WHAT KIND OF A SICK CREATURE EVEN DOES THAT KIND OF- " Before she could continue yelling, Twilight started coughing loudly behind Justin, catching Rainbow Dash off guard, before she turned towards Twilight.
At once, all eyes were staring at the formerly dead Twilight Sparkle, who weakly rose from the ground, and continued coughing. "W-what... what happened?!" She asked, before looking around.
The next thing she knew, she was caught in the center of a group hug, while all of her friends shouted her name.
"T-TWILIGHT! YOU'RE OKAY !" Rainbow Dash yelled, before nearly squeezing the life back out of Twilight.
Out of confusion, Twilight asked, "W-wait... did I just..." Then, her eyes widened. "Then how did I..."
In his demon-like voice, Justin began to speak while his back was still turned. "You died before I could save you... so I did what was necessary, and brought you back. "
While staring wide-eyed at him, Celestia asked, "Wait... y-you're JUSTIN ?!" Slowly, Justin nodded, before she lowered her head. "I'm... I'm most terribly sorry for calling you-"
Justin quickly silenced her with his right hand, and replied, "It's fine, Princess... I know I am. " She opened her mouth to disagree, but before she could, he continued speaking. "At least I'm a GOOD monster, though, right? "
Solaris smiled, and nodded his head. "At least you're still in control, Justin... but still, I don't recall ever teaching you that spell! How did you perform a Healing Spell on her, without being taught?"
Justin shook his head, and replied, "I didn't... that was a different spell, altogether. " Solaris's eyes widened. "In fact, it's a spell that has been long forgotten, since the beginning of time. Only one race was ever able to cast it long ago... and it was, according to my sources, the first Magic Spell to come into existence. "
Solaris's jaw dropped. "Y-you mean to tell me... you just cast the... Breath of Life Spell?!" Justin nodded his head, which caused an audible gasp to come from the crowd. "B-but... why wasn't it ever able to be learned by anyone else, but the Nymphari and you, though?"
"Because, " Justin began, now looking towards the crowd, "it's Blood Magic. " Another gasp came from the crowd.
Then, Justin began walking towards the fields again, and sighed. "And since I'm surely not welcome here anymore, due to committing an act of Murder, I'll go on ahead and walk to Canterlot to be imprisoned, or banished. "
"NO !" The entire town practically yelled, which caused him to stop in his tracks, and turn back towards the town.
Mayor Mare quickly trotted in front of the group of townsponies, and with a sad expression on her face, looked down, while brushing her hooves across the dirt nervously. "W-what we're trying to say is... we're sorry for the way we treated you... we were given bad advice from that... thing that you disposed of, since he was disguised as a Canterlot Scout. We had no idea that it was him who was the monster!" She was supported with the town giving an audible "Mm-Hmm", and nods of approval, before the ground shook by the hooves applauding him.
He turned to look at Twilight, and smiled. "So... you all feel comfortable with a creature like ME living here? " He asked, before walking towards his friends.
"Are you kidding?!" Pinkie Pie asked, before her mane poofed up again. "Why, with the town finally accepting you into society, I can throw you your 'WELCOME TO PONYVILLE' PARTY !" She then started bouncing around joyfully, while Justin scratched the back of his neck nervously.
Then, Spike slowly walked towards him, and motioned for him to get closer. When Justin did as he was requested, he was caught by surprise as Spike wrapped his arms around his chest, and cried in it. "Y-you saved Twilight, Justin! Y-you're... you're the BEST friend I could ever have!" Justin's eyebrows lowered, as he looked between both, Spike and Twilight, who smiled weakly, before slowly trotting towards the two. Then, when she was within reach, she also wrapped her hooves around him, while also embracing Spike.
"T-thank you, Justin... you saved us all from that Figment... I don't know how we could ever repay you!"
Finally, a small black tear fell from Justin's pitch-black eyes, before his arms wrapped around the two who had him caught in a hug. This, of course, received an audible "Aww" from many of the town's inhabitants.
When the hug ended, Justin stood back up, and smiled, before backing up slowly. "Thank you... ALL of you... " Then, he slowly started to emit a pure blue aura around his body, which ended with a pure white glow which caused all heads to turn away from him, until the glow ended. When it did, they all looked towards him, only to find that he was in his human form again.
He held his smile, until his eyes closed, and before anything else could be said, he fell, back first, onto the ground, as his consciousness quickly faded.
When he woke up, he found that he wasn't in Diamond Heights, but rather, inside a hospital bed, with a white blanket over his head. Quickly, he removed the blanket from his head, only to find a pair of nurses staring wide-eyed at him, before rushing out of the room, screaming, "HE'S ALIVE !" in unison.
At first, he started to get up, only to stop himself, and look below the covers. As he feared, his clothes were removed. Then he groaned, and looked to his left and right, hoping they were at least somewhere in the room, so that he could leave the room. Unfortunately for him, his clothes were nowhere to be seen, and the door to the room was left open, while a few passersby trotted through the hallways.
Finally, he decided to wrap his waist and below with the blankets he was covered in, and walk towards the door, only to be greeted by Twilight Sparkle, who stopped in front of his door once she made it to that point. Then, before five seconds could even pass, Justin found himself pinned to the ground by a tear-filled Lavender Unicorn, who seemed to not care about his current clothing situation. Thankfully for him, he was prepared enough to at least tie the blanket around his waist, and below it as well, in a double knot.
Nervously, Justin asked, "T-Twilight?! What's going on, why are you crying?!" Before returning the hug.
Twilight sniffled a few times, before replying, "W-well... I know that when you die, you usually disappear... but this time, it seemed like you didn't ... and when you just lied there motionlessly, we... I thought that you were..." She cried before she could continue her sentence, before wrapping her hooves around Justin, and burying her head in his chest.
Justin sighed, and patted her back with his right hand, while rubbing her mane with his left, which caused her muscles to intensify. "It's okay, Twilight... I'm here now, and I don't plan on leaving, either... and since the town's alright with me living here, now I think things will be smoother for once." Then, his cheeks turned red when he realized the position that he was in. "Oh, but Twilight? Do you happen to know where my clothes went?"
Twilight's eyes shot open at that remark, as she remembered what he told her about Humans and their need for clothing. Instantly, her entire face turned red, before she hopped off of his stomach, and backed up to give him room to stand, while turning towards the door. Then, she closed it with her magic, and nervously turned to Justin again. "Yeah... about that..."
Justin placed his right palm over his forehead, and asked, "Considering it's a clothing-related problem, I'm pretty sure I know the answer to this, but... Rarity has them, doesn't she?" Slowly, Twilight nodded.
"I'm really sorry about that, by the way. We didn't think you'd wake up... you were out for a week, after all!"
Suddenly, Justin's eyes shot up, as he quickly locked his gaze on Twilight. "Wait, REALLY ?!" She nodded. "Then... what was the latest significant event to happen?"
At first, Twilight looked up, and placed her right hoof over her snout. "Hmm... well... three days ago, Pinkie Pie revealed something that kinda... seemed odd to me, at first."
Justin's eyes glowed blue for a split second, which caught Twilight by surprise. Before she could ask, he said, "So, you recently learned about Pinkie Pie's 'Pinkie Sense', which seems to involve her muscles reacting in what she calls a 'Twitchy Tail' a warning that something's about to fall, as well as combos, involving an 'Ear Flop, Eye Flutter, Knee Twitch', AKA, 'Beware Of Opening Doors'," Twilight tried to say something, until Justin pointed his right finger at her, and smiled, as he continued, "and you were in for a surprise when she did an ordinary 'Ear Flop', which meant that somepony was about to get dirty, and was gonna need a bath, to which you were introduced to the 'Achy Shoulder', and met her pet alligator, Gummy. Eventually, you and Spike followed her for a good bit of time, until y'all ended up in Froggy Bottom Bogg, to which you, Applejack, Pinkie, and Fluttershy encountered a Hydra, and managed to escape, only for the Hydra to end up not being her 'Shudder', or 'Doozy'. Instead, you merely believing in her 'Pinkie Sense' was the real Doozy." He smirked when he saw Twilight staring wide-eyed, and jaw-dropped at him, clearly not believing what she heard. "Oh, and Applejack has a new Apple Cellar, which you happened to fall into... did I miss something?"
Twilight just stood there speechlessly, until she finally shook her head out of her trance, before replying, "H-how... HOW did you even know that?!"
Justin shrugged, and replied, "Um... just a guess?"
Twilight merely backed into a chair, and sat down on it, while her eyes remained wide. Her mane started to become undone, until it appeared as a frazzled mess. Justin scratched the back of his neck nervously, and walked closer to her.
"Anyways, so what else do you remember that happened?" Finally, her mane straightened itself again, after she shook her head, and looked at him once more.
"Oh, sorry! Well... hmm... oh ! I almost forgot!" Her horn glowed for a second, until the ticket that she planned on giving Justin appeared out of thin air. "I was supposed to give this to you last week... the Grand Galloping Gala is supposed to be coming up, soon... and... I'd kinda... sorta..." Her face started turning red.
Justin sighed, and accepted the ticket that she floated towards him, and replied, "Thanks, Twi... I'm sure that I'm supposed to go, but... don't expect me to be 'Enjoying the Festival', or something like that."
Suddenly her eyes widened, while she asked, "What? No! I mean... I know you're supposed to go, but... I kinda wanted to go..." She paused for a moment, which caught Justin's full attention. "I kinda wanted to go, like... on a... a..."
Before she could answer, Justin tilted his head, and asked, "Wait a minute... are you... asking me out? Like, on a... Date ?!" Slowly she nodded her head, while sweating bullets. Hearing that news caused Justin's cheeks to turn red, while he scratched the back of his neck again. "Gee, Twilight... why would you even want to be seen with me, though? In case you haven't noticed... I'm a human."
She nodded her head, and replied, "I'm aware of that, but... you may be able to help me! Y'know... I don't really know how humans dance, so this could be great for research!"
At that statement, Justin shook his head. "Sorry, Twilight, but Dancing is a 'No-Go' for me." This caused Twilight's smile to drop.
"What? W-why?! Why won't you dance?"
Justin groaned, and replied while rubbing his right hand on his forehead, "Because... I don't necessarily... know how to... y'know, dance."
After giving it some thought, Twilight said, "If it helps..." She smiled, and placed her right hoof over his left shoulder, "...we could go together! I don't really know how to dance with a partner, but I know that they know I'm an Element of Harmony! If they see you around me , then there's no doubt that they'll know you for who you are, and respect you, as such!"
Justin gave a long sigh, and replied in a worried tone, "Yes, but just who am I, exactly? I'm a Human, an Undead, literally the only one of my own race, a renowned Killer, a Monster! Honestly, Twilight? What else could I be?" Twilight's smile dropped, as she looked concernedly at him.
Then, after a long moment of silence, she pulled him into a hug, and replied, "You're Sweet, you're Selfless, you're Brave, and you're a Hero , who not only saved Ponyville, but the world , by bringing an Element of Harmony back! Don't you even realize just how much that means to all of us?! In fact, I overheard Mayor Mare talking about building a memorial for you! And Rarity took your clothes to use as a basic outline for a trend that she could use to remember you by, and convert your style into a pony's fashion!"
Justin smiled as she continued speaking positively about him, until he silenced her by placing his right finger over her mouth. "Alright, then... I guess you've proven your point."
Her eyes beamed open, and her ears perked up. "S-so you'll go?!"
Justin shrugged, and nodded. "Sure... but no dancing!" Then, his eyes glowed blue again. "...And I would highly recommend that you not dance, either... alone, at least. No offense." She was about to object to that, until Justin pointed out a truth to her. "You don't even know how to dance, do you?"
She smiled sheepishly, and replied, "Not really, no..."
Justin smirked. "Thought so. But also, I want you to remember one thing, before we go." She nodded, and motioned for him to continue. "I want you to enjoy your time. I'll try to keep a distance from y'all, but not too far. I need to make sure you all remain safe, after what's happened lately. I can't afford to drop my guard, even for a second. Understood?"
Her sheepish smile brightened into a normal one, while she nodded, and replied, "Oh, of course! But..." She rubbed her hooves nervously. "Do you think that you can... kinda spend more time with me , though? Y'know... since we'll be entering together?" Justin nodded, and held his hand out, which she placed her hoof in, and shook.
"It's a Date, then!"
Author's Note
:SNEAK PEEK:
|To Be Announced|
To Be Continued...