The Other Side of Nirn

Chapter 10: Warning and Trouble

Dylan looked around where he was. As he did, he heard crackling of a fireball behind him. When he turned, he was amazed. The fire was not the color of the sun, but the color of gold. The color of when his mother summoned fire. As he looked, he saw the fire take a shape. Well, a liqudy shape, since it was fire. It took shape of just what he expected, a pegasus, particularly his mother.

Then, he began to feel cold, as if he were in the Jeralls on a winter month. He saw a flake fall from the air. Then another. And then, a blizzard began, all the flakes seeming as if they were controlled by… something! Then he heard screams that he knew too well. Screams of pain. He heard the screams all around him. Not just of his mother, but of so many others as well. Rainbow Dash, Sadie, Naranel, Rikku, Widow, Yuna, Lulu, and even Bonde.

"The dagger remains unbalanced, and a choice must be made. If the choice is wrong, then the tip of the dagger is carried by one," said a dark voice. "It will begin by a moan, and end with moan."

"NO!!" Dylan yelled. As he looked around, he noticed he was in the inn.

"Slice?" said a voice that sounded strangely familiar. Dylan turned his head and imeadeatly saw why it was familiar.

"Rainbow?!" Imeadeatly Dylan felt the breath squeezed out of him by a high speeding, excited pegasus.

"Hi... Rainb...bow," he wheezed out.

"It's so great to see you again Slice!" she said. "How've you been?"

When Dylan was put down and back to breathing normally, he answered. "Fair enough. Could be better."

"You should meet some of my friends after we catch up more. Till then, I know a great place we can talk!”

Not wanting to disappoint his old friend, he said the best thing he could think of. “Ok, but can it last just a few hours? I need to find some of my friends.

“Sure.”

And so, Dylan followed Dash, unknowing of where to.

Bonde had waited for 20 minutes with how Ms. Cheerilee was having the order. Unlike apparently most times, she had decided that it would be better to do the order by the guest’s name. Her name being Hard Mace, she was one of the last one’s to speak. She started her ‘speech’ by a greeting no doubt most expected.

“Hello class,” she said. “My name, as Ms. Cheerilee said, is Hard Mace.” Immeadetly a hoof went up. “Yes?” she asked.

“What’s a mace?”

“A mace is a kind of weapon that was made where I’m from. It’s basically a ball of metal on a stick,” she said in answer to the question. Then another hoof went up. “Yes?”

“Why would YOU need a weapon? Your looks are bad enough to scare off a creature from the Everfree Forest. Not to mention your smell,” said a pony named Diamond Tiara. Bonde’s anger quickly spiked, but she applied her training.

“Ms. Tiara, I’ll have you know I will not stand for insults. I would have expected you to have better manners for your elders. When I was raised, disrespect led to punishment.” ‘Not to mention I washed up just this morning.’

“I apologize Ms. Mace. Diamond Tiara is going to receive fair punishment for disrespecting you,” said Filthy Rich.

“It’s no problem Mr. Rich. Now, where was I? Oh yes, when I was raised, my parents made sure I knew how to respect a difference.” A hoof then went up. “Yes?”

“Why ARE you Apple Bloom’s hero?”

“Because Apple Bloom was held hostage by an assassin who was after me and a friend.”

“Is your friend the one in the hospital?” asked Redheart, who was a 'hero'.

“Yes. Fire Blade is the one in the hospital. And I thank you for having taken care of his wounds.”

“Is Fire Blade your stallionfiend?” asked Sweetie Bell.

Bonde hardly kept herself from chuckling at the notion. “No Sweetie Bell. Fire Blade is just a close friend of mine.”

“Why was an assassin after you?” asked Scootaloo.

Bonde then went silent for several moments. She had been asked a question she had hoped to not hear.

“Scootaloo, remember, respect,” said Cheerilee.

“It’s ok Ms. Cheerilee. And in answer to your question Scootaloo, I do not know why the assassin was after me.”

“I beg to differ Bonde,” said Cheerilee as Rainbow and Dylan entered the school house.

“How do you know her name!?” Dylan shouted as he entered a battle stance.

“You’re so easy to trick Dylan,” said Rainbow Dash when she pushed Dylan in there.

“You really think I would allow you to be in an area you would win?” asked Diamond Tiara.

“Or against enemies you would fight?” asked Rarity (who was here for Sweetie Bell).

“Where are you Jordan!?” yelled Bonde.

“You expect me to be in the school house?” asked Apple Bloom.

“Well guess again,” said Pipsqueak.

“This is low, even for you!” yelled Dylan.

“Perhaps it is, perhaps it isn’t,” said Filthy Rich.

“But clearly you don’t know me as well as Sadie,” said Nurse Redheart.

“If you did anything to Sadie-”

“Relax,” said Snails.

“Yeah, Sadie snuck out of the hospital before I could do anything!” said Snips.

Suddenly, a scenario playing through her head, Bonde whispered to Dylan as she kept her eyes facing the crowd of ponies.

Then, Dylan began the plan by throwing ink at Rarity.

“Ah! My… NO! NO! YOU ARE MINE!”

“You will pay for this!” shouted Rainbow. But then something was starting. “This… ISN’T… I don’t care what you think is cool you piece of RAINBOW TRASH!”

“Your not… NO! YOU HAVE NO FREE WILL! YOUR MINE!”

“Ugh… Blank flank and crazy! What’s next? Filthy?”

“Don’t ya call her crazy!” yelled Apple Bloom. A few hits and bucks later, everyone was on the floor with a migraine. Everyone but Bonde and Dylan at least.

“Let’s hope nopony’ll remember this,” said Bonde.

“And that everypony’s all right,” Dylan said as he began to heal everypony.

“Everypony-”

“LET THEM…hey, there isn’t any trouble!” said Widow.

“A bit late on the draw Black,” said Bonde.

“You think the school holiday was real?” asked Dylan.

“I doubt it. But we will need to keep our guard up. There’s no telling when Jordan’ll strike again.”

“Not to mention how,” said a pony whose face was hidden behind a mask. The rest of her was also disguised.

“Who are you?” asked Widow as she prepared for a fight.

“Name’s don’t matter now. What does matter is that you be warned. Jordan’s power grows with every passing night. His hunger grows. An informant of mine spied on him and he plans for his first victim to be you, Ms. Mace.”

“Who’s your informant?” asked Dylan.

“Saying her name would be a risk. But she did insist I say this. You have grown into a fine young boy. Your father would be proud.”

“How do you know Slice’s parents?!” Bonde said as she got in front of a bewildered Dylan.

“I don’t. My informant does.”

As she was about to leave, Dylan asked a question. “Wait! Who are you?”

“All you need to call me is Mare-Do-Well. The rest of the town does.” With that, Mare-Do-Well left.

“Do you know a mass sleep spell?” asked Bonde.

“Ok,” Dylan said as his horn began to shimmer into view.

“With luck they’ll think it was just a dream.”

“When they’re all-“ Widow said as a large, bright flash appeared. When they could see again, they realized they were in their inn room. “Never mind.”

“Did you do that?” Bonde asked Dylan.

“No, I did,” said a worn out Sadie.

“Well, did you teleport the others as well?”

“Yes, they’re all where they would normally pass out. And Dylan’s spell should hopefully last till tomorrow morning.”

“Let’s hope so. And, I know you’ll hate it Bonde, but I did shape everypony’s memories to point to them passing out when they reached home.”

“It’s all for the best I’m sure. Let’s get some rest ourselves; I’m sure we’ll need it.”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, I don’t think that’s the best course of action! Weren’t you listening to Mare-Do-Well?” said Dylan.

“Weren’t you? ‘She’ somehow knew part of your past. And besides, if Jordan bites me, we have a healer.”

“And if that’s true, what if he kidnaps you?” asked Sadie.

“Then he’ll have another thing coming! I don’t know about you but I had a rough day! I was nearly over ran by fillies for Mara’s sake! Both before and during what was supposed to be a well rehearsed presentation! And I WILL NOT have the thought of a fucking bite frighten me from sleep! Now either shut the fuck up and go to sleep or get the hell out of this room!” Bonde exploded.

“Bonde…”

“Don’t you ‘Bonde’ me Widow! Where were you when Jordan striked! Certainly not helping, that’s for sure! If throwing ink hadn’t come to my mind, we’d be at Jordan’s mercy! As if a bite is supposed to kill me, a bite told to me by a complete STRANGER, you all are afraid of me getting some much needed rest!”

“Bonde…”

“Same thing to you Sadie!”

“But Mom’s…”

"Your mother’s dead! Accept it for what it is! She can’t save us! I will tell you all one last time! Shut the fuck up and go to sleep, get the hell out of this inn, or I will make you!”

Sadie and Widow, seeing the rage in Bonde’s eyes, walked out of the room and left the inn without a word. “I won’t accept that my mother’s dead, Bonde. You shouldn’t either,” Dylan said before he left the room.

“Now,” she said to herself, “Time… to… rest,” she said as the burden of exhaustion fell upon her.

Miles away, in Canterlot, a deep laugh is heard by none, as a statue locked in fear and shock begins to crack at the tip of its tail, for an unknown reason.