The Other Side of Nirn

Chapter 8: Greif, Hope, and Interogation

Naranel looked upon his brother, sorrow filling his heart as he heard the mechanical beeping of the machine telling his heart rate. After so many years, his baby brother was defeated by magic, that which his brother was strongest in. When Sadie had fallen to the ground of the orchard, rage was the first feeling in his heart, and rage was the most dangerous in his heart. He had come close to killing the archer, but fortunately, Yuna had stopped him.

Yuna had done what she could for Sadie, but even that was not enough. His brother was the only one that could cause the recovery. All they could do was stop the bleeding, and prey to the nine that Sadie would find his path back.

Naranel didn’t really believe in the nine, and if they were real, they would no doubt hate him for the murders he had committed out of rage and grief. ‘Please, to whoever you are, let my brother live,’ thought Naranel as tears began to stream from his eyes. As Naranel cried, he slowly fell into the embrace of sleep.

Bonde carried Naranel to the inn. She, however, fared no better. She could have killed the archer right then and there, and be done with it. But now, because she had given him a chance to release Apple Bloom and live, Sadie was paying the price. Had she told him to heal himself first, then he would not be in this position. She was a fool to have told him to heal Apple Bloom, she would have made a full recovery. She should have known better from when she was just a child, no, pup. But now, her feelings for the young have blinded her judgment.

She could have done so many things differently, but instead she chose the path of foolishness, that which brought death most often. She had been taught by the best of her pack, had memorized the numerous ways of strategy and when to use them, had even defended her sister from a man in dwarven armor knowing the right strategy. But now, the years of peace and negotiation, where the most dangerous thing she had encountered was lava in the lands of Oblivion, had worn her battle mind to a stub compared to what it once was, what it should still be.

If any were to be blamed, it was primarily her. She could have prevented the filly’s pain, her pain, and most of all, Sadie’s pain. She blamed herself for her foolishness, and her friend was forced to pay the price.

Dylan was also grief stricken. The one who had helped him outside of Bloodcrest, who had helped him reach Bonde, who had helped him survive in the war, was now terribly wounded. He did the best he could to heal his friend, but could not succeed. He had conquered many other feats considered impossible, but he could not help his greatest friend. Dylan did his best to keep his sorrows contained, but he could only hold so much. He had already lost so much, how could the Divines take something else from him, something so valuable to his life.

It was the same for many, they could not handle the loss of their friend. But Dylan was the most attached to Sadie. Bonde would have lectured Dylan about attachment, had she not been so attached herself. Yuna would have helped Dylan heal Sadie, had she not been worn out from her own attempts.

But one was more grief stricken then the rest of them. One who hid in the shadow and protected from behind the scenes. One who owed Sadie many thanks for helping Dylan. A golden pegasus that hovered outside the window and occasionally came in. She would have attempted to heal Sadie, had her magics been available. She would hug him, had he not been so bruised. Even Zecora’s potions had not worked to heal him. The golden pegasus was filled with grief and sorrow, for if Sadie did not return, she would not be able to thank him. She grabbed a piece of paper and a pencil from her bags, and began to write.

Dear Reader,

Give this note to Fire Blade if and when he awakens. He and his friends are in grave danger of a unicorn named Jordan, who is going by the name of Frost Blade. He has come here to Ponyville to assassinate Fire Blade and his friends. And as a personal thanks to you Fire Blade, if you are reading this, I thank you for all you have done.

Sincerely,

Golden Flare.

She placed it beside Sadie’s bedside lamp, and flew out the window as quietly as can be.

Dylan walked into the room, and went to Sadie. “Hey, Fire Blade, do you remember what happened at Leyawiin? How I took one gate down and you took the other? I don’t know if I ever told you but a dremora said that I would be coming here again. I honestly thought he was crazy. I didn’t think I’d ever come here again. But I don’t care now. Please, please just come back!” Dylan noticed that he was beginning to cry for his dear friend and was also speaking useless sentences. Aside from the pleading of course. He did not see those as useless.

As he was preparing to leave, he saw a note beside Sadie and picked it up. As he read it, anger grew in his heart. He didn’t know how, but this ‘Golden Flare’ somehow knew Dylan’s past and was trying to frame Frost Blade. Then it hit him, this ‘Golden Flare’ was no doubt the real Jordan trying to cause death and destruction. After all, Jordan was a deceiver, stealthy, and easily able to convince you of something.

As Dylan was walking out the door he folded up the piece of paper and put it in his mane. As he did so, he began to let his mind wander to numerous things, such as where his mother was. Where was Jordan, and how’d he escape. He would find out, and he would kill Jordan, for Jordan was no doubt the reason Sadie was in this shape. And Dylan knew who would have the answers. It was getting him to talk that was the hard part.

But the assassin would no doubt have a point to which he will be forced to talk. Dylan would find it, exploit it, find Jordan, and make him pay for his brother’s suffering. The note, after all, may be true, and it may be false. The assassin would know.

He would make Jordan pay for his father’s death, and Jordan will beg for a quick death. But Dylan would have no mercy upon his enemy.

As Bonde would say, ‘the hunter, shall become the hunted,’ one way or another.

Jordan’s anger grew. The imbecile was ordered to kill Bonde, not Sadie. And he failed at even that. He had disobeyed Jordan’s orders, and he would pay the price for that. Jordan knew as well that if the ‘assassin’ lived, there would remain a link that would point to him.

As Jordan was hidden inside the barrel, he heard tears come from Yuna. She was weak, for she did not know when to use her anger and grief to kill. Jordan had heard what had happened, how the useless meat had stopped Naranel. She had been a fool, for the assassin would never speak of Jordan and his appearance.

Jordan felt vibrations reverberate through the barrel, and waited for Yuna’s tears to fade from hearing. When Jordan deemed it safe, he lifted the lid and held his eyes upon a brown unicorn in a cell.

“You have served me well,” Jordan said as he savored the violent shakes the unicorn gave, “but you cannot be allowed to live.”

“Please, my lord, forgive me!” the unicorn said quickly. Jordan centered his anger on the unicorn. “Release… me in… stead,” the unicorn begged as Jordan took its life force.

“I will give you no more chances,” Jordan said. “But, that doesn’t mean your corpse won’t be useful.” Jordan felt satisfaction at the fear in the unicorn’s eyes, and took the last of its pitiful life. When he heard the thud of the body meeting the ground, he smiled.

‘When the time comes,’ Jordan thought to himself, ‘I will reveal myself. And I will be prepared for a second war.’

And indeed he would be, for he had already begun to form a plan to win easily enough. One with deception and mistrust, that would easily manipulate war and peace, sorrow and happiness, and most of all, one that would bring death to his brothers, just as the dread father ordered.

Samiel and Tya had searched months on end for clues as to where their friends were. They had given up hope that they were still alive, and had ordered drinks from a barkeeper in a town known as Appleoosa.

“Do you think they’re still alive Silver?” Tya asked. They had decided it best to come up with names so they would not alert Jordan to their prescence if he was close.

“I doubt it. Don’t forget one of them is quick to anger.”

“What if the others kept him calm? It’s possible!”

“Just accept it. Even if their alive, we won’t find them.”

Tya gave up hope of convincing Samiel that it was possible to find them and went back to drinking. But even the sweetness of the drink could not help her. “Excuse me, but I need some air,” she said as she got up and left.

When she found a suitable place to sit beneath the beuty of the stars, she looked up to them and looked for the ones she had been born under, the Shadow. As she searched she had not noticed the soft flap of wings behind her that normally indicated a pegasus.

“You admire my night?” asked a voice that had suprsed Tya. When she looked behind her and saw Luna, the princess of the night, she calmed.

“Yes. I find the night sky beautiful like some of my friends,” she said in answer to the question.

“Indeed,” said Samiel as he walked up and sat beside his friend.

“Tell me, what are your friends like?” Luna asked in curiosity.

“Rather unique, all in a good way of course,” Tya answered.

“Some more then others. One is a great strategist when we come up to creatures in the Everfree,” Samiel added.

“What is this pony like?” asked Luna as she sat down next to them.

“Well, she was raised by an interesting family, and normally spouts out tons of sayings that have saved us in the Everfree.”

“Would you care to tell me of some of these adventures?” Luna asked.

“Of course not,” Tya said as she began to tell some of their adventures. As the night dragged on, Luna listened with joy, glad that the two did not judge her by her past. Soon it came time for Luna to lower the moon to make way for the sun, and Luna bid them farewell.

“She’s not that bad,” said Tya as the two began to walk to a inn.

“Back home they weren’t too bad either, except for the occasional Mythic Dawn member,” Samiel replied.

As they walked they looked at a newspaper and froze in place. On the front page it read ‘Assault on Adventurers’ as a title.

“How much does it say?!” Samiel asked in excitement while Tya looked at the price.

“Ten bits!” Samiel quickly took out the money and handed it to his friend. When they had a paper, they eagerly read it.

Four ponies were assaulted just yesterday by a brown unicorn and an unknown. Investigators report that the most injured may not survive what he has experienced and may pass away. “I don’t know who would attack us, but they can be gaurenteed they’ll regret their decision,” says Quick Slice, a filly who was personally shot at, and a friend to Fire Blade, the one who has experienced the most dangerous wounds. “When I find out who hired this assassin, they will pay for the pain Fire has experienced,” says Hard Mace, a mare who is also close friends with Fire Blade. Shock Blade, who is Fire Blade’s brother, was overcome with grief and anger when he saw his brother fall on the ground of Sweet Apple Acres, an apple orchard outside of the town of Ponyville.

When they read Ponyville they imeadeatly went to the train station and bought two tickets for a ride to Ponyville. As they rode, however, they began to wonder, just what did their friends look like? And were these their friends?

Dylan walked into the makeshift dungeon that the assassin was being held in as the princesses were on their way and took a seat in front of him.

“I know where you’re from, and who hired you,” Dylan said. “What I want to know is this: Where… is… Jordan?”

“Just how do you know I was hired by this ‘Jordan’?” the assassin said as he looked down to hide his eyes.

“Because, I have written proof, and it doesn’t take a genius to figure it out. You weren’t hired by Jordan because he orders the Dark Brotherhood. He has a grudge against us and so he brought both you and himself to assassinate me as well as everyone else.”

“You have it mostly correct aside from one small detail. Just what makes you think I’ll tell you where he is?”

“Everypony has a point where they’re forced to talk, or in this case, everyone. We can do this the easy way, or the hard way. That is your choice.”

“Ha. Hahahaha!” The assassin began to laugh. As he did, ever so slowly, his voice began to change. When it had changed to where it was Jordan’s laugh, the lifeless husk that was once the assassin raised its face to reveal that it was dead.

“I must admit Dylan, you are indeed quite clever,” Jordan said. “However, you’re not quick enough to save this useless assassin.”

“Jordan,” Dylan growled, “I will find you!”

“And just how is that? You have no link to me as far as I know, and I’m nowhere near the useless walls. Your ‘nine divines’ clearly are not smiling upon you. Oh, and by the way, you have no need to worry for Sadie. From what I can tell, he’ll survive. And in all honesty, I want him to. I want to see the final seconds of his life, as well as the rest of you of course.”

“When I find you, I will make you pay!”

The corpse Jordan was communicating through gave a sigh of disappointment. “Perhaps you are just a slight foolish. You simply can’t accept the fact you have no leads to where I am. Oh well, it will be entertaining to see what is no doubt about to commence. Oh, and should I mention I’ve learnt how to change my form? It really is quite lovely. Perhaps I’ll attack one of your precious princesses, or better yet, kidnap one of them and play their part.”

“If you touch either of them-”

“You’ll what? Attack me? For all you know I might instead do it to one of your friends, or the student of the sun princess, Twilight Sparkle, whom I must admit is quite drab. Or I might have already done one of those. And Twilight Sparkle, from what I’ve overheard, is often with the sun princess when she gets the chance. I must admit, it’s quite entertaining to see your cluelessness.” Jordan once again laughed. “Well, I must release the spell allowing me to speak through this corpse. It’s getting a slight complicated to control its hunger. I’d say good bye for the last time, but I’m sure you’ll be able to defeat a shell. Ta ta.”

Dylan watched as the energy flow Jordan used slowly died down to release the zombie pony. When the energy was completely cut off, Dylan was already a ways away.

“Think, think!” Dylan said to himself as he began to break into a sweat. As Dylan backed away, the zompony began to moan. Normally somepony would be outside, but Dylan had used his magic to shape the guard’s thoughts to where he would leave so that Dylan could openly torture the prisoner if necessary. Dylan was presumably alone in the ‘prison’, but if he wasn’t and he used his magic, he would raise suspicion and soon enough, chaos.

As Dylan felt the vibrations that were the result of the wall, he heard a faint voice in his head that sounded familiar, almost like…

HIRCY?! Dylan thought.

Bout time! You know what Bonde would say! Just kill that thing! If we’re discovered we’ll deal with it!

Dylan nodded, feeling confidence well up in him. As the zompony aproached him, Dylan concentrated, preparing to release his magics upon the zompony. 'Zenithar and Kynareth give me strength' Dylan thought as he released a volley of spectracal daggers towards the zompony.

Dylan could not risk looking, for fear of losing concentration, but he could feel the pain the daggers caused, as if they were a part of him. He could feel them as they went through the unholy creature, undoing the spell that both caused it’s hunger and it’s undeath. He felt as the creature cringed from the daggers as fire does water. He could feel as the final wisps of the spell were undone, and the daggers stopped, as if going into a wall, and faded, as a fire does with nothing to burn. Dylan looked at the creature as he felt the excessive use of magic take its toll. Dylan used the last of his strength to hide his horn, as he heard a friendly voice speak to him.

Rest. You deserve it. Dylan, having barely felt his old friend, fell to the ground, and let the encumbrance of exhaustion lead him into the wonders of sleep.

“Dylan!” Bonde yelled. She had planned to interrogate the prisoner, but when she entered the room, what she saw had stopped her in her tracks. She quickly ran to the young one’s side, fear growing rapidly in her heart. She put her ear on Dylan’s chest and heard… a heartbeat. Bonde quickly calmed, and took in the rest of the scene. The assassin was on the floor, no wounds what so ever.

“What… what happened here?”

Her battle mind had already begun to play out all the possibilities as she sat down by Dylan’s side, unwilling to stand until all her fear was banished from both her heart and mind. One scenario that played through her head was that the assassin and Dylan both were poisoned, but there was no food nor drinks in the cell. Another was that somepony had entered and attacked, but there would be wounds in one of the two pony’s that laid on the ground. ‘Unless the assailant was a unicorn!’ she thought as she stood up and walked to the assassin. When she knelt to feel his heartbeat, she felt nothing at all. ‘Well there goes that possibility,’ she thought to herself as she sat back down by Dylan.

Another scenario played through her mind. One that suggested the one who hired the assassin killed him, but the pony would have then been wise enough to kill Dylan as well, for he would have still pained her. As she thought, she felt something tug at her mind. As she slowly opened the doors into her mind to the presence, she heard and felt a familiar presence.

Hello, Bonde,  greeted Hircy.

What happened? she asked. She knew that if any other then Dylan knew, it would be Hircy.

Jordan happened.

Bonde was silent, both physically and mentally, for she knew Hircy would speak.

He must have killed the assassin before we got here, because the assassin was nothing more then a zombie.

Necromancy?

Of course. You really have lost your battle mind’s spike.

Do you know where Jordan is?

No, just that he’s near and can transform.

‘So he’s a unicorn,’ Bonde thought to herself. Farewell Hircy. Something tells me simply communicating is taxing for you, she thought.

Indeed it is, he said. This barrier is no doubt what causes it. With those final words, Hircy’s presence disappeared.

‘So you’re here as a unicorn that can shapeshift. Where?’ Bonde thought as she got Dylan’s unconsciess body on her back. She slowly walked out of the cell, so as not to disturb the rest of the filly.

Well, hope this chapter is enjoyed. I had a hard time doing it. And no worries, I still plan to have Discord. Still not sure bout Nightmare though. Anyways, if you have an idea on how to make story better, let me know. And let me know of any mistakes, problems, and so on in the story. And go on and feel free to comment bout simple details if you want.