Sleipnir's Big Adventure

Chapters

The Prince
Bye Bye Bluebird
Armor Fit For A Prince
Rumbles And Rockworms
Goldeye
Of Drinking And Dream Charms
Loss Of Balance
The War Of The Drunks
The Oddity At Oatsville
Slime And Malice
The Mines Of Horsia
Dangers In The Deep
Shadow Of Fire
Old Oak
Night Terrors
Winter Madness
We All Get The Blues
The Lich King
The Art Of Mercy
Escape To Exile
The Dead Never Rest
Klaatu Barada Nikto
The Dead King's Folly
All His Skill Points Are In Charm And Strength
Red Dragon, Teen Dragon, Nice Dragon, Mean Dragon
A Gentle Farewell
Friendship Never Dies
Paupers And Their Promises
A Bardic Battle
Sins Of The Father
We All Redeemed
The Prince Returns
The One And The Many
Epilogue: A Lifetime Of Adventure
Preamble: Midnight In Valhalla

The Prince

Chapter One: The Prince
~BlackRoseRaven

The two armored ponies looked less than happy: normally, they were as strong and stoic as any of the Royal Guard, the proud defenders of Equestria... but it was a boiling-hot summer's day, and they were currently on the worst possible duty that any of them could imagine. Being forced to lug along the massive, overdecorated carriage was bad enough, after all... but far worse was the fact that it contained His Haughtiness, Prince Blueblood.

Blueblood had been bad enough before Twilight Sparkle had gotten her wings: now he was downright unbearable, clinging to his title and exercising every miserable little bit of power he had... which, in reality, wasn't a whole lot. But Auntie Celestia loved her nephew very dearly and continued to look past all his gaping, glaring flaws, promising Equestria he'd one day be a capable and worthy prince.

One day. One day, in the far, far... far... future.

For now, here they were. Two of Canterlot's elite, about to get sunstroke from dragging this cart all the way to Manehattan for a half-hour shopping spree ending in Blueblood screaming at some poor clerk for daring to mix up caramel with toffee. Both of which were supposed to be flavors, not colors, and had made both guards hungrier because Blueblood wouldn't even stop to let them eat. It was go-go-go, while he glared at them out of the safety of his gold-plated carriage and ate and drank, while doing his best to hide his flab with his male corset and flowy cape.

And of course they were the ones who got all the dirty looks. Like they were hired muscle or something, instead of guards just doing their jobs. That was the worst part of the job, how it made all the Royal Guard look bad because Blueblood used them like his personal mercenaries, and constantly threatened to have people arrested or thrown in the dungeons that didn't exist or just beaten up between all his other threats of ruining businesses and running names through mud and suing them because the tag said 'hoof wash only,' so he had a maid rub her hooves on it, but it hadn't washed it in the slightest.

It wasn't their fault. And they couldn't do anything. The last guard who'd said something mean to Blueblood was now working permanent toilet duty, thanks to Blueblood going and throwing a tantrum to Auntie Celestia.

Both guards flinched as Blueblood suddenly shoved the window open, leaning out in the dry, hot summer air... not that he noticed at all, since his carriage was insulated and magic-cooled. “Stop dragging your heels, both of you! I want to be home now, this has been a terrible, awful day and I have no idea how it could be any worse! It's like... like Heaven above is trying to punish me!”

The guards traded looks, both wishing wryly that it was true... and then both frowned for a moment as a loud whistling filled the air before they started to look up, Blueblood doing the same-

Something fell from the sky like a meteor, smashing through Blueblood's prized cart and reducing it to a pile of splinters. Blueblood was ejected from the window with a squeal, streaking like a meteor over the stupefied heads of the guards as they both stared over their shoulders at the remains of the carriage, half-concealed in a cloud of dust.

It looked like it had taken a direct hit from a catapult... and both Royal Guard looked dumbly in the direction of Canterlot, then back at the carriage. No, Canterlot was way too far away and none of the Royal Guard hated Blueblood that much... okay, that was a lie. But none of them were willing to lose their job over a glorious revenge like this. Wonderful and amazing as it was.

Blueblood wriggled around in the dirt, then managed to yank his horn out of where it had gotten stuck in the road: his perfect white coat and glorious golden locks had both been stained with dirt, and the stallion was mouthing wordlessly, his big blue eyes staring with disbelief at his... “My... my carriage! My shopping! My food! No, no, no!”

Blueblood staggered forwards... and tripped over the slack harness drooping around the Royal Guard, who were still attached to a now useless set of broken timbers that no longer connected to the carriage. Neither made any move to help him up, but Blueblood didn't notice as he wiggled himself back to his hooves and only half-tripped again past the Royal Guard, stepping up to the edge of a crater that was filled with debris. “Who... who did this?”

Blueblood gritted his teeth, then spun around, dancing back and forth and shouting like a furious child: “Who did this? I demand you find out who did this! I demand justice, revenge! I demand answers! Find them, go find them right now right now, right now!”

Both Royal Guard traded looks... but before either of them could speak, there was a loud clanking from the crater of rubble, and then a loud groan that made the Royal Guard start in surprise and Blueblood squeal and scuttle quickly around to hide behind the soldiers.

There was a clanking... and then all three ponies stared in disbelief as the rubble shifted before a head shoved up out of the debris, followed by a pair of broad shoulders. The bruised features of a massive earth pony looked back and forth, his big brown eyes curiously surveying the surroundings before he reached up and pawed one large hoof carefully through a mane that appeared to be made of vines and plant life.

Then he gave a loud sigh of relief before straightening with a pleased smile, the massive chestnut pony shaking himself out and looking warmly down at the guards as he said brightly: “Well, my mighty mane is intact, so all must be well.”

“W-What?” Blueblood blurted, and then he stepped forwards, shaking his head in disbelief before he twitched, then all-but-howled: “My carriage! Y-You... you destroyed my carriage!”

“Oh?” the enormous earth pony glanced over his shoulder as he advanced, and both Royal Guard winced and awkwardly tried to turn around. But with the harness still on them both and the timbers catching on the ground, it made it difficult.

That was, until the huge pony chuckled at their predicament, then reached one hoof forwards and simply tore the leather harness loose like string. He towered over the soldiers,easily twice their size... yet he radiated a childlike gentility as he smiled at the three ponies, saying kindly: “Fear not, my friend. Give me but five minutes, and I shall mend what I can: enough, I assure thee, that I shall then be able to take thou and thy friends easily back to... oh, Canterlot? Is that Canterlot there in the distance?”

“Yes, it is Canterlot, you great dumb oaf! Do you know who I am?” raged Blueblood, and both Royal Guard winced: this pony had apparently just fallen from the sky, was much larger than them, and was unlike anyone either of them had ever seen before. And they were out here, alone, fields on all sides and Canterlot still a speck in the distance... how had he even known about Canterlot?

Not that Blueblood cared: all Blueblood cared about was making it clear... “I am a prince! I am Prince Blueblood, Prince of Equestria! Guards, I demand that you arrest this stallion at once and... and have him dragged before Princess Celestia for judgment! And I'll personally be calling for your execution you... you great, stupid peasant!”

“Well, 'tis very nice to meet thou. My name is Sleipnir.” the stallion replied kindly, as if oblivious to all the other nasty things that Blueblood had said, and the prince's jaw dropped as this huge, strange pony looked thoughtfully back and forth. Then he reached up and rubbed absently at the battered breastplate he was wearing: little-by-little, both guards were starting to realize that it wasn't just the crash alone that had caused all that damage to the giant pony. “I do not mean to be rude, but where can I find a mage of great power? 'Tis rather urgent.”

“You'll... you'll find a mage when... they torture you in the dungeon!” Blueblood spat, glaring furiously at Sleipnir as one of his eyes twitched. But Sleipnir only looked complacently back, before the ivory unicorn pointed at him as he turned his glare on the guards. “Now! Arrest him, I demand that you arrest him immediately!”

“Uh. How?” one of the Royal Guard finally asked, and Blueblood blinked before the soldier gestured awkwardly at the broken carriage. “With all due respect, your highness... we have no restraints that would fit him, and no way to actually make him come with us. We're at least ten miles away from any outposts and we... don't even know how he got here.”

“Oh, I fell from the sky. Did thou not see?” Sleipnir asked curiously, pointing upwards, and both Royal Guard simply stared at him. “Or does thou mean before that?”

Prince Blueblood twitched, then he leaned forwards and shouted: “I am the Prince of Equestria! You... my Auntie Celestia will-”

“Wait, yes! Thou art correct, in every realm, Celestia is a most magnificent mage, and ruler of the land! I must make my appeal to her!” Sleipnir said positively, raising his head high and nodding fervently, and then he pointed in the direction of Canterlot with a warm smile. “And if the fall has not knocked all sense from my mind, she resides always in the great white castle, does she not?”

“Uh. Yes. We can... escort you to her, if you want.” one of the Royal Guards said slowly, as Blueblood fumed angrily behind them. “I mean, uh... you will have to submit to questioning as well, and we have to work out this... whole...”

“This crime! This absolute, atrocious crime!” Blueblood shouted angrily, stomping his front hooves violently.

“Oh, yes, of course! And well, urgent as this is, 'tis no excuse not to honor a promise and mend the damages that I can.” Sleipnir said cheerfully, and then he looked thoughtfully down at the broken harnessing before turning his eyes back towards the wrecked cart, and he gave a benevolent smile as he spun around and strode into the crater, digging quickly through the damaged debris.

The Royal Guards both shifted awkwardly as Blueblood only glared at the stallion. But Sleipnir ignored all of them for the moment, humming to himself as his rump switched back and forth, long tail of vines swinging almost doggishly, giving them a good view of the cutie mark on his hip: a large tree with four bare branches, somehow almost ruinic in its design.

Then he stepped backwards, yanking several large pieces of the broken carriage with him as he called cheerfully over his shoulder: “This won't take but a moment, and then we shall be off!”

“You two are making me look like an idiot! Grab that... that moron and tie him up or something!” growled Blueblood to the two soldiers, and they both shifted uncomfortably, knowing that if they didn't do what the Prince ordered, he'd go right to Auntie Celestia, who would then inform one of their superiors...

But what were they supposed to do with the giant stallion? Sure, he was plenty friendly now, but they were both sure that could probably change pretty fast. And then both they and Blueblood would probably all end up being trampled, and how were they going to explain that to Auntie Celestia? The last time Blueblood had gotten a boo-boo, the entire Royal Guard had gotten a performance review and a lecture, and the unfortunate soldiers who had been watching Blueblood that day had all had been suspended from duty...

And then the attention of all three ponies was drawn by an exuberant shout from Sleipnir: they all drew their eyes to the stallion, and found themselves staring with amazement at the sight of the cart the enormous earth pony had somehow rigged up from the wreckage in only a matter of seconds. “Here, friends! And there is enough room for all three of thee!”

The soldiers traded awkward looks as Blueblood mouthed wordlessly, and then he reared back and almost howled: “I cannot ride in that... that makeshift atrocity! I am a Prince!”

“Aye, yes, thou hast made that very clear.” Sleipnir said benevolently, smiling across at the unicorn and looking completely unperturbed, before he said kindly: “And I assure thee, 'twill do a fine enough job of bringing thy royal posterior back to its cozy throne in but a few lashes of a hydra's head.”

Blueblood scowled at this, opening his mouth, and then Sleipnir added in the same friendly voice: “Unless thou would prefer the walk... or I suppose that I could always carry thee upon my back like a foal. Would thou prefer that?”

The prince mouthed slowly... then slumped and growled before he glared daggers at the guards and said distastefully: “My soldiers will escort us, then, and I will ride in your... wheelbarrow.”

“Oh, there is no need for that. I fear if thy soldiers attempt to stay with me upon hoof, they will shortly find themselves alone. After all, thou desires to return to Canterlot posthaste, and I have mine own reasons to make speedy travel.” Sleipnir reasoned, and Blueblood scowled at this as he clambered up into the back of the cart.

“Then they will just have to walk on their own. But I doubt that you can move quickly enough to lose them, dragging this loathsome wreck behind you.” Blueblood slapped the front of the wagon's frame, then yelped a little as he pulled back his hoof, sucking at a splinter and glaring angrily at the giant horse, as if this was his fault.

But Sleipnir was only grinning now, his eyes twinkling with mischief before he asked cheerfully: “Well, if that is a challenge, I shall be more than happy to get thee to Canterlot within...” He paused, turning and looking off into the distance as he squinted a little at the vague shape of Canterlot among the mountain peaks, and then he smiled benevolently and spun around, declaring: “Within a quarter hour's time. Will that be acceptable?”

Blueblood gave a short laugh at this as the Royal Guard traded surprised looks, and then the ivory unicorn snapped: “Do you think I'm an idiot? No one can reach Canterlot that quickly from here! Why, it's... it's hours away by hoof, still!”

“I suppose if thou wert walking slowly, aye. But nay, I shall wager it will take me but fifteen minutes, and not one moment more.” Sleipnir reiterated genially, and then he winked over his shoulder at Blueblood as he calmly knotted the torn harness around himself. “And I shall even make it a proper bet, my young new friend! If I am even mere moments past the deadline we set for me, then I shall be thy servant for... well, for as long as thou pleases. Be it days or years, I shall serve thee faithfully. But if I win this wager, then thou must do what thou can to bring me an audience with Princess Celestia forthwith. Fair?”

Blueblood looked thoughtful at this as the Royal Guard traded dubious looks. It was a strange bet to make; after all, there was no way a normal pony – let alone an earth pony – could make that trip in only a few minutes. Even Sleipnir had to realize it was miles away... and sure, he was big and all, but lugging a cart and running an unknown road...

Except... “Sir, uh... have you ever even been to Canterlot before? It just seems like you aren't from around this part of Equestria, that's all...”

Sleipnir smiled over at the Royal Guard who'd spoken, nodding once easily and replying placidly: “Oh no, I admit thou art quite right in that regard, aye. 'Tis no lie to say that I have never been to this Equestria... but all the same, I know the area quite well. Oh, I am sure there are many differences, aye: the faces of stone bear different wrinkles, and Mother Nature already whispers stories to me of wonderful and silly things I have never imagined before!”

Both Royal Guard looked uncomfortably up at Sleipnir as he smiled benevolently down over them, and then he chuckled before straightening and saying with that same unflappable optimism: “But fear not, friends! I shall see this mercurial jarl back home and set his rump securely upon his throne. Art thou sure thou shan't join us? I am sure if we asked together, the young stallion would not deny thee the right to ride alongside him. Why, I am sure once we are moving, he would welcome the company!”

The two soldiers winced and traded looks, then both sat back and held up their hooves awkwardly: sure, they were no doubt going to get a lecture about this, but Blueblood was the one demanding that this big weird stallion cart him around, and the stallion seemed trustworthy enough. If he'd wanted to, after all, he could have attacked them a hundred times by now... and he seemed eager to meet with the Princess.

“Well, very well then. If thou art fine with walking, I shan't deny thee the privilege. 'Tis such a beautiful day, after all!” Sleipnir said cheerily, raising his front hooves to the air and taking a deep breath, before he sighed and smiled. “Aye, 'tis almost too easy to lose myself and forget my duties. But, duty calls. Young Prince, art thou ready to begin our little wager?”

“I've been waiting for what feels like hours to get moving, you dolt! Yes, let's start so you can lose and-”

And whatever else Blueblood was going to say was cut off by Sleipnir's loud, cheerful laughter before he dropped himself to a ready position, the two guards stumbling out of the way... and then gaping in shock as Sleipnir shot forwards like a rocket, Blueblood squealing in terror and clinging to the wagon as they streaked down the road at what felt like the speed of sound.

In moments, they had already streaked to the base of the mountains, and Blueblood couldn't even imagine how they were moving so fast, clutching to the wagon and staring with horror over the edge of the cart, in spite of the fact that the wind felt like daggers in his eyes and his stomach felt as if it had been abandoned back beside the crater.

The unicorn tried to yell for the stallion to stop, but all he could manage was a squealing that vanished into the wind as Sleipnir continued to race along at a speed that seemed to defy all reason. All Blueblood could really do was cling to the cart and hope that the makeshift thing didn't vibrate apart beneath him as Sleipnir sped onwards down the road.

They were in the mountains in minutes, streaking past a caravan and a patrol of guards that were both left staring and bewildered when a squealing blur shot past them and left them in a cloud of dust. A second later, they hit a sharp series of treacherous turns that led steadily upwards through the mountain, and Blueblood's blood turned to ice as he expected fully to be dashed against these rocks and reduced to nothing but a puddle of royal jelly...

And yet by the time these fears materialized, fleet-hoofed Sleipnir had already gracefully darted his way through the twisting and turning pass and was now once more running along the mountain road, heading ever higher and higher as he bolted fearlessly along narrow ledges, and ran the twists and turns as if he'd come this way a thousand times before.

Blueblood's brain could barely process what was going on before Sleipnir suddenly skidded to a halt, and the unicorn was half-flung over the front of the cart, shivering and staring disbelievingly around before Sleipnir called warmly: “Here we are, my friend! The gates of Canterlot castle! And... I fear that I have been a little unfair in our wager, it seems, for it has taken me well-less than the quarter hour we agreed upon.”

Blueblood whimpered weakly, then he slowly, disbelievingly rose his head to stare at the rear gates of Canterlot Castle. There were several Royal Guard gaping in disbelief at the huge stallion who had seemed to simply appear out of nowhere, dust slowly settling behind him as Sleipnir only smiled benevolently over his shoulder at the cart.

Slowly, Blueblood pried himself up out of the wagon, then he half-fell out of the cart before whimpering and staggering drunkenly past the stallion. Sleipnir looked at him with honest concern, leaning down and asking: “Art thou alright?”

Blueblood looked up at Sleipnir, opened his mouth... and then leaned forwards and vomited. Sleipnir only smiled kindly, however, reaching up and almost tenderly patting Blueblood on the back as he said kindly: “'Tis alright, young prince, we all have our worser days. Aye, get it out now, 'tis no shame in it.”

The Royal Guard hurried forwards, stumbling over each other as Blueblood retched loudly, but Sleipnir only chuckled and waved a hoof at them, saying kindly: “The young prince merely needs his rest, methinks, for it has been a trying day for him.”

“Uh... who are you?” asked one of the soldiers awkwardly, as another carefully pulled the whimpering Blueblood away from the enormous stallion.

The prince tried to rasp out something, but he wasn't able to form the words: even more frustrating, before he could get the attention of the guards at all, Sleipnir proudly posed and declared: “I am Sleipnir, and I have rightfully won an audience with Princess Celestia, as I have brought the young prince back from the wilds in but a flick of a hare's tail! And 'tis a good thing, too: look at his pallor, how he trembles so! I feared from whence I first laid eyes upon him he was sick of body, but I did not think 'twould strike so dire as it has!”

Blueblood tried to whimper out something, and just managed to choke and retch a little again. Sleipnir, meanwhile, was smiling and nodding seriously, seeming every inch an honest idiot, but even through his illness Blueblood was convinced this was a nefarious, evil pony who had designs on the throne... on his throne! Oh, sure, he put on an act and seemed as guileless as a small child, but Blueblood knew better, and he was going to have this big oaf thrown in the dungeon and-

And then the guards were already half-carrying him away, and Sleipnir rose a hoof to the whimpering prince, saying cheerfully: “I am sure we will meet again soon, young prince! Rest thy head and hooves for now, and fear not, I shan't leave without a proper goodbye.”

Prince Blueblood gurgled weakly, trying to point back at Sleipnir, but the guards didn't notice: they were too busy hurrying off with the prince towards the hospital wing, terrified of what would happen if Princess Celestia found out her nephew had gotten ill and they had just let him suffer.

Sleipnir, meanwhile, only waved in response to Blueblood's pointing before he remarked cheerfully: “There, I knew he would warm eventually! I am sure his sour mood 'twas only because of his sour stomach. Now, friends. I would dearly appreciate seeing Princess Celestia as soon as possible, 'tis a matter of gravest urgency.”

“Well, uh...” The remaining soldiers traded uncomfortable looks. On the one hoof, there was always a long list of ponies waiting to see the Princess... but on the other, whoever this strange pony was, he had apparently just brought back her nephew, even though... “Where are the Royal Guard who were assigned to protect Prince Blueblood today? Did something happen?”

“Oh, aye. I landed on their carriage, 'twas a rather wretched accident.” Sleipnir said casually, gesturing absently over his shoulder at the cart as he shook his way out of the harness, and the guards stared in disbelief as they realized it was made from the pieced-together remains of what had once clearly been the gaudy carriage of the prince. “But the prince was most understanding and asked me to return him home, and said if I did so with enough haste, he would see to it that I was given an audience with Princess Celestia. And as I said, 'tis a most urgent matter. Although I do apologize that I did not bring thy brothers-in-arms with me, but they were most insistent on walking themselves.”

There was silence for a few moments, and then the Royal Guards traded nervous looks before one of them said finally: “The... well... you can wait for an audience inside then, I suppose.”

“Most excellent! Fear not, I shall find mine own way to the throne room! I remember Canterlot well enough, I suppose, and her stone feels the same as it always has to me!” Sleipnir said cheerfully, striding past the surprised guards.

But before any of them could ask again who he was or if he'd ever been here before, the giant stallion had already reached the huge gates across the wide bridge... and the Royal Guard were left gaping as he simply shoved them open with one hoof, humming cheerfully to himself and striding inside... then after a moment, returning to the gates with a chuckle, saying cheerfully: “Aye, look at me, acting as if there is not time enough to be polite! Thou must think I was born in a cave!”

And with that, Sleipnir reached up and firmly shoved the gates back closed. He smiled to himself, then turned around, chastising himself gently: “Aye, Sleipnir, do not be a fool, do not rush headlong and forget all the little things along the way. Thou must not simply do, thou must do things right. Even if thy heart is heavy and mind swaddled with worry.”

Sleipnir nodded firmly to himself as he strode through the stone halls of Canterlot, nodding politely and calling out kind greetings now and then to the ponies he passed. They stared at him, but the stallion didn't mind: he understood well enough he must be quite a strange sight for them, especially with how they were all in regal garments or polished armor, and he, well... he looked perhaps a little bit disgraceful, in his own battered raiment and covered in dust and bruises as he was.

But, presentable or not, he had to see Princess Celestia. She would hopefully have some idea of what to do, how he could get back... well, either back home, or back to the battlefield. Although by now, he thought ruefully, his greedy sister would have cleaned up the enemy and left precious few pickings for him.

Sleipnir chuckled, then turned a corner before cocking his head in surprise as he ended up in a crowded hallway. It was stuffed with ponies, most of them nobles, and all of them looking impatient as they gathered near an enormous set of golden double doors.

Sleipnir cocked his head curiously as he strode up to the end of this mob, and then he leaned forwards and asked a young unicorn mare politely: “Pardon me, miss, but pray answer a question: why are all these ponies gathered here?”

“To see Princess Celestia, of course.” the young mare said haughtily, looking up at Sleipnir with a mix of contempt and surprise... and then doing a double take when she realized how enormous the stallion was, shrinking a little in front of him. “I mean... are you not from around here?”

“Nay, and 'tis very important that I meet with the princess...” Sleipnir looked thoughtful, and then he smiled suddenly, looking kindly down at the young mare. “Why art thou meeting with her?”

“Why, to get in her good graces, of course! Because I am of age and it is my right to meet the princess.” the young mare said firmly, nodding, and Sleipnir laughed loudly at this, which made the unicorn glare at him. “What? What?”

“Oh, 'tis a strange thing to say, that is all. Thou wishes to be in her good graces... and yet at the same time, thou, a citizen of this nation, demands to meet with the princess only to meet with her.” said Sleipnir cheerfully, shrugging, and the young mare looked up at him dumbly. “I am sure thou art a brilliant diversion, young miss, but there are many, many ponies here. I am certain the princess can nary afford a minute to spare today on thee... and it may be a minute that will be sorely remembered for many days to come.”

The mare shifted uneasily back and forth, biting her lower lip. “But... but I've had this appointment for ages, and-”

“Well, aye. But sometimes the face that is absent is the face that is remembered best.” Sleipnir smiled kindly, shrugging easily. “Now, I am no noble. But when I worked the forge, I would grow very busy, and oftentimes ponies would come in with further requests to be made. But it was always the ponies who were polite enough to recognize that I had not the time for buttons and frills that I would remember later, and when time allowed, I would not only remember them, but seek to reward them by giving them my very best work. Does thou see?”

“I... sort of.” The young mare shifted from hoof to hoof, then winced when Sleipnir reached up and patted her head kindly.

“Good. Then be off with thee, and thou can braid thy curls and take today to better prepare for meeting the princess tomorrow. Why, thou can bring her a scrumptious treat! The way to my sister's heart was always through her stomach, after all.” said Sleipnir benevolently, and the young mare's eyes widened at this.

“Oh, of course! I should have thought of that! Excuse me, I have to hurry down to the bakery right now!” The young mare hurried off, and Sleipnir smiled amiably before he turned his eyes out over the crowd, wondering who else he could help.

Half an hour later, a pony in a flowing robe emerged from the golden doors, a scroll floating in front of him... before he almost dropped this and gaped as he saw the entire hall was empty, apart from an old mare and an enormous stallion who were laughing together.

He spluttered in disbelief, and Sleipnir looked up before smiling warmly and waving at him. “Hello!”

“I... hello. Are you... where did everypony go? The Princess had a full schedule today...” the unicorn attendant said slowly, looking back and forth with disbelief. “Did... something happen?”

“Oh, nay, fear not. They merely all came to understand their troubles were but splinters, and that they do not need a princess to kiss away their pains. But this old mare, well, she has a most frightful condition, and I think her urgency is far greater than mine.”

The old mare only laughed loudly at this, then slapped Sleipnir on the shoulder, saying kindly: “Oh, dearie! No, no, I'm perfectly content, young stallion. You go on ahead, you've already made me feel young again. I may just go home and enjoy this feeling, and try this recipe you gave me.”

Sleipnir only smiled kindly at this, then he reached up and squeezed her shoulder, saying warmly: “Then Þakka fyrir, pretty young mare. Why, if thou weren't married, I would hail kisses upon thee like rain! And remember now, the recipe is two snakeroot, and a single piece of bark pulled from the bitterest of apple trees thou can find. 'Twill ease thy pains.”

“Oh, you've already done that, young stallion.” The old mare smiled again, and then chuckled when Sleipnir gave her a quick, one-legged hug and a kiss on the forehead.

Then the stallion turned and strode easily over to the attendant, who gazed blankly up at the towering earth pony before Sleipnir said politely: “'Twould be most welcome if I could meet with Princess Celestia now. I fear 'tis a matter most urgent.”

The unicorn looked uncomfortably up at the pony, then began to nod... and Sleipnir gave a wide, beaming smile before he simply strode past the attendant, who winced and scrambled uselessly around in a circle, squawking: “No no no, you have to be officially announced and-”

Sleipnir threw the golden doors wide and strode into the throne room, an ivory mare with a flowing mane of rainbow color looking up in surprise from her throne as the stallion declared cheerfully: “We are well met, Princess Celestia! I am called Sleipnir, and whilst I am honored and delighted to be in this Equestria, I come with a request most urgent.”

The Princess sat slowly up in her throne, frowning uncertainly as her attendant hurried past Sleipnir, the unicorn babbling: “Sorry, I apologize, Princess Celestia, he... there was no one else out there, and he just barged in-”

“Oh, there were many ponies out there. But I spoke to them all. I mean no offense, Celestia, but 'tis all they needed, really: another pony to speak to.” Sleipnir smiled warmly, stopping a few feet away from the steps leading up to Celestia's raised throne.

The attendant's eyes went wide at this, and then he stormed around in a huff, furling his scroll and shaking it angrily back and forth with magic as he snapped: “You will refer to the Princess as Princess Celestia, keeping in mind her status at all times, and you will speak to her with respect instead of so... so...”

“I speak to her with all the respect in Midgard!” Sleipnir said in an injured voice, frowning and rearing back before he touched his breast with a hoof. “Aye, perhaps I do not speak the false and flattering tones of idolaters, but there is no true respect in that! And thou art the one insulting her by preening her as 'princess,' forcing that ungainly title in front of a name that holds esteem enough on its own! Princess, bah!”

The attendant looked like he was torn between fury and utter disbelief at this sentiment, but Princess Celestia spoke before he could, saying quickly: “You don't seem like any pony I've ever met before... Sleipnir, correct?”

Sleipnir smiled warmly at Princess Celestia, nodding to her politely. “Aye, I expect that I am not. And gladder for it, I might add... for 'tis always easier to charm when one may appear so exotic.” He winked at her, adding easily: “Although there are certain other things that I see thou art in full possession of that can lure the eye and heart alike...”

Celestia gave the slightest of smiles at this, meeting his chestnut, childlike eyes with her own amused amethyst. “It's rare that a pony talks to me like that, Sleipnir. I am a princess.”

“Thou does not hold thyself like any princess I have met, Celestia. And I mean that in only the very best of ways.” Sleipnir replied pleasantly. And while her attendant looked like he was about to choke on his own tongue, glaring furiously at the stallion, Celestia only smiled again.

She reached up and absently touched the golden peytral plate on her breast, as if she had to check it was still there, as she asked kindly: “What can I do for you? You mentioned urgent business.”

“Aye, I did.” Sleipnir became more solemn, and then he rose his head and explained in a calm, rational voice: “I was fighting a terrible foe in Valhalla alongside my family when he struck at myself and my beloved wife with a powerful curse. It flung us both from Asgard, and from each other: I have fallen to this Equestria, a realm of Midgard I am unfamiliar with... and I have seen many Equestrias across many different worlds. I require a way to get back home.”

The attendant and the Royal Guard at the door were all simply gaping at the stallion, barely able to comprehend what he'd just so casually said. Princess Celestia, meanwhile, was only surveying Sleipnir thoughtfully, frowning a little as she sat back in her throne before she asked slowly: “And why should I believe such a fantastic story?”

Sleipnir smiled kindly, shrugging and replying easily: “Oh, thou does not have to believe me at all. All I ask is a way back home, nothing more, nothing less. And if I am insane and end up in Helheim or an even worse pit, well. It shan't be any fault of thine, shall it?”

The stallion shrugged easily, and Celestia looked meditative, rubbing at her chin slowly before she said finally: “You said... there were different worlds. We have some knowledge of other realms apart from our own, but... what you're speaking of, it sounds like it goes beyond that. I'd like to know more... if you have the time, that is.”

“'Tis a request well-within thy rights to make, Celestia.” Sleipnir smiled benevolently, nodding firmly. “And there is no urgency so great that it overrides basic decency. We must never forget ourselves and our other duties in haste... especially as I know that by now the battle is over. And I have faith that the day has been won.”

Celestia looked thoughtfully at Sleipnir as he gazed warmly back at her, and then he held up a hoof suddenly, adding quickly: “Oh! And this reminds me, I encountered a young prince upon the road today. Well, rather, his carriage was kind enough to break my fall, although I fear I most rudely broke his carriage. In recompense, I brought him back here to Canterlot, but he seemed rather ill.”

“Blueblood?” Celestia's eyes widened slightly as she leaned forwards, asking in a concerned voice: “Is he alright?”

“Oh, I am sure he shall be fine. And he has been very kind to me! I shall admit his mood was rather prickly, but one cannot blame him for that, considering the circumstances by which we met.” Sleipnir smiled kindly again, shrugging easily. “But perhaps 'twas fortune, really! For 'twas because of our wager that I am here now, and I am most certain that he and I shall remain as good friends for so long as the stars shine in the sky.”

Celestia looked surprised at this, leaning back in her throne before she nodded hesitantly. Sleipnir only continued to smile at her almost childishly, and she shifted a bit before the stallion asked inquisitively: “Now, if I may ask one more question before I answer thine own... do thee and thine have any knowledge of spells to portal between worlds, or must a gate be constructed? I only ask because even if Mother Nature tells me thou art very strong, she also whispers there are few winged unicorns here... and moreover, that the Bifrost has not once touched this soil.”

“Yes, but we have a very special alicorn as well: one who in time will grow stronger than I am.” Celestia said gently, smiling briefly before she added hesitantly: “I'll be able to better answer your question after you answer some of my own... but if I had to guess, I would say that a gateway may be necessary. But even then, I don't know if I have the knowledge to build such a thing...”

Sleipnir nodded thoughtfully, looking down and pawing a hoof at the ground before he smiled warmly, friendly eyes rising up as he exclaimed: “Well, fie and damnation! Now both my sisters shall laugh at me and scold me for having to take so long to return home... and I know not which shall be worse! But fear not, Celestia. 'Tis an easy feat to build such a thing. The difficulty will be in gathering the necessary materials for such a gateway... but come, let us speak more of this in better quarters, shall we?”

Celestia couldn't help but smile despite herself, leaning her head on one hoof and gesturing calmly out at her throne room. “You do understand that seems a little strange for a guest to say, don't you? Unless they have much different social standards where you happen to be from.”

“Oh, they do, I assure thee, but 'twas not an order, dearest Celestia. 'Twas rather a helpful suggestion. For it feels all stuffy in this throne room, and thou looks so uncomfortable, stuck up on that wretched-looking seat. Besides, thou has no one else to see today, does thou? Unless the old mare is still seated out there, she has a sore affliction that I cannot cure, but perhaps thou can.” Sleipnir said cheerfully, nodding a few times. “And thou can speak to her as we walk to a more comfortable locale!”

“I... suppose there's no harm.” Princess Celestia said after a moment, then she shrugged as she stepped down from her throne, smiling at her assistant even as he stared up at her almost pleadingly. “Now, don't worry. I'm sure our conversation won't last that long, and it's only a few hours before evening anyway. You can always let Luna know about anything else that has to be finished.”

The attendant mumbled something, nodding awkwardly as Sleipnir clapped his front hooves together with a warm smile. “There! And there, thou does me another service, as 'tis been far too long since I have been graced by such a pleasant sight as a mare's strides. Now come, thou must lead me to a comfortable place. Both because 'tis rude to lead a mare to her own room, and because I would like to walk behind thee and watch thee a while.”

The soldiers and attendant all stared in horror: by now, the unicorn aide was almost literally steaming with anger, grinding his teeth together as he danced angrily on the spot. But then he gaped in shocked as Celestia only laughed; no, it was almost a giggle at the charming Sleipnir. He was just so... so innocent and friendly and warm. It was hard to be offended by anything he said.

All the same, Celestia chastened gently: “I'm not used to ponies talking to me that way, Sleipnir... and neither are my guard or the many scholars and assistants who work in this castle. You might want to be careful about what you say.”

“Why, I am very careful about what I say! I say only what is true, and only what I mean!” Sleipnir replied seriously, nodding a few times before he winked over at Celestia. “But aye, I suppose that I must be careful with what I say. There is no need to make other ponies all the more jealous of thy radiance, now is there?”

Celestia laughed again, then she shook her head and strode past him, smiling over her shoulder in amusement. But he winked at her, stepped up beside her fearlessly, and for all his size there was nothing intimidating about him, nothing forceful. Even covered in bruises and wearing damaged armor, even clearly every inch a warrior, there was just something... tender about him. “Well, come on. We'll see where we go from here.”

“The very best places, I expect.” Sleipnir replied with a wink, and Celestia couldn't help but laugh again before he nudged her easily, treating her so casually, so pleasantly, making her feel so...

No, she wasn't a schoolfilly, and he was a married stallion, and they had business to discuss. And that was strictly what it was going to be. Business. All business. Nothing but business.

She looked back at him, and saw his charming grin, his friendly eyes, his handsome, handsome features... and asked before she could stop herself: “Would my quarters be fine?”

She didn't wait for his answer before all-but-grabbing him and half-dragging the stallion along, and Sleipnir smiled childishly as he fell in step with her, shrugging easily and deciding, as he always did, to just go wherever the journey ended up taking him. He trusted in nature and the universe to lead him right, after all, like it always did... and that his family would be fine until he managed to wend his way back home.

Bye Bye Bluebird

Chapter Two: Bye Bye Bluebird
~BlackRoseRaven

Prince Blueblood stormed through the halls of Canterlot, his handsome features puckered with fury. It had taken him forever to get out of the hospital wing: the nurses had all wanted to poke and prod him and oh, he was perfectly aware that he knew they'd all been putting him through as much torture as they could justify just because he'd been the one to put forwards the idea to cut their budget. But really, if the servants got sick and couldn't afford doctors, that was their own fault! They didn't need this huge nursing staff taking care of these... these babies!

Blueblood huffed as he headed towards Princess Celestia's chambers. Well, he knew just how to get this all straightened out, and how to make that fiend Sleipnir pay for what he'd done. He knew the stallion was just trying to cozy up to Princess Celestia, after all: he acted all nice and kind, but really, he was nothing more than a manipulator.

No pony was going to get between him and Princess Celestia. He, Prince Blueblood, absolutely refused to allow another smidgen of what was rightfully his to be stolen away. First Princess Twilight Sparkle, just because she had... what, made a tremendous mistake and grown a pair of wings? There was no way he was going to sit back and watch another crime be committed, and see another pony thrust into line in front of him for the throne... no, he was going to deal with this right now, before the evening grew any later, before tomorrow came. And then Auntie Celestia could take him back to bed and tuck him in, just like she always loved to do. Besides, she knew that when he didn't get his goodnighties, not even Aunt Luna's sleeping charm could stop him from having nightmares.

He stormed up to the door of Princess Celestia's bedroom, then scowled a bit as he thought he heard... giggling from inside. But he thrust this out of his mind before hammering on it firmly, then he stepped forwards and shoved the door open, beginning: “Auntie, we have to talk about-”

He was greeted by a surprised yelp, and Blueblood stared blankly as Celestia hurriedly yanked the covers of her bed up around herself, her mane frazzled, her features flushed as Sleipnir looked up with a cheerful grin on his face... and that and the blanket in his lap were all he was wearing. Blueblood gaped in horror from the doorway, then he stuttered helplessly: “A-A-Auntie?”

“Get out!” Celestia said hurriedly, blushing deeply in embarrassment. Blueblood only stood for a few moments, mouthing wordlessly and staring at them, and then Celestia flicked her horn and slammed the door on the stallion's face, knocking him staggering back into the hall with a yowl before he collapsed dumbly on his side.

Celestia reached up and rubbed at her messy mane, and then she winced when Sleipnir wrapped a foreleg around her, squeezing her comfortably around the shoulders and saying kindly: “Oh, come now. I am sure the handsome lad has seen worse.”

“Auntie!” Blueblood yelled shrilly from the other side of the door, and there was a loud thump as he likely ran right into the door before howling: “Get away from her, Sleipnir! That is the Princess of Equestria, you have no right to lay a hoof upon her!”

“I have laid more than that upon her.” Sleipnir waggled his eyebrows at Celestia, who looked torn between exasperation and amusement... and then she jumped when one of Sleipnir's hooves caressed her playfully. “And I have just done so again! What is my punishment, Princess?”

Blueblood howled in horror from the hall, and Celestia winced as she realized that he was probably still eavesdropping through the door, the ivory mare hurriedly leaning forwards and shouting: “Prince Blueblood, this... I am very busy right now!”

“Oh god no!” Celestia winced at Blueblood's voice: he was going to attract the entire castle at this rate. “You can't do this! Auntie, he's... he's dirty! What... what about goodnighties? Goodnighties!”

“We are both very dirty now.” Sleipnir said helpfully, and Celestia shoved a hoof into his mane and pushed him away as she leaned forwards, a mix of maternal concern and growing frustration on her features.

“Prince Blueblood, you are not a little colt anymore and I am certain you can handle getting to sleep on your own for one night. Now, I am asking you as your princess and as your aunt to please leave, and we will discuss this tomorrow.” Celestia said loudly, and then she whispered under her breath: “Please, please, please...”

There was a whimpering from outside, and then a childish cry followed by the sound of hooves hurrying away, and Celestia sighed tiredly and slumped backwards, crossing her forelegs and scowling at the door. She glared at Sleipnir when he slid up beside her, but his hooves gently stroked down along her body and found all the right, tender places, and she wasn't able to stay angry at his kind eyes and gentle smile for long.

She slumped against his tattooed chest, and he kissed her forehead and pulled her easily against him... before there was an awkward shuffling from under the blankets, and a moment later a sapphire mare stuck her head out, her own starry mane frazzled and unkempt as she asked awkwardly: “Is he gone?”

“Oh, aye, I believe so. The poor lad, he seems quite attached to thee. Not that I can blame him in the slightest for that.” Sleipnir winked at Celestia, then squeezed her against his chest before he added kindly when the other mare looked up at him almost grumpily: “Oh, do not give me such a look, it makes thou remind me even more of my beloved sister, and that is rather awkward. Besides, I have already promised thee a fair share of kisses, have I not? 'Tis not my fault thy sibling is so gluttonous.”

“This is... I am not. I don't even know what I'm doing here. I don't even know what Luna is doing here.” Celestia said finally, then she glared up at the stallion... but it was ridiculously hard for her to stay angry at him. Especially as he squeezed her close and kissed her neck and oh, it had been a thousand years since anypony had dared touch her like this...

Sleipnir winked, then turned his eyes towards Luna, opening his other foreleg cheerfully, and the mare wiggled her way back beneath the blankets. The stallion yelped a bit as he felt her grind against him on the way up, and then he grinned down at her as she poked out from under the blankets and flopped against his waist, reaching up to cheerfully rub a hoof through her starry mane. “Cheeky and bold, but I certainly expected nothing less of thee.”

Luna looked oddly pleased with herself at this, while Celestia only grumbled, then bit her lip as she looked towards the door, saying finally: “Maybe I should go and say something to him, or at least give him his silly goodnighties. I'm really more like his mother than his aunt, and... I'm all he really has.”

“Because no one else likes him, Celestia. I cannot even pretend to like him.” Luna complained, mashing her head into Sleipnir, and Celestia glowered down at her sister. “Well I do not. He is a... what do the ponies of this day and age say? A dick? But I do not like this comparison. I think that is the best part of a stallion, not the worst.”

Sleipnir only smiled and nodded benevolently as Celestia slowly closed her eyes, looking pained before she asked tiredly: “Can we not discuss this right now? As a matter of fact, can you please go about your duties? The Night Court is waiting, among other things.”

“If you were so uncomfortable with it, Celestia, you would get up and leave yourself.” Luna retorted staunchly, grinding her head into Sleipnir before she added in a mumble: “You certainly were not complaining a mere hour's half hence...”

“Alright, alright! Maybe I will.” Celestia grumbled, and then she sighed when Sleipnir gave her a pleading look that somehow made her actually feel guilty. “I... well, aside from how awkward this is, I should go and see Blueblood, he needs me...”

“Now, 'tis not my place to get between a mother and her child... but perhaps what he truly needs is... to experience the world on his own.” Sleipnir said gently, and Celestia scowled at him... but found herself grudgingly listening, all the same. “Thou will not be able to shield him forever from the world, any more than thou will be able to always be there to protect him. 'Tis noble, and I think 'tis a wonderful quality for a mother, to be so compassionate: but ask thyself, art thou doing more harm than good in the long run?”

“I actually agree with the stallion. And not simply because I like to argue with you.” Luna piped up, and Celestia made a face at this, looking down at her sibling moodily as Luna crawled a bit up Sleipnir's chest. But in spite of the fact she was clinging very pointedly to the stallion, she was surprisingly serious when she said: “It was fine when he was a child, but he is no longer a foal, Celestia. Pull him away from the teat, or you will end up his wife one of these days just to sate his desire to be king, and your own damned need to mother him.”

Celestia glared at her sister, but Sleipnir wrapped a foreleg around either mare and hugged them firmly against his body, saying kindly: “Now come! Thou art sisters, who share in all things, aye? And I do not mean that just as a silly pun, either.”

“Some of us are less good at sharing than others.” Luna said delicately, and then she smiled slightly over at Celestia, who only scowled a little in response.

Then Luna huffed when Sleipnir gently mashed a hoof into her mane and ruffled it up, the stallion saying wryly: “Now come, 'twas cute enough before, but now thou art playing the role of a wicked little harpy. Come, thy sister struggles: do not pretend there is no mercy in thy heart for her. Why, I am sure there is even love in thy heart for thy... uh...”

“He's not really my nephew. He's not really her nephew, either.” Luna said mildly, and then she looked dryly at Celestia when the mare shushed her violently several times. “Tia, I'm sure he knows. And I hope that he's not watching us still, or we have much worse things to worry about than his feelings being hurt.”

Sleipnir turned a thoughtful look towards Celestia, then he asked curiously: “How did he become a prince then? Oh, wait, no, I think I know: 'twas a title of fondness that he took as more than mere affection, is this not so? And so thou hast been humoring him, all these years...”

Celestia opened her mouth... then slowly closed it, looking dumbfounded as Luna said wonderingly after a moment: “I never actually stopped to think that you might be smart.”

“Smart? Smart! How dare thee accuse me of such a thing!” Sleipnir said with mock offense, tickling quickly over Luna with one hoof and making her squirm and laugh before she grinned widely up at him. He winked back at her, then turned a smile towards Celestia, saying in a gentler voice: “If thou truly loves and wants what is best for him, thou must send him out into the world.”

“But... how?” Celestia asked after a moment, and then she sighed a little, saying quietly: “I'm all he has. And he's... I can't take his princedom away from him, any more than I can just... tell him to go out into the world and carve his own path. He's not ready, and he's confused and...”

She was cut off by Sleipnir kissing the base of her horn, the mare closing her eyes and dropping her head into his neck before the stallion said with a smile: “Aye, perhaps this is true. I will admit that 'tis hard for me to understand: my daughter grew up very quickly, but at the same time, I know I am very fortunate, for she has always retained a certain... childishness to her. And I would not have it any other way, for 'tis very hard for any parent to allow their foal to grow up, is it not?”

Celestia gave a small smile as Luna only grumbled into the stallion's stomach, but Sleipnir squeezed them both firmly before he said warmly: “And besides! There is a most rare and perfect opportunity for all of us, does thou not see it?”

The ivory mare frowned a little as Luna glanced up curiously herself, and Sleipnir gave another smile between them before he gestured at himself with both front hooves, saying brightly: “Blueblood requires time out in the world, and I shall require a guide throughout Equestria! Thou requires him to be watched and protected until he is ready to walk the world upon his own hooves! See, 'tis perfect for us all!”

The ivory mare stared wordlessly at Sleipnir, who gave her a big, childlike nod as Luna snorted in amusement, then said thoughtfully: “Well, you know, Tia... that might actually not be a bad idea. We may have just met this stallion, but... well, if he's not trustworthy, we're going to be in trouble anyway, since. You know. And at worst, well, it is only Blueblood...”

“Oh Heaven above.” Celestia muttered, dropping her face in a hoof. It sounded like a completely ludicrous idea to her: let this strange stallion she had just met ferry off Blueblood on some strange quest to find his way back to the world he claimed he was from, a world she didn't entirely believe even existed...

And yet all the same, was she actually considering it? No, that was ridiculous. A wild, spur-of-the-moment fling was one thing, she could cover that up or deny it easily enough – even if Luna would probably take some perverse pleasure in humiliating them both by bragging about it if anyone found out – but... actually trusting this stallion to look after her adopted nephew on some wild, fool's errand across Equestria that they hadn't even fully discussed yet...

Celestia began to open her mouth to flatly deny the stallion... then she looked up and saw those big child-like eyes and that handsome, innocent face, and she felt her resolve rapidly beginning to melt. And he squeezed her close, made her feel warm and happy, made her want to trust him... made it impossible for her to... “Why can't I say no to you?”

“Well, 'tis hard to say no when there is nothing to say no to, of course.” Sleipnir said reasonably, and Celestia frowned at this odd logic before the stallion gave another of his warm smiles. “After all, I speak honestly, and with the best intentions for us all. Thou art wise and compassionate enough to know when to trust, I dare say.”

Celestia shifted almost uncomfortably, and Luna hesitated before bowing her head a little against the stallion and mumbling: “Look, Tia, this stallion is just about the only pony in the world who can actually put up with Blueblood. Who might even like him. And he did talk us into... well. You know. So maybe we should just... trust him on this.”

There was silence for a few moments, and then Celestia sighed and lowered her head before she muttered: “I don't want to talk about this right now. I need... time to think about it, that's all. And we should both go. Or you should at least, Luna.”

“No. You go if you want, I'm staying here.” Luna said huffily, and Celestia sighed tiredly and rolled her eyes, before glowering at Sleipnir as he squeezed her against him and winked.

“Oh come now, there is still plenty of me for both of thee, lovely mares! And 'tis my duty and privilege to ensure thou art both kept well satisfied!” Sleipnir replied cheerfully, grinning from one mare to the other as he playfully pulled them both closer, making the sisters wheeze and flail a bit as they were crushed against the stallion's body by his surprising strength. “But aye, thou art right, Celestia, this is all silly talk that has no place in this bedroom! So off, begone silly talk! Instead, I think it only right that we attend to more important matters, such as breakfast!”

“What? But it's the middle of the night.” Luna said, looking up... and Sleipnir looked thoughtful for a moment, and then he suddenly grinned widely, looking from one mare to the other cheerfully.

“Aye, thou art right... so I suppose instead, we should just have further dessert!”

And with that, Sleipnir suddenly yanked both siblings into a roll with him, and Luna and Celestia were both surprised into laughing as sheets and blankets flew in all directions and the bed groaned under the weight of the two mares and their energetic companion.

In the morning, Blueblood stormed towards the dining room, after a long, sleepless night of horrified imaginings about serving a cheerful, horrible new king of Equestria, while he, the rightful heir, danced around in the garb of a court jester for the terrible, evil fiend's entertainment. He was determined to ensure those dreams did not become a reality, and he thought he had just the way to ensure that Sleipnir finally received the justice he so rightly deserved.

But the prince halted not a step through the archway that led into their private dining chambers, scowling horribly as he found Sleipnir was already there, seated by his beloved aunt. Celestia looked tired but pleased, even as she fidgeted uncomfortably at her seat, while Luna was snoring loudly, face-down in a pile of pancakes.

Had his worst fears already been realized? Luna he didn't care about, but had his Auntie Celestia already been corrupted by this nefarious, evil stallion? Blueblood gave a shiver of horror at this thought before he all but fell over himself as he hurried forwards to the table, almost flinging himself into his spot at the ivory mare's right hoof as he shouted: “Auntie!”

“Oh, Blueblood, good morning.” Celestia said calmly, smiling pleasantly despite the stallion's almost-explosive outburst. “It's very nice to see you up so early. I was going to let you sleep in, but since you're awake, perhaps we can have that talk about things over breakfast.”

Sleipnir nodded cheerfully, and Blueblood glared daggers across the table at the witless earth pony, before he growled: “Yes. I think we should have a good talk indeed, Auntie. A good long talk... in private. About this... earth pony.”

“I think it might be better if we all have this talk together, actually, since it concerns you both.” Princess Celestia said gently, choosing to ignore Blueblood's hostility. After all, what she had decided to do was hard enough as it was. The only thing that was keeping her from relenting, from just giving in and hugging Blueblood and spoiling him with whatever he wanted was the fact that... well...

Maybe, just maybe, some part of her couldn't help but look at that pouting, childish face and think about all the times that Blueblood had... well, not disappointed her. Disappointment was such a harsh, unforgiving word, after all. No, but more he had just... he hadn't been quite able to live up to her expectations, maybe that was a better way to put it.

And she was well-aware that there were many ponies who weren't precisely... fond of her nephew. Oh, sure, she believed honestly that with enough love and compassion he would grow into a fine young ruler... it wasn't his fault he was a little... a little damaged. No, ponies all too often forgot that the world hadn't always been so kind to Blueblood...

Although, well. That only went so far towards justifying his behavior, she understood. And if she was really going to trust him one day to be a ruler of any kind... well...

Celestia sighed a little, then smiled faintly. She knew that she had to get this over and done with now, as Blueblood grudgingly sat down at the table and a servant hurried in to start serving him breakfast. If she didn't tell him now, she likely never would... “Prince Blueblood, Sleipnir is going to be leaving the castle shortly...”

Blueblood perked up at this, brightening visibly, and Celestia hesitated for a brief moment before forcing herself to just push forwards and get it over with: “And we've decided that you should go with him.”

The Prince's eyes slowly widened as he paled, his fork clattering to the plate as he gaped. He trembled a little, then whimpered weakly: “A-Auntie?”

“It's alright, it won't be for very long!” Princess Celestia said soothingly, leaning forwards and quickly grasping her nephew's shoulder as she smiled at him as reassuringly as she could. “This... well... this is a very, very important mission, as a matter of fact! You have to be a diplomat and a guide for Sleipnir, and you'll get to travel all over Equestria-”

“Auntie...” whimpered Blueblood, still staring at her, still trembling like a leaf.

“-and Sleipnir has promised to take care of you, and that if things get too difficult, he'll bring you straight home-”

“A-A-Auntie...”

“-and I'm also sending a platoon of my very best Royal Guard with you, to help keep you safe, dear, and of course we can write letters to each other-”

“A-Auntie...”

“-and... oh, I know this is hard, dear, but it's for the best, it really is!” Celestia leaned suddenly forwards, half-hugging Blueblood against her body, while the prince only trembled and stared with glazed eyes across the table at Sleipnir. The white stallion's hoof found his muzzle after a moment, and he began to suckle on it childishly as Sleipnir only smiled at him benevolently... as that damned, monstrous, fiendish, evil interloping mommy-stealer reached out and rubbed his Auntie's back, like... like he was a part of their family now!

“You need to experience the world, away from this castle, and... and I think it's going to make you a better stallion, darling, I really do.” Celestia continued, squeezing Blueblood almost uncomfortably tightly against her breast as she rocked him back and forth soothingly. “And Sleipnir wants to be friends, and... that's very important for all ponies, to have a friend. Why, look at Twilight Sparkle, how much she grew! And I think you're going to grow up too, with Sleipnir.”

Blueblood looked up at his aunt with horror, hoof firmly shoved in his mouth, trembling like a small child... before Sleipnir leaned forwards and said brightly: “Aye, we will have fun together, we will be like... like brothers! Well... almost brothers. 'Twould be awkward after last night if Celestia were my aunt as well, I must say.”

Sleipnir winked at Celestia, who blushed deeply... but before anyone else could speak, Blueblood threw his head back and howled: “Auntie!”

Luna awoke with a snort and almost flopped out of her seat, while Celestia immediately hugged Blueblood fiercely close and began murmuring soothing nothings to him. Sleipnir, meanwhile, only leaned awkwardly back and rubbed the back of his head, looking lamely at Blueblood as the young prince whimpered like a foal and clung to his aunt with one foreleg. “Was it something I said?”

Luna blinked blearily, looking around for a moment before she groaned and shifted a little, dragging herself up and slowly grabbing at a cup of tea. “Stupid... everything. I'm going to bed after this. By all that is holy, Sleipnir, what are you made of?”

Sleipnir only smiled cheerfully and shrugged in response, but then his eyes were drawn to Blueblood as the stallion almost foalishly shoved his face into Celestia's neck, clinging to her and whimpering around the hoof buried in his mouth: “I don't want to go! I don't want to, don't make me go, he's... he's a terrible pony, Auntie! He's trying to turn you against me!”

“Oh, oh, Blueblood, no, don't say that!” Celestia soothed, squeezing her nephew close as she looked almost desperately down at him. “No, you can trust him! I know you don't like strangers, honey, and I know that this is all very difficult for you, but... but it's for the best, Blueblood, darling...”

“No, no, no!” Blueblood whined piteously, trembling and clinging fiercely to his aunt's frame. “Don't! I don't want to go!”

“Oh, come now, 'tis going to be alright! Thou has my word, my most solemn promise I shall protect thee on this journey!” Sleipnir said empathetically, leaning forwards and nodding firmly several times as he smiled almost pleadingly at the childish, crying stallion. “And I swear to thee, we shall have a wondrous time together, only wait and see, my young companion! Think of the legends they'll sing of... of Sleipnir, and his partner Blueblood! Aye, the bards will praise us for centuries to come!”

Blueblood only whimpered and turned away, burying his face against Celestia and clinging to her as he cried out: “Make him go away! No, no, I don't want to go with him, p-please Auntie! Please!”

Celestia looked down at Blueblood, and it hurt her heart so badly to see him like this. This fully-grown stallion, acting like a giant foal... and what was she doing, cuddling him, clinging to him like this? And yet some part of her just wanted to cradle him and hug him and kiss away his tears, and do exactly what he wanted, as she bit her lip and looked over at Sleipnir...

Sleipnir, who was smiling encouragingly. Who was looking at Blueblood with honest kindness, and not the disgust or hidden contempt she was used to seeing in the eyes of ponies. Who seemed infinitely generous, and patient, and loving: maybe that was why he had such a powerful, natural draw to him, why she kept trusting him...

“Tia, if you don't do this for Blueblood's sake, then please do it for our own. I know you'll be scared and it'll hurt, but look at him.” Luna said plaintively, gesturing pointedly towards Sleipnir as Blueblood whimpered and tried to curl himself up in his aunt's lap. “Name one other pony who would actually put up with... well... this.”

“Shush, Luna.” Celestia said firmly, but all the same, she hated that she knew her sister was right. Sleipnir looked up curiously, but Celestia only shook her head before she sighed softly and gazed silently over at the stallion, as Blueblood wailed like a miserable child.

But for now, she only rocked him: he was just like a foal who had never grown up, she reflected. And maybe that was the real root of this whole... problem that Blueblood had. He had never really grown up. He would throw his weight around and act almost like a bully and be... rude and childish, and then when things went wrong, he would come running back to her and... what did she do?

She scooped him up. She cradled him and kissed away his tears until he was all better, his boo-boos forgotten. She loved him, adored him as the child she'd never had, and yet... she saw the way everypony else looked at them, heard all the nasty things people said behind their backs. And she wondered... was she trying too hard to be a good mother? Was this like all those years ago, when she'd spent so long and hard trying to be a good ruler that at the end of the day, she had... well...

Celestia sighed softly, and... and oh, how it hurt to do this! But all the same, she slowly pried Blueblood off her and sat him calmly down in the seat beside her. The prince looked up at her with big, shocked eyes, whimpering like a child as he curled up and tears streamed down his cheek, sucking on his hoof miserably. He looked like a great chubby toddler in his too-tight fancy clothes, and Celestia smiled faintly after a moment: he had buttoned up his suit wrong, left his girdle exposed, and knotted his tie all wrong. But for the first time, she didn't try and fix those mistakes for him. For the first time, she said quietly: “You have to stop crying now, my darling. I want you to be strong, for Auntie.”

Blueblood's lower lip quaked as he stared up at her, but he was so shocked that he didn't respond. He just sat there, looking at her, and Celestia trembled a bit as she looked back at him before she finally forced herself to say: “It's... it's time for you to find your own way, Blueblood. Sleipnir is going to take care of you... and you're going to be safe, and you'll always have a home to come back to... but you also... it's time for my little colt to learn what it means to be a stallion now.”

Blueblood only suckled on his hoof and stared up at her miserably, the trembles in his body increasing as he shook his head weakly... and then Sleipnir leaned forwards over the table, saying kindly: “Aye, do not fear! Why, within the week thou shall be a whole new pony, mark my words! And we shall have adventures that even the Valkyries would have envied together, you and I, fair young stallion!”

The only response from Blueblood was a snuffling, and even though it pained Celestia to see him like this, she clasped her front hooves together and forced herself to smile. “See? And... and if anything happens, Sleipnir will bring you straight home, don't worry. And you won't be gone long at all, either: all you have to do is accompany him while he...”

She realized she was repeating herself, and the princess sighed before leaning forwards and saying almost pleadingly: “Please, Blueblood, please... please be strong for your aunt, alright? I'll... I'll have you taken back to your room and you can take a few hours to get ready and prepare your things.”

Celestia rose a hoof, gesturing quickly at a servant, and Blueblood whimpered weakly... but he was helpless to do anything to resist as he was gently tugged to his hooves and led away. All the same, he looked pleadingly, miserably over his shoulder at the mare as Celestia gazed after him, forcing herself to smile supportively until he was out of sight... and then she trembled before dropping her face in her hooves. “Oh, what have I done...”

“Thou hast made the right choice, the best choice, that thou could. As mother or aunt, and as princess looking to better a young ruler.” Sleipnir soothed, reaching up and reassuringly rubbing along her back. He gazed at her with such compassion, such tenderness in his eyes, smiling at her in a way that told her everything was going to be okay... and just maybe, made her believe that. A strange, almost impossible thing after all the time she had spent always being the protector, the savior, the one to tell everypony else that same thing while often worrying herself that she was only mouthing lies...

She looked down for a moment, then closed her eyes and sighed softly, lowering her head. Sleipnir only continued to gently massage her back, and Luna glanced up after a moment before sighing as well and saying in a grudging voice: “Look. This... this is for the best, Celestia. It might not feel that way right now, it might be hard for you to stomach, but... this is for the best. You're... Sleipnir is right. You're doing the right thing.”

Celestia only mumbled a little under her breath, and then she looked up, rubbing at her cheeks slowly with her front hooves before she said finally: “I just hope that one day he'll forgive me. That... one day, he'll understand.”

Oh, he would never forgive her for this!

Blueblood trembled in fury: it had been two hours, and his face was all puffy from crying, but... he was crying out of anger, now! He wasn't scared or sad or upset, he was just angry, that was all, so angry that... that it was making his face hurt and that was why his eyes were watering!

The stallion stormed back and forth around his enormous, luxurious room, which he had thrown a temper tantrum in and left in a state of complete disarray. However, since it was normally a ramshackle mess between the visits of the maids anyway, the scattered drawers and papers and toys really didn't add a whole lot of new chaos to the jumble.

Roughly an hour ago, Celestia had come to check up on him and found him sulking in his blankets. And she had actually scolded him and told him to clean himself up and... well, that had convinced Blueblood more than anything else that Sleipnir, that evil, manipulative demon, had warped and twisted his loving aunt into some evil queen of nightmares. After all, Auntie Celestia had almost never ever ever scolded him in the past...

So now here he was. Dressed in his best clothes and waiting, with three suitcases stuffed with changes of clothes and every other thing he thought he'd need for the long journey ahead. A journey he already knew was going to be nothing but misery and suffering and torment... but oh, he was going to do his damnedest to make sure that Slepnir suffered right along with him.

The stallion nodded firmly to himself several times, glowering at the scuffed floor and stomping angrily like a child, imagining he was stepping on the stallion's stupid face. And that was just what he was going to do if he got the chance, step on that stupid stallion's stupid face and show him that nothing was ever going to come between him and his Auntie Celestia and his rightful place on the throne.

There was a quiet knock at the door, and the stallion grumbled under his breath before sulkily looking back over his shoulder, cheeks puffed childishly out. And, as expected, there was Celestia... but she was smiling almost sadly as she looked at him, leaning forwards and murmuring: “Now come on. You have to leave, Blueblood, but... that doesn't mean you have to leave angry, do you?”

Blueblood huffed at her, then dropped his gaze to the floor. But Celestia only continued to smile at him before she said quietly: “I'm sorry, Blueblood. I am. But this is... this is best for all of us.”

She strode forwards and silently sat down in front of him, and Blueblood trembled, grinding his teeth together before he suddenly looked up at her, fighting back tears again as he whispered: “I... I don't want to go.”

“I know. Part of me doesn't want you to leave either, but... you have to, Blueblood. But Sleipnir is.. trustworthy, and a good stallion. Or at least he's very honest, and he truly wants to help.” Celestia embraced her nephew tightly, and Blueblood only whimpered a little as he hugged her back, looking miserable but... at least doing his best to rein in his tears this time. “And you'll be back. You'll be back, and maybe then... you'll be ready for some more duties as prince. Would you like that?”

Blueblood glanced up a little, shifting against her before he asked hesitantly: “Do... do you really mean in, Auntie Celestia? You'll let me... could I take care of the court?”

Celestia chuckled quietly at this, then said softly: “Now, let's not get too far ahead of ourselves, Blueblood. But... maybe I'll let you deal with some of the audiences with diplomats. And you can join me on panels and... perhaps I'll even let you start acting as ambassador between Equestria and the Crystal Empire. How does that sound?”

Blueblood shifted a little: he didn't actually like the idea of traveling more, but... the thought of actually being allowed to carry out a duty that was currently being handled by that other wicked usurper, Princess Twilight... “Yes, I... I would, Auntie. I... I won't be gone long, will I?”

“Well, Sleipnir tells me that he wants to teach you a few things about adventuring first... I don't think you'll even be going very far from Canterlot right away.” Princess Celestia said carefully, trying to sidestep the fact that this meant Blueblood would probably be gone for even longer.

Blueblood, however, felt immensely relieved by this turn of events: it sounded like they might not even have to go very far from the castle, and he was certain that he could survive a few days in Canterlot. Oh, sure, he might have to pull a few strings to make sure that he was treated in the way that he so properly and truly deserved, but all the same...

And it meant that if things did start going badly, well. He was quite certain he'd be able to slip away. But maybe if he just... say, played along for a day or two, while doing everything in his power to make Sleipnir miserable... he was sure by then Auntie Celestia would let him come back to the castle! She might even reward him, for behaving himself and clearly trying his hardest in spite of what an idiot he was sure Sleipnir was going to be...

So after a few moments, the stallion forced himself to nod a few times, mumbling against the mare's chest: “I... I'll do my best then, Auntie. For you.”

“Thank you, nephew. That means a world to me to hear.” Celestia smiled down at him, even if she had plenty of worries and misgivings. After all, she could tell whenever Blueblood was trying to hatch some scheme... but for now... “Why don't we head down to meet Sleipnir now? Are these all your things?”

“Yes, Auntie. I'm...” Blueblood bit his lip, looking back over his room, and then he took a deep breath as he forced himself to step back and straighten. “I'm ready to go.”

He wasn't, not nearly, but he knew that he had to at least pretend until he was out of his Aunt's sight. After all, he wanted to make sure that he impressed her, that he proved to her he was ready for more power... ready to take another step towards what was rightfully his. And, as he kept reassuring himself, he could survive a few nights away from the castle with Sleipnir. Peasants survived their entire lives in their worthless little hovels, after all, so a stallion as noble and pureblooded as he was could certainly survive one or two nights in Canterlot...

He scrubbed at his features nervously, and Celestia gave him another kind smile before she reached up and gently grasped his shoulder. He looked up at her awkwardly, but then let her pull him forwards, stumbling only a little before he strode out into the hall, glaring at the servants that hurried past to get his things. “Be... be gentle with my suitcases!”

Celestia sighed, but didn't reprimand him: it did, however, remind her precisely why they were doing this, and made it a little easier to nudge him forwards when he started to drag his hooves.

Blueblood was far from happy by the time he reached the entrance hall... and more than that, he was anxious and a little frightened, too. The last pony he wanted to be stuck with was Sleipnir... and even if there were at least twenty Royal Guard standing at the ready in their traveling armor, it was little consolation to the prince. He remembered all too clearly what the other soldiers had done when Sleipnir had crashed down and literally destroyed his poor carriage: absolutely nothing.

Sleipnir himself was smiling warmly, and Blueblood began to scowl... then did a double take, staring at the huge stallion for a few moments. Last night he hadn't really been able to see that clearly – thankfully – but now, with the huge stallion's armor missing, he could see a tattoo covered almost half of his chest. It was an image of vines that twisted and laced themselves between a variety of runes and around an image of a tree much like the cutie mark on his flank...

Sleipnir caught Blueblood's gaze, and then he glanced down before smiling and reaching up to pat his bare chest, saying cheerfully: “Fear not, I shall not be out of armor long. One of our first stops shall be a forge, where I shall outfit thee properly, for I see thou art in sore need of proper gear... and mine own armor requires many repairs, as thou may have seen.”

“Well, I could have Prince Blueblood fitted for armor here...” Celestia began, but Sleipnir only laughed at this and shook his head, raising a hoof with a warm smile.

“Nay, nay, do not worry thyself. I would prefer to do this myself... besides, 'twill cement our bond as friends!” Sleipnir said cheerfully, striding forwards and reaching out to wrap a companionable foreleg around Blueblood. The ivory unicorn winced at this, biting his lip and struggling not to spit an insult at the big oaf even as he tried to wiggle Sleipnir's limb off, but the earth pony barely seemed to notice as he continued warmly: “Besides, and I mean no offense... thy armor is not what I believe the young prince deserves if he and I are to travel together.”

“What do you mean by that?” asked a Royal Guard before he could stop himself. But Celestia frowned slightly as well... although Sleipnir's benevolent smile seemed to settle the worst of the agitation his words had caused as he rose his other hoof in a placating gesture.

“Not that thou art not all worthy warriors, of course! And aye, 'tis a wonderful reminder of the brotherhood and camaraderie between all of thee, of that I can see clearly. 'Tis something to wear with pride.” Sleipnir nodded firmly, and the Royal Guard looked further pacified before the enormous earth pony shook Blueblood lightly, saying in a gentler voice: “But 'twould be a disservice to both thy brotherhood and the young prince to doff him in the armor of the Royal Guard. For he is not one of thy proud soldiers, Princess Celestia, but instead he is thine nephew. And I would not dishonor thy warriors by putting a stallion who is not among their fraternity in their uniform. I fear that would only lead to frustrations on all sides.”

Celestia smiled a little after a moment as Blueblood grumbled in sulky agreement, and the Royal Guard looked at each other with surprise... and a bit of pride, she thought. Sleipnir wasn't just a big handsome idiot after all, though... but she was only a little shocked to find out what a talented diplomat he was on top of everything else. He had talked her into quite a few compromising situations last night, after all.

“But now, so I see that...” Sleipnir paused, cocking his head curiously as several servants arrived, carrying Blueblood's suitcases. The earth pony studied these intently, and then he smiled after a moment, raising his head and saying cheerfully: “Aye, that is a good idea! We should bring tribute with us, to gift to the lords and ladies of the land!”

“What? No, this isn't tribute! These are my things!” Blueblood snapped, glaring angrily at Sleipnir. “And anyway, they should be giving me tribute! I am the Prince of Equestria!”

“Prince thou may be, but 'tis not as if ponies have no right to their own land, is it, young colt?” Sleipnir replied reasonably, smiling at the stallion pleasantly and completely ignoring the horrible glare Blueblood fixed him with. “And 'tis simply a kindness. And sometimes all that thou needs to visit upon others is a little kindness.”

Blueblood grumbled at this, and Sleipnir sat up, looking thoughtfully at the luggage before he declared cheerfully: “Well, if this is what thou desires to bring with thee, I shan't stop thee. But of course, I cannot show thee any favoritism, either. But perhaps there is hidden wisdom in thy decision: why, carrying all this weight will shortly make thee as mighty a stallion as me!”

Sleipnir flexed one foreleg cheerfully, and Blueblood stared in disbelief before he looked over his shoulder at his suitcases, mouthing wordlessly. Celestia frowned in surprise herself, then asked uneasily: “Well... what about the carriages-”

“Oh, that was a very nice thought, Celestia, but I fear I have already declined their aid. 'Twould not be proper, especially as our early journeys shan't take us very far afield. Nay, leave them to be better used here.” Sleipnir said benevolently, smiling politely before he gestured at the Royal Guard. “And all of thy soldiers, while most welcome company, I shall be sending home as shortly as young Blueblood will allow. I understand they are here to protect him, but I have always made my sacred vow to do the same... and these Royal Guard would be much better here in Canterlot, doing their duty, then following two stallions on a silly adventure that will take them across Equestria!”

Blueblood was less and less liking what he was hearing, and Celestia shifted nervously, biting her cheek before she leaned forwards and said worriedly: “But you said that you'd take them with you... you promised, Sleipnir.”

“Aye, I did. And I always honor a promise.” Sleipnir said kindly, nodding firmly and looking warmly over at Celestia. “But I believe, honestly and truly, that in time the young prince will agree with me. I shan't pressure him at all, you have my word, but... all the same, I shall be very surprised if it does not come to pass, and sooner rather than later.”

Celestia shifted uncomfortably, but then she forced herself to only nod, looking down and not saying anything. Blueblood, meanwhile, only looked incredulous before he shook his head vehemently, spluttering out: “This... this is an indignation!”

“I think it neither a hole nor a country, my young friend.” Sleipnir replied jovially, smiling kindly to the young stallion. “So art thou ready to be off, then?”

“N-No! My... my things, who is going to carry my things? Where are we going, how... how long do you think I'm going to be gone?” Blueblood asked incredulously, shaking his head vehemently as he looked back and forth in disbelief.

But no one was saying anything. Not even his Auntie Celestia was stepping up to his aid now, only reaching out and soothingly rubbing his back. And Sleipnir, that damned Sleipnir, was just smiling at him before he gestured kindly with one hoof and said easily: “Well, if thou cannot carry all thy luggage, then why not take a moment and trim the chaff from the grain? But fear not, young friend! I am sure we will pass through these halls now and again, and most of what we need, we shall find upon the road.”

Blueblood only mouthed wordlessly, and then he gritted his teeth, shaking the rucksack on his back and growling: “It's bad enough I have to carry this-”

“If 'tis too heavy, then thou can always leave it here as well.” Sleipnir shrugged amiably, then he reached up and patted the sack on his own back. “Thou must learn to pack as I do, only what is needed! But then again, I fear that I exaggerate: if I only took what was necessary, then all I would take with me when I left upon the road were a pretty mare's kisses, for nature is always there to help me find the way.”

The young prince gave a short laugh, and then he looked almost pleadingly over his shoulder at Celestia... but the princess only awkwardly lowered her head, then forced a small smile as she leaned forwards, asking quietly: “Would you like to ask Sleipnir if... if perhaps you can have another half hour to finish packing?”

“Auntie...” Blueblood trembled, looking weakly up at his aunt before he laughed faintly and dropped his head, clenching his eyes shut and whispering: “No.”

“Then come, let us be off, young prince... and fear not, once the road is under thy hooves, thou shall feel a thousand times stronger.” Sleipnir invited kindly, stretching out a foreleg towards the young prince.

Blueblood looked over his shoulder at Princess Celestia, but she only forced herself to nod, to not give in, as she prayed quietly that she was making the right choice.

And finally, Blueblood turned miserably towards Sleipnir and strode towards him, and the earth pony gave a warm smile as he wrapped his foreleg around the young prince's shoulders, Blueblood looking up at him with such a mix of dejection and loathing and betrayal as Sleipnir looked down with kindness and compassion and warmth.

Princess Celestia looked at the two, and only hoped that Sleipnir would be true to his word, and was as patient as he seemed... and hoped beyond hope that her little stallion was finally ready to grow up.

Armor Fit For A Prince

Chapter Three: Armor Fit For A Prince
~BlackRoseRaven

Blueblood scowled and dragged his hooves like a foal as he stormed along the road beside Sleipnir, who was striding at an easy pace with a child-like smile through the streets of Canterlot. The giant earth pony kept looking back and forth with fascination, at the buildings, the ponies, everything else, and Blueblood was really starting to feel quite sick of the stupid idiot.

But as he'd quickly learned, Sleipnir either didn't understand or just laughed at any insults that were thrown his way. It was like he was made of... of... Blueblood didn't even know. The big, friendly lout just refused to be upset by anything, and seemed to think that he was doing him a favor by making him walk down these messy streets looking like a hobo, when he should be riding in a carriage with the Royal Guard at his beck and call, not... following behind them like some kind of marching band!

Blueblood glared angrily over his shoulder, but none of the Royal Guard even spared him a glance. They all knew who was in charge here, after all: not he, the rightful prince, but the big stupid stallion who had seduced his poor, darling Auntie Celestia.

The unicorn swore under his breath, grinding his teeth together slowly: how could this have happened? How had he gone from... from ruler to little more than a squire, a servant, trotting along at his master's side like some kind of mongrel...

Blueblood growled again, and Sleipnir finally turned a curious look towards the stallion, asking after a moment: “Does thy throat ache? Shall we stop for a glass of ale?”

“No!” Blueblood grimaced in disgust, shivering at the thought of ending up in some tawdry saloon with this... this jockish oaf. “Where are we going? We've been wandering for hours... how can you have gotten us so lost while not even leaving the city!”

“Lost? Oh nay, I am not lost at all.” Sleipnir said with surprise, and then he laughed and added kindly: “And it has been but a mere hour's passage, young prince... oh, but that brings to mind a discussion I would like to have with thee.”

“I have no desire to discuss anything with you.” growled Blueblood angrily, glaring up at Sleipnir, but the enormous, friendly earth pony didn't look put off in the slightest.

If anything, he only smiled wider, saying easily: “Then we shan't discuss, but thou shall merely listen. We, together, are wandering out into the world. And while 'tis well and fine that we call thee by name and title here in Canterlot, I do not believe the rest of Equestria may be so hospitable. Mother Nature tells me that there has been unrest recently, and that as with all things, there are those who feel anger and jealousy, which they have focused upon others.

“Therefore, I do not think 'twould be wise to call thee by thy name, if I am to keep thee safe. Instead, I shall call thou simply... Blue. For thou art much more a Blue than thou art a Blood.” Sleipnir teased, nudging the unicorn playfully.

Blueblood stumbled a little, then looked with horror at where Sleipnir had actually physically dared to touch him. He mouthed wordlessly, then spun around, howling at the Royal Guard and making the whole platoon flinch: “Arrest this stallion! Arrest him, he assaulted me! This swine laid a hoof upon your prince, now I demand that you-”

“Assaulted? Assaulted? Then if that was an assault, what will thou think of this fearsome battering?” Sleipnir shouted cheerfully, pouncing on Blueblood before he started to tickle all over the stallion, and the unicorn began to convulse madly under the stallion's grip, shouting and howling and giggling, his expression a mixture of absolute horror and outrage and utter humiliation. “Have at thee!”

“Oh g-g-god get off m-me!” Blueblood squalled, flailing violently in all directions, but Sleipnir was relentless in his attack, continuing to make him squirm and cackle and all-but-cry as they rolled back and forth in the middle of the street.

And finally, it was over, and Blueblood was left gasping, laying on the street and staring blankly towards the sky, his mane a mess and his white coat marred with dirt. He shivered weakly, then glared furiously at Sleipnir as the huge stallion smiled cheerfully and offered him a hoof, saying pleasantly: “Well, thou held up most excellently, Blue.”

Blueblood felt like screaming, but all he really managed to do was whimper as he slapped angrily at Sleipnir's hoof before scrambling up... and nearly tripping over himself like a foal. But a strong hoof caught him before he could fall, and he looked up, features flushed, to see Sleipnir still smiling at him as he righted the prince. “Now, do not be too eager, friend! We have time yet, and a whole city to explore!”

The young prince scowled angrily, then shoved himself away from Sleipnir and hurriedly dusted himself off, muttering: “I am tired of exploring. I thought you wanted to go home.”

“Oh, I do, my friend. But this will take time, and preparation, and the battle by now is long over. So while I could rush about things and be unpleasant to everypony I meet, then leave in a great hurry and huff... I could also be pleasant, and enjoy myself, and take my time.” Sleipnir shrugged and smiled easily up at the sky. “What will be, will be, that is all. I am not fool enough to think this will be any simple task... oh, I know well what I am getting into, and I fear that in my absence, irrevocable and awful things may happen back home, whether the battle was won or lost against our foe. But...

“But I do not allow such fears to rule me. I do not allow sadness to blind me, or frustration to make me miss the comforts of the grass or the whispers of the wind.” Sleipnir looked down at Blueblood benevolently, reaching up to pat his head in a paternal gesture. “I believe that all things happen for a reason, and thus, here too I must be for a reason.”

Blueblood only looked blankly up at Sleipnir, and then he asked disbelievingly: “How can you... that doesn't make any sense! You're an idiot!”

“Aye, I am.” Sleipnir smiled in agreement, as if this was something to be proud of. “But I would much rather be an idiot than many other things in this world, I shall have thee know. Idiots such as I fear few of the things our smarter and better counterparts do: we do not think so deeply, nor worry so much. We simply live as we can, and enjoy what bounty life gives us.”

Blueblood stared in stupefaction up at Sleipnir for a few moments, and then he gave a short, barking laugh before glaring angrily at him, hissing through his teeth: “Don't think I don't know just what you're up to! You're trying to convince me to just... to just roll over and hand over Auntie's throne to you! Well, it's not going to work, do you hear me?”

Sleipnir only cocked his head quizzically, and then he asked curiously: “And what, perchance, is so special about thy aunt's throne? For I have never found such seats very comfortable. Then again, I suppose it does not help such things rarely fit my buttocks.”

Blueblood simply gaped for a second at Sleipnir, and the huge stallion looked back down at him with such childlike honesty that it almost made the unicorn laugh. Almost. “You...”

There was really nothing that he could say, however. So finally, Blueblood shook his head in disgust and strode past the stallion... although after only a few steps, he realized he had no idea where he was actually going, let alone where he actually was. He had never been to this part of Canterlot before, he realized...

And what made it worse was the fact that Sleipnir was only standing there behind him, the prince slowly coming to a halt and looking awkwardly over his shoulder. As much as he wanted to just keep walking...

Blueblood tried to think up some snappy line. Something he could say or do to get the big oaf to follow, since he direly did not want to go tromping through this strange part of the city on his own. But the best he could come up with was: “Are... we going?”

Sleipnir smiled cheerfully at this, then he nodded firmly once before striding over to the stallion and looking benevolently down at him. “Where would thou like to go?”

“Home.” Blueblood said immediately, but Sleipnir only laughed loudly at this, and Blueblood scowled up at the stallion before he turned away and muttered: “Why even bother asking when all you do is mock me, you... idiot.”

“I am not mocking thee!” Sleipnir said gently, smiling down at Blueblood. “Aye, for I know well what it is like to miss thy home... I miss mine own, greatly and deeply.”

He paused, then looked thoughtful as he glanced around the street. “Then again, young Blue... perhaps thy problem is not that thou art away from thy home. 'Tis that thou fails to realize all of this place is thy home, strange as that may sound to thee.”

Blueblood looked moodily at Sleipnir: yes, that sounded very strange indeed to him. Because for one thing, he was quite certain that his home wouldn't be filled with strangers, who were all staring at him and muttering behind their hooves about him. And it wasn't as if he cared what the peasants had to think, but at least the servants had always been respectful enough of his dignified position to keep their damned rumormongering to themselves...

But now Sleipnir was striding towards him, and Blueblood automatically shrank a little out of the way in spite of himself: it wasn't that the stallion was intimidating, it was just that he was so damned big and, well...

He watched with beady eyes as Sleipnir strolled past, looking almost like he was searching for something in particular before his eyes lit up and he gestured down the road, smiling warmly. “There! See, nature has led us well and true.”

Blueblood scowled and looked up, and then he blinked in dumb surprise as Sleipnir hurried off down the street. The Royal Guard all immediately followed after the large stallion in a double line, marching heedlessly past the prince before the unicorn flailed hurriedly, shouting: “You can't abandon me here! I am your prince! I command you-”

Something whacked into Blueblood's side, and he yelped in surprise more than pain, grasping at himself... and then staring in disbelief at the rotten apple on the ground. He rose his head, meaning to glare challengingly, but instead he only managed another shocked look around.

He started to open his mouth, and was cut off by another fruit being flung at him, followed by a jeer of: “Go soak your head!”

There were a few other yells and laughs, and Blueblood squealed before he spun and scurried away, shooting a terrified look over his shoulder at the ponies who were all making rude gestures after him.

He bolted past the soldiers – who were all acting completely ignorant of what had been going on only a few paces behind them, the brutes! – and almost ran into Sleipnir, who caught him easily and studied him with surprise before he asked curiously: “What happened? Did thou have an accident?”

“Accident? Accident!” Blueblood snarled up at Sleipnir, twitching a little before he gestured at himself violently. “How does this look at all like an accident to you?”

“Well, what else should I suspect?” Sleipnir asked with honest curiosity, and Blueblood was dumbfounded by this response before the enormous earth pony gave a cheerful smile and turned back around, heading towards some kind of squat-looking building with a large smokestack sticking up out of the top of it.

Blueblood shot a half-nervous, half-venomous look over one shoulder, and then he turned back around and narrowed his eyes distrustfully at the building they were approaching. Now he could smell... something. It smelled dirty, whatever it was: it had that distinct hint of metal and filth about it that always seemed to accompany any sort of menial labor.

Sleipnir, however, was walking right up to the doors with a smile on his face like he was a foal at a candy store, the earth pony pausing only long enough to turn towards the Royal Guard and wave at them. “Thou may all relax for now, we little need thy accompaniment as soldiers here in the city proper! Nay, be as friends, and fear not for us... besides, young Blue, 'tis time for thou to be fitted for thy first set of armor.”

Blueblood scowled at this, then he rose his head and said arrogantly: “I've worn armor before, thank you very much, and I highly doubt that this... this hobbyist is of sufficient talent or rank to create a prince's fitting raiment!”

Sleipnir only shrugged and winked, replying cheerfully: “Perhaps, or perhaps not: I sense great and good things abound in this smithy, mark my words. Nature here is treated with proper respect, and that is always a most excellent sign. Besides, I shall be making thy armor... although I fear I cannot promise it to be so princely quite yet. I fear as of now, all thou hast earned is the armor of a novice.”

“What? A novice! How dare you, you... you swine!” Blueblood shouted, storming after the stallion and shaking his head vehemently. He barely realized that he was following the earth pony right into the detestable little place, continuing haughtily: “I will have you know that I have always excellent in every sporting event I ever bothered to compete in, I have never settled for less than victory!”

“That is too bad, then. Thou hast never had a chance to learn all the wonderful things that failure can teach thee.” Sleipnir said almost absently as he looked back and forth with a smile: the front of the smithy was set up almost like a little shop, but there was an open window into the back, leaving racks of equipment and a few apparatus for the forge in plain sight. “Hello, there! May I come in and see thee at thy craft?”

There was a chuckle, and then a voice replied after a moment: “Well, certainly, sir. By all means, do come in.”

“Thou hast my thanks, sir! Now, come then, young Blue. Let us see this master at his work.” Sleipnir said benevolently, and Blueblood only scowled a little, but followed resentfully all the same when the large stallion strode around the counter and headed into the back area.

Blueblood had no idea what they were looking at: to him, it looked like a stallion just sewing a shirt. But Sleipnir smiled warmly, gesturing at the old coot like he was some kind of savior as he said brightly: “There! What did I tell you, friend? We are in the presence of a truly talented smith!”

“Oh, yes. I can see that, with how hard at work he is.” Blueblood said disdainfully, eying this so-called 'smith.' “Can you just-”

But Sleipnir ignored him completely as he strode up to the table and bowed his head politely, saying kindly: “'Tis a wonderful weave thou art doing: I assume thou art warding the sleeve? Or perchance 'tis just for a soldier's luck?”

The smith chuckled quietly at this, the old, graying stallion looking both surprised and pleased as he nodded slowly. “Just a little personal touch for a young, foolish stallion who wants to go and be an adventurer, that's right. It's not much, perhaps, but... I like to try and wish these colts well as best I can.”

Sleipnir smiled warmly and nodded firmly, but before he could say anything, Blueblood approached and cleared his throat loudly, saying irritably: “Well, if you two are finished, then maybe you could get on with why we're here, Sleipnir. Armor, for me. Prince Blueblood.”

The smith looked unimpressed, only nodding a few times as if he was humoring a mouthy foal, while Sleipnir chuckled before saying easily: “Thou shall have to excuse my young friend. It has been very hard on him, this journey... and to think, we've little more than stepped out the door! But fear not, I am sure he shall warm to thee, as he shall warm to this quest.”

Blueblood scowled... and his expression became even fouler as the old stallion looked at Sleipnir with interest, asking curiously as he put down the needle and shirt: “A quest? And are you...”

“Oh, what foolishness! I have not introduced myself!” The enormous earth pony laughed and stepped forwards, then seized the smith in a one-legged hug that made him wince in surprise. “I am Sleipnir, and we are well-met, master smith! And aye, we are on a journey to see me back home... but as 'tis quite a far ways away, we have need to gather rare and exceptional materials for the journey. The young prince has been sent with me by Princess Celestia to aid in this endeavor, and I am very grateful for his company... but he does require some outfitting, at the very least.”

Sleipnir stepped back from the old stallion, who awkwardly brushed himself off before he nodded a few times and cleared his throat, sitting back and saying finally: “Well, Sir Sleipnir-”

“Nay, nay! Only Sleipnir! I am neither jarl nor dandy, I need no title but mine own name!” Sleipnir replied cheerfully, laughing and shaking his head.

The smith smiled a little as Blueblood only glared daggers at the earth pony. “Sleipnir, then... well, as kind as it is of you to ask my humble smithy to do this, I'm... not entirely certain that I can. It sounds like you want a special order-”

“Oh, aye, I do. And I must make a most rude imposition upon thee as well.” Sleipnir said benevolently, and the smith tilted his head again before the earth pony turned his eyes towards the forge. “Thy equipment is precious to thee, I can see... look at her, so well-maintained and beautiful... but not without the weathering of hard effort upon her face! And oh, that makes her all the more beautiful to me, for if she wert perfect and polished it would mean only that she has never known a true smith's hoof.

“And now, thou knows me not so well, but all the same I must ask a most personal favor: the use of thy forge. For I would like to forge the young prince's armor myself... and I must make repairs, of course, to mine own.”

Sleipnir easily pulled the sack off his back and calmly pulled out his battered breastplate, putting it down on the table, and whatever the smith had been about to say was lost as he stared at this for a few moments.

He swept it up, marveling over what to Blueblood was nothing but an ugly hunk of broken metal. But the smith looked amazed as he slowly studied it, before looking up at Sleipnir and asking wonderingly: “Is this your work?”

Sleipnir smiled warmly and simply nodded, and the smith turned his wondering gaze back to the breastplate, tilting it back and forth as he whispered: “I've never seen such shaping, such detail: it's exquisite. And the weight is... is incredible, but the balance is so fine even with how badly it's been damaged it almost floats on air...”

Blueblood rolled his eyes, then he asked rudely: “So you're admitting that this oaf is a much better smith than you could ever be?”

“Thou shall have to excuse him, as I said. He has not taken so well to the journey.” Sleipnir said kindly, giving Blueblood a look that was more amused than exasperated.

The smith, however, only shook his head and laughed a little, murmuring: “Well, he's right in any case. I don't think that I could ever make something like... like this. It's a piece of artwork, Sleipnir. I can see why you would want to repair it yourself.

“But all the same, I'm... not certain that I can offer you my forge for very long. I would be honored to let a stallion like you use it while I work on other things, certainly: I have an order of arrows to finish, a few bows to construct, some lighter armor to assemble and polish.” The smith smiled a little, gesturing at his forge. “But my business is still a business...”

Sleipnir only laughed at this, and then he winked at the smith and reached up to squeeze his shoulder. “Friend, thy offer is more generous than I could have hoped! Nay, I had planned to leave Canterlot well-within the week anyway: I shall ask only for the use of thy forge for today, and it should be more than long enough. I shall have to borrow some of thy materials too, of course, but I shall pay thee handsomely for them. 'Tis only fair.”

The smith blinked in surprise, leaning back before he gave a disbelieving laugh, asking after a moment: “Are you sure? Considering the state of your armor, son, I'm not sure you'll be able to even finish repairs to this breastplate, even if you work the entire day...”

But Sleipnir only smiled kindly, patting the smith on the shoulder as Blueblood looked suspiciously at the earth pony. “Well, we shall see, shan't we? But-”

“I am not paying for your repairs, Sleipnir. This is your journey, and you insisted on dragging me along with you. I shall not pay this pony a single cent.” Blueblood interrupted loudly.

The smith frowned a little, but Sleipnir only laughed before he grinned suddenly and reached up to rub firmly at his mane of vines. Blueblood scowled at this as the huge earth pony leaned back, and then he frowned a little as he realized there was something glittering in that tangle of ivy and green...

And then Sleipnir smiled as he pulled something free from his mane, and both smith and prince gaped in shock as he set down a ruby the size of a normal pony's hoof, the enormous earth pony saying cheerfully: “Fear not. I have these in plenty... well, thou shall accept gemstones as payment, will thou not? I am not quite certain of how valuable they are...”

“A gemstone like this? Exceptionally valuable.” whispered the smith, picking it up and looking over it incredulously. “Sir, are you-”

“Sir? Sir again? Bah! I am Sleipnir, not 'Sir.'” The ever-friendly, ever-happy, and now apparently also rich stallion stood up from the table with a laugh, as Blueblood stared at him incredulously... and felt a horrible, churning, burning loathing curdling his stomach as one of his eyes twitched. “But most excellent. I shall see to it thou art amply paid, then.”

The smith smiled, clearly lost for words as he looked up with gratitude at the enormous stallion, and Blueblood groaned and rolled his eyes, then turned angrily away, swearing that one day, he was going to ruin this stupid stallion.

Blueblood sat sulkily in the corner like a child, glaring angrily at Sleipnir. The stallion had spent all day laughing with his brand new friend, the smith that... Blueblood still didn't know the name of. He didn't care, either. He was just a dumb peasant, falling for Sleipnir's trickery. But oh no, Blueblood knew that the stallion was nothing but an evil, greedy monster behind that dumb facade of his. He wasn't going to let himself be manipulated like everypony else was... no, one day he was going to expose that jerk for who he really was. A throne-stealing, selfish, mare-hungry criminal!

He had spent most of the day just sitting here, plotting and scheming and coming up with all kinds of creative ways to ruin the stallion. Sleipnir had tried to get him to help once or twice, but there was no way he was going to raise a hoof to aid the earth pony... especially not with something so far beneath him like pounding away at a piece of metal with a big hammer, or fetching materials. He was no peon, no errand-colt. He was Prince of Equestria!

Blueblood rubbed moodily at his face, sitting back in the chair he'd stolen before he rubbed tiredly at his eyes. Sleipnir had been working away for the last... he'd lost track of time. Partly because in the middle of a particularly-wonderful scheme he'd been concocting, he'd fallen asleep in the chair, then listed until he'd slipped loose and landed on his face. The earth pony had just laughed at him and teased him, proving beyond a doubt he was nothing but a big bully. And then, to show he was also a stupid bully, he'd actually invited Blueblood to try and help again, saying that 'a little work would help him feel better.' As if hard physical labor had ever helped anypony.

But he was so bored and tired and... just miserable. All he wanted was to go home, but he knew that if he complained, Sleipnir would... laugh at him and make a joke of it. And worse, he knew that Auntie Celestia wanted him out here on this dumb mission with this dumb stallion... but he didn't want to be here. And what had that nonsense been about Sleipnir wanting to leave Canterlot already? He'd thought they were staying here for a few days... where were they going now? And what about the platoon of Royal Guard that was supposed to watch them? They had all wandered off! Wasn't that against Auntie's orders?

The prince ground his teeth together... then looked up with a scowl as Sleipnir strolled towards him. The unicorn reared back in distaste, leaning away from the earth pony: he was covered in sweat, and stank like... work. “Has thou had a good rest, my friend? I do hope so, for I now require thy aid. Fear not, 'tis not a great task, but I must fit thee for the armor I have prepared for thee.”

Blueblood scowled at this, then he brushed at himself before sitting up and saying imperiously: “It's your duty to make sure it fits me, not the other way around. Just make it work, Sleipnir, and don't waste my time with these trivialities. If you need my measurements, the royal tailor back at Canterlot has them.”

Sleipnir only smiled in amusement, replying kindly: “And that is very well and good for clothing, your princeness. But armor, well, 'tis a different matter. Aye, I have measured thee by eye well enough, but I must ensure there are no uncomfortable edges, no pinching, and most of all that the weight is not too great for thee.”

Blueblood scowled darkly, and then Sleipnir said kindly: “This armor shall be thy symbol of status, young prince. Thou does not want to wear an unhappy status, now does thou?”

The unicorn shifted slowly at this, then lowered his head and mumbled: “I... I suppose not. Fine. But don't take long. And wash your hooves, you're dirty.”

“Aye, with hard work!” Sleipnir said cheerfully, and then Blueblood squeaked in horror as the stallion cheerfully embraced him with one strong foreleg, squeezing him against his sweaty, bare body. “Perhaps it shall rub off on thee, Blue and thou shall learn the glories of a little bit of effort!”

“Get off me!” Blueblood howled in a strangled voice, and Sleipnir laughed as he stepped back. He seemed completely unfettered by the furious glare Blueblood locked on him, the unicorn brushing compulsively at himself and shivering in disgust at the feeling of... of... stallion sweat. How dare he? How dare he! “You... scum! You impudent jackass!”

“I do not know why so many ponies think I am a mule. 'Tis a strange thing, really, I have made it clear I am an earth pony, have I not?” Sleipnir paused, looking down at himself meditatively. “And to speak quite frankly, I believe I am rather larger.”

Blueblood twitched a little, and then Sleipnir said cheerfully: “But enough boasting about my stallion's sword! There will be time to talk of that later: for now, let us attend to thine armor.”

Blueblood shivered a little in disgust, then grumbled under his breath as he followed Sleipnir at a foreleg's length, looking at him distrustfully. Then he frowned when the stallion came to a halt in front of a table and said pleasantly over his shoulder: “Thou must first remove thy vestments. Fear not, friend Ironshoe has most generously provided a better jerkin for thee.”

“I... no.” Blueblood shifted quickly, looking uncomfortably back and forth: he couldn't see the smith anywhere, but he was damned if he was going to take off his clothes in front of Sleipnir.

The earth pony turned around and looked at him quizzically, and Blueblood snapped: “These... this is the clothing of a prince! These are the finest, best garments available and far more suitable for traveling and... anything else than... than some tawdry scraps put together by a half-baked smith! Why, look at you, you're barely any good and you cobbled together... all... this?”

Blueblood leaned to the side and stared blankly at all the armor Sleipnir had made over the space of the last few hours. And on top of that, he had repaired his own breastplate and put together what looked like a few weapons: even with his minimal knowledge of the forge, it seemed like an impossible amount of work to the prince.

Sleipnir shook his head, then chastised gently: “Thou must not be so rude, Blue: not only has he been a generous host, but Ironshoe is most exceptionally talented. 'Tis not his fault he is not so fast nor skilled as I am: in fact, I am most certain I have barely a lick of his talent! All I have accomplished has taken me many, many years to master, more than thou could count, and because nature has always favored me and guided my hoof. Why, I am really only a foal under his mother's guidance!”

Sleipnir laughed at this, and Blueblood scowled horribly before the earth pony said kindly: “Now do not be ashamed of thyself. Thy peculiar clothes shall not fit well with this armor and I must know thy measurements. Take off thy vestments and that silly lacing around thy tummy.”

Blueblood turned beet red, then he automatically hugged himself as he said in a rush: “I don't know what you're talking about and you can't make me do anything!”

For a few moments, Sleipnir only looked at him mildly, and then he leaned forwards and said gently: “Thou hast naught to be ashamed of, Blue. Believe me, soon enough we shall begin chiseling away the excess and making thee... more happy with thy body. And thy body shall thank thee for it, too, thou shall see.”

The unicorn flushed deeply, then shook his head and hugged himself, glaring angrily at the floor as he muttered: “There's... you're... mind your own business!”

“Well, thou art my business. I am supposed to protect thee, am I not?” Sleipnir asked reasonably. “Now come, off with thy clothes! Do not make me do it myself. I warn thee, I have as much experience when it comes to stripping handsome stallions as I do gorgeous mares!”

Blueblood looked a little nauseated at this thought, shivering a bit before he swore under his breath and nodded moodily. He reached up, fumbling at his shirt and purposefully taking his time... but Sleipnir just continued to give him that damned friendly smile, looking at him patiently...

It quickly grew much more frustrating and uncomfortable for Blueblood to take his time than it was annoying for Sleipnir, so the unicorn dropped his head and grumbled as he quickly stripped the rest of his clothing, doing his best to hide his blush and hugging himself self-consciously as he was left in only his girdle.

“And that as well, come now. We must make sure the fit is perfect for thee.” Sleipnir instructed, and Blueblood turned away, shifting uncomfortably back and forth before the earth pony prodded: “Or shall I remove it from thee myself?”

“Ingrate. Worthless... stupid...” Blueblood continued to mumble away as he awkwardly reached up and worked the girdle off his body, head bowed and a scowl on his features. It took him almost a minute to work his way out of the garment, and then he awkwardly hugged it against his flabby stomach, refusing to look Sleipnir in the eye as he muttered: “There. Happy?”

“I see already I shall have to make a few adjustments. By the Aesir, thou must be made of sterner stuff than I had thought to wear such a torturous device around thy middle all day.” Sleipnir whistled a little, then shook his head before he turned towards the table. “Here, this should still fit thee fine, though.”

Blueblood grumbled as some kind of thick cloth shirt was tossed to him, the stallion catching it and then glowering moodily: it made his hooves itch and looked like some kind of cheap weave... “This is going to make me rash. I will not wear it.”

“Oh, do not be so vindictive! 'Twill be fine!” urged Sleipnir, and Blueblood scowled a little before the stallion gestured at him easily, smiling warmly. “Come now. Thou need merely try it.”

Blueblood lowered his head, then he finally sighed tiredly before nodding grumpily. At the least, it would cover him up...

It took a bit of work to wiggle it on, but he managed it: it was bigger than he'd expected, covering almost his entire body, and only a little tight around his middle. He rubbed at his stomach sullenly, imagining how fat this wretched thing made him look: oh, what he'd do for the old days, before... before the chefs had started making all his extra desserts so fatty. It was all their fault he looked like this, and that... stupid Princess Twilight Sparkle for taking away all his duties and fun, so he had nothing to do all day but eat and shop and mope...

Then Blueblood winced as Sleipnir approached with some kind of jangling chain thing: before he could protest, the earth pony had it on his body, and the unicorn squawked as he felt buckles and belts tightening around him, Sleipnir saying cheerfully: “I have decided to focus first on protection, and not mobility. In time, of course, we shall find what suits thee best, but for now I think this is wisest.”

Blueblood wasn't able to reply in anything more coherent than a few garbled swears: he felt like a toy in Sleipnir's hooves as the stallion moved him around with ease, zipping back and forth between the table and the unicorn to begin strapping armor plating over Blueblood's form.

It was thankfully only a few minutes with how fast the earth pony worked, and then Sleipnir stepped back and smiled, studying his craft with a thoughtful eye. “Aye... 'tis not as bad as I thought, after all! Tell me, Blue, where does it feel tightest? And does thou feel the sting of metal anywhere?”

Blueblood shifted slowly, then he looked moodily back and forth before scowling a bit as he turned towards the large, dusty mirror at the other side of the room. He walked over towards this, fidgeting grumpily with every step he took: it wasn't that the armor felt too heavy or uncomfortable on his body, but more the idea of actually wearing it, dressed like some common soldier...

Blueblood scowled as he stepped in front of the mirror, studying himself moodily. There was no pretty gold hue to his equipment: it was more of a bluish tinge, with his cutie mark etched over the breastplate. He leaned forwards, studying this eight-pointed burst moodily before he said distastefully: “This looks so... plain, apart from the fact I am apparently wearing my cutie mark upon my chest. I thought you said you wanted to hide me away, Sleipnir.”

“I doubt they will know who you are from that symbol alone, Blue: besides, 'tis a fitting mark for the adventurer thou art going to become! Thy compass shall help guide the way upon our quest.” Sleipnir said warmly, and Blueblood gave a short laugh at this.

“Excuse me? Did you just compare my cutie mark to... to a toy for colt scouts and wastrels who would prefer to wander the woods instead of take part in civilized society?” Blueblood asked with clear disgust, and Sleipnir looked oddly offended by this remark.

“Wastrels? Come now, there is no waste in nature: oh, speak what you will of your society and civilization, but 'tis in thy high culture where I see great waste most often.” Sleipnir said disapprovingly, and Blueblood scowled up at the earth pony. “Well, 'tis true! And aye, 'tis not as if I have not taken mine own enjoyments in excess as well, but I have never been very wise when it comes to such things.”

“Oh, believe me, I could certainly tell.” Blueblood said acidly, and then he huffed and looked back at the mirror, leaning back and forth before reaching up and flicking his mane back moodily. “Atrocious. No, this will never do. I cannot be seen in this... this... clown suit.”

Sleipnir looked for a moment at Blueblood, and then he said plainly: “If thou desires to better look the part of a clown, young prince, all thou needs do is remove thy armor.”

Blueblood took a moment to understand what Sleipnir was saying, and then he glared angrily at him, twitching a bit before he snapped: “Laugh all you want, you idiot, but you're never going to take my position and I refuse to be made to look like a laughingstock!”

Blueblood spun angrily away from the mirror, then began to grab wildly at his armor, trying uselessly to tug it off as Sleipnir said almost pleadingly: “Oh, come now! 'Twas just a joke, Blue, there is no need-”

“Stop calling me that! I am Prince Blueblood, and you will begin to address me as such! These... these Equestrians will learn respect for me whether they like it or not!” Blueblood almost shouted, but his voice shook as he continued to grab uselessly at himself. But his hooves were starting to tremble and he felt a ridiculous burst of utter powerlessness as he failed to find the opening to his own stupid armor, the stallion almost whimpering a string of swears as he finally tried to just grab one of the big cups over his shoulder and yank it off...

Sleipnir gently caught his hoof, and then he smiled faintly as he stepped in front of the prince, looking down at him with those kind eyes. Blueblood did his best to look back at him with defiance, but he could feel his resolve weakening, could feel himself trembling as the enormous earth pony said gently: “Now there is no need for that, young prince. Calm thyself now, all is well.”

The unicorn tried to lower his head, but it was so hard to turn away from Sleipnir's gaze, as the enormous earth pony reached up and gently squeezed his shoulders. “Now. Listen to me for a moment. I do not care about thy title or thy throne. I have all intent to leave Equestria, as soon as I can. But all things happen for a reason, so I believe there is a reason why destiny has chosen thou as my guide.”

Blueblood finally managed to drop his gaze, flushing faintly before he shook his head and muttered: “I... I don't care. I want to go home to Auntie Celestia. I am not your lackey or your friend, I... I am a prince. I am above such things.”

Sleipnir chuckled quietly, and then he smiled kindly and reached up to muss up the unicorn's mane, Blueblood squeaking before he glared hatefully at the earth pony. “Now that is nothing but silliness. All of us need friends. Why, even among the gods of Asgard, there was nothing more valuable than a good friend!”

“I am not an idiot, and I will not be taken in by your... your lies and delusions! You are nothing but a stupid pony, a great... a big stupid pony that probably fell out of a balloon or launched himself out of a catapult!” Blueblood snapped, glaring challengingly up at Sleipnir. “I don't believe in silly old myths and foal's tales!”

“But there are no greater sources of knowledge than those things!” Sleipnir argued, and then he smiled warmly before he headed over to the table, Blueblood scowling after him... then frowning a bit more curiously when Sleipnir picked up a helm, saying kindly: “And then I suppose this shan't mean much to thee, friend Blue... but all the same, I think it shall protect thee.”

Blueblood looked moody as Sleipnir approached with the helm, then held it out to him: the unicorn took it and turned it back and forth distastefully, studying the casque: it had a grill that could snap down over his eyes, a slot for his horn, and was tinted blue like the rest of his armor... but it also had a series of runes emblazoned over the dome of the helmet, the stallion asking moodily as he poked this spiral: “Your gods?”

“In a sense.” Sleipnir's eyes twinkled with mischief before he said kindly, tapping along the helm: “I have writ upon this helm the symbols of my most precious family, in the hopes that their strengths shall bless thee. These are not true runes, but derived from the emblems we wear, as ponies. All except for this... here, on top, this is the name of my father.”

“He must be so very proud of you.” Blueblood said disgustedly, looking down at the helm with contempt. “And he's waiting for you in Asgard?”

“Nay, he is not.” Sleipnir smiled, kind and unfettered even as he said softly: “He is dead.”

Blueblood flinched a little at this, looking up uncomfortably at Sleipnir before the earth pony said, his voice level, even warm as he tapped gently along the helm: “And this, 'tis the name of my mother, who died many years ago. This is my brother, executed for a crime he did not commit. These are my sisters, one who crippled herself to let us fight ahead, another whom was left behind to battle the fearsome foe I spoke of. And beside her, the names of those most precious to her, who stayed with her to fight the evil.

“This, here, is the name of my wife, who was banished beside me, and yet I know not where. This is my daughter, who was taken by Helheim, and whom I see too little of. These are my niece and nephew: one was corrupted by our foe, but fear not for her. She is stouthearted, and her family will bring her back in time. I only wish I was there, too, to help her once more see the light.”

Blueblood shifted uncomfortably, looking silently down over these symbols embossed over the helm and not knowing what to say. He bit his lip, then looked up as Sleipnir said kindly: “And it would mean much to me if thou would wear this helm, and perhaps share in our family's strength. For thou art to be my brother on this journey, art thou not? Therefore, I hope to have thou know my family as well as I hope thou shall know me.”

The young prince dropped his head awkwardly, and then he gave a weak smile before slowly raising the helmet and putting it on his head. Sleipnir smiled at him warmly, then reached up and slapped him on the shoulder, Blueblood flinching and tilting to the side slightly from the sheer strength of the stallion as he declared: “Aye, most wonderful! And thus thou and I shall be as kin, shall we not?”

Blueblood only gave a short laugh, and then he shook his head briefly before looking down and mumbling: “I can't help but notice that a lot of them are... well...”

But Sleipnir only cocked his head curiously, and Blueblood cleared his throat awkwardly after a moment before he grimaced and reached up, trying to shift his mane around as he muttered: “This is going to absolutely ruin my hair.”

“Nay, nay. Thou must merely learn to care a little differently for thy mane, as I did when I used to wear a helm. Although I admit 'tis very nice to now have my most gorgeous locks free for all the world to envy.” Sleipnir said cheerfully, gesturing at himself as he shook his head back and forth, and Blueblood couldn't help but give a short laugh.

“Your 'gorgeous locks?' Please. You look like a shrubbery that's outgrown its pot.” Blueblood said distastefully, and Sleipnir huffed at this, grasping his head almost protectively. “Not to mention it's thick enough to keep those gemstones in... I bet you have little animals living in there, too!”

“Nay, my older sister would never permit me to keep animals in my mane. She always said 'twas unhygienic. And considering that whenever I went against her wishes on the matter my head was pooped upon, I cannot help but agree.” Sleipnir said mildly, absently flicking his viny mane backwards.

Blueblood stared for a moment at the stallion, and then he felt a smile quirking at his muzzle. He did his damnedest to repress it, but then Sleipnir looked at him with his childlike seriousness, and after a moment Blueblood found himself laughing.

He managed to choke it down after a few seconds, but the damage was done: Sleipnir was grinning at him, and Blueblood grumbled under his breath before he covered his mouth and turned away, saying grouchily: “You... just get this armor off me, you peasant. Although it doesn't surprise me that even animals find the best use for your head is as a toilet. It certainly explains why you seem so full of-”

Sleipnir cut off the unicorn with a laugh, and Blueblood scowled suspiciously before the enormous earth pony said warmly: “There! See? I knew thou would warm to me in time.”

“What? What are you talking about? You... idiot peasant.” Blueblood frowned, looking moodily at Sleipnir as the big stallion stepped up beside him and started to easily remove his armor. “I thought I made it clear that all I care about is that you are gone, and I am safely back with Auntie, in my rightful place, which is in my rightful throne.”

“Thou may say that all thou pleases, but it does little to change what I know to be true.” Sleipnir said cheerfully, nodding once: Blueblood meant to argue, but then he flinched a little as an armor plate caught his side. “A pinch? Fear not, I shall work out all the kinks. Where was it tightest?”

“I... don't know.” Blueblood said after a moment, shifting uncomfortably: the whole sensation of being in armor had just felt so weird to him that he wasn't sure what to say.

All the same, Sleipnir smiled, slowing his pace a little and checking each piece of armor as he removed it now. “Well, fear not, my young friend. We shall certainly come to know whatever is bothersome with it as thou wears it more, and 'tis not as if I cannot make any adjustments on the road. 'Tis just nice to have such a well-kept forge available here and now.”

Blueblood grimaced a little, shifting back and forth: the thought of wearing this armor so often bothered him. But more than that, the thought of wearing the armor while it wasn't properly fitted... well, it would be better to deal with that now instead of later, right? “Well... uh... I suppose if I must, I can put it back on and... tell you where it's uncomfortable. Although this whole thing is uncomfortable. Wearing this wretched peasant's gear. I expected far better.”

Sleipnir looked up, and for a moment, Blueblood wondered if he'd finally managed to tick the stallion off... and then Sleipnir smiled at him. And no, that wasn't relief that Blueblood felt, and if it was relief, it was relief that the giant stallion wasn't going to hit him, because he had no doubt that since Sleipnir had little respect for his authority as prince, he'd have little problem with daring to lay hoof upon his noble body. “Fear not, my friend, 'tis not a great worry. Thou art most of the way out of thy armor, and I already see where amends can be made. We shall find the rest later.”

“I... good.” Blueblood mumbled, and then he turned awkwardly away as Sleipnir removed the last of his equipment. The prince was left in just the too-big shirt, shifting a little before he asked moodily: “I don't suppose I can put my clothes back on now, can I?”

“Oh, I would really rather thou did not. They are so stuffy and formal. Look at thou, thou looks much more pleasant this way.” Sleipnir said easily, gesturing towards him, and Blueblood scowled a little even as he shifted lamely from hoof to hoof. “But, if thou must, then go ahead. I will finish here and then tell Ironshoe that we are leaving.”

Blueblood nodded, feeling relieved... but only for a moment before another worry struck him, the prince asking awkwardly: “For where?”

Sleipnir looked up thoughtfully from examining the armor, and then he smiled over his shoulder and said finally: “We shall spend tonight in Canterlot. Then, tomorrow, we shall leave... but we shan't go very far. Tomorrow, instead, we are going to spend time getting to know each other, and training thee, outside of this city. There is an inn just past the mountains, is there not?”

“I... yes...” Blueblood said testily, grimacing a little: the 'inn,' as Sleipnir called it, would certainly suit the earth pony's tastes: simple, wood, and not at all fitting for a prince like himself. Blueblood only knew it because every winter, they held a small tournament there, and Auntie Celestia always dragged him along to watch all the skiing and skating and other silly little games...

Even in winter it was only ever crowded because Princess Celestia liked to watch the peasants and their little competitions, and the public all came to gawk at their matriarch... and of course, to try and get in his favor, too, since he was prince. He didn't want to imagine what it was going to be like now, in late summer: they probably wouldn't even have that disgusting excuse for wine they served them every year.

That made his stomach twist, and Blueblood grimaced a little as he rubbed at his belly, asking moodily: “Is it time to eat yet? I haven't had a thing since breakfast.”

Not that he was really very hungry: the lingering smells of this place and Sleipnir both did a good job of keeping his appetite at bay, and he was still tired from spending all day sitting in that uncomfortable little chair. He just craved something, like chocolate or a cake or some other baked delicacy, heaped with sugar and icing...

“Ten minutes here, and then we shall say our goodbyes and find our dinner. Will thou check if any of thy soldiers are outside? They are quite well-trained... it seems one at all times has been keeping watch on this place, trading off every hour with another.” Sleipnir said absently, and Blueblood scowled at what was obviously some bald-faced lie made up to just make the earth pony seem psychic or something else ridiculous.

“I don't see why I should bother if you already know everything.” Blueblood said haughtily, and Sleipnir smiled amusedly over his shoulder before he turned his eyes back to the armor on the table.

No, he didn't know everything... but the mirror was at the right angle to let him see from the forge into the front of the building, and out through the dusty but wide windows. Sleipnir imagined that the mirror served two purposes: obviously so that customers could see themselves in their equipment, but also so that Ironshoe could see if anyone entered his shop while he was working.

He didn't bother to explain that, though, or to chastise Blueblood: there would be no point right now. No, what his new little friend needed wasn't anger and reprimands, but a little bit of kindness and compassion. Lecturing could be saved for later, when the colt was ready to listen to him. For now, he would rather concentrate on gaining the young prince's trust, and learning more about him.

After all, nature had taught him that the worst barbs and brambles concealed the most rare and magnificent blossoms.

Rumbles And Rockworms

Chapter Four: Rumbles And Rockworms
~BlackRoseRaven

Prince Blueblood did not like the accommodations that Sleipnir chose, and was very vocal in his protests. But all he managed to do was annoy all the ponies around him... except, of course, for the unflappable, apparently eternally-patient stallion of his absolute worst nightmares.

Eventually, the young prince had tired himself out and grouchily sat down with Sleipnir at a table in the common room. Someone had hit him with a rolled-up napkin, but he'd been too frustrated with the world to do more than glare around with disgust before they'd been served some cheap-tasting sandwiches and ale. Disgusting, low-brow, smelly ale.

At least one of the Royal Guard had finally fetched him some water. It came in a dirty glass, and it was utterly tasteless, but it was at least something he could drink. He had mourned the fact they couldn't even get a decent sparkling or any flavored water, but he realized now that he shouldn't have been so surprised. Sleipnir apparently wanted to 'rough it,' after all.

Now, here he was. Laying in an uncomfortable bed above a bar that was still rowdy with noise, all because that idiot Sleipnir had insisted on teaching his twenty new best friends the Royal Guard some silly drinking song. By now they were probably all drunk stupid, and Blueblood just wondered how many gemstones Sleipnir could pull out of his precious hair – or his enormous rump, for that matter – and if it would be enough to pay for all this... ridiculousness.

Blueblood huffed and hugged himself, rolling over in bed and scowling. At least he hadn't had to stay down there with all those idiots. At least they'd let him head up to his room, alone. At least he didn't have to put up with Sleipnir. At least there was that.

He stared at the wall, wearing only his long, flowing nightshirt that he favored because it did a good job of hiding his paunch, and then he sighed a bit and reached up to silently rub at his hairnet-covered head. He missed Canterlot. He missed Auntie Celestia, and how she tucked him in at night and kissed his forehead and her little blessing every night. He missed the good dream charms that Auntie Celestia had made Auntie Luna make for him, so he never had to worry about nightmares... what if he had a nightmare tonight? What if he got cold? What if he had to go to the bathroom?

He shivered at the last thought: there was one bathroom down the hall, apparently shared between the guests on this floor. And with the twenty soldiers downstairs being led into drinking themselves into stupors, he figured it was going to be full all night of stallions who wouldn't be able to aim very well or who would end up painting the porcelain with puke... and Blueblood was rather sure that the little bathroom was going to be far from sanitary, anyway.

And what about in the morning? He had to brush his teeth, and comb his mane, and there were a thousand other little things to attend to that he wouldn't be able to do without a proper dressing room! What was he supposed to do, just... climb out of bed and put on his clothes? And speaking of clothing, what about laundry?

Blueblood curled up in a little ball on top of the bed, reaching for the covers... and then shivering and leaving them at the foot of the furnishing. No, no, who knew how many times they'd been... messed on. This whole place was unsanitary and undignified, and he imagined all of Canterlot Castle was laughing at him right now... maybe even Auntie was getting a giggle or two out of this, him stuck out here alone and miserable... a little colt without his goodnighties...

The white unicorn clenched his eyes shut, shaking his head back and forth before he jumped as there was a knock at the door. He whirled around just as the door opened, flinging himself back against the wall in terror as a big stallion let himself into his room... and then the young prince twitched as he realized it was Sleipnir, howling: “What the hell are you doing in my quarters?”

“I knocked.” Sleipnir said in an injured voice, and then the earth pony gave him that big, annoying, childish smile as he said cheerfully: “I wish to discuss my plans with thou, that is all. Thou strikes me as the type who does best when there is a schedule to keep, even though I assure thee I shall ruin all our plans more often than we make them.”

Blueblood scowled at Sleipnir, but then he nodded grudgingly, brushing himself off and sitting at the edge of the bed. Sleipnir smiled and approached, dropping on his rump with a thunk before he paused and peered at the cap on the unicorn's head. “I applaud thy creativity in disguising thyself as a mushroom, young prince. But I fear 'tis only covering thy head.”

“I... what?” Blueblood reached up and touched his poofy hairnet, and then he scowled moodily at Sleipnir. “Oh, ha ha.”

“Ha ha indeed.” Sleipnir agreed jovially, and then he paused for a moment before asking: “Art thou sure thou will not join us downstairs for a drink? All our friends are drunk, and I am sure they would find thee most agreeable.”

“They are not our 'friends,' they are my servants.” Blueblood said testily, glowering at Sleipnir before he leaned in and sniffed a few times... then wrinkled up his muzzle with disgust and waved a hoof back and forth. “And you already reek like a distillery.”

“Oh, quaff thy big words. Thou reminds me now of my brother. He too would always deride me with such big words.” Sleipnir paused meditatively. “Although I suppose I cannot blame him. My sister always made a mare of him, after all, and a mare's words are her sharpest weapon against any stallion.”

Blueblood rolled his eyes, then sat back and said distastefully: “Get to the point, Sleipnir. I want to sleep this nightmare away.”

“Oh, thou should never sleep away thy nightmares. Thou should tend to them, for nightmares make the best bedtime companions.” Sleipnir winked, but Blueblood only continued to look at him crankily until the enormous stallion sighed and rolled his eyes. “Oh, very well, great... sponge. That is what thou are, a wet sponge. I would call thee a wet blanket but thou keeps all to thyself, sucks thyself into a little ball, and that is what sponges do. They are selfish little wet balls.”

The unicorn's face puckered at this, glaring at Sleipnir as Sleipnir looked back mildly, and then the earth pony suddenly smiled and said cheerfully: “Well, tomorrow thou shall drink with us, thou cannot be sad forever.”

“I doubt it.” Blueblood muttered moodily, hugging himself and glowering irritably at the stallion.

“Aye, so do I.” Sleipnir agreed, apparently misinterpreting what the prince meant. “But for now, I shall not tarry long here, and nor shall I force thee to come downstairs and share a glass of ale, if thou prefers thy solitude. But let us speak of business now.”

Sleipnir brushed absently at his bare breast, and Blueblood looked at him suspiciously before the earth pony asked curiously: “Hast thou ever been trained in... well, I know thou art no fighter, but what about athletics? What... games does thou like to play, what hobbies interest thee?”

Blueblood looked dumbfounded at this question, and then he huffed before saying grumpily: “Well, I have always held myself above such petty things, but...”

The prince halted, shifting a little, and then he shook his head before grumbling and looking away in embarrassment. “It's none of your business what I enjoy. Besides, I... I simply haven't had enough time for the last few years to do anything like that. I've been busy with... politics, and running Equestria, and... other important princely work.”

Sleipnir smiled wryly at this, but then he simply nodded and said kindly: “Very well, I shan't press thee if thou does not wish to speak of it. But tomorrow, after we reach the inn, we shall stop to train. How does that sound?”

“Unwelcome.” Blueblood said moodily, but he shifted a bit, studying Sleipnir intently. Was the big oaf actually going to teach him to fight, was that what he was saying? Auntie had never allowed him to take part in any fighting... why, she'd even gotten mad at him when he'd taken some of the Magic Academy's self-defense lessons!

Sure, part of him quailed at the thought that he might have to actually do... work. He might have to get dirty, maybe even learn all those things that Shining Armor was always blathering on about. But at the same time, he felt like there was a little spark of excitement worming around in him at the thought of maybe being a real live... well... “What... uh... what do you mean?”

Sleipnir could hear it in Blueblood's voice, and it made him smile softly... but also with a faint hint of sadness. It was just like he'd thought: this handsome stallion prince in front of him was still nothing more than a colt beneath all those layers of arrogance and selfishness, and he had no idea what he was getting into. And Sleipnir was both honored and a little... sad that he would be the one to teach him why legends of adventurers were so thrilling and happy... and yet all the same, were also stories of warning. “Oh, do not worry, Blue. 'Twill be hard at first, but thou shall come to enjoy thyself, learning the arts that I can teach thee.”

Yes, just like a colt, he expected: but while it filled him with happiness to have a student, at the same time, it made him feel a strange pang of what was almost guilt, knowing what would come after training, knowing what awaited all who lived by the rule of the sword and hoof. In his heart, he trusted the path he'd chosen... but that didn't mean he couldn't mourn for what he knew would lay in the days ahead.

But perhaps it was just the ale making him sad... or rather, the lack thereof. So Sleipnir straightened and smiled, asking kindly: “Art thou sure thou will not join us for a drink? Or... I can even bring thee up a flagon, and we can share a drink together before thou goes to sleep. What say thee to that, Blue?”

Blueblood was admittedly a little surprised by the offer: for a few moments, he studied Sleipnir almost awkwardly, and then he finally cleared his throat before shaking his head, saying finally: “Uh... no. No. I'm... going to go to bed. It's been a... trying day.”

It... hadn't, really. Sure, he was homesick and a little tired, and he was very unhappy about where they were staying and it was loud and he knew he'd have a hard time sleeping... but really, today hadn't actually been awful, as much as he hated to admit that.

Sleipnir smiled at him, and Blueblood wondered how the hell the big lummox managed to do that all the time. Always look so happy... “Fear not then, young friend. I shall leave thee to thy rest, but we shall see that thou joins us sooner or later.”

The young prince nodded awkwardly, shifting a little and not quite knowing what to say. But Sleipnir only stood up and stretched before turning and heading for the door, saying gently over his shoulder: “Sleep well, Blue. We shall leave earlier in the morning than I expect most of our friends will like.”

The ivory unicorn only gave another lame nod, then he cleared his throat and looked away until Sleipnir closed the door. Then Blueblood sighed and rolled over, settling on top of the bed and curling up to hug himself as he mumbled: “Goodnight, idiot.”

Blueblood slowly crawled out of bed after a long night of tossing and turning, looking exhausted. It was quiet now, at least, and he dragged himself out into the hall before counting his blessings when he saw the bathroom door was wide open and there were no other ponies around.

After using the bathroom, washing his face, and neatening his mane, he felt a little more alive. He returned to his room, and putting on some clothing made him feel even better, smiling a little to himself. He was sure by now that Auntie Celestia was missing him... maybe soon she'd send a letter, asking him to come home. And it hadn't been so bad, really, had it?

Blueblood packed up his things, then headed down to the common room: there was a single waitress on duty, but not a single other pony around. She served him strong coffee and a large bagel, and even if he had to put butter and cream cheese on it himself... it was still breakfast, and it was... adequate, he supposed.

The prince helped himself to a newspaper, going through his usual morning rituals almost without even realizing it. It helped him feel a lot... calmer and more confident about things, though, gave him that sense of control that he craved.

He hummed a little under his breath, then put down the newspaper, raising his hoof to signal for another coffee... before staring in disbelief as he saw Sleipnir was now sitting across the table from him, smiling at him childishly. Blueblood mouthed wordlessly, wondering how the hell the giant of an earth pony had all-but-materialized before Sleipnir leaned forwards and whispered: “I shall be quiet, young prince. I know not to interrupt monarchy as it reads. I learned this after my most beloved sister set my precious mane on fire for interrupting her own morning reading.”

Blueblood scowled at this, then he began to look up as the waitress approached... but Sleipnir cheerfully slammed a hoof against the table, Blueblood yelping and nearly falling out of his seat before the earth pony declared amiably: “I shall have some of that delicious coffee, thy finest fruits, and a fine mare to join me! And as thou art the only fine mare that I can see, it shall have to be thee!”

The waitress blushed deeply, then mumbled and hurried away, and Blueblood stared in disbelief after the mare before he slapped his forehead and asked irritably: “Can you be any more stupid?”

“Oh, good, thou must be done reading. Thou art using thy bossy voice.” Sleipnir said blandly, and then he paused and peered at him thoughtfully. “Thou looked so serene when thou wert at study. So pleasant. And now thou looks so... so...”

Blueblood scowled darkly at Sleipnir, and the earth pony chewed on his tongue, considering his words for a few moments before he said finally: “A wet cat.”

The young prince didn't even think this was worthy of a response, huffing and grabbing his newspaper to shield himself from Sleipnir with it, and the earth pony quickly covering his mouth with his hooves, whispering: “Very well. I shall be quiet.”

Blueblood ignored him as best he could... but he could almost feel Sleipnir just sitting there, staring at him. It made it hard to concentrate on any of the articles as he fought not to look around the newspaper... and eventually, the newspaper began to shake in his hooves as he ground his teeth together in frustration, before finally slamming it down and hissing: “What?”

Sleipnir blinked a few times as if awakening from a daze, and then he simply smiled and shrugged. “Oh, nothing. I was simply thinking of the days long past, 'tis all. When town criers would carry the news, and all came from gossip and tale-telling, and we weren't all so fortunate to be literate.”

“I suppose you were one of the illiterate many, yes?” Blueblood asked disdainfully, but to his surprise, Sleipnir shook his head quite seriously.

“Oh, nay. I could not afford to be.” he replied, and Blueblood frowned in surprise at this before the enormous stallion continued: “Well, not just because my older sibling insisted upon my learning, but also because the day is rarely won with brute force alone, young prince. Oh, I shan't lie. To have strength enough to tie a dragon into a pretty bow that I may wear upon my head is most useful. But 'tis utterly useless if I cannot read the large and glaring sign that warns me of death ahead, or if I cannot decipher a riddle or understand the mechanics behind a trap.”

As Blueblood processed this, the waitress returned with a pot of coffee, a mug, and a large bowl of cut fruit. She put this down in front of Sleipnir... then blushed when he kicked a chair out, smiling over at her as he quickly filled the mug with coffee, then shoved it neatly in front of the open space. “Here, sit and drink and make us stallions smile with thy presence alone! For nothing warms the spirit more than a gorgeous mare.”

To Blueblood's disbelief, the mare blushed a bit, then actually sat, even if it was hesitant. And Sleipnir smiled wider at her before he offered her the bowl of sliced fruit as well, saying cheerfully: “There, is that not better? Now, I would like thee to meet Blue, my youthful traveling companion. He and I are on a great quest and we were just discussing what one needs for great adventures. And what does thou think, most pretty mare, one needs for adventures?”

“Uh...” The mare looked awkwardly at Sleipnir, then suggested meekly: “Courage?”

“Aye! Courage!” Sleipnir pounded a hoof against the table, smiling approvingly before he turned his eyes towards Blueblood, who shifted uncomfortably in his seat. “And do either of thee know what true courage is, my friends?”

Blueblood huffed at this, and then he said moodily: “I suppose in your case it's being too stupid to be afraid of anything.”

“Oh, nay, that is not courage in the slightest. That is simply me being thick of skull.” Sleipnir replied pleasantly, shrugging easily as he knocked on his head a few times. Blueblood only rolled his eyes, feeling sour as the mare laughed a little and bashfully picked up the coffee mug, studying Sleipnir with fascination... but of course she was more interested in him. Sleipnir was the manipulative, giant handsome stallion with that stupid charming smile of his, who could apparently sweep in and yank every mare off her hooves...

The mare shifted a little as Sleipnir looked at her, and Blueblood could swear he had some kind of... secret power. Some kind of special magic or mojo or he didn't know what as she looked back at him... then finally asked hesitantly: “Courage is... not being afraid?”

“Close, very close. For I have been afraid many times in my life: courage means to propel thyself forwards in spite of thy fears. Courage is not so much not being afraid, for at times, to not feel fear would be the folly of madness, not wisdom.” Sleipnir said gently, nodding to the mare firmly. “Do both of thee understand?”

“That's idiotic.” Blueblood mumbled, shifting a little in his seat. That sounded like a foal's notion... and he couldn't imagine, anyway, how a normal pony was just supposed to... to swallow their fear. “Besides, it must be easy for you. You're the one who claims to be some... god, is it? You fell from Asgard and all, which is Heaven, yes?”

“Nay, I am merely a pony. Although once upon a time I managed to stand upon mine head for ten entire minutes without falling over, and if there is any feat more godly than that, thou art welcome to show me.” Sleipnir said seriously, nodding a few times, and the mare giggled a little as Blueblood only groaned and rolled his eyes. “But nay. Even the Valkyries feel fear at times, my young friend.”

Blueblood crossed his forelegs grumpily, and the mare sipped quietly at her coffee, studying Sleipnir as the earth pony smiled and leaned back in his seat. There was only silence for a little while, and the prince found himself shifting uncomfortably, wanting to break it... with an insult or a slur or some biting remark, yes, but to break it all the same.

After a few minutes, though, one of the Royal Guard finally dragged himself into the room, looking hungover and exhausted. Blueblood was half-tempted to make some nasty remark about drinking on duty, but as if Sleipnir was able to read his mind, the earth pony leaned back and said kindly: “Fear not, friend, I take full responsibility for all that happened last night. I forget sometimes that not all ponies are so fond of their ale as I am. Sit and rest, and... dear mare, will thou prepare us more of thy coffee? And biscuits. They will need biscuits.”

The waitress nodded awkwardly, standing up... then blushing when Sleipnir caught her before she could step away, the stallion smiling at her. “If thou needs any help, I shall gladly offer my services. I often help out in a bakery, I shall have thee know.”

The mare only blushed again, then awkwardly shuffled off, and Blueblood scowled moodily at Sleipnir before he asked irritably: “Do they have many bakeries in Heaven? Or is that a job reserved for the mighty warriors like you?”

“Oh, no, I do not live in Asgard, do not be silly. 'Tis all stuffy up there, with rules and nonsense.” Sleipnir said cheerfully, shaking his head quickly. “Aye, 'tis my home, so to speak, and I rushed to defend her when 'twas needed. But all the same, my true home is upon another realm of Midgard much like this one. Another Equestria... did thou not listen when I explained all this before?”

Blueblood only looked at the stallion, again wondering if he had always been delusional, or the fall from the sky had something to do with what was very clearly insanity. And yet at the same time, he wondered how someone so utterly, completely mad could be so charming and friendly and... well... seem so honest.

He guessed that was what being delusional really meant, though: you actually believed these silly, insane things that you said. Blueblood almost felt pity for the giant of a stallion... or he would, if Sleipnir wasn't also a pretender to the throne. A manipulator. Secretly-evil.

Although it was getting harder and harder for him to hold onto those thoughts: the damned stallion just kept... smiling at him and being so... no, no. He's doing this just to trick you. Don't be a fool, Blueblood. Don't trust him. You can't trust anypony... you just can't.

The unicorn's eyes slid off to the side as his features tightened a little, and then he blinked and looked up when Sleipnir shook him gently by one shoulder. “Art thou alright?”

“Fine. Fine.” Blueblood mumbled, and then he cleared his throat before swatting Sleipnir's hoof away, adding grouchily: “And please stop touching me. Why do you always have to try and touch me? Why do you always have to touch everything?”

“Because.” Sleipnir said simply, sniffing loudly. Then he patted his hooves all along the table before grabbing the bowl of fruit and lifting it to his face, shoving his head down in it and gobbling down the food.

Blueblood reared back in revulsion, shivering a little as he stared with abject horror at the stallion before Sleipnir rose his head and burped loudly. Then he dropped the bowl and smiled, rubbing absently at his stomach as he declared: “Most delicious!”

He paused, then grabbed the pot of coffee and tilted it back over his mouth as he opened it wide, pouring a stream of dark liquid straight down his throat. Blueblood mouthed wordlessly in disbelief at the sight of this, and then Sleipnir slammed the empty pot down and gave a sigh of contentment, smiling warmly and licking his lips slowly. “I shall admit, I have never been as fond of this stuff as my sister, but it does give a pleasant kick. I suppose 'tis fine and well enough to have in moderation, now and then.”

“You just drank half a pot, you... you pig!” Blueblood exclaimed, gesturing sharply at the huge stallion. Sleipnir huffed at this remark, but the prince only shook his head, shivering and saying moodily: “You are absolutely... inexcusable.”

“Oh, aye. I am the inexcusable one here, certainly.” Sleipnir said wryly, sitting up and tenting his hooves together as he looked pointedly at Blueblood. “Thou art no great ray of sunshine thyself, I shall have thee know.”

The prince only scowled at Sleipnir, reminded of all the reasons why he hated this stupid stallion. And to think, for half-a-second, he'd actually been afraid he might have fallen for the big oaf's dumb charm.

But he wasn't about to let that happen in a thousand years. He'd rather be sent to the moon that be friends with this grinning idiot.

Blueblood dragged his hooves sulkily, dressed in his armor and with a loathsome baby-blue bandanna tied around his head to keep his hair out of his eyes. It was hot, and they had been walking for... for almost an entire hour.

He was tired and sore and cranky and his mane was completely ruined thanks to the beating sun and all this disgusting sweat he was coated with. Oh, sure, the Royal Guard seemed to be having a pleasant enough time, marching along in double-file along the road, and Sleipnir was trotting along like a foal, smiling around at everything on the mountain path, but... they were all used to this sort of thing! They were big stupid jocks, meant to do... menial labor, and he was a distinguished, refined prince.

The ivory stallion dropped his head grumpily, blowing away a wisp of hair that floated down over one eye. He almost wished for his helm, just so he could hide his face from anypony who might pass... not that this mountain road was all that often used. Why bother, when there was the train station in Canterlot that could go anywhere, better-traveled carriage roads, or even flight?

But no, no. Sleipnir had been insistent about going down this grassy... rut. That was all it was, a rut. A disgusting sloppy... mess. Blueblood grumbled under his breath, then shook himself quickly out before he mumbled: “I cannot believe what I've been reduced to...”

“Oh, thou art not reduced, thou art... thou art engorged! Swelling, growing, getting bigger!” Sleipnir said cheerfully, and there were a few snickers from the Royal Guards as Blueblood only looked sourly at the enormous earth pony leading the column. “Well, thou knows what I speak of.”

“How much further?” Blueblood asked grumpily, and Sleipnir shrugged cheerfully as he turned his eyes ahead, studying the distance thoughtfully as he paused for a moment to dig one hoof into the ground.

Then he gave a short nod before looking over his shoulder and declaring: “'Tis but a short distance. It should take us only half a day's march more.”

“Half... half a day? It'll be evening by the time we get there!” Blueblood snapped, glaring furiously at the earth pony as he skidded to a halt. Sleipnir came to a stop himself, and a moment later, so did the entire column of Royal Guard behind them before the young prince narrowed his eyes. “Wait a moment... the hotel is not nearly that far away-”

“Well, aye, but it is so pleasant here I thought we could walk a more scenic route.” Sleipnir said reasonably, and Blueblood twitched a bit before the stallion said cheerfully, gesturing straight ahead: “Nature has told me that it would be wiser to enjoy today's journey than rush. So I decided-”

“So you decided. So you decided!” Blueblood snapped, glaring furiously at Sleipnir as one of his eyes twitched. “Oh, because of course, it's only your decision that matters, is that right? Need I remind you that I am a prince, Sleipnir? I am prince!”

Sleipnir looked for a few moments at Blueblood, and then he softened a little and bowed his head humbly. “Thou art right.”

For a moment, Blueblood looked stupefied, unable to believe that maybe he'd finally gotten the message through to the stallion, before the enormous earth pony said honestly: “'Twas very rude of me not to consider my companion's thoughts. Thou art my equal on this journey, and my guide. I should have asked for thy opinion on this decision before I made it for us both.”

Blueblood twitched a bit, then shifted awkwardly as he turned his eyes away, not even entirely sure of what he should say until he finally mumbled: “Well, you're... you're half-right, at least. Maybe even a stallion as... slow and stupid as you can learn something from all this.”

Sleipnir only shrugged and smiled kindly, and there was silence for a few moments before the earth pony asked gently: “So what would thou prefer? Shall we continue our trek, or shall we turn our eyes towards the inn and make our way there now? But I warn thee, nature has said-”

“Nature, I'm sure, says a lot of things. But I think I speak for all of us when I say it would be nice to get out of this heat.” Blueblood said irritably, gesturing at the Royal Guard behind him. Of course, none of the soldiers spoke up, but it wasn't as if the stallion had really counted on their support, anyway: he knew they preferred Sleipnir over him.

But none of them spoke out, either, and the enormous earth pony seemed to take their silence into consideration as much as Blueblood's words before he finally gave a hesitant nod, saying finally: “Very well then, but... I do not know if this is-”

“I have made my decision, Sleipnir. You asked me, and I have told you. So let's go.” Blueblood replied acidly, and the earth pony gave a loud sigh, but then grudgingly nodded. “Good.”

Sleipnir only grunted, shifting a little: at first, Blueblood thought he might actually be annoyed, which gave him a childish, nasty sort of pleasure. But after they resumed their walk, he realized that Sleipnir was keeping closer to the group now, and it wasn't annoyance... it was nervousness.

Still, the idea that they should be wasting all day in these mountains because Sleipnir had some bad gut feeling was ridiculous. They were civilized ponies, who believed in science and logic, not... dull superstition and omens from nature. Magic was one thing, but the idea of hearing voices in the wind or seeing premonitions, that was all ridiculous...

It was only twenty minutes before the inn came into sight: it was a good distance away at the bottom of a twisting mountain path, but Blueblood smiled in relief at the sight of it. He began to hurry a little faster along the winding road... then scowled when Sleipnir reached up and stopped him, saying apprehensively: “We should be cautious. Does thou not smell that?”

“All I smell is sweat and you.” Blueblood said distastefully, grimacing and shifting moodily away from the enormous earth pony. Then he scowled a little up at the stallion as a thought came across his mind... “You're just trying to slow us down, aren't you? You... you want us to go back to just doing things your way, that's all!”

“No, oh, damnation!” Sleipnir groaned loudly, looking flatly down at Blueblood. “Thou art reminding me more and more of one rather beautiful and terrible mare I had the awful misfortune of bedding one night. She was rapture upon the eyes and delightful to the touch, but her silken petals hid a most foul poison. 'Twas not half a night before I realized she was quite mad when she accused me of attempting to steal her riches away.”

“You'll pardon me, Sleipnir, but I may find myself siding with the mare when it comes to you.” Blueblood said testily, shoving past the stallion and continuing grouchily down the mountain path. “Now stop dallying and stop trying to get everything your way. I am the prince here and-”

The ground beneath Blueblood suddenly cracked and shook, the stallion yelping in surprise as he stumbled forwards before the ledge he had been striding across gave out completely, sending him spilling down the side of the mountain in a hail of dust and rocks and dirt. He yelled in terror as he bounced and rolled down the mountainside, looking wildly back and forth before he hit a plateau, rolling to the edge of this with a curse and covering his head automatically as several rocks bounced painfully over his body, making his armor clang and groan.

Then there was silence for a few moments, Blueblood wheezing quietly before he frowned uneasily as he heard something hissing behind him. The unicorn began to tremble before he slowly rose his head, looking over his shoulder before his eyes widened in horror at the sight of the long, segmented worm that slowly twisting its way out of a large crack in the hillside, its sawblade-filled mouth opening and closing eagerly as it blindly slithered towards the pony...

Blueblood quaked helplessly, unable to even make a sound as the enormous worm slithered its way towards him: it was as thick as a pony's limb, but more and more and more of it just kept coiling out and out of the mountain as it slithered eagerly towards him.

And now it had almost reached him, the stallion leaning back as the worm began to rear up, its jaws opening hungrily as that hissing sound it was making grew ever louder-

“Hey, whoa!” Sleipnir shouted, and a moment later the stallion landed with a tremendous bang beside the worm. Immediately, the enormous beast snapped around in a circle, moving like lightning... but to Blueblood's shock, Sleipnir was even faster, batting it away with one hoof with ease before he easily hopped over its long body when it tried to coil around him. “Oh, so thou desires to play, great wretched thing? Here, here I am, here!”

The worm lashed itself around, darting at Sleipnir again, but he once more slapped it away as he danced easily around its coils, even as the creature's long tail finally whipped out of the crevice it had emerged from to snap at him like a whip. It was attacking him with every part of its body, biting and lashing and trying to constrict, but Sleipnir only continued to shout and leap back and forth, whacking away both the head and the whip-like tail whenever they drew too close.

Finally, the worm either seemed to tire itself out or became dazed from being hit one too many times by the earth pony, swaying almost drunkenly before it lurched more than darted at Sleipnir. But the earth pony simply leaned forwards and slammed his head square into the worm's, knocking it flopping backwards, and the immense thing twitched weakly a few times in the dirt.

Sleipnir smiled at this, and Blueblood watched with disbelief as the stallion easily picked up the worm. And then, in front of the prince's disbelieving eyes, the earth pony smoothly tied the enormous insect into the shape of a bow before kindly setting it down, the worm spasming a little but now unable to do more than wiggle weakly back and forth.

Blueblood mouthed wordlessly for a few moments, and Sleipnir glanced over at him curiously before he strode towards the unicorn and reached down, easily hauling him up to his hooves as he said kindly: “Do not fear, young prince. I have encountered these creatures before, snake-worms that hunt by sound and vibration. I have done him no harm, fear not for him, though: he will untangle himself by tonight and will have forgotten our misadventure here by the morrow. But we should perhaps send warning of this back to Canterlot: 'tis little wonder Mother Nature warned me so.”

He nodded with a self-satisfied smile, and the unicorn looked blankly back and forth between the big, cheerful stallion and the mottled, awful worm-beast that had just tried to eat him after he'd rolled what felt like a hundred feet down down a pile of sharp rocks. For a few moments, there was nothing in his mind but static... and then the young prince simply snapped.

“What is wrong with you?” Blueblood almost screamed in response, and Sleipnir winced backwards before he began to gesture wildly at the unicorn, making shushing noises and waving his hooves back and forth. But Blueblood didn't even notice, continuing to howl at the top of his lungs: “First you shove me down a cliff and now you... you're defending that hideous parasite, and you think all of this is okay? You think we're okay? We're not okay! I am not okay! This is not okay!”

Sleipnir tried to grab the unicorn, but Blueblood slapped wildly at him with his front hooves, making the earth pony flinch and cover his face to try and avoid the hail of weak blows. “No, stop it, keep... keep your filthy hooves off me, you miscreant! I am a prince! I am Prince of Equestria and I will not be treated like this, you dirty peasant! You swine! You monster! I am-”

And then the entire mountain vibrated, both Sleipnir and Blueblood stumbling and then falling on their rumps before the mountainside all-but-exploded as a far, far larger worm ripped its way out of the rock wall. It hissed furiously at them, revealing teeth the size of daggers as it loomed slowly higher and higher in the air... then paused at a faint whimpering.

Slowly, it turned towards this, then seemed almost to stare down at the smaller worm as it wiggled helplessly. The massive beast's jaws slowly closed as it turned back towards Sleipnir and Blueblood, and the earth pony leaned carefully over to the quaking unicorn to whisper: “Thou should be quiet, because these rockworms live in families. And that, I believe, must be matriarch.”

Blueblood swallowed thickly, and then he leaned over and asked weakly: “But... but they're just stupid bugs, right?”

Mother Worm leaned forwards and roared furiously as her jaws gaped towards them, and Blueblood screamed like a filly and flung himself backwards before Sleipnir jumped to his hooves and spun around, tossing the unicorn onto his back as he bolted towards the edge of the plateau.

Sleipnir leapt fearlessly off the ledge and landed on the steep mountain slope, skidding for a few moments before he broke into a sprint. And not a moment too soon, as Mother Worm lunged over the edge of the cliff and smashed face-first into the rock where Sleipnir had been a moment before, sending up a spray of gravel and stony debris before she lurched after them with another screaming hiss that almost swallowed up Blueblood's own high-pitched shriek.

The unicorn kicked his hind legs wildly as he clung to Sleipnir for dear life with his forelimbs, yelling and howling as the goliath worm slowly closed in on them. It was going to swallow them whole, gobble them up, and then he was going to be nothing but the prince of worm-food, stuck with Sleipnir for all eternity... which would end up being very short, since he doubted it would take the worm long to digest them both.

Sleipnir, however, was grinning as he charged down the steep slope, then he suddenly leapt sharply to the side as Mother Worm lunged: she again bit down on only the rock face, but immediately slung herself forwards again after the stallion.

The stallion was fast, though, dodging to the side, and the worm instead hit the stone face beside him before it propelled itself forwards, hissing furiously as it tried to twist to the side to scoop up the ponies. But just as it did, Sleipnir leapt upwards... then kicked off of Mother Worm's head fearlessly, sending it crashing face-first into the slope.

They landed, and Blueblood gaped over his shoulder in disbelief as the stunned Mother Worm, watching as it shook itself out before the beast gave a roar of fury and lunged after them. The unicorn's screams immediately renewed, shaking Sleipnir wildly as he howled: “Do something do something do something! It's coming!”

Sleipnir winced a bit, but even with the distraction, he didn't miss a beat: the mammoth worm lunged at his back suddenly, but the stallion sidestepped before leaping up onto its massive, mottled body, skidding along its scabrous flesh before he suddenly threw himself into another high jump, a moment before the monster lashed its coils outwards as it attempted to spin around at the same time.

Sleipnir landed just above Mother Worm's jaws, hooves pounding over its head before he kicked off, sending the monster lurching face-first into the rocky mountain with a tremendous bang. The stallion landed neatly and skidded several feet before he looked sharply ahead, noting that the inn was only a short distance away... and Blueblood wildly yanked on his mane, looking over his shoulder in terror as the groggy Mother Worm started to stir. “Go, go, go, we can make it!”

“The beast eats through solid stone, Blueblood, a house of wood alone will not be enough to save us.” Sleipnir reasoned calmly, and then he shook his head before smiling suddenly and bucking Blueblood off his back and into one foreleg, the prince looking stupefied.

For one wild moment, he thought that Sleipnir was about to sacrifice him to the monster... and then the enormous stallion gently set him down before saying kindly: “Go and wait for me over yonder, Blue. I shall be but a moment. I shall try and reason with her.”

“R-Reason? Reason!” Blueblood spluttered, but before he could point out all the things wrong with Sleipnir's idea, the earth pony gently slapped him on the back... and Blueblood went skidding down the steep, rocky slope on his rump, squealing the entire time as he scrambled wildly for purchase before finally overbalancing and rolling painfully onto his back.

It at least let him stare up the mountain, watching with horror as Sleipnir calmly approached Mother Worm. The stallion was smiling pleasantly as the beast coiled itself and reared its head high, snarling as a body that seemed miles long shivered behind it and its saw-like jaws dripped drool and slime. “I wish to parley!”

Mother Worm hissed at the earth pony as he halted in front of her, spreading his forelegs wide and smiling warmly. “We have had naught but a misunderstanding, matriarch, for wish I would most sincerely like to apologize. Perchance we can put all this behind us?”

Mother Worm leaned slowly down towards Sleipnir, and Sleipnir smiled hopefully... before the enormous beast lurched forwards. And from where he was laying, Blueblood slapped his forelegs over his face in horror, realizing that now that the beast was done with Sleipnir, it was surely-

“Oh, now, wait, that is far too affectionate!” came an impossible voice, and Blueblood mouthed wordlessly before he stared through his forelegs at the sight of... of Sleipnir, easily holding Mother Worm back by the top of her head as she uselessly attempted to grind forwards, trying to bite him but unable to make him budge so much as an inch down the rocky slope. “No, no, thou... I do not wish to hurt thee! Oh... oh, come now!”

Mother Worm roared, and Sleipnir winced a bit before sighing almost despondently... then suddenly flicking both forelegs up and tossing Mother Worm's head backwards so she flew just past him. It looked like she was about to crash down on top of him, and Blueblood winced even as Sleipnir swung up a single hoof, as if he could stop it.

He didn't stop the worm: instead, his blow smashed the head of the Mother Worm backwards like it was a toy. A thousand foot long, train-sized rag doll, which crashed stupidly down in a heap in its own coils as Sleipnir absently shook out his hoof before remarking cheerfully: “By the Aesir. Thou art rather heavier than I had expected.”

Mother Worm groggily, slowly rose her head, then seemed to stare down at the big, friendly stallion as he waved at her before saying in an honest, amiable voice: “Now, perhaps thou art more in the mood to discuss things, rationally? For I mean thee no harm. Thou wert only protecting thy territory and child, thou art no evil to be punished. But look past thy rage, for I have mine own charge who must be protected, does thou see?”

The enormous beast shifted suspiciously forwards, leaning down and seeming to study Sleipnir intently... and then it suddenly lunged again. But again, Sleipnir easily caught her by the face, then he grunted and threw her head backwards, making her whole body shift painfully as she crashed down on her own coils.

There was silence for a moment, and then Sleipnir put his hooves on his hips, saying sternly: “Now I fear that may be quite enough. Thou hast had thy chances to take thy retribution, and I have apologized to thee. I did no harm to thy child, and I wish to do no harm to thee. But if thou forces my hoof, then I fear-”

Mother Worm suddenly lunged again from the ground, throwing herself in an arc, and Blueblood leaned forwards in shock at how fluidly the worm moved... and how Sleipnir intercepted the train-sized beast, catching her by the head and leaving her body awkwardly, painfully arced for a moment before he said grumpily: “Oh, very well. If thou insists upon this route, I shall answer.”

And then Sleipnir calmly yanked Mother Worm's head down before firmly lashing her upwards, and the enormous, serpentine worm's body was snapped like a wet towel before Sleipnir slammed her flat against the ground with a tremendous bang. Blueblood gaped in disbelief, rolling over and mouthing wordlessly as the whole mountain shook for a few long moments, and then Sleipnir stepped back and put his hooves on his hips again, looking disapproving.

The creature was unmoving for a few moments, and then it weakly wriggled itself back and forth a few times before slowly raising its head, seeming to stare down at Sleipnir. The stallion looked back at her, and then he opened his mouth and rose a hoof, and the Mother Worm gave a distinct squeal before spinning around and bolting immediately back up the mountain.

“I did not want to hurt thee! Thou brought that upon thyself!” Sleipnir called awkwardly after the creature, waving a hoof back and forth before he sighed and slumped a bit. “Although, aye, I am sorry. Perhaps I expected too much of thee or was a little too extreme. Sleipnir, do not be an idiot, what would thy phoenix think of thee?”

Blueblood trembled violently as he carefully picked himself up, then he slowly crawled his way up the slope towards the earth pony, who looked lost in thought. He didn't even seem to realize that Blueblood had crawled up right beside him before the unicorn almost fell back down the slope when he tried to sit up.

Sleipnir easily caught him with one hoof, smiling at him kindly, and Blueblood flinched a little as he thought of all the power that one hoof of Sleipnir's had in it. He shivered and pulled away hurriedly... then almost overbalanced again, but at least managed to catch himself this time before he whispered: “What... what are you?”

He looked at Sleipnir with fear and wonder in his eyes, and Sleipnir smiled faintly before he shook his head and murmured softly: “I am not whatever thou art thinking, of that I can assure thee. For I have told thee. I am simply a pony, named Sleipnir, who desires to go home.”

“To... to Heaven. To Asgard.” Blueblood said slowly, and suddenly that seemed so much more believable now than it had been before.

But Sleipnir only chuckled, smiling over at Blueblood as he shook his head. “Nay, to Midgard, to the Equestria that I have made my home: nay, I do not think Asgard will have need of my services at the moment.” He stopped, then frowned a little, rubbing at his chin and murmuring: “Or at least, I sincerely hope not, for that would mean... many bad things.”

He was quiet for a moment, but then shook himself quickly before turning a smile towards Blueblood again, saying in a warmer voice: “But look, thou hast survived thy first... well, 'tis not quite an adventure, really, more of a misstep. But adventures are made from such things, Blue.”

Blueblood laughed weakly, then he shivered a little and reached up to rub slowly at his forehead. He was dirty, achy, and sweaty... and he didn't even care about any of those things as his whole body continued to quake and he felt every breath whistling painfully in and out of his lungs as his mind raced, trying to comprehend everything that had just happened.

He realized Sleipnir was waiting for him to reply, but... he simply had no reply to make. What was he supposed to say? And he wasn't stupid enough to think he could just... promise Sleipnir he was going to behave so that this... this pony-god or whatever he was wouldn't strike him down with a hoof that had smited a monster the size of a train...

Blueblood whimpered a little, biting his lip, and Sleipnir cocked his head curiously. Just that gesture alone made Blueblood shy away, baring his teeth in a terrified grin as he thought of...oh, no. I was so rude to him before... what... what if he's just been biding his time? Counting all my... waiting for me to... to... oh no no no... “S-Sleipnir! How... how about we head down to the hotel and... we... we celebrate! We celebrate with.... w-w-with ale!”

“Oh, we cannot celebrate yet, Blue, although 'tis a surprisingly merry idea from thou.” Sleipnir said thoughtfully, nodding a few times before he studied the unicorn curiously, asking after a moment: “Art thou sure thou art alright? Thou art acting a little... strange.”

Blueblood forced himself to smile, giving a weak laugh as he shook his head hurriedly. “J-Just jitters, I... oh... just... amazed at how you dealt with that... that monster!”

“What? Oh, bah, 'twas no monster, 'twas merely a mother protecting her child. Although I was surprised that I was not able to commune with it, as I am with most animals in the Equestria I am more familiar with...” Sleipnir looked musing, tilting his head back and forth before he finally gave an easy shrug. “Well, this Midgard is different, and perhaps 'twas foolish of me to expect to be able to speak to her people with such ease.”

Blueblood only whimpered a laugh through his clenched teeth, and Sleipnir studied the stallion oddly for a few moments before he asked slowly: “Art thou sure thou are fine? Thou art my charge, Prince Blueblood. I shall do anything and everything I must to protect thee.”

The white unicorn only nodded meekly a few times... and then he felt some strange, giddy imagining rise up in his mind that almost washed away everything else. The thought that maybe, just maybe, that meant... “A-Anything?”

“Well, I am not thy servant, but aye, I shall do whatever I must to protect thee from harm.” Sleipnir said kindly, and Blueblood studied the stallion for a few moments, just letting himself imagine what kind of prince he could be if he really had all that might at his hooves...

And then Blueblood winced when Sleipnir gently rose a hoof and touched his shoulder, saying kindly: “But we can speak more of this in a better place. Come, Blue. Let us make haste for that inn. It looks a nice enough spot to rest a while and wait for our friends to catch up to us. Hopefully they will make all haste around the worm's territory instead of trying to follow us through.”

Blueblood finally nodded, then allowed Sleipnir to take the lead. The prince looked awkwardly back over his shoulder once at the damaged mountainside, where Sleipnir had so easily bested the mammoth worm... and then the unicorn turned his eyes back ahead to the earth pony who was so much more than the braggart and oaf that Blueblood had first mistaken him for.

Goldeye

Chapter Five: Goldeye
~BlackRoseRaven

Blueblood sat back in the hotel's common room, still dirty, still dressed in his armor, but doing his damnedest to actually try and be nice to Sleipnir. After all, now the prince had come to realize that maybe, just maybe this giant of a pony might deserve a smidgen of respect... and who might also make a very useful servant, if Blueblood managed to play his cards right.

Of course, his manipulations were far less subtle than he thought they were, and Sleipnir was acutely aware of both what the prince was trying to do, and why he was suddenly acting so strange. But for now, he just continued to smile and play along: he was curious what Blueblood would ask him to do if he eventually convinced himself that he was going to listen to anything that the young prince commanded him to do, out of a need to keep him 'safe.'

Sure, Sleipnir wasn't the smartest pony around, and he had never been. But that didn't mean he wasn't perfectly aware of when someone was trying to manipulate him... or worse, when someone was afraid of him. And the earth pony would honestly prefer that a childish pony like Blueblood busied himself attempting some game on his head instead of cowering in front of him, because the colt was afraid of him.

Sleipnir looked thoughtfully at Blueblood as Blueblood smiled at him through grit teeth. Oh yes, the young prince was trying very, very hard to be nice to him, while playing this awkward little game of his. He was rather surprised that this colt-like stallion was so... absolutely awful at any game of politics or diplomacy, however: he was beginning to wonder just how much Princess Celestia had actually schooled Blueblood in persuasion and discussion, and how much Blueblood had been left to try and figure out on his own.

Clearly, the answers were too little and too much, respectively: and the young prince's rather spoiled, colt-like behavior really wasn't helping matters much. It seemed even when he was trying to fake kindness, it just amplified his own narcissism... no, that was a cruel way to put it, and for all his selfishness, Sleipnir didn't think Blueblood was a narcissist at heart. Rather, the young prince struck him as... very much afraid of other ponies, and very desperate to cling to what he had.

Sleipnir didn't feel anger for Blueblood, or even irritation: he just felt pity for him, and felt his heart yearning to reach out to the young prince, to try and show him that the world was not without trust, and that he didn't have to stay in his little island of princedom in order to be happy. But at times, even the ever-positive earth pony felt a little disheartened at how much effort it took just to get Blueblood to trust him even for a moment...

But they were on their way there, weren't they? One way or another, he thought Blueblood would come around. It just... was almost a physical pain that right now, the unicorn thought so little of him that he feared being struck or squashed if he did something wrong.

The two looked at each other across the table, neither speaking, both lost in thought, before an old stallion hesitantly approached and asked carefully: “Excuse me, sir, but you wanted to know when your room was ready...”

“Oh, thank you.” Blueblood sighed in relief, nodding hurriedly before he cleared his throat and quickly gestured to Sleipnir, saying awkwardly: “I am... going to rest for a few minutes. But... but I'll most certainly be back down to uh... greet our comrades on their return. Arrival. When they get here, I mean, when they. Get here for the first time but come back to us.”

Sleipnir only smiled wryly at this, then he said kindly: “If thou does not mind, I shall be up in a few minutes to fetch thy equipment. Thou hast some scarring and damage to thy armor. I shall polish and mend what I can for thee... although 'twould be nice if thou would observe the process, so that thou may learn how to do it as well. 'Tis most important.”

Blueblood nodded awkwardly, then studied the stallion for a moment before he gestured at him almost hesitantly: Sleipnir frowned a little at this, and then Blueblood asked finally: “Why aren't you wearing your own armor?”

“Oh!” Sleipnir chuckled at this, then he smiled warmly and reached down to pat one of his sidepacks of equipment. “To get a feel for this world, that is all. My armor is a mark of honor, but I need to feel the air and the wind upon my body. I need to roll in the grasses and experience nature's call... aye, there is a time when we must shed our armor, just as there is a time for it. There is a time for all things in this world, Prince Blueblood, thou needs merely keep thine eyes open for when 'tis right.”

The young prince couldn't help but grimace a little, unable to stop himself from mumbling: “Rolling in the dirt, yes. That sounds like a wonderful way to... experience nature.”

Blueblood shifted awkwardly, then cleared his throat before pasting on his uncomfortable, false smile, saying lamely: “Excuse me, Sir Sleipnir. I... must retire.”

With that, he shoved himself away from the table and hurried off, and Sleipnir and the old stallion both watched him leave before the earth pony reflected: “'Tis always the troubled colts who give the greatest reward. But they do oft work so hard to deny any aid.”

The old stallion only smiled awkwardly, and then Sleipnir gave him a kind look, saying gently: “Go rest thy hooves a while, thou hast been most generous to us. And I think 'twill be at least another hour yet before our friends arrive. They will have to wend the long way around the mountain... but they should be safe, at least. The worms shan't stray far from their territory.”

“Alright, sir. If there's anything I can do though, please let me know.” the old stallion said respectfully, and Sleipnir chuckled before reaching out and patting him on the shoulder.

“As I said, fear not. Rest, rest! We shall take care of ourselves.” Sleipnir paused, then stood and picked up his satchels as he asked thoughtfully: “Although perhaps thou can do me one favor, old friend. Does thou have flint and tinder?”

“I have a lighter somewhere around here that you can borrow if you want...” the old stallion said slowly, cocking his head curiously.

“Excellent.” Sleipnir smiled warmly, nodding firmly. “'Twill do fine. I shall borrow it but for an hour's length at most, I need merely make a small signal fire and fear I have not the patience for making flame myself. 'Tis rather annoying work, I shall have thee know.”

The old stallion looked at Sleipnir curiously, but then he only shrugged before striding away. Sleipnir waited patiently, and then the stallion came back and calmly passed him a lighter, saying hesitantly: “Well, please just watch this old house... but I suppose it's safe enough if you're going a little further into the mountains. Although you might have a problem finding tinder.”

“Oh, nay, I need but a few sticks and 'twill be perfectly fine.” Sleipnir said cheerfully, nodding a few times before he bowed his head politely to the old pony. “Thou hast my thanks.”

Sleipnir turned and headed back outside: the land around the house had been lovingly tended to, with well-kept stone paths and thin grasses that were struggling in this arid soil. There was a small, precious garden to one side that Sleipnir was tempted to help himself to, but he kept his hooves to himself: nature might belong to no one and all ponies at the same time, but he was well aware of how many ponies felt when you helped yourself to their food.

He chuckled to himself as he made his way towards the rugged mountainside: they were in a bit of a nook here, with a few short cliffs and hills at their back standing sentinel between the inn and the rolling plains beyond, and the larger sprawl of rock and mountain on their front and sides. It was a very pleasant little place, Sleipnir thought: not quite a valley, but more just a nice little patch of solid ground between all the rock and dirt.

There was scrub and a few clinging trees, at least, and Sleipnir was able to gather a few pieces of kindling on his walk before he finally halted on a nice little square of rock. He tossed the kindling aside for a moment, then quickly started to sketch shapes in the dirt, murmuring softly: “Now, let us see if I can recall this... oh, eldest sister, the look I can just imagine on thy face to know I am doing this... although our dearest little sister would be delighted, wouldn't she?”

Sleipnir chuckled as he finished drawing a circle of ominous-looking runes, and then he stacked the kindling he'd gathered carefully inside this in another distinct shape before picking up the lighter, saying reflectively: “'Tis most wonderful that I no longer have to rely upon flint and tinder or mine own hooves, though, for all this work. How much easier the witch's life must be these days!”

The stallion smiled slightly to himself, and then he flicked the lighter on, studying the flame intently before murmuring: “By the Aesir, I hope this works.”

He hesitated only a moment before lighting the kindling: what he'd gathered was so dry that it burst into flames immediately, and Sleipnir watched intently as the flames spread over the pile of sticks, seeming to grow unnaturally large as they burned in the shape of the rune he'd formed. And then the stallion took a slow breath before forcing himself not to hesitate as he plunged a hoof into the flames, grimacing as fire scorched around his limb and he said in a surprisingly-steady voice: “I offer sacrifice and sacrament to thee, spirit of flame, to lend thy magic to this spell...”

The flames burned higher, and Sleipnir gritted his teeth as he smelled charring skin, felt his foreleg trembling as the fires licked greedily over it... but he forced himself to take a slow breath and conquer the pain even as the burns spread...

And then there was suddenly no more pain, even as the flames whooshed upwards. But they had become a deeper crimson now as they danced and twisted into an almost serpentine shape before the rising pillar suddenly collapsed on itself, spilling over the runic circle and dancing over the symbols he'd drawn, making each of them glow.

The flames whiffed out after a moment, but the runes continued to glow as Sleipnir slowly shook out his foreleg, taking a few slow, steadying breaths. But otherwise, he didn't betray the agony in his forelimb even as it trembled weakly and steamed visibly. Instead, he focused on the circle, waiting patiently for a few moments...

“Oh, you are a brave one, aren't you? And such old, precious magic...” whispered a silken voice, and Sleipnir smiled slightly, only raising his head a little as he felt hooves tenderly grasp his shoulders. “And fearless, too.”

“Well, 'tis all relative, really.” Sleipnir said easily, looking over his shoulder with the same gentle smile... but his eyes were serious, measuring the mare he looked at calmly and carefully. “My name is Sleipnir. What is thine?”

“So pleasant!” the mare laughed as she stepped backwards, and then she smiled tenderly at him: she had a gorgeous red coat and serpentine gold eyes, her unicorn's horn slightly curved. Her long black hair framed vainly-beautiful features, and she had adorned herself in gemstone jewelry and beads of all shapes and sizes.

She could easily pass for a pony, he thought, even if she didn't have a visible cutie mark. Sleipnir studied her thoughtfully as she bowed her head slowly to him, answering in her sonorous voice: “My name is Invidia. It has been many, many years since I have been summoned by a pony. And never before has an earth pony used such a strange ritual to call upon me...”

“Invidia... thou art very pretty.” Sleipnir said kindly, and the mare gave a pleased smile and curtsy before the stallion turned around so they could face each other, standing up and only favoring his burnt foreleg slightly. “My name is Sleipnir, and as thou art no fool, I am certain thou knows I am not of this world. Does thou know of the other realms?”

Invidia bowed her head, saying humbly: “I know that you have the smell of Heaven on you, mighty stallion wanderer... and it is both my deepest pleasure and regret to welcome you here. I've met other demons who have been exiled here by Hel, although never an angel like you, and... while I am happy for your company, I fear that there are certain things you should know about this world...”

Sleipnir frowned slightly, tilting his head curiously, and Invidia laughed quietly before she gestured calmly towards the sky. “I don't know how you came to this place, but this world... it's a dead end, and a lonely trap. I've met dozens of demons who have tried countless ways to escape... but all of them had the same beginning, and the same end.”

“I do not understand. Speak plainly, please.” Sleipnir said slowly, and Invidia looked up at him with a sad smile... but her eyes burned with an almost malicious glee, a lonely delight: they were the eyes of someone who had been long punished, and was only able to find solace in watching pain visited on others.

“Why, it's very simple. I don't claim to know how the worlds work, or how many exist: but this world has fallen loose from the others. I'm sure you've felt it: nature is powerful and bountiful, and she regenerates her mountains and her treasures like the body regenerates flesh and blood...” Invidia calmly reached out, gently taking Sleipnir's wounded foreleg before her horn glowed, and the stallion did his best not to tense up as magic spilled over his limb, numbing his pain and healing the worst of his burns. “But souls here do not rise to Heaven nor fall to Helheim. They are pulled into nature's embrace, where they are washed clean and then reincarnated. We have no gods here, and no devils.”

Sleipnir lowered his head, frowning uneasily as Invidia smiled at him and shrugged slowly. “Some of the demons I spoke to referred to this as a 'shielded world,' as well... they say that not even their goddess Hel can look inside, or affect the state of this world. Instead, her demons are discarded here, and then they are left to struggle to return to the place from whence they came: but their portal magic will not work, as there is nothing to connect us to all the other worlds. So welcome, my sweet, to the end of the universe. But don't worry. I'll make your stay very comfortable.”

Sleipnir was silent even as the mare took his healed hoof in both of her own, gazing at him with... affection almost, and excitement, and that same bittersweet malice... and then the stallion chuckled quietly before looking up and murmuring: “I have the feeling thou hast said this many times before. Thy words have an air of practice to their poetry.”

“I have, my darling. And I have always adored the theater of it all.” Invidia's golden eyes gleamed before she whispered: “You have hope, and strength. They all do at first, though, and I will admit... I enjoy watching them crumble. But do not fear: I will be there to comfort you once you too fall, handsome angel.”

“Oh, I am no angel, fear not. Although I can see how that may make me more appealing to thee, Invidia.” Sleipnir paused for a moment, and then he gently squeezed her hooves, saying kindly: “I pray thou shan't find me cruel for this, but I think thou hast spent too long in the grips of thine own envy. I am sure thou would not feel such a string of loneliness if thou would cherish thy friends for their pleasures, not thy pains.”

Invidia stiffened, and her features hardened as her eyes narrowed coldly... before she suddenly smiled again and lowered her head, murmuring: “Naive fool. No, you shall learn in time yourself that whatever rules you once lived by are now meaningless, in time. For even the strongest of demons are churned like butter into this planet's cycle of rebirth after they die. Unless they are fortunate enough to find the void waiting for them instead, that is...”

Sleipnir only smiled and shrugged, replying easily: “Well, I do not fear whatever may await me. I have always wondered what life must be like as a tree, I shall have thee know.”

The demon laughed quietly at this, and then Sleipnir gently pulled his hoof away before he said kindly: “Thou hast been most forthcoming with me, and it is appreciated. I fear that our business is now concluded, though, much as it pains me to step away from such a pretty mare. But it seems that thou cannot fulfill my requests, and I do no desire to waste thy time.”

“Oh, I have all the time in the world, Sleipnir. All the time and more.” Invidia replied tenderly, and then the demon leaned forwards and studied him intently, smiling slightly. “It is very... boring here, you see. We live for eternity, but... there is little point in playing with these mortals' lives, apart from sating our own hungers. There are not many other higher-order demons, either: only a hoof-full like me exist, born from the darkness of this world, although primal demons and the undead number in the many... some souls struggle against the process of rebirth violently, you know. But the ponies do their best to deny their existence, and they are mostly successful. Mostly.”

Sleipnir nodded thoughtfully a few times, and then Invidia leaned forwards and half-lidded her eyes. “Allow me to come with you, my darling. You are handsome and radiate an energy that is delicious to me. And your emotions are so... difficult for me to understand. You are a newcomer and a puzzle... and I have been so very bored...”

Sleipnir smiled at her pleasantly, and then he bowed his head and said softly: “I mean thee no disrespect, Invidia, for thou art a most pleasant sight to my eyes and thy voice sets me at ease, even if I admit I listen to thy tone far more than thy words. But I have a friend upon this journey whom I must protect... even from gorgeous mares such as thee.”

Invidia studied Sleipnir for a few moments, and then she replied in an equally-amiable voice that did little to hide the edge of her words: “Well, darling, it is your choice... but your choice is whether you allow me to accompany you willingly, or I follow you and your friend across Equestria. And I do not think I would be half so kind if I were forced to take the second option. I would be very much offended... and my kind does not bear well with offense.”

There was silence for a few moments between them, and then Sleipnir sighed even as his eyes continued to study the demon carefully. She was cunning, talking quite a bit but never revealing anything she didn't want to. Anything that didn't help her, really: everything she had told him had been calculated to try and get under his skin, make him feel helpless... maybe make him depend on her, or angry at her. Demons like her fed on emotions, after all...

But it was more than that. She wasn't just looking to use him as a free meal or entertainment. Even if she had a voice like silk and was as ruthless and cunning as his eldest sister, the intensity of her golden gaze betrayed that she had something else she wanted from him. That she had some deeper desire she was looking to fulfill...

Hesitantly, Sleipnir gave a nod, but then he quickly held up a hoof before the demon could speak, saying softly: “But before I bring thee back with me, we must settle our terms and thou must make me an oath. I shall bind thee by word and blood, and favor thee with the same in return.”

Invidia scowled slightly at this, but then she gave a slow nod, saying in a moodier voice: “I... very well. If that is what is required.”

Clearly, the demon didn't like what Sleipnir was asking... but she was also willing to do it to get whatever she was after. It made the earth pony both more curious and a little more worried: demons, after all, couldn't lie or break their promises without dire consequences. Maybe the rules varied a little on this world, since everything else was so different, but he somehow didn't think it could be all that different, considering her reaction.

They looked at each other for a few moments as Sleipnir thought quietly to himself, and then he leaned forwards and said quietly: “If thou desires to travel with us, thou must respect the decisions of myself and my companion. Thou must not try and manipulate or play upon his emotions, and thou must not feed upon him.”

“You may use his name. Prince Blueblood, correct?” Invidia smiled slightly, tilting her head to the side as she closed her eyes: Sleipnir was admittedly a little surprised. At least, until the mare said softly: “Fear not, I have no plans to try and take his throne from him. I'll leave that to others.”

Sleipnir smiled in return, and then he asked curiously: “So for how long hast thou been watching and listening to us? I see now why thou wert the first demon to reply to this beacon: it is because thou hast been following us... following me.”

Invidia looked up in surprise, and then she gave a short laugh... but the fact that she didn't answer told Sleipnir more than enough. Then again, he also wasn't completely surprised: Invidia was clearly a demon of Envy, and one who took especial delight in watching others struggle to try and escape this cyclical world.

Finally, Sleipnir said courteously: “I do not believe I have any other requests for thee: I merely wish for thee to respect my ward. I shan't force thou to protect him, though, any more than I ask thee for any other favors or tokens. Acceptable?”

“Very well. In return, give me your word you won't leave me behind, and that you'll do all in your power to protect me for as long as I travel with you.” Invidia smiled kindly, bowing her head politely. “I won't try and manipulate you, Sleipnir, don't worry. I understand why you think very little of me, but I'm a better pony than you think.”

Sleipnir only smiled in return, shrugging easily before he replied kindly: “It matters little what I think, Invidia, it only matters what thou does. Besides, I do not think little of thee at all. I will admit, however, that I am very curious as to why I have struck thy interest so: I am rather certain thou hast not made deals with the other demons who have ended up in this realm, after all.”

Invidia shrugged, replying pleasantly: “Maybe you just entertain me more than they do, that's all. But if you want me to be blunt, you are an angel. You have had further to fall than any demon who was thrown out of Helheim, no matter how great their status. You have been taken away from your Heaven; your longing to return will sustain me in a way that my compatriots' never could.”

The earth pony smiled faintly, then he said softly: “Very well, keep thy reasons to thyself, Invidia. But know that thou art only half-right: I am no angel, even if aye, I have been ripped away from my paradise. But Heaven, much like Helheim, is not a simple place: 'tis a state of being.”

There was silence for a few moments, and then Invidia sniffed loudly before extending her hoof and saying calmly: “Let us make the vow.”

Sleipnir nodded firmly, fearlessly reaching out to take her wrist as her own hoof locked on his: he knew full well that this was the most crucial moment of the whole process. If she wanted to, she could try and sap his life force or use their connection to yank him into some other unpleasant ambush, or even possess him: but for now, he'd decided to trust in her.

Their eyes met as the demon's horn began to glow, and Sleipnir breathed slowly as he concentrated his own energies forwards before they both grimaced at the spark of pain and heat that ran through them. And then Invidia swore quietly as she clenched her eyes shut and shrank a little, her whole body shaking as she whispered: “Amazing...”

Sleipnir only smiled faintly... and then, after a moment, it was over. They pulled apart, their vow sealed, and distinct red marks on either foreleg: in time, they would heal, but Sleipnir couldn't help but chuckle as he thought of his wife. Even if years passed, he knew she'd still know he'd made a vow with another demon... and she'd probably make him sleep on the couch for a week for it, likely after she knocked his teeth out of his head.

Invidia frowned at him, tilting her head back and forth before she muttered: “What's this... I feel the essence of another demon in this blood. A... a pact? You're pacted to another demon? But... but you're an angel!”

“I just said I was not, did I not?” Sleipnir said pointedly, but he gave the incredulous demon a friendly smile after a moment, shrugging and saying softly: “I am more than pacted to her. She is my wife, my love, my keeper and soulmate. I would say 'twould be an honor to introduce her to thee, Invidia... but I fear she expresses herself much more... empathetically than I do, to use a funny word that my brother taught me.”

Invidia laughed weakly, and then she shifted uncomfortably backwards, studying him nervously. Sleipnir only continued to look at her with kindness, however, before he said gently: “I have felt a hint of thy emotions in thy spirit, but I leave thy thoughts and counsels to thyself. Thou shall tell me what thou deems necessary. It is enough for me that thou did not try and corrupt the vow, and thou hast promised to be kind to my ward. Now come, it has been quite some time. I must return this fire-maker and I must attend to Blue.”

The demon nodded, then strode up beside him and studied him thoughtfully. Sleipnir looked back with the same open ease as he had before, and after a moment Invidia nodded slowly again to herself, looking musing as she chewed on the inside of her cheek.

Then she suddenly relaxed, raising her head and looking into his eyes before she said thoughtfully: “You are a strange one, aren't you?”

Sleipnir only shrugged easily, and then he turned to begin leading the way back to the hotel, replying cheerfully: “I merely am what I am, that is all. And now, Invidia, I know that thou art not required to do what I ask, but I have a few other requests I would humbly make of thee. 'Twould have been very rude to force thy cooperation, after all.”

“Yes. Yes, you are strange indeed. And perhaps a bit of a fool as well.” Invidia remarked calmly, and then she bowed her head politely to him when he only looked at her with amusement. “But feel free to make your requests, Sleipnir. I know you recognize that I don't need to honor them.”

Sleipnir nodded agreeably, smiling back at her. “I do not, but I do not think thou art unreasonable, either. Thou art a curious one, much like Blue is. Perhaps 'tis because of this layer... if all of thee are reborn-”

“I am not reborn.” Invidia cut Sleipnir off with surprising sharpness, and the earth pony cocked his head curiously even as the demon quickly recovered, smiling and turning her gaze back ahead. “Don't be silly. Those like us are different from all the rest. No mere mortal soul could be the base for us: we are molded from... better. We are the result of vows that can never be broken.”

Sleipnir shrugged after a moment at this odd turn of phrase, then turned his eyes back ahead as he replied: “I am not so sure myself, if I am to speak plainly. I think there is better mettle in the souls of many mortal ponies I have met than there could ever be in mine: if a champion was born with all his strength and valor, then what is to admire in his struggles?”

Invidia looked over at him for a moment, and then she turned her eyes away, saying calmly: “Make any request you like.”

The earth pony was a little surprised by the mare's curtness, but all the same he nodded before answering: “I would ask thee to be gentle, that is all. I understand that thou might think little of mortals, but part of our travels will surely involve protecting the ponies that we come across. It would be best if thou could show them kindness... and better yet if thou could show mercy to our enemies.”

“I have no problem being kind to ponies who treat me well in turn, Sleipnir... but I'm a demon. I fear mercy is asking a little much.” Invidia smiled calmly over at Sleipnir, bowing her head politely towards him before she looked back ahead. “But I am not without kindness, certainly.”

Sleipnir didn't press the subject, and they were quiet for the rest of the walk: Sleipnir was at least pleased to see that the troupe of Royal Guard had arrived and several were standing around outside. He waved to them warmly, but was careful to watch Invidia out of the corner of his eye, studying the way she reacted to the soldiers with interest.

She wasn't afraid of them, and she was pleasant to them when she greeted them. She was a little tense, but remained nice as Sleipnir explained in his cheerful way that he had found her in the wilderness... except when he started joking with them, the moment he seemed to take his attention off of her, her face tightened, and he felt the annoyance that emanated off her... and annoyance turned almost to malice when the soldiers turned away from them completely.

She did a good job of hiding it, the only hint in how edged her otherwise-happy 'goodbye' to the Royal Guard was, but Sleipnir saw it. He wondered silently if perhaps it was because she had spent so long alone, stewing in her own envies and jealousies in this layer, likely without ever having a reason or need or even the knowledge of how to master herself, that she had become so... so...

He shook his head, then chuckled when Invidia looked up at him almost suspiciously even as he walked her towards a table. But he only looked at her with kindness, filled not with frustration or fear, but only sympathy for this poor, strange demon as he pulled out the lighter he'd borrowed and tossed it onto the furnishing. “Tarry here but a moment, will thou? I shall fetch Blueblood, so he can meet thee. And then I shall get to work, whilst both of thee get to know one-another.”

“Very well. I'll be patient.” Invidia promised, sitting back in the seat... and yet Sleipnir caught that strange, dark glint in her eyes when he turned away from her.

He forced himself not to look back as he strode calmly towards the room... and then pretended not to notice that Invidia had already gotten up and was sneaking along behind him, following him towards Blue's room.

The earth pony stopped in front of the closed door and knocked on it, absently glancing back and forth... and unsurprised that Invidia had quickly hidden herself. She was quite fast on her hooves, unhesitating and confident... but not nearly as perceptive as she thought she was, likely because it seemed like she spent all her time alone. She might consider ponies to be prey, and of no interest to her... but if you never studied your prey, you never learned how to properly hunt them.

Almost a minute passed before Sleipnir finally huffed, then suddenly leaned forwards and impatiently headbutted the still-shut door. He winced as it was knocked ajar with a loud screech, clearing his throat as he peered down at the cracked frame before smiling lamely and looking up... and his eyes widened in surprise as he saw Blueblood was sprawled over the bed, like he'd...

Sleipnir's heart skipped and he began to leap forwards... and then he simply stumbled and gaped when Blueblood gave a tremendous snore. For a moment, the earth pony had been terrified that the unicorn had been the victim of some kind of attack, but now he saw clearly that the only thing that had attacked was apparently exhaustion...

“By the Gods. He sleeps sounder than stone.” Sleipnir said almost admiringly, and then he absently kicked the door shut behind him, striding forwards and smiling a little despite himself as he looked over the ivory unicorn before carefully reaching up a front hoof and poking his side lightly.

Blueblood twitched, but only snored again, and Sleipnir rolled his eyes before glancing around the room curiously. Apparently the young prince had been halfway through unpacking, from the clutter around the room: his banged-up armor lay everywhere over the floor, but even if it made Sleipnir ache a little to see, he was sure that Blueblood would learn in time to show his armor the same respect he showed his own body.

Sleipnir's eyes alit on a strange charm on the little table beside the bed, and he cocked his head curiously before reaching out and picking this up. It looked almost like an egg that dangled beneath a hoop with a spiderweb in it... he thought he recognized it as an odd sort of dreamcatcher. Except this one wasn't just some knickknack or trinket: it had a very real magic about it.

“What a strange thing. I see a mixing of cultures in its design, but all the same... it seems to work.” Sleipnir smiled slightly after a moment, shrugging as he said thoughtfully: “But I suppose if all things cycle in this world, if all die merely to be reborn as another... then truly, under nature, we are all as one.”

Although that led to another question: why was it that the animals he'd met so far didn't respond to him as well as they always had back home? Mother Nature certainly was very happy to talk to him, after all. And if these beasts were the reincarnations of ponies and other souls, then he'd expect them to be smarter and perhaps more talkative, not less.

Sleipnir rubbed absently at the underside of his muzzle, and then he shrugged again and put down the dream charm. He looked thoughtfully at Blueblood as the ivory unicorn gave another loud snore, then he reached up and carefully prodded his cheek, saying mildly: “Thou art as loud as an Ursa Major. An Ursa Major with a most terrible cold.”

Blueblood didn't even twitch from the hoof poking his face, and Sleipnir sighed before he smiled slightly to himself, a mischievous twinkle in his eye as he remembered one thing in particular that Blueblood had been surprisingly susceptible to.

The earth pony began to tickle along Blueblood's side, and the unicorn twitched in his sleep, then groaned and shifted back and forth before he began to sleepily giggle and paw at the air. Sleipnir leaned forwards, tickling faster along his sides, and Blueblood chortled like a foal before he kicked both hind legs firmly and flopped suddenly to the side, and Sleipnir winced as the young prince flung himself off the bed.

There was a tremendous thump, and Sleipnir simply looked awkward as he leaned backwards with a lame smile. Then a hoof slowly reached up on the other side of the mattress, grasping into the side of the bed before the young prince dragged himself to his hooves, looking groggily back and forth. “Where... where am I?”

“Oh, uh... thou art here.” Sleipnir informed helpfully, and Blueblood blinked owlishly at him a few times before the earth pony cleared his throat and quickly reached over to grasp the unicorn under the forelegs, then he hefted him over the bed like he was no more than a colt. Blueblood, at least, seemed too tired to realize what was going on, as he only looked up at Sleipnir stupidly. “Shall we go outside? The soldiers have returned and I promised to help thee fix thy armor, if I recall. And we have a... a new companion who will join us for this journey.”

“Oh, what? What? No...” Blueblood mumbled disconsolately, rubbing slowly at his eyes with his hooves, seeming very much like a little colt in that moment. “I thought it was supposed to be just you and me, Sleipnir, not... you and me and... someone else.”

Sleipnir felt oddly touched by this sentiment, giving a small smile before he shook his head and said gently: “Aye, but when thou meets her, thou shall better understand. She has promised not to harm thee, and she may be a great assistance to us... besides, I was not really in any position to deny her, whether I want her aid or not.”

Blueblood blinked a few times, and then he scowled moodily: Sleipnir couldn't help but note that the more he woke up, the far less-pleasant he became. “What? Some... floozy? You have some nerve, Sleipnir, finding some random mare... how did you even find a mare in the middle of nowhere to drag along with us?”

“'Tis a long story, and one I would prefer to tell when she is here to explain her side.” Sleipnir said kindly, even as he gave a slight smile. He was well aware that the demon was literally at the door, listening intently to every word he spoke. “Now come, Blue, I shall fetch thee some coffee to help wake thee up, and we shall take care of thy armor. I understand that thou art tired, but 'tis best to fight the urge to sleep for now. Thou can sleep tonight.”

“I was just so exhausted...” Blueblood rubbed at his forehead, and then he grumbled and glowered up at Sleipnir. “I can't believe you woke me up, and for this nonsense. I find it very difficult to sleep, you know. I have an awful condition that means I have nightmares almost every single night unless I have my sleeping charm and Auntie Celestia... uh... treats me with her magic.”

He halted awkwardly, not wanting to tell this miserable oaf what his goodnighties actually were, and then Blueblood quickly cleared his throat before continuing sharply: “Why, the fact I'm on this journey at all is pure madness! Every time I've slept on this journey, I've been... well...”

Blueblood halted, then frowned a little, lowering his head and rubbing thoughtfully at his chin. Actually, he hadn't had a single nightmare over the last few days. Even with his sleeping charm, he still often had the nightmares, after all... it was just that they diluted them, made them harder to remember.

Sleipnir smiled kindly at him, and Blueblood cleared his throat and waved a hoof, grumbling: “Well, it's only been one night, really, it's not important. Now I demand you let me rest.”

“Thou shall rest tonight, Blueblood. Remember, thou made a promise to join us, in any event... and I am sure that a strong cup of ale shall do much to help keep away thy bad dreams, too!” Sleipnir said cheerfully, reaching up and slapping the young prince on the shoulder.

Blueblood scowled and opened his mouth... and then his jaw simply remained open as the memory of Sleipnir easily punching the giant rockworm across the mountain came back, along with all the stupid plans he'd been so intent on making... and had just about nearly screwed up. No, as much as that seemed like a dream, it had been very much real...

The young prince slowly turned his eyes towards Sleipnir, then he closed his mouth and managed a weak smile before saying finally: “Very... very well, yes, I... forgive me. I was so tired that I forgot myself, and... well, you're right, I'm sure, I'm quite certain. About. Things.”

Sleipnir smiled wryly after a moment: and here he'd hoped that Blueblood had forgotten about his little manipulations. But he only nodded and smiled for now, shrugging and deciding to make the best of things, and hope that in time Blueblood would grow frustrated or bored with his pretending so they could make some real progress together. “Fear not, young colt. But gather up thy equipment, then. I shall wait for thee out in the common room with our new friend.”

Sleipnir turned, then looked at the door with amusement as he heard hooves scurrying away: quiet enough that a distracted Blueblood missed it, but like drumbeats to his own ears. He reflected for a moment that he was caught between two makeshift puppeteers, neither of whom had any real idea what they were doing, and then he shook his head before asking over his shoulder: “Wouldst thou mind if I leave my things here, in thy room?”

“Uh... well. Go right ahead.” Blueblood said after a moment, and Sleipnir smiled and nodded, shrugging off his satchels to put them aside. The unicorn looked at him almost warily, asking slowly: “But why aren't you leaving them in your own room, Sleipnir?”

“Oh, I did not rent a room.” Sleipnir replied easily, shrugging with a smile, and Blueblood gave a short laugh, like this was a joke, but the earth pony shrugged and gestured easily with one hoof. “This is a very nice place, aye... but since nature has told me tonight will be comfortable and warm, I will spend it outside, beneath the sea of stars. 'Twill be good.”

Blueblood didn't say anything, only looking moodily at the stallion before Sleipnir said amiably: “Take thy time, I am sure my companion and I can find things to talk about. I have never been short of subjects with any mare, after all.”

“Right.” Blueblood said dryly, and he rolled his eyes before turning away. Sleipnir turned back towards the door, then looked awkwardly at the broken frame for a moment before reaching up and pushing the cracked wood back together as best he could before letting himself out. He would take care of that later, after he and Blue were done fixing his armor.

Sleipnir headed back to the common room, and smiled amusedly at the sight of Invidia whispering to a soldier, who was blushing a little and shifting awkwardly back and forth on his hooves. Then the Royal Guard looked up in embarrassment when he saw Sleipnir before he hurriedly excused himself, and the demon smiled thinly as he fled, murmuring: “Stallions. Like clay.”

“Some, perhaps, while others are as oak, and some even sterner stuff than that.” Sleipnir said cheerfully, and then he sat down with a wink. “I have always preferred my stallions to be firm, but not so solid they are as metal.”

Invidia gave Sleipnir an amused look, then she leaned forwards on her elbows, asking with interest: “What took you so long?”

“Oh, the silly young colt was asleep, that is all. Although I cannot blame him, it has been a trying day for him.” Sleipnir paused thoughtfully, looking around the common room before he picked up the lighter from the table, playing it between his hooves absently. “Hast thou seen the owner? I would describe him to thee, but well... as he would be the only stallion here not a soldier...”

“I haven't, no. Why don't you ask one of these Royal Guard to find him? I'm sure they're very eager to serve.” Invidia said easily, gesturing around at the soldiers.

“Well, that is not their duty. Besides, they are here to protect and aid Blueblood, and very shortly, they will be taking part in an important little exercise with him. But do not tell my ward.” Sleipnir winked at the demon, who only tilted her head curiously. “Well, I cannot spoil the surprise! And besides, 'tis very important the young prince finds the answer to my riddle on his own.”

“You wound me, Sleipnir. As if I would betray you like that.” Invidia said gently, putting a hoof against her own breast.

The earth pony only smiled at her, leaning forwards and replying cheerfully: “Oh, nay, I know thou would not tell him the right answer, my friend. Rather, I fear thou would mislead him in all the wrong directions.”

“How nice.” Invidia said dryly, but she seemed almost amused, at least.

They waited for a few more minutes in quiet, listening to the soldiers talking, studying each other curiously. Sleipnir fidgeted a little, wondering what was taking the young prince so long and whether or not he should go back and make sure Blueblood hadn't fallen asleep again... but not a moment later, the white unicorn emerged, looking grumpy and dressed in a fancy set of traveling clothes: that explained why it had taken him so long.

Invidia smiled widely as Blueblood approached with his armor in a carry-bag at his side, then she shyly rose a hoof and waved at him. Blueblood almost did a double-take when he saw the beautiful mare, stumbling a little before hurriedly straightening and giving her a smile that was... well, Sleipnir was fairly sure that Blueblood meant to come across as 'confident.' Instead, he looked more... anxious, was perhaps a better word for it.

The earth pony looked with amusement between the two, sitting back and opening his mouth, but Blueblood hurriedly interrupted him as the unicorn almost flung himself onto the table. “You must be our new... companion. My name is Blueblood, but I'm sure you know that. After all, I'm the Prince of Equestria.”

“Oh, yes, who doesn't know the Prince?” Invidia almost purred, and Sleipnir's eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly as they flicked towards the mare. “You're much more handsome than I had heard, though... and you look so big and strong!”

Blueblood almost visibly swelled in front of her... at least, until Sleipnir laughed loudly as he sat up and wrapped a foreleg around the stallion, making him twitch... then gape as the earth pony said positively: “A rare compliment to receive from a demon, Blueblood! Thou should be proud, for our new friend Invidia has told me she has met many other demons on her travels... to still impress her after all that means we must truly be on a good road!”

Invidia shot Sleipnir a curdling glare as Blueblood laughed weakly, looking disbelievingly over at the mare before he suddenly shook himself out, saying after a moment: “No, no, now don't play games with me, Sleipnir. She might look a little strange, but she's no demon.”

“I look strange to you?” Invidia's teeth grit, her features tightening and her golden eyes blazing, the demon's entire demeanor lost in a flash as Sleipnir winced. “Did I hear you correctly? I look strange?”

Blueblood slowly leaned back in his seat, biting his cheek and scowling at the mare: now he could believe she was a demon, or some other freakish friend of Sleipnir's... but the earth pony was quick to lean forwards and hold out a hoof to Invidia, saying apologetically: “Come now, thou knows he does not mean it! My friend is merely tired, and... well... strange is not such a foul word, is it?”

Invidia hissed through her teeth at Sleipnir, then glared at Blueblood, who laughed weakly before he forced himself to say awkwardly as the demon continued to lean dangerously closer and closer, her hooves beginning to grind into the tabletop: “You look... pretty, I meant?”

And in a flash, Invidia was back to sitting with a calm smile on the other side of the table, saying pleasantly: “Thank you, Prince Blueblood... coming from you, that means a lot. Everyone knows what refined tastes such a handsome stallion like you has.”

Blueblood didn't seem to know quite how to react, but Sleipnir only slapped the stallion lightly on the back before remarking cheerfully: “See? Then we are all in agreement, all is well. Aye, young Blue, she is most pretty! But look at me, prattling on like an old mare: I shall let the two of thee learn of each other, that would be best.”

Blueblood only looked warily at Invidia, but Invidia smiled almost eagerly at the young prince, saying quickly: “Yes, I agree. I'm sure the young prince and I have much common ground, though... even if he is royalty and I am nothing but a lowly demon. But I am very honored to meet him... and it is my delight to serve such a noble throne, in whatever ways that I can...”

The mare bowed humbly towards Blueblood, who smiled awkwardly but sat up, looking both embarrassed and pleased at the same time. He smoothed out some of the wrinkles in his traveling suit before saying in a half-mumble: “Well, it's... it's a pleasure to meet someone who actually knows their place. Sleipnir here certainly has never treated me with the respect that-”

“That you so deserve? Oh, I would not expect him to. But I do not want to speak ill of our friend: while he certainly may be envious of your position here, young friend, he also is most noble for swallowing his envies to protect you... even if I believe he could do so much more respectfully.” Invidia said calmly, smiling pleasantly over at Blueblood.

Sleipnir could sense her trying to read him, although he wasn't quite sure what she was trying to accomplish. She was digging into his emotions a little, and he could feel her psychic teeth nibbling at his mind, unsuccessfully trying to feed off him... but the stallion was shielded by his smiles, his optimism, his refusal to take any of her baiting. He had never been very good at being sad or angry: he knew there was a time and place for both, but otherwise, he preferred to be happy. And nature seemed to prefer him this way, too.

Whatever else, it seemed to frustrate Invidia a little that she couldn't get under his skin, but that just made Sleipnir feel sympathy for her. She was so strange, even by a demon's standards: the way she was both bitter and sensitive made her seem strangely... mortal to him. There was no better way to put it: she was a demon who didn't seem to really know how demons were supposed to act.

The earth pony leaned back as Invidia went back to buttering up Blueblood. Sleipnir only half-listened to the two, knowing that Invidia couldn't go too far with her manipulations: she couldn't break her end of the bargain, after all. And perhaps a little boost to his ego was what Blueblood needed right now. Sleipnir knew well enough you couldn't just take a proud drake and break it if you wanted it to serve with true loyalty, after all: you had to be gentle, and kind, and patient. You had to let the drake find its way to you, in spite of all its growling and rumbling and posing.

Sleipnir picked up the lighter and excused himself from the table to find the old stallion: he let himself linger here and there, chatting with soldiers, talking to the few other patrons he came across, studying them and enjoying the little bits and pieces of their lives that he was able to glimpse from these brief moments spent with them. He had always loved spending time with people, learning about them, knowing them.

Sleipnir returned to the table... and was very surprised by what he saw. Blueblood looked uncomfortable, and Invidia was leaning almost aggressively forwards, looking a little too excited as she continued to ramble away to him. And Sleipnir couldn't help the smile that quirked at his mouth as he thought that they looked like foals; a shy young colt who was still scared of fillies, and an overtalkative young mare who was trying desperately to get the attention of her crush.

He chuckled as he sat down beside Invidia, and the demon scowled over at him... then suddenly hugged his foreleg, almost burying her head against him as she grumbled: “Are we ready to go? I'm ready to go. Let's leave all these mortals behind.”

“Now now, cease that.” Sleipnir said kindly, reaching up with his other hoof to pat her childishly on the head a few times. “Besides, we shan't go far for now. Young Blue, hast thou gathered thy armor?”

Sleipnir looked inquisitively over at Blueblood, and the white unicorn grumbled a little before he nodded almost grudgingly, looking over at the bag on his side. “I... suppose, yes. I don't see why this is so important, though, you're the one who's supposed to take care of me and supposed to take care of this. This is a servant's task.”

The earth pony looked mildly at Blueblood for a few moments: on the one hoof, he was annoyed, but on the other, he was glad that Blueblood was at least being... Blueblood. Except after another moment, the white stallion seemed to awkwardly catch himself, saying hurriedly: “Not that... not that I'm sure it's without merit, of course, I'm... I mean to say, what I meant to say is that I'm sure it does have merit.”

Sleipnir sighed and shook his head slowly, then he said kindly: “Fear not, young Blue. For a moment I admit that I almost let my temper slip, but 'twas silly on my part. This sort of thing must be learned through doing: once thou begins to care for thy armor more, thou shall see that it is much more to our ritual than polish and labor.”

The unicorn only grimaced slightly, and then he shook his head and cleared his throat before asking sourly: “And what about your armor?”

Sleipnir shrugged easily, replying cheerfully: “Oh, my armor does not like to be polished during the day, unless 'tis battered and in need of healing. She is not so fond of baths. She much prefers to be tended to during the mornings and nights...” He winked over at Invidia, slinging a foreleg around her and squeezing the demon against his side even as she tensed up in shock. “Much like many other mares I've known.”

Blueblood gave Sleipnir a foul look as Invidia squirmed, then shrugged his foreleg off and hugged herself, rubbing her shoulders compulsively. She glared up at Sleipnir, and the stallion looked back at her with surprise: considering the fact she had been clinging to him literally moments ago... “I agree with the prince, it seems a strange task for such a noble stallion to involve himself with, especially when you can't seem to be bothered to deal with the same difficulties yourself.”

Sleipnir pretended to look injured as he placed his own hoof against his chest, leaning back as he cried: “And look! Already, the two of thee, ganging up on me like ravens! Oh, what a sorry sight I must make, and how cruel thy pecking beaks!”

Invidia only rolled her eyes, and Blueblood simply looked blankly at the earth pony for a few moments before Sleipnir smiled suddenly, adding cheerfully: “But 'tis very nice to see thee getting along at least. See, Blue? A companion shan't be so bad at all!”

Blueblood scowled a little, but then hesitantly peeked over at Invidia. The demon, meanwhile, frowned in surprise up at Sleipnir, as if she didn't entirely trust what he was saying... but Sleipnir merely smiled and shrugged, then said kindly: “And besides, thou art both being silly. 'Twould be rude of me to work upon mine own armor when I must teach Blue to work upon his. He will learn nothing from watching me mend and polish my shell.”

Neither of them had any argument for this, and after a moment, Sleipnir smiled before standing. He gently helped Invidia to her hooves, and the demon seemed surprised by the gesture before the earth pony smiled over at Blueblood, saying kindly: “Come, both of thee. Thou can talk whilst I check thy equipment over, at least: I am sure thou art both very curious about the other.”

Blueblood grimaced as he stood, looking warily at Invidia before he sighed, but he didn't give any other protests. And Sleipnir thought it was a good sign: even if the young prince was sulking, he wasn't complaining as much. He was trying to do what the earth pony told him, and it warmed Sleipnir's heart to see him listening to his guidance.

He thought he might be right about Blueblood after all, that there was someone better, stronger buried deep inside that stallion, just waiting to emerge... even if he hoped with all his heart he was wrong when he thought he caught a glimpse of jealous anger in Invidia's eyes when Blueblood looked at him instead of her.

Of Drinking And Dream Charms

Chapter Six: Of Drinking And Dream Charms
~BlackRoseRaven

Blueblood was back in his bedroom, although only for a few minutes: but any time he could get alone was precious now, now that he was traveling with not just that big lummox Sleipnir, but that... alluring, strange, and somehow terrifying demon.

He wasn't sure why Invidia scared him so much, precisely: he wasn't even entirely sure she was really a demon still, after all. She just seemed like a very strange mare, with very strange eyes, who had an uncanny knack for getting in his head. Not that Blueblood had never seen that before: once for one of his birthday parties, Auntie Celestia had several famous magicians perform, and one had been a stage psychic. He'd been quite scared at first, but after the show, Auntie Celestia had made the psychic explain how his whole act worked.

Now Blueblood was older and wiser, and knew all about mentalists and making 'predictions,' and how much of that was nothing but nonsense. He wasn't going to let another parlor magician get inside his head like that one had two whole years ago.

But at the same time, there was just something about Invidia that made his stomach curl in on itself, made him just want to hide and cover his head and do whatever it took to get away from her. Her eyes... it was something in those golden eyes of hers. Something in the way she talked, in the way she was so eager to try and get close to him...

It terrified him. It reminded him somehow of his worst nightmares... and he just couldn't place a hoof on exactly why. Sure, some of the soldiers seemed uncomfortable around the mare, but it was far from actual fear: more a nervousness, perhaps even a desire to impress this pretty stranger, Blueblood thought. And of course that idiot Sleipnir was already treating her like they were best friends, even if the young prince had caught the demon scowling at Sleipnir's back on more than one occasion. Although somehow he doubted that Sleipnir was even half-aware of how much the demon seemed to loathe the big dumb brute.

Blueblood almost felt like sending a letter to his Auntie Celestia. He was certain that by now, he had probably received several, but he hadn't really bothered to check his portable mailbox yet... he just felt too tired to read, and he knew that her letters would just make him feel more homesick. But maybe she'd know something... Auntie Celestia had always said there were certain things about Equestria that should be kept quiet, because ponies didn't need to panic or worry about things they couldn't do anything about. He wondered if this was one of those things... and if maybe Auntie Celestia could help keep him safe somehow.

But... well... as much as he hated to admit it, part of the reason he hadn't tried to send out a letter immediately was Sleipnir. Sure, he was a big stupid lummox and he was probably trying to steal his throne and he was just a jerk in general. But the earth pony was far, far stronger than a silly demon, right? And Blueblood grudgingly believed him when he said he'd keep the young prince safe.

The white unicorn reached up and moodily adjusted his collar, then he flinched a bit as there was a knock at the door before Invidia called through it: “Darling! Sleipnir sent me to fetch you for drinks...”

The door clicked, and Blueblood trembled like a leaf, his eyes widening as for a moment, he thought he saw something hideous, something evil and vile and monstrous lean in the ajar door... and then it was just overeagerly-smiling Invidia, who was looking at him with... with hunger in those golden eyes of hers as she almost purred: “But if you prefer... we can just stay inside here... together.”

“N-No! No! Please, go... go tell Sleipnir I'll be right there. I... I can humor the oaf, after all.” the young prince said hurriedly, and the demon looked almost disappointed before she nodded briefly, then closed the door.

Blueblood remained silent, holding his breath and not even knowing why he was so scared as he just stared at the door. He knew the demon was on the other side of it, could see the profile of her hooves in the crack beneath the door... and then, finally, she turned and walked away. And Blueblood gave a quiet sigh of relief, closing his eyes and shivering a little before he mumbled: “Oh, what did I ever do to deserve all this nonsense? I... I am supposed to be a respected prince.”

The unicorn shook himself out, then hesitantly approached the door. He bit his cheek, then leaned forwards and carefully poked his horn against the wood of the door, concentrating a little bit: his horn gave the faintest of glows, but he didn't need much magic for this simple spell.

There was something like a flash before his eyes and a flurry of images, and then he sighed in relief, relaxing visibly. The hall was empty and Invidia's presence was far away. And he shivered a little as he straightened a bit, feeling the strange magic that emanated from her... one of the few things about her that made him think she was exactly what Sleipnir and Invidia both said she was.

Well, that and the fact he was so utterly terrified of her for no real reason he could manage to put his hoof on.

Blueblood scowled a little to himself as he lowered his head, closing his eyes and trying to summon up the little courage he could before he finally pushed the door open. He looked thunderous as he emerged into the hall and made his way to the stairs... but really, he was a frightened little colt, dragging his hooves into unknown territory.

The common room was much more cheerful now than it had been during the day: many of the soldiers had taken off most of their armor, and were singing or chanting along with Sleipnir as they helped themselves to glasses of ale. Invidia was lurking at a table in one corner of the room, and she immediately waved to Blueblood when he stepped into sight... but the young prince only awkwardly smiled at her, stopping and staring like an animal caught in a bright light before he suddenly spun towards Sleipnir and scuttled to safety beside him.

Sleipnir laughed as Blueblood almost fell into the table next to him, and then the prince gargled when the enormous earth pony wrapped one foreleg around him and nearly choked him with his merry embrace, shouting warmly: “And here, here! Aye, here is the stallion who shall one day grow into the finest of warriors, mark my words!”

A few of the soldiers cheered along with Sleipnir as Blueblood struggled loose, then grabbed at his neck and glared furiously up at the earth pony. But even as he rubbed at his throat, he felt awkwardly... well...

It hadn't been a lot of voices, but a few of these Royal Guard had actually welcomed him instead of treating him like he was some kind of punishment. Sleipnir was smiling jovially and already pouring him ale from a pitcher, making room for him at the table. And for the first time in his life, Blueblood actually felt like... like he was being honestly included in something.

He sat awkwardly down, looking at Sleipnir almost with confusion, but the enormous earth pony merely chuckled and winked down at him, saying easily: “Pick up thy glass, take thy drink of ale! And then, young prince, we shall begin thy training as a true leader of stallions.”

Blueblood blinked in surprise at this, but he felt a strange thrill run through him as he picked up the glass of ale, saying hesitantly: “So what you were saying before...”

Sleipnir smiled: while he had taught a surprisingly-attentive Blueblood how to repair and clean his armor, the earth pony had said that while they still had the Royal Guard around, he thought it was a good idea to teach the young prince how to command his soldiers and lead a team. Blueblood, for as much as he loathed Sleipnir, had been excited at the thought of maybe actually becoming... a leader.

He could imagine it now: returning to Canterlot knowing how to lead an army, finally able to command the respect of all these soldiers... maybe Auntie Celestia would even make him a general! And really, learning to fix the armor hadn't been so bad... then again, Blueblood had mostly been fascinated by how Sleipnir had just used his bare hooves to pop out many of the dents.

“Aye, of course!” Blueblood was brought back to earth by the earth pony's loud, positive voice. “We shall make a mighty jarl of thee yet, only wait and see! But 'twill be a long, hard road, I warn thee. I expect we shall have to spend many a night here in this inn, until thou hast conquered the test I shall set before thee.”

Blueblood nodded a few times, puffing out his chest as he rose his head eagerly. This was it, his chance to prove himself! To prove that he was not only worthy of the throne, that he could be just as good as Sleipnir... and maybe, if Sleipnir started to trust him enough, to respect him, he could finally get this big dumb oaf to start listening to him and put his incredible strength to use... “I'm ready, Sleipnir, I... I'm more than ready!”

“Well, we shall see.” Sleipnir said cheerfully, winking and looking warmly down at Blueblood, and then he rose his flagon of ale, saying firmly: “Drink.”

Blueblood awkwardly looked down at the foul-smelling amber liquid, but then he shrugged and forced himself to take a small sip. Sleipnir roared in approval like he had just quaffed the entire cup, however, then knocked back his own flagon, Blueblood staring as the stallion guzzled down the ale, heedless of the amber streams that flowed down his chin and muzzle.

Then Sleipnir belched loudly before slamming the flagon down, a wide grin spreading over his features as he said cheerfully: “And thus we take our first step, young Blue, to a brighter future! So say I... stallions, warriors, raise thy glasses! A young prince is finally casting down his crown to be a brother among us!”

Blueblood winced, opening his mouth to try and deny this, but the Royal Guard nearby cheered as others looked up in surprise, drowning out his first denials. And any further protest was cut off as the unicorn felt hooves slap his back, heard greetings, heard them calling his name and wishing him luck and... and...

All he could do was look back and forth, barely able to process what was going on. Barely able to comprehend that... that all these ponies, they had gone from hating – or at least ignoring – him, to... welcoming him like he was one of their own. Part of him screamed that it was horrible, that this was disgusting, that they were low-brow filth and peasants who should be kissing his hooves and treating him with respect...

Some other part of him, though, felt almost like it was coming back to life after a long time spent cold and comatose. There was a warmth, like flickering embers that were struggling back to life, to catch, to be reborn into flame...

Blueblood laughed weakly, and then he gave a trembling smile as his eyes flicked around him again, marveling at all these ponies before Sleipnir slapped him on the back and nearly knocked him sprawling. But Blueblood couldn't even manage to be angry as he looked almost childishly up at the big stallion, who smiled warmly back at the unicorn before nodding firmly to him once and saying cheerfully: “Aye, thou art ready to be one of us, I think. But do not think I shall be gentle upon thee! Nay, this first test will be no walk in pleasant fields; 'twill require bravery and cunning and great strength and courage!”

Blueblood winced a bit, then he forced himself to nod as the soldiers all leaned in with interest. The unicorn felt fear, certainly... but oh, also that he'd do absolutely anything to continue to hold onto this feeling, to try and feed those embers glowing in his body. “I'm ready, I... I'm ready!”

A few of the Royal Guard applauded, but then Sleipnir quickly held up a hoof and looked seriously down at the young prince, who stared back up like a foal, trembling with excitement and anticipation and anxiety. And then, all of a sudden, Sleipnir grinned as he hammered a hoof against his own breast, declaring: “Thou shall lead these twenty fine young stallions upon a battle against me, but 'twill be no ordinary fight! Nay, it shall be all of thee against me... and thy team must successfully match me drink for drink, until one of us collapses!”

Blueblood's jaw dropped as he stared disbelievingly up at Sleipnir, and then he snapped in a strangled voice: “You want us to play a drinking game with you?”

“Nay, 'tis a drinking war!” Sleipnir replied with a grin as he slammed his free hoof against the tabletop, and then he announced cheerfully: “We leave only after I am outdrunk! And until then, every night we shall drink, drink until sunrise if 'tis necessary! And Prince Blueblood shall generously pay for every night's round of drinks!”

“What?” Blueblood almost screeched, immediately forgetting all his former happiness, but he was drowned out by a roar of approval from the soldiers.

The prince stared back and forth, aghast, but Sleipnir only laughed before he snatched up the pitcher of ale from the table, pouring himself another flagon and saying warmly: “Well, 'tis no better time than the present to start, young prince! After all, I am half-drunk already and thou hast taken but one sip of ale. Perhaps thou can truly humiliate me and pass my test tonight!”

Blueblood ground his teeth together, knowing he shouldn't take the bait... but oh, it was too tempting to pass up. And that big dumb oaf was giving his big dumb smile... “This cannot seriously be your test. How... how is this leadership?”

Sleipnir only winked at him, gesturing easily around the room at the soldiers, who were all pouring themselves glasses, drinking heartily, laughing and having a good time... “Oh, believe me, young Blue. Master this task, and thou shall rank among the greatest of commanders to have ever graced Equestria.”

Blueblood ground his teeth together slowly, feeling patronized, mocked, frustrated... and then, before he could think better of it, he swept up his glass and snapped: “Very well, Sleipnir, have it your way! If you want to make a game of this, then I'll just drink you under the table myself!”

Sleipnir smiled almost consolingly at the young prince, beginning to open his mouth, but Blueblood hurriedly rose the glass to his lips and drank down the stingy, bitter ale as fast as he could manage, before he slammed the glass down and gave a small, very un-prince-like burp. It tasted awful and watery, but if Sleipnir could handle it, then he damn well could too.

Outdrink him. He'd show Sleipnir who the prince of drinking was. Why, he'd been drinking things all his life, and he'd never been drunk more than five times, once! He bet Sleipnir was drunk right now, as a matter of fact, because the big stupid stallion looked so... so stupid... and drunk... and he was already wobbling in his seat like a big fat... stupid...

Blueblood's bloodshot eyes slowly flickered open, and then he whimpered weakly and grasped at his throbbing skull, blinking slowly. He carefully picked himself up... and groaned as he pulled his face out of a sticky puddle of drool and congealed ale.

He sat blearily up... then stared disbelievingly around the common room. His head whirled and his stomach throbbed in pain, and he wondered weakly for a moment just what the hell he was looking at: it looked almost like a real battle had taken place while he was unconscious.

There were bodies sprawled here and there around the room, some lodged in bench seats, a few others on tables, a hoof-full on the floor. There were broken and overturned glasses here and there, and puddles of ale spreading like blood. He smelled something stale, and he heard a few weak whimpers, and some other pony moaning like he was pleading for death to come and take him away.

Blueblood trembled as he dragged himself out of the seat, half-falling forwards... and then shivering as he saw a puddle of vomit. He could almost make out what the pony had last eaten, and... and...

Blueblood's eyes bulged and his stomach heaved, and he turned and scrambled wildly for the stairs, staggering back and forth past unconscious bodies. He barely noticed Invidia as he passed her, the demon scowling as the stallion made a beeline for the bathroom.

She rolled her eyes and gave a tired sigh: damn that jackass Sleipnir. He was going to end up killing his own ward at this rate. Even more annoying, he was making it impossible for her to get close to literally anyone here: the moment oh mighty and beneficent Sleipnir showed up, everyone forgot about little old her and looked right at him... he was the stallion every stallion wanted to be. He was the friend that every pony desired.

Invidia bared her teeth for a moment, but then forced herself to calm down. No, giving in to her envies would just make the ponies like her even less. She would just have to keep... trying. And hope that she could catch some of these stallions when Sleipnir wasn't around. All this emotion in the air, all this... walking around in public, doing her best to pretend she was one of them, trying to mimic their behavior, it was all having a tremendous drain on her and making her incredibly hungry. She needed to feed on one of them, but that meant she needed to get some privacy with one of them...

Invidia eyed the bathroom, then shivered at the sound of mixed moaning and retching from inside. She didn't need to feed that badly yet: she'd let the stallions recover while she took some time to herself. She was starting to regret the deal that she'd made with Sleipnir already; in fact, she was starting to regret the fact she'd revealed herself at all...

She glanced up as Sleipnir emerged from his room with a refreshed yawn, and then a warm smile towards her. Invidia only scowled in response, biting the inside of her cheek with distaste before she forced herself to give a curdled little twitch of her lips in return, saying through grit teeth: “You look very content with yourself, Sleipnir.”

“Oh, do I? Well, perhaps 'tis because I slept so nicely. We had a fine round of drinks last night, and young Blue tried admirably to keep up with me...” Sleipnir paused at the sound of vomiting, and then he added reflectively: “Although perhaps 'twas a bit cruel of me, even if I tried to drink two glasses for his every one. Still, he did his best. There is nobility in that.”

“Nobility.” Invidia repeated flatly, and Sleipnir nodded childishly a few times before the demon sighed, shaking her head and muttering: “What a strange and exotic form of nobility you must hold, then, Sleipnir. For all I saw were colts playing at being stallions and poisoning themselves into stupefaction. What nobility is found in that?”

“Oh, nay, the getting drunk was not so noble. But the try, that was what set Blue apart.” replied Sleipnir easily, and Invidia shook her head before starting to turn away... and then Sleipnir asked curiously: “But what happened to thee? I saw thou leave last night before the drinking had really begun. I had hoped thou would have joined us for a flagon or two.”

And the demon was suddenly like a different person as she spun quickly around, smiling brightly up at Sleipnir and bowing her head courteously as she said warmly: “Oh, I meant no disrespect... but since you only spoke of the soldiers and young Blueblood, I didn't feel it was my place to intrude on your silly game with these stallions. But had I known, I would have gladly stayed.”

Sleipnir chuckled as he strode towards her, and the demon immediately cozied herself up to him. But then one of his forelegs slipped around her, and she tensed ever-so-slightly even as he said kindly: “Thou art a very interesting demon, Invidia. I must ask thee a strange question, though: hast thou ever been part of any demonic society?”

“Society? No, we're solitary creatures... we can't really trust each other after all, can we?” the demon said pointedly, and then she awkwardly half-shrugged off his limb before snuggling herself against him again, closing her eyes and whispering: “Don't be a fool. You know all about demons, you can't hide that from me. There's no need to pretend otherwise, my darling.”

“Aye, I do... but where I come from, demons are different from thou.” Sleipnir said gently, and Invidia scowled darkly at this, immediately becoming colder as she leaned back. But the earth pony only smiled at her, before saying gently: “Thou art unique.”

This made the demon once more loosen up, smiling and relaxing visibly before she leaned into him. Sleipnir looked down at her thoughtfully, studying the strange, emotional creature, but thinking that perhaps he was starting to understand her a little.

Before he could think of anything else to say, however, the bathroom door opened and Blueblood came staggering out, looking pale and trembling. He glared up at Sleipnir when he emerged, but then only tried to turn his face away: but even if he could hide the trails of tears down his cheeks, he couldn't hide his sniffling, or the whimper in his voice as he rasped: “Are you happy now?”

“Nay, not at all. I am rather disappointed, as a matter of fact.” Sleipnir said softly, and then he reached up and gently rubbed a hoof over the stallion's back. And at the same time, he could feel Invidia tensing against him, felt her malicious jealousy almost ebbing off her in waves, but for now Blueblood needed his attention. “Now come, there is no need for great sadness or suffering, though. We shall bring thee downstairs, and I shall fix thee something to drink and something to eat.”

Blueblood nodded after a moment, and then Sleipnir looked down at Invidia, asking kindly: “Will thou join us?”

The mare glared at him for a few seconds, but then she nodded almost grudgingly, and the earth pony smiled before he added thoughtfully: “Perhaps there is something thou might be able to do to help with our young friend here, as well. Thou art a wise and powerful demon, after all. There must be something thou can do with thy powers for our ill compatriot.”

“Maybe...” Invidia's eyes lit up at this chance, and she turned an eager look towards Blueblood... but Sleipnir couldn't help but notice the way that Blueblood whimpered, how he looked suddenly scared even as Invidia purred: “I can certainly take his pain away, at least, and perhaps share a little bit of energy with him... would you like that, my darling? A little touch of my life force...”

“Now, careful Invidia.” Sleipnir winked over his shoulder at her, and the mare glared at him before he continued in a jovial, teasing voice: “We know not how Blueblood may react to thy demonic powers yet. Thou might be a demon of such strength that even the smallest mote of thy powers may poison and harm him, and he surely would be terrified of thee then.”

The demon looked strangely alarmed at this, halting dead and raising a hoof to her muzzle before she suddenly smiled again, nodding quickly... and yet still seeming almost panicked as she said: “I'm quite certain such extremes are not necessary, in any event: this handsome prince is strong enough as it is without my unnecessary aid. All he needs is a little kiss, to soothe the pain.”

Invidia leaned towards Blueblood, who shrank back and whimpered weakly, but then the demon only tenderly kissed his temple as her horn gave a faint glow. And a moment later, Blueblood shivered before he blinked slowly, and the demon leaned back, looking almost eager even as her eyes flickered with pain. “T-There. Did it work?”

“I... yes. I feel much better.” Blueblood said with surprise, and then he looked uncomfortably over at Invidia, who closed her eyes and shivered a little even as she nodded almost too eagerly. “What... what did you do?”

“Demons feed upon emotions... some demons, like myself, are capable of doing more than that. We can devour emotion, memory, thoughts... and things like pain. Sap them into ourselves to experience them, to... treasure them...” Invidia shivered a little, then reached up and rubbed slowly at her forehead, visibly feeling pain... and if Blueblood actually understood what the demon meant, feeling the throbbing hangover that had been bothering him just moments ago.

Sure, he could feel a faint thrumming, and his throat ached, and he felt disgusting and exhausted, but... almost all of the pain was gone. He laughed weakly, then stumbled to the side and almost overbalanced, catching himself against the wall as his mind swam.

Sleipnir turned quickly around, frowning: Invidia was smiling crookedly even through the agony she was clearly in, and Blueblood looked suddenly dazed, like the demon had accidentally done more than just take away his pain: she had likely eaten up some of the stallion's vital energy, too. And probably wasn't even aware of what she'd done thanks to the fact she didn't actually seem to know half as much as she thought she did about... well... herself.

“Are both of thee alright?” Sleipnir asked quickly, stepping forwards worriedly, but thankfully Blueblood already seemed to be coming around.

Invidia gave a weak, almost-crazed giggle, and then she looked up, golden eyes almost glowing as she whispered: “Oh, I'm very fine, Sleipnir, there's no need to worry. I'll treasure this agony forever... I apologize for worrying you, but I'm merely... lost in this most wonderful, exotic of feelings...”

Blueblood whimpered a little, and Sleipnir frowned a bit as the unicorn scampered forwards and almost hid behind him, saying in a rush: “P-Please, let's... please go, Sleipnir, I... I am... I need water. Water. Fetch me a glass of water, now!”

Sleipnir started to open his mouth to chide the young prince, but before he could, Invidia said lovingly: “Yes, fetch... fetch him a glass of water, Sleipnir, be kind to him. I'm sure I haven't yet tasted all his pain... I barely lapped at the surface, the poor darling. Oh, he really is so strong, to endure all this and more, Sleipnir... do not be cruel to him. And do not worry about me... I'll join you in a few moments, after I have a little rest. I think I'll have to borrow a bed, though...”

“Thou may use the free room down the hall, then. I think it would be best if thou rested there for a while.” Sleipnir said kindly, and Invidia looked up at him for a moment. She scowled ever so slightly, but after a moment relented and nodded, and Sleipnir suppressed a sigh of relief as the demon turned and made her way down the hall... and thankfully, stayed away from Blueblood's room.

Blueblood shivered a little, peering out from behind Sleipnir with a whimper and watching anxiously until Invidia finally staggered into the bedroom Sleipnir had pointed out. And then the unicorn looked up with disbelief as the earth pony said softly: “Thou should have thanked her, Blue. Even if thou art scared of her. Even if perhaps... she delved deeper than was strictly necessary.”

“I...” Blueblood halted, but he couldn't even manage a single indignant thought before he dropped his head and asked disbelievingly: “What is she?”

“A demon. A demon of Envy, furthermore, and one who has had no training or help in controlling her emotions.” Sleipnir turned around calmly, then he gave a faint smile to Blueblood, studying him thoughtfully before he reached up and squeezed his shoulder gently. “Thou art afraid of her. And that is understandable, aye. But 'tis only because thou does not know what to make of her, that is all. She is the unknown.”

“She is not, she's... she's so...” Blueblood scowled a little, then he shivered and hugged himself as Sleipnir cocked his head curiously. “N-Nothing. I... I need to write a letter to Auntie Celestia today, Sleipnir, so I will ask that you give me time after breakfast before we go on another of your silly adventures. Understood?”

Sleipnir smiled wryly, then he said kindly: “Fear not. We shall do some training in the afternoon, but otherwise we shall be staying here. I am sure I will be busy cleaning up the damage we have wrought in our festivities, in any case. Thou will have plenty of time then. Fair?”

Blueblood nodded uncomfortably, then he shivered a little and shook his head quickly, reminding himself of... well... oh, was there even a point? He wasn't the one playing games with Sleipnir. Sleipnir was the stallion playing games with him, and making him look like nothing but a big idiot...

The young prince closed his eyes and lowered his head, and Sleipnir frowned before saying gently: “Now there is no need for such sadness, young prince! I do not mean to chastise thee so greatly. And besides, thou will earn thy victory against me in time, I am sure.”

“Oh, it's not... no, that's stupid, anyway, Sleipnir. Stop treating me like a colt, like I'm stupid enough to believe this game of yours is anything but a way to make me look like an idiot in front of the Royal Guard and a trick to get as much ale as you can out of me before we move on to the next place.” Blueblood said bitterly, glaring up at Sleipnir as he trembled a little as anguish washed over him. “Have your laugh, Sleipnir! It's not as if I'm well aware as it is that everypony laughs at me, mocks me!”

Sleipnir looked at Blueblood for a few moments, and the unicorn glared back through his teary eyes... then stiffened in shock when the earth pony simply embraced him tightly. He didn't know what to do or say, but there was no need for anything as Sleipnir said gently: “I am not thy enemy, Blue. I shan't ever be, either. Now come, to breakfast. Other matters can wait.”

Sleipnir gently let go of the stallion, then smiled down at him before patting him once on the shoulder and striding past. And Blueblood honestly had no idea what to say or think before he finally looked over his shoulder, then nodded hesitantly and followed nervously in the earth pony's wake.

After breakfast, Sleipnir woke up the few Royal Guard that hadn't yet managed back to consciousness, and then the stallion went to work cleaning up the wrecked common room. Blueblood wasn't entirely sure why: it wasn't like the earth pony owed the old stallion who was running the inn anything, and they were already paying him more bits than Blueblood liked to think about for all the ale and the rooms.

Blueblood scowled at this: more accurately, he was paying, and he was sure that Auntie Celestia was going to be very unhappy about all the money they were wasting. And yet he was also somehow sure that somehow, somehow, Sleipnir would be able to justify it. It seemed like the great idiot could get away with just about anything and everything, after all, much to Blueblood's disgust.

The unicorn grumbled to himself, tapping a hoof slowly against the bed as he looked grouchily at the letters he'd pulled out of his little portable mailbox. Auntie Celestia had sent them, but they were short and barely worth reading... just little things about how she was worried about him and she hoped things were going well and that she would like to hear from him. No apologies, no promises that she was going to make this up to him, and worst of all, she asked about Sleipnir, too.

Did that damned earth pony really have his poor Auntie already under his hoof? It made him shudder to think of, the unicorn grumbling and hugging himself before he muttered: “I almost think she cares more about him than she does about me...”

Blueblood huffed moodily: why, Auntie Celestia hadn't even asked about his nightmares, how he was surviving without her goodnighties! And she hadn't offered to visit, either, and it wasn't like it would be difficult at all for someone like her to come see him if she wanted to... but he just supposed that she didn't really want to.

Well, wouldn't she be surprised when he told her all about the demon that was traveling with them, and how mean and unprofessional the Royal Guard were, and that Sleipnir was wasting all their time and money? Blueblood sniffed loudly, then looked back and forth for a quill before frowning uneasily as his eyes settled on his bed-table... and then his eyes widened in horror and he grabbed at his face as he saw that his sleeping charm was gone.

Immediately, he dove forwards and snatched up one of his carrying bags, emptying what remained in it out over the floor. Clothes and quills and parchment flew in all directions, and Blueblood dug wildly through the chaos before he whimpered and hurriedly turned back towards the messy, unmade bed, tossing his pillows aside in the wild hope that-

No, it wasn't there, either! He threw off the sheets and blankets, but he knew that was a vain hope even before they hit the wall. Blueblood whimpered again as he leapt on top of them and dug through them away, before dropping flat and checking under the bed, beginning to hyperventilate in his panic.

Oh no, no no no... he couldn't have just lost it... he knew, he absolutely knew where he'd put it last, and if there was one thing that he never, ever lost, it was his dream charm! Oh no, not since he was a stupid teenager and he'd been dumb enough to accidentally drop it out the window and had to go a whole week with nightmares, every single night, in spite of Auntie Celestia's goodnighties and... and...

Blueblood whined in his throat, looking like he was about to cry as he grabbed wildly at his face, his eyes darting back and forth in terror. He'd have to tell Auntie Celestia right away, get her to get Aunt Luna to make him a new one as soon as possible, and... and oh, no, he had to go right home to Canterlot. Right home, right away: there was no way he was going to survive his nightmares in this strange place, without the safety of Auntie or... or...

There was a knock at the door before Sleipnir opened it, starting cheerfully: “I am here to mend a bit of damage to-”

“Get out! Get out!” Blueblood almost howled, and Sleipnir blinked in surprise as he simply stood in the doorway, staring as the unicorn shook his head violently and pointed wildly at the doorway, unable to hide his sheer panic. “I don't... out!”

“What is wrong? What has happened, Blueblood and... by the gods, look at this place.” Sleipnir kicked the door closed, then strode forwards and grasped the prince's shoulders before he could stumble away, forcing him to sit back and looking down at him with concern. “What has happened?”

“I... I lost my dream charm!” Blueblood blurted out, trembling and staring up at Sleipnir. For one wild moment, he wanted to scream accusations at the earth pony, but it only took one look up into those big, guileless eyes of the stallion to know that there was no way Sleipnir would do something like that. And furthermore, he probably wouldn't've been smart enough to, anyway. “I... I just d-don't... I can't... I just can't...”

Sleipnir nodded and soothingly squeezed Blueblood's shoulders, looking slowly around the room: Blueblood had passed through here like a whirlwind and torn just about everything apart. Even if part of him wondered if Blueblood had perhaps just misplaced this dream charm he was talking about, from how panicked the prince was and how he'd torn the room apart, Sleipnir figured it was likely a better idea to wait until he suggested taking another look for it.

The earth pony carefully guided Blueblood to the best, sitting him down and hesitating only a moment before he asked gently: “Thy dream charm. Can thou tell me what purpose it serves? 'Tis like a dreamcatcher, is it not?”

Blueblood laughed shortly at this, then he looked down and hugged himself tightly, muttering: “It's no simple toy, Sleipnir. It's... it's much more than that. That and my Auntie's goodnight... I mean, her blessings, are the only things that keep my nightmares at bay. Y-You don't understand. How could someone like you ever understand?”

Sleipnir only gave a faint smile, shaking his head slowly before he said softly: “Now there is no need for that, young Blueblood. Besides, no matter how great I am in stature and body, 'tis meaningless to the mind. I know the cruelties of the mind very well, young colt.”

Prince Blueblood laughed shortly, turning away and shaking his head vehemently. “How c-could you even hope to understand? The... the nightmares are... they're just...” The unicorn trembled, not wanting to try and describe them, not wanting to try and think about them for fear of what the memories might summon up as he plunged his face into his hooves. “G-Go away!”

“Nay, I shan't. I am thy friend, young Blue. I am not about to abandon thee, even if thou wants me to.” Sleipnir said softly, squeezing gently into the young stallion's shoulders before he gave a faint smile and shook his head slowly. “And how hast thou been sleeping these last few nights?”

Blueblood shifted, opening his mouth... then closing it, not wanting to admit that... well, even without his goodnighties, his sleep had mostly been dreamless and restful. He frowned a little, looking down, and Sleipnir chuckled quietly before he said gently: “Perhaps thy nightmares can be tempered in more than one way, young Blue. We shall keep thee active during the day... and every night, we shall have our contest. And if I know anything, 'tis that enough ale will stifle even the worst of dreams.”

The unicorn looked uncomfortably up at Sleipnir, not exactly sure what he could say... even if there was anything he could say to that. And yet the earth pony only smiled and shrugged easily before he nodded firmly to the unicorn. “Aye. There is no need to fear, young prince. I shall protect thee during the day, and teach thee to protect thyself during the night. And perhaps Invidia-”

“No no no! Keep... keep her away from me!” The white stallion shook his head vehemently, and Sleipnir frowned and cocked his head curiously before Blueblood glanced awkwardly down, shivering a little and muttering: “I just... don't want anything to do with that... she just...”

“She scares thou, and I still do not know why. Oh, aye, a pretty mare can be intimidating, I understand this well. But it seems something much more than that, from what I have seen...” Sleipnir hesitated, then he shook his head before finally sliding back a bit. Blueblood was admittedly glad for it: it was weird having a big stallion that close and constantly touching him. “Is it because she is a demon?”

Blueblood scowled at this, the question striking him as incredibly idiotic as he opened his mouth... then suddenly stopped, only frowning as he realized... “Well... no.”

Sleipnir tilted his head curiously, and Blueblood shifted uncomfortably before he looked down, rubbing slowly at the back of his head. Then he scowled a little, shaking his head before mumbling: “It's none of your business, I'm... not... you're already imposing enough as it is.”

Sleipnir chuckled quietly at this, and then he said softly: “Perhaps, but... well, thou does not need to carry this weight alone, young prince. It might do thee good to learn to trust.”

Blueblood only scowled at this, then he shook his head shortly and dropped his gaze, muttering: “I'm no... peasant pony, Sleipnir. I know how Equestria works, on more than... friendship and magic. Don't... just... just don't...”

He shifted a little bit, turning his gaze away, but Sleipnir only smiled at him with his infinite patience and kindness, and... Blueblood hated that it was finally starting to wear him down. No matter what he did, no matter what he told himself, it was getting harder and harder to believe that Sleipnir was anything but... well... Sleipnir.

The unicorn lowered his head, chewing on his lip before he scrubbed childishly at his face with his hooves and mumbled: “No.”

Sleipnir only nodded agreeably, then reached up and squeezed Blueblood's shoulder, smiling at him as he said kindly: “Now, there is no need to work thyself up any further, any more than there is need for thee to spew such venom. Aye, I understand thou art in an ill predicament and fearful of the coming storm... but giving in to fear shall only make thy situation all the worser. Nay, I shall help thee find thy charm. And whether we fail or succeed, thou also hast mine most sacred vow that I shall help thee conquer thy nightmares.”

Blueblood scowled a little at this, looking uneasily up at Sleipnir... but at the same time, he felt a foalish kind of hope. He didn't know why: maybe it was because so far, Sleipnir had... well, in spite of the fact that Blueblood was still trying to convince himself he was some conniving, manipulating invader who was only after the throne...

The unicorn shifted a little, and then he finally looked away and mumbled grudgingly: “I... maybe for now you should just concentrate on... minding your own business, Sleipnir. I am a prince and a unicorn and... very capable of... of dealing with things.”

Yes... he was. Or at least he was supposed to be... and Blueblood couldn't help but tremble a little as he silently rubbed at one of his eyes, lowering his head in shame. Here he was, panicking and crying and... well...

He looked awkwardly up at Sleipnir, then sighed tiredly as the earth pony gave him that damned smile of his, the unicorn grumbling: “I cannot begin to express how sick and tired I am of seeing that little smirk of yours.”

“Oh, come now, I cannot help but try and be happy!” Sleipnir said encouragingly, and then Sleipnir settled his hooves on the smaller stallion's shoulders again, making Blueblood shift a bit... but much more than the contact, he hated the fact that it was no longer his first instinct to shrug off this... unwanted, undignified touching. “I am no fool, Blue, I know thou and I still have plenty we must try and work out between us. But I would like to believe that we are getting there.”

The young prince grimaced a little, but then he gave a grouchy nod before crossing his forelegs and muttering: “It would be easier if you didn't seem to feel the need to touch me all the time.”

“Contact is important. It shows that we are connected, that I am here, beside thee, with thee. That thou can trust me.” Sleipnir replied kindly, and Blueblood looked up in surprise at how... well... smart the response sounded. But a moment later, Sleipnir grinned and winked, adding cheerfully: “And what is not to enjoy about my touch? Why, I have made many a stallion moan beneath my ministrations, just as I have mares!”

Blueblood reared back with a look of horror at this, and then Sleipnir said seriously, leaning forwards: “And well, thou art very pretty... I am very pretty... very pretty things-”

“Oh, get away from me!” Blueblood snapped, flailing wildly and shoving himself backwards before he yelped and toppled over, and Sleipnir only laughed as he stepped back with a wide grin, the unicorn scowling horribly up at him from the ground. “Filthy... you... you dirty stallion!”

“Aye, I am.” Sleipnir said agreeably, shrugging easily before he said easily: “I shall ask the Royal Guard if any of them have seen thy trinket. Fear not, I shan't reveal thy nightmares to the world, I shall merely tell them 'tis a thing of sentiment from thy aunt. I do not believe any of our friends would steal from thee, Blueblood, but... perhaps 'twas a silly prank, or was done without thinking.”

Blueblood frowned at this, and then he shifted a little as he sat up. He thought for a moment about Sleipnir's words, then asked slowly: “Why did your mind jump to our soldiers first? Because... because they don't like me?”

“Oh, cease that, silly stallion.” Sleipnir chastised gently, and then he shook his head with a quiet chuckle. “'Tis not that at all, in any event. Nay, 'tis simple. Earl Grey is certainly no thief, and no matter what thou may think of Invidia, nor is she. And besides, she has been with us the entire time. There are no other guests, and thy room is ripped to shreds and shambles: that means either the charm has vanished upon its own will, or one of our own soldiers has taken it.”

“Oh.” Blueblood said in a very quiet voice, and Sleipnir frowned a bit as the ivory unicorn looked down, silently rubbing at his chest: he hadn't even imagined that one of his soldiers, these Royal Guard might have... actually...

He shifted uneasily, then realized Sleipnir was looking at him... pitying him. The unicorn hated it, but the only thing he could think to do was try and steer the conversation in a different direction by asking: “Who is Earl Grey?”

“Why, the innkeeper, of course.” Sleipnir smiled and shrugged, and Blueblood scowled a little: he didn't understand still why Sleipnir insisted on learning about everypony they came across. And yet at the same time, it struck him as funny: he and Celestia had been coming here for years for the winter games, and he'd never actually learned the name of the hotel's owner.

The young prince shifted moodily, and Sleipnir studied him for a moment before simply smiling again and bowing his head politely. “But I shall go and speak to our friends, then, and see what they have to say. I'll return to thee once I have talked to our soldiers. And do not take this to heart, young Blue, no matter what the answer: 'tis either an honest mistake or an error of judgment, nothing more.”

Blueblood didn't reply, only looking at him warily, so after a moment Sleipnir simply nodded again before turning and letting himself out. He frowned a little as he emerged into the corridor, lowering his head in thought before he looked slowly towards the end of the hall, where Invidia was cooped up.

Late last night, after the drinking contest was over and the common room was in disarray, Sleipnir had headed outside to try and clear his head beneath the stars. He had been feeling... alright. Not good, not bad, and maybe a little calmer and more thoughtful than usual. There had been a lot to think about, after all... and for once, ale hadn't quenched his thirst or quieted his thoughts, but instead brought back all the old memories, of the times he'd traveled with his siblings across Midgard; of the great feasts and endless nights of celebration they'd shared; of laughter and togetherness and...

Sleipnir shook his head and smiled faintly, then he reached up and tapped gently against his temple with a hoof, saying softly: “'Tis not the time for that. And 'tis not the time to question Invidia, either. Thou art perfectly capable of solving this odd riddle on thy own.”

The stallion nodded to himself, then turned and calmly made his way towards the common room, where most of the Royal Guard were still lounging and slowly trying to eat. Almost half of them, Sleipnir was able to immediately dismiss as possibilities: when he'd come back inside early in the morning, he'd seen all those faces sprawled out here in the common room.

There were a few missing soldiers, and a few others who looked... not quite as hungover as the others, meaning they had already shaken off last night's events or had been smart enough not to try and keep up with him. Sleipnir smiled slightly, his eyes flicking back and forth before he strode into the center of the room and announced: “Friends, 'tis good to see all of thee! But I fear that I have a strange request for all of thee as well: it seems our friend Blue has lost something special to him, gifted to him by his Aunts. 'Twould be very nice if it could be returned, 'tis... a good luck charm of some kind, a talisman. I think 'tis green? Or blue? Bah, I have no mind for colors!”

Sleipnir smiled as he looked back and forth: most of the guards looked confused, but... yes. There was one in the corner who looked much more attentive, raising his head, shifting a little bit as he recognized what it was that Sleipnir was talking about.

The stallion strode leisurely over towards this soldier, looking at him kindly: he didn't want to just jump on this poor soul, or humiliate him in front of his friends. So he'd try and give him an easy way out, first. “Does thou know of what I speak? Hast thou seen it? The young prince swears he had it with him, but methinks that the very reason he lost his charm is because he clings to it so tightly. 'Twould be most fortunate if thou had picked it up.”

“I...” Caught off-guard, with all eyes turning curiously towards him and no possible escape, the Royal Guard swallowed a little before giving a shaky smile, saying awkwardly: “I... well... that is to say, I mean...”

Sleipnir only continued to smile, tilting his head ever-so-slightly, and the stallion finally dropped his head and nodded embarrassedly. Then he cleared his throat and nervously rubbed a hoof through his mane, mumbling: “It's uh... in my room.”

“Oh, most excellent. Would thou bring me to it? I do not like to meddle with others' belongings.” Sleipnir said pleasantly, and the Royal Guard tried to shrink his head down between his shoulders even as he nodded meekly.

He carefully slipped out of his seat, and then scuttled quickly out of the common room, Sleipnir striding after him and shaking his head more in amusement than anything else. There was something almost bittersweetly nostalgic about this moment; it brought back memories of all the times he'd had to lecture his daughter about all her wild little misadventures.

But his amusement didn't last long, even as he felt an ironic pang when the soldier showed him the charm: just like his daughter, the stallion hadn't meant any harm, but all the same he'd accidentally broken the charm into pieces.

At least, Sleipnir wanted to believe it was an accident, although the Royal Guard was rambling away at a hundred miles a minute, apparently grasping at any possible excuse for his actions. The earth pony ignored him for the moment, however, studying the pieces of dreamcatcher quietly: string was torn and barely holding together in places, some of the beads were missing, the stone was chipped deeply enough that it had ruined the runic engraving on it.

He shook his head briefly, then finally held up a hoof to silence the guard, who dropped his head and mumbled an apology. But Sleipnir only chuckled quietly at this, shaking his head again and murmuring: “Nay. 'Tis not I whom thou must apologize to. Thou must take this and apologize to Blueblood. And I pray thou will be honest when thou does it.”

The Royal Guard fidgeted uneasily, and then he suddenly blurted: “But he's such a... a jerk! And I really didn't mean to break it, I... I don't even know why I took it!”

Sleipnir frowned at this, and then thrust the broken charm towards the guard, who flinched back from it. He shrank even further from the earth pony's stern voice, as Sleipnir chastised: “How can thou be a brother-in-arms when thou acts at the same time like thou has never heard of fraternity and comradeship! Blueblood is like a colt, making his first steps into this world... 'tis our duty to help him be a strong and bold stallion, not to make him hate the world! Oh, how thou disappoints me!”

The soldier had almost cowered down to the ground now, and he swallowed awkwardly before nodding a few times and mumbling: “I... well... it's just that... I mean, he's always been...”

“The past is the past. Thou must let it lay where it has fallen, not disturb it and drag it forwards. How can our young friend but repeat the mistakes he has already made if his fellow ponies expect nothing more, and treat him as if he is not trying to change? For he is trying. Thou has my word upon that.” Sleipnir said quietly, shaking his head before he sighed and studied the charm in his hooves silently. “Damnation. This is not a craft which I can mend, either.”

He looked down moodily for a few moments, then glanced up at the soldier before once more holding the pieces out. And this time, at least, the Royal Guard took them, biting his lip before Sleipnir said quietly: “Thou shan't belittle him or patronize him. Thou shall tell him the truth, in whole. And aye, I do not expect our prince to be so grown he will take this well. But all the same, thou shall treat him with compassion. We learn best from example, watching kin and kindred.”

There was silence for a few moments, and then the Royal Guard nodded a few times before he carefully hefted the pieces in a telekinetic grip. He shifted uncomfortably, then looked awkwardly up at Sleipnir before saying finally: “I really... didn't mean for anything like this to happen, I... I know that much. I just... I don't know why I did it. I really don't.”

Sleipnir only smiled faintly, then gestured quietly at the soldier: the pony dropped his head and hurried out, looking back once like a chastened foal before he vanished around the corner, and Sleipnir sighed. This was going to take time and effort to mend... and moreover...

He frowned a little, narrowing his eyes. That soldier was... Velvet Hoof, if he remembered his name right. A lieutenant, respected by the other soldiers from what he could recall: they had been telling a story about him last night, hadn't they? How he had once saved his entire platoon by baiting a hydra into a ravine, but he was too chicken to ask a mare out on a date.

The other soldiers liked him, thought highly of him. And Velvet Hoof had seemed to take honest pain in Sleipnir's words, even if he'd also tried to weasel out of his punishment... but had he really? No, he had been rambling away, certainly, and it had sounded like he was making up excuses... but what if Velvet Hoof had just been trying to figure out himself what the real reason he'd gone and stolen such a precious thing from Blueblood himself?

Sleipnir felt like he was missing a piece of the puzzle... but he thought he knew what that piece might be. Blueblood's nightmares, nightmares that had apparently plagued him during all his years in Canterlot... but hadn't bothered him at all the last few nights, like they had lost track of them. And maybe that was because... something had lost track of Blueblood for a little while.

The stallion rubbed at the underside of his muzzle thoughtfully, closing his eyes. Sure, Blueblood was constantly snapping at everypony and trying to assert his princedom... but it was easy to see how all of that was just Blueblood trying to protect and cling to the few things he had in life. His aunt, the little power he had, the hopes and dreams Sleipnir didn't think he entirely believed in, no matter how often he bragged about how he'd one day rule Equestria.

No, Blueblood was ruled by fear, by real and imagined slights and threats; he was an insecure little colt, easily manipulated and emotionally-loud. Demons, spirits, plenty of things would love to lock on to Blueblood and devour his emotions: Invidia's reaction to siphoning up some of Blueblood's pain was proof enough of that.

Maybe that was what Invidia was after, too... but Sleipnir put her out of mind for now. If she had wanted to actually harm or feast on Blueblood, she'd had a thousand chances by now to do far worse than break his sleeping charm. But maybe some kind of demon really had been preying on the prince for all these years: that would explain why he was absolutely terrified of Invidia, and yet couldn't settle on any reason why.

Heavy thoughts... thoughts all usually better left for his older sister, but... since she wasn't here, Sleipnir figured he'd have to try and bear this burden himself. He smiled a little at this thought... and then winced when a blood-curdling howl came from down the corridor, followed by swearing and the sounds of objects hitting walls and hoofsteps fleeing rapidly.

Sleipnir grimaced, but didn't panic or rush as he let himself out into the corridor, watching without surprise as Blueblood half-fell out of his room, shouting angrily after who the earth pony assumed was probably Velvet Hoof. But in spite of his rage, Sleipnir could see Blueblood was already collapsing into tears, and the earth pony gave a faint smile before he shook his head and strode towards the unicorn.

Well, figuring out the rest of this riddle could wait. For now, he had his ward to attend to.

Loss Of Balance

Chapter Seven: Loss Of Balance
~BlackRoseRaven

Blueblood refused to come down and drink that night: instead, he curled up in his room, trembling beneath his blankets, protective runes etched all over the walls and ceiling. He'd told Sleipnir they wouldn't work, a thousand times over, but the earth pony had insisted all the same on putting them up... but no, both his aunts had tried that too, among other things. None of it was going to help. Not a single bit of it.

He whimpered a little, clenching his eyes shut: oh, he was going to find out the name of that solider and have him executed for this! Why, Auntie Celestia had already promised to talk to her Generals first thing in the morning about what had happened. But as much as he'd pleaded and begged... apparently she was far too busy in Canterlot to come out for five minutes to give him goodnighties when he needed it most...

The stallion trembled, fighting back tears. Sleipnir had said he would stay with him but... that was the last thing Blueblood needed, that... that big failure crammed in the bed with him! As if it wasn't bad enough he had failed to take care of him when he'd promised – he'd promised! – but now he wanted to humiliate him? Imagine the rumors! Prince Blueblood the colt cuddler; Prince Blueblood and his 'daddy;' Prince Blueblood, Equestria's next queen!

Blueblood swore and clenched his eyes shut, shivering violently as he hugged himself. This was all Sleipnir's fault... if he hadn't broken the damned door, if he hadn't gotten everyone drunk, if he hadn't taken him on this stupid quest in the first place, everything would be okay right now! And he wouldn't be here, trying his damnedest to stay awake all night, terrified every moment that-

“Blueblood, darling... are you awake?”

Blueblood's eyes widened, and then he flung off the blanket to stare with surprise at Princess Celestia, his aunt smiling faintly as she slipped into the room and quietly closed the door behind her. He trembled violently, then leapt out of bed and almost flung himself into her, his aunt catching him tightly and safely in her embrace as she said softly: “I decided that work could wait. You're much more important to me.”

“A-A-Auntie...” Blueblood whimpered, burying his face against the side of her neck, but Celestia only smiled softly, holding Blueblood tightly against her breast.

He felt like crying. He felt so happy, happier than he'd been in years: Auntie Celestia was here, here for him, and it was all going to be okay now. He clung to her tightly, keeping his eyes tightly shut even as one of her hooves gently stroked along his face, even as he felt a soft kiss to his forehead as she murmured: “It's all going to be okay.”

He pressed against her thin body, trembling a bit, almost afraid he was going to break her with how hard he was squeezing her, so hard that he could feel her bones pressing into him. But she squeezed him back with such great strength in her own forelegs... it was... it was like being in a vise, almost, caught between narrow but unbreakable steel bars...

Blueblood trembled as he tried to bury his face in the familiarity of her mane... but it felt... wet, and cold. Not at all like the flowing ephemera he was used to. His eyes slid open... and then widened slowly as he found himself staring not into a rainbow sea, but filthy blackness...

His hooves pushed into her, and they felt bare, yellowed bones as he rose his head... and stared with horror up at this monstrosity's face. It was literally wearing the face of his aunt like a mask, blood dripping from the crude edges, spilling down the features of the rotted skeleton beneath as hellish white light glowed out of its sockets. The black mop of mane writhed like worms, growing out of the bones themselves, thick with grease and blood.

Not-Celestia looked down at him, then whispered lovingly: “Yes, my darling. Everything is going to be alright.”

She leaned down, trying to kiss him, and Blueblood screamed and shoved himself backwards as hard as he could. He tore free from the monster's grip, landing with a thud on his back as the world around him went black, but Blueblood didn't care: he was panicking and terrified, spinning around through the inky nothingness-

And instead, he found himself standing in front of the place where all his nightmares always began. The gates of Horsehead Cemetery, in Canterlot.

Blueblood's heart thudded in his chest, whimpering as he stared over the wrought iron fencing, the broken latticework patterns, the ivy that twined and twisted here and there over the rusting metal bars. There was no place in Equestria that terrified him more than this: the place where... where he'd last seen his real parents.

The gates creaked open, and Blueblood trembled before he tried to spin around, tried to run away... and impossibly, he found himself facing the gates again, his stumbling steps only carrying him closer before he fell in a sprawl in the dirt.

He clenched his eyes shut, breathing hard in and out, doing everything he could to try and will this nightmare away... but no. When he opened his eyes, it had only gotten worse. The gates seemed to twist, like they were reaching towards him, trying to pull him into their embrace; the fencing loomed ever higher, ever more terrible. Red light shone down from the blood-red sun as it hovered on the horizon, bathing the world in endless twilight.

Blueblood curled up, whimpering, refusing to take a step further as he clenched his eyes shut... but then there the creak of gates and the clash of metal, and when the unicorn's eyes snapped open, the gates were sealed behind him, and he was trapped inside this awful, terrible place. This hell he had tried so hard, so many times, to leave behind...

The unicorn trembled violently as he sat slowly up, and then he swallowed thickly as he looked back and forth, shivering. He didn't want to go ahead... but oh, the longer he stayed here, the worse it got. The red light became more intense, making everything look like it was washed in blood; the iron fencing curled inwards, like claws ready to rend and shove him onwards; all the tombstones seemed to shiver with anticipation, and the stone angels turned their heads to gaze at him, mocking him, deriding him, daring him to defy them...

He didn't want to do this. He didn't want to walk into the grips of his nightmare. But what choice did he have? He knew from experience that if he refused to, it would just get worse and worse: the cemetery would go from being a deluge of terrible memories to his every fear combined into one hideous menagerie...

Blueblood slowly staggered up to his hooves, staring down the path as he breathed harshly in and out, his whole body quaking with fear. He knew what had to be done, and he knew what was waiting for him ahead... but no matter how many times he faced this, the terror and the pain never became any less. No, it never got easier; this infected wound in his mind was never going to heal, and these nightmares were never, ever going to come to an end.

He trudged slowly forwards, breathing hard, trembling as he forced himself to move ahead step by slow, arduous step. Every nerve sizzled as he felt sweat running down his form, felt his stomach shriveling, his throat dry, his eyes watering...

And oh, every little detail was so... so crystalline in his mind. The smell of the freshly-mowed grasses, mixed with the dry scent of lavender. The feel of the pebbles and dirt beneath his bare hooves. The dried flowers in front of some graves, the talismans and gifts that rested in front of others...

Blueblood trembled as he passed a large, ancient fountain full of brackish water, which was topped with stone angels that pointed in the direction of his deepest, darkest abyss of memory...

The stallion shivered weakly, forcing himself not to stare at these... these awful, almost-alive sentinels of rock, to instead walk onwards even as the red light seemed to intensify around him, the path both stretching on endlessly and yet racing itself under his hooves, like all he had to do was stand still and it would carry him onwards.

The black pit waited ahead, and Blueblood moaned low in his throat as tremors ran through his body, looking back and forth desperately for some means of escape... but oh, no, looking around was only making it worse, brought back even more memories. There were the mausoleums, a corpse-feeder's pantry; over here, the crumbling tombstones and the rotted, one-eyed angel statue that signified he was entering the old cemetery.

Blueblood whimpered as he found himself stepping off the path and into a weedy, grassy trench: this part of the cemetery was rarely frequented, so it was much less well kept than the others... the gravekeepers couldn't be bothered to tend to this part of the massive, sprawling cemetery. Few ponies ever came back here, after all...

The unicorn trembled violently as he looked back and forth, passing strange, needle-like markers that had always terrified him: not just because they looked like jagged teeth or claws lining the path, but because these obelisks meant these graves had more than one occupant. Two, three... entire families, sometimes, were buried in these shallow pits, most of them ponies who had been too poor to afford their own graves or who had all died of the plague that had ravaged Equestria hundreds of years ago, so their bodies had been burned up and the remains shoveled rudely into these... these...

Blueblood trembled: he had vowed he would never, ever let that happen to him. When he died, he wouldn't go to a pauper's grave or some reeking death-pit. He wanted his body sealed in cement and buried beneath Canterlot Castle, in rock and stone and shale: his corpse would remain in stasis forever, safe from the bugs, the vultures, mortician's knives and the clammy lips of the gravedigger...

The young prince swallowed thickly, then looked up, his breath catching in his throat as he stumbled to a halt and realized... he was here. He was at the end of the weedy path, in front of the ramshackle ruins of what had once been a shrine, and was now nothing but a mossy, broken-down heap of stone and burnt glass, the victim of drunkenness and stovefire.

In front of it was a single grave: a pit, a gaping black eye in the earth. The red twilight made its darkness seem darker, made the edges look raw and bloody, like torn flesh; made the dirty shovel that had been cast to the side look as if it had been polished with blood.

But even the hellish light didn't dare touch the tall, thin unicorn standing on the other side of the grave. Blueblood trembled as he looked at him, feeling himself shrinking as the figure loomed, grew ever taller, his crooked body leaning and twisting its way towards the foal. An old, tattered raincoat fluttered around his body, and his face was kept in shadow by the wide-brimmed hat he wore... and yet his cold blue eyes all-but-glowed out of the darkness that masked his face.

The stallion pointed at the grave, and Blueblood whimpered, only a foal again, helpless to do anything but follow what the memories commanded. He strode slowly forwards, then looked down into the grave as tears spilled down his cheeks, staring down at the corpse of his mother... oh, his lovely mother, with her gorgeous golden curls, her face so pale and frozen in death, her eyes closed and the stains of blood on her dress like red flowers...

He heard the sound, and he looked up, as he always did, a moment before the shovel hit him across the face: his head twisted to the side as he stumbled forwards and fell, but his landing was soft... oh, but that was no comfort, as he stared down with terror at his mother's body before he screamed and ran for the edge of the pit...

But it was as useless as always: he scrabbled and clawed at the edge of the abyss, but he was such a little foal and this grave was so deep and there was nothing, nothing he could do as a mass of dirt hailed down over him, drowning him, sharp pieces of rock pelting him as he was knocked down against his mother's dead body.

He began to get up... and then he felt it, as he always did. The subtle twitch, before the grasp like iron locked around his foreleg, and Blueblood looked over his shoulder in terror at the sight of his mother staring up at him with blank, helpless, terrified eyes. She clutched to him desperately, and the foal screamed, unable to move before another hail of dirt fell over them both.

He tried to yank free, but his mother didn't understand... or didn't want to die alone, miserable here, trapped in the callous earth. The foal couldn't pull free as another thick hail of dirt fell, coating him up to the neck, burying his mother... but oh, oh, he could still feel her grip, and the colt shook his head in denial, covered in dirt and filth, looking up one last desperate time before he screamed: “Daddy, no! Daddy, s-stop!”

But his father didn't stop, didn't listen, didn't care: the dirt piled on, rained down, covered him as Blueblood felt it suffocating him, smothering him, completely drowning him beneath the avalanche even as he tried to scream-

A hoof seized him by the shoulder and yanked him suddenly upwards, and Blueblood gasped before he snapped awake, covered in cold sweat and reeking of fear and urine, trembling violently as he looked to the side and saw Sleipnir leaning worriedly in.

The young prince shook wildly, then burst into tears before he flung himself towards the earth pony, and Sleipnir caught him as Blueblood simply buried his head into the larger pony's chest, sobbing. The earth pony looked down silently at the young prince, and then he gave a faint smile, shaking his head slowly as he reached up and stroked back his mane like a foal, murmuring quietly: “Aye, let it out, 'tis no shame in it. I am here for thee, my friend.”

Blueblood cried until he could cry no more, and then he simply shivered, resting against Sleipnir as his breath hitched every so often, shivering and hating... no. No, he was too tired to hate. Too tired, and too weak: after all these years, he couldn't even bring himself to hate his father... he was pathetic, still hoping that maybe...

“I... I'm okay. Let me go.” Blueblood whispered, and Sleipnir chuckled quietly before half complying as he sat beside the unicorn and left a companionable foreleg around him. And Blueblood hated how... comforting that was.

The unicorn lowered his head, rubbing silently at his face before he bit his lip, then suddenly whispered: “I don't want to be seen like this.”

“Aye, I know.” Sleipnir smiled a little, shaking his head slowly. “'Tis natural to feel... strange, young prince. Uncomfortable, even. But I am thy friend and thou art my partner in this quest, and therefore I shall not abandon thee, even if thou desires abandonment. I fear 'tis simply not within my blood to do so.”

Blueblood closed his eyes, but he didn't have the strength to argue. So instead, he only shrugged listlessly, and there was silence for a little while between them.

The young prince felt himself calming little-by-little, however, until he was finally able to look up and ask quietly: “What time is it?”

“I would say that now it nears seven in the morning.” Sleipnir said softly, and Blueblood shifted a little as he half-looked over his shoulder towards the window: it still seemed so dark outside... “The clouds are heavy today, aye. I do not believe 'tis going to rain, though: this storm does not speak of ill weather, but it is rather an ill omen...”

Blueblood frowned uneasily over at Sleipnir: he was too tired and too anxious and too... drained to really do anything but listen to the stallion. And besides, Sleipnir was strange, but... right now, Blueblood didn't have the energy to come up with his usual denials and refusals to believe how nature talked to the earth pony. “What do you mean?”

Sleipnir was quiet, and then he shook his head briefly before murmuring: “I am not entirely sure myself, Blue. But an ill wind blows, of that much I am certain. Something wretched and wicked awakens... I only hope that it has not awoken because of my arrival.”

Blueblood frowned at this, and then he shook his head a little, and they were silent again for a while. Sleipnir didn't press the subject, and Blueblood was grateful for it, shifting a little before he finally murmured quietly: “My nightmares...”

The earth pony looked over at him, and the young prince licked his lips slowly before finally mumbling: “I... don't want to talk about them. It doesn't help, it never does. I... I just...”

Blueblood looked away for a moment, then he reached up and silently scrubbed at his face with one hoof before he closed his eyes and whispered: “Why do some things never get easier? Why... why do we have to remember things that we don't want to? I'm... I'm a prince now, Sleipnir, why is it that I cannot leave my past behind...”

“Because thy past is what formed who thou art now.” Sleipnir said gently, and Blueblood frowned at this, looking uneasily at the earth pony even as Sleipnir smiled kindly at him. “My friend... 'tis no great riddle, difficult as 'tis to understand. We are who we are because of what we have experienced, and... how we have chosen to take those experiences.”

Blueblood frowned, then looked down for a few moments before he shook his head and laughed weakly. “Maybe I would be... a better prince if I had actually been born noble, not... not a peasant. A lowly gravedigger's son...”

Sleipnir only shrugged at this, then replied gently: “Or perhaps thou would have been the worser for it, young prince. I do not pretend to know what thy memories are of, what these nightmares are that plague thee... but 'tis not too late to make something good come of this evil, young prince. It never is. Thou may still choose to face thy nightmares: instead of bottling thyself up, thou could take these evils and transform them into a gift of empathy. Into fuel, to feed a desire to stop others from suffering the same fate.”

Blueblood laughed shortly at this, then he turned away and hugged himself, shivering as he whispered: “You don't understand. You don't understand at all.”

Sleipnir didn't reply, simply rubbing the stallion's back gently, and the unicorn looked away... but felt what was almost a sliver of guilt. He hated that his mind was actually trying to grasp the concept Sleipnir had brought up instead of just discarding it out of hoof like he wanted to, as some bitter, angry part of himself tried to tell him how there was no way that Sleipnir could understand what he had gone through, that there was no way any good could ever come of those darkling dreams...

They just sat in quiet for ten minutes, before Blueblood finally rose his head and said almost hesitantly: “I... would like breakfast, Sleipnir. And... and then I will write a letter to Auntie Celestia and... I suppose...”

Blueblood bit his lip: he just wanted to keep busy today, but he had no idea what to do out here, which meant he really didn't have any choice but to... trust in Sleipnir, as much as he loathed to admit that. The young prince looked awkwardly over at the enormous earth pony, but Sleipnir only chuckled and smiled at him kindly, saying easily: “Well, we have much to work on, do we not? Breakfast sounds like a fine start, though, and after thou hast written thy letter, I shall train thee. Fair?”

Well... it was better than nothing, Blueblood supposed. But at this point, he'd take anything to keep his mind off the nightmares: he knew that if he spent the whole day thinking about them, it would just make the night even worse. So finally, he nodded and gave a hesitant smile, and Sleipnir smiled warmly back, nodding firmly in return.

At least it was something, right?

Prince Blueblood wheezed loudly as he dragged a large cart behind him, filled with rocks. His legs were wobbling, and even his brain hurt from all the work he'd been doing, and he couldn't help but wonder how the hell that tremendous jerk Sleipnir had talked him into this as he slowly dragged the cart up the hilly path while the earth pony simply trotted behind him, happily babbling away like the idiot he was.

Blueblood ground his teeth together slowly, but he refused to give in. He wasn't going to give the earth pony the pleasure... and besides. He was naked as a newborn, and he'd been conned into leaving his regal vestments at the top of the hill, and Sleipnir had already said he wouldn't undo the harness until Blueblood carted this load of rocks to the little lookout.

“Will you just shut up?” Blueblood finally snapped, and Sleipnir blinked and cocked his head in surprise, looking curiously over at the stallion. The unicorn tried to say something else, but all that came out was a weak wheeze as he nearly fell forwards on the steep road. Oh, this wasn't a prince's work, this... this was for peasants and idiots!

Then the earth pony slapped him on the shoulder, and Blueblood flinched and nearly fell over as his legs wobbled painfully beneath him. “Come now, look! Thou art nearly there! Push just a little further, young Blue!”

Blueblood growled under his breath, but then he swore to himself before forcing himself to continue onwards, wheezing loudly. Oh, everything hurt, and his heart throbbed in his chest, and he felt like he was going to vomit, but... Sleipnir was right, too. There was that big, dead tree that marked the top of the hill, and there were his clothes, hanging from the branches. All he had to do was get there...

The white stallion panted and trembled, but forced himself forwards. Every step ached... but when he finally reached the tree, he laughed weakly before flopping forwards on his face with a groan over the roots of the old oak.

He breathed slowly in and out, shivering a little, and then gave a sigh of relief: Sleipnir was congratulating him, but that didn't matter half as much as the fact he could feel the earth pony removing the straps from his body. And oh, the moment he was free of the harness, he felt so... so free. So light on his hooves, and the ache in his form was almost pleasant as he shifted a little, for once not even caring that he was out here laying in the dirt, sweaty and messy...

After a few minutes of rest, he picked himself slowly up... then frowned over his shoulder as he saw that Sleipnir had already emptied the cart and was starting to place the stones in a circle, the unicorn raising his head and wondering what the hell the stallion was doing.

He didn't have the energy to voice the question, though, so he simply watched until Sleipnir finally turned around and smiled down at him, saying cheerfully: “Thou hast done quite well, my friend! Aye, we shall only need to gather a few more loads of stones... I think tomorrow we shall work more on this project. 'Twill be good training.”

Blueblood scowled at this, and then he slowly picked himself up, shaking himself briskly and asking moodily: “And what precisely are we building, Sleipnir?”

“Oh, I am not quite certain yet.” Sleipnir said benevolently, and Blueblood blinked slowly at this before Sleipnir smiled cheerfully, gesturing easily around. “It depends upon how many stones we find, and how freely flows water in this region, among other things. But I am sure this will eventually become something rather nice. Or so I hope.”

Blueblood gave a short laugh at this, and then he shook his head in disbelief before scowling and asking moodily: “So this is only a game to you?”

“Life is but a merry game, young Blue! But do not fear.” Sleipnir smiled again, winking at the stallion before he reached down and easily hauled the unicorn to his hooves, Blueblood stumbling a little with a wheeze of surprise. “That is not so bad a thing, as thou seems to assume. And it does not mean thou art not learning much. Why, would thou ever have suspected before now thou wert capable of such a feat as this?”

“Yes, dragging rocks up a hill. I'm truly impressed by what you've taught me.” Blueblood mumbled, and then he sighed and began to reach for his girdle and traveling clothes before he shivered a little as he realized just how dirty he was. And his clothing was starting to get dirty itself... “Sleipnir, what about laundry? What about me? I haven't had a chance to bathe in days!”

Sleipnir looked thoughtful at this, and then he nodded a few times before he suddenly smiled and said kindly: “Then come, if 'tis so important to thee, let us head back to the inn and we shall find thee thy bath.”

Blueblood grumbled under his breath, feeling somehow like Sleipnir's idea of what constituted a proper bath was going to be very different from his own... and he certainly wasn't proven wrong, an hour later, as he sat out in the back yard of the inn in what was little more than a large wooden barrel. The water was lukewarm at best and he loathed the fact he was out in public, even if Sleipnir had already promised to keep all the guards away.

He splashed disconsolately at the water... then flinched and shrank down into the water as Invidia poked her head up over the edge of the barrel, licking her lips and smiling at him coyly. She leaned up, but at least made no move to slip into the tub with him as she greeted tenderly: “Hello, Prince Blueblood... I heard you had a rather nasty nightmare. Would you like me to take the pain away for you? I'd be more than happy to, my lord...”

Blueblood gave a weak laugh, and then he shivered a little and shook his head quickly, shifting uneasily. For one thing, he didn't think that Invidia could numb his nightmares like she had his hangover... and for another, he had the sense that if he let the demon try, she would see his nightmares. And as terrible and awful as they were, Blueblood also protected the secret of his darkest dream, held it tight and close in his heart, in spite of how much it scared him... but he could never afford to let anypony know the truth behind his nightmares.

Invidia studied him almost hungrily, and the prince shifted, trying to draw his gaze away. But finally, his eyes were uncomfortably drawn back to her, as the demon asked in almost a purr: “Is there anything else I can do for you then, Lord Blueblood? Maybe distract you in other ways, with other pleasures... you must be so tired after doing the titanic tasks that Sleipnir forced on you...”

The unicorn shifted a little, a faint grimace passing over his features: maybe it was because he was still in a bad mood, maybe it was because his ego was feeling frail, or maybe it was because he just wasn't as stupid as the demon seemed to think he was, but... her flattery just wasn't working right now. Titanic task, right: like he really needed compliments on how much effort he'd had to put into dragging a stupid cart up a stupid hill.

Still, he couldn't even bring himself to snap at her: she scared him too much, with her horrible golden eyes and how snake-like she seemed. She was beautiful, certainly, but for some reason, that just made him even more afraid of her. And he didn't even know why.

Invidia refused to take the hint or settle for silence, however, prodding after a moment: “You look uncomfortable... could I perhaps heat up the water for you? Or I can create music for you, my darling, would you like that?”

Blueblood hesitated... then he simply shook his head wildly, silent and scared as a foal. Invidia's face puckered at the reaction, but then she forced herself to smile after a moment, saying finally: “Very well, your lordship. Then I'll... simply stay here with you. You don't have to be afraid of me, you know... I won't let anything happen to your handsome head, no, no, no. I'm not like Sleipnir, my darling: he's a liar, a manipulator. He's just using you, so he can get back home and abandon you... but I'm going to stay by your side, forever now. Because I'm your friend, my darling. I'm your best friend, the best friend you will ever have, in this entire world...”

Prince Blueblood trembled violently, opening his mouth... before closing it in surprise as he realized he'd been about to actually defend Sleipnir. But... but all Invidia was saying was what he had come to believe himself... right?

He looked away... then sighed in something like relief when the earth pony himself came tromping out of the back door of the inn. Immediately, Invidia scowled horribly at him, but Sleipnir only gave that big, oafish smile of his as he walked up beside the tub and said cheerfully: “'Tis so good to see thee both here, trying to get along... although I would be wary, Blueblood, methinks that Invidia is but waiting for thee to look away so she can slip into the tub with thee! I find it strange, though, that thou hast not invited her into the waters thyself; rejecting the gift of a pretty mare seems the decision of a fool or masochist to me.”

The unicorn glowered over at Sleipnir, then snapped with only the faintest blush: “I... I already told you, the last thing I need are rumors about... relationships spreading! I have a certain duty to uphold that a mongrel like you could never understand!”

Invidia sighed almost dreamily, and Sleipnir smiled before he said cheerfully: “'Tis very nice to see thee back to normal, Blue. Although 'twill be even nicer once we manage to actually put thee in a good mood. Now that will be a fine day indeed.”

Prince Blueblood scowled, then he grimaced and rubbed at his stomach, complaining: “I'll be in a better mood when you get me some food, Sleipnir. Breakfast was barely anything and I have not eaten lunch.”

“I'll fetch you something!” Invidia volunteered immediately, but just as she started to dash away, Sleipnir shook his head and held up a hoof with a smile.

“Nay, breakfast was hearty, thou simply refused to partake of it in full! And dinner will be served in but an hour's time. Hold out until then, and then thou shall eat well and be full for the night. At least of food: I hope thou has a stomach for ale tonight!” Sleipnir winked. “For thou owes me two nights' worth of drinking!”

Blueblood rolled his eyes, then he sank into the lukewarm water, muttering: “I refuse to play your idiotic game, Sleipnir-”

“That is fine.” Sleipnir smiled cheerfully, winking at the unicorn. “I and the twenty fine warriors who have come with us shall merely continue to enjoy the hospitality of this inn and the fine drinkery thou art providing us with.”

Blueblood flinched at this, then he reached up and rubbed slowly at his forehead, shivering a little: Auntie Celestia was not entirely pleased with the fact that he had already spent so much money on ale alone, and he was well aware that if it continued for too long, she'd eventually cut him off... and he couldn't stand the idea of her being mad at him. Any more than he could stand the idea of being a penniless prince... “I'll... I'll tell Auntie it was all your idea!”

“Oh, thou hast not already?” Sleipnir sounded honestly surprised, and Blueblood looked up at him, dumbfounded. “Well, that is most generous of thee. I was wondering why I had not yet been scolded by Celestia, 'twas rather a surprise. Nay, thou should tell her, do not take all the blame upon thy own silly head! I will explain the purpose of the exercise to her and I am sure she will understand.”

Sleipnir spoke with such kindness that... it almost made the unicorn feel guilty. He looked awkwardly away, tapping a hoof against the side of the tub before wincing when Invidia said nastily: “He doesn't need you ordering him around like a foal, Sleipnir. Any more than he should have to speak up for you to his aunt. If you were even half the stallion you claim to be, you would have done it yourself by now.”

The stallion only smiled and shrugged easily, then replied cheerfully: “Well, 'twould be rather awkward, as I cannot write in the language of the ponies of today. I do not believe the Celestia of this world will be so familiar with runes, as the Celestia of mine own is.”

Invidia snorted, and Blueblood carefully let himself sink down into the suds and water, doing his best to hide from the two as they had their one-sided argument. Sleipnir certainly didn't seem intent on bickering with the demon, after all, even though Invidia was doing her best to make him angry... and really, Blueblood couldn't see how Sleipnir could still be smiling so honestly and cheerfully, how he could easily reply to every mockery and interruption with such... warmth and ease, never getting angry, never being more than playful and teasing.

Eventually, Invidia grew frustrated and stormed off, and Sleipnir watched her go almost curiously before he simply shrugged and turned a smile towards Blueblood, saying cheerfully: “Come, 'tis time for thou to get out of that wretched water. Thou art going to become a Kelpie at this rate, and then what shall I do? I cannot carry thee around in a great bucket upon mine back. Believe me, I have tried. Such things do not work.”

Blueblood looked moodily up at Sleipnir, then he rolled his eyes before grumbling under his breath and complaining: “Well, I need a towel!”

“Oh, a towel, thy lordship? Oh, fie and fiddlesticks, very well, I shall fetch for thee a towel.” Sleipnir sounded more amused than anything else as he strode away... as always, Blueblood reflected. Did Sleipnir even know what anger was?

Five minutes later, he did return with a real towel, at least, and Blueblood carefully climbed out of the tub – scowling as he stepped out onto the grass and immediately felt dirty again – then simply rose one of his forelegs and tossed his mane back, sniffing disdainfully. Sleipnir studied him curiously, and then Blueblood said waspishly: “Well? Dry me off, peasant.”

Sleipnir studied him thoughtfully, then suddenly grinned, and Blueblood realized far, far too late he should have just put up with drying himself before the earth pony tackled him backwards into the grasses. And Blueblood yelled and swore furiously, flailing angrily but helpless to do anything else as Sleipnir scrubbed wildly at him with the towel while rolling him back and forth in the grasses, saying cheerfully: “'Tis my honor to do as thou commands, oh mighty princeship!”

Ten minutes later, a frizzy, furious, grass-stained Blueblood finally sat up, his mane a rumpled mess and the towel hanging around his shoulders. Sleipnir only smiled benevolently at him, sitting across from the unicorn and studying him before he said suddenly: “I enjoy our time together.”

“I do not.” Blueblood said grumpily, and then he sighed tiredly before looking down at himself and muttering: “And I'm already as filthy as you are, again. Have my clothes at least been washed?”

“Aye, and I am quite certain that Earl Grey has done a fine job on them, too.” Sleipnir said cheerfully, and then he smiled and reached out to poke Blueblood's chubby gut, making him flush a bit before the earth pony said warmly: “And look at thou! Very soon, that silly corset will be a thing of the past, because there will be nothing for it to gird!”

“I... what?” Blueblood looked awkwardly down at himself, rubbing at his bulging stomach in embarrassment before he grumbled: “No, you're lying.”

“I am not!” Sleipnir said in an offended voice, and then he reached out and poked the unicorn's belly again, saying kindly: “Perhaps thou has yet to be completely aware of it, but thou art most certainly on a good road, and thy body is still young and able. I am glad to see it... and more important than thy tummy, look at this!”

Sleipnir grasped one of Blueblood's forelegs, winking as he teasingly squeezed the stallion's bicep. “There, the seeds of strength have taken root! Aye, mark my words, Blueblood, thou art already a handsome colt but we shall make a rugged and strong stallion of thee yet, and then I fear that I shall lose all my precious mares to thee!”

Blueblood couldn't help but laugh as a smile bridged his lips, blushing and shifting awkwardly before he looked down at himself, hesitating... then forcing himself to simply nod, clearing his throat before he muttered: “But, well... all this ale, I'm sure, isn't helping-”

“Oh, nay, there are few things better than ale to help with making a better stallion of thee.” Sleipnir said blandly, and Blueblood frowned before the earth pony reasoned: “Well, for one thing, 'tis not like it stays in thee for long. Thou drinks it, and through thy system it flushes, all to come out in only a few hours' time! What could be better than this?”

The unicorn looked at Sleipnir for a few moments, and then he sighed tiredly before asking irritably: “And what about all the liver damage and the lost brain cells?”

“Oh, pah, ale does not damage thy liver! What a silly thought. And I am most certain that if any brain is shaved off from drinking ale, 'tis only the parts that insist upon thinking all the worser thoughts.” Sleipnir declared cheerfully, shaking his head with a smile at Blueblood. “But 'twould be strange, to think that ale must go up into thy mind, flush out the wretched and the despairing parts of one's brain, and then bring it back down to be peed out. How funny, peeing out thy brain!”

Blueblood groaned loudly at this, rolling his eyes, but what he hated most was how hard it was not to smile at the sheer... foalishness of Sleipnir. And the fact that he couldn't even be completely angry at the stallion anymore, in spite of... well. Everything.

Blueblood absently wrapped his towel around his head, then he sighed when Sleipnir turned, following after the earth pony. He didn't really know what else to do, after all... although the moment he was inside, he felt Invidia's eyes on him, the mare gesturing to him with a warm smile where she was seated at a table with a tasty little assortment of snacks...

But the unicorn instead followed Sleipnir, before blushing as he realized too late the earth pony had led him to a table where several Royal Guards were playing cards. And before he could say anything, Sleipnir slapped him on the back and knocked him into the bench seat, the stallion wincing before the earth pony declared jovially: “Deal us in to the next hoof, friends! I am not very good at these games, but later I shall teach thee how to play runes, and then we shall see who wears the bridle tonight!”

The soldiers laughed, and Blueblood gave an awkward little smile: he didn't know how to excuse himself... and he was a little afraid of what would happen if he did slip away. He could just about feel the demon's eyes glaring holes in him, after all, and the last thing he wanted was to be cornered by Invidia or left alone with her...

It was awkward at first, but as they dealt out cards, Sleipnir just kept talking, dragging everypony into conversation with him whether they liked it or not... and soon, Blueblood was smiling a little, maybe even enjoying himself. He lost track of time... and when dinner was served, he was almost disappointed to break up the game. Maybe he hadn't been doing the best, but it felt... nice to be a part of something. And more importantly, Sleipnir really was absolutely awful at the game.

Invidia had vanished, so Blueblood retired to his room for a few hours after dinner: he mourned his sleeping charm and feared the coming night, but soon enough Sleipnir came up and dragged him down to the common room, for his stupid drinking game.

Invidia was here, too, sipping leisurely at a glass of wine, while everyone else had ale. And this time, almost all of the soldiers had waited for them to arrive as Sleipnir smiled warmly, saying cheerfully: “Now, once more, I shall remind all of thee of the wager. 'Tis thee against me, and we shall match each other drink for drink, until the loser can drink no more! Blueblood, thou art commander of thy team, and thou shall lead them against me as thou would if I were an enemy, does thou hear? Now put thy army to use and show me what thou can do!”

Blueblood grimaced a bit as Sleipnir sat down at the table across from him, and the unicorn hesitantly looked back and forth... but all the soldiers were looking at him, waiting for his order, his go-ahead. And after a moment, the unicorn gave a brief nod before he cleared his throat and said finally: “Then... well... I... how can we possibly win, Sleipnir, when you apparently can drink this ale like water, and every night we all end up... well...”

The other soldiers looked awkwardly at each other, but Sleipnir only smiled benevolently, saying cheerfully: “Why, by using every resource at thy disposal, that is all. 'Tis not an impossible puzzle, fear not. Difficult, perhaps, but... I expect a unicorn of thy noble stature should be able to lead these mighty soldiers against me and find victory, if thou only... thinks a little.”

Blueblood scowled darkly at this, and then Sleipnir winked and rose his glass before he said cheerfully: “Here, a toast to thee, and I shall give thee a head start!”

With that, he tipped back the glass and guzzled it down, then sighed in relief and slammed the empty flagon down against the table. And the young prince ground his teeth together in frustration at this, glowering over at the stallion and feeling like this was some kind of personal challenge before he growled: “Fine, Sleipnir.”

He picked up his own glass, then hesitated: there was some trick here, he was sure of it. He racked his mind for possibilities... then finally looked up and shouted: “And along with drinks, tonight... tonight, I'll pay for all the food you can eat!”

Sleipnir chuckled at this as the soldiers all cheered, and the earth pony winked at Blueblood before he said positively: “Well, thy mood has certainly improved at least, and that is certainly nice to see. But thou shall have to do better than that, I fear!”

Blueblood glowered, but he felt a strange determination taking root in his heart: whether or not this was an idiotic game to Sleipnir, he wanted nothing more than to win at it, whatever the cost...

And then the morning came around, and Blueblood woke up reeking of ale and... salsa, he thought, as he rubbed lethargically at his face. And he groaned weakly as he wrapped a foreleg around his stomach, feeling miserable and aching horribly before he crawled out of his seat and made his way slowly to the stairs.

Food had to have helped at least a little, right? Well... he didn't feel like vomiting, anyway. Which meant he'd either eaten less or... well...

He had blearily dragged himself to the bathroom... and it was only after he'd emerged that he realized that last night had been... dreamless. But he could still remember patches of the drunken war game, how he'd been dragged into singing with Sleipnir, how he'd eventually decided to put his head down just to rest for a minute and had ended up falling asleep from there...

But no nightmares. Blueblood gave a little laugh, then rubbed thoughtfully at his face... before almost jumping out of his skin when hooves grasped his shoulder and a silky voice asked: “How are you feeling this morning, my lord prince?”

Blueblood paled as he looked over his shoulder at Invidia, who smiled at him encouragingly before she almost purred: “Oh, you must have such a strong constitution to be up so early after such a long night trying to play Sleipnir's ridiculous game... and to think, he left you all alone, just wandered off into the wilderness... now, why does he go out there every night, all alone? Why does he avoid you and the soldiers he pretends to care for so deeply?”

The unicorn had no answer, but it was less because of any suspicions of Sleipnir, and more because the demon was invading his personal space, pinning him with her glowing eyes and her awful, sharp hooves, the stallion trembling before Invidia leaned in close and whispered: “Let me help you, Prince Blueblood... let me take away your pain and help you remove that nasty earth pony from your life... you don't need him, after all. You are better, superior...”

Blueblood gave a weak laugh, and then he finally managed to rasp out: “P-Please... step back. I... I don't like being touched.”

Invidia scowled a little at this, but then she nodded moodily and finally slipped away from him, taking a step back. Blueblood did his best to withhold his sigh of relief, before he flinched a little as the mare said softly: “There's no need to be so cruel, young prince. I may be your lesser, but all the same you should understand that I am worthy of respect... that I am the most worthy of your attentions, and that I would never, ever lift a hoof against you, my darling...”

She looked at him intently, and he swallowed thickly, looking back and forth before he was hit by a sudden inspiration, asking hurriedly: “Does... does that mean you could out-drink Sleipnir?”

The demon laughed at this, making a dismissive gesture with one hoof as she replied easily: “If that is what you desire, Prince Blueblood, I will be more than happy to... but in return, you have to do something for me. You have to give me the pleasure of your company for the night... and for the day afterwards, as well. Let me show you what I can do for you, if you'll only accept me as your dearest, most cherished friend...”

Blueblood smiled uneasily, shifting nervously back and forth... but he had made the deal. He had made the deal, and felt bad about it all day for some strange reason, complaining little as he hauled rocks for Sleipnir up the hillside to work on the stallion's idiotic... whatever it was. And when the night came, he felt almost guilty when Invidia had sat down at their table, Sleipnir looking surprised before the demon calmly picked up a glass and said nonchalantly: “Tonight, I will drink for Blueblood, my dear. As long as you have no problem with it, that is... and with losing, of course.”

Sleipnir smiled slightly at this, then he picked up his own flagon before surprising the young prince by saying cheerfully: “'Tis a step in the right direction, at least. But do not get too cocky yet, demon. Only a fool counts their basilisks before the eggs have hatched.”

Invidia clearly took this as a challenge, narrowing her eyes... and Blueblood drank little that night as he watched the contest between the two. The Royal Guard couldn't hope to keep up even as soldiers downed glass after glass of ale, while Sleipnir and Invidia knocked back cups of brew like they were nothing but water.

And Bluelood never did more than sip at his own ale, building up a bit of a buzz but little more, only staring in awe as Invidia and Sleipnir emptied keg after keg between them. And after hours of constant drinking, Invidia suddenly hiccuped, then scowled disbelievingly as she swayed on the bench seat, her golden eyes crossing before the demon said lethargically: “Im... impossible. 'Snot... possible.”

And with that, Invidia keeled backwards and crashed to the floor, giving one tremendous belch before her eyes rolled closed and she began to snore loudly. Blueblood had gaped, and Sleipnir – tipsy, giggly, but far from defeated – swayed a little before he called warmly to Blueblood: “The... the game is still on, Blue! Aye, let... let us drink, another round! Another round!”

Blueblood looked down at his empty cup, then he gave a lame smile before turning it over and putting it carefully down, knowing there was no way he could hope to beat Sleipnir. And it felt so strange to actually admit defeat instead of stupidly, brashly trying to prove his superiority in a losing battle, as the unicorn licked his lips slowly before saying finally: “I... I am going to bed.”

“Oh? Shall I accompany thee? It sounds like an invitation to mine ears!” Sleipnir waggled his eyebrows, and Blueblood gave the stallion a look of distaste as he winced backwards before the earth pony suddenly became serious for a moment, saying softly: “Thou art learning, aye, although it saddens me to see thee surrender... and yet makes me proud, too. For thou should never, ever fight with thy hooves alone. Instead, fight with thy mind.”

Blueblood looked silently at the earth pony, who looked back silently... then suddenly smiled before he hiccuped loudly, raising his flagon and declaring: “Thou art pretty!”

Then Sleipnir laughed loudly and stumbled up to his hooves, swaying only a little and singing happily to himself as he strode towards the doors leading out of the inn. Blueblood watched the earth pony as he made his way out, and then the unicorn sighed before rubbing at his head slowly, looking around the devastated common room and beginning to wonder just how much Sleipnir's oafish smile hid.

The War Of The Drunks

Chapter Eight: The War Of The Drunks
~BlackRoseRaven

Blueblood spent another day gathering and hauling rocks for Sleipnir, and then he helped him stack and arrange them all neatly together. It struck Blueblood as being nothing but a waste of time, and yet at the same time he was starting to... well, he didn't enjoy it. But it made him feel tired in a strangely good way, and it kept his mind off things like Invidia, or his nightmares.

Thankfully, both those things had been absent: the demon was likely feeling utterly humiliated right now and had run away, and last night had been dreamless and restful. He'd only managed a few hours of sleep, but he had never slept much... the fact that he hadn't spent the night reliving twisted memories had been more than enough to help him feel a thousand times better. Well, that and the fact he hadn't woken up hungover, either.

When evening rolled around, Blueblood had found himself taking their nightly drinking game far more seriously than he had before. And to his surprise, his seriousness seemed to rub off on the soldiers, as a few of them even approached him and volunteered some of their ideas. Food had seemed to help last time, but along with that...

Blueblood took the inn owner aside, and made a special order. He would pay full price for every glass of ale, but he wanted all the ale for his soldiers watered down, heavily, and served with ice. He also requested breads, muffins, dry foods that would suck up as much alcohol as possible.

Ever-benevolent Sleipnir seemed well-aware of what they were doing: as a matter of fact, he even seemed to be encouraging it. It made Blueblood nervous... and feel somehow unsurprised when he woke up the next day with a horrible stomachache, hugging his gut with one foreleg as he stumbled his way to the bathroom in desperate need of a toilet.

He fell into a routine: every morning, he'd wake up either in bed or at the table, depending on how drunk he'd gotten the night before. Sometimes Invidia would try and catch him in the hall, but he always made a beeline for the bathroom, and usually he was able to hide inside long enough that the demon would get frustrated and leave. Then he would head to his room to reassure Auntie Celestia he really wasn't wasting all the country's money, that it was really all going to a good cause, before eating a quick breakfast with the Royal Guard.

Sleipnir would come and get him at some point, and the afternoon – and often the early evening – would be spent doing some kind of menial task that Blueblood would scowl and complain about, but found himself... not quite enjoying, perhaps, but always reasoning and rationalizing that it was better than doing nothing all day.

Then they would have dinner, and Blueblood would find some time for himself before Sleipnir dragged him down for their drinking game. Invidia would sometimes be present, and other times she would hide away: either way, she always left once the drinking got going in earnest, clearly no longer wanting to be a part of this 'game' of theirs.

But Blueblood was more and more wondering exactly what Sleipnir was trying to do here, why he was pushing this so hard. It clearly was so much more than just a game to him, after all: the earth pony wanted him to work out the solution to this problem, to beat him... and to do it fair and square. And so far, everything Blueblood had tried had done nothing but manage to make his soldiers sick and waste countless bits.

Blueblood went over and over again everything they'd tried: even watering down the ale had just meant that they ended up getting sick of drinking long before they were drunk, and more often than not, the soldiers surrendered to stomachaches and the foul taste. Most of them, anyway... that idiot Velvet Hoof always did his damnedest, as if that could help make up at all for having smashed Blueblood's sleeping charm.

The unicorn hadn't forgotten about that, but since the nightmares were coming few and far between, he had decided to focus for now on just beating Sleipnir at his own game. He could call for Velvet Hoof's punishment later: as little as he liked it, the prince understood that he needed every hoof available if he was going to somehow outdo Sleipnir.

It made him wish that Invidia would just join them again for another night... but the demon still scared the hell out of him, even if he was trying his best not to run away whenever she approached these days. She was apparently going to continue to travel with them no matter what, after all, so he figured that he might as well attempt to make the most of it.

He remembered that night still: how she and Sleipnir had gone drink for drink for so long, and they had been drinking almost the same amount... well, almost. Sleipnir always had that big flagon of his, while they all used cups...

Blueblood frowned a little in thought as he sat at the table, resting his face in his hoof. A few of the soldiers had come over and were looking at him awkwardly: he wouldn't say he was quite friends with any of them, but... well... he knew a few of their names, at least. And even if they didn't really like each other, they had started to listen to him... and he admittedly had started to acknowledge them maybe a little more than he had in the past.

The cups... yes, that might work. Except... no, Sleipnir could easily drink twice, maybe thrice as much as they did in a single gulp. And he always matched his pace to whoever was drinking the fastest, as somepony had pointed out, like... like he was racing to stay in the lead, even though...

Memory flashed in Blueblood's mind, of Sleipnir grinning at him, telling him the game was still on in spite of the fact that Invidia was sprawled on the floor and the other soldiers were helpless. Blueblood remembered it vividly, because it had been the first time he'd willingly admitted his defeat... and when he'd turned the glass over, then Sleipnir had said he was done. Because... because...

Blueblood's eyes widened as an idea sprung to mind. A crazy, stupid idea as he looked back and forth, and one of the soldiers leaned in and asked almost anxiously: “Did... did you come up with something, Prince Blueblood?”

“I... yes. Maybe.” Blueblood muttered, and then he looked back and forth to make sure Sleipnir wasn't around before saying quickly: “Bring everypony in, I've got a plan.”

And... the soldiers listened. It amazed him, how fast they went about their work instead of dragging their hooves, and how they all leaned in attentively... but Blueblood forced himself not to let too much of his surprise show on his face as he cleared his throat and looked back and forth, trying to summon up his princely authority...

Princely authority. That was a joke, wasn't it? And... well, he didn't have time for all that right now, did he? Sleipnir would be here any minute, and they had to get ready before the earth pony came in, and... and to hell with it, the Royal Guard didn't care about him anyway. He was lucky they listened to him at all as it was, and there was just no point in pretending otherwise. He needed to beat that big oaf Sleipnir. He needed to, because... he needed to prove himself.

It only took him five minutes to explain his desperate, gambling plan, and that included talking to Earl Grey, too. And only a few minutes later, Sleipnir entered with a wide grin... before laughing as he saw Blueblood was already seated at their usual table, and the soldiers were already helping Earl Grey carry out the different kegs: pure ale for Sleipnir, heavily watered-down stuff for them. “Oh, well now! What a pleasant sight this is, 'tis-”

And then Sleipnir cocked his head curiously as an enormous stein was set on the table in front of him, while Blueblood raised a small shot glass. “How about one-on-one, Sleipnir? I'll even start.”

Sleipnir smiled slightly at this, striding towards the table and saying easily: “Oh? Well, 'tis a foolish thing for the prince to lead the charge, young Blue! After all, if thou falls, who will replace thee? Who shall thou leave with the responsibilities of thy position? Nay, 'tis hard... but a general must stay at the back of his forces, where he can most help his soldiers through the use of his mind. Have I not told thee that?”

Blueblood only leaned forwards, replying almost giddily as he felt like maybe, just maybe, he might finally have the upper hoof: “This time is going to be different, Sleipnir. I'm sure that you can beat me. But I don't think this time you're going to win.”

Sleipnir chuckled at this, and then he grinned widely as as soldier filled his enormous stein for him, before the earth pony swept this up and declared: “Very well then! Onwards, Blue! Let us see what thou hast learned!”

Blueblood grinned in return, then quickly knocked back the shot before a soldier poured him another, and Sleipnir cursed as he was forced to guzzle down his own stein as fast as he could: but even as fast as he could drink, he couldn't do much to hurry how long it took to fill his flagon.

The unicorn did little to pace himself, but each watered-down shot of ale was little more than a mouthful for him, letting him get a good lead before he allowed himself to start taking more time between each drink. Sleipnir, meanwhile, was draining stein after stein, not able to take a breath as he tried to catch up to the unicorn, who purposefully kept himself a few shots ahead. The faster Sleipnir drank, the faster he would get drunk...

But Blueblood soon felt his stomach starting to hurt, his mind getting a bit fuzzy, and he knew it was now or never. And Sleipnir blinked in surprise as Blueblood suddenly got up from his seat, only to be replaced by one of the soldiers, who immediately knocked back the shot.

Sleipnir gaped... then slammed a hoof against the tabletop, grinning widely as he lifted his flagon high and shouted cheerfully: “There! There, aye, there! Now I see thee using thy head... but 'tis not near enough yet to defeat me!”

Blueblood only smiled thinly, knowing that it had to be now or never: they had to make this tactic work. They had to defeat Sleipnir here and now, or they were going to be stuck in a drunken limbo forever, struggling to drown an unstoppable force. And even though part of him hated how stupidly serious he was taking this whole thing... he was determined to win. To prove to Sleipnir and himself that he could win.

They drank until morning, forcing Sleipnir to inhale pitcher's worth after pitcher's worth of ale from his stein in great gulps, while Blueblood's soldiers traded off every time one of them started to get too buzzed. They would stretch and eat and drink water, doing anything and everything to stave off drunkenness and clear their heads – and stomachs, if necessary – before patiently waiting their turn.

And as the sun began to rise, with Blueblood down more than half of his soldiers, and the unicorn running on little more than pure need for victory himself, Sleipnir finally burped loudly as he reached for his flagon of ale, and only succeeded in knocking this over. He frowned almost uncertainly, then hiccuped before his features slowly brightened, like a rising sun.

He giggled, and then looked up with something like childlike awe, staring across at Blueblood as the unicorn looked uneasily back until Sleipnir declared with a strange happiness: “Yes! Yes, I... I am... thou hast won, young prince! Oh, merry day and congratulations to thee, for... for...”

Sleipnir almost flung himself up out of his seat, then swayed tipsily on his hooves before he burped loudly, giggled... and then fell face-first into the table with a tremendous bang that seemed to rattle the entire room. Blueblood and the Royal Guard that remained on their hooves could only gape at the sight of the massive earth pony, half-standing with his rump in the air, snoring placidly away with his face almost indented into the table.

And then Blueblood laughed in disbelief, sitting back... before his eyes widened in shock as the Royal Guards roared cheers, grabbed him and... and celebrated. They celebrated, they sang, they carried him like he really was some conquering general as Blueblood gazed back and forth in amazement, a smile spreading over his face before he pumped a hoof in the air and laughed again, filled with... with warmth. With happiness. With victory.

It was wonderful. It was the best feeling in the world, celebrating side-by-side with these ponies as they... for the first time, they showed him respect, they treated him like... no, not like a prince, perhaps, but something even better. He was one of them; he actually belonged.

Their triumphant celebrations ended too early for Blueblood's liking... but when he went to bed, it was with a smile on his face, and he fell asleep almost immediately. And it was a good sleep, deep and restful: only a few hours, but he felt like he'd slept away the entire day when he got up at noon and made his way down the common room.

Sleipnir was awake now too, and for the first time Blueblood had ever seen, the big earth pony actually looked like all his drinking had caught up to him. Part of Blueblood relished that... but as he watched Sleipnir slowly shuffling around the room with a broom... “Oh, enough.”

The earth pony looked up in surprise, then he chuckled and yawned loudly before waving a hoof, saying tiredly: “Oh, 'tis good to see thee, young... young prince. And I am most impressed by... by thy insight and thy...”

And then Sleipnir blinked in surprise as Blueblood snatched the broom away from him, the ivory unicorn saying irritably: “I don't see why you seem to feel you always have to do all of this yourself. This is Earl Grey's inn and we pay him more than enough to clean up his own business.”

As Blueblood spoke, he absently swept up some of the piles that Sleipnir had made, using telekinesis to guide both the broom and the little scoop Sleipnir had unsuccessfully been moving around. He didn't notice the earth pony's amused smile as he dumped debris and dust into a garbage can, muttering: “You're only making the mess worse, anyway. I'm surprised that with your peasant manners Earl Grey let us stay so long in the first place...”

“Aye, we have imposed upon his hospitality enough. And that is why, come tomorrow morning, we shall be leaving.” Sleipnir said kindly, and Blueblood blinked in surprise, looking over his shoulder in shock as he dropped the broom and scoop.

Sleipnir only chuckled as Blueblood mouthed wordlessly, and then he said with a shrug: “Well, 'twas the deal, was it not? We would move on once thou bested me. Thou hast bested me, and proven thy strength to me. This afternoon, we shall finish our little project on the hill, and then tomorrow... we shall move on.”

Blueblood looked down, feeling strangely... sad. He had gotten so used to being here, and... well, it had started to feel maybe a little like a sanctuary. Canterlot had always been visible in the distance, he was able to quickly trade his letters with Auntie, the soldiers had started to actually like him... and now they were supposed to hit the road again? And did that mean... “Are... are we going to send the Royal Guard away?”

The earth pony shrugged, then said softly: “That I shall leave up to thou, Blue. I said it would be thy decision, did I not? And 'tis, and rightly so. But aye: if thou art ready, then... it is time to begin our journey in true. For that to happen, though, thou must send thy Royal Guard back to Canterlot, for we number too many to cover the ground we must.”

Blueblood hesitated, shifting back and forth before he asked hesitantly: “But what about safety in numbers? What about... I am a prince, and you can't always be there to protect me!”

“Aye, but there is also Invidia. And much as thou fears her, I have seen thou art also trying thy hardest to trust her, and by now thou must know that if she truly wanted to harm thee, she has had the chance a thousand times over.” Sleipnir smiled a bit, saying quietly: “I do not think her aims are so nefarious, ultimately. As a matter of fact, I believe she is very honest when she says she desires a friend in thee. I do not know why, what motives she may have, apart from the fact that she is a lonely mare and thou art a very handsome stallion.

“And at times, Blue, numbers will not win the day. Numbers will only mean losses, and will draw enemies to us as flies to honey.” Sleipnir said gently, shaking his head with a quiet laugh. “Where we venture, there shall be real danger. I do not desire to put our friends in danger.”

“Oh, just me, then?” Blueblood asked pessimistically, glowering up at the earth pony, but Sleipnir only gave him an entertained look in return.

The young prince shifted a little... and then he sighed quietly, dropping his head and muttering: “Great. Well... I... I don't know, Sleipnir. I need time to consider. And I'll have to let Auntie Celestia know and... and why are you so eager to part ways with our soldiers, anyway? I thought you liked them and respected them all... or was that just lies?”

Sleipnir huffed at this, raising his head and replying: “'Tis precisely because I like and respect them that I do not wish to see them dragged along with us, Blue! They can do much good back in Canterlot and this surrounding territory... but most of our days will be naught but marching. Nay, do not think that we are going off on an adventure where every single day shan't be naught but warring and running from traps and beasts. Nay, 'twill be perfectly boring most days: but when there is danger, 'twill be the sort of danger best navigated by a small and able group.

“And I am not eager to plunge thee into danger. I shall do all in mine power to keep thee safe, thou knows this. But I cannot lie and say that we will not go to places where few ponies have tread, and where we may not be entirely welcomed. We may end up in dark swamps, and darker still dungeons, and disturbing things that would be better left untouched in order to get what we will require...” Sleipnir sighed after a moment, reaching up to rub slowly at his forehead before he murmured: “'Twill be difficult enough to have the weight of thou and Invidia upon mine head and conscience. I do not want either of us to return to Canterlot with the weight of lost lives upon us both.”

Blueblood was silent, shifting slowly before he grimaced a little and looked down, mumbling: “I... I suppose I see your point. But still... why are you so sure that... well...”

“Because I have been there before, that is all.” Sleipnir smiled a bit, shrugging easily before he said softly: “I will give thee time. And if thou does not wish to leave them behind yet, so be it. But I shall ask thee every time we camp, every city we reach. And I would not press the issue if I did not believe... thou art truly ready for this.”

The unicorn shifted a little, and then Sleipnir smiled and reached up to squeezed his shoulder, saying amiably: “Thou already looks half the unicorn thou once were, after all. And I do not mean that as an insult, either.”

Blueblood couldn't help but laugh a little at this despite himself, silently reaching up and touching his paunchy belly. Oh, he hadn't lost that much weight, but... but he did feel better. Like more of a stallion, more capable, more able to take care of himself... and that was probably half the reason he felt like he was in such a good mood these days, why he was willing to put himself on the same level as these silly peasants and peons and... this big oaf who... well... “I... thank you,. Sleipnir. I... I really do appreciate it.”

Sleipnir only smiled, like he always did, then he reached up and absently rubbed at his forehead before saying cheerfully: “Thou had a fine idea, by the way... not just in using thy soldiers as I had hoped thou would, but in switching our cups. That I must admit I did not expect: 'twas quite a creative gambit on thy part, Blue.”

Blueblood only smiled a little, feeling awkwardly touched as he shrugged a bit. “Well, I... I suppose it's your fault for making me take this idiotic game so seriously, Sleipnir. And I suppose I've learned a little bit about... not underestimating even a peasant like you.”

The earth pony chuckled, then he said wryly: “Oh, 'tis no finer cure for a hangover than to hear such nice words from thee, my young friend. But come, come, enough of this chatter. We have a job to finish, and thou hast much to reflect on. 'Twould be a waste not to make the most of our time.”

Sleipnir turned and headed towards the doorway, and Blueblood bit his lip, then absently looked down at himself. He had stopped wearing his regal clothes because all the work just made them dirty and tattered, and he had a few rough patches here and there in his coat, and even if he paid painful attention to his mane, he knew that the curls were beginning to lose some of their coiffed perfection and instead fall more in a wild sprawl around his head...

Well... it was fine for now, right? Right. It wasn't like anyone could see him out here and... it was better not to be dressed to the nines when he was dealing with this idiocy with Sleipnir. He was really just humoring the earth pony, too, which was important to do because... well... just because.

Prince Blueblood cleared his throat, then hurried out after Sleipnir before he could think too much: as he'd learned, after all, sometimes it was simply better to just do things than it was to try and figure things out.

Sleipnir, to his surprise, had cut two old kegs in half and attached them each to a balanced pole, so they could haul water. There actually was a natural spring in the mountains, maybe twenty minutes from the hilltop... but Blueblood didn't complain. Well, alright, that was a stretch: he didn't complain as much as he could have, and after a while, his muscles seemed to get used to the load and the monotony of the walk became strangely... pleasant.

And Sleipnir, well... Sleipnir never ran on ahead, was always laughing, and the work seemed to... to heal the stallion, for lack of a better word. His hangover was forgotten along with any other pains from the night before, and he was cheerful and upbeat and... well, Blueblood hated to admit it, but he preferred to see Sleipnir like this instead. There was something strangely... comforting about the fact that, well...

They worked all day to finish what had ended up being... not really a well, not really a reflecting pool. But whatever it was, Blueblood felt strangely accomplished as Sleipnir tossed a bit in, then smiled over at the unicorn and said easily: “Make a wish.”

Blueblood laughed a little, and then he looked at the well and wished for the one thing that always came to mind: that he'd wished for every birthday, that he'd wished for on every falling star, that he'd lost countless bits to trying phony cures for until his aunts had made his sleeping charm and started the ritual of goodnighties...

“Well, thou must speak it out loud. Nature cannot hear thy thoughts, Blue, and there is no time to waste with shame.” Sleipnir said reasonably, and Blueblood looked hesitantly over at the earth pony before he smiled a little, turning back to the well and looking down into the clear water that reflected both dead tree and mauve sunset...

“I... I wish for the nightmares to end.” Blueblood said quietly, and Sleipnir smiled at him kindly before the unicorn shook his head quickly, reaching up and muttering as he brushed at himself: “But you probably think I should have wished for strength or courage instead, or maybe that I should hear voices like you do.”

“Oh, fie on thee, the only voice I hear is the very real voice of nature... and besides, 'tis not like she talks to me alone, friend. She speaks to all of us. Thou must merely learn to listen.” Sleipnir said kindly, and the unicorn tilted his head curiously before the earth pony added gently: “And nay. Thou hast plenty of courage as it is. Between us, there is only one pony that denies thou hast any courage, and 'tis certainly not I.”

Blueblood looked down awkwardly, rubbing absently at his head before he cleared his throat and said finally: “And why shouldn't I wish for strength?”

“Because the strength thou art thinking of shan't do anything but make thy nightmares worse.” Sleipnir shrugged, smiling over at the unicorn before he said softly: “Thou looks at me and sees... oh, I do not know what. I suppose I must seem invulnerable to thee, aye? But I have no magic and there have been many foes in the past that I could not lay hoof upon, because of distance or nefarious defense. 'Twas often my most beloved sisters who would have to save and protect me then... and I shan't pretend that being useless in the fight never filled me with the same loathing I know thou feels from time-to-time. But I am not inadequate, merely because I am lacking in all fields, young Blueblood. And thou art not inadequate because thou art just learning to stand on thy hooves as I do.”

The unicorn looked down lamely, blushing a little before he cleared his throat and asked suddenly: “Who... were your sisters? You're always talking about them but never in more than vague snippets, Sleipnir.”

“Oh, 'tis because 'tis all rather confusing when I speak of them, that is all.” Sleipnir replied with an easy shrug, tipping the white stallion a wink. “But very well. In the world I come from, my siblings are Celestia and Luna. Which I admit is in part is what made the delights with thine aunts so delightful, in its... strange, exotic fashion.”

Blueblood stared for a few moments at Sleipnir, mouthing wordlessly before he twitched a bit, then asked incredulously: “There... there's a version of Auntie in your world, and... wait, you were excited to sleep with her because she was your sister?”

“Oh come now, as if I cannot appreciate the beauty of my siblings even while keeping myself chaste and brotherly!” Sleipnir said crossly, before he grinned and rubbed his front hooves together. “So how could I not seize upon this opportunity in this world? And every part of them was truly blessed with beauty and talent!”

Blueblood slapped his forehead, groaning as he held his other hoof out as if in surrender. “Enough, enough, you... oh, you disgusting little... hillbilly!”

“I am no Billy of Hills! I know no goats!” Sleipnir said in an offended voice, and then he halted and frowned thoughtfully, holding up a hoof. “Well. Nay, that is a lie. Once many years ago I knew a goat, but she was a strange creature. She stared at me the entire time we laid together, 'twas very awkward. And there was the strangest of smells...”

Blueblood rubbed slowly at his face, then glowered at Sleipnir from over his hooves as the earth pony smiled pleasantly back before the unicorn prompted moodily: “So your sisters are really... how does that even work? You keep bringing up all this nonsense about... other worlds, but...”

Sleipnir shrugged a little, sitting back and studying Blueblood thoughtfully: he wasn't entirely sure how much he should really tell the unicorn at this point, but at the same time... he had come to trust the unicorn. And he thought that Blueblood probably deserved some kind of explanation. “Well... very well, I shall tell thou what I can.

“First, thou must know that there are many different worlds, many different realms of Midgard.” Sleipnir said softly, gesturing widely with one hoof. “My Father always called them the Ninety and Nine worlds, but... there may be more. The worlds may be countless, for all intents and purposes; perhaps none know how truly vast this network is, and all of them surrounding the axis of the core world, the center of reality.”

Blueblood scowled a little, shifting uncomfortably: he didn't know how much of this he was actually believing. But considering what he'd seen and learned about since starting his adventure with Sleipnir, and how he had started to trust the earth pony, whether or not some part of him still grumbled about possible ulterior motives... “So you're from... a world where my aunts are your siblings.”

“Oh, aye, that is the greatest defining characteristic of it.” Sleipnir said blandly, and the unicorn gave him a sour look before the earth pony smiled slightly and held up a hoof. “Very well, 'tis not fair to say, I have not told thee much of anything of my world. No, I am from a world that is... wilder than this Equestria. Than many Equestrias. And a world that has seen too many sieges, been the victim of too many wars. I believe my beloved little sister and the stallion I call brother refer to is as Looking Glass World.”

Blueblood nodded slowly, and then he asked hesitantly: “And... and the ponies of this Looking Glass World... they're like you?”

Sleipnir laughed loudly at this, then he grinned widely and winked, patting a hoof firmly against his own breast. “I fear there are few ponies such as I across all the layers, young Blue! Nay, nay: we have many strong ponies, aye, many powerful allies and good, dear friends... but if the ponies of our world are stronger, 'tis not just because they have been forged in fire. 'Tis because they are ponies the same as any here, but who have all the same chosen to stand and live in a world much the more dangerous than this one.”

Blueblood frowned, and Sleipnir said in a warm, honest voice: “True strength lies not in muscle and ferocity, in how much one can lift or how many thou can defeat in the fight. There is more to be admired in the average pony who stands against impossible odds, than a pony such as I, for whom the impossible is regularly made easy by mine strength and skill alone.”

The young prince shifted a bit at this: it was still hard for him to understand that reasoning entirely. But maybe that was because he saw the world from the other end of the spectrum: he wasn't spectacular at anything, after all. Even getting his cutie mark had been a fluke, and... he couldn't even remember anymore what it was for.

Wasn't that ridiculous? He didn't even know what his own special talent was, he was so focused on the throne, on being a noble prince. He didn't know a single thing about himself, really, except for the nightmares, and that he'd been an unwanted foal, and that he was so fortunate Auntie Celestia had come into his life and given him reason and purpose and a home...

Blueblood bit his lip, then he shook his head quickly before looking up as Sleipnir frowned at him a little, the unicorn saying quietly: “Just... I was just thinking, that's all. So you... well... you've traveled between these different worlds before?”

Sleipnir nodded after a moment, studying him for a few more seconds before he decided not to press whatever was bothering the unicorn, answering instead: “Oh, aye, I have, although I lack the power to do so of mine own volition. But my family has always been well-versed in the magic required to do so: and as I have said before, I have seen Asgard as well... why, I have even walked the ice of Niflheim and Helheim, although certainly 'twas not such pleasant circumstance that brought me there in the first place.”

The unicorn laughed dryly at this, and then he shook his head before asking in a half-amused, half-disbelieving voice: “So what were you doing in Helheim? Making friends with demons?”

“Oh no. I died, and the demons claimed me as a trophy.” Sleipnir said with a smile, and Blueblood's smile was cut off immediately, the unicorn looking stupidly at the earth pony before Sleipnir simply shrugged and said softly: “Well, Invidia calls me 'angel,' does she not? 'Tis not quite right, but... 'tis not so far off. But my Father saved me from the ice, and for a time, I served loyally in Asgard. I returned to Midgard, aye, but... well, 'tis a funny story. And even now, I am not quite... alive, I suppose thou could say.”

Sleipnir held a hoof out, flexing it slowly and smiling a little as he studied it silently. “'Tis strange. What is life, what is mortality, young prince? 'Tis too complex a question for me, I am little good at using my head for things more complex than smashing down doors and breaking stones. All I know is that the world is still a strange and wonderful place... and I would much prefer to spend my time upon any layer of Midgard over wasting away in Asgard when she does not need my aid, for Heaven is a very stuffy place.”

Blueblood laughed a little despite himself at this, shaking his head slowly before he muttered: “I suppose the grass always is greener on the other side. Not that I believe you, Sleipnir... you sound completely insane to me.”

Sleipnir only shrugged amiably, replying easily: “Well, fear not, 'tis no bother for me either way. After all, I know it as truth, and 'tis not like I can claim I was not considered quite mad even back home. I was always most irritating.”

“I can see that.” Blueblood said dryly, and then they fell into quiet for a little while, both looking into the odd little wishing well they had made before the ivory unicorn reached up and silently stirred the waters with one hoof, asking: “Why did we build this?”

“To build it.” Sleipnir replied with an easy shrug and a smile, and Blueblood gave him a flat look before the earth pony laughed and said in a reasonable voice: “What we do is not always about what we accomplish, or what the ends create, Blue. Sometimes, 'tis purely about the journey. Any ending is meaningless without first experiencing the path we follow... elsewise, all poetry would be naught but a single line to begin and a single word to end it.”

The young prince looked at Sleipnir for a few moments, opening his mouth... and then he hesitated before reaching up and silently rubbing at one of his forelegs, thinking about how... well... how good he felt. And even if part of him wondered if that meant it had all been one giant waste of time, at the same time part of him understood Sleipnir's strange reasoning.

So he finally simply forced himself to nod, and the earth pony gazed at him with warm benevolence before he reached out and simply squeezed the young prince's shoulder. Blueblood smiled awkwardly at this, but he didn't shrug off the contact either, looking down almost abashedly before Sleipnir leaned back and asked warmly: “Wouldst thou be interested in hearing another tale of mine past? I have many stories of glorious conquests... and I know not if the tales of battle or bedroom are the more impressive of the set!”

Blueblood sighed tiredly, reaching up and rubbing slowly at his forehead before he said sourly: “I would prefer not to discuss another stallion's... 'conquests.' And in any event, I'm still trying to get the image of you and Auntie out of my mind.”

“Aye, thine aunts were quite fierce in bed, though. They had both been longing for a stallion for quite some time, 'tis clear.” Sleipnir said mildly, and Blueblood frowned at this for a moment before his jaw dropped and he stared disbelievingly at the earth pony, who looked curiously back. “What? Did thou think thine aunts were sexless automatons? Nay, every mare needs tending, whether she-”

“You slept with Aunt Luna, too?” Blueblood shouted in a strangled voice, glaring furiously at the stallion, but the earth pony only gave a cheerful smile.

“Well, 'twould have been rude to leave her out after she walked in upon myself and Celestia. 'Twas only proper that I invited her. And I assure thee, I took especial care to give the sisters mine equal attentions.” Sleipnir said kindly, nodding fervently.

Blueblood slowly attempted to process what Sleipnir had just said, his mouth working slowly before he twitched, then suddenly leapt to his hooves, shouting furiously: “Sleipnir, you... you filthy... you harlot!”

Sleipnir blinked in surprise, then yelped when Blueblood seized on a rock and flung it at him, ducking under this before the enormous stallion leapt to his own hooves and bolted down the hill, and Blueblood immediately gave chase, swearing furiously as he flung loose rocks and gravel with telekinesis after the earth pony.

The unicorn chased Sleipnir all the way back to the inn before he finally ran out of energy, breathing hard and slowing to a walk as Sleipnir leapt into the safety of the inn. A moment later, he poked his head back out through the doors, saying pointedly: “I did naught that did not come naturally to me. 'Tis my privilege and my duty to provide for mares in need.”

Blueblood scowled darkly, and then he narrowed his eyes as he realized where Sleipnir was before sharply flicking his horn. And Sleipnir squawked as the double doors slammed closed on either side of his head, shaking himself wildly back and forth before Blueblood said moodily: “You're very fortunate that Auntie Celestia never allowed me to learn any combat spells, you... you pimp.”

Sleipnir huffed at this, then he finally wrenched his head backwards, knocking the doors back open before he suddenly smiled. And Blueblood frowned uneasily, then blinked stupidly as Sleipnir said cheerfully: “I shall teach thee to harness thy magic better.”

“You... but you're only an earth pony. An earth pony can't use a unicorn's magic.” Blueblood said after a moment, and Sleipnir only grinned and winked at him.

“Aye, but I would be willing to bet that my horn is much stronger than thine!” he said cheerfully, and Blueblood took a moment to get this before he groaned and slapped a hoof against his face. But before he could make a retort, Sleipnir suddenly became more serious, saying almost gently: “'Tis a discipline the same as many others. If thou shall trust me, I shall strengthen thy horn as much as any of thy muscles. I certainly do not claim to be as good a teacher as thou could have in Celestia, certainly, but I think I will be passable.”

Blueblood looked unconvinced, but he nodded all the same after a moment, figuring... well, what the hell. I suppose I've already... put enough faith in this idiot as it is. “I suppose that... it can't hurt. At least it can't make things any worse than you have already.”

Sleipnir huffed at this, and then he glanced over his shoulder before smiling slightly, saying easily: “Come inside, then, Blue. 'Tis time for dinner. And afterwards we shall enjoy a drink and a gamble with our friends, what does thou say?”

Blueblood hesitated... but before he knew it, it was almost midnight and he was still down here in the common room, laughing as he played another round of cards with the soldiers. Sleipnir, meanwhile, was standing back and watching, a flagon of ale in one hoof and his foreleg around Invidia, who had warmed up to him quite a bit once he had told her that tomorrow they would be leaving, and starting their journey in earnest.

They went to bed that night buzzed, but far from drunk. But Blueblood didn't sleep very well: his nightmares sizzled through his mind, although not with the same intensity as they had before. He still awoke in a cold sweat, trembling and hugging himself, but it didn't take him very long to calm down as they faded from his mind.

He rubbed slowly at his forehead, silently sitting back against the wall and breathing slowly, only glad that... they had been so half-formed in his mind. Unusual but... maybe Sleipnir was actually right about the ale helping him. Not that he'd ever admit that to the earth pony, any more than he'd dare to share this... awful, dark secret with him...

No one knew, apart from his aunts and the old nun at the orphanage where he'd stayed for a few months, until Celestia had rescued him from that hell. And that was just the way Blueblood liked it.

Still, his mind insisted on going back into the past, in spite of how hard he tried to block all those memories out: the memories of his mother, who always smiled in spite of how tired she always seemed; the memories of his father, who was always quiet and had never been interested in him...

Blueblood shivered a little, hugging himself silently. He hated thinking about his parents, and all the answers he would never have. He didn't remember much from when he'd been a foal... so many of those memories he'd locked away. Especially the good ones: it was too confusing, hurt too much to imagine that there might be happy memories of his times with his family when his father had betrayed them, had lured them to what was literally supposed to be their grave.

So much of what he did know had been culled from newspaper articles and interviews and reports he'd bribed and blackmailed ponies to get his hooves on, before he'd realized that he wasn't learning anything, this wasn't healing any of his wounds... it was just cutting into him deeper, leaving him with more questions and more suspicions and more fears. It hadn't stopped the nightmares... it was making them worse.

He had buried it all away, but still... he had so many questions. The wounds had never healed, kept fresh and open by the nightmares. And he knew that somewhere out there, in the furthest corner of Equestria, his father was living his life in some little town where no one had ever heard of him.

Blueblood shivered a little: ever since he'd found out his father had gotten out of prison, he'd been afraid that he'd be out for a walk one day in Canterlot, and he'd look up to see the pale, thin figure of his father, watching him. It was ridiculous, but it was a terror that Blueblood had never gotten over, a fear that made him itch, made him paranoid, had always sent him running to Auntie Celestia once he'd spent too long thinking about it...

Part of him wanted to track his father down, find him... and... he didn't know what. Hurt him? Yell at him? Just ask him why he'd done what he did? But he knew that he wasn't brave or strong enough to do any of those things, and that maybe it was better this way. Blueblood had no idea where his father was, and his father had no idea what had happened to his son: even if his father found out what orphanage he'd been sent to, there was no way that old battle axe of a nun would tell him who he'd been adopted by, or what his name had been changed to...

Blueblood shook himself out, breathing slowly before he scrubbed at his features, trying to push the thoughts away. He didn't want to think about this anymore. He just wanted to push it back in his mind and... and forget about all of it. And right now, he was safer than he'd ever been, really: he was on a mission with Sleipnir and... and a real live demon, for heaven's sake. And... all those Royal Guard...

The young prince looked down for a moment, biting his lip as he realized he had to come to a decision about them... but he'd made it already, hadn't he?

Blueblood sighed a little, then looked at his traveling clothes... but for once, he didn't feel like putting them on. His eyes lingered on them, then moved towards his simple jerkin, and he smiled a little at this before picking it up.

From beneath it, a second object slipped free, falling to the ground, and Blueblood scowled down at the cloth girdle. He lifted this with telekinesis, studying it for a few moments before he sharply flicked his horn to the side and tossed it across the room, glaring after it and brushing at himself moodily with one hoof. “I don't know why I ever thought I needed that.”

He huffed and embarrassedly rubbed at his stomach with one hoof before he quickly slipped the jerkin on, covering up his paunchy belly. He awkwardly hugged himself, looking for a moment after the girdle... but no, he didn't need it. He didn't need it, and he wasn't going to give Sleipnir any further fuel to tease him, and he was going to... he was going to do this.

A whole world was opening up to him, and the more Blueblood focused on it, the more he felt his nightmares and bad memories all receding. Like sunlight spreading through an open plain, he could feel his growing hopes and ambitions washing away and pushing back the shadows of his darker thoughts.

Maybe it was because he had a future to focus on now, one that was almost tangible, instead of just... wild, half-believed thoughts about how one day he'd sit in Equestria's throne. He had a future... and that made it easier to bury his past.

Prince Blueblood smiled a little bit at this thought, then he took a breath before deciding that he had dallied long enough.

He wasn't entirely surprised when he reached the common room and found the Royal Guard were already eating breakfast, Sleipnir cheerfully chatting away with Earl Grey at a table near the front before the earth pony glanced up and waved at him quickly. “There thou art! And to think, usually thou art awake before the rest of us: I do not know how to take this omen for our coming journey!”

Blueblood smiled a bit, and then he nervously adjusted his jerkin as he approached Sleipnir before his eyes flicked back and forth. Sleipnir cocked his head inquisitively, leaning forwards before Blueblood said quietly: “I... I think we should send the soldiers back home.”

Sleipnir's eyes widened slightly in surprise, and then he frowned a bit, asking: “Art thou sure? And thou art not merely doing this to try and impress me, art thou?”

Blueblood scowled at this, and Sleipnir held up a hoof after a moment, giving a slight smile before he said mildly: “Very well, very well. 'Twas just a question, prompted by surprise... I did not honestly expect for thou to make this decision so early. Not that I am not glad for it, of course, but... still. Do not... force thyself to do anything thou art not ready for.”

The unicorn smiled a bit, and then he hesitated, looking down at his own hoof. No, maybe he wasn't entirely ready to let the Royal Guard go, and he was afraid of what it was going to be like, those first few nights without the familiarity of those soldiers... and yet, at the same time, he knew that the longer they traveled with them, and the more he got used to them actually treating him with respect and friendliness, the harder it would get to let them go.

It was now or never. He'd realized that right from the moment that Sleipnir had reminded him of his plans, even if at first he hadn't been able to stomach the thought of sending the guards away. But he knew what had to be done, and he'd also come to understand that beating Sleipnir at his drinking game hadn't really been him proving himself, after all: it was just the first step in a long journey he still had to walk. And that maybe, for the first time, he wanted to walk.

“Well, art thou going to tell them?” Sleipnir asked mildly, and Blueblood blinked before the earth pony gestured outwards, saying easily: “They are thy soldiers, are they not? The announcement is thine to make.”

Blueblood paled a little at this, slowly turning his eyes outwards over the common room and the Royal Guard, who all looked upbeat, positive, eager to go... and who had actually started to like him. And now what, Sleipnir wanted him to actually tell all these twenty soldiers that he was sending them back to Canterlot because they'd slow them down?

“I... on second thought, maybe we should bring them with us. Just... just for the start of this campaign, of course.” Blueblood said awkwardly, clearing his throat and straightening, and Sleipnir gave him an amused smile.

“Oh, no, I fear 'tis far too late. Thou hast made thy decision and now thou must abide by it.” Sleipnir replied pointedly, nodding firmly a few times before he held up a hoof and called cheerfully: “Friends! Our young prince has an announcement for thee, concerning thy marching orders!”

The Royal Guard all looked curiously up at Blueblood, who smiled weakly as he looked back and forth before he cleared his throat and managed to say awkwardly: “I... I just wanted... I mean...”

He grimaced a bit, then scowled horribly over at Sleipnir as the earth pony gestured at him a few times with a bright smile, the unicorn leaning over and hissing: “This isn't fair!”

“'Tis perfectly fair! Thou art their leader, not I.” Sleipnir reasoned, shrugging and smiling before he motioned out at the Royal Guard. “Look, thou commands their attention and respect, simply... tell them what they must do, and why.”

Blueblood ground his teeth together, and then he shivered a little as he looked back out over the soldiers, clearing his throat and struggling to figure out what Auntie Celestia would say in this kind of situation. But then again, Auntie Celestia would never be stupid enough to get herself into this situation in the first place, she would just have one of her Generals address the troops, or she would...

The white unicorn looked uneasily back and forth, and then he swallowed thickly before saying finally: “I... all of you are going back to Canterlot.”

Surprise and disbelief ran through the ranks of the soldiers, and Blueblood flinched a bit before he said hurriedly: “It's not my decision, it's... Sleipnir said so! Right, Sleipnir, tell them, you can't make me stand up here and-”

“Nay, I left the decision in thy hooves!” Sleipnir huffed, and then he sat up a little, saying quickly as he rose a hoof: “Friends, calm, please. Now, the prince will explain-”

“The prince is a prince and is going to go and get his things together.” Blueblood said sharply, even as his cheeks flushed with embarrassment and shame, and then he turned and hurried towards the steps. He tripped on the last riser like a foal, blushing deeper and scuttling quickly for the safety of his room.

And downstairs, Sleipnir sighed tiredly as he dropped his cheek against one hoof, looking wryly towards the stairs as the Royal Guard argued and gossiped between themselves, the enormous earth pony reflecting that they had been doing so well... but maybe he'd ended up expecting just a little bit too much out of a stallion who hadn't entirely grown up just yet.

The Oddity At Oatsville

Chapter Nine: The Oddity At Oatsville
~BlackRoseRaven

Blueblood grumbled under his breath as he walked along at Sleipnir's side: he wanted to drag his hooves like a foal, but every time he started to drop back, Invidia would slither up beside him, and his fear of her always overwhelmed his frustration with Sleipnir. The earth pony at least made a decent wall between the prince and the demon.

Sleipnir had dragged Blueblood out of his room at the inn to make him say goodbye to the Royal Guard, making him feel like an embarrassed foal. But the unicorn had admittedly been a little surprised: Sleipnir had decided that the Royal Guard should head back to Canterlot later in the day, while their little trio would be leaving as soon as possible.

So they had left, watched by the entire unit of soldiers, Blueblood feeling strangely ashamed of himself. But his self-loathing only made his annoyance with Sleipnir worse, even if at the same time he knew his anger wasn't just misdirected, it was also completely pointless. Sleipnir was just a big dumb friendly oaf, no matter how much of his story was true and how much was delusion.

Blueblood sighed to himself, glowering over at the stallion and just feeling even more cranky as he thought about how... well, maybe Sleipnir had a point, too. The Royal Guard had sort of been his soldiers, and... well, no, the earth pony had blind-sided him, and that had been completely unfair. Sure, he hadn't handled it with the best of grace, but... well...

Sleipnir caught him looking, and the unicorn looked away far too little, too late, making the earth pony smile amusedly before he asked kindly: “How art thou feeling?”

“Fine.” Blueblood grumbled, glowering up at the afternoon sun: they had passed out of the shade of the mountains, making their way due west now along a wide dirt road. His armor felt clunky over his body, and the satchels that contained his luggage kept shifting uncomfortably, reminding him painfully of the clothes and other items he'd left behind at Sleipnir's damned insistence.

He hated the way Sleipnir could talk him into doing just about anything. He hated more that it had made sense: since Blueblood wasn't even wearing his traveling clothes anymore, well... why bother carrying them? And he was supposed to try and conceal his identity, anyway, even if he thought that was ridiculous... sure, in this cruddy suit of armor he probably wasn't that easy to identify, especially with this oversized helm on his head, but it wasn't like he wasn't going to be recognized the moment they stopped at an inn or he had to take the helmet off.

The ivory stallion huffed quietly to himself, and then he glanced up as Sleipnir remarked easily: “Well, 'tis a strange sort of fine thou seems. I would wager thou art at least a little unhappy. Thou hast the look of a frustrated foal about thee, after all.”

“Quiet now, Sleipnir, there's no need to be so rude to the distinguished, handsome Prince of Equestria.” Invidia interrupted sharply, and Blueblood winced a bit as Sleipnir only looked at her with his omnipresent kindness. “Do not forget that he is generously guiding this expedition... while you seem to be eagerly taking every advantage you can to make him look like a fool.”

“Now, now, demon, be calm.” Sleipnir said gently, smiling guilelessly at the mare before his eyes turned back towards Blueblood, asking: “Would thou like to stop for a while? 'Tis a pleasant enough place here for a rest if thou needs it.”

Blueblood hesitated, looking back and forth before he shook his head quickly, a little surprised by himself as he said: “I'm... no, I can keep going. This stupid armor annoys me, but I'm not that tired.”

“Is it pinching anywhere? It might require some adjusting, that is all.” Sleipnir paused, then gestured quickly with his head to the side of the road, where the grass seemed to taper down into a natural little lawn area. “Here, let us halt for a moment and check thy equipment.”

Blueblood grumbled a little, not wanting to show any of his relief as they strode into the little glade. Then he winced when Sleipnir almost grabbed him, hooves patting quickly along his armor and making the unicorn swear under his breath before he complained: “If you would just once-”

“Aye, as I thought. It requires tightening and better locking, that is all.” Sleipnir said thoughtfully, before he absently reached up and yanked the luggage satchels off of Blueblood's body, the prince scowling a little... then blinking in surprise as Sleipnir somehow made both of them compress, saying cheerfully: “And here, this shall help as well. We shall tighten all thy gear down, 'twill make it much more comfortable.”

“How...” Blueblood looked dumbly at the narrow strap Sleipnir had just yanked out of some half-hidden compartment on one of the bags, and then he mouthed wordlessly before asking with disbelief: “Were... were those always there?”

“Oh, aye, they were. Did thou not know? Well, my sisters have always said I had a knack for seeing what few other ponies do.” Sleipnir said easily, and Blueblood was left without words as the earth pony quickly began to go over his armor... and well, the unicorn couldn't even imagine what the stallion was doing, but he felt a strange pressure here and there, a sensation of locking, tightening, a feeling like... “Oh, how thy armor complains, friend! We must teach thee to better care for her!”

Blueblood grumbled, and then Invidia looked up from where she had taken a seat, snapping: “And again, you just have to take any chance you have to flaunt your superiority, don't you? Leave the young prince alone, Sleipnir. Your cruelty is unwanted and unnecessary.”

“'Tis not cruelty, 'tis mere truth, I fear. Our armor will not respect and protect us if we do not respect and protect it, that is all. I scold Blue because I care for him.” Sleipnir responded pointedly, and then he smiled slightly after a moment, looking down at the unicorn and adding gently: “But perhaps we are all tired and excitable, with the first steps of this journey. Let us not take them on the wrong hoof, aye? That would be an ill sign.”

Blueblood shifted a little... and then he finally nodded grudgingly, not entirely sure of what he was agreeing to but... agreeing all the same. Either way, Sleipnir smiled warmly in approval and Invidia looked irritated, both of which worked fine for Blueblood.

The earth pony worked for a few more moments, then stepped back with a firm nod, and Blueblood automatically shifted before striding around in a short circle, feeling out the armor with his body. And it did really feel much better, the unicorn smiling a bit before he looked awkwardly over at Sleipnir and mumbled half in apology, half in gratitude.

Sleipnir only shrugged, waving a hoof and replying kindly: “Fear not, Blue. 'Twas the work of a mere moment, that is all. I see that I will still need to make some further modifications to thy armor later, but for now this should suffice, and we can continue our journey if thou art ready.”

The unicorn began to open his mouth... then he frowned a little as he suddenly realized: “Where... are we going, exactly?”

Sleipnir shrugged and smiled as he tossed Blueblood his luggage satchels, then smiled a little wider, unbeknownest to Blueblood, as the unicorn easily slipped the bags on without any complaint. “We are headed to the west. I had thought that rather obvious.”

Blueblood scowled at him, and Sleipnir laughed and shrugged, exclaiming: “Well, 'tis true! Nay, I do not know precisely where we are going, Blue, but nature has said to follow this road, and there is...” Sleipnir frowned thoughtfully, closing his eyes and tilting his head back. “There is... aye, a glen, or a dale, is there not? Home to a small settlement, on either bank of a narrow river. But past this little village is a small forest, that is... yes. Ironwood grows there.”

The unicorn stared for a few moments at Sleipnir. Maybe he wasn't entirely sure about the ironwood, whatever that was, but otherwise it sounded like he was describing Oatsville.

But then Invidia huffed and waved a hoof in distaste, saying moodily: “That's nothing but a parlor trick. Your lordship, don't be deceived by this angel... all he's trying to do is impress you, to gain your trust and then manipulate you further.”

“Oh, thou sounds a little more annoyed than usual, demon. I did not mean to spoil thine own prediction, if that is what thou art mad about.” Sleipnir said teasingly, and Invidia hissed at him through her teeth. The earth pony remained unfettered, however, instead looking back at Blueblood and saying kindly: “As I have said, nature speaks to me, and that is all. 'Tis neither trick of magic nor illusion. It is merely Mother Nature, whispering into mine ear.”

Blueblood studied Sleipnir for a few moments, and then he cleared his throat before asking hesitantly: “Why are we going to Oatsville? It's barely a speck. Why, it's one of those awful little places where they're all one big family of hillbillies.”

“Speaking of goats again, art thou? Well, I do not mind goats. I thought we had spoken of this already.” Sleipnir said jovially, and Blueblood honestly couldn't tell if Sleipnir was being purposefully thick or actually didn't understand what he was talking about.

But the earth pony became more serious after a moment as he answered: “But I am not interested in this Oatsville, but rather what lays beyond. Ironwood of a formidable constitution is necessary for the crafting of this portal... we shall have to go deep into the forest, and ask the trees to lend us the strength of their oldest and strongest siblings. We shall just have to hope we can find enough there.”

Blueblood stared for a few moments at Sleipnir, and then he asked disbelievingly: “And what then? You can't be telling me we're just going to drag trees around with us, are we?”

“Oh, nay, trees are not fond of that. They much prefer their sleep, 'tis how they stay so beautiful.” Sleipnir replied blandly, and Blueblood glared at him, one of his eyes twitching. “Fear not, this was discussed before we left with thine aunt. Once the materials are retrieved, we shall send her a letter, and she shall send whomever can be spared to retrieve them and ferry them back to Canterlot, be it by magic or wing.”

The young prince frowned at this, but then he sighed a little before muttering: “Very well. I suppose that's the wisest course of action, in any event... still, Sleipnir. It would be appreciated if you would actually share your plans with me instead of just continuing to barge on ahead.”

“I apologize, Blue. But 'tis all I know how to do. Oh, believe me, it was most frustrating for mine sisters as well...” Sleipnir paused meditatively, correcting after a moment: “Well, for Celestia, in any event. I fear Luna took after me in quite a few ways, chief amongst which being her own brash need to charge ever forwards.”

Blueblood studied the stallion for a few moments, then he simply shrugged before turning away, muttering: “Well, just... try and keep yourself in check.”

Sleipnir smiled amiably, and Blueblood didn't exactly know what else to say as he strode back to the road. Then he winced as Invidia almost popped into existence beside him, the demon leaning towards him and whispering in his ear: “Oh, forget about Sleipnir. He's not important. He's no good. He's nothing but a fool. He'll fail you when you need him most.”

“Shush, demon. Still the poisons of thy tongue, thou art doing naught but frustrating thine own goals.” Sleipnir chastened, and Invidia glared at him for a few moments before the earth pony added gently: “There is no need for thou to continue to compete, in any event. For we are all friends here, are we not? And none of us shall step in the way of the other.”

Blueblood shifted uneasily at this, but Invidia looked... vulnerable for a moment. She trembled a little as she gazed back and forth between the two stallions, and finally, Blueblood sighed before mumbling: “Yes, I... I suppose.”

Invidia smiled warmly, her mood changing in a moment as she said happily: “Good, then there's no need for any distance, any secrets between us... there will never be three friends closer than us, young prince, oh handsome angel... both of you, my best friends. As I am yours, correct? Your closest friend, upon all of Midgard?”

Sleipnir only smiled childishly, and Blueblood gave a weak smile before wincing a little when Invidia's eyes began to darken, the prince blurting before he could stop himself: “Certainly!”

Invidia's eyes gleamed as she turned towards Blueblood, staring at him with those awful, hellishly-bright gold eyes of hers... and then she smiled lovingly, licking her lips and reaching up to touch his face with a hoof that felt strangely cold, Sleipnir wincing a little as the demon murmured: “Yes, my darling. You are. Forever and for ever, and for a day more than that...”

Invidia stopped, then looked back and forth before she bowed her head, her mood calming as quickly as the seas could after a vicious storm. “Will you please excuse me, my friends? I need to feed... and it would be rude to do so on my best of friends. Unless, Lord Blueblood, you want me to devour your pain, take away your stress...”

Invidia licked her lips slowly, turning towards him hungrily, but the unicorn shook his head hurriedly before he said awkwardly: “I... I feel fine right now, Invidia, but... thank you?”

The demon seemed oddly pleased by this response, staring at him almost rapturously before she said tenderly, reaching one hoof up to touch his chest gently: “You're welcome.”

And then Blueblood yelped as the demon burst apart into black smoke, the stallion falling back on his rump and mouthing wordlessly at the fact that Invidia had literally vanished in front of his eyes. Sleipnir, however, only stepped forwards and calmly hefted the unicorn back to his hooves, saying mildly: “Of course, since we are no longer in the presence of others, the demon will make more of her powers known... oh, I suppose 'tis quite a sight for somepony who has not seen such trickery before, but if thou keeps gaping so, Blue, I fear a fly, a tongue, or something else entirely may end up shoved down thy gullet. And I shan't promise it won't be mine.”

Blueblood immediately clamped his mouth shut, glaring balefully at Sleipnir, but the stallion only laughed and grinned in return, winking at the unicorn. “Thou wounds me so! I would at least ask first, pretty young colt!”

“Oh, shut up.” Blueblood grumbled, looking sourly at the earth pony before he shook his head and looked uneasily up towards the sky, asking finally: “So a demon can just... Invidia can just come and go as she pleases like that? She's... she's not still here, is she?”

“Oh, nay. Well, I cannot say for sure, but I do not believe so, no.” Sleipnir answered, shaking his head briefly. “What thou just saw is a trick most demons are very fond of, used to travel quickly and safety over great distances. Or sometimes short, depending upon the demon. I will admit that at times my beloved daughter would use that art to hop down from her room in the middle of the night to steal cookies from the kitchen... although her mother was good at using the same to catch her.”

Blueblood gave a brief laugh at this, looking uneasily over at Sleipnir as the enormous earth pony only gave him that same friendly look he always did. That same dumb, oafish, happy look that made it so hard not to believe all the crazy nonsense he spouted...

The young prince bit his lip, then he blurted suddenly: “How... how could you fall in love with a demon if you're supposed to be from Heaven?”

Sleipnir glanced over at him curiously, and then he chuckled after a moment before saying kindly: “Because we are both... odd, perhaps. She and her happy twin lived upon Midgard, and I was only fortunate enough to gain her eye, and then her affections. And from thence it has been... a prosperous and tumultuous journey, as all relationships should be. She is fierce, Blue. Fiercer than any storm and strong as the mountains and the earthquakes. She is my phoenix, never defeated for long, always rising with renewed strength and vigor!”

Sleipnir sighed loudly, smiling warmly up into the sky... but his eyes held a tinge of longing in them now as well as he murmured: “I know she will find her way home before I can. She is stronger than me, and much wiser, too. I only hope I do not keep her waiting and lonely long... but at least there will be others there to entertain her, and make her smile.”

Blueblood looked awkwardly at Sleipnir, and then he asked slowly: “And your wife doesn't mind the fact that you seem to try and throw yourself into bed with every mare you see?”

“Oh? Why would she?” Sleipnir asked, looking honestly confused, and Blueblood rolled his eyes before the earth pony laughed and shook his head. “Oh believe me, there are none who please me more than my phoenix! But as such a pretty stallion, I have a great obligation to the pretty mares of the world! Besides, there is nothing wrong with sharing a bit of physical pleasure with those whom need it. 'Tis a touch of comfort, a bit of contact, a sharing of warmth and affection. But 'tis not love, Blueblood, certainly not. I would never betray my phoenix by visiting the love upon another mare that I do upon her. I do not share secrets with others as I do with her, and only she is privy to that which rests inside my heart of hearts. Does thou understand?”

Blueblood frowned a bit at this, shifting a little on his hooves at this odd, hedonistic wisdom before he asked finally: “But what about trust?”

Sleipnir grinned at this, tilting his head towards Blueblood and saying cheerfully: “Oh, thou means how 'tis clearly so trusting if one abstains completely from showing affection to another? Nay, phoenix does not trust me to not do. My phoenix trusts instead that I shall always return to her at the end of the day, no matter what pleasures I have given and taken. She is far more important to me than mere pleasure, after all. She is no bed-toy and no mare of the night, she is my wife, my beloved, and my soul's truest reflection. I love her.”

The earth pony nodded firmly, then looked up towards the sky, quieting a little as he only gazed up into the distance for a little while, and Blueblood fidgeted a bit on the spot before he hesitantly strode up beside the stallion and said awkwardly: “I... I'm sure you'll see her again someday.”

Sleipnir looked down at the unicorn, then he smiled warmly before giving a short, firm nod. Then Blueblood wheezed loudly as Sleipnir wrapped a foreleg around him and squeezed him close in a crushing embrace, saying warmly: “Aye, I shall! Thou art right, there is no time to mope... the more time we waste, the longer before I see her again, and the more she will scold me!”

The enormous earth pony laughed loudly and let Blueblood go... then blinked and looked down in surprise as the white stallion collapsed to the ground, wheezing and gasping. Sleipnir only studied him curiously, then asked cluelessly: “Did all the exertion catch up to thee, my friend? Shall we take a rest for a short time?”

Blueblood did his best to swear at the stallion, but he still felt like his lungs had been crushed out of existence, and he was barely able to wriggle himself onto his stomach. But once he managed a few more loud, whooping breaths, he finally glared up at the stallion and snapped: “Will you please stop treating me like your personal stress ball?”

“I... oh! Oh, I apologize, Blue, 'tis easy for me to forget mine strength! Even back home, I would oft be scolded for it.” Sleipnir said quickly, looking honestly sorry as he nodded a few times before reaching down and easily hefting Blueblood to his hooves, the unicorn wincing and stumbling until the earth pony steadied him. “There, here we are. Thou art fine, see?”

“Perfectly fine.” Blueblood grumbled, brushing at his breast with one hoof before he sighed and mumbled: “Well... let's keep going then. It's not that far to Oatsville from here.”

“Good. Aye, that is why nature guided me here, first, even though we will need many things to complete this portal. I think she wishes to ensure thou gets as gentle a start as possible.” Sleipnir said cheerfully, and Blueblood scowled a little before Sleipnir added thoughtfully: “Although perhaps ironwood is not so rare upon this realm as well. This would be most excellent if 'tis true. There are a thousand-thousand uses for such sturdy stuff that I would dearly love to try.”

The unicorn followed moodily after Sleipnir as the earth pony started down the road again... and even though he already knew he was going to regret this, he couldn't help but ask: “Why is this ironwood so important? And what other materials does your portal require? Why couldn't we just have it all brought to Canterlot?”

“Well, because this is our quest, young Blue! 'Twould be cheating... and 'twould be very wrong of me to impose upon such kind company with a problem that is solely mine own.” Sleipnir winked and added cheerfully: “I have already imposed well enough on thee, have I not?”

Blueblood gave a short, humorless laugh, and Sleipnir looked at him with amusement before continuing easily: “But furthermore, I must inspect the quality of the materials we search for myself, for there are many other things we have to find. Rare ore, specific metals, gemstones... the list is a long one. A portal is not made simply of wood and iron, after all.”

The young prince sighed tiredly, before he asked moodily: “And once all this is done, you're just going to... go home?”

Sleipnir shrugged, and Blueblood frowned a little as the earth pony gazed ahead, saying quietly: “'Tis my hope, at least. As to what will actually happen... I do not entirely know. There are many things that could go wrong, Blue. I would be lying if I said I expected this to be so easy.”

Blueblood looked uncomfortably at Sleipnir, not really knowing what to say and feeling an odd string of... guilt. He shifted a bit, then cleared his throat before looking ahead, but Sleipnir only smiled and said softly: “Now, fear not. I am certain that one way or the other, I shan't be here forever. But all I know to do for now is to keep striving towards what I hope is my best chance.”

The young prince nodded, not really sure of what he could say, but Sleipnir only smiled and turned his eyes back ahead. They walked onwards, the enormous stallion every now and then remarking cheerfully on their surroundings or spouting some little piece of nonsense or wisdom, but Blueblood mostly remained quiet, feeling a strange mix of emotions and... maybe a little bit more than a hint of envy for this enormous earth pony, who seemed to just keep pushing forwards no matter how much the world pushed back.

They walked steadily, almost until evening: by then, Blueblood was feeling achy and tired, but at the same time, he hadn't let himself complain too much. Oatsville was just a short distance away, after all, and even if it was a hick town, they could probably find someplace to stay there... and more importantly, the last thing he wanted was to be stuck camping out in a field all night.

And, well... he'd learned that Sleipnir would just cajole and tease him if he wanted him to keep going, anyway. Besides, this wasn't nearly as bad as dragging those stupid rocks all over the place, back in the mountains...

Blueblood smiled a bit, then looked up almost in surprise when Sleipnir asked uncertainly: “Does thou feel that, Blue? There is a strange force in the air... does thou feel it?”

The young prince frowned, then looked up and glanced back and forth. Evening was starting to settle in, and Oatsville's lights were only a short distance away: it wasn't exactly a bustling village, but it seemed like at least most of the homes were occupied. “I... like magic?”

“Nay, just an ill, foreboding feeling.” Sleipnir said quietly, and then he grimaced a little before leaning forwards, studying the buildings in the distance intently. “We have... perhaps a thousand paces between us and the town. Perhaps we should stop here for the night...”

“What? No! I'm not sleeping out here in the dirt.” complained Blueblood immediately, glaring over at the earth pony before he added: “And I don't see or feel anything strange, either. Look, the town looks fine.”

Sleipnir grunted and shrugged, hesitating for a moment before he said finally: “Perhaps. Perhaps not, though. Mother Nature warns me-”

“Oh, here we go again.” grumbled Blueblood, but admittedly he felt a little bit of unease at this: after all, whether he liked it or not, Sleipnir's strange connection to nature had certainly been proven right more than once in the past... and every time Sleipnir had said something bad was going to happen...

But no, no. What was the worst that could happen? The rednecks were going to get drunk and keep them up all night with their singing? Blueblood would almost welcome that as an escape from his nightmares. And furthermore, how could they be safer sleeping out here in the open instead of inside the safety and comfort of a hotel, especially when they were traveling with that awful demoness...

Blueblood shivered a little: he didn't want to imagine what Invidia might do to him if she came back and found them just sleeping in the grass, since it didn't look like Sleipnir had even brought a tent. He'd more than willingly risk whatever 'bad feelings' Sleipnir was having for a bit of privacy and protection from the elements, thank you very much.

Sleipnir sighed a little after a moment, then he gave a grudging nod before muttering: “Oh, very well. Thou art as stubborn as an Oygl, Blue.”

“What... what is an Oygl?” Somehow, the unicorn didn't think it was exactly a flattering creature to be compared to, and this was confirmed just by the amused look that Sleipnir gave him, the young prince scowling a little. “At least insult me with a little dignity, peasant.”

“Thy dignity is very insulting at times, fear not.” Sleipnir quipped, and Blueblood rolled his eyes before the earth pony paused, then sighed a little and said finally: “Stay close to me, young prince. And do not reveal who thou art. I feel a great foreboding.”

Blueblood scowled a little at this, trying to tell himself that this was just Sleipnir trying to manipulate him into doing what the earth pony preferred... but another part of him felt a very distinct unease, worrying that maybe, just maybe, Sleipnir was just trying to do what was best for them both...

But no. No matter what Blueblood had come to think of Sleipnir, he was still convinced that the earth pony was only out for his own ends. Oh, sure, he was fun and he was helpful and he was nice, but he was clearly doing it all out of a need to just return home. And it wasn't like Blueblood enjoyed being dragged around Equestria with the stallion, for... what, Sleipnir's amusement? Sleipnir had said he needed a guide, but it seemed like his connection to 'Mother Nature' was doing that for him...

Blueblood scowled a little, but he bit his tongue for now: sure, he could start another argument with the earth pony, but he realized Sleipnir would just deflect his accusations or laugh. Both of which would annoy him further or leave him feeling strangely guilty, even though there was definitely no reason he should feel anything but... but angry and annoyed that this great idiot of an earth pony was making his princely hooves do all this peasant work Yes, that was right: he just had to keep his station and status in mind and not allow himself to lose sight of who he was and what he deserved.

The unicorn's thoughts darkened as they drew closer to Oatsville: he felt cranky and irritable by the time they got into the little hick town, and determined to do just about anything and everything that would annoy Sleipnir. Assuming he could find anything at all that would annoy the stallion, that was: the earth pony was always so damned cheerful...

And besides which, Blueblood was already annoyed by the loud, cheerful – and awful – twanging of a guitar, and the happy laughter and shouts all coming from a brightly-lit bar that glowed like a beacon. Sleipnir smiled warmly as he strode towards this, saying easily: “Well, there is a good sign, at least! Perhaps I was wrong about this place... although still, let us be cautious, Blue.”

Blueblood grunted, scowling a little over at Sleipnir, but following grouchily after him all the same as he headed towards the bar. And then the unicorn reared back slightly in distaste as they found what looked like the entire town crammed into this large, ramshackle building, many of them cheering and hollering at a makeshift stage as a freckled pony badly banged away at the instrument.

“Hello, friends!” Sleipnir shouted in his tactless, cheerful way as they pushed into the bar, and immediately the whole crowd went dead silent, all eyes staring with... was that fear? Blueblood frowned uncertainly at the sight, shifting uneasily and feeling a sudden pulse of worry run through him even as Sleipnir continued, apparently as oblivious as always: “Well, 'tis wonderful to see such a fine gathering here! I am Sleipnir, and this is my companion, Blue, and we have come seeking a place to stay for the night. And how could we not help but be drawn towards such a pleasant party as this?”

The ponies all looked uncomfortably at Sleipnir, then traded uneasy, nervous glances between themselves before the pony behind the bar counter finally cleared his throat and leaned forwards, saying hesitantly: “We... don't have much in the way of lodgings right now, friend... you'd be better off heading on towards Canterlot. There's good folk on the way.”

Sleipnir smiled over at the gangly pony who'd spoken, and Blueblood scowled a little: reedy, thin little mustache, enough grease in his hair that he could wring it out and use it to cook fries. “Alas, but that is the way we have come from! Nay, I fear we need lodgings nearby, if 'tis at all possible. And a third will be joining us, a mare, whom we agreed to meet here. But we shan't impose for long: tomorrow our business takes us into the forest, and-”

There were sounds of alarm at this, and even Blueblood caught the sudden fear that went through the crowd before the bartender hurriedly said over the hubbub: “Oh, that... I... well, sir, that's... a protected area, don't y'know? Yeah, protected-like, it was just recently bought by a big, important land-investor-protector type, see, you can't set no hoof in there without talkin' to him first.”

“Oh.” Sleipnir paused, then suddenly smiled again. “What a strange concept, assuming ownership over a forest! But I suppose 'tis not my place to judge, and 'tis not as if I have never seen the barons of the past trying to proclaim their rule over every tide and ripple of nature... not that nature has ever bowed her head for long.”

He chuckled, then looked warmly around the room at the twenty or so ponies, saying cheerfully: “But listen to me, rambling on so foolishly! So whom must I speak to, to secure permission to enter the forest and find the provisions I require?”

There was silence, and Blueblood frowned a little as he looked uncertainly back and forth. He certainly knew that he couldn't claim to be the most well-versed pony when it came to the more boring parts of ruling a country, like bylaws and land rights and taxes, but even he knew that you couldn't just go and buy an entire forest without jumping through all kinds of hoops. And Auntie Celestia almost always vetoed any kind of idea like that, anyway: she was very strict when it came to land rights, although Blueblood didn't know exactly why.

He didn't say anything for the moment, however: whether these redneck ponies were lying or had been swindled out of their land, he didn't really care. What he cared about was whether or not they were going to be able to get a bed here, or if they were going to end up camping out on the lawn.

“Look, uh... you won't be able to talk to him until morning. He's a very busy pony.” the bartender said evasively, and this wasn't at all made more suspicious by the hurried agreements from several other ponies. “If you really want to hunker down here for the night, I won't stop you, but uh... we don't got no open room right now, I fear. You'll just have to sit at a table until morning.”

Sleipnir smiled and shrugged, beginning to speak, but he was cut off by a curse from Blueblood before the ivory unicorn snapped: “Now see here, you are in the presence of royalty! I am the Prince of Equestria, and I demand a proper room!”

With that, Blueblood reached up and pulled his helm off, raising his head imperiously as Sleipnir winced and slapped his own forehead. Then, before he could say anything, the young prince strode forwards and added sharply: “And I will not listen to another word of this... inane babbling about a so-called businesspony who owns the forest! That is the stuff of lies or nonsense, and you will either bring this stallion to me immediately for a reprimand or I'll send a letter to my Auntie, right this moment, telling her about these underhoofed dealings going on behind her back!”

There was silence for a few moments as the villagers stared with horror and shock at Blueblood, and Sleipnir slowly rubbed his hoof down his face, sighing tiredly before he began awkwardly: “I beg forgiveness for this, 'tis not-”

“We'll... we'll let him sleep at our place!” a mare suddenly blurted, and there was almost a collective gasp as a pretty freckled mare with her mane in pigtails stepped forwards, trembling violently. Blueblood looked uncertain, scowling a little, and then the mare added hurriedly: “We... your majesty, we can bring you there right now, and then... well... we'll get this all sorted out in the morning, right cos?”

The bartender shifted uneasily, and then he gave a weak smile when Blueblood glared at him, the lanky stallion saying with distinct unhappiness: “Yeah. Yeah, uh... we didn't mean no harm by it, you know, just... well... we'll bring you right to the old forest in the morning.”

There was silence for a few moments, and then Blueblood sniffed loudly before saying imperiously: “Yes, you will. That's much better. Sleipnir, let's go.”

“Oh, aye, grand.” Sleipnir sighed tiredly again before his eyes flicked up and nervously scanned the room. The ponies all looked guilty and afraid, and the mare was trembling with very palpable fear as she hurried for the doors, stumbling fearfully into the ill-lit street.

He didn't speak as he followed after Blueblood, who at least put his helm back on as he strode in the wake of the mare. She rushed onwards, zigzagging back and forth across the street, and the prince muttered: “Drunken idiot.”

Sleipnir didn't think she was drunk, however: for one thing, she was moving in very sharp, straight lines. For another, she was darting from light to light, as she was scared of staying in the dark for too long.

When they reached the small bridge across the narrow creek that neatly bisected the village, the mare sprinted over it like she was trying to bolt across hot coals. And Sleipnir could almost smell a vileness as he and Blueblood followed, the prince rolling his eyes and complaining: “Slow down and get yourself together, filly!”

“I... I'm sorry!” the mare whimpered as she stopped beneath a lamp ahead, trembling hard as she stared back over her shoulder at them. Sleipnir tried to smile at her reassuringly, but she didn't even seem aware of them anymore, while Blueblood only scowled again... although at least he seemed a little uneasy himself now.

Her house wasn't much further on: the yard was full of weeds and it had a big, rickety porch that gaped ominously like a mouth. Lights blazed out of the windows, and yet Sleipnir had the sense that it hadn't been lived in for days.

The mare didn't approach, standing as far away from the house as she could while remaining in the light cast from the windows, and she gestured hurriedly at it several times as she rushed out: “M-Make yourselves at home, help yourselves to anything, I'll... check on you in the morning!”

“Wait, thou art not at least...” But Sleipnir didn't bother to finish his sentence as the mare turned and ran quickly away, a frown passing over his features before he said uneasily: “Blue, I do not like this at all.”

“I don't look forwards to settling myself into a redneck's nest either, but it will do.” Prince Blueblood retorted, raising his head with a huff: he found that it made it a lot easier to feel brave when he let himself be as rude as he could manage to Sleipnir. Otherwise, after all, it was hard to pretend that he wasn't a little bit freaked out himself by how the mare had behaved, and the general feeling of... unwellness that lurked in this place...

Blueblood grimaced a little, then he shook his head before hurrying onto the porch and shoving the door open. He scowled in disgust at the interior: tacky pictures on the walls, cheap and scratched-up linoleum floors, chipped and duct-taped furniture... it looked like the whole house had been bought from a bargain bin.

The unicorn wasn't shy about poking around, while Sleipnir only made his way to the living room and sat back in the couch, frowning uneasily. He had a bad feeling about what was lurking here: the real question was whether or not he allowed Blueblood to suffer the consequences of his actions, or he lured out whatever was terrorizing this town himself.

Either way, he couldn't turn his back on these ponies in need: he had known something was wrong the moment he'd heard their forced happiness in the bar. It reminded him of the old days, when villages would gather into whatever structure they could best fortify while under siege by the forces of darkness, then sing and shout and celebrate, do whatever they could to chase away the gloom and misery. There was bravery and wisdom in it: it didn't just help keep spirits high, but stopped their supernatural enemies from feeding on their fear and hatred.

Blueblood, meanwhile, had taken over what looked like a colt's room. It had a big soft bed and there was a linen closet just across the hall, out of which he'd gotten a bunch of pillows and some more serviceable sheets than the cheap Wonderbolt patterned ones that had some very disturbing stains here and there over them. Still, Blueblood imagined it was cleaner than the master bedroom, which had reeked of sweat and alcohol.

The stallion had discarded his armor on the floor and shoved it off to one side under a desk that was stacked with hastily-glued-together models and comic books. He'd perused the latter, but there was nothing he liked, just like all the books on the shelves were lowbrow literature with a few badly-hidden adult magazines.

Blueblood had snatched one of the latter and had it tucked under the pillow for later, figuring that it was better a responsible stallion like himself had it instead of some dumb little colt. He had also helped himself to some food from the kitchen, but to his disgust, the bread was fairly stale and the lettuce had gone all soft and gross.

He ended up throwing most of the sandwich in the garbage before grumbling under his breath, then shouting: “Sleipnir! Sleipnir!”

There was only silence instead of the usual immediate reply, and Blueblood frowned uneasily at this before he sat up, calling in a more-hesitant voice: “S-Sleipnir?”

Nothing. No response, not even a creak. Blueblood hesitated, then slipped out of bed before he carefully started forwards, nervously eyeing the ajar door before he pushed it open and swallowed thickly, feeling a growing fear in his chest.

He stepped out into the corridor, looking back and forth... but no. Not a sound. Not a thing. The stallion felt his legs starting to quake beneath him as he breathed hard in and out, then called weakly: “If... if this is a trick...”

But he had the awful feeling that this wasn't a trick at all. The stallion whimpered a little to himself as he slunk out to the living room, gazing fearfully around before he trembled as he saw that Sleipnir... simply wasn't there.

Blueblood wanted to dart back to his room, but he gathered his courage and instead headed towards the kitchen. It was empty, too, just like he'd expected, the stallion biting his lip and feeling his bravery rapidly faltering before his eyes locked on a wooden stand filled with large, gleaming knives.

The stallion hesitated only a moment before he quickly hefted two of the largest ones with telekinesis, floating them in front of himself as his eyes nervously looked back and forth. They were both heavy, old things, although they didn't do a whole lot to make him feel that much safer...

He looked back and forth, then skittered out of the kitchen and back towards the colt's room. He slammed the door behind him and fell back against it, breathing hard as his eyes roved around, before they widened in terror as he saw a face in the window, staring at him-

Blueblood squealed and flung one of the knives, and it shattered through the glass as the face vanished. The sound was tremendous in the still evening air, Blueblood whimpering and keeping his back firmly pressed against the door as he stared at the broken glass, and at... at...

His own reflection. Pieces of his own pale, terrified face stared back at him through the shattered shards of the window, and Blueblood hissed through his teeth before he looked fearfully at his remaining knife, clutching it with as much telekinetic strength as he could muster and cursing at himself for wasting the other one.

Hesitantly, he approached the broken window... then ground his teeth together in frustration before he sighed in relief as he realized there were shutters, at least. He hurriedly slammed these shut and bolted them, promising himself at the same time he wasn't going to panic stupidly again over anything that happened.

Blueblood turned around, then froze up as he heard a creaking sound rumble through the house. He stared at the door, trembling like a leaf, as something quietly clunked outside in the hallway, something drawing closer, something that felt malignant and evil and... and...

Blueblood bolted across the room and threw himself against the door to hold it closed, trembling violently. He swore he heard something clunk in the hallway again... but there was no rush of evil, no banging against the door, no monsters leaping out of hiding...

After a few minutes, the unicorn uncertainly opened the door and nervously poked his head out... and there was no one there. Then his eyes widened in horror as he heard that clunking sound again, ducking hurriedly back into the room before he realized... it wasn't coming from the hallway at all. It was coming from...

Blueblood slowly turned around, and the shutters clunked loudly as the wind blew across them, the sound surprisingly deep and echoing, seeming to vibrate through the walls. And after a moment, Blueblood gave a weak little laugh before he lowered his head and shook it hurriedly out, whispering: “It's... it's nothing. Sleipnir probably just...”

Blueblood trembled, then he turned to make sure the door was closed. He hesitated only a moment, then quickly bolted across the room to the large table, shoving it hurriedly into place in front of the door to barricade it closed, not caring that he knocked his armor rolling in all directions across the floor.

Then he hurried back to the bed, throwing the covers over himself and holding his knife in a trembling telekinetic grip, staring fearfully between the door and window. He wished he had some way to contact Auntie Celestia, but he hads dropped his equipment bags in the living room, and there was no way in hell he was leaving here before morning to get his things.

Blueblood spent about thirty minutes trembling from a rush of adrenaline and fear... and then, thanks to the strain of the long day and all the excitement, he steadily began to droop, until he fell into a tired daze, and from there, slipped steadily down into uneasy sleep.

He didn't even notice when the door was slowly pried open by a slithering, slimy darkness, and didn't realize how unnatural the shadows stretching across the floor were until it was too late. But when those slimy coils wrapped around him, Blueblood snapped away before screaming like a filly, but even as he grabbed wildly at his knife with telekinesis, the inky slime lashed upwards and seized around his horn as it constricted his body, suffocating his magic.

He was yanked down into the dark, oily gunk, and Blueblood flailed helplessly, screaming and panicking until the goo wrapped firmly around his muzzle to try and shut him up. His eyes rolled wildly in his head as the slime moved surprisingly fast, darting out into the road before it lurched hurriedly along in the direction of the small forest.

Blueblood was horribly aware of every moment: he wanted to faint or throw up or scream, but all he could do was watch with terror as the black ooze dragged him along beneath the night sky, carrying him quickly into the shadows cast by the large, evil-looking trees. It slunk hurriedly through the grasses as awful things hissed and called around them, as if celebrating the return of the monster, the living shadow, the disgusting whatever-it-was that Blueblood flailed helplessly against.

It brought him to an unnatural stone mound, built almost perfectly into a dome and made from shale and stone plates and thickly-packed dirt. Other black slimes writhed horribly around this structure, and Blueblood whimpered in terror as the dark ooze easily dragged him around to a cavernous entrance.

It yanked him inside, and Blueblood stared back and forth in terror as they immediately began to descend down a long dirt tunnel, into a place that reeked of the grave. Blueblood struggled wildly, tears rolling down his cheeks, but the thing's grip was still too tight, its sticky form keeping him half-engulfed as it toted him onwards like some kind of grisly trophy.

They ended up in a large, squarish chamber lit by torches and thin veins of moonlight that shone down through cracks in the root-covered ceiling... and Blueblood's eyes widened in horror as he saw Sleipnir had been stuck to one of the walls like an ornament, slathered with that black gunk around both his stretched-out forelimbs and hind legs. His eyes were closed and his head hung limply, and the sight of him so... so helpless choked the unicorn with terror and despair.

Blueblood flailed and whimpered before the dark ooze crawled up the wall, then shifted back and forth, forcing Blueblood into a similar position with his forelegs out on either side and rear legs pinned painfully down. Then the dark goop withdrew, but left large swathes of ugly murk over the unicorn's limbs, and a matting of black gunk over the unicorn's horn.

The prince didn't even think about using magic, though, instead looking at the earth pony and saying fearfully: “Sleipnir! Sleipnir! Oh no, no, no, wake up! You're... you're supposed to be the hero, y-you can't be... you can't...”

And then Blueblood stared in disbelief as Sleipnir gave a loud snore, mouthing wordlessly before the unicorn all-but-screamed: “Sleipnir!”

“Oh? Oh!” Sleipnir jumped, raising his head and looking around before he smiled with a ridiculous amount of cheer at Blueblood, considering the situation they were in. “Oh. Hello! Damnation, thou startled me out of the most pleasant dream... and whilst I see not all of it was fantasy, we are lacking a certain mare who was delighting herself by-”

“What is wrong with you?” Blueblood howled, one of his eyes twitching as he felt inarticulate rage struggling with stupid, wild disbelief at the fact that of all things, Sleipnir had apparently been sleeping and having happy dreams about mares and... and... “We've been... kidnapped by... by slime!”

“Oh? I had not noticed.” Sleipnir said seriously, and Blueblood stared at him before the earth pony admitted: “Nay, that is a lie, I did notice. But I cannot say 'twas really a kidnapping, for I am neither goat nor colt, and I rather enjoyed the experience. 'Twas a most delightfully warm and gooshy ride. Why, 'twas like riding water... and better yet, here we are in the forest! They were kind enough to take us right to our destination, young Blue, is that not a stroke of fine luck?”

“What is wrong with you?” Sleipnir winced at the shrillness of Blueblood's voice, as even the black goop restraining them seemed to vibrate in pain at how high-pitched it was. “We... I... what the hell is wrong with you?”

“Well, there is nothing wrong with being optimistic.” Sleipnir reasoned, and then he huffed a bit and glanced around, adding mildly: “And this is not so bad, in any event. Look, 'tis a very nice... well, I do not want to call it cave or dungeon, that would be insulting to our host, whoever he may be.”

Blueblood twitched, grinding his teeth together loudly... before both he and Sleipnir looked towards the other side of the room as a voice said calmly: “Oh, by all means, feel free to call my home whatever you desire. It matters little to me, after all... you're both going to die very shortly.”

“Well, that is rather rude.” Sleipnir commented, watching as a pony slowly approached. But this was no normal pony: he was terribly thin, his long cape draped around him like a blanket and dragging against the floor with every step he took, his red eyes looking up at them hungrily, his coat a muddy, tarnished brown that was splattered with black gunk.

Blueblood whimpered loudly as the pony approached, baring a few rotten teeth and rotten gums at them in a sadistic smile. “Well, you'll have to excuse me. I'm only just getting used to having visitors again. Now tell me, were you looking for me? Did one of the villagers try to inform Princess Celestia that I'm here?”

“Oh, nay, we were merely in the area.” Sleipnir said conversationally, smiling pleasantly in return before he asked curiously: “There is ironwood in this forest, aye? What is the quality of it, would thou say? I could not see much of it in the darkness, I fear, and... well, I was rather enjoying the trip, to be entirely honest. My sister has always complained that my attention span is very short.”

The strange pony slowly narrowed his eyes at Sleipnir, and then he snorted suddenly before spinning away, hissing: “Be as brave as you want, but there's no escape from here. Whether or not you're nothing but... lumberjacks, you-”

“I am... I am the Prince of Equestria, and I demand you release me this very moment!” Blueblood suddenly yelled, his old, horrible habits kicking in as he struggled wildly against the slime, and the dark pony's eyes widened before he spun around, gazing with shock up at Blueblood as Sleipnir groaned and rolled his eyes. “You... when Auntie Celestia hears about this-”

“Yes! Yes, yes! So the princess must know about me, that I am here!” The wretched pony sounded strangely excited, dancing from hoof-to-hoof before he grinned widely, leaning up eagerly. “You're the perfect hostage! The princess will have no choice now but to give in to my demands and... you, you must be the prince's bodyguard! Well, I'll make an example of you to show that I'm serious... then we'll see if the mages laugh at my alchemy! Then we'll see how laughable the idea of an earth pony at the magic academy is!”

Sleipnir cocked his head quizzically as Blueblood began to hyperventilate, and then the enormous stallion asked curiously: “Thou art an earth pony? And yet thou hast conjured these marvelous little creatures?”

“I... why, yes.” The strange pony halted in mid-gesture even as several slimes gathered around him, and then he scowled moodily up at Sleipnir. “What, do you find it laughable too? Do you not believe me? You're just like the rest of them!”

“What? Oh, pah, use thine eyes!” Sleipnir chastised, then he shook his head wildly back and forth, making his mane of vines flap around his head. “Does thou see any horn upon my head? Nay, I am an earth pony too, just as thou art... but I have never imagined 'tis possible to create living beasts like thou hast... and they are loyal to thee? But how does thou command them?”

The thin, strange pony looked somewhat placated, then he sniffed loudly before gesturing towards one of the slimes, saying moodily: “They're not stupid. Why, they're as intelligent as any golem, and can be taught just as easily. They're made from alchemy: organic matter and a bit of blood to tie their loyalties to their master.”

“Alchemy? Well, thou hast done an admirable job.” Sleipnir said kindly, and the dark pony looked dumbfounded as Blueblood simply stared stupidly at the huge stallion, trying to process the fact that he was having a pleasant little conversation with the evil pony who wanted to kill them. “Pray tell, though, why art thou hiding out here instead of celebrating thy success in Canterlot?”

“Because the unicorn mages wouldn't believe me!” hissed the dark pony, stepping forwards with a snarl. “I made it right in front of them, and they wouldn't listen, said it was a trick, that I must have stolen the recipe! But now I'll make them all pay! Why, look around, I've built this huge lair and-”

Sleipnir gave a small, disapproving grunt as he glanced away, and the dark pony frowned, leaning forwards and asking: “What? What is it, speak up!”

“Well, I... this is a very nice place, but I would not call it a lair.” Sleipnir said after a moment, and the emaciated pony looked surprised and a little hurt by this before the earth pony leaned forwards, saying quickly: “Nay, nay, do not take it so personally, friend, 'tis a very nice place! I was not lying when I said that, but... well... 'tis just that it is very empty.”

“I... I didn't... I mean, I didn't know how I was supposed to furnish this. I mean, I've never actually been in a dungeon before and... I don't know if this qualifies as a dungeon...” the emaciated pony said awkwardly after a moment, and Sleipnir nodded sympathetically. “There are a few other rooms, too, I... I've been mostly concentrating on expanding, getting... you know, kind of a labyrinth setup going, but... well, right now, I have this room, and my bedroom is back there, and we started digging out a corridor but then we ran into a big rock and we're having trouble moving it...”

“Oh, would thou like me to? I would be very happy to, 'twould be the work of a few moments.” Sleipnir volunteered cheerfully, and the dark pony smiled in surprised gratitude.

“Would you really? I mean. I hope that's not too awkward to ask, I know that I brought you here as prisoners and all, but... I'm new to this, honestly.” the dark pony finally admitted, rubbing the back of his head. “I mean, sure, I scared off some of the villagers, but... I guess I even feel bad about that. I really just want revenge on the unicorns at the magic academy. I just came out here because it's close to all the things I need to make my slimes and... oh, listen to me rambling on. I feel like an idiot.”

“Shush, shush! Thou art far from an idiot. Why, look at thy accomplishments!” Sleipnir said empathetically, smiling warmly. “'Tis a fine start to thy lair, and thou hast crafted such fantastic-”

Blueblood twitched, then leaned forwards and howled: “Will you stop complimenting this idiot? He's going to kill us both!”

Sleipnir glared over at Blueblood, and the dark pony blinked in surprise, then smacked his own forehead before snarling furiously up at Sleipnir, shouting: “That's right! You were going to trick me!”

The enormous earth pony looked injured at this accusation, but before he could say anything, the dark pony sharply gestured at the slimes on either side of him, snarling: “Enough of this nonsense! You know what? Let's kill them both and send their heads to Princess Celestia! Then we'll see who's laughing at... them!”

Blueblood shrieked in terror, and Sleipnir dropped his head, giving an abject sigh as the slimes began to eagerly slide towards them. He was going to have to remember to have a stern talk with Blueblood after this...

Assuming they survived, that was.

Slime And Malice

Chapter Ten: Slime And Malice
~BlackRoseRaven

Blueblood panicked, struggling wildly and uselessly against his bonds as Sleipnir only hung in his own, still scowling even as the slimes began to crawl up the wall towards them. The unicorn couldn't focus any magic through his suffocated horn, however, and the hardened slime around his limbs was like cement, stopping him from jerking free.

The emaciated pony was watching them greedily, rubbing his front hooves together... before he blinked in surprise when Sleipnir suddenly asked curiously: “What is thy name?”

“Uh...” The dark pony looked caught completely off guard by this, and then he gritted his teeth and shook his head before snapping: “None of your business! You're going to be dead shortly!”

“Very well then. None Of Your Business, I fear I must humbly request that thou reconsiders thy actions. I do not wish to do any harm to thee, for I feel thou art nothing but a victim of a much more malevolent force.” Sleipnir said gently, and the dark pony scowled uneasily before Sleipnir smiled gently, even as one of the slimes began to crawl up over his body. “Search thy heart, friend. Thou does not desire to hurt us. Thou does not even desire to hurt those unicorns who did harm to thee. Thou just desires for a little recognition... and we can help with that, can't we, Blue?”

Blueblood screamed in terror as a slime crawled up onto his body, feeling a horrible burning sensation beginning to spread through his breast, and then Sleipnir smiled before saying pleasantly: “Blue agrees. He is simply... anxious, that is all.”

The dark pony shifted nervously back and forth, licking his lips a few times before he shook his head hurriedly, half-turning away almost as if ashamed, and Sleipnir gave a small sigh before he said almost sadly: “Well, if 'tis what thou desires, then so be it.”

And a moment later, the enormous stallion suddenly lashed a foreleg forwards, ripping through the cemented slime and knocking one of the slimes free from his body. It shot down and smacked loudly into the face of the dark pony below, knocking him rolling backwards across the room with a squeal before the enormous earth pony braced himself against the wall, then flung himself forwards, ripping free of both ooze and black stone to land easily on the floor.

He turned quickly, sweeping a hoof up and yanking another slime off of Blueblood before he flung it across the room. It splattered loudly against a wall as Blueblood gasped for breath, then gaped when Sleipnir easily slammed a hoof through the bonds around his hind legs, shattering cemented slime into black dust as he called mildly: “Brute force is not always the wisest way to deal with things, Blue! Now... oh damnation.”

“Get him, get him!” screamed the dark pony as he sat himself up, pointing furiously at Blueblood and Sleipnir as more slimes rapidly slithered their way into the wide, circular room. They almost floated across the ground as they rushed for Sleipnir, and the earth pony flexed his body before he lunged suddenly forwards into the fray.

The slimes did their best to cling to him, but Sleipnir struck with so much strength that the gelatinous constructs were reduced to nothing but black droplets from his strikes or sent rocketing across the room. Some of them managed to pick themselves up, while others simply dissolved; but they piled fearlessly, constantly on as the dark pony screamed and danced back and forth on the other side of the cavern.

Blueblood squealed as a bit of black ooze splattered over him, kicking his hind legs wildly before Sleipnir shouted: “Concentrate thy magic! Thou must burn away that sheath and then conjure up light if we are to escape here!”

“What are you talking about? Light didn't stop them from catching either of us!” Blueblood howled, kicking his rear legs wildly. “And... and this goop on my horn is too... I can't burn through it, are you insane?”

“Thou must!” Sleipnir shouted, and then he winced as several slimes managed to cling to one of his forelegs before spreading rapidly upwards as they attempted to yank him off his hooves, the stallion swearing under his breath before he gritted his teeth as the dark pony cheered on his constructs. “Oh damnation, 'tis like when I stuck my leg in that log on a silly dare... how was I supposed to know 'twas full of damnable fire ants?”

He shook his foreleg wildly, then suddenly straightened and roared, lashing his limb out and sending slimes flying in all directions... but others tackled him from every side, trying to force him down, and Blueblood's eyes widened in terror as the dark ooze flooded over the earth pony...

“Sleipnir!” Blueblood trembled, then clenched his eyes shut, concentrating all the magic he could into his horn, swearing under his breath as he focused every last ounce of power he had...

And then he slumped, gasping for breath and trembling, the black ooze around his horn steaming as streams of black gunk flowed down it like melted wax... but it wasn't enough to free it. He could still feel it barring his magic as he stared helplessly down at Sleipnir, watching as the slimes converged over him, covered, consumed the earth pony completely...

The unicorn moaned weakly in his throat as the dark pony across the room cackled, throwing his forelegs in the air as he declared: “Yes, yes! Yes, I've proven without a doubt that-”

With a mighty roar, Sleipnir smashed his way up through the dogpile of slimes, sending black oozes flying in all directions to splatter loudly against the walls as others were reduced to nothing more than messy, watery chunks from the raw force of the enormous stallion's lunge. Then the earth pony grimaced as he reached up and peeled another slime off his body before flinging it grumpily to the ground, splattering it into nothing but black water as both Blueblood and the dark pony gaped.

Sleipnir reached up and moodily ran his hooves through his mane of vines, many of which now looked distinctly chewed and uneven. The earth pony scowled a little, and then he looked grimly across at the dark pony, saying pointedly: “'Tis playing with fire to do harm upon my mane, I fear I must inform thee. Now, I shall give thou the chance to apologize, and perhaps we can still make the better of this situation.”

The dark pony stared disbelievingly at Sleipnir for a few moments as the remaining slimes picked themselves up and began to worm their way towards the enormous earth pony. But then Sleipnir cleared his throat loudly and looked pointedly down at the approaching goo, and the strange, emaciated stallion squeaked a bit before raising a hoof, waving it wildly as he said hurriedly: “S-Stop, wait, I... I am going to... uh... negotiate with the officer!”

“I am not an officer. Merely an adventurous stallion.” Sleipnir said mildly, reaching up and patting his own breast lightly. “I do not wish for thou to think I have any influence upon this realm, after all.”

The dark pony gave an uneasy smile, shifting nervously back and forth before the enormous earth pony shook himself out, then asked in a kinder voice: “Now, shall we discuss what is bothering thee? I do not desire to be rude, but... I think thou art not quite suited to a lifestyle of nefarity. Let us instead see if we can solve thy problems through more peaceful means.”

The strange pony shrank a little as Sleipnir smiled at him benevolently, and Blueblood looked disbelievingly down at his companion before he shouted: “Are you insane? You want to... to talk to him after everything he just put us through? Why... why aren't you punching him or something?”

“Because that is not what hooves are for, young Blueblood.” Sleipnir replied pleasantly, looking over his shoulder at the white unicorn before he said easily: “Now, perhaps while I chat with our new friend, thou could work on freeing thyself? All thou must do is concentrate thy magic, and hold that concentration. 'Twill be good training.”

“W-What?” Blueblood stared disbelievingly down at Sleipnir, then he shook his head vehemently before snapping: “That is not acceptable, I... I am a prince, and I demand that you get me down from here immediately!”

Sleipnir only gave a kind smile, shrugging easily before he replied tactfully: “Well, I would, but that would be rude to our host. And 'twould not be a good way to start our negotiations, now would it? So instead, Blueblood, I pray that thou shall give me some moments of peace while we speak. Think of it... as a challenge, perhaps. We shall see if thou can free thyself before I can finish making peace.”

Blueblood groaned loudly, then he wrenched his forelegs uselessly against the black goop restraints as he kicked his legs helplessly. He swore moodily under his breath, then glared balefully before his eyes widened hopefully as the dark pony said awkwardly: “Well, Mister, uh-”

“My name is Sleipnir.” The earth pony gave a beaming smile. “And thou?”

“Oh, uh... well, I was actually working on a new name for myself. I was thinking... Black Harvest or Lord... something, but... well... my real name is Jerry Rig.” He laughed awkwardly. “Always been good at making something out of nothing, you know?”

Sleipnir smiled warmly again, nodding firmly. “Now there is an admirable talent, Jerry Rig! And perhaps 'tis a little rude of me to ask, but wouldst thou mind removing thy costume? I would like to speak to thee face-to-face, as it were.”

“What? Oh, gosh, you're the first pony to ever see through this getup.” Jerry Rig looked lamely back and forth over himself, then he sighed and nodded awkwardly, mumbling to himself before he muttered something aside to one of the slimes.

Immediately, several tendrils of ooze reached up and helped Jerry out of his cape as another slime slid forwards and began to twine itself around the stallion as it hummed loudly. Blueblood merely stared in horror, but Sleipnir giggled, half-covering his muzzle as he said like a delighted foal: “By the Gods! What fantastical little creatures thou hast made! Truly, can they do anything?”

Jerry smiled and began to answer... and then one of the slimes crawled over his face, and he flailed uselessly for a few moments before the slime pulled away. And Blueblood gaped in disbelief as the oozes finished their work cleaning their master and hopped off what was now a rather normal-looking tan stallion, whose blonde mane and tail were both cropped quite short.

His red eyes blinked a few times, and then he wrinkled up his mouth before turning sideways and spitting out the fake teeth and gums that had been in his mouth. He absently flexed his jaw a few times, then said almost shyly: “There, uh... is that better, Mister Sleipnir?”

“Nay, 'tis not better, 'tis best!” Sleipnir laughed and stomped a hoof a few times, saying warmly: “Truly thou art a master of disguise and invention! By the Gods, thy disguise was so complete, 'twas better than the polymorphs of my most beloved sister!”

“Aw, shucks. You're just saying that. I mean, you saw right through it and all.” Jerry said embarrassedly, fidgeting on his hooves but unable to hide a pleased smile.

“Oh, nay, nay.” Sleipnir smiled kindly, then he leaned forwards and tapped his own nose with a wink. “'Twas not mine eyes that saw through thy disguise, in any event. But thou used charcoal in thy dye, and I could smell it on thee, which made me think to inspect thy guise further. Thou painted thyself well with it, but thou made one small error of judgment: thy cape.”

Jerry cocked his head curiously, and Sleipnir explained: “Thy cape was large and loose, and as thou moved about, the fabric dragged and caught against thee. It caused the charcoal to blot and blur.”

Jerry slapped his own forehead at this, mumbling: “Of course, oh, darn. Why didn't I think of that? I feel like such an idiot. The makeup department would have my head for a mistake like that.”

“Oh? I do not understand, what does thou mean, makeup?” Sleipnir cocked his head curiously, and Jerry Rig looked up at him with surprise before the enormous earth pony smiled and tapped at his own breast. “I fear I am not familiar with the customs of this nation. Thou could say I am from another place... perhaps even another time.”

“Oh, that explains your... talkingness.” Jerry said awkwardly, then he blushed a bit before explaining: “Well, uh, see, before I tried to patent my worker slimes, I used to work for a costume and design company. We made all sorts of mascots and movie monsters and all kinds of really fun stuff, it was great. I even got to design the monsters for Horses of the Apocalyse IV!”

Sleipnir nodded a few times, smiling with genuine interest, before both earth ponies looked up as Blueblood said crankily: “This is all very fascinating, but would one of you please get me down? Sleipnir, I am sick and tired of being treated like a lackey and... you aren't even negotiating with him!”

“Nay, I am doing far better.” Sleipnir replied jovially, and then he smiled over at Jerry Rig, gesturing to the pony as he said in a gentler voice: “See? Thou art no villain. Thou art a talented young stallion who should not need the approval of others. Thou wert part of an acting guild, aye? So perhaps the dark pony thou played, 'twas nothing but a game, a character to thee... but revenge has very real consequences, my friend. And I think if thou looks inside thy heart, thou will see what thou hast done here was very wrong.”

“I... I guess I got carried away, yeah.” Jerry Rig lowered his head in shame, blushing a little before he mumbled: “Oh colt, you're right. I... I know you're right. But it was so fun being a bad guy and all and... I mean, I worked so hard on this place...”

“Well, there is no real harm done, aye? And none are beyond redemption, young stallion.” Sleipnir said kindly, smiling encouragingly over at Jerry Rig. “We shall help thee make up for thy mistakes, and... I do not believe thou acted alone, in any event. Tell me, what inspired thou to pursue this path of anger and revenge? Did another whisper it in thy ear, or did evil dreams infect thy mind?”

Jerry Rig shifted uneasily, and then he hesitated before reaching up and mumbling: “I... I don't know, I mean... I just got so mad. That's all I remember. And I really feel angry and unhappy still, but I... I do know it's wrong.”

Sleipnir nodded sympathetically, and then Jerry Rig shifted a little before he looked over at his remaining slimes, watching as they shifted uneasily around him. “Maybe this is all my own fault. I got so excited when I accidentally made my first slimes, I... I even left the design company. I feel so awful about that now. I shouldn't've left all my friends behind, especially since none of it worked out at all...”

“Now, now, there is no need for that.” Sleipnir smiled as Blueblood rolled his eyes and muttered under his breath. “Why would thou leave the company, though?”

“Well, I... I wanted to be taken seriously?” But it sounded more like a question than an answer, Jerry Rig frowning and looking away before he mumbled: “Maybe I wanted them to think I was ready to get to work right away... all I remember is that I was so excited after making my second batch of slimes that I suddenly decided...”

“Where did thou make thy slimes? No, more important than that, where did thou get the materials?” Sleipnir was still conversational, but Blueblood had been around the enormous earth pony long enough to pick up the sudden, hidden urgency in his voice, and the prince frowned a little as he let himself relax in his restraints, looking curiously at the stallion.

Jerry Rig looked quizzically at Sleipnir, then he answered finally: “Well, uh... at my house? I had a makeshift lab in the basement. Not exactly professional-level, but like I said, I've always been good at making something from nothing. And the first batch I made by accident with a bunch of stuff I just kind of had lying around. Well, okay, I knocked a bunch of stuff over.

“But then I figured I needed better materials for the next batch, so I went over to this guy I know, specializes in weird stuff. I bought a whole bunch of things from him! Powdered blackroot, ebony scale, some dyes and herbs and... you know. Stuff like that.” Jerry Rig shrugged easily, then added: “And of course, I had to get better equipment! But he sold me this nice alchemy cauldron real cheap, along with-”

“May I see the cauldron?” Sleipnir asked curiously, and Jerry Rig frowned in surprise, but the vine-maned stallion only said kindly: “I cannot help but be very curious about thy process, that is all. And I suppose I am rather a connoisseur of bowls.”

The eccentric inventor looked oddly at Sleipnir, but then he simply shrugged before gesturing over his shoulder, saying finally: “Me and the slimes will go get it, then. It's in my bedroom, which is uh. Kind of a mess and all, so I'll bring it out here.”

“Very good. Thou hast my thanks for thy generosity, Jerry Rig.” Sleipnir smiled warmly, but his eyes were sharp as he watched the stallion turn and head back towards the archway apparently leading to his room. Prince Blueblood frowned uneasily... then looked down with surprise at the earth pony as he said quietly: “Thou must focus thy magic and burn through thy restraints by thyself. Otherwise, I shall leave thee shackled to the wall, because that is where thou art safest if thou has not the concentration and power to dissolve the slime.”

Blueblood shifted nervously, feeling chilled by Sleipnir's sudden seriousness before he asked worriedly: “W-What do you mean? What's going on, Sleipnir, I-”

“Shush.” And Blueblood shrank at how firm Sleipnir's voice was, swallowing a little and feeling like he had when he had been a small colt, and just upset Auntie Celestia.

But then Sleipnir sighed before smiling over his shoulder, and even if his eyes remained serious, Blueblood couldn't help but be reassured by that warm, honest expression, as the earth pony said gently: “I apologize for being short with thee. But there are some things thou must do upon thine own. And there are some things... thou art not ready for.”

Blueblood shifted... then looked worriedly up as Jerry Rig came back with his slimes carrying an enormous metal cauldron. And for some reason, the sight of it made the prince cringe: the huge metal pot was covered with the grimacing, screaming faces of monsters and demons embossed all along the metal in a freakish jigsaw pattern.

Sleipnir only smiled as Jerry Rig's slimes set the cauldron down, the stallion absently patting the metal pot as he said amiably: “It's not the prettiest thing to look at, but... hey. It works really well, I'll tell you that. Ever since I started mixing my slimes in here, they've been coming out way better. In fact, anything I mix up in here seems to come out a thousand times better than usual.”

Sleipnir chuckled at this, and then he said kindly: “Thou art too hard upon thyself, Jerry Rig. 'Tis not the tools, but the carpenter who determines the worth of his craft. And thou art truly a most marvelous carpenter.”

The eccentric inventor blushed a bit... but then frowned as Sleipnir said gently: “Now, I must ask for thou to step away from that pot. I fear that it has done thee more harm than good.”

“I... what are you talking about? No, no, I... I need this cauldron.” Jerry Rig said anxiously, shifting on his hooves... and Blueblood could swear that he saw the pony's red eyes flash, saw an unnatural tremble run through Jerry's body.

“Nay, thou does not, my young friend. And this is no normal cauldron... thou knows of the arts of alchemy, aye?” Sleipnir smiled, and Jerry Rig shifted again on his hooves, his red eyes unnaturally focused on Sleipnir as his head twitched slightly to the side, like he was struggling to listen, but also fighting to resist some growing urge... “I suppose this was sold to thee as an alchemical pot. And in a way, 'tis true. But this pot-”

“No, shut up! You're a liar! You just want my formula!” Jerry Rig screamed suddenly, leaning forwards as his eyes glowed, and Blueblood's own widened in shock before the inventor stumbled backwards, grasping at his face and looking horrified by his own outburst as he whispered: “I... I mean... I c-can't...”

“'Tis not thy fault.” Sleipnir said softly, looking with quiet sympathy at the smaller pony, while Blueblood could only stare with fear as he felt that awful malignancy in the air growing. “That rage and paranoia does not come from thou, Jerry. It comes from the demons and lost souls sacrificed to empower that wicked pot.”

“You're... you're lying! I... I won't...” Jerry Rig trembled, then grasped at his head, red eyes glowing again before he snarled and looked up, hissing: “You think you're so smart, so special... you're not! You're like all the rest of them!”

“Resist it, Jerry Rig.” Sleipnir smiled faintly, reaching up and touching his own breast. “Thou art stronger and better than this. Hatred and anger only seem endless and indomitable: but both are as harmless as the wind against the mountain that is mercy.”

Jerry Rig shivered, then shook back and forth, screaming loudly, and Blueblood whimpered as he curled back against the wall, staring in horror as the inventor fell to the ground. His slimes twisted and writhed around him, and Sleipnir closed his eyes before he murmured quietly: “I am sorry for what I must do, my friend.”

Sleipnir began to step forwards... and then the earth pony's eyes narrowed as he set himself when Jerry Rig suddenly arched his back with a miserable shriek. His eyes glowed with hellish light as a black mist steamed up from his body, and then he suddenly collapsed forwards on his face, falling still and unmoving.

The remaining slimes went still for a moment, then all of them quivered before slowly reshaping themselves into black, rubbery ponies. Three of them stood silently around the cauldron as the horrific metal pot emanated an awful malice... before Blueblood stared in horror as a red claw reached up and seized into the edge of the pot.

A spectral, monstrous shape hauled itself upwards, featureless as the slime-ponies but emanating a vile, violent malice. It was misshapen and hideous, its form constantly changing and shifting as it leaned over the edge of the cauldron, and Sleipnir gave a thin smile before he called calmly: “Spirit of rage and hate, I implore thee to sleep! Sleep, and I shall free thee from thy prison, so that thou and thine shall know peace! Thou hast spent long enough trapped, visiting thy rage upon others: I do not wish to harm thee, and I shall not fight thee with the rage thou desires. I shall not give thee war: I shall only do what must be done to release thee from thy torments.”

The specter hissed in response, then pointed with one malformed arm, and the slime-ponies all turned towards Sleipnir. They shivered for a moment, then each rippled and grew, becoming perfect replicas of the stallion... but Sleipnir only smiled, then stomped one hoof firmly. “If that is thy answer, then I shall honor it. Good luck to thee... but thou shall need more than shadows to win!”

The specter hissed, and the three slime ponies all broke into sharp runs, charging straight at Sleipnir. The earth pony only laughed, however, and Blueblood stared in disbelief as he ran into combat fearlessly, happily... and yet without hatred, without anger. With...

Blueblood didn't know the word. He was only able to watch as Sleipnir smashed the copy that charged straight at him backwards, then ducked as the other two attempted to pincer him; one struck high and missed completely, while the other tried to smash both hooves down on Sleipnir's head... and found its attack not just blocked, but caught before Sleipnir lashed the slime creature to the side, flinging it into the second copy with enough force to knock them both sprawling.

Sleipnir immediately ran towards the cauldron, but the specter lashed one of its arms out as the limb stretched like rubber, smashing into Sleipnir and knocking the stallion skidding backwards as his eyes bulged in surprise. The earth pony wobbled on his hooves, then swore under his breath as he shook his head quickly, distracted-

The three slime-ponies tackled Sleipnir at once, then two shoved him down as the third began to slam blow after blow down into his face. Blueblood shouted a denial, eyes widening in horror.

Sleipnir gritted his teeth, head twitching with every vicious strike before he suddenly rolled his forelegs forwards, seizing the slime copies that were pinning him before he flung them both forwards into the pony in front of him as he lunged backwards. He breathed heavily, bleeding from the mouth, one eye already swelling a little before he suddenly grinned, absently rolling one of his shoulders as he muttered: “My phoenix would mock me heartily for such foolishness. Of course thou attacks the spirit, not the physical.”

The stallion watched as the three copies picked themselves up, noting that they were already beginning to imitate him: the slimes learned fast, and they were much more powerful with the magic of the specter boosting them. He turned his eyes to this entity, analyzing it sharply and refusing to be rushed even as the three copies all charged him at once...

Blueblood shouted a wild warning, struggling against his bonds before he stared in surprise when Sleipnir simply leapt into the air when the three slime-ponies tried to tackle him: instead, they passed beneath him before the earth pony landed and launched himself into a sprint with a wide grin.

The specter hissed, then slashed outwards with one limb as Sleipnir drew close, the limb not only extending but zigzagging itself wildly: but Sleipnir dropped into a slide as he twisted his body, avoiding the attack completely before he dove into a roll and kicked both rear hooves outwards.

He smashed a massive dent in the cauldron as it was sent rocketing across the room, bouncing off the ceiling, then hammering into the wall and crashing along the ground like a ball as the specter dissolved. But the pot itself seemed to shriek as red light pulsed wildly out of it, before Sleipnir crossed the room in a flash and slammed another front hoof into the cauldron with enough force to send it shooting into the wall... and this time bury halfway into the hardened earth in a burst of grime and dust.

Sleipnir was in front of the cauldron in a moment, slamming blow after blow into the metal pot, every punch leaving an enormous dent in the artifact as screams echoed from the pot and red light flashed out of every crack and its gaping maw.

Tentacles of red energy erupted suddenly out of the cauldron, but Sleipnir ducked beneath their sweep and gritted his teeth as other tendrils smashed down around him, sending up smoke as several of them scratched his sides before he slammed a hoof up into the underside of the cauldron. It was torn loose from the wall, revolving lazily once as the red energy burst apart into motes, before Sleipnir caught the cauldron as it fell and turned sharply, roaring as he flung it viciously into the slime copies just as they began to charge across the room.

One of them was splattered to nothing but a puddle of muck as the others were hammered in either direction, bouncing bonelessly across the floor and into the wall. The pot, meanwhile, smashed into the wall near Blueblood as he squeaked, before the broken, badly-battered cauldron hit the ground and rolled brokenly to a halt on its battered face.

Whimpers and red light stuttered out of the cauldron as Sleipnir cracked his neck, and then he set himself as the remaining pair of slime copies faced him unevenly. For a few moments there was silence... and then red light began to glow steadily out of the cracks in the cauldron as the two slime creatures both shivered before they distorted, becoming more monstrous as thorns and spikes sprouted across their warped frames.

“So the game continues.” Sleipnir smiled slightly, lowering his head slightly before he called cheerfully: “Very well! Come to me, then, show me what thou-”

The cauldron suddenly popped upwards, and a blast of red energy vomited out from the maw of the monstrous metal thing, streaking like a comet for Sleipnir. The enormous stallion barely had a chance to twist his body out of the way, gritting his teeth before the cauldron half-propped itself up with tentacles of crimson light, firing more blasts of red hell at the earth pony as both spiked slime-beasts charged for the stallion.

Sleipnir ducked under a blast of crimson before he slammed an uppercut into the first spiked creature, but then he flinched in pain as the second monster swiped his side, digging shallow gashes with its barbarous thorns. Then it simply attempted to lunge on top of him, but Sleipnir threw himself into a sideways roll, landing on his back and driving both rear hooves into the monster's stomach to launch it away.

Then he flung himself to the side, rolling back to his hooves as he narrowly dodged another gout of crimson energy. But the earth pony was being hard-pressed now, and Blueblood swore under his breath, struggling against his bonds and trembling hard before he looked up towards his horn and gritted his teeth.

Sleipnir was in trouble, and he, the Prince of Equestria, was... he was useless! He swore under his breath, clenching his eyes shut as he trembled violently... then hissed through his teeth before focusing all the magic he could.

He felt his horn struggling to light up, felt energy gathering... but oh, he was scared. What if something went wrong? What if he hurt himself? What if, what if, what if... all the anxieties and questions bounced around in his head, terrified him, stopped him from-

He heard a cry, looking up sharply, and then he stared in horror as he saw Sleipnir standing with one bloody foreleg raised in defense, forced back into a corner by the two spiked monsters as they viciously pummeled on him. He wasn't able to move as blasts of red energy splattered the area around him, keeping him pinned down...

Blueblood breathed hard in and out, trembling hard before he dropped his head forwards, grinding his teeth together as he grabbed wildly at every bit of energy he could scrape up and shoved it all into his magic, his body flexing as he yanked against the restraints...

Agony ripped through his head, and he cried out as he arched his back... before there was a tremendous blast of light and force from his horn that dissolved the waxy muck covering it. The cauldron was rattled by the burst of energy that splashed outwards, and both slime-monsters flinched and buckled, the bright, focused light causing them to freeze up and lose consistency-

Sleipnir moved like lightning, seizing one by the neck and slamming it down into the ground before he stomped it savagely, crushing it into a puddle of ooze. Then he flung himself forwards, tackling the other backwards and hefting it up before he flung it with a roar straight at the shivering cauldron.

It smashed into the pot with enough force to explode into muck and brackish water, the pot rolling backwards as Blueblood gasped, his eyes wide with shock, his horn still glowing like a beacon as he looked down into the cauldron and saw some awful, hideous beast curled up in the bottom of it, shrieking and covering its face to try and hide from the light shining down into it, before the prince looked up as Sleipnir shouted: “Pour thy magic into the pot, now!”

Blueblood reacted even before he'd fully processed the order, slashing his horn down and launching all the built-up energy in a magical flare straight down into the cauldron: it exploded in a tremendous burst of light, and there was a terrible scream from inside the cursed pot as the beaten, damaged thing shuddered violently... then suddenly exploded, Blueblood howling in pain as scorching energy and shards of metal flew past him, shoving him back into the wall before the restraints binding him shattered into dust.

He fell to the ground with a thud, then swore in pain as he landed on something sharp and painful, flinging himself backwards with a gasp and scuttling backwards... before falling backwards and staring in disbelief at the bonfire of energy that burned where the cauldron had once been, as a dark shape twisted and writhed inside it...

And then the shadowy shape dissolved, and the flames burned for only a moment longer before dissolving into motes of energy, leaving Blueblood gasping weakly for breath. Then he whimpered and twitched as Sleipnir gently grasped his shoulder, looking up at him dumbly as the earth pony smiled down at him. “I owe thee a deep debt of gratitude, friend.”

Prince Blueblood laughed weakly, then he reached up and touched his own chest before flinching in pain as he brushed against something... painful. He looked down... and then paled at the sight of the piece of metal lodged in him, and worse... at the blood that had run down his chest, staining his coat.

He shivered for a few moments... and then his eyes rolled up in his head before he simply collapsed in a stunned heap, gurgling once. Sleipnir looked down at the white unicorn for a few moments with surprise, and then he simply smiled before shrugging, reaching down and absently brushing most of the splinters of steel free from Blueblood's chest before he remarked kindly: “Aye, that is fair enough, young prince. Thou deserves a bit of rest.”

Sleipnir chuckled, then absently pulled the one remaining tiny shard of metal out of the stallion's breast and wiped away the little bit of blood that had trickled out of the gash. He studied the unicorn thoughtfully for a few moments, then reached up and gently knocked on his smoldering horn before saying softly: “Thou showed great mettle today, my young friend. I knew I was right to put my faith in thee... now I just hope thou shall put thy faith in me, and together I am sure we shall weather the worst this world has to throw at us.”

Blueblood groaned quietly as his eyes fluttered open, before he sat up... and stared around in surprise as he realized he was in a comfortable bed in a clean, mostly-empty room. He looked down at himself with a wince, but his wounds had been bandaged: he felt almost queasy at the sight of the scratches and bruises over his body, but then he shook his head out and shivered a little: it could have been so much worse. And that thought didn't bring him as much relief as it scared the hell out of him.

He dropped his face in his hooves, closing his eyes and trembling a little. Why lie? He'd been excited to be on this stupid adventure, felt like he was going out to be a hero and prove himself, and... hide behind Sleipnir and suck up all the glory. And instead? He'd nearly been killed. No, it was worse than that. He'd gotten them both captured, and then he'd nearly gotten both himself and Sleipnir killed, and the pony he'd been convinced was the villain of the entire piece had been nothing but some poor slob manipulated by... by an evil force he had never imagined existed.

Oh, he couldn't do this. His nightmares were bad enough, but this? He didn't even care where he'd woken up: his whole body hurt and all his princedom meant... absolutely nothing out here in the wild. He was cut and bludgeoned and beaten and... and...

Blueblood shivered weakly... then looked up as the door opened, and Sleipnir leaned in. The earth pony was bruised and bandaged himself, but he was smiling, like... like it was any other day. Like nothing was wrong with the world, like it didn't matter that apparently there were horrible monsters lurking around every corner, like he somehow didn't care that they had almost died and he was covered in wounds and bruises and- “Thou looks as if thou hast swallowed a pecking bird. Worry not, Blue. We have won, and saved a life. Saved an entire village, as a matter of fact! And I have already found a tremendous supply of ironwood, so luck has favored us greatly.”

Blueblood laughed dryly, looking away and fighting back tears as he hugged himself, and Sleipnir frowned a little as he let himself into the room. “What is the matter?”

“What... what's wrong? Everything! Everything's wrong... everything.” whispered Blueblood, trembling violently before he lowered his head and shook it weakly. “I can't... I j-just can't...”

Sleipnir strode up to the young prince, looking down at him, and Blueblood looked miserably back up. And then the enormous earth pony simply leaned down and hugged him firmly, and Blueblood's eyes widened in surprise, freezing up... then trembling and dropping his head forwards as the earth pony said softly: “'Tis alright.”

There was quiet for a little while as Blueblood felt himself relaxing in the embrace, until Sleipnir finally sat back and smiled down at his friend. Blueblood looked back up, feeling more embarrassed now than anything else... but as he rubbed at his face, he was surprised that... he honestly did feel better. He gave a lame look to the earth pony, not knowing if he could even manage a 'thank you,' but Sleipnir simply gave that warm, open, friendly smile in return before he reached up and patted him on the shoulder. “Come outside when thou art ready, there is something thou should see.”

Blueblood frowned a bit at this, but Sleipnir left without another word, and the prince scowled a little at the door before he reached up and moodily rubbed at his face. He stretched out a little, then hesitated before getting to his hooves, taking his time with looking himself over.

He didn't seem... too bad, overall. He felt a little tingly and achy, but as he moved around, it got easier to deal with. And he felt more stable and awake now, too... and... well, he didn't want to stay cooped up in here, wherever he was.

The unicorn uncertainly approached the door, then grimaced and straightened before he let himself out into a large den room. And almost immediately, he was greeted by happy cheers, the stallion blinking in surprise before he found himself swarmed by ponies, rearing back in shock as they clapped him on the shoulder and babbled at him and-

“Friends, friends! Cease, give him a moment to breathe!” Sleipnir laughed loudly as he strode forwards, easily pushing the ponies back before wrapping one companionable foreleg around Blueblood, making the unicorn wince... then stared around the room at the ponies who were all looking at him with something like awe. “Aye, we all owe Prince Blueblood a great debt of gratitude. He saved my life, and we fought side-by-side against the fiend that had enslaved poor Jerry and was responsible for the attacks upon thy homes. He has truly proven himself noble and sturdy! Sturdier than one would expect such a pretty prince to be, at least!”

The ponies laughed as Blueblood glared over at Sleipnir... but only for a moment, before the ponies all began to congratulate him again.

It was almost a blur, as they thanked him, offered him food, asked him all kinds of questions and treated him like... like he was some kind of hero. But he didn't feel like a hero, as much as he wanted to: every time he started to feel too proud of himself, a twinge of pain or a glance over at Sleipnir reminded him of how he'd almost gotten then killed in the first place.

He didn't feel all that proud of himself, but... he did feel something good, when he looked around at these ponies. Oh, sure, in the past the adulations of these little hicksville ponies probably would have been worthless to him, but when a colt came up to him and asked for his autograph, of all things, and called him a hero... Blueblood almost felt himself choking up. He hadn't really helped these ponies after all, and they were treating him like he was their savior instead of Sleipnir, and... and...

“It really wasn't me.” Blueblood confessed, not even knowing why, as he looked around at the party of ponies all clustered into this big, comfortable den. “Sleipnir... Sleipnir is the real hero here.”

“Nay, Blueblood, I am not. And without thy help, the fight would have been far the worser. I was foolish and underestimated the ferocity of our foe... I owe thee a life-debt now.” Sleipnir said warmly, shaking his head and smiling over at Blueblood... and maybe it was because he was already feeling so vulnerable, but the unicorn couldn't help but feel... awed and inspired by this earth pony's humility. By Sleipnir's never-ending fountain of kindness, mercy, and sheer goodness. “Thou deserves these praises. Thou art growing up, colt!”

Blueblood grumbled at this, but at the same time he felt himself smiling a little all the same. He scraped a hoof at the ground as the ponies cheered for him, then looked at Sleipnir almost embarrassedly, silently thinking that no, Sleipnir didn't owe him anything. If anything, he finally was starting to understand that he owed the earth pony... even more than he'd thought he did.

The party continued into the night, a few ponies coming, a few ponies leaving. They received adulation and apologies and even gifts. Blueblood didn't really know what to do with a lot of these tokens, feeling oddly ashamed of taking them. For one of the rare times in his life, he actually felt shy... too shy to even let one of the young mares lure him off, in spite of how much she whispered in his ear.

Eventually, Blueblood slipped out of the room and found himself outside, sitting under the light of a lamp and gazing up into the night sky. He breathed slowly in and out, the cool evening air feeling good against his skin as his ego and this newfound humility wrestled with each other... at least, until he felt a hoof on his shoulder, and he glanced up with surprise to see Sleipnir beside him, the earth pony smiling as he gazed up at the stars. The prince didn't think he'd ever get used to the fact that the giant lummox could apparently move like a ghost when he wanted to.

“I do not recognize most of these constellations. They are all different... some subtly, some greatly.” Sleipnir said softly, and then he shook his head before smiling down at the stallion. “I would like to leave early tomorrow morn. We shall awaken early, polish our armor, eat our breakfast and then leave for parts unknown. How does this strike thee?”

“I don't know.” Blueblood said honestly, looking up into the sky before he shifted a little, then said quietly: “I don't think I'm cut out to be an adventurer, Sleipnir. I'm... I'm not sure what I'm supposed to be anymore. I'm... sorry.”

Blueblood licked his lips slowly. He didn't think he'd ever said that word before, to anyone. Not even to Auntie Celestia... he'd always... made up some excuse or reason or just cried until she finally forgave him. And then he frowned a little as Sleipnir only chuckled, looking uncertainly up at the earth pony as he patted him gently on the shoulder.

“Nay, Blue. There is no other I would rather have on this adventure with me. Thou hast proven invaluable.” Sleipnir said gently, and then he shook his head and said softly: “I will not deny thou hast much to learn... but if thou will promise thyself to my tutelage, then I shall teach thee all I know. And I think that now, thou art beginning to understand the seriousness of this journey.”

The unicorn looked down, nodding a little before he reached up and rubbed at his horn slowly, muttering: “I... I don't know, Sleipnir. I'm not sure... I just... I'm afraid.” He looked up suddenly, blurting: “I'm scared, and I want to go back home, where it's safe!”

Sleipnir smiled at the young prince, then he reached up and squeezed his shoulder gently before saying softly: “And one day, I shall see thee home, I promise thou this. No matter what happens upon this journey, I shall walk thee through it.”

Blueblood shifted on his hooves, and Sleipnir studied him before he said quietly: “I do not blame thee for being afraid, for thy hesitance. 'Tis well understandable. But search thy heart and soul, young Blue: not for the easy path, or what fear and worry lead thee to, but what thou knows to be right to do. I believe thou shall make the right choice. And I believe we shall do much good here, in a world that seems to sorely need it.”

The young stallion lowered his head silently, then he closed his eyes and nodded a little. The two sat for a little while in quiet, and then Sleipnir simply patted Blueblood on the back before leaving him to think.

Sleipnir made his way down the road, humming softly to himself as he strolled through the liberated streets: the malignancy was gone, the ponies of the village were safe and happy, and he had already gathered a large store of ironwood. Jerry Rig had promised to return to Canterlot, too, and not only try and set things right, but provide all the help he could with building the portal: with his knowledge of alchemy as well as his talent for putting things together, Sleipnir was sure his help would be tremendous.

There was only one thing missing... and Sleipnir smiled slightly as he came to a halt on the bridge over the narrow creek, then turned to lean over the railing. And a moment later, he was joined by a golden-eyed mare who whispered tenderly in his ear: “You did very well with our precious.”

“I do not desire to only feed him, Invidia, I desire to teach him to feed himself.” Sleipnir said placidly, looking down into the water before he asked casually: “And where wert thou, whilst all this ruckus was taking place?”

“Oh, after I fed, I came looking for you both... but when I felt that awful malignancy, I felt that I was unprepared for the trials ahead. I decided to trust in you both, mighty stallions as you are... but of course, I was ready to jump in at any time, if something went wrong.” Invidia purred, sliding herself closer to Sleipnir and nodding a little too eagerly. “I would have just gotten in the way. And you used it as a wonderful opportunity to temper our lovely prince...”

Sleipnir chuckled quietly at this, saying softly: “Nay. I did not temper him; Blue has tempered himself. He is stronger than I think thou knows, Invidia. And I am not lying when I say that he saved me. That I owe him.”

Invidia's features hardened a little for a moment, but then she became sultry again, leaning in and murmuring: “And I owe you for taking care of him. How can I thank you? How can I... please you, my mighty hero?”

Sleipnir smiled over at the mare, then winked to her as he said kindly: “Thou pleases me enough by being present, Invidia, 'tis no need for anything more. Truly, I am fortunate enough as it is to simply have thee close: 'twould be rude to press my advantage any further.”

Invidia scowled darkly, then she suddenly shoved herself away and leaned grouchily over the railing, looking irritable. Sleipnir only remained pleasant and calm, however, and the two rested in silence for a little while before the demon said softly: “Only I can protect him. Only I can save him from his nightmares. Only I can give him a happy life.”

The earth pony glanced over at Invidia, then he said gently: “Nay. The only pony who can do those things is Blue himself, my friend. Do not take such burdens upon thyself.”

“It is no burden, angel. But perhaps you don't understand that, with how you always need to be rewarded for your good deeds... and the rewards have to suit your fancy, too, don't they?” Invidia sneered, glaring over at him angrily. “Oh no, silver and gold aren't good enough for you, you need gemstones and platinum... you require tribute that matches your handsome, oh-so-wonderful self, isn't that right, mighty hero?”

Sleipnir only shrugged, then he said thoughtfully: “Well, I do dearly desire a clean set of socks. I have never owned socks, but apparently many ponies delight in these silly things. I do not know why, but now I feel I must have a set, perhaps with... stripes, yes. Or in all multitude of colors, can thou imagine it? And then when I ran, 'twould be like I was swimming through the Bifrost... does thou think that would make me go faster? Or perhaps allow me to run between worlds?”

Invidia stared at Sleipnir as he gave her an honestly-curious look, and then the demon scowled before reaching up and slapping him hard across the face. Sleipnir only blinked dumbly, then he reached up and absently touched his cheek. “Well. Usually I am not smacked by mares unless I have accidentally insulted them. 'Tis funny what some ponies find insulting these days, one would think complimenting the finery of a full flank would not go so foully.”

The demon only huffed, eyeing him moodily before Sleipnir shrugged again and looked back down into the creek. And rapidly, Invidia's mood began to change, first looking uneasy, then almost pleading as she fidgeted back and forth before almost throwing herself forwards into Sleipnir, clinging to the earth pony and breathing hard as she shoved her face into his neck, whispering: “Oh, forgive me, I... I didn't mean to hurt you or offend you, I just... need you and our prince, so badly. You understand me, don't you? You understand that I just... want what is best for us all, yes?”

“As best I can. 'Tis alright, do not fear, Invidia.” Sleipnir said gently, smiling a little over at the mare before he reached up and soothingly rubbed a hoof along her back. “We must merely... find the happy medium, so to speak.”

Invidia nodded a few times against him, still clinging almost desperately to the stallion, but Sleipnir only looked at her with sympathy before he turned his eyes ahead, letting her stay close. He didn't feel any anger or annoyance with her... only mercy and sympathy. She was nothing but a slave to her emotions, and a victim of her own envies and jealousies: he couldn't blame her for the way she lashed out, as frustrating as it could be.

Part of him worried about what she might one day do... the rest of him was just worried about her, and what she might do to herself. But he knew she was an important piece of their journey: she had a role to play yet, and some instinct nibbled at his mind, told him that finding out why Blueblood was so terrified of her would answer quite a few questions.

Still... it did bother him a little that she hadn't bothered to help them at all during their confrontation with the cursed cauldron and the rage spirit. Not that he thought she had wanted to see them hurt, but more because it made him wonder if she'd been willing to abandon her 'best, closest friends' completely. He didn't think Invidia was a coward, but he did wonder if she was callous enough to be willing to discard even ponies she honestly cared about if it was easier than lifting a hoof to help them. Fear he could deal with, but that level of narcissism or cruelty...

But he tried to put these thoughts aside for now, as he asked curiously: “So art thou ready to continue the journey tomorrow? We shall leave early in the morn, if all goes well.”

Invidia nodded a few times, curling herself against the stallion a little too eagerly. “Yes, oh certainly! I look forwards to traveling with you both, and to giving my prince the honor he deserves.”

“If thou wishes to honor him, Invidia, perhaps thou should use his name.” Sleipnir suggested kindly, and Invidia immediately scowled, looking up at the earth pony like this was some kind of cruel trick before he explained gently: “Thou art his friend, art thou not? A title does nothing more than separate the two of thee, as if thou art from two different realms. Call him by his name: respect him as Blueblood, not as 'prince.'”

Invidia looked thoughtful at this, lowering her head and chewing on her cheek before she suddenly gave a smile and nodded, looking up at the stallion with interest. “Yes. Why, that's not such a bad idea after all... of course I respect him for his handsomeness, his strength, how he carries his burdens so gracefully... not at all simply because of his title.”

Sleipnir nodded firmly, and Invidia snuggled herself closer to the stallion, looking strangely excited as she whispered: “Yes, it's a wonderful way to show my closeness... to get closer to him. I must get closer to him, after all, show him just how much he means to me...”

Sleipnir didn't let his kind expression fade, but he did feel a strange tickling through his stomach: not worry or fear so much as uncertainty. He knew better than to try and counsel Invidia against her obsession, though: she would just lash out, grow hostile again. It was better to let her make her mistakes with Blueblood and eventually learn how to properly treat other ponies her own way.

After ten minutes or so, Invidia eventually shifted and stepped back from the stallion, looking up at him with warmth. Sleipnir gazed back at her kindly, seeing all the reasons he was so patient with her in that look: he knew that no matter how she acted, they really did mean something to her. She was just such a damaged and convoluted creature that she had no idea how to repress herself, how to act when things didn't quite go her way.

“Will you walk with me? Just over to where I've been staying, outside of town. There's such a pretty little place, I think you'd like to see it... the fireflies make it so beautiful on nights like this.” she wheedled, and Sleipnir chuckled quietly, gazing at her softly. Oh, how she had reminded him of his daughter for a moment...

“Of course. I will even tuck thee in if that will help thou rest for the night, whether thou sleeps or not.” Sleipnir said kindly, and Invidia giggled like a filly, nodding and blushing a little. “Excellent, then let us be off. It has been years since I have seen fireflies. I am eager to see if they are as pretty in this world as I remember them being in mine own.”

Invidia bounced from hoof-to-hoof, then turned away and trotted happily off, and Sleipnir sighed wryly and shook his head before he followed in the mare's wake, smiling despite himself: even if the demon's entire personality seemed to change along with her moods, he didn't think right now he'd have it any other way. It made her as easy to read as Blueblood was... and it helped keep things interesting, too.

And Sleipnir had always preferred when things were interesting.

The Mines Of Horsia

Chapter Eleven: The Mines Of Horsia
~BlackRoseRaven

It had been almost three days since they left behind Oatsville, and Blueblood was actually smiling. He wasn't even entirely sure why he felt so good, but he just did today.

Sure, it had been a rocky start: he'd sent a messy letter to his aunt about what had happened, and Celestia had been quite upset and even offered to send along a carriage with the team of Pegasi that were going to retrieve the ironwood Sleipnir had gathered. But even if part of him was still worried about the journey, and part of him felt that he wasn't ready for this in the slightest... he had declined. He didn't want to let Sleipnir down, and he had made a vow to himself to try and stick out at least the next leg of the trip, to use it to find out whether or not he was really prepared for this journey... and if he did have to return to Canterlot, he was going to do it on his own hooves.

So they had cleaned their armor, and left after a quick breakfast. And at first, the walk had been uncomfortable, the prince more unsure than ever about the demon that was hurrying eagerly along with them, complimenting him constantly as if she'd been there watching the whole time... as if she hadn't just abandoned them to their fate.

Still, he did his best to be civil with her... and that night, Invidia had vanished again while he and Sleipnir had set up camp beneath an enormous tree. Blueblood had been wary at first, but the stallion had quickly put together a little lean-to, and it had been surprisingly comfortable. Sure, it had taken Blueblood forever to get to sleep, but... for his first night out, camping wild a short distance away from the road... it hadn't been bad at all.

He'd traded letters with his aunt in the morning, reassuring her he was okay, surprised and touched by how worried she still sounded, how she'd even offered to have a guard hoof-deliver the new sleeping charm Aunt Luna had just about finished for him. And while Blueblood looked forwards to having a new charm to help with the nightmares, at the same time, last night hadn't been terrible. Yes, he'd woken up in the middle of the night, scared out of his mind... but then he'd gone back to sleep, and actually slept. He'd never before managed to go back to sleep after a nightmare, no matter how minor.

So he asked his aunt to let him know when the charm was finished, and he'd let her know if she should send it along. A response that surprised Celestia... and himself, even more. The day had been spent walking again, stopping only briefly so that Sleipnir could teach him a little about wild herbs, and when night had come...

It had been a bad night, the second night. Awful nightmares, followed by waking up to Invidia leaning over him. She had just been worried about him, but Blueblood had almost broken down into tears at the sight of the demon: he still didn't know why she scared him so badly, even if he'd actually driven her off with only a few harsh words.

Sleipnir had half-chastised him, then gotten him back to bed. Blueblood had rested and fidgeted until the morning, then sucked up his pride and his fear and apologized to Invidia. The demon had hugged him, and... well... it hadn't been so bad, really. It had helped them both adjust a little to each other, even if she made his stomach twist when he looked at her.

They had polished their armor, eaten breakfast, and then spent the morning exercising and digging around for herbs. Once afternoon had rolled around, Sleipnir had been quick to point the way onwards, and now here they were. Walking the clear road on a sunny day beneath a blue sky, heading further towards the west.

Blueblood had never imagined he could actually walk this much, let alone... well, basically everything else Sleipnir was getting him to do. Sure, sometimes he got tired or grouchy, sometimes Invidia creeped him out or Sleipnir's constant rambling gave him a headache, but overall it was a surprisingly... easy, enjoyable experience.

He guessed it really was all about just taking those first steps: once he got going, he just kept walking. And to think, once upon a time he'd tried to get soldiers to carry him around the castle, because just going up and down the stairs had made him tired and cranky.

Blueblood smiled a little to himself, and Sleipnir looked curiously over at the unicorn. “Oh? Did thou think of a joke?”

“I... suppose you could say that.” Blueblood remarked wryly, chuckling to himself as he shook his head slowly. Then he looked thoughtfully over at Sleipnir, asking after a moment: “Have you always traveled like this, Sleipnir? I mean... the Equestria you talk about, it sounds so... uncivilized.”

“Uncivilized? Oh, pah, here we go yet again with all thy lecturing on 'polite society.'” Sleipnir said with mock offense, and Blueblood simply rolled his eyes, but smiled wider all the same. “But aye, I have always traveled by hoof when I could. It strikes me as very strange to ride in a carriage pulled by another pony, and trains and other such machines frighten me.”

“You're scared of trains?” Blueblood asked skeptically, and Sleipnir nodded vehemently as Invidia giggled behind a hoof. “Why on Equestria are you afraid of trains? I would much prefer to ride a train to some far corner of Equestria than walk.”

“And yet here thou art, walking across the country with me. And I would even accuse thee of smiling while thou does it!” Sleipnir declared, and Blueblood huffed and did his best to hide his blush as he turned awkwardly away, while Invidia smiled warmly herself. “But aye. I am always ill at ease with machinery, although we do have a great many strange and miraculous inventions in the Midgard I hail from... devices that do things not even magic can. And there are beings of electricity and metal in my world as well, who are more machine than they are pony.”

Blueblood cocked his head curiously at this, and Invidia gave Sleipnir an entertained look before she said kindly: “Now come, Sleipnir. It is not as if we have never heard of constructs or golems in this world... the magic academy has many such synthetic beings.”

But Sleipnir shook his head, replying: “Nay, nay, I do not speak of such magic, which I feel far more comfortable with mine own self. Nay, what I speak of are known as Clockwork beings, composed of equal parts steel and living flesh. Some of them are... are sad creatures, with little of mind and will. Others, I am proud to have as friend, for they are brave and alive as any pony, no matter how strange they may seem.”

Blueblood frowned a little after a moment, and then he asked slowly: “But wait. Your Midgard... you're always talking about all this adventuring nonsense, and baronies and... all sorts of odd things I don't claim to understand. You make it sound like the Equestria you traveled had nothing that we have here, and you didn't even understand what a telephone was...”

“Well, aye, but that is because when I traveled Equestria, 'twas more than a thousand years ago.” Sleipnir said blandly, and Blueblood did a double take, his jaw falling open before the earth pony added defensively: “And I simply had never seen such a telephotophone of such likes as that one! 'Twas very strange to me. Nor am I permitted to touch such things back home, my family is always telling me how clumsy and foolish I am.”

Blueblood was still trying to process what Sleipnir had just said, while Invidia only smiled slightly, saying kindly: “Now, Sleipnir. There is no need to exaggerate or brag. You are certainly an angel of interesting and magnificent persuasion, but even I find it difficult to believe these delusional tales of grandeur and ego you merrily spout...”

Sleipnir huffed at this, then he complained: “Well, how can thou believe mine siblings are Celestia and Luna in mine own layer of Midgard, and yet quarrel with me about my age? 'Tis silly. Thou art both stuffy. And I did not even claim to have lived for so long, furthermore, 'twas at least a thousand years and score since I was killed.”

Without thinking, Blueblood looked over at Sleipnir and asked: “How did you die?”

The earth pony cocked his head, looking mildly over at Blueblood, and the unicorn shifted awkwardly as he realized a little late that he had probably just asked a rather uncomfortable, personal question. But to his surprise, Sleipnir smiled after a moment before he turned his gaze away and murmured: “”Twas in the Gray Mountains, a place of great calamity and evil. My sisters and I were searching for sacred objects known as the Elements of Harmony.”

“Really? My Auntie used to tell me all about those...” Blueblood hesitated, then he frowned a little and asked: “But what were they doing in these mountains? That's not where Auntie found them...”

Sleipnir chuckled at this, shrugging and saying easily: “Well, 'tis not like all things are the same across the worlds, aye? And the Gray Mountains were... were a strange place, to say the least. 'Twas where reality was thin, and powerful forces of both good and evil converged and were imprisoned. Perhaps another concealed the artifacts there for safekeeping, or perhaps they were merely drawn there, by whatever forces that be.”

Blueblood nodded slowly, and Sleipnir turned his gaze ahead down the road, smiling even as he recounted: “Aye. But on our journey, we encountered a terrible creature. A Black Wolf, monstrous and destructive: 'twas named Fenrir, and the battle we fought against it was long and harsh and... and pointless. The beast was too powerful for my sisters and I to fell: so, knowing no other recourse, I waited for my sisters to withdraw before I charged ahead, and brought down the cliffs around myself and the beast.”

Blueblood shifted a little, and Invidia studied Sleipnir intently before she asked quietly: “Is that honor? Is that what love is, Sleipnir?”

“Honor? I do not know, for 'twas selfish. What better death for a warrior?” Sleipnir smiled and shrugged easily, then added quietly: “But love? Aye, 'twas love's hoof in it, or so I would like to think. For I did not do it out of spite or hate, nor even want of triumph. I did it to protect my sisters, knowing full well that they would do a better job of saving Midgard than this silly fool ever would.”

Sleipnir chuckled to himself, and Blueblood shifted awkwardly as Invidia bowed her head respectfully, and there was silence for a little while as they continued to walk. And then Blueblood glanced up curiously as Sleipnir grunted, and the unicorn narrowed his eyes before asking hesitantly: “Is that... something in the distance? A city?”

“Nay, 'tis not a city, but 'tis certainly something, aye.” Sleipnir said thoughtfully, frowning a little. “'Tis some kind of encampment, in front of a cliff base... and thick clouds above. Perhaps we have a reached a wall of mountains.”

“Oh, it must be the mines of Horsia.” Invidia said pleasantly, and Blueblood winced a little at this as the demon explained: “The mines used to be very active, very prosperous... but there's an old myth that they delved too greedily and too deep, and-”

“Yes, yes, terrible evil, very... mythical. We should go around. From what I've heard the mines have become very unstable... too many bands of would-be 'adventurers' passing through, trying to claim loot and using them as a shortcut, when it's perfectly easy to go over the Foggy Mountains instead of under them. There were only three ponies lost to avalanches last year.” Blueblood said hurriedly, and Sleipnir huffed at this.

“Climbing rock and snow? Nay, 'tis always easier to avoid such trifles. I am not fond of enclosed spaces, but... tell me more of these mines.” Sleipnir said curiously, and Blueblood grimaced and shifted uneasily.

Invidia frowned a little at this, and then she said finally: “Perhaps it would be wiser to go around... the young prince certainly doesn't seem to like the idea, and I hear it's several days' journey either way... don't we have the time to afford?”

“Several days? By the Gods, how great is this range of mountains?” Sleipnir asked dubiously, and then he looked up with a frown and murmured: “Aye, that is not cloud, is it? 'Tis fog, the fog of thy Foggy Mountains, I expect. And Mother Nature warns me 'tis a realm inhabited by fierce snow spirits... but that the mines are no longer her realm, but infected with something else. 'Tis a hard choice, my friends. 'Tis not one I would make lightly.”

Invidia and Blueblood traded uneasy looks, and they continued onwards down the road in silence as Sleipnir lowered his head in visible thought. For a little while, they walked onwards... until finally, the enormous earth pony looked up and said meditatively: “I would not lose time on this journey. Whilst part of me desires to try and go over the mountain, Mother Nature warns me that the cold will be biting, the snows constant, and our path narrow. I fear we would be driven back. So let us instead turn our eyes towards Horsia, and we shall pass beneath the stone and earth.”

Invidia immediately looked at Blueblood, and the prince hesitated for only a moment before he sighed a little, mumbling: “Yes. Yes, I suppose you're right. I... just don't like the idea of sleeping in a filthy cave. But still, ponies used to use it regularly, so there must be... sleeping locations still...”

“Well, we shall find out. But fear not, such a sprawling mine must have been half-city for the workers. I am certain we will be able to scavenge all we need.” Sleipnir replied after a moment, smiling before he glanced back and forth as the grasses on either side of the road began to thin into more barren tundra. And there were signs that ponies had halted in this area as well: debris, discarded tools, other odds and ends...

After only a few minutes, they reached a small set of outbuildings that sat near the base of the massive cliffs. Sleipnir paused here, studying the cliff thoughtfully before his eyes alit on what looked like an immense, broken doorway: it seemed like something had smashed through these long ago, however, but the doorway had been shored back up with old timbers and piles of cleared rubble laid on either side of the entrance, the stallion saying thoughtfully: “So there have been others here, using this route... although it looks as if 'twas quite a fierce battle.”

Sleipnir halted, then smiled over his shoulder at Invidia and Blueblood, who both looked nervous... and now, the earth pony thought the demon was doing more than just mirroring the prince's emotions. “If thee likes, feel free to search the buildings. I shall ensure the passage ahead is safe and see what little nature can tell me of these mines.”

Blueblood and Invidia both nodded, and then the demon smiled quickly over at the unicorn, asking a little too eagerly: “Would you like me to come with you? I would be more than delighted to, young prince... I'm sure working together-”

“I uh... I think it would be better if we each searched a different building. I'm. Going over here. You should... go in the opposite direction.” Blueblood said after a moment, leaning back and wincing a bit at those damned golden eyes of hers.

Invidia pouted visibly, but then nodded and turned, seeming to perk up after a moment as she hurried towards the building. Blueblood didn't dare guess what kind of idea the mare had likely just had, and he grimaced a little before turning and hurrying towards the structure he'd chosen as Sleipnir went off about his own task.

It stank in here, whatever else: Blueblood caught the distinct reek of Diamond Dogs as he pushed open the warped door and entered the building. He wondered nervously if the beasts were still here, but after a few moments, he realized there was a thick layer of dust over everything: even he would have been able to tell if something had been tromping around in here.

He had entered some kind of bunkhouse: there were beds that had a lot of half-eaten sheets and blankets, some rotten clothing, a few other odds and ends and trinkets. Blueblood took his time shuffling through things, far from eager to find out how many of the old, scary stories he'd heard about Horsia were true: worse still, he had always ended up hearing about all the ponies who got lost in the twisting, turning labyrinth and never made it out, because any rescue teams could only risk going so deep into the mines...

There was also the rumor that years ago, Princess Celestia had tried to blockade all access to the mines: Blueblood guessed that these bunkhouses and structures were all that remained of that ill-fated endeavor. The story went that the soldiers had rioted and fled their posts: according to official sources, it was because they had been underfunded and undertrained. But the legend went that the encampment had been haunted, and the soldiers had been driven to madness by the evil spirits that lurked here.

Blueblood shivered a little: he found it a lot easier to believe the second story than the first one right now, as he searched through the bunkhouse. There was just a... a bad feeling here, and ever since their encounter with that evil spirit in Oatsville, Blueblood had learned to trust in his instincts.

But that made him even more nervous about plunging into the depths of Horsia: what could be waiting for them down there? Would it be just as badly haunted in that darkness beneath the earth? Was it really wiser to cut through them instead of going overtop the Foggy Mountains?

All questions that the young prince didn't have the answers to... and that he had never honestly thought about, either. He'd always figured that adventuring would just mean wandering from place-to-place with Sleipnir while the giant of an earth pony rambled away: he'd never expected all this... everything else, or that maybe some of the places they'd travel through might be dangerous. How many dangerous places could even exist in Equestria, after all?

Blueblood felt like he was going to learn the answer to that question, and it was going to be something like 'a lot.' He grimaced a bit, then moved out of the main sleeping area into what looked like some kind of storeroom... although as he heard an ominous creaking around him, he couldn't help but search just a little faster.

Blueblood's efforts were rewarded, however: a sealed supply crate he managed to pry open contained some sleeping rolls and small pillows and blankets. Blueblood helped himself to everything he could fit in his saddlebags, then flinched when he heard a loud thud before he forced himself to calmly turn and begin making his way towards the exit...

That was, until hoofsteps thundered through the room straight at him, and Blueblood looked wildly back and forth before the door to the storage room slammed itself shut behind him. That was more than enough of a hint for the young prince, who immediately bolted for the exit and burst back out into the relative safety of the late afternoon sunshine.

He wheezed loudly for breath, trembling a little as he looked over his shoulder at the rickety bunkhouse... then flinched and almost fell over when Invidia said gently: “You were very brave, Lord Blueblood. They are such fierce and angry spirits... I am endlessly impressed by the courage you show in all the same exploring these ruins...”

Blueblood gave a weak laugh, and then he shivered and shook himself out before mumbling: “I wouldn't go that far...” He stopped, then looked uneasily at the demon, shifting a little on his hooves... but right now, he had to admit that even her creepy golden eyes scared him a lot less than nasty, invisible ghosts. “I uh... did you find anything?”

Invidia smiled at him warmly: a question, a little bit of attention, and she always brightened up so much. It made Blueblood feel almost... sorry for her. And he hated even more than he saw a strange reflection of himself in her: hadn't he once been willing to do anything for any kind of attention? “I searched high and low, my darling, but I fear that I am not nearly as brave nor keen-eyed as you... I found little more than a few trinkets, not of any value nor use to us.”

The prince nodded awkwardly, then he scraped a hoof against the dirt road before he looked uneasily over his shoulder. He knew he shouldn't encourage the demon, but he couldn't help but ask: “So can those ghosts... hurt you, too?”

Invidia smiled again, but she shifted at the same time, looking like she was fighting with herself. And after a moment, Blueblood understood why as she answered hesitantly: “Yes... yes, they can. My powers in this form are more suited to dealing with mortal and physical foes... and the rage and hate of these spirits can make me... unhappy.”

Blueblood somehow got the feeling that Invidia being made 'unhappy' would not be good for any of them. And what was that about the form she was in? Did that mean this pony-shape the demon wore wasn't actually her real body?

He shifted nervously, but thankfully was saved from any further conversation by Sleipnir calling to them. The prince turned with a sigh of relief, hurrying towards the earth pony as Invidia sulked for a moment before trotting after the unicorn, but she became as serious as Blueblood when Sleipnir said moodily: “'Tis a foul place that we venture into now, my friends. I only pray 'twill not be as wretched as it already feels from this gaping maw alone... but we have little choice.”

Blueblood frowned uneasily, and Invidia looked quickly at the prince before asking Sleipnir worriedly: “Should we perhaps make for another pass? There must be another way through the mountains, or around them entirely...”

“Aye, of course, but 'twill add too much time to the journey... and besides, I do not feel that anything will be gained by turning back.” Sleipnir shook his head, giving a wry smile. “Everywhere we go, there will be danger lurking, after all. 'Tis best that we face it here and now: as I have learned, turning away is never the answer. We must confront and conquer.”

He stopped, then smiled and turned around, gesturing up at the archway and saying easily: “Besides, does thou see those runes there? 'Tis a script I recognize, and among the few words I can make out there is 'friend!' 'Tis a good omen, methinks. 'Tis challenging us, inviting us in... and I am not one to deny either challenge nor invitation, whomever it comes from!”

“I think you're an idiot.” Invidia said distastefully, and Blueblood sighed a little, dropping his head and not knowing if he agreed with the demon or not. Well, no, Sleipnir was definitely an idiot: he just didn't know if he was an idiot for his weird obsession with symbols and fate and omens or not. After all, the idiot had been right more often than not...

Sleipnir only smiled, just like he always did, and then he turned around and strode calmly into the entrance of the mines. Invidia and Blueblood traded nervous looks, but then the demon and unicorn nodded slowly to each other before hesitantly following the enormous stallion into the maw of the tunnel, neither knowing anything else they could do or even say.

They walked slowly through a half-collapsed ruin, following in Sleipnir's wake as the earth pony led them slowly to another set of forced-open stone doors... and then Blueblood paled and trembled violently as his eyes locked on the curled-up skeleton of a Diamond Dog sprawled against the wall, the prince mouthing wordlessly and pointing wildly at this.

Invidia frowned, and Sleipnir glanced curiously over his shoulder before he smiled wryly, saying softly: “Fear not, young Blue. 'Tis old, very old. And these shan't be the last bones thou sees as we make our way forwards, that I can guarantee thee if anything thou hast told me of these mines is true. Now, do not be frightened: I know 'tis unpleasant, but that is merely the sign of a life that has returned to Midgard, to be kissed by the earth and born anew. Is that not correct?”

“We should not discuss such things. Not here.” Invidia said curtly, glaring at Sleipnir, and the earth pony was surprised before the demon suddenly glared at the skeleton, and it simply exploded into brittle fragments of bone as Blueblood yelped and skittered backwards in horror, gaping in shock before the demon turned to him and said quickly: “And there, look, it's all gone now... isn't that better, handsome Blueblood?”

The unicorn was only staring in horror at the broken shards of the skeleton, and Sleipnir sighed tiredly before he said finally: “Perhaps we should simply... move on. Blueblood, can thou cast a spell to light our way?”

“Uh...” Blueblood blinked, looking up dumbly. He was still trying to get over the fact that Invidia had just carelessly smashed those bones to dust... not to mention the fact they had been passing by the actual remains of an intelligent creature that had actually died here, never buried, never tended to, likely eaten away at by passing animals, and then countless insects as flesh had rotted and putrefied in a slow but steady...

Blueblood paled, shivering and looking away before he cleared his throat several times, but Invidia slipped quickly in before the stallion could speak: “Please do not bother our beloved Blueblood with such a trivial task. Permit me, instead, to deal with this. It will be but the work of a moment.”

Invidia flicked her horn, and a ball of glowing light formed above her head before it floated eerily upwards, the unnatural radiance filling up the cavern around them. Sleipnir gave a quick nod at this, and then he smiled to the demon, saying gently: “Thou hast our gratitude, Invidia. Will thou be able to maintain this for long?”

Invidia looked thrilled at the simple compliment, again visibly thriving under the attention as she replied easily: “Of course! It's nothing but a simple spell... I have a great amount of magic in my repertoire. Perhaps, Blueblood, you would be interested in learning some of the arts and spellcraft that I could share with you... I have no doubt that a talented unicorn such as yourself could quickly and easily master quite a few of even my most powerful spells...”

Blueblood only swallowed thickly, and Sleipnir quickly cut in gently: “Aye, that is a good idea, but perhaps thou can wait until our first break to teach young Blue thy magic? We have a dangerous journey ahead, and I shall need both of thee to keep thine eyes open. Elsewise, who knows what creatures of darkness may try and ambush us?”

Invidia went from scowling to almost-anxious, nodding quickly as Blueblood sighed in relief even as he felt an uneasy twinge. But when Sleipnir turned around to begin leading them onwards, the prince hurried quickly up to the earth pony's side, leaving Invidia trailing behind, her golden eyes staring obsessively at Blueblood's back as she whispered: “I will protect my closest, dearest friend.”

They journeyed for several hours, and Blueblood was quickly realizing how the mines of Horsia could easily take several days to cross. It wasn't just because they were so massive, but so many of the paths were nothing but thin stone ledges and bridges that they had to all-but-crawl over, while others were narrow, tight halls that Sleipnir was barely able to squeeze through, swearing and wheezing the entire time he wiggled his way out of them.

Maybe it was a little mean of him, but Blueblood was both amused and relieved by the fact that mighty Sleipnir was even more afraid of small, enclosed spaces than he was. He couldn't help but admire and envy the way that the big earth pony conquered his fears all the same... even if, well, Blueblood realized they didn't have a whole lot of choice at this point except to push forwards through these passageways and hope for the best.

Horsia was beautiful and terrible; sometimes they would walk through halls and corridors that had been gorgeous carved and shaped through solid stone, their majesty ruined only by dust and the scattering of debris. Then they would pass into another section of the mines, and it would be little more than some gaping black cave, with half-rotted platforms and broken islands of stone and gravel the only way forwards, nothing but stretches of emptiness and rock for what seemed like miles.

It was more than just a mine: it was an underground kingdom, and Blueblood was awed by it. And when they stopped to rest and so that Sleipnir could get a better sense of their surroundings, the young prince found himself wandering over to a set of tapestries that lined a cracked and broken wall, studying them with fascination as he used the few gentle spells he knew to try and clean them a little so he could better examine them.

They were stories of some ancient kingdom, he thought... maybe a history these mines, maybe myths and legends. Then again, Blueblood no longer knew exactly how much really was myth and legend anymore... if demons like Invidia existed and cauldrons could be possessed by sentient evil and ponies like Sleipnir could fall out of the sky, what else could be real?

The unicorn lost himself in thought for a little while, and it wasn't until he heard hooves crunching through the debris towards him that he came back to reality, looking almost embarrassedly over at Sleipnir as the earth pony smiled at him. Blueblood reflected how Invidia's strange magic light almost made the stallion look like he was made entirely out of metal... even if Sleipnir had actually removed his breastplate for some reason. “Art thou ready to go? Or would thou like a few more minutes to thyself?”

“Uh... why aren't you in your armor anymore?” Blueblood asked after a moment, and Sleipnir grimaced as he absently reached up and rubbed at his chest.

“Oh, 'tis these damnable narrow passages. The stone is both sharp and very sturdy, which is good for us but 'tis quite bad for the state of mine equipment. I would rather not see my armor damaged any further than already is... and 'twould be a horrible irony if it were to get lodged whilst trying to pass through one of the tighter fissures. Then I would cry and flail like a little filly and that would be most embarrassing.” Sleipnir said mildly, and Blueblood smiled despite himself.

The unicorn hesitantly looked at his own gear, but wearing this armor made him feel... safer, somehow. And more than that, he was quite a bit smaller than the enormous earth pony even with his full armor on, so he figured that anything Sleipnir could squeeze through, he probably could too. “Well, uh... alright. I suppose that I'm ready, otherwise... wait, where's Invidia? I see her magic, but not her.”

“Oh, aye.” Sleipnir glanced up at the bauble of light, saying mildly: “Apparently this will track us, but the demon has gone on ahead to scout... although I will not pretend I expect this magic to last long, or that Invidia will not take her time. Can thou cast a similar spell?”

“Well... yes, I should be able to mimic something like this if we need to.” Blueblood said uneasily, and then he smiled awkwardly when Sleipnir looked down at him curiously. “I... simply am not that good at magic. I'm not even sure how I managed to conjure up the power I did before...”

Sleipnir chuckled at this, then he said kindly: “Well, that has an easy answer, my young friend. Thou called upon such powers because 'twas necessary. For 'tis in the times of greatest need that our truest strength surfaces.”

He paused, then smiled and reached up, poking Blueblood's horn lightly and making the stallion wince. “Besides. Perhaps 'tis only because thou so rarely uses thy silly hornery that thou feels so uncomfortable with it.”

Blueblood scowled at this, then he opened his mouth to give his usual excuse... before slowly closing it in thought, realizing for maybe the first time that it really didn't make any sense. Prince or not, what did that have to do with his magic? Auntie Celestia and Auntie Luna could both move the sun and moon through the sky as they pleased, after all...

The unicorn finally looked almost sheepishly at Sleipnir, and then he admitted: “Perhaps... you're right. And you said you wanted to... well...”

He shuffled awkwardly, and Sleipnir smiled warmly before nodding firmly. “Aye, 'twould be mine honor to help thee with thy magic! And better yet, we can use this opportunity to teach thee something that shall benefit more than thy magic alone. We shall teach thee discipline, young Blue.”

Blueblood looked less than thrilled with this, leaning back and asking uneasily: “Discipline? I... I am not some pup you can simply send to obedience training, Sleipnir...”

“Oh, 'tis not that kind of discipline! And nay, I shan't be putting thee in saddles and restraints, either...” Sleipnir paused, then waggled his eyebrows at the stallion, grinning widely as he leaned down into his face. “Unless thou truly desires me to, of course.”

Blueblood leaned back with a wince, and Sleipnir chuckled before saying cheerfully: “Nay. This exercise is very simple, but 'tis very difficult, and made more so by the fact we shall be treading a dangerous path whilst thou attempts to master it.”

The young prince started to open his mouth, but Sleipnir simply rose a hoof and continued quickly: “Nay, shush, listen! Thou must first clear thy mind, and then thou shall picture a light inside thy mind. Thou shall make this light glow, steadily, without ever letting it fade nor become too strong.”

“That doesn't sound very hard. Or very helpful. I don't believe this has anything to do with anything.” Blueblood said dubiously, and Sleipnir huffed loudly at this.

“Well, we shall see what thou has to say after thou tries this little exercise.” Sleipnir retorted, and then he sniffed before adding mildly: “And well, if 'tis indeed too easy, my sister would often practice another exercise that perhaps will interest thee. She would create a charge of magic in her horn and hold it steady, without letting it grow nor fade... but while suppressing her horn's natural aura. Can thou do such a trick?”

“Suppress the aura? That's not even possible.” Blueblood scoffed. “Fairy tales. I knew you were either lying or delusional.”

“Write a letter, right now, to thine aunt and ask then, I dare thee!” Sleipnir challenged, and Blueblood scowled uneasily, shifting a little on his hooves before Sleipnir nodded firmly a few times. “Aye, there, precisely! Thou knows I am no liar, thou... thou froof.”

“I... I am not a froof! Do not address me as a froof! You're a froof!” Blueblood snapped, and the two glared at each other before the unicorn grumbled and glanced away, adding grouchily: “And besides, you... wanted to get going and you already gave me that other silly exercise to do. And Auntie will be busy until tonight, I'd rather not disturb her.”

Sleipnir grunted, and Blueblood paused before asking hesitantly: “And on that note, how... how precisely will we know what time it is?”

“Oh, fear not. 'Tis very easy for me to keep track of the passage of time. Celestia always said 'twas because my head is so full of sand anyway, so I need only ever check the passage of the grains.” Sleipnir said easily, then he turned and began to stride onwards, the little ball of light bobbing beside him. “Now, let us go! We shall walk for a few more hours, then find a spot to rest for the night.”

Blueblood grumbled and followed after the stallion, at first just content to follow the stallion through the ruptured corridors of the mine... but as they passed into a wide trench, with nothing but cracked, short cliffs to either side of them and a ceiling of stone high above, Blueblood found himself trying the strange little meditation exercise that Sleipnir had given him.

It was easy enough: so easy, as a matter of fact, that within only a few seconds Blueblood was thinking about how easy the meditation was instead of concentrating on that light in his mind. Then he blinked stupidly before scowling and hurried concentrating again... before grinding his teeth together, losing the image in his mind when Sleipnir asked cheerfully over his shoulder: “'Tis not so simple a task as thou thought, is it?”

“Shut up, Sleipnir.” Blueblood grumbled, and then he took a breath and steadied himself, bringing up the image in his mind again... and then he lost it when he couldn't help but blurt: “It's your fault for interrupting me, anyway!”

Sleipnir simply shrugged cheerfully, and Blueblood grumbled under his breath before he closed his eyes tightly, forcing himself to concentrate. With his eyes closed, the image was much more vibrant... but then Blueblood tripped over a large rock and went face-first into the ground with a tremendous thump.

He groaned and picked himself up, trembling and wiping at his face and feeling ridiculously like he was about to cry for a moment, before Sleipnir remarked: “'Tis quite fortunate we are in an enclosed space, not upon one of those wicked ledges. Although now I am curious.”

The earth pony looked thoughtfully up one of the short cliffs, then he bounded forwards before leaping up into the air as Blueblood stared, one hoof still rubbing absently at his muzzle as he watched the enormous stallion catch the edge of the rock and haul himself up on top of the stone face. Sleipnir looked back and forth thoughtfully, and Blueblood sighed before asking impatiently: “Well?”

“Oh, come now, it has been but moments. Not even Luna is as bothersome as thou can be.” Sleipnir said mildly, glancing back and forth before he frowned uneasily. “'Tis all... enclosed space, but... I do not like it for some reason. It reminds me of a great set of jaws... aye, let us continue onwards, now.”

Sleipnir hopped down from the cliffs... and then he blinked in surprise as the ball of light whiffed out, leaving them in near-complete darkness. Blueblood whimpered despite himself, but Sleipnir only glanced back and forth before tapping his hoof calmly a few times against the rock, muttering: “Well. 'Tis uncomfortable, but not impossible. Blue, perhaps thou could summon up a little bit of magic now.”

“I... I suppose I should try...” Blueblood mumbled, and then he concentrated, his horn lighting up and casting a ray of bright radiance ahead of him. He was pleasantly surprised that it had actually worked: he'd just tried to replicate the simple guided light spell used by the Royal Guard when they went on night patrol. It wasn't perfect, of course, since his was a little wide and a little dim, but it was more than enough to show the way, at least.

Sleipnir smiled warmly at this, then he nodded firmly before saying easily: “Good. Let us make haste onwards, then.”

Blueblood nodded awkwardly, half-glad that now he had an excuse not to work on his silly meditation... except as he shortly found out, maintaining this spell was almost as difficult a task. And it was made worse by the fact that he knew Sleipnir could see every stutter of his magic and how he was already struggling to try and maintain a spell he knew the unicorn soldiers of Canterlot could do for hours without so much as a thought...

But he kept up the magic for at least forty minutes: long enough for them to cross into a set of intricate, narrower passageways. Sleipnir slowed their pace here, and Blueblood grumbled irritably until the enormous earth pony suddenly halted in front of an old wooden wall.

He tore off several large timbers, then ripped down a tapestry before extracting several objects from his sidepack as Blueblood simply stared: but in moments, he put all these odds and ends together to create two large torches, one of which he passed to Blueblood with a smile. The stallion took this with telekinesis as his light spell flickered out, and he sighed in relief as he guided it awkwardly back and forth, grimacing a bit at the unsteady light. But still, it was easier to carry this than concentrate his magic...

Sleipnir, meanwhile, tucked the rags he'd created and the bottle and flint he'd taken out back inside his equipment satchel, the stallion saying easily: “These should serve us for a few hours' march more. But be careful, young Blue. While we have little to fear in the way of burning these ruins down, fire's light can be prankish: watch thy hooves and thy step.”

Blueblood gave an uneasy smile, then he nodded slowly before Sleipnir picked up his own torch in one hoof. For a little while, he led onwards like that, and Blueblood frowned moodily for the longest time at the earth pony's back before he finally asked: “How do you walk like that? It's so... revolting.”

“What?” Sleipnir looked curiously over his shoulder, continuing to stride easily along on three legs before he brightened. “Oh, 'tis just a matter of practice! Not all of us have such fancy horns upon our head as thou, after all, some of us must make the best of what we have.”

The unicorn only looked almost uneasily at the stallion for a few moments before he wrinkled up his muzzle, mumbling: “It's still very strange.”

“Oh, thou art strange. Strange and stuffy.” Sleipnir replied dryly, and then he suddenly halted in front of an open doorway, wincing as he reached back to catch Blueblood and stop him from going any further. “This could be a difficulty.”

Blueblood frowned... and then stared when Sleipnir simply tossed his torch through the doorway, and the two watched as it fell at least forty feet down a cracked stone cliff to land on a pile of broken rubble. Sleipnir looked moodily down at this point of light, and then he sighed and rolled his eyes before reaching back and grasping Blueblood, the stallion yelping as Sleipnir said mildly: “Hold on tightly, and for all that matters in the world, do not set my mane on fire.”

With that, Sleipnir threw himself out the archway, and Blueblood yelled in terror as he stupidly flung the torch away with telekinesis, his eyes wide with horror-

They crashed down on the pile of rubble, and Sleipnir gritted his teeth as he stumbled before falling in a sprawl with a wheeze, sending stones and chunks of shale rolling in all directions as his torch bounced to the bottom of the heap. He breathed hard in and out as Blueblood clung desperately to the earth pony's back, trembling and staring disbelievingly back and forth before Sleipnir smiled and slowly stood... then twitched, one leg trembling a little even as he said cheerfully: “There! 'Twas not so bad, was it? But... oh damnation, where is thy torch? 'Tis not in my mane or tail, is it?”

Sleipnir nervously looked back and forth, then stumbled around in a circle as Blueblood yelped and squeezed tighter into the stallion's back, before snapping: “Stop it! No, I don't know where it went! It... you should have warned me!”

“I did! Well. I mostly did.” Sleipnir admitted with a bit of a shrug, and then he turned and skidded down the pile of rubble before slipping Blueblood off his back and gently setting the stallion down. Blueblood glared at him, and the earth pony only smiled before gesturing with his head at the remaining torch. “Well, we still have one, and that shall have to be enough. And it looks as if...”

Sleipnir frowned a little as he gazed across what might have once been some kind of underground courtyard, and now was a half-collapsed ruin, broken rock and shattered stone walls forming listing edges near jagged ledges and parts of plateau that had fallen completely away.

Blueblood picked up the torch, and Sleipnir calmly strode forwards, moving a little slower than usual but refusing to show the pain on his face as he gazed uneasily back and forth. His foreleg trembled, bruising spreading through it, but it was well-hidden in the darkness... and Blueblood's eyes had caught on something else worrying already, the unicorn whispering: “Look. Up there.”

Sleipnir glanced up... and then nodded slowly as he immediately realized what the prince was pointing out. There, in the far distance, was a jagged peak that was glowing almost as bright as day from the massive bonfire on it. And more fires burned and danced in braziers and massive iron bowls set up along the rock face, up a set of half-ruined stairs and decayed wooden bridges.

“They may be influenced by magic, but we shall have to be careful. Unfortunately...” Sleipnir closed his eyes and took a slow breath, concentrating for a moment before he murmured: “Aye. Unfortunately, 'tis the direction we must travel in, Blue.”

He paused meditatively, then rose his head before saying clearly: “Invidia. I will ask for thee to come back to us. Blue and I require not just thy aid, but perhaps thy protection.”

There was no response for a few moments... but then, just as Blueblood was going to ask Sleipnir if he had lost his mind, the demon's golden eyes suddenly shone out of the shadows nearby, and Blueblood yelped as he spun towards her and almost flung the torch at her.

Invidia only smiled, somehow all the more fearsome in the flickering light as she said kindly: “It really is such an honor to be called upon... although now I feel I must apologize for taking so long. But I wished to do my duties thoroughly, and ensure that the path ahead is safe...”

“Did... did you light those fires?” Blueblood asked uneasily, and Invidia chuckled and shook her head, making the ivory stallion grimace as he nervously slipped the torch between them like a shield. “Then I suppose it can't exactly be safe, then...”

“For now, there is nothing laying in wait ahead. But move quickly and quietly, there are dangerous and evil things we should do our best to avoid attracting the attentions of lurking through these tunnels.” Invidia paused before her eyes flicked towards Sleipnir, studying him for a few moments before she licked her lips slowly and murmured: “Perhaps you'll allow me to be of assistance to you, oh magnificent angel...”

“Nay, I am fine.” Sleipnir smiled kindly, stomping his injured leg a few times and refusing to flinch even as pain shot through his body. Invidia scowled at him for a moment as Blueblood frowned, but then the earth pony gestured to them and said gently: “Come, let us continue onwards. We have much ground to cover through this labyrinth, and 'tis too open here.”

The young prince nodded in agreement as he rose the torch, and Invidia gave a quiet laugh before she said softly: “Of course. What a strange delight it is to understand that even you have your flaws, wondrous angel...”

Sleipnir only shrugged and smiled again, and Blueblood gave the two an uneasy look before he only winced away from Invidia, too distracted by the demon to notice the stallion favoring his leg. Anxious to move on, the young prince quickly took the lead, and Invidia and Sleipnir followed as the demon smiled hungrily at Sleipnir, and the enormous earth pony only looked placidly ahead, striding slowly but surely along on a leg he refused to admit was broken.

Dangers In The Deep

Chapter Twelve: Dangers In The Deep
~BlackRoseRaven

They had stopped for the night after managing to make their way up the broken stairs and past the brightly-lit clifftop. It had been empty, the only signs anyone had been here at all a few rotten scraps of clothing and what Blueblood honestly hoped hadn't been bones. Not that he was kidding himself, though: he was quickly learning that all the legends about this evil place were very likely true.

At least they had found a nice little niche to camp in for the night: they were shielded on two sides by stone walls, and the third by a half-collapsed brick wall that had once been part of a long-fallen storehouse. There had been enough scraps of debris and loose timbers in the ruin for them to make a good-sized fire, at least... and now, Blueblood was sitting and listlessly playing with a nugget of gold the size of his hoof, also found in the storehouse, with all kinds of other gemstones and ore and valuable, beautiful, utterly useless rocks.

Blueblood picked up the nugget in his hooves, studying it silently. It was probably enough to pay back most of his debt to Auntie Celestia, and yet he knew that he couldn't afford to take it with him. And this was just one of the smaller rocks: there were chunks of raw gold in there that were as big as a foal, if not bigger.

Oh, he couldn't lie. They tantalized him. He kept playing longingly with this one, and he kept trying to figure out some way he could bring it along... but his armor and his packs were heavy enough to carry as they were, and already stuffed with all his equipment. He literally had nowhere to put it... and he wasn't stupid enough to try and get rid of any of his gear, either. Adventuring was hard enough as it was, and being able to lay on this stupid bedroll now was a lot more soothing than imagining bringing this big shiny rock to Auntie Celestia in some far, far future.

He sighed a little, then glanced awkwardly up when Sleipnir approached from wherever the earth pony had gone off to. The stallion smiled down at him, then asked teasingly: “Art thou trying to figure out how to bring thy new pet with us? For thou seems to love it as much as I did my pup.”

“I am not... don't... leave me alone, Sleipnir.” grumbled Blueblood, and then he scowled a little, looking moodily down at the golden nugget as he mumbled: “I already know that I can't bring this with me. I was just... I was just thinking that it would be nice to be able to present such a treasure to Auntie, to... to show her that I'm capable of doing this on my own. But I know that... I can't.”

“Aye, thou cannot. So here.” Sleipnir reached out and pulled the nugget away, and Blueblood had a moment to stare before Sleipnir stomped the golden rock savagely, and the prince gaped in horror as the nugget exploded into fragments.

He mouthed wordlessly, then glared furiously up at Sleipnir as the earth pony gave a slight smile and shook his hoof absently, saying cheerfully: “Now thou may take what thou likes.”

Blueblood blinked, halting in mid-curse at the earth pony before he reached dumbly down and picked up a small, almost coin-shaped piece of gold. Then he gave a dumb laugh, gathering up a hoof full of gold shards before giving an awkward smile up at Sleipnir. “You... well... thank you very much. I... I suppose that at times I'm glad I know a peasant like you.”

Sleipnir chuckled and shrugged easily, and then Blueblood frowned uneasily as he realized that the stallion's smile looked a little strained. More than that, he still had his leg raised high, and it was trembling and looked... “Sleipnir, are you... I mean... not that I... are you okay?”

The earth pony looked surprised at the fumbling question, then he cleared his throat and quickly dropped back to all fours, standing as normally as possible as he asked curiously: “Why does thou ask? Aye, I am perfectly fine.”

Sleipnir's muzzle wrinkled up slightly, and his eyes widened a little, staring a bit at Blueblood: two tells that the ivory unicorn had noticed back when they had been playing cards in Earl Gray's inn, and part of the reason why the stallion was so miserable at poker. Blueblood frowned even more at this, then he straightened and asked again: “What's wrong?”

“Oh, it... oh, 'tis nothing!” Sleipnir said after a moment, grumbling a little but seeming more embarrassed than anything else as he finally held up his bruised foreleg. “I merely sprained my hoof, that is all. And as I am rather foolish, I seem to keep forgetting to rest it.”

“Where did Invidia go? Maybe she can at least take your pain away, like she did for me.” Blueblood said, looking back and forth, but then he blinked when Sleipnir shook his head vehemently. “I... look, of all ponies, I certainly am not one to commend her, but-”

“Oh nay, do not suggest such things! For if I were to do such, then without a doubt my phoenix would not plant an axe in mine head, she would chop off my tail and then parade me through the streets, a laughingstock, an outlaw!” Sleipnir said vehemently, and Blueblood stared disbelievingly at the enormous earth pony before he rubbed moodily at his mane. “She may even be cruel enough to 'prune' me, as she so often mocks. And worser still, I would deserve all that and more for betraying her love and trust.”

“I... see.” Blueblood said slowly, and then he sighed and looked uneasily at the stallion's foreleg before asking almost uncomfortably: “Is there anything I can do anything to help?”

Sleipnir smiled kindly at this, and then he chuckled quietly before saying gently: “Thou already has, and do not think that is merely a platitude. There is much healing in kindness alone, young Blue. And in knowing that I shall have a good friend to rely upon should I direly need the aid.”

Blueblood simply shrugged awkwardly, half-tempted to make up excuses, half-wanting to thank the stallion, but then Sleipnir simply flung himself down by the fire as he rubbed slowly at his limb, saying finally: “'Tis not so bad, in any event. I regularly had far worse wounds when I traveled across Equestria with my sisters... oh, after our battle with the Broodmother of the Tyrant Wyrms, I recall, I was forced to stay in bed for a week! And then for weeks after, I was covered near head to hoof in poultices and remedies and enough bandaging to hold together a mountain!”

Sleipnir laughed, and Blueblood smiled a little before the earth pony said easily: “Nay, fear not. 'Twill heal, it just requires time. Now, young Blue, to more important matters: tonight we must keep a watch. Would thou like to be the first or second shift?”

“I'll... why don't you rest, Sleipnir, and I'll take the first shift?” Blueblood said after a moment, smiling a little before he looked uneasily up at the stone ceiling above. “Although I fear that I'm not very good at telling time...”

Sleipnir simply waved a hoof absently, and then he looked thoughtfully at the fire before reaching out and slapping away several burning timbers. Blueblood frowned at this, watching as Sleipnir quickly pushed the smaller pile together to create a little fire next to the much larger one.

“There. When this little fire goes out, young Blue, then it will be time to awaken me.” He paused, then added gently: “And thou may remove thine armor if thou so wishes, 'twill help thee sleep. Besides, before we leave in the morning...”

“We polish it, I know, I know. We'll polish it, then continue our journey through these filthy mines.” the unicorn said dryly, but Sleipnir only smiled and nodded firmly in agreement.

Blueblood looked at him for a few moments, and then Sleipnir stood up and carefully made his way over to the little travel blanket that was all he had brought with him. The unicorn bit his lip as he began to take his armor off, and then he sighed a little as he lowered his head, looking at his own bedroll, then at Sleipnir's bad leg...

But the earth pony looked settled and content on his blanket, and Blueblood turned his eyes away, only feeling a little bit of guilt. No, Sleipnir was perfectly fine... well, apart from his sprained leg. Although that didn't look like any sprain that Blueblood had ever seen...

The unicorn did his best to shove this out of mind as he rested quietly on the bedroll. He spent most of his time just staring into the flames, only looking up every now and then nervously. His stomach was bothering him, though, and his head was full of all sorts of uneasy thoughts, and he thought he could almost hear whispering voices...

Before he knew it, the little fire had burnt down to cinders. Blueblood was far from tired, though, so he decided to sit up for a while longer, thinking quietly to himself. And it was maybe another hour or so before Sleipnir awoke with a bleary yawn, then frowned a little before he stood up, rubbing absently at his face... and this time, Blueblood caught how he twitched when he moved his foreleg, hard as the earth pony tried to hide it. “Damnation. Thou let me sleep.”

“I'm not that tired.” Blueblood said after a moment, and then he gave a brief smile. Sleipnir cocked his head curiously, looking back at the stallion, and then Blueblood cleared his throat before looking away and gesturing awkwardly with one hoof, mumbling: “If... if you'd like to just sleep, feel free. I don't mind staying awake.”

“Aye, but if thou does not sleep, then thou shall end up cranky and tired tomorrow, and I shall end up carrying thee across the rest of these mines.” Sleipnir said kindly, and then he leaned forwards, saying in a softer, chiding voice: “Horsia is sprawling and filled with pitfalls, even if we have been fortunate enough to avoid conflict so far. We must both be well-rested and ready for the journey.”

Blueblood nodded awkwardly after a moment, dropping his head and mumbling an apology, but Sleipnir only chuckled and straightened, shaking his head with a smile. “Nay, 'tis no need for that, now. I merely do not want thee going to odd ends for me, 'tis silly. Thou art the apprentice, after all, and 'tis my duty to teach and protect thee.”

The unicorn gave an awkward smile at this, and Sleipnir nodded firmly once before he gestured to him gently with one hoof. “Now sleep, young stallion. I shall wake thee in a few hours, and then we shall continue our journey forwards.”

Blueblood nodded, then shifted awkwardly before he laid himself down. He shifted a little, then closed his eyes... or tried to. He found himself looking awkwardly at Sleipnir as the enormous stallion simply looked down at him with kindness and affection, and the ivory unicorn shifted awkwardly before mumbling: “Well. Goodnight.”

“Goodnight, Blue.” Sleipnir smiled, and Blueblood lamely nodded before he half-rolled away, feeling embarrassed and hating how... well...

He closed his eyes... but it wasn't long before the nightmares came on. But as Blueblood stood in front of the cemetery gates, for the first time he was able to walk forwards and silently touch them, then push them open himself. For the first time, he didn't try and run away, or cry, or escape. He stepped forwards of his own volition into this miserable, vile place.

He didn't know why. He was scared, sure, scared as hell. But he also knew that he had much worse things than these nightmares to deal with. And even though the dreamworld usually felt so real around him, he could also feel the heat of the fire on his body, and the rocks poking him through the bedroll, and hear what sounded almost like a song, even if he couldn't understand the words...

The nightmare flickered around him, and Blueblood winced in surprise as the world of memories and fears twisted on itself. Then he stared in disbelief as part of the iron fencing suddenly bent violently, jerking itself into a ruined, metallic pretzel as several tombstones melted like wax. But these things didn't fill him with fear for some reason; no, instead, as he stared at them, he felt a strange sense of... was that hope?

Surreality twisted itself around him: he saw a foggy vision of flames and stone, and then he was back in the nightmare world... but pieces of it were missing, like entire chunks of reality had been torn loose and only white void was left in its wake. Blueblood looked back and forth nervously, then up at the sky above... and he laughed a little as he saw it was a bright blue, not hellish crimson. And if there had ever been a good sign, that was certainly it.

Blueblood smiled, then looked back down... and froze as he saw the stallion in the raincoat, standing only ten feet away, his shovel buried in the ground beside him. And as Blueblood trembled and stared at this apparition, the nightmare suddenly snapped hungrily around him like the jaws of a trap as all of reality twisted into reds and blacks before his father took a step towards him-

Blueblood snapped awake with a cry of denial, sitting sharply up, and then he flinched as he saw a huge shape leaning towards him, flailing his front hooves uselessly at it.

“Nay, 'tis only I, 'tis I!” soothed a familiar voice, and Blueblood relaxed after a moment, breathing hard and looking dumbly at Sleipnir. Sleipnir gazed back at him with worry in his eyes but a reassuring smile on his face, reaching up to gently touch Blueblood's shoulder as he said softly: “See? 'Tis only I, Blue, fear not. 'Tis only I. Art thou alright?”

“I... y-yes.” Blueblood murmured, shivering a little and closing his eyes tightly, not wanting to admit how shaken he'd been by the awful dream. “I just... I thought that I'd... the nightmares, they weren't so bad at first but then... then... I...”

Sleipnir only gave the stallion a gentle shake, stopping him from stuttering away too much. “All is fine now, and the nightmares cannot reach thee here. Now come, I know what will calm thy mind best: polishing thy armor. There are few better ways to right thy head upon thy shoulders.”

Blueblood smiled awkwardly at this, looking up for a moment before he sighed and nodded briefly. He wasn't precisely thrilled with the idea... but ten minutes later, what he found himself hating even more was that he actually was calming down, the slow but steady movements Sleipnir had taught him to polish his armor with soothing him and giving him a sense of control.

They took their time polishing their equipment: Invidia showed up at some point, frowning at them both, but Blueblood didn't let the demon's presence bother or rush him. There was no talking, no complaining... just Sleipnir humming and occasionally singing quietly to himself in a language that sounded strange and ancient, and made Blueblood feel more and more certain that everything Sleipnir had said... was true.

Still, part of him didn't want to believe that... and those parts grew a little louder as he finished polishing his equipment and started to automatically slip it on, Blueblood hesitating before he said quietly: “Sleipnir, what... if you're truly so old, then can you tell me at all about how Equestria came to be formed? You must know the story.”

“Oh, no, I do not know any stories about that. I merely know the truth.” Sleipnir smiled, shrugging easily as he looked curiously over at Blueblood. “'Twas because the ponies came seeking new and better lands... they found wild Equestria, and sought to tame it. Powerful warlords created their own territories, which came to be known as baronies, and built fortified settlements to house their subjects and act as outposts in the wild, to push back against beast and monster.

“They were good days, though, for all that...” Sleipnir chuckled quietly, shaking his head slowly. “Aye, back then, my kind were known as nothing but 'slave hoof' or 'mudwalker,' but 'tis only a silly name. I confess that I rather like 'earth pony,' but that still is but a name. And... oh, what is this look upon thy face now?”

“You can't use words like that! That's awful!” Blueblood said disbelievingly, shaking his head violently. “Why, once I said that when I was a foal, before... before I really knew what it meant, and Auntie sent me to my room for three whole days and didn't let me leave the castle for a week after that! Why, she even made me walk around with Caxton, one of the earth pony servants!”

Sleipnir smiled amusedly at this, saying wryly: “What a funny nerve for a creature such as Celestia. I say this only because in the old days, 'twas Celestia who most often called me a slave hoof. Although she treated me rather like a pack mule. By which I mean no disrespect to such a profession, of course, but still. I am very pretty. 'Tis not a good use of my prettiness.”

Blueblood was surprised into laughing even as he looked at the stallion with amazement, and then he blushed a bit before Sleipnir smiled easily and shrugged. “Aye, perhaps 'tis strange to thee. But I fear that the Celestia I know must be very different from the Celestia thou does... for mine eldest sister is not merely a Valkyrie, but forged in blood and steel and pain. She has suffered much, and she schemes, and aches, and longs... but she is also passion, and rage, and love. And she would die to protect her world.”

“Auntie would do anything to protect Equestria, too...” Blueblood murmured, looking down before he shook his head quickly and gave an awkward smile. “Well, Sleipnir, I... I must say, all you've given me are more questions.”

“Good. Questions are what make life interesting. Thou cannot simply have answers, answers are boring and tedious things. But questions allow thee to wonder, imagine, and give thee the reason to search for answers. Answers are merely an ending, and endings are little fun.” Sleipnir said easily, smiling and shrugging.

“Sometimes answers are necessary. Are all that we have, and all that we long for. You are in no position to judge.” Invidia said with a strange, zealous fierceness, and Blueblood looked surprised as Sleipnir cocked his head curiously. But even as he began to turn towards the demon, her golden eyes had already changed from furious to warm and eager, asking quickly: “Are we ready to go? Prince Blueblood seems anxious to be off, and I know that you must long for the sun and warmth of day, gracious angel. I, too, admit that I dislike this place...”

“Horsia has not treated us too poorly as of yet... but aye, let us clean camp and then be off.” Sleipnir agreed after a moment, and Blueblood nodded in agreement even as his eyes roved uneasily down to Sleipnir's leg, studying him nervously.

He could tell that the stallion was still favoring the limb slightly, meaning it had to be something more than just a sprain or a twisted ankle: from what Blueblood had seen, the earth pony healed too fast for those things to bother him long, no matter how much he'd been irritating it. But Sleipnir wasn't letting an ounce of pain show on his face, and didn't ask for any help with the campsite... if anything, he went out of his way to try and do even more of the work than usual, and even offered to pick up the rest of the fragments of gold nugget for the prince.

Blueblood declined after a moment: the greedy part of him wanted to say yes, but he was worried about Sleipnir, too. Purely for his own interest, of course, not because he really... cared about him as a friend or anything: but if Sleipnir hurt himself too badly, then who was going to be here to protect him? Who would he have to... well...

Blueblood strapped on his equipment bags, hesitating only a moment before he asked finally: “Do you want me to carry your extra gear? It... I know one of your bags just has the rations and canteens, and I suppose that I could manage it...”

But Sleipnir only chuckled at this, shaking his head and replying kindly: “Nay, 'tis no problem, fear not. Besides, 'twould not be right. We must each carry our own burdens, Blue, that is all.”

“Well... it's just that... you seem to all too often carry mine, and... a prince should do what we can for the lowly peasants every now and then, as an act of charity, yes?” Blueblood asked after a moment, and Sleipnir gave the ivory unicorn an amused look before Blue cleared his throat as he put his helmet on, mumbling: “Oh, let's just go.”

Sleipnir only shrugged easily, but a few minutes later, they were off. Invidia remained strangely quiet as she walked behind the two, and Blueblood did his best to just ignore the demon. Sleipnir took the lead as several glowing balls of light floated around them... not that they were entirely necessary, they soon discovered.

It felt almost like they were entering an entirely different place: there were larger vaults and halls of stone, and torches and gemstone lanterns both glowed on the walls, their flames burning unnaturally high and bright. And Blueblood shivered as he realized there were more skeletons here and there... but it wasn't until they reached a great, grand hall that he truly realized that this place was no longer any kind of mine, but a deep, terrible tomb.

The hall was massive, but in complete ruin and disarray: ancient pillars had crumbled here and there, and one corner of the ceiling had caved in completely. A crumbled, black pit lay near the center of the room, surrounded by broken splinters of wood and brick; for some reason, it reminded Blueblood of a staring, hungry eye.

And here and there were broken weapons, broken sets of armor, and worst of all, broken bones and skeletons: it looked like some kind of terrible battle had taken place long ago here, and Blueblood shivered as he saw the skulls of Diamond Dogs, ponies, and... some horrible, huge thing that he couldn't identity. Sleipnir frowned at this last, then strode over to inspect it cautiously before he muttered: “'Twas a troll. Whoever these beasts were... they had a cave troll.”

“That is... bad, I take it?” Blueblood asked dubiously, and then he stared in horror when Sleipnir calmly picked up another skull, the prince whimpering before he blurted: “Put that down! Sleipnir, you can't just touch things like that!”

“Oh, shush. 'Tis neither defilement nor worship. Bones are merely bones, young Blue, as a tree is merely a tree and a rock is merely a rock. This soul has long returned to nature.” Sleipnir said almost crossly, and Blueblood winced and shrank down a bit before the earth pony sighed and added gently: “And I apologize to thee for my rudeness, 'twas not necessary. The journey... wears on me, that is all. Invidia, thou art right, I need to see lovely Mother Nature again.”

The demon smiled silently from where she was standing... away from the corpses, Blueblood noted. In fact, she had already crossed to the other side of the room, waiting nervously in front of a shattered set of wooden doors, looking as if she was anxious to hurry onwards.

But she didn't say anything, and Sleipnir returned his attention to the skull, checking it over before he finally gently put it down and sighed. “Goblin.”

“Goblin?” Blueblood asked dumbly, and then he frowned a little, shaking his head and scoffing: “Goblins... no, that's silly! There haven't been goblins in Equestria for five hundred years!”

Sleipnir only gave an amused smile to the prince, then he said softly: “And these bones, perhaps, are roughly that age, aye. But goblins need eat little and breed as rabbits, and they all too oft infest the dark places of the world. Nay, keep thine eyes open. I fear we may taste combat yet.”

Blueblood shivered a little at this, and Sleipnir looked thoughtfully around before he suddenly smiled, striding over and murmuring: “And well... Blue, come hence. We may have found something thou can put to use.”

The prince twitched a bit, looking uneasily at Sleipnir before he sighed tiredly... then shivered in horror as Sleipnir calmly reached out and yanked something free from a skeleton, which crumbled away into dust. The white stallion began to open his mouth, but then he only stared when Sleipnir turned and offered him the sword he had drawn free.

It was ancient, that much was clear, but it looked surprisingly... well, maybe clean wasn't the right word. But in spite of the dust and grime that covered it, the blade held a silver gleam, and only the outer covering on the hilt had decayed away into nothing, although there was something... mossy and greasy growing along the top of the handle.

Blueblood uncomfortably took it with telekinesis, keeping it at a foreleg's length from him, and Sleipnir smiled before he said warmly: “We are fortunate indeed to find such a weapon here in the depths of Horsia, but I suppose many have not come this far... 'tis such a wild labyrinth I must admit I am surprised we have found our way to this depth at all. But this is very similar to dwarven craft: does thou know of the Nibelung on this world? Or does thou think this was the masterwork of a pony smith of great skill?”

“I uh. I do not know, Sleipnir, I... what am I doing with this?” Blueblood asked nervously. Sleipnir only responded with an amused look, and the ivory stallion winced at everything that implied. “No. No, no, no. No. I... Sleipnir, this is... I'm not a warrior! This is... Auntie would kill me if she found out that I even touched a real weapon!”

“Then do not think of it as a weapon, Blueblood, or an object to cause harm or kill. Because 'tis not.” Sleipnir smiled, and Blueblood scowled before the giant stallion said gently: “'Tis only a tool. And it is what thou does with it that determines what 'tis. Thou can use it to strike at those who offend thee, certainly... or thou can wield it to protect and defend both thyself and others. Never forget, the responsibility does not lie in the weapon. It lies within thine own self.”

Sleipnir reached up and gently tapped Blueblood's breast with one hoof, and the young prince frowned uneasily before he bit his lip and lowered his head. Silently, he brought the sword a little closer, studying it... and then the earth stallion chuckled before adding jovially: “Besides, 'tis truly an exceptional blade! Why, look how well it has held up... it must be made of silvered steel, and crafted with love and promise. And thou can clearly see it still holds an edge to it, even after all these years buried in the earth. Fear it not as a weapon, but admire it for its fine craft.”

Blueblood hesitantly nodded: it would probably be a pretty sword with all the muck wiped off, although he didn't really know enough about weapons or forging to be able to do more than take Sleipnir's word about how exceptional it was. And as if the earth pony had read his mind, Sleipnir said easily: “Well, we have walked for at least... I would say four, almost five hours. Aye, let us break briefly, and we shall clean thy sword and rest for a moment.”

The ivory unicorn looked up in surprise, asking: “Has it really been five hours? I... it just feels like it's been much shorter than that...”

“Aye, it has been. But thou wert also surprised at how fast time passed on the roads while journeying, were thou not?” Sleipnir pointed out, and Blueblood nodded hesitantly. “'Tis much the same. When one is able to simply concentrate on the journey, the journey is always that much faster.”

Blueblood didn't really know how to argue with this: well, he didn't think that he could argue with it, as a matter of fact. So he finally sighed and sat back, lowering the sword into his front hooves and frowning in surprise at the weight of it... but it felt so light when I used my magic...

Sleipnir gave the unicorn an interested look, but he resisted from saying anything: instead, he simply began to shrug off his equipment satchels-

“No. This is not right.”

Blueblood and Sleipnir both looked up in surprise at Invidia, who was shivering a little as she looked uneasily back and forth before the demon stepped slowly back through the broken doors. She seemed almost... panicked as her golden eyes darted back and forth, before she whispered: “Death is all around you both. Death is everywhere, all these bodies, these corpses... the dead are everywhere. You cannot... you should leave. Immediately. Leave with me, please, let's keep going... please...”

“Invidia... they... look, they are nothing but husks. That is all.” Sleipnir said gently, gesturing towards one of the skeletons. And Blueblood grimaced a bit as he looked nervously at a pile of bones nearby, but... trying to think of it the way Sleipnir did – and the fact that they were so old, and nothing but skeletons – made it easier to deal with, even if Invidia's words sent a stir of fear through his heart.

“Yes. Yes, they are... they are awful. They are awful and terrible and we must leave, for these husks... what if these husks still have some sentience in them? What if their spirits remain here, trapped... what if...” Invidia trembled violently, and then she whispered: “Please. P-Please.”

Sleipnir frowned uneasily, and then he hesitated before saying gently: “Invidia, thou should go ahead and scout. Blueblood and I will be but a few moments, and in spite of the fact this was once a battlefield, 'tis also safe. If there are enemies, they shan't be able to ambush us with ease here, and there is plenty of light, even without thy magic.”

The earth pony gestured at the torches that fumed and burned here and there along the walls, and Invidia narrowed her golden eyes dangerously before an almost sly look appeared on her face for a moment. And then she suddenly cried out, pointing and shouting: “Look! Look, I warned you!”

Blueblood's eyes widened in horror as a skeleton of a pony shivered before awkwardly rising up to its hooves, and the unicorn reared back in shock, dropping his sword and almost scrambling over it as his breath caught in his throat, beginning to open his mouth-

Sleipnir's hoof settled gently on his shoulder, and the unicorn looked up with disbelief at the earth pony, who looked fearless... and disappointed. His eyes were sad as he gazed at the shambling skeleton, and then he sighed before saying quietly: “Invidia, do not puppet the dead so. Come now, thou art better than this.”

The demon flushed deeply, and the skeleton came to a creaky halt before shivering, then simply collapsing into a brittle pile of broken bones and dust. Blueblood shivered and reared away at this, and Invidia stared silently, almost desperately at the two stallions for a few moments before she suddenly snarled, then screamed: “Then let's see you both just crawl out of this hellhole on your own!”

And with that, Invidia vanished in a whirl of smoke as the wisps she had created sizzled out one after the other, leaving them bathed only in the dancing light of the torches. Sleipnir sighed softly again as Blueblood looked back and forth, swallowing thickly, before the earth pony said finally: “Fear not. She will return, and with either apologies or... simple longing, I know not which.”

“Are... are all demons like that?” Blueblood asked after a moment, reaching up to rub at his helmeted head slowly, and Sleipnir simply chuckled. “Emotional...”

“Demons are emotion, my friend. Emotion is what drives them, not sin nor evil. Only emotion, and primal instinct. But the demons of this world are cut off from Helheim and from each other, it seems, meaning they never learn to control themselves...” Sleipnir halted, then he shook his head slowly, saying softly: “But I have a strange feeling that she has a role to play yet. We should not judge her, nor make moves against her. We must be kind to her.”

“I don't see why.” Blueblood mumbled, even though he realized immediately how childish that sounded. Still, it was also true: Invidia terrified him still, and she was always either crawling all over Sleipnir or lashing out at him viciously. And she was probably the only mare that Blueblood had ever seen Sleipnir turn away instead of indulging.

The enormous earth pony seemed to recognize that he didn't even have to answer the young prince, however, only smiling and picking up the sword from where it had fallen. “Let us focus on better things now, shall we?”

Blueblood nodded and gave a lame smile as Sleipnir began to ramble away about swords and shields and all these silly warrior things that Blueblood didn't pretend to entirely understand. He just followed the larger stallion's instructions to clean the sword... then to do his best to sharpen the blade when Sleipnir gave him a round stone and a little bit of oil, although the unicorn didn't think he really managed much more than making noise.

Still, when he was done, the sword gleamed and looked... well, better. Not new, but better: the handle was threadbare and had odd ridges on it, but Sleipnir promised to help replace that once they found a proper forge. And he also said he'd make a decent sheath for it.

For now, Blueblood would just have to carry it... although the prince found he had a childish sort of fascination with the weapon as he and Sleipnir began to make their way forwards, the unicorn swinging it absently back and forth to test its weight, then raising it proudly in front of himself. It really was an elegant blade... suiting for a prince like him, he thought.

Blueblood's own thoughts surprised him into a laugh: for once, he hadn't been serious. Had he actually been teasing himself about his own silly nobility? And then he blushed as he realized that Sleipnir was only looking at him curiously, before the ivory unicorn cleared his throat and turned his eyes ahead, mumbling: “Just... thinking. That is all.”

“Thinking funny thoughts, I see.” Sleipnir remarked, smiling slightly. Blueblood expected some teasing or another question... but then the two stallions stepped out of a narrow corridor and into a massive, immense... Blueblood didn't even know what you'd call it. It was like a cavern, the walls so far away they were hidden in shadow, but a hall formed between pairs of immense, tower-sized stone pillars in front of them, leading onwards into the invisible distance.

A few of these had collapsed, and others were cracked, but some still stood proud and whole. Blueblood followed one up towards the ceiling, and then winced as he saw it vanished into nothing but darkness. They were enclosed by shadow on almost all sides here; only the braziers and massive beacons hanging from the pillars provided light, with their unnatural, ever-burning flame...

Sleipnir looked back and forth... and then his eyes narrowed before he suddenly stiffened... and mentally swore as he felt his bad leg almost buckle beneath him. All this walking had slowed his healing, and when it wasn't hurting, it was numb... which meant he kept stomping on things or kicking things or further irritating it without even realizing it...

So this was the worst possible time for them to have to run, but the stallion already knew that they were going to shortly be left without a choice. His ears twitched as he heard them moving in, while his eyes flicked back and forth as he saw shadows dance and shift...

“Blue. Ready thyself. We are going to have to move quickly.” the stallion said quietly, and Blueblood frowned at the earth pony before Sleipnir gritted his teeth and said sharply: “No time! Run!”

Blueblood blinked, then stared as Sleipnir leapt past him, charging between the pillars. The unicorn stood dumbly for a moment... and then he looked blankly over his shoulder as he heard a sound, like howling wind, like... like...

His eyes widened in horror at the hideous things he saw swarming down the wall and out of the darkness, their eyes glassy and animal, their limbs long and gangly and their bodies so thin and disgusting and like nothing-

“Blueblood!” Sleipnir shouted from where he had halted ahead, and the unicorn spun around before bolting, his sword bobbing wildly through the air beside him as he howled in pure terror. He caught up to the earth pony in a matter of moments, Sleipnir watching dumbly as Blueblood shot past before the earth pony hurriedly spun around and followed the unicorn.

He swore under his breath, doing his best not to limp as he ground his teeth together, but his pace was still slow, abysmally slow compared to what he was used to. He felt his leg shuddering and tensing beneath him, useful as a block of wood as Blueblood yelled incoherently and simply ran even as the horde of goblins converged on them from all sides, shrieking and crying and tripping each other up in their eagerness to get their claws into fresh meat.

Then Sleipnir winced as his sharp eyes looked ahead past the panicking unicorn, and he swore under his breath before yelling a warning: but it was either too late or Blueblood was just unable to process what was going on, the unicorn stumbling stupidly once down a sudden drop before he tripped and went falling over the edge-

Sleipnir tackled Blueblood out of the air before he forced them to flip forwards, crashing down on his upper back with a grunt of pain before he clenched his eyes shut as there was a second sharp bite of agony through his body. He breathed harshly in and out as Blueblood trembled on top of him, and then the unicorn picked himself quickly up as he looked stupidly back and forth.

They had fallen down on top of a broken chunk of... he wasn't even sure. Maybe once a balcony, now just an island, standing on a listing pillar of stone in middle of a vast chasm dotted with half-collapsed stairs and free-standing arches and ruins.

He breathed quietly in and out, then trembled and looked sharply up as he heard the screams of the beasts as they continued to close in on them, the unicorn scrambling off Sleipnir as he began: “We... we have to get moving, those things are coming and...”

Blueblood turned, and his breath caught in his throat as he stared weakly at the earth pony, who was breathing hard on his back, one hoof clutching Blueblood's sword... which was buried through his body, just above one of his hind legs. The unicorn paled, stumbling backwards and shaking his head weakly before he dropped onto his rump. All he could do was stare and whimper in disbelief as his whole body went numb, until Sleipnir opened his eyes... and then smiled.

“Now, now, 'tis... 'tis just a prick, worry not. I merely...” Sleipnir took a slow breath... and then Blueblood stared, a low moan catching in his throat as the earth pony slowly but surely yanked the sword out of his body, then tossed the bloody weapon to the side as he shivered a little. “'Tis my fault for not keeping an open eye. Now... now come, Blue. We... we must get out of here.”

“S-S-Sleipnir...” Blueblood whimpered... and then he looked over his shoulder with a shriek when a goblin suddenly leapt down and hit the edge of the platform, scrabbling at it wildly before falling into the chasm with a scream.

“Damned... monsters. Come, come! Up, up on thy hooves!” Sleipnir urged sharply, the earth pony rolling slowly over and forcing himself to stand even as he clutched at the bloody wound in his body. Blueblood stood as well, mostly on parroting reflex as he looked at Sleipnir with glassy eyes, but all the same the earth pony nodded encouragingly, rasping: “Good. Good! Now come, we have to...”

Sleipnir winced as several more goblins leapt down, one of them missing, one smashing into the edge of the platform, but one lucky beast landing on the edge, spasming wildly and still stunned by its own rough landing. Blueblood flung himself away with a yell of terror, landing on the other side of the balcony near Sleipnir... and then he fell over as the unstable island of stone groaned and listed, the pillar of stone it stood on cracking loudly.

“Oh damnation.” Sleipnir mumbled, and then he looked quickly over his shoulder before gritting his teeth and reaching out, wrapping one foreleg tightly around Blueblood before he snatched up the sword with his other hoof as the island began to tip.

The goblin scrabbled up to a crouch as several other goblins leapt from the cliff's edge above, but only one managed to hit the platform... and its body smacking like a cannonball against the edge of the listing island was what finally made it tip backwards. It sent the sole goblin on the balcony diving towards them, the creature squealing and clawing out wildly, but Sleipnir simply headbutted the creature to the side like it was nothing more than a ball before he shouted: “Hold on!”

Blueblood screamed as the platform fell backwards, Sleipnir gritting his teeth as he skidded towards the edge before he kicked hard off it at the last moment. And as the platform crashed down into the chasm below, Sleipnir slammed down on broken set of stone stairs, Blueblood yelping as his whole body shook with the impact before he screamed again as this next platform began to fall.

But Sleipnir only sharply checked over his shoulder before he spun around, leaping towards the end of the steps before kicking off them just as they began to crumble, the broken stairs collapsing into ruin behind him.

He landed on another outcropping, then swore as the island of stone shattered beneath him and sent him skidding down a slope of jagged rock. He gritted his teeth as Blueblood continued to scream in terror, before Sleipnir roared as he kicked off at the last moment, hurtling through air towards a low plateau...

His eyes widened as he realized it was too far, that he was going to fall short... and without a moment's hesitation, he leaned forwards, cursing and flinging Blueblood through the air like a cannonball, the unicorn shrieking before he hit the ground hard on his side, skidding backwards... and then shouting in denial as Sleipnir fell past the cliff. And then... he was gone.

Blueblood trembled, one hoof stretched out towards his fallen friend, his mouth working slowly before he rolled onto his stomach as he whimpered loudly. He felt tears spilling down his cheeks, heard the screams and shrieks of the goblins in the distance and... none of it mattered. He didn't care as he crawled slowly forwards, chest heaving, sick to his stomach as he whispered: “No, no, n-no, Sleipnir... Sleipnir! Sleipnir!”

Blueblood threw his head back and howled the stallion's name, eyes clenched shut, tears rolling down his cheeks... and then they snapped open as a tired voice mumbled: “Aye, Blue?”

The unicorn looked back ahead, then rushed to the edge of the cliff, nearly falling over it as he dropped flat on his stomach and stared down... and there was Sleipnir, dangling from the hilt of the silver sword he'd managed to bury through the stone by one hoof, the earth pony looking up with a faint smile as he asked quietly: “Now what is this? Why art thou so sad, friend?”

“You... you... you asshole!” Blueblood shouted, and Sleipnir only shrugged slowly before he held a foreleg up, breathing slowly. And Blueblood grimaced, but then reached down and grasped it... and shivered as Sleipnir groaned in pain, unable to hide his pain this time as the unicorn slowly began to pull him upwards as the earth pony did his best to push himself up the cliff with his hind legs, rasping for breath and trembling until he was able to sharply reach up and catch the edge of the cliff with his good leg.

Blueblood fell backwards on his rump as Sleipnir slowly crawled up over the edge, then smiled briefly at the stallion. And then he stepped forwards and tightly embraced the prince, the ivory unicorn trembling for a moment before he gritted his teeth and clenched his eyes shut, burying himself against his friend as he fiercely hugged him back, his whole body shaking as he whispered: “I'm... I'm so glad that you're okay. I need you.”

“Fear not, Blue. 'Twould not be right of me to die upon this quest and leave thee alone. We have much work still to do, after all, and I did make an oath to return thee safe and sound to thy aunt when all is said and done.” Sleipnir said kindly, and Blueblood laughed a little before the earth pony grimaced over his shoulder. “But the goblins will have our scent now... wretched, miserable things. I wish to say they must be mad, but 'tis simpler than that. They are only wild beasts now.”

Blueblood shivered a bit, and then Sleipnir said finally: “Retrieve thy sword. It may take some wiggling, but thou can do it. And then we shall... try and find a way out of this place, where we may rest. Damnation, Blue, I can smell the clean air, but... we have plummeted off course.”

Sleipnir absently reached up and touched the wound in his stomach, and Blueblood swallowed thickly as he asked worriedly: “But... but what about...”

“Oh, it looks worse than it is, fear not. It did not pierce through and through, and it did not strike any organs, methinks... I do not know if we have been fortunate or ill-fated here in Horsia. I suppose I shan't until we make it to the end of this path, either.” Sleipnir said wryly, touching the wound gingerly... and Blueblood couldn't help but stare at the fact it looked like it had already sealed closed. How... how is that possible? Unless he really is...

Sleipnir rubbed moodily at the wound again, and then he shook his head and muttered: “But aye, we shall have to find a safe place to rest. I am weakened and we must replenish ourselves whilst we have the chance. For I have no doubts the beasts will follow us.”

The young stallion nodded fearfully, and then he swallowed a bit before heading back to the edge of the cliff, leaning over it and concentrating on the sword. With a little bit of effort, he was eventually able to yank it slowly backwards and free, and he shivered a bit as he studied it before turning around and silently approaching Sleipnir and offering it to the earth pony, looking down as he whispered: “I do not deserve this. I... I am not a warrior.”

“Aye, I know, I know. Thou art a prince. But even a prince can learn to use such a tool, and to wield it well.” Sleipnir said gently, and then he gently pushed the blade back towards Blueblood when it floated towards him, smiling. “Nay. Carry it with thee. Do not be ashamed of what is not thy fault. There is no time to discuss this, anyway. I fear that I will be traveling slow.”

Blueblood hesitated, but then nodded and carefully shifted the sword away, carrying it at his side, as far away from Sleipnir as he could manage. The earth pony only looked at him with amusement for a moment, however, before he shrugged and turned, beginning to limp slowly forwards as he murmured: “Come, then, friend. 'Tis time for us to move on.”

The young prince nodded, then turned to follow Sleipnir across the desolate plateau they had fallen to. There was little light here, but flames visible in the distance, and with no other hints about where to go, the stallions focused on walking towards this.

Blueblood offered to try his light spell, but Sleipnir murmured that it was fine: they were walking slow, and there was enough reflected light they could watch their footing. Besides, he was worried that the light would draw the attention of the goblins: he could still hear the monsters screaming and howling in the distance.

After an hour, they reached the bonfire they had been walking towards: they burned and danced in a massive metal bowl, and Sleipnir inspected this quietly before his eyes roved towards the archway that the enormous fire seemed almost to be standing guard over.

The earth pony's eyes roved towards the splintered remains of the door, and then he grimaced a bit and hugged his stomach, lowering his head. He was low on energy, in pain, and his stomach had an ugly bruise spreading through it. His wound was leaking a little, too... too much irritation, too much movement.

He closed his eyes, bowing his head forwards before he cleared his throat, and Blueblood looked over at him uneasily before Sleipnir said quietly:”If thou hast the energy, thou shall have to light the way. We will find a decent place to rest inside.”

Blueblood nodded nervously, then he bit his lip before quickly stepping ahead of Sleipnir when the earth pony started to limp forwards. “I'll take the lead. I... I should anyway, if I'm going to be lighting the way. That's all.”

Sleipnir smiled briefly, then he dropped his head forwards in acknowledgment, and the unicorn shifted a bit before he turned back forwards as his horn glowed brightly. Light immediately washed out down the tunnel... and Blueblood shivered in horror at what he saw, his eyes widening as he froze up for a moment.

The walls of the tunnel were lined with skeletons, many of them covered in cobwebs and dust, laying amidst a mess of broken equipment and rusted weapons and tattered clothing. Blueblood shivered at the sight... but then he gritted his teeth and forced himself to stride forwards before Sleipnir could either prompt him or try and take on the lead, the ivory stallion whispering: “W-Watch... watch your step here.”

“Aye.” Sleipnir agreed, looking back and forth and frowning a bit. Countless corpses... and were they descending deeper into the earth? Yes, he thought they were... and it was getting warmer, too. But not in a good way: in a way that made his skin crawl, that felt sickly and feverish...

Still, they pressed onwards, until they passed through a set of doors that had been smashed open and entered another collapsed room. Furniture had likely once been stacked in a barricade against one door, but it had long been smashed to pieces and the rest had decayed into piles on either side of the archway. Something big had come through here... but Sleipnir could have guessed that from the state of the smashed skeletons and the stomp-marks here and there in the floor anyway.

Sleipnir shivered a little, and Blueblood looked over his shoulder at him worriedly, but the earth pony shook his head before looking uneasily between the archways. There were a few possible paths to take, but the stallion's instincts pointed to the right... so finally, he murmured: “There.”

They headed through the crumbled barricade and onwards into a deeper maze of passages, until they emerged onto a high cliff in another massive, empty cavern. There was a ramping ledge that led downwards into darkness on one side, but Sleipnir turned away from it, instead studying the area they were in.

Yes, it would do: it was wide enough they could rest a distance from the edge, and there was the crumbled remains of a guard tower sprawled in ruined recline over the clifftop. Sleipnir gave a small smile before he sat down in the middle of the plateau and lowered his head, murmuring: “Here, Blue. This will be fine enough to rest for a few hours.”

Blueblood nodded quickly, looking nervously over at Sleipnir as the earth pony shrugged off his saddlebags. He began to dig through them before pulling out his blanket and stepping onto this, and Blueblood bit his lip before saying finally: “Here.”

The earth pony looked up as Blueblood quickly took off his saddlebags, and then he pulled out his sleeping roll. He unfurled it and laid it out beside the earth pony before saying awkwardly: “You... need it more than I do.”

“Oh, nay, I could not-” Sleipnir began, and then he smiled a bit when Blueblood glared at him angrily. “Oh, fine. I know that look. Thou... thou hast my thanks, Blue. But when we switch off guard duty, thou shall rest here.”

“I...” Blueblood bit his lip, then he shook his head quickly, and Sleipnir frowned a little before the unicorn said quietly: “I know that rest is important, but... you're injured. I'm... I don't need sleep right now. I can sleep when we get out of here. But you do.”

Sleipnir began to open his mouth, but Blueblood held up his hooves, shaking his head quickly. And after a few moments, Sleipnir sighed before shrugging and saying wryly: “Very well. By the Gods, allow thee to walk ahead of us for a few moments and now thou art acting like the All Father.”

Blueblood dropped his head in embarrassment, and Sleipnir softened a little before he touched his side, murmuring: “I apologize, I am... foul in mind and mood. I dislike burdening thee, Blueblood, but... well, all the same I must ask for thy aid.”

The unicorn laughed a little at this, saying softly: “I don't like saying this, Sleipnir, but... even if you're nothing but a filthy peasant, I know that I've been... I've been much more of a burden on you. I've... always been a burden, on everypony. I don't even know why Auntie put up with me anymore, now that I'm not... now that I realize that I... I am no prince.”

Blueblood's eyes shifted away, and Sleipnir chuckled quietly before he murmured: “Nay, thou art not a prince, but I know in time thou shall make a fine jarl all the same. Prince is... a stuffy title, for a stuffy pony. Thou art my friend, and one I am proud to have, and I would much better have my friend Blue than waste my time with stuffy Prince Blueblood any day.”

The unicorn blushed a bit as he looked up warmly, rubbing awkwardly at his face before Sleipnir closed his eyes and let himself sink down into the bedroll. He breathed slowly in and out before gesturing slowly towards his satchels with one hoof, murmuring: “The herbs we gathered are kept in a small sack. Find them. I shall teach thee to make a mending poultice.”

Blueblood nodded quickly, striding forwards and digging out the sack. As he sorted through the deep saddlebag, he also found a medical kit that he pulled out, although Sleipnir opened one eye and frowned a little at this, saying grumpily: “Nay, nay, I am not that direly injured and 'twould be better saved if something were to happen to thee.”

“Quiet.” Blueblood muttered, then he halted before asking lamely: “Well, first tell me how to make this poultice. Then just... shut up.”

Sleipnir smiled wryly despite himself: Blueblood had to dig out a few more things from the stallion's bag, but it only took him twenty minutes to crush up the herbs and mix them together with just a touch of water, eventually creating a greenish mush. He studied this curiously, and then Sleipnir instructed him to check his wound while the mush was allowed to sit for a few minutes.

The wound was still bleeding a bit, and Sleipnir scowled at the sight of it before saying moodily: “Blue, thou shall have to stitch it closed.”

The thought alone almost made Blueblood vomit, but Sleipnir reassured him as much as possible. And finally, the unicorn found himself trembling and staring at this small but deep wound, wheezing for breath as a string and needle floated in front of him, Sleipnir on his side and with his leg raised as he mumbled: “At least thou art a unicorn. And if thou misses with the needle, for my Father's sake do not pierce my pride. No matter how large a target it may be.”

“Oh, ha ha.” Blueblood winced and averted his eyes with distaste before he almost closed them, whimpering a little as he stabbed the needle down... and missed the wound completely, Sleipnir's eyes bulging as he kicked one leg out.

After a few failed attempts, Blueblood finally managed to do a half-decent job of sewing the wound shut. Sleipnir was almost in tears by then, which made Blueblood feel horribly awkward, but the earth pony only mumbled about needles before he wheezed: “Now, the poultice. It should be a paste, aye?”

It was indeed, and there was more than an ample supply of it. Blueblood was able to carefully spread this over the sewn-shut wound before he applied a bandage, and Sleipnir relaxed immediately before he mumbled: “Good. Use the rest on thine own scrapes and bruises. It will accelerate their healing and soothe the nerves and muscles.”

Blueblood picked the bowl up, then looked down at himself: he ached, certainly. He had accumulated more bumps and bruises in the last day or so than he had over his entire life from their wild escape... and yet...

Sleipnir frowned a bit as he felt something grasp his bad leg, and then he looked up in surprise as Blueblood spread the salve over this. The earth pony stared up at Blueblood, but the prince only smiled a little before he shrugged silently.

And after a moment, Sleipnir smiled gratefully before he closed his eyes and laid his head down, feeling a stirring of warmth and pride deep in his chest. Yes, all Blue needed was a little guidance, and a little friendship, and he would become a truly great stallion.

Sleipnir only hoped that he would still be here to see it.

Shadow Of Fire

Chapter Thirteen: Shadow Of Fire
~BlackRoseRaven

Sleipnir slept for a good six hours, and when he awoke, the poultice had done its job and helped heal the worst of the damage to his body. His leg was still achy, but even he couldn't heal a fracture that fast: he would just have to hold out until they could escape Horsia, and then he could relax for a few days and mend the rest of his injuries.

Blueblood was a little tired, but otherwise surprisingly awake. He had loosened up over the long... well, he'd lost track of what time it was. All he knew was that he felt better, and most of his strength had come back... and besides, he was used to staying up for several nights in a row thanks to his nightmares.

They put out the fire, polished their armor, and then readied their equipment before heading towards the narrow path that led deeper into darkness. Sleipnir was surprised that Invidia hadn't shown back up, but Blueblood was honestly a little relieved: whether or not the demon was useful and claimed they were her best friends, he had this strange, uncomfortable worry that while Sleipnir was incapacitated and vulnerable, she might have tried to hurt the earth pony.

They walked for a few hours in quiet: the path down to the floor of this massive cavern had been dangerously-thin at points, but otherwise stable, and their journey across the deep chasm was mostly uneventful.

That was, until they found themselves at the base of a jagged slope, where ancient mining tools had been left scattered and rusting. As they began to climb it, Blueblood accidentally dislodged a rock and knocked it rolling down the hill to clang violently against a minecart... and only moments later, as the unicorn stared over his shoulder in horror and Sleipnir grimaced, screaming rose up all around them, echoing out of the hill itself.

A goblin burst out of a large hole in the slope near Sleipnir, turning around and skittering towards him with a shriek, and the stallion cursed before he simply slapped this away with one hoof, shouting: “Blue, 'tis time to run again!”

“Sorry!” Blueblood blurted, and then he winced when a goblin seemed to appear out of nowhere, leaping up the hill after him before the screaming thing leapt at him. On instinct, the unicorn kicked both hind legs out, smashing it in the face and knocking it flying in a bloody mess back down the hill... and then he gaped in horror as two more goblins immediately converged on their own bloody brother, clawing at him wildly before their jaws bit down-

Blueblood spun around and bolted, a look of pure horror on his face as he charged straight past Sleipnir, and the earth pony groaned and leapt quickly after the unicorn, noting wryly that Blueblood really was surprisingly fast and sure-hoofed when he wanted to be.

The two stallions leapt up to the top of the mound to land on a long, broken plateau, the ground ruptured and broken in places, but... yes, there was actual light shining down from above! And better yet, he could see a path up along the side of a cliff...

A yell from Blueblood drew Sleipnir's eyes back down, and then he gritted his teeth as he saw three goblins had yanked themselves out of one of the holes in the ground, his eyes narrowing before he simply lowered his head and bulled forwards. And Blueblood gaped, watching as Sleipnir simply smashed his way through the monsters before the earth pony roared: “Come! Keep moving, the exit must be above!”

Blueblood nodded quickly... then cried out in shock as something seized one of his ankles, stumbling into a painful fall flat on his face. And a moment later, something was on top of him, shrieking in his ear as it clawed wildly at his helm, Blueblood unable to do anything but scream in fear and shake himself as hard as he could.

There was a distinct crunch before the weight vanished from Blueblood's back, and the unicorn looked up to see Sleipnir standing over him, the earth pony grinning wryly before he said: “Well, I suppose it has been too long since I last pummeled something, in any case. Blue, hurry for the cliffs, I shall hold back our attackers and then join thee.”

“Are... will you be okay?” Blueblood asked, even as he crawled up to his hooves, and then he winced at Sleipnir's booming laugh.

“Oh come now, against these dregs? 'Tis almost an insult!” Sleipnir said cheerfully, gesturing quickly at the unicorn. “Nay, hurry onwards. I will be but a moment. And do not hesitate to defend thyself, for these beasts shan't hesitate to kill thee!”

Blueblood winced, wanting to argue, to stay... and then he paled as he saw a swarm of the beasts approaching, his eyes widening in horror before he turned and bolted for the path leading up along the cliffside. He tossed one wince back over his shoulder, watching as Sleipnir slowly but calmly backpedaled as he awaited the horde, and then the prince cursed under his breath and turned his eyes back forwards, trembling as he reached the base of the cliff.

He scrambled up onto a large stone step, then hauled himself up another jutting outcrop with a wince, cursing under his breath. As he began to climb a third large jut, a roar sounded from below, and he half-fell off the rock as he looked over his shoulder, staring in shock as some kind of massive monster smashed its way through the horde of goblins towards Sleipnir.

Not that the beasts relented at all, as the gray, hideous thing charged: if anything, the monster pushed them forwards all the faster, as if the greedy beasts thought they could escape with their prey before the lumbering behemoth could. And Sleipnir was fearless in the face of the assault, grinning widely before he roared his own challenge back at the beasts a moment before the first wave of goblins leapt hungrily for him.

A hoof swung out, punching a goblin with enough force to send it rocketing backwards, knocking more of the emaciated creatures flying like bowling pins even as Sleipnir ducked away to avoid several of the beasts. One rear leg kicked backwards as a creature tried to circle around, smashing its skull in as he swung a foreleg out in a wide sweep, and Blueblood gaped at the strength of the stallion as goblins were knocked flying like toys: sure, sometimes Sleipnir patted him a little too hard on the back, but even after his demonstration with the rockworm, Blueblood couldn't help but realize again and again how strong the giant earth pony was... and how much control he must have over his own strength to not kill ponies with his hoofshake alone.

A goblin leapt on top of the huge stallion, biting at his neck, but in a flash Sleipnir yanked it off and slammed it face-first into another, knocking them both out. He had enough time to smash another two away before the behemoth gray beast drew close enough to throw itself at the stallion, tusked maw roaring as it smashed goblins aside to try and tackle the earth pony-

Sleipnir's hoof slammed square into its face, and the behemoth was stopped dead, falling flat on its stomach with a tremendous thud. And before the stunned creature could recover, Sleipnir reached out with a grin and seized it by its tusks, saying cheerfully: “Pardon me, but I need thy equipment for a moment!”

The earth pony leaned back, and the beast grabbed wildly at the ground as it was dragged in a rough circle: it started slow, but rapidly began to pick up speed, until the beast was hefted off the ground as Sleipnir spun around and around with the monster held by the tusks, squealing in terror the whole time. Goblins were knocked shrieking and howling in all directions, the horde of beasts stumbling and shoving at each other wildly as they both attempted to retreat and push each other towards the earth pony, until Sleipnir gave a loud roar and twisted one hoof to snap a tusk off as he pitched outwards with the other.

The massive beast was sent hurtling through the air with a howl of misery, flipping head over heels before the enormous monster crashed loudly to the earth some twenty feet away, crushing a group of goblins. And Sleipnir was left laughing as he stumbled around to a halt, then grinned widely, holding up the creature's tusk and saying cheerfully: “Now, who is next?”

The remaining goblins stared at him... and then Sleipnir suddenly leapt forwards and roared loudly, the bellow echoing through the cave and sending the creatures scattering with screams of terror. Blueblood was left staring in disbelief from where he was perched on the cliffs, mouthing slowly at the sight and unable to process what had even just happened, even as Sleipnir turned around and waved the tusk cheerfully at him.

The earth pony tucked this away after a moment, then trotted easily to the base of the cliffs and simply hopped up the juts of stone like he was a foal at play, finally landing on the edge of the ramping path in front of Blueblood. He smiled cheerfully at him, and Blueblood continued to stare blankly at the earth pony before he winced when Sleipnir knocked a few times on his helm, saying kindly: “We should move quickly, young prince. When that troll awakens, 'twill be very angry with me. And the goblins will not stay away for long: cowards they may be, but they only ever retreat to find greater numbers so they may return in force and frenzy.”

Blueblood nodded dumbly, and then he shook himself quickly before shivering a little and asking the first thing that came to mind: “Did you have to keep that... bone?”

“'Tis a tusk. Which... well, aye, I suppose 'tis either a tooth or a bone. I know not which, really. Nor do I know the difference, they are the same color and texture and hurt most terribly when broken, after all... although a tooth is much more difficult to ignore. 'Tis a most terrible thing, a toothache. 'Tis worse than needles, and needles are awful, awful things.” Sleipnir rambled on, oblivious to the way Blueblood was gaping at him as the unicorn followed along. “What does thou think?”

“I... I think you're an idiot, Sleipnir.” Blueblood said finally, and the earth pony nodded amiably in agreement before the unicorn clenched his eyes shut and lowered his head with a groan. Then he grimaced a little, looking uneasily at the sword on his back they had secured with a simple strap for now. “Are... well... are you sure you don't want to take this?”

“Did we not just speak of teeth? My hooves must be free to pummel, after all, and that leaves only my mouth to grip that weapon. And lacking a proper grip as it is, 'twould almost certainly chip one of mine teeth. And then I would be most unhappy.” Sleipnir said blandly, and Blueblood sighed tiredly before the earth pony added softly: “Besides, I am not much of one for killing. Not even these beasts. They stir only pity in my heart.”

Blueblood couldn't help but reflect a little as they made their way slowly but steadily up the cliffside, studying the stallion's back. He was tempted to ask about that... but then again, he'd understood from the start that Sleipnir was eccentric, and had his own strange code of honor that Blueblood didn't yet entirely get. But he thought maybe one day, he might actually start to understand the stallion... maybe.

As they neared the top of the cliffs, however, shrieks rang out again across the cavern... and Sleipnir grimaced as the sound steadily began to grow, like a tidal wave was moving towards them. And Blueblood trembled as he dared to look down into the dimly-lit darkness before his eyes widened in horror, as he realized that oh yes, there was indeed a flood rushing towards them: a great wave of a thousand screaming beasts that wouldn't break against the cliffs, but scale them as quickly as they spread across the earth below, ever chasing them, hungry, greedy, eager to consume-

“Run!” This time, Blueblood didn't hesitate at Sleipnir's order, racing after the earth pony. The prince winced as he stumbled on a narrow twist in the path, kicking several loose stones down into the abyss, but he quickly caught himself and looked up to see Sleipnir waiting for him at the top of the stairs that had been hewn into the rock, the earth pony shouting: “There is light ahead! We have nearly escaped, Blue, come!”

Blueblood scrambled up the steps, tripping and swearing along the rugged stone before Sleipnir half-caught him and yanked him up the last few stairs to the top of the cliff. And yes, Blueblood could see light, actual, real light in the far distance... but he could also hear the screams of the goblins drawing closer, and it felt like there was such a long way to run-

Sleipnir yanked him forwards, and Blueblood was sprinting before he even realized it, the two charging along the wide plateau. The prince heard the goblins shrieking, heard the thunder of a hundred claws on every side of them, and he began to look around... but Sleipnir immediately snapped: “Do not look back! Keep thy gaze ahead, and run! Run, 'tis our-”

Sleipnir was cut off by a thunderous, terrible boom, and both of the stallions stumbled to a halt as the world went dead silent around them. Something in that sound turned Blue's blood to ice... and even Sleipnir had stiffened up, his ears twisting back and forth, his head raised high as he stared back over his shoulder.

There was another massive, pealing boom, more terrible than a bell, deeper than the crash of rock, and the bestial goblins that had begun to swarm in all around them stopped dead. And then the sound came again, a third time, and the goblins screamed and shrieked before they scattered in all directions with howls of terror.

Blueblood didn't have to be told that was not a good sign, as that sound came again: his whole body quaked as he looked back and forth fearfully at the fleeing creatures, while Sleipnir gritted his teeth and muttered: “'Tis like drums... drums in the deep. And this feeling, the flames we have seen, dancing eternally and yet devoid of life... it can mean but one thing.”

Sleipnir swore, and Blueblood looked at him fearfully before the earth pony said sharply: “Come, run, and do not halt no matter what thou sees!”

Blueblood nodded with a tremble, and then he and Sleipnir began to sprint again: but this time, the unicorn noticed that the earth pony kept looking around, and he was keeping himself almost uncomfortably close to the unicorn's side. It only made Blueblood all the more worried as they sprinted down the plateau, passing between several enormous stone pillars towards a chasm that was the final barrier between them and what looked like a straight shot to freedom...

Yet Blueblood's head and heart pounded with growing panic as the awful drums steadily beat louder and louder, seeming to shake reality around them with their power. But Sleipnir kept him going, kept him feeling like there was hope, even as they approached the wide breach that gaped between them and safety...

And then there was a terrible blast of heat and light and sound that drowned everything out, knocking the two stallions staggering forwards before they both half-turned, Blueblood staring in utter horror at the massive, dancing wall of flames that had burst into life behind them. It didn't just cut off their retreat, but seemed almost like it was alive as it twisted and churned, roared and flared, and... and were those eyes staring out of the hellfire at them?

“This foe is beyond thou, Blueblood! Run, run onwards!” roared Sleipnir, grabbing the unicorn and shoving him forwards towards the edge of the trench. “Head for that pillar, there!”

Blueblood looked over his shoulder, his eyes locking on a large, leaning tower of stone near the edge of the fissure before he opened his mouth: he didn't know if he was going to argue or scream or just start crying, but then the wall of flames twisted on itself, drawing inwards and transforming into a hulking, monstrous entity. It glared down at them with eyes that burned like Hell itself, head wreathed in flames and crowned with mighty horns, massive wings flowing out behind it like the cape of a tyrant king. Its claws flexed eagerly as its huge body thrummed with power; and yet for all its hulking solidity, there was something insubstantial about it...

And then it leaned forwards and roared, and Sleipnir stumbled backwards as Blueblood shrieked in terror before spinning and bolting for the pillar that the stallion had indicated. Sleipnir himself began to back slowly up, grinning widely as the immense demon loomed forwards, raising one of its claws before an enormous cleaver-sword formed in its grip, edged with slag and dancing with embers and red lightning.

The demon slashed this blade down, but Sleipnir slipped easily backwards out of the way of the weapon, wincing only slightly at the flash of flames that went up when it hit the rocky earth. “I fear I do not have time to play with thee and thine today; besides, should thou not sleep? Let go, flames, and rest! Return to earth, and free thyself of the bitter rule of the barren ashes!”

The demon roared in response, then lunged forwards and slashed its sword down again, but Sleipnir dodged swiftly to the side before he slammed a hoof viciously down into the rock, shattering the stone floor before he swept up a hoof full of gravel and shale and flung this upwards.

Dust, dirt and shale hammered into the demon's face, making it snarl in surprise as it rubbed convulsively at its eyes, and Sleipnir immediately spun around and sprinted away, swearing under his breath. He ran straight past Blueblood, almost knocking the unicorn over before the prince was left gaping as Sleipnir suddenly twisted himself and slammed bodily into the stone pillar, sending it tottering forwards before it fell with a tremendous groan.

The other end smashed down on the other side of the chasm, and Blueblood stared in disbelief before Sleipnir beckoned to him quickly. “Come, across! We cross here!”

Blueblood wanted to argue, to shout, to panic... and then the fire-monster roared angrily at them, and the prince was only able to nod before leaping towards Sleipnir. The earth pony half-caught him and smoothly boosted him up to the top of the enormous pillar, and the ivory unicorn found himself racing along the smooth side before he even realized entirely what he was doing.

He leapt off the other end of the pillar even before his mind could process what he had just done, then he laughed weakly as he saw Sleipnir was following quickly behind... before the massive demon suddenly leapt to the air, flapping its wings once to boost itself a shocking distance before it smashed down on the far side of the fallen pillar.

Sleipnir skidded to a halt just before he reached the plateau, looking at Blueblood as the unicorn stumbled backwards, his whimpers lost in the continuing beat of the drums before Sleipnir smiled at him, winked... and then calmly turned around, cracking his neck as he called to the demon on the other side of the makeshift bridge: “I shall give thou one more chance to either return to the depths or fade into rest... for all fire must fade to embers, even ones so great as thou art!”

The demon only grinned cruelly in response, and then it spat something in an ancient, growling tongue at Sleipnir as it rose its sword and took a lumbering step forwards in clear defiance. The enormous earth pony scowled... and as Blueblood watched with both amazement and terror, Sleipnir calmly strode forwards before stomping one hoof firmly down near the center of the bridge, only a few sparse feet between him and the massive fire demon.

“Fires of Muspell shan't avail thee here! Thy metal has no meaning to me!” Sleipnir shouted, his voice hard and fearless, his eyes glaring up at the demon. “Beast of ash, tyrant of Horsia, ghost from some lost and forsaken age, heed me now or face wrath and ruin!”

The demon responded by stepping forwards with a snarl, swinging its sword viciously down to cleave Sleipnir in twain: but at the last moment, the earth pony suddenly swung a foreleg out, and Blueblood gaped in shock as the sword was shattered into shards and embers in a great burst of light and sound.

The fire demon staggered backwards in shock, almost overbalancing before it caught itself and clutched at its wrist for a moment. And Sleipnir merely stood, one foreleg still raised high, his eyes burning with determination before he suddenly leaned forwards and stomped his hoof savagely down into the pillar, making the bridge quake as he roared: “Thou shall not pass!”

The demon reared back, then snarled as it suddenly swung its arm out to the side, a long, coiling red whip of flames bursting to life in its grip: it whickered out to the side before the demon drew it back, then stepped forwards as it began to lash the whip down-

Sleipnir slammed a hoof down into the bridge again before he flung himself backwards, and Blueblood gaped in amazement as the makeshift bridge shattered and spilled inwards: Sleipnir landed safely on the edge of the cliff, but the demon howled in shock as it stumbled and fell into the abyss.

The earth pony calmly turned around as Blueblood laughed in amazement, beginning to step forwards... and then there was a terrible crack, a burst of light, and Sleipnir's eyes widened as something seized around his leg before he was suddenly yanked backwards, barely catching the edge of the cliff and gritting his teeth as he was left dangling, the demon's whip twined tightly around one of his hind legs... and the demon itself dangling beneath him, hissing furiously as it refused to be dragged down into the darkness of the gulf alone.

Sleipnir swore under his breath, then looked up as Blueblood dropped in front of him, shaking his head in denial, eyes wide with fright... but then the earth pony only gave a wry grin before he said wryly: “I fear that I have seen this situation somewhere before... but... I cannot quite remember how it is supposed to go.”

“Y-You can't joke at a time like this!” Blueblood snapped, and then he swore under his breath before his eyes widened in horror as he heard the sound of claws grabbing for purchase at the cliff, the fire demon growling from the abyss as it yanked back on the whip and Sleipnir gritted his teeth. “No, no, I can't-”

“Never say 'cannot,' there is no such thing.” Sleipnir said calmly, and then he breathed slowly before leaning forwards into the cliff and gritting his teeth, hauling himself slowly but steadily forwards to better anchor himself against the edge of the stone.

Blueblood stumbled backwards, staring in awe as the fire demon below looked up in surprise, losing its grip against the rocks as its whip was dragged upwards. It hissed, enormous muscles straining as it tried to brace itself against the stone and pulled fiercely backwards... but above, Sleipnir only gritted his teeth before he suddenly grinned, calling: “Here, allow me to give thee a hoof!”

Sleipnir slowly but steadily hauled his hind leg upwards until he could reach one hoof back and grasp the edge of the whip, and the demon snarled in shock before it began to try and scramble against the sheer stone face: but it was unable to find purchase before Sleipnir managed to tangle his foreleg in the line, then roar and yank suddenly upwards... and Blueblood gaped as the demon was hauled backwards, swinging high into the air as it clutched the end of its whip for dear life before Sleipnir gritted his teeth and snapped the whip viciously down.

The fire demon was swung like a wrecking ball face-first into the cliff with a tremendous bang, the entire world seeming to shake before the fire demon lost its grip on the whip's handle. It fell with a horrified howl, flipping slowly out of control as Blueblood leaned forwards to watch in awe as it vanished into the unnatural depths of the chasm, soon nothing more than a candleflame in the dark abyss that quickly passed out of sight.

Sleipnir huffed a little, then untangled the whip from around his limbs before he let this slide free and fall after its long-vanished master. Then the stallion slowly crawled his way up on top of the cliff before he cursed and grasped at his bandaged stomach, grumbling: “Oh damnation, I fear my wound has been opened yet again. But come, before the goblins return. They will not fear us as they feared that shade.”

“But... the drums have stopped.” Blueblood murmured in half-surprise, looking up and listening attentively: but all he could hear right now were their hoofsteps as they hurried forwards, past ruin and wreckage and scatterings of ancient arrows. “And... that demon... that was a real demon, wasn't it? Not like Invidia...”

“Oh, nay. Do not let size and shape mislead thee, Blue. For Invidia is as much a demon as that foul creature was... in some ways, as a matter of fact, even more.” Sleipnir explained, as the two trotted quickly onwards towards the shining beacon of daylight. “After all, I am certain thou saw it, how it glowed and shimmered.”

“I assumed that was because it was on fire.” Blueblood said dryly, and Sleipnir gave the unicorn an amused look. “But... Invidia is only a pony, and that demon was... it was very clearly not.”

“Well, to pluck at hairs, it only bore the shape of a powerful demon. In reality, 'twas really more of a ghost, a... a tangible scar. The most malicious of fiends oft leave traces of themselves behind, even after they fall... a true demon of that sort would have been far more troublesome to combat.” Sleipnir said meditatively, and Blueblood frowned curiously, but the earth pony only looked up warmly as they reached the base of a short slope leading up to what looked like... “Freedom! Oh, finally, how I have longed to see thee again, sweet mother nature!”

Blueblood sighed a little as Sleipnir trotted happily up to the exit, and then the unicorn shot one last, uneasy look over his shoulder before he gladly followed Sleipnir out of the mines of Horsia, and into the open air of a bright, early morning. After so long in the darkness, Blueblood winced, the light shining all around him painfully bright... but Sleipnir only sighed in relief, gazing happily outwards before he strode to the edge of the cliff they had emerged onto and laughed loudly. “Beautiful!”

Blueblood grimaced a bit, then shaded his eyes and tromped over to join Sleipnir, opening his mouth... before his eyes widened in disbelief as he stared in amazement at the landscape of the wilderness before him. Rocky mountains crumbled into gorgeous, grassy plains that merged into a massive forest to the west and south, while north the fields sank into wetlands, where wild beasts like nothing Blueblood had ever seen before grazed.

It was incredible, and all beneath a sapphire-blue sky from which the shining sun showered the world below with welcome warmth. Blueblood whistled slowly at this, then gave a brief laugh before he whispered: “It... it is, Sleipnir.”

“Good. I am glad thou art finally coming around... and all it took was a trek through Horsia!” Sleipnir said cheerfully, and then he glanced over his shoulder before saying finally: “But while the goblins shan't dare leave their nest during the day, I have no doubt the hungriest will try and dare these fertile hunting ground at night. Let us make haste down the mountain and onwards... but fear not, Blue. Those goblins will not stray far from their stronghold.”

“Goblins... I should write Auntie a letter and let her know about them.” Blueblood shivered a little, glancing over his shoulder at his satchel before Sleipnir patted him easily on the back.

“Aye, and there shall be time enough for that after a short march. Art thou ready to walk for now?” Sleipnir asked, and the young prince nodded and gave a brief smile. “Good. I am glad to see it, Blue, and...”

Sleipnir shifted, then cleared his throat and rubbed at the back of his head as the unicorn looked up at him curiously. “Well... thou hast my thanks for thy help through Horsia. And I would like to... to apologize to thee, for being stubborn and prideful. I treated thee like a foal that I must carry through every task and danger, but thou art not. Thou art an equal in this journey, and a true friend, a good friend, a little brother. I shan't forget this again.”

Blueblood only laughed a little, looking awkwardly away and blushing a bit before he pawed at the ground and mumbled: “Well, Sleipnir, I... I truly appreciate the sentiment, but... really, you did all the work. Without you-”

“Oh, shush, Blue, do not make me sing thy praises.” Sleipnir said grumpily, and Blueblood couldn't help but smile again before the enormous earth pony turned and carefully began to make his way down the uneven slope, saying quickly: “Come, 'tis not too steep!”

Blueblood nodded, then took one last look over his shoulder at Horsia before he hopped down onto the slope to follow after his friend, feeling a strange sense of victory as they left the shadow of the mines and returned to the journey.

After Blueblood and Sleipnir had stopped to set up camp that night, Invidia finally returned, bringing with her an enormous basket laden with fruit. Blueblood couldn't help himself from digging in, even as he eyed the mare suspiciously, but she only smiled eagerly at the stallion, simpering: “Yes, my prince, see? I made excellent use of my time, and there are more gifts for you and for you, most majestic of angels.”

“Well, thou hast our thanks for this generous bounty, Invidia, but I must ask where such luscious prizes came from.” Sleipnir smiled kindly, bowing his head towards her as he said easily: “'Twould make me feel most guilty if we had deprived some of our fellow ponies of such wonderful gifts, after all.”

The mare only laughed quietly at this, however, looking almost as if she'd expected this as she bowed her head and replied candidly: “There is no need to fear... the fields here are plentiful, and the ponies few and far between. I'm certain that they won't be missed.”

Sleipnir frowned a bit at this lack of answer, while Blueblood slowed a little in his eating. He grasped another apple as he finished an orange, but then hesitantly removed his hoof as the demon's eyes narrowed, before she said icily: “Would you accuse me of lying? That would be foolish. You know as well as I do, Sleipnir, I cannot lie to you... unless your prejudice and hate have blinded you, that is, like your jealousy makes you whisper such lies in the sweet Prince Blueblood's ears.”

Blueblood cleared his throat and shrank down a little, trying to avert his eyes as the enormous earth pony sighed. He stood up calmly, and Invidia hissed like a cat at him, her eyes glowing with fury and fear as she arched her back, but the stallion only held up a hoof before he gestured outwards at the little, shaded glen they had stopped in, asking softly: “'Tis a nice night. Would thou help us set up camp? One of us must gather firewood, another set up a lean-to, and the last attend to our bags of food. There are wild creatures about, after all: 'twould be best to secure our rations and equipment in the tree, 'lest they be taken by beasts.”

Invidia was silent as Blueblood shifted a bit, then said finally: “I'll... I'll gather the firewood. That would probably be-”

“I will help you, Blueblood: I must gather the materials for our lean-to, in any event. Would that be fine?” Invidia went from furious and paranoid to pleading, looking almost worriedly over at Sleipnir... but even as Blueblood winced and shook his head wildly, the enormous earth pony gave a kind smile and nodded.

“Go with her, Blue, she will keep thee safe. Invidia merely... requires good company. I will secure the rest of our camp.” Sleipnir instructed gently, and Blueblood grimaced as he heard something beneath what the earth pony said: not quite an order, but something that was a little bit more than a suggestion, too.

The ivory stallion sighed a little, but he gave a grumpy nod after a moment before turning nervously towards Invidia: the golden-eyed demon looked at him hungrily, a bright smile on her face. So at least she was happy now... but of course, that was only going to last until he said or did something wrong, and then who knew where they'd be?

Blueblood turned his eyes uneasily towards the forest: it was deep and dark, the trees tall and the canopy thin... but with only the moon's light shining down over them, the narrow ceiling of branches was more than enough to cast the entire world below into shadow. And tired and a little strung-out and feeling oddly guilty over the little food he'd eaten, the last thing he wanted was to be stuck in a dark forest with those freaky glowing eyes.

Still, he knew he didn't really have a choice at this point, so he nodded hesitantly before turning and striding into the darkness with Invidia happily squeezing herself up against his side, Blueblood shivering a little as he felt his skin crawl at contact with her. He didn't even know why: sure, he still got a little annoyed when Sleipnir started poking or grabbing him too much, but even when he'd complained in the past about touching the 'unwashed peasants,' he'd never felt this sensation...

He tried to move quickly and keep his mind focused on the task at hoof: on the bright side, there was a lot of loose kindling to gather up, Blueblood levitating this pile at his side as Invidia... well, he didn't know what she was doing. Mostly stalking him, it felt like, whispering to him now and then as he tried his hardest to ignore her... every so often, reaching out as if to touch him.

Eventually, Blueblood came bursting out of the forest like he was being chased, and Invidia calmly followed in his wake, looking pleased with herself. The stallion grimaced, looking over his shoulder at her... and then he stared in disbelief at the fact she was easily levitating a slew of neatly-cut logs and several large, good-sized branches.

Blueblood stared as Invidia dropped the firewood next to his kindling, then turned and happily began to quickly build a lean-to with magic beneath the shade of several large trees, her eyes gleaming as materials seemed to simply magically appear as she needed them. The stallion shifted uneasily, and then he almost jumped out of his skin when Sleipnir gently touched his shoulder. “I... I didn't... I mean... Sleipnir, don't do that!”

“What? I used my hoof, not my stallion parts. I was told 'twas quite rude to touch other ponies with thy stallion parts. Or bump thy buttocks into them.” Sleipnir said blandly, and Blueblood slowly closed his eyes as he dropped his face in a hoof, before the earth pony said in a gentler voice: “Thou art doing very well, Invidia. 'Tis quite an impressive feat of magic.”

“There is no need for false flattery, angel... I am sure that if half of what you speak of is true, you must recognize what this magic is.” Invidia replied calmly, but she looked delighted all the same as she flicked her horn and finished putting what looked more like a small cabin than a lean-to together. “A simple spell to bring objects from one location to another. That is all. It's always good to keep a supply of useful materials on hoof, after all...”

Sleipnir smiled, while Blueblood frowned a little as he looked uneasily at the mare: that certainly would have been a nice ability to know about earlier, especially if all this time Invidia had a store of materials they could have been using. But the demon didn't seem to notice his look as she trotted past, quickly arranging some of the kindling and firewood into a firepit that the earth pony had dug. “Please allow me to be of further assistance... and please, Lord Blueblood, pay close attention to this magic. It is a spell that I am sure you will find useful in your travels...”

Invidia rose her head, her horn glowing as energy drew up along the spire, and Blueblood shifted nervously before his eyes widened as a small ball of flame appeared above her horn, floating calmly. Then she simply flicked her horn, and the tiny fireball shot down and burst into vibrant flames over the logs.

She smiled as the fire grew and spread quickly, soon becoming a roaring, cheerful blaze. But as Invidia looked over her shoulder, Blueblood shivered: he could see little more than her profile in the roaring firelight, only those godawful eyes of hers staring greedily at him out of the black, awful shape of this not-pony...

“That's... that's impressive. I'm sure... Auntie Celestia would be impressed, even.” Blueblood mumbled after a moment, looking down uneasily and swallowing a bit. Then he winced when Invidia laughed loudly: she sounded both happy and... malicious somehow.

“Oh, darling. Celestia would not be impressed... she would be afraid. She would be angry. She would hate me.” Invidia shivered a little, closing her eyes and looking strangely exhilarated by this thought. “Celestia has never been fond of my kind, and nor has she ever been fond of... 'dangerous' magic such as I would love to teach you...”

Blueblood shifted uneasily, and then Sleipnir said gently: “Nay, 'tis not so, Invidia: is not all magic dangerous in the wrong hooves? I do not believe she hates thee, or such magic. I believe she rather wisely worries what it would be used for, if given easily away... and I do not believe she would think any less of thee for learning it, Blue. Especially not with the journey we are on: thou may have need of such arts, and... I believe thou would use them responsibly.”

The unicorn smiled awkwardly over at Sleipnir, shifting a little and wondering silently if the stallion was right: he didn't want to make his aunt angry, and he didn't know if he really was 'responsible' quite yet. But he couldn't lie that kind of magic tempted him...

Then he shook his head quickly and forced out a small smile, looking awkwardly over at Invidia before he mumbled: “I... maybe I should sleep on it. I'm... tired. It would be nice to catch up on some rest as a matter of fact, if... neither of you mind.”

“Fair enough.” Invidia said softly, studying him intently, and then she turned almost distastefully towards Sleipnir. She studied him with something that almost neared contempt before she said moodily: “I suppose if you desire to sleep as well, I can keep watch.”

“Fear not. Mother Nature and this fire will do enough to ward off any danger for tonight... and besides, I do not yet feel tired. I will stay with thee a while if thou will have my company, Invidia.” Sleipnir said gently, and Invidia immediately warmed to the stallion again, nodding and quickly patting the ground beside her.

“Of course! And young prince, if you need us, we'll be right here... don't be shy to come and ask for our help, we are both more than willing to give everything we can to our best and closest friend.” Invidia added, looking over her shoulder with a smile at Blueblood, and the stallion gave a weak smile as he nodded slowly a few times.

Then he cleared his throat before turning and hurrying to the lean-to, shivering a bit: it felt almost like Invidia's magic was still present in the wood. But all the same, he forced himself to just lay down in the grass... before grimacing a little as he realized that he hadn't even bothered to grab his bedroll or blanket.

Still, it was a warm night... and the grass felt cozy under him. If he got up, he'd have to go out and deal with Invidia again, and he really wasn't in the mood for that. Besides, the lean-to felt comfortable, even safe, and he was so tired...

After only a few minutes, Blueblood was asleep. For a little while, it was deep and dreamless, and he didn't even stir when Sleipnir slipped into the lean-to to throw a blanket over the unicorn. But soon, as the campfire died and morning neared, Blueblood began to shiver even as he clutched the blanket tighter around himself in his sleep.

He had been having the nicest... not quite dreams, but strings of thought and memory that had brought beautiful images through his mind. But now the parades of color and sound had ended and instead he was standing in front of the iron gates, the same as always. Blueblood looked up at them uneasily, before grimacing a bit as they creaked open, and he hesitated only a moment before striding silently into the waiting cemetery.

The gates clanged shut behind him as reality around him vibrated, then unicorn frowning uneasily before he looked nervously around. And as he did so, he realized that the cemetery was different from the one that had been burned into his memory: this wasn't Horsehead. This was... another place. Somewhere he almost recognized, but that had faded into the abyss in his mind...

He breathed slowly in and out... then flinched as something passed literally through him, the unicorn looking over his shoulder before turning back forwards in shock: it was a funeral procession. A procession of faceless ponies, mares in dresses and black veils, and stallions in suits and ties, and foals like china dolls...

Blueblood shivered, then stepped quickly off the path to get out of the way of the river of ghosts, his eyes drawn to the head of the procession: there were four pallbearers there, carrying a heavy black coffin. The sight of it made the unicorn feel sick to his stomach: he hated funerals. Oh, there were few things in the world that he hated more than funerals.

Blueblood breathed slowly in and out, then he slowly started to walk, picking his way carefully between the graves as he trembled a little. He remembered being taught as a foal that every grave was the bed of a sleeping pony, and if he walked on top of of their bed, he was disturbing the pony resting beneath, so he'd always been taught to mind his step, whenever... whenever...

The stallion clenched his eyes shut for a moment, shivering a bit: that was the first time in years he'd had a memory of his family rise up, unbidden. And it was the first time since he had been a foal that he'd actually remembered more than just faces, or names, that he'd actually thought...

My father was always so nice.

His breath caught in his throat, and he looked down disbelievingly, unable to process this thought. His father... nice? But his father had thrown him and his mother in a grave, buried them alive after killing her, leaving him... leaving him...

Blueblood shook himself wildly, and then flinched as he looked up and realized he was standing at the foot of the grave now, trembling as he stared down at the coffin in the wounded earth. A priest stood at the head of the grave, a faceless pony silently reciting prayers from an empty book in one hoof, and Blue spared him only a glance before he looked fearfully around at the congregation of hollow shapes looming around the grave, like they were a cage and it was a spectacle that fascinated them all...

He closed his eyes, took a breath... and when he opened them, everypony was gone, and there was a lone stallion in a raincoat standing over the grave, breathing slowly. Blueblood trembled at that sound, the harsh, rough wheezes in and out through his mouth: he remembered that sound. And he remembered more; the smells of cigarettes, and rubbing alcohol. And a sweet, sickly stench...

He shivered, then watched with horror as the gravedigger, as his father, calmly speared his shovel into the ground before he slipped forwards and lowered himself into the grave. Blueblood trembled, watching with terror in his eyes as the stallion rested on top of the casket, studying it intently: they hadn't bought a liner for the grave, or anything else that would protect the coffin. They had just lowered it in the ground...

Blueblood stared, trembling, as his father shifted so he was standing over the casket, then he carefully pried the lid up and pushed it aside, revealing the corpse inside, a young mare so pale and pretty in death. The breathing roughened, and Blueblood whimpered and tried to turn away... but when he spun around, he only found himself at the head of the grave now, staring down with horror as he watched his father grasp the corpse with trembling hooves, raising it as he lowered his body...

“No!” Blueblood shouted, turning away and covering his face with a foreleg, and there was a whirl of vertigo and sound before he felt... warmth. And Blueblood trembled, then slowly lowered his front leg, feeling a faint stirring of relief as he realized he was back in reality.

But there was so much pain and confusion, too: he didn't know what to do or say as he breathed slowly in and out before he flinched a bit when a head poked into the lean-to, but it was thankfully only Sleipnir. “Art thou alright?”

“I... yes. What... what time is it?” Blueblood asked uneasily, blinking a bit as he realized there was actual sunlight out. He couldn't have slept that long... could he have?”

“'Tis a little past eight. I was uncertain whether I should wake thee or not, I was unsure whether thou wert having a nightmare or not. I am sorry I did not.” Sleipnir said softly, and Blueblood only laughed a little and shook his head slowly.

“No. It's... it's perfectly alright, Sleipnir.” the young prince murmured, and then he reached up and silently rubbed at his mane before he smiled briefly as he brushed some of this back: his curly locks were starting to go straight, and it had been too long since he'd had his mane trimmed... “I... well, are we going to get going?”

Sleipnir shrugged, saying after a moment: “There is no rush, Blue. Invidia tells me there is a small town ahead, where we will stop for supplies. Thou can wake up, and perhaps write thy letter to thine Aunt. I am sure she is worried about thee.”

The unicorn gave a brief smile, and then he nodded a little before lowering his head. He hesitated for a long few moments as Sleipnir looked at him curiously, and then the ivory stallion finally looked away even as he asked quietly: “Can someone... a pony who betrayed you, a pony who hurt someone you... you truly cared for...”

He halted, trying to find the words as Sleipnir frowned a little, and then Blueblood bit his tongue before looking up at the earth pony, vulnerable and aching and strangely, terribly scared: “What does it mean when you want to love someone, to see the best in them, even... even after they've done awful things to you and others?”

“Oh, that is simple.” Sleipnir stepped forwards and reached up to squeeze Blueblood's shoulder firmly, the unicorn looking up at him with surprise before the earth pony smiled kindly: “It means thou art a better pony than I, Blue. And it means that thou hast learned, without me ever teaching thee, what mercy truly is. Not given because thou desires to give them: given, because each and every one of us deserves a second chance.”

Blueblood looked surprised at this, and then the earth pony chuckled quietly before he turned and simply left, smiling to himself. They still had a long way to go... but it was moments like this that told Sleipnir they were going to get there, and he was determined to enjoy every second of it he could.

Old Oak

Chapter Fourteen: Old Oak
~BlackRoseRaven

Prince Blueblood was still deep in thought by the time they reached the small town of Greenwood. He barely paid any attention as Sleipnir made some glib remark, Invidia immediately snapping at the earth pony... but as they began to walk down what looked like the single dirt road that dominated the town, the unicorn shook himself out of his reverie before asking: “What was it that you said? I... suppose I lost track of things for a moment. Princely concerns.”

It was a small joke, but at least it was a joke now: when Blueblood reflected on how he had been acting even a week ago, he felt like a tremendous idiot. And Sleipnir laughed, at least, although the unicorn wasn't able to take too much pride in that: Sleipnir was the kind of pony who would giggle if a pony farted loudly enough.

“Oh, fear not. I was just saying that this town bears an odd name. Generally everything I have seen in this Equestria – and from what I know of many others, too! – is that every name is another damned pun about ponies.” Sleipnir remarked easily, and Invidia gave him a wry look as Blueblood opened his mouth to argue... then halted and went over the names of several cities he knew in his head. “'Tis no wonder, really, that the gods thought so little of the All Father's project! Oh, but the most gaudy sheath can hide the sturdiest blade!”

Blueblood stopped and looked moodily over his shoulder at Sleipnir, waiting for a moment... and then the earth pony grinned and leaned forwards as he waggled his eyebrows, but the unicorn cut him off with a flat: “No. Do not use this as an opportunity to talk about your... 'blade.'”

Sleipnir huffed loudly, and then Invidia gestured pointedly to what looked like a rickety general store, where several foals were staring at them with awe from the safety of the porch. “Shall we check here for what we need to resupply? I think it would be prudent to exchange our goods as soon as possible: I doubt we will want to stay for long.”

The earth pony looked thoughtful, then he glanced over at Blueblood, asking curiously: “Would thou like to leave town by nightfall? Or shall we spend tonight at an inn?”

Blueblood opened his mouth... and he was surprised when instead of saying that he wanted to stay at the inn, he asked: “Where's our next destination?”

The earth pony tilted his head upwards as he dug a hoof into the ground, closing one eye and looking meditative before he said thoughtfully: “'Tis... 'tis not too far... aye, Mother Nature tells me it is only another day's march. We will be there by the end of tomorrow, although I cannot say that I know precisely what part of the portal awaits us there. 'Twill be... in a grove, though, with a pool. A pool, clear as day, visited often by worshipers of nature.”

Instead of arguing with Sleipnir about how he couldn't possibly know everything he claimed he did, Blueblood only shrugged before saying finally, when both ponies looked at him: “Why don't we ask around about it, then? And... then we'll decide what to do after that.”

Sleipnir smiled and nodded firmly as Invidia bowed her head respectfully, saying kindly: “Of course, Lord Blueblood. Whatever you desire, you know it is our fondest pleasure to do.”

Blueblood smiled awkwardly, and then he shifted a little before clearing his throat and turning towards the general store. He strode quickly past the foals without looking at them, pushing inside... and grimacing a little at the fact they walked into what was essentially nothing but a crowded mess of shelves, stacked in no discernible order Blueblood could make out.

He stepped forwards... and flinched as he banged his head into a bag that was hanging from the ceiling, blinking in surprise before a cheerful voice shouted: “Careful now! Hey there, can't say that I've seen you in these parts before! Who are you?”

“Polite.” Blueblood muttered, and then he sighed and strode towards the counter, grimacing a bit as he began: “I am Prince Blueblood, and these are-”

The big, chubby stallion behind the counter roared laughter at this, slapping his knee before he said cheerfully: “Oh, Prince Blueblood, is it? You must think I done just rolled off the wagon this morning! Everypony knows Prince Blueblood ain't nothin' but a lazy layabout who lives in the castle under his aunt's teat!”

One of Blueblood's eyes twitched, but then Sleipnir quickly clapped him on the shoulder, the enormous earth pony stepping forwards and saying pleasantly: “Well, perhaps friend, 'tis not our place to judge the likes of royalty. Treat us, then, as three journeyers, on our way to... well, I am not entirely sure, to be honest.”

The stallion behind the counter was now staring up at Sleipnir with amazement, whistling slowly before he said finally: “You done be the biggest pony I ever did see.”

“'Tis not the first time I have heard that!” Sleipnir exclaimed, and then both he and the chubby stallion laughed as Blueblood rolled his eyes and began to turn down the aisle... except Invidia darted quickly to his side, and the stallion winced before hurrying back to Sleipnir's side. “But truly, friend. We seek to resupply our necessities and information. Friends, could thou find what we need amongst the shelves whilst I chat with this handsome colt about what lies ahead?”

The shopkeeper looked pleased, and Blueblood hesitated before nodding with a grumble. At the same time, though, he couldn't help but be impressed by the way Sleipnir handled himself: the earth pony really could charm just about anyone off their hooves, he thought.

He turned... and sighed as Invidia smiled eagerly at him before she half-lidded her eyes, leaning in to whisper in his ear: “Give me a word, young prince... and I'll punish him for you. I'll make him scream and beg you for mercy... a mercy you will not need to give him, my most cherished friend, for he laughs and chortles like nothing more than a drunken pig, resplendent in the muck of his home... but only ask, ask, and I'll turn this whole hovel into an oven to cook our porcine friend...”

The stallion couldn't help but shiver a little at this, and then he said uneasily: “No. No, that... that's not right, Invidia. Let's... let's concentrate on getting our supplies together. I think that would be the best thing for now, Sleipnir is busy with him anyway.”

“Yes. Sleipnir, always making friends, always putting his nose in where it's not wanted... he shouldn't interfere so much with what you want, Blueblood. He should be encouraging you more... not treating you like a pack mule.” Invidia murmured, and Blueblood shivered a little before the demon smiled at him, then thankfully slipped away down the aisle.

Blueblood hurried his way awkwardly through the maze of shelves, grimacing a little as he heard the chubby pony guffawing at some other likely-dirty joke of Sleipnir's. The prince scowled a little towards these sounds... but then shifted a bit, looking away silently as he felt a burst of shame.

Sure, Invidia's little invitation had been... appealing, much as he didn't want to admit that. But it had appealed most to the old Blueblood, the Blueblood he was trying his hardest not to be anymore. He'd thought he'd already started to leave those parts behind, but all it had taken was one taunt from that stupid fat peasant, and here he was, thinking things like... like that he's a stupid fat peasant. Even if that's precisely what he is.

The unicorn sighed tiredly, lowering his head and rubbing slowly at his face. Oh, the old him would have just loved Invidia, wouldn't've he? She did nothing but idolize and flatter him and she wanted to hurt people who annoyed him and... and she had those creepy, horrible golden eyes. Those evil, terrible eyes that scared him even more than the stupid fire demon in Horsia had.

Blueblood shivered and hugged himself for a moment, then he took a steadying breath before he looked hesitantly in the direction of the laughter as it echoed through the air again. And then there was Sleipnir: kindhearted, courageous, and strong. A mentor, and someone who didn't coddle him: yes, he was kinder to him than any other pony had ever been in his entire life, but he was also firm when he needed to be, and gave him responsibilities and made sure he lived up to them.

The two sat at opposite ends of the spectrum, really: Invidia was ego, Sleipnir was altruism. And Blueblood wasn't even sure anymore where he wanted to fit on that scale. The old him had always believed that he deserved absolutely everything in the world as a prince, after all... the new him wasn't even sure that he really was a prince.

Blueblood rubbed slowly at his face with one hoof, then he glanced at the shelf beside him before sighing and reaching up to moodily grab a can of beans out of the random assortment. Well, either way there was no point in wasting his time thinking about it. It was better to just do what was asked of him, and then they could continue on their journey. After all, it wasn't like he was going to be able to get rid of either of them or head back home to Canterlot anytime soon...

The prince frowned a bit at this, realizing with surprise that in spite of all this walking, in spite of the horrors of Horsia and the fact that he missed Auntie Celestia and at least wanted to write a letter to her – which reminded him to wander down the aisle in search of ink and paper – he really didn't want to go back home. Well, sure, he wanted the comforts of home, to see all those familiar faces again... but he also wanted to finish this journey.

The unicorn absently swept up a packet of paper he spotted on the shelves as he wandered along them, feeling more than a little surprised at himself. These adventures had ended up being far more frightening and difficult than he'd ever expected them to, and yet here he was. Wanting to continue... even feeling good about where he was right now. It was honestly hard for him to process.

Blueblood eventually made his way back towards the front of the store once he'd managed to gather up all the supplies he could carry with telekinesis, and Sleipnir gave him a warm smile as he said cheerfully: “Good news, my young friend! This shopkeep has told me that aye, this fountain is quite well known. 'Tis called the Fount of Reflection, and it is said that those who drink its waters have the most wondrous of dreams. He has always told me that there grow rare and beautiful plants in great bounty all around this sacred place.”

The unicorn nodded awkwardly as he dropped the pile of things on the table... then flinched a bit when Invidia almost appeared out of nowhere beside him, neatly stacking a few cans and trinkets she had found alongside Blueblood's gathered gear. “Oh, I know of this place myself... I have never visited, but I know that it has drawn more than one of my brethren in the past, when they sought clarity of mind. Perhaps we may see others there...”

“Brethren? You mean like, your cousins? Well, shucks. Maybe they're helpin' out at the shrine 'round them parts!” said the chubby pony enthusiastically, and Invidia only favored him with a curdling look that the shopkeeper seemed to completely miss, as he instead turned a bright smile back to Sleipnir. “Y'all are some of the most interesting ponies I ever done met.”

“I am very glad to hear it, friend.” Sleipnir said easily, and then he gestured towards the objects on the counter. “We require this. And does thou know the location of a forge?”

“You just give me a minute to ring this up. And uh...” As the chubby pony started to slowly poke prices into his cash register, he mumbled: “Ain't that a funny question? But uh... well, Old Ed makes saddles and them shiny metal shoes, but he lives way off down near the gorge. Take you at least a few hours to walk down there, and he's a crusty old coot.”

“Well, it seems that we shall have to take a short side trip. What does thou think?” Sleipnir glanced curiously over at Blueblood, and the unicorn was surprised that the stallion was actually referring to him before he gave an awkward smile and shrugged slowly.

Sleipnir seemed to be waiting for an actual answer, however, and Blueblood could feel Invidia smoldering, likely eager for an excuse to lash out at the earth pony. Not wanting a scene, Blueblood said quickly: “I think that... we should see about repairs to our armor, I agree. And then we can return to this village for the night to rest.”

“Oh, well, if y'all want some restin', Jackie's is the only hotel in town! You all just tell him I sent you, he'll give you a real nice discount on account of me.” the chubby pony said cheerfully, looking up from the pile of merchandise he was still sorting through before he chuckled. “Y'all don't look like them rich folk types, after all... even if you try and talk a big game there, Prince Blueblood!”

The pony laughed loudly at his own joke, and Blueblood scowled despite himself as Invidia glared angrily at the earth pony. But thankfully, they made it through the rest of the transaction without any event, Sleipnir paying with a few jewels he combed out of his mane in front of the amazed eyes of the shopkeeper. It at least shut the stallion up for long enough for the trio to head back outside.

Then, without warning, Invidia suddenly picked up a rock from the road before spinning around and flinging it sharply towards the window of the store... except there was no crash of glass, no sound of anything breaking. And it took Blueblood a moment before he gaped in shock as he realized that Sleipnir had actually caught the stone before it could go more than a few feet, still gently smiling even as he chastised softly: “That is not the way we do things, Invidia.”

The demon trembled a bit, staring up at him before she dropped her head humbly, whispering: “Of course not. You have my heartfelt apology, most gracious of angels... I... did not think.”

Sleipnir smiled slightly, shrugging and tossing the rock aside before he patted Invidia gently on the shoulder. “'Tis alright. But do not lash out so fiercely in the future: thou must resist thy urges, learn and grow, as our friend Blueblood has. We are thy friends, are we not? Well, to truly be friends, at times we must push each other to do better, and we must scold each other when we are foolish.”

“I... I understand why you would do that.” Blueblood said quietly after a moment, and Invidia looked up with surprise as the unicorn shifted slowly on his hooves. He felt Sleipnir's encouraging eyes settle on him, though, and in spite of how much Invidia scared him, at the same time Blueblood felt like... he felt a sudden familiarity, almost a kinship with the demon as he mumbled: “But... we can't give in to those urges, Invidia. It's not... I don't want to be that kind of pony anymore. And I don't think that you... have to be, either.”

Invidia studied him for a few moments, and for once, it wasn't with her usual enraptured gaze: it was something more... more honest, and maybe more appraising than usual. But it scared Blueblood a lot less than her usual horrible golden stare, as he looked back at her uncomfortably but steadily, until Invidia finally gave a small smile and murmured: “Very well, Lord Blueblood. For you, I... I shall try.”

Blueblood smiled awkwardly at this, nodding hesitantly, and there was silence for a few moments as the two simply studied each other with newfound interest. And then, finally, Sleipnir leaned forwards and said easily: “See? We have much in common after all. Now come, whilst we still have the warmth of daylight and full saddlebags. Let us be on our way.”

By the end of the day, Blueblood was honestly surprised at how much they'd done and how... good he still felt. They had walked the two hours out to see the cranky old pony, who had eventually let him use their forge after much bargaining and arguing, and then returned to town in the early evening to get a room at the little 'hotel.'

It was a horrible little place: more of a big house than anything else, where a few bedrooms had been sloppily converted into 'private' guest rooms, but Blueblood at least got the bed, while Sleipnir was busily trying to put a foal's puzzle together on the floor and Invidia was just lounging against the wall. And the owner had served them a nice dinner, too: that had admittedly been a bit of a perk, after another long day with little food.

Blueblood had already sent a letter out to his Aunt after realizing he hadn't checked his correspondence book for the last while: she had indeed sent him a few worried letters, almost begging for a response. He felt guilty about taking so long to reply, but then again, Horsia had definitely left him... distracted, for lack of a better word.

But now he was just resting, laying back in bed and rubbing absently at his stomach, feeling... good about himself. Well, mostly: he was looking forwards to having a shower in the morning, but he honestly couldn't be bothered at the moment to get out of bed. It felt too good.

And the only thing that really annoyed him, anyway, was the fact that his mane was getting so shaggy. He reached up and absently rubbed at what was no longer a perfect coif of curls, but a flaxen forest... and then he tilted his head in surprise as Invidia suggested almost hesitantly: “I... I would be delighted to tend to your mane for you, Lord Blueblood. It seems to be irritating you.”

The stallion shifted lamely, and then Sleipnir grinned as he looked up, teasing cheerfully: “Aye, but thou looks so roguish with thy shaggy head of hair! Look at thee, thou art becoming a stallion's stallion! 'Tis a true pleasure to see!”

Blueblood smiled awkwardly at this... at least, until Sleipnir added: “Besides, 'tis not as if thou shall ever match the gloriousness that is mine own mane. Oh, sure, thy curls were pretty as a bow upon a mare, but 'twas still nothing compared to my handsome locks.”

Sleipnir reached up and flicked one of the vines growing out of his head lightly, looking proud of himself, and Blueblood rolled his eyes before sitting up. He hesitated for a moment, but Invidia was looking at him... well... like she honestly wanted to help this time, not like she had some secret agenda or anything else, so... “I... I suppose that would be acceptable. Let me wash it, first.”

“Would thou like some help in the shower? I should be more than glad to join thee! And I promise I shan't let my hooves wander overmuch, pretty young stallion!” Sleipnir said roguishly, and Blueblood gave him a flat look as he slipped out of bed.

“No, I see that you're... hard at work.” Blueblood regarded the foal's puzzle for a moment, feeling wry amusement at the fact Sleipnir hadn't even managed to get the outer edge of it together... and it was only sixteen large, very simple pieces. Except somehow he had clearly jammed several of the wrong pieces together... “You know, Sleipnir, if you're having so much trouble with it, I'm sure that we can take it back and find you something more your level. Perhaps a coloring book.”

“Nay, I am no good at coloring. I crush the accursed crayons.” Sleipnir said absently, poking at the puzzle a few times, and Blueblood couldn't help but smile a bit before he turned and let himself out of the room to head towards the shared second floor bathroom.

Thankfully, with no other guests here, he was able to take as long as he liked in the shower... and oh, the hot water felt so good, and to be clean again was a wonderful sensation, one he'd almost forgotten. He hurried up the drying process with a simple spell, then headed calmly back to the room to find Invidia sitting on the bed, smiling hesitantly as she levitated a small pair of scissors and a hoof mirror she had gotten from... well, Blueblood wasn't quite sure where.

He reached up and brushed awkwardly at his mane, then decided... well, what was the worst that could happen? He forced a smile as he approached, then said finally: “Be careful, uh... please, Invidia, and... well, I would appreciate it if you just... neatened my mane. Don't trim too much, just... well... I mean, please.”

Invidia only nodded almost shyly, and then Blueblood took a slow breath before sitting down in front of her and turning around. And then he scowled when Sleipnir looked up with fascination from his half-completed puzzle, but the earth pony only grinned before saying cheerfully: “What? 'Tis very exciting! Why, I remember when my sisters tried to prune my mane. How hard we fought that night... although, sadly, I remember mine head ended up aflame and 'twas all very uncomfortable after that.”

Blueblood winced, and Invidia sighed tiredly before she murmured: “I... I will take care of you, do not fear, young prince. Relax.”

Blueblood did his best to do so... but forty minutes later, as Invidia hesitantly guided the mirror around for him, the stallion couldn't help but feel a little impressed. She had done a great job of trimming down his mane and making him look... well, better, he thought. It was still a little shaggy, but he thought he had a rather... charming look to him. Something that said he was a tough, adventuring stallion, even if he knew he wasn't that quite yet.

“Thank you.” he finally said, looking over his shoulder at the demon, and Invidia smiled before she only flicked her horn, and Blueblood looked down in surprise as he felt a sizzling over his body before the itchy feeling of loose hairs vanished: he recognized that as a cleansing spell, but much more powerful than he was used to.

She bowed her head to him, and Blueblood smiled hesitantly before Sleipnir stood and said warmly: “Well, it has been a good night. We have done much, and we should take great pride in that! But perhaps for now, friends, we should all retire.”

Blueblood opened his mouth to argue... and then he yawned loudly, which he guessed was his body's way of agreeing with the earth pony. So instead, he grumbled under his breath before nodding and saying finally: “Fine. Then let's aim to leave early to make sure we can reach this... fountain or garden or whatever it is that interests you so much, Sleipnir.”

Sleipnir nodded firmly in agreement, and Invidia bowed her head politely before the demon murmured: “Then please allow me to scout ahead for you: I will return come morning, after I've ensured that the pool has not recently attracted... visitors.”

Blueblood nodded hesitantly, and a moment later, with a smile and a bow, Invidia vanished in a burst of black smoke. Blueblood shivered a bit, thinking that he'd never get used to that, before he glanced up as Sleipnir said kindly: “'Tis good to see both of thee getting along. But well, 'tis a nice night, and I am not one for being cooped up indoors. Besides, I know thou likes thy privacy, so I shall gladly head outside.”

“No, I... you can stay here, Sleipnir. That's... that's no problem.” Blueblood said finally, and then he cleared his throat as he gestured to the floor, saying awkwardly: “As long as you stay down there, of course.”

Sleipnir looked at Blueblood with amusement, and then he said wryly: “Well, as kind as thy offer is, young Blue, I fear I shall have to pass. Nay, I shall find a pleasant place to rest in the woodland... I wish to chart the stars, in any event. 'Twill help with navigation in the future, when I have no doubt we end up lost and miserable in some less-friendly wilderness.”

Blueblood grimaced at this thought... then looked up in surprise as Sleipnir asked softly: “How art thou? I remember when we spoke some days ago, thou wanted to return to Canterlot...”

The unicorn shifted a bit, not sure how to put his feelings into words... and then he finally gave a brief smile before he looked up and replied quietly: “Well, I used to think a lot of things, Sleipnir. But I feel as if... this journey has already made a better stallion of me.”

“Nay, it has not.” Sleipnir said easily, and Blueblood blinked in surprise before the earth pony said gently: “This good stallion was always inside of thee, Blue. Thou merely had to throw away the chaff to see the value of the grain. Thou art a fine pony: thy aunt could always see it, and I am sure others have seen it in thee as well... 'twas just all covered up by... by princeliness.”

Blueblood smiled wryly at this, but he felt absurdly touched even as he mumbled: “No, Sleipnir. I think the problem was really that I never acted princely in the first place.”

“Well, as thou likes, it does not change that once thou wert very silly and now thou art a little less in some ways, and a little more in others. 'Tis good to see.” Sleipnir reached up and mussed up the prince's mane, making him scowl horribly before the earth pony added kindly: “Now we need merely train thee to stop introducing thyself as Prince Blueblood. Simply be Blue, or Blueblood. Let ponies judge thee of thy own merit, not because of thy princeing past.”

The unicorn nodded a little, and then Sleipnir said kindly: “Well, 'twas wonderful to speak with thou, Blue. Sleep now. I shall see thee come the morn.”

Blueblood smiled awkwardly, then mumbled a goodnight as he dropped his head bashfully. Sleipnir gave him a warm look in response, then turned and easily strode away, making his way quickly and surprisingly-quietly through the hotel for such an enormous stallion.

He emerged into the night air and took a slow breath, closing his eyes for a moment and simply... taking it all in. Yes, nature was vibrant here, relaxing him, soothing him... easing his heartache, as he turned and headed down the road until he reached the edge of town.

He found a quiet little field where he was able to drop on his back and stare up at the sky above, putting his forehooves behind his head as he wondered silently where his phoenix was. Oh, how he missed her: he missed her blue eyes, and he missed the sensation of her mane tickling his face when they kissed, and he missed the strength of her embrace, and the feel of her skin, and the caress of her hooves and... everything about her.

Sleipnir sighed softly, then he shifted a little: he still felt a bit sore after their misadventure through Horsia, but... the worst of the physical pain had subsided, and a night of peaceful rest here would probably heal the last of his aches and pains. He was fortunate that being an 'angel,' as Invidia kept calling him, at least had a few benefits... but then again, he'd always healed fast.

He flexed one foreleg slowly as he rose the hoof in front of his face, studying it silently before he sighed a little and shifted a bit, turning his eyes back up towards the starry sky before he murmured: “At least 'tis truly beautiful here. And I have found a good friend and a good purpose, and yet...”

Sleipnir bit his lip, looking down uneasily. He had a terrible feeling in his gut that something awful was happening back home. That his family was in trouble, that something had gone wrong. He didn't know why he felt this way, but he had learned long ago to trust in his instincts and his premonitions, and that his bonds of honor and love to his family were more than powerful enough to let him know when something was... terribly wrong.

He shook his head briefly, then returned his eyes to the stars above. He wondered how his little sister was doing... forceful little Luna, who had grown into such a strong, proud warrior. Perhaps not noble, but with honor all the same... who understood the true meaning of mercy, and who would go to any lengths to protect the world. All the worlds, as a matter of fact.

The earth pony smiled a bit at this, then closed his eyes: yes, he knew that no matter what happened, as long as his family stuck together, they would make it through any of the evils that turned their way. Sure, he knew that his sisters didn't always get along, that Celestia could be too cunning and cruel for her own good, and Luna could be brash and reckless... but their flaws only meant that when they did work together, it made them all the more unstoppable.

He just hoped that right now, they were putting aside their differences and putting all their strength into defending Midgard... and he hoped, too, that his phoenix had found her way back home. Even if something was terribly wrong back home, he knew that she'd want to be there, and he trusted in his family to take care of her. To make sure nothing happened to her.

Sleipnir smiled a bit, murmuring: “Not that thou hast ever needed any help to take care of thyself, my love... nor would thou ever accept it! And I know... thou art most at home in the fray and the fight. Never would I be so cruel to wish thee to be in a place completely safe, my phoenix...”

The earth pony sighed a little again, then he reached up and absently rubbed at his features before closing his eyes. Here he was, wasting his time being sad, letting the heavy thoughts bother him... what nonsense! It would make his sisters frown to see him like this, and Sleipnir gave another small smile before he shook himself roughly, then murmured: “Aye. 'Tis fine and well to be sad, but there is no point in wallowing in it. Besides, there are always reasons for joy, even in the darkest of times. Why, just look at Blue and Invidia!”

Sleipnir nodded to himself, feeling encouraged by his own thoughts as he returned his eyes to the stars above. He studied the strange constellations that were not completely unwelcoming, not completely without an essence that he recognized, even if the shapes were different. Just as nature was so strong and strange in this world, and yet more docile, too, than the wilds of Looking Glass World... and yet still, it was Mother Nature, whom he loved and who loved him back.

Once he managed to settle himself, it was a good night: he spent it relaxing, studying the stars and the moon as they danced slowly through the firmament above, and just before sunrise he made his way back to the hotel. He found Invidia already waiting in the little kitchen of sorts, sipping quietly at some tea and talking calmly to the owner, and he greeted them both warmly before heading upstairs, feeling a little worried as he almost always did about Blueblood.

He gently knocked on the bedroom door before carefully pushing it open, and he was unsurprised to find Blueblood was seated in bed, breathing a little hard and looking miserable, shivering despite the sweat streaming down his body. Sleipnir hesitated for a moment, but then Blueblood looked at him with those big, sad blue eyes of his, and the earth pony slipped into the room as he murmured: “Sometimes thou reminds me of my wife, I shall have thee know. She too burdens herself overmuch... and prefers to speak with her gaze instead of her words.”

Blueblood laughed faintly, looking down and chewing on his lower lip before he finally closed his eyes and said quietly: “I... I just... I'm not ready to talk about my nightmares, Sleipnir. Only that... only that they've changed. I'm seeing... remembering...”

Sleipnir studied Blueblood silently: the earth pony knew he was a fool when it came to many things, but the young prince he had begun to understand, and he'd had many suspicions about the source of his nightmares from the start. There was no need for him to say it out loud: he was having nightmares about his real family, whoever they had been. And from the question that he had asked before, Sleipnir had the awful feeling that the colt's family hadn't treated him well.

But he would let Blueblood come to him in his own time: forcing it out of him would just shove this whole process backwards, as the earth pony instead asked: “Would thou like to tarry here for today? We can put off our journey to the fountain for more than long enough for thine aunt to send thee the sleeping charm.”

“I don't... I don't think it will work anymore. I don't know why, I just...” Blueblood reached up, rubbing slowly at the side of his face as he breathed slowly in and out, and then he looked hesitantly up at Sleipnir before half-asking, half-stating finally: “Why... why do the nightmares... they always seem worse whenever we stop in a place like this.”

Sleipnir shrugged slowly, then he said softly: “I will be honest, Blueblood. I do not believe thy nightmares are... completely the fault of whatever it is that thou experienced to birth such horrors in thy mind. Nay, there are signs about thee, Blue, that something is preying upon thy mind. Perhaps thou art haunted by a demon, or by some other fiend.”

Blueblood stared up at Sleipnir, and Sleipnir only looked placidly back before the unicorn said weakly: “You... you sound rather... calm about that, friend.”

“Oh, I am. Because if thou art haunted, then the dream eater must be following us, or keeping track of us by some other means, sneaking close enough every night to claw at thy mind.” Sleipnir said easily, and Blueblood winced at this, paling a little, but the earth pony hurriedly rose a hoof. “Nay, nay, 'tis not so terrible as it sounds! Aye, 'tis frightening to think thou may be caught in a spider's web, but first hear me out.”

Sleipnir looked imploringly at the unicorn, and Blueblood shifted back and forth before he sighed and lowered his head, mumbling: “I suppose I don't really have a choice in the matter, do I?”

“We always have a choice, Blue. Do not ever think that.” Sleipnir almost chastised, and then he shook his head quickly before continuing softly: “Now listen. The grip of the nightmares weakened over thee for a time, aye? And now thou hast said they have changed... well, 'tis because thou hast challenged thy foe thyself. Because thou wert overcoming thy nightmares, it had to strike from a different angle. To evade the new defenses and strength thou wert bringing against it.

“I know these nightmares are terrible for thee. I see it, writ upon thy face, etched into thy eyes. But thou art strong, and can push through their grip on thee. And with every nightmare thou conquers, Blue, this foe will be forced to further change its tactics, and to take more and more risks in attempting to feed upon thee. And one day, it will either be forced to release thee, or appear before thee.”

“And... and what then?” Blueblood asked disbelievingly, and then he glared at Sleipnir when the stallion only smiled at him cheerfully. “What? What exactly am I supposed to do if some kind of... of demon appears to try and run away with me?”

“'Tis simple. Thou will yell and I will pummel it.” Sleipnir shrugged, and Blueblood stared at him before the earth pony said reasonably: “Well, I am sure thou could pummel it as well, but methinks 'twould be safer for me to pummel it first. I am better at pummeling than thou art.”

Blueblood slowly closed his eyes, and then he dropped his face in his hooves before asking in a mumble: “Is this honestly your solution? Are you serious, Sleipnir, you simply want me to... to push through this until you can... punch it in the face?”

“Aye.” Sleipnir reached forwards and squeezed one of the prince's shoulders reassuringly, saying softly: “But if it will help, I shall have Invidia aid me in setting up what wards I can. And we shall find thee a nice trinket to carry with thee. A stone to put thy worries in, a dreamcatcher to halter thy nightmares. Fair?”

Blueblood looked moodily up at Sleipnir, saying irritably: “Do you honestly expect me to believe that a silly dreamcatcher is going to help at all when even Aunt Luna's dream charm often isn't enough to stifle the nightmares?”

“Well, it will if thou believes it will.” Sleipnir said simply, and Blueblood looked stumped at this response before the earth pony said softly: “Do not give the demon more power over thee than it already has. That is why I kept these worries close to mine own breast: thy haunt will feed off thy fear and sorrow and pain. If thou fears it, then it will win, Blueblood. But thou does not have to fear it. Thou art better than this foe. Thou art strong enough to resist it. And thou must never, ever forget the sole reason that we fail in life.”

Blueblood looked silently up at Sleipnir, front hooves falling into his lap, swallowing a bit as the two looked at each other for the longest time, before the earth pony said gently: “The only reason we fail, Blue, is because we do not get back up after we are knocked down. We fail only when we allow ourselves to.”

Blue looked down, and there was quiet for a few minutes before he murmured: “But we're not all as strong as you are, Sleipnir. I... I'm still scared of everything we've faced. I don't know... what to think or what to feel. I could never... walk on a broken leg like you, or fight against-”

“Thou art capable of great things, Blue. Just how great, I know we shall see soon.” Sleipnir said empathetically, and Blueblood grimaced a bit, but then looked down and nodded. “Good. Thou shall see. But fear not, today we shall head towards the fountain, and I am sure once there, everything shall be easier. Come down once thou art ready, we shall eat and then head out.”

Sleipnir reached up and mussed up Blueblood's mane, and the unicorn groaned before nodding moodily as the earth pony turned to gather his things together, then leave with one last encouraging look over his shoulder to the unicorn.

He headed downstairs, and it was only a few minutes before Blueblood came down: but during that time, Sleipnir studied Invidia and the way she was chatting with him and their host, and realized that the demon was acting far calmer now. And there was a different sense of energy about her: it was less electric, less convoluted and malicious. He was certainly glad to see it... but at the same time, a nervous feeling tickled at his gut, like something about it all wasn't quite right.

Still, when Blueblood came down, he seemed less afraid of Invidia, and Invidia greeted him warmly but not with her usual slavish obsession. And when they set off, instead of chasing Blueblood all over the path or lingering behind them, Invidia walked at his side... she even kept up decent conversation without lapsing into bouts of bitterness or vindictive cruelty, like she thought he was some kind of barrier to tear through to get to Blueblood.

They made their way out of town in full armor and with full saddlebags: the day was pleasant and cool and the trees that lined the path offered plenty of comfortable shade, and it helped with making good time as they strode away from the pioneer village and deeper into the Equestrian wilderness. Sleipnir was able to chat and ramble easily away to the two ponies between listening to what Mother Nature had to tell him, and he felt... good about things. Very good, as a matter of fact.

They took a brief break after crossing a small bridge over a narrow creek, and Sleipnir took the time to gather a few useful herbs and teach Blueblood a little more about field medicine. He had also noted that Blueblood was attempting to quietly master the meditations Sleipnir had given him... although he wasn't having much luck. Still, Sleipnir had plenty of faith in the young stallion: Blue was just trying to learn a lot all at once, and the colt had already grown tremendously since they had left Canterlot.

The sun had only just begun to set when they reached the end of the dirt road, and what seemed almost like a large park: there were even a few tents set up here and there, and some ponies were happily singing around a campfire, which made Sleipnir give a warm smile before his eyes roved towards a large hill in the distance, seated in the center of these gorgeous fields.

The hill was dense with foliage and trees and all sorts of different plants and growth, with one particularly massive old oak towering over them all. Sleipnir chuckled at the sight of this, not needing his connection with nature to know this tree was the guardian of this area... and that at its base sat the fountain they had come to see. “Shall we, friends? I would dearly like to take a look at this before we gather what we came here for.”

“Do you even know what we came here for?” Blueblood asked pessimistically, but he was already moving towards the fountain, clearly as curious as Sleipnir was.

Sleipnir only shrugged amiably, but then he looked thoughtfully up as they approached the hill, studying the plants that grew all along it, seeing vines and tapers and ferns of every shape and size... “I think I am beginning to get some idea now, though... but first let us look at this pool.”

Neither Invidia nor Blueblood argued as they climbed a path that had been trod bare by the countless hooves that had walked this hill... and then Sleipnir chuckled quietly as they finally caught sight of the fountain, murmuring: “Aye. We know each other, do we not?”

It was a gorgeous, crystal-clear pool of water that was snugly nestled inside the embrace of the massive oak's roots, not a ripple passing through the surface of the liquid. Not a single insect nor a single leaf touched the water's surface, even as the trees rumbled and rustled almost with a life of their own all around them.

A single pony was leaning over the edge of one root and staring down into the pool, but he glanced up with a small smile when the ponies approached. He gazed at them warmly, then said quickly: “If you want a drink, you better be quick about it. No one is supposed to drink from the pool after nightfall.”

“Truly? Tell me more of this custom, if thou would. I am curious.” Sleipnir invited cheerfully, and the pony lit up: he seemed even more excited about the thought of talking about this pool than he was at seeing an armored giant, a prince, and a demon approaching. Not that he could possibly know who and what they were, of course... but all the same, Sleipnir knew they cut a strange figure.

“Well, the legend goes that during the day, the sun fills this pool with warmth and wisdom and courage. But during the night, the moonlight fills the pool with hate and bitterness and coldness, thanks to the corruption of Nightmare Moon.” the pony explained, gesturing quickly at the pool. “I don't know how much of it is true, of course, but it does seem that most people seem to benefit from the waters during the day, and not a lot of ponies have been brave enough to drink from it at night...”

“Nonsense.” Blueblood huffed, and the scholar looked surprised before the prince complained: “Nightmare Moon was certainly real, but the moon had little to do with it. Luna is perhaps not the nicest pony in the world, but she is no terrible evil. It is not her fault what happened.”

The pony looked blank now, and Sleipnir slapped Blueblood on the back and nearly knocked him flat, smiling warmly. “I would say 'twas well said, but I did not entirely understand myself precisely what it was thou wert trying to say. All the same, though, I approve heartily of thy passion!”

The prince grumbled under his breath, but then Invidia suddenly rose her head and said softly: “I think what L... our friend means, is that we should not put the blame on easy scapegoats. They make for good legend... but the truth is always much more complex, is it not? For the sun can burn as well as warm; the moon can be our only beacon at night, the only source of light in the deep darkness.”

There was silence for a few moments, and the scholar looked almost embarrassed before he said hurriedly: “Of... of course I didn't mean at all that... there are a lot of perfectly rational explanations for this pool as well, after all such as... such as algae formations and-”

“Hello!” Sleipnir suddenly said brightly, loudly enough that it made the other ponies all stare at him. But the stallion was only looking warmly up at the enormous oak, leaning forwards over the sprawling root-wall of the pool as he asked cheerfully: “And how art thou today?”

No one quite dared to say anything as there was silence, apart from the creaking of the trees and the rustling of the plants... and then Sleipnir laughed loudly before saying exuberantly: “Well, now! 'Tis a true pleasure to hear such a wit in such an old and craggy oak! Usually thy kind are nothing but sage words and caution, so dependable and yet so stuffy!”

Creaks and groans, and... was that rustling actually changing in pitch? The three ponies didn't dare speak as they only stared at Sleipnir, who was looking intently up at the tree... before he suddenly laughed loudly again, almost falling backwards before he pointed at the tree and replied in a jovial shout: “Oh, as if thou art but an acorn thyself! Aye, and do not think I do not see those birch bark scrapings or smell those flowers, I am somehow certain thou art as much the mongrel as I am!”

More creaking. More strange sounds, and... did the enormous oak actually seem to shift? And then Sleipnir fell over, laughing loudly and hugging himself before he held up a hoof, crying out cheerfully: “Oh, mercy! I plead mercy, oh... oh damnation, great wicked cur! I know not whether to cry for my wounded pride or for joy, great, terrible thing... oh, how I wish my sister was here, I know thou would awaken the old tree-lover in her. And why, yes, I do mean that literally!”

The noises of the rustling bushes, the shifting trees almost sounded like... laughter. Laughter, and something else, as Sleipnir slowly picked himself up before rubbing at his face, then giving a loud sigh as his giggles finally subsided, smiling warmly up at the tree. “Aye, we shall be the best of friends... and if thy roots truly extend all throughout this mighty land, then I know we shall speak again, great oak. But for now, aye, I generously accept thy offer, upon the condition that I may share it with my noble friends.”

Sleipnir held out a hoof, and for a moment nothing happened: almost long enough for Blueblood to start doubting in the earth pony... except by now, he knew to expect Sleipnir's strange antics to always go somewhere, somehow. And so he was somehow unsurprised when what looked like a large fruit fell out of the air and landed in Sleipnir's hoof, the earth pony looking up and saying warmly to the tree: “Þakka fyrir, friend.”

“But... but oak trees don't bear fruit, and...” The scholar's mouth worked wordlessly for a moment as he stared disbelievingly at the large, rounded... “No, that's not fruit...”

“Aye, 'tis not.” Sleipnir agreed: what he held in his hoof was an almost perfect, gelatinous sphere: sap that was halfway between liquid and amber. “I am loathe to ruin the fun and games of legend, but this is the source of the pool's power: 'tis the sap of the guardian tree of this place. The water merely dilutes it. Now each of thee, take a piece, 'twill clear our minds and make rest for tonight easy.”

Blueblood shifted uneasily... but before he could argue, Sleipnir calmly reached up and firmly smacked the top of the amber droplet, and it broke neatly into four sections. The stallion passed one of these to each of the ponies present, the scholar looking stupefied before the earth pony said positively: “Well, thou hast made a study of this pool, aye? Taste now the fruit of thy efforts, friend! Thou well deserves it, much as any of us.”

The pony blushed deeply, but smiled at Sleipnir all the same, nodding a little before he bit into the amber: Invidia had already devoured hers, and Blueblood was slowly chewing the sap, surprised at how sweet it tasted. On the one hoof, it had all the texture of peanut butter, but it melted quickly into a liquid that seemed to spread warmth through his entire body, making him feel... good, in a word.

Sleipnir smiled around at each of them, then broke his own piece in half again, tossing one part into the pool before he shoved the other into his mouth and swallowed it in one easy bite. Then he sighed in relief, closing his eyes and murmuring: “Aye, 'tis good. 'Tis very good, and thou shall have my thanks forever and for a day, friend oak. I look forwards to meeting thee again upon our journey.”

The earth pony paused, then looked thoughtfully up at the enormous tree, asking with interest: “If thou hast roots that stretch across Equestria... then perhaps thou can help me, friend. I search for certain precious materials... does thou know where I might find silvered ore, the ingredients for deathgrip or a similar sealant, and gemstones that can contain a powerful magic charge? Baens, art thou familiar with... oh, do not be so cocky, I know thou art more a hen than a rooster! And... aye?”

Sleipnir cocked his head, then smiled warmly and nodded firmly before he turned his eyes towards Blueblood, who looked blank until Sleipnir declared: “Tonight, thou must write a letter to thine aunt. Tell her to send the Royal Guard here to gather sap from Old Oak. He shall be generous enough to allow it, for it will be of great use in the construction of the portal...”

Sleipnir paused, then looked over his shoulder curiously before he rolled his eyes, complaining: “Oh, come now, I am... yes, I know what I am doing, great tree. What? Thou makes no sense, 'tis perfectly logical that I know how to make a portal... oh, oh it makes more sense for a great silly tree to know the ways of building a portal than a mere pony like I? Oh shush. Thou art just being difficult. Thou art acting just like my sister. Both of my sisters, mashed into one terrible creature.”

There was an uncomfortable silence for a few moments, and then Sleipnir turned back towards the ponies, saying kindly: “Now that I am done arguing with the great stuffy hen-tree, I have great news. Old Oak is stretching out his roots, and he tells me he can touch or feel the presence of much of what I need for a portal. He also claims to be very familiar with how to create such powerful magic, but he is merely a silly guardian tree. What would a tree do with a portal between worlds?”

A pause, and Sleipnir cocked his head... then giggled stupidly, before blurting: “Uproot!”

The ponies only stared at him, and then the earth pony started to laugh loudly in earnest, falling back against the root wall around the pool before he wiped at his face and sighed, saying wryly: “Damnation. Thou hast a wit like a rapier.”

The tree creaked, and Sleipnir clearly tried his hardest to stifle his giggles even as he said in a falsely-outraged voice: “That is inappropriate, 'tis most... most...”

And then Sleipnir went off giggling again, and Blueblood reached up to slowly rub at his face before the unicorn almost pleaded: “Sleipnir. For the love of Heaven. Please focus.”

Sleipnir huffed loudly, and then he finally grumbled and picked himself up, saying finally: “Oh, come now, I am focused. 'Tis great news, is it not? Our journey shall be made that much easier... although...”

Sleipnir frowned a little, turning around, and Blueblood could almost swear that he caught... he didn't know what. A tone in the sound of the branches swaying? A whisper, or... something that made him think that it wasn't the best of news.

Invidia was frowning as well, although the scholar pony had backed away a few steps and was just staring at them like they were completely insane. And then Sleipnir turned around suddenly, saying quietly: “I will have to hold counsel later with Old Oak, but... it seems that of what he knows, a few of these destinations are very distant indeed... and over the years since he first sprouted, his roots have grown not only through Equestria, but even beyond. He fears that some of what we seek may require us to march into foreign and dangerous land.”

“I... well...” Blueblood shifted uncomfortably at this, unsure of what to say, and surprised at how he felt a strange... clenching in his chest at this. And it wasn't just fear of leaving Equestria: it was the thought that he and Sleipnir... well, they were supposed to be a team. And at some point, he'd decided that he was going to be there for the entire journey, one way or another...

“We do not need to make any decisions yet. As it is, we will be crisscrossing back and forth across Equestria for quite some time.” Sleipnir said after a moment, and Blueblood frowned before the earth pony shrugged, saying mildly: “Oh, 'tis very quick and easy to travel a straight route over solid land, my friend. But remember the Mines of Horsia? The labyrinth cost us days... and traveling through the snowy mountains would have cost even more. And now, zigzagging across the wildest parts of Equestria, well... we may end up without roads to lead us and only nature to help us along the way. 'Twill be many days of journeying yet.”

Strangely, Blueblood... wanted to smile. Even as he groaned loudly and swore at Sleipnir, he had to work hard to hide his smile... and didn't quite manage it anyway. And part of him wondered why the hell it felt like such good news, that he was going to be spending weeks tromping all over the country with a demon and an idiot...

But as he looked at Invidia, then at Sleipnir, he thought maybe the answer was all too clear after all.

Night Terrors

Chapter Fifteen: Night Terrors
~BlackRoseRaven

They set up camp near the bottom of the hill: it was another cool, clear night, and there were quite a few other campsites dotting the area, so they didn't bother with a tent or lean-to of their own. They only built a fire, and Blueblood found himself surprised as he ended up sitting rather pleasantly with Invidia while Sleipnir went to have his strange chat with the enormous old tree.

He was further surprised by the fact that curious ponies came and went now and then: he was a bit stiff with them in conversation, but it was more out of the fact that he wasn't actually used to talking to ponies than any question of status, now. He also constantly felt that he was going to be recognized... but sitting here, wearing nothing but his well-worn jerkin and with his shaggy mane hanging loose around his shoulders, he didn't realize that he must look like a completely different person. To all of the ponies, he was just Blue, the unicorn adventurer.

Sleipnir eventually came back, talking as cheerfully and warmly to strangers as he did to his friends until the night wore deep and their guests went back to their own tents. But the moment the last left, Sleipnir almost immediately became much more serious, asking softly: “Did thou send the letter as I asked, Blue?”

“Yes...” Blueblood said uncertainly, before he added almost anxiously: “But I plan to journey with you for as long as possible, you do understand that, don't you? You're not... I won't just return to Canterlot with the Royal Guard, you know. You have an obligation to see me safely home yourself.”

“And I would not have it any other way.” Sleipnir said kindly, before he said in a gentler voice: “But we are in for a hard journey. A journey that Horsia was only the tip of, my friend. The traveling alone will be difficult, for we have been fortunate with the weather... but I feel autumn stirring in earnest, and soon she will salt the world to help it prepare for winter's embrace.

“And Invidia...” Sleipnir turned towards the demon, who looked up attentively. “I shan't hold thee to our bargain if thou does not desire to travel the full term. We may end up journeying into places where thy food sources will be... scarcer, or of rougher mien than thou art used to.”

Invidia laughed a little, then bowed her head and murmured: “I feel... I feel that I can learn to control my hungers better, as I am learning to reign in my emotions, like you and Lord Blueblood do. No, I... I wish to continue this journey with you both. It... it is all I have, really.”

The demon glanced away, and Blueblood softened a little: her words were... honest. Not obsessive, not overeager or trying to please, just... what she seemed to honestly, truly feel. It made him want to reach out to her as he licked his lips slowly, then leaned forwards and said quietly: “Well, we... we're going to stick together.”

Invidia looked almost shyly over at the stallion, then she nodded quickly and blushed a bit, dropping her head forwards and closing her eyes silently. Sleipnir smiled softly between the two, and then he chuckled quietly before standing up and stretching out. “Well, that... aye, that is enough, actually, for the night. I think I shall try to sleep. I recommend thou both do the same.”

Invidia smiled briefly, and then she bowed her head before glancing over at Blueblood. “I did not see or sense my brethren in the area, but... I will make sure to keep a sharp eye out all the same. There is no reason to be foolish.”

Blueblood smiled a little, and Sleipnir yawned before he strode away, then simply flopped over, saying kindly: “'Tis good of thou, Invidia, but do not press thyself overmuch either. I think we will be safe tonight, so long as we do not do anything too foolish. All shall be well.”

The demon only shrugged calmly, then settled back and closed her eyes, as if meditating. Blueblood looked at her for a few moments, then shrugged a bit before slipping off to set up his bedroll and sleeping bag: by the time he looked back up, the demon was gone.

He felt a little strange that he hadn't gotten to say a goodnight to her, but... well, maybe Invidia didn't think he'd even wanted to. He had treated her a little bit... hostilely, he had to admit. And even if part of him was still nervous about the demon, the rest of him wanted to see if they really could be friends... freaky golden eyes or not.

But since that was really the only thing now that bothered him about her, he was trying to move on. After all, now that she wasn't constantly being cruel or conniving or clingy, she was... she was a much better person to be around, he thought.

Blueblood smiled a bit despite himself, rubbing slowly at the back of his neck with one hoof before he shifted a little and settled as best he could. And for a little while, everything felt... good. He felt himself drifting comfortably off to sleep and the world... felt right. Everything just felt like it was starting to fall into place.

A tickle started in his throat, and Blueblood stirred a little, before he found himself coughing. He tried to clear his throat, but it didn't help: it felt sticky and dry and painful, and the prince groaned quietly before he sat up, grasping at his neck and grimacing a bit. Every breath he took felt like sandpaper, and he wheezed quietly as he looked back and forth before swearing under his breath as he realized he couldn't see their supply satchels. Had they stowed them somewhere to keep them safe? Was Sleipnir sleeping on one?

He groaned... or tried to. What came out was more of a wheeze, and he grasped at his neck, coughing again He felt like he'd swallowed fire, and it had burned itself out on the way down... oh, it ached. And when he tried to clear his throat again, he felt nausea rip through his stomach as the dry walls of his throat nearly cemented themselves together.

He gasped for air, then stumbled before shaking his head and looking miserably back and forth. But then his eyes widened as he looked up towards the guardian tree in the distance, stumbling almost drunkenly towards the hill as he made his way towards the monolithic shape that seemed to be leaning against the starry night sky.

The unicorn staggered his way up the hill, tears welling up in his eyes with how much his throat was starting to hurt. With every second that passed, it felt like it was getting narrower and narrower, burning and agonizing and leaving him terribly afraid that any moment now, he was going to be left choking to death in agony in the grasses...

He almost fell into the Pool of Reflection at the top of the hill, trembling as he half-crawled over the wall of roots before he simply shoved his head down into the water, taking a deep gulp of the cold, clear liquid. And oh, it felt so good that he couldn't help but drink more even as he felt his throat almost immediately soothed, opening back up, letting him take a deep gasp of air when he shoved himself back from the pool and landed on his rump.

He belched loudly, his eyes widening in surprise before he gave an almost foalish giggle as his eyes flicked embarrassedly back and forth. Then he shook himself out, closing his eyes and smiling a little as he rubbed at his muzzle and mumbled: “Well, at least Auntie isn't here to see me right now.”

“Yes, I am very glad for that too.” hissed a voice, and Blueblood's eyes snapped open as he fell backwards, trembling in terror as he looked up in horror and saw some kind of fiendish, hideous thing perched on the wall of tree roots in front of him. It had terribly, terribly thin limbs that looked like nothing but skin stretched over bone, and a long neck at the top of which was a rounded skull with a face that looked like a carven jack-o-lantern. Its claws flexed slowly as it leaned forwards, ribs flexing and pushing against its purplish, leathery hide with every rasping breath.

Blueblood trembled violently as he stared up at this hideous thing's glowing hellfire eyes... and then his own widened in horror as the night sky overhead melted like plastic, dissolving away to reveal a crimson maelstrom beneath. The massive guardian tree behind the creature quaked and shivered, then burst suddenly into flames as it split down the middle, the beautiful garden that had covered this hillside seeming to scream as it became a horrific inferno.

Beneath him, grass charred and the ground rotted away into ashes and rock as Blue pushed himself backwards, shaking his head and whimpering in terror as the awful monstrosity slowly leaned forwards and crawled down from its perch, eyes locked with hate and hunger on the young prince. As it stepped down onto the now-barren earth, the wall of tree roots shivered before they suddenly tore themselves apart, a pool of not water, but crimson blood cascading down and twisting itself unnaturally around the approaching fiend as it flooded down the hill...

Blueblood panicked: the monster, the blood, it was all too much, and the stallion cried out as he staggered into a circle before tripping over his own hooves and rolling down the hill, jouncing painfully over the ground until crashed down in a sprawl on hard, unforgiving stone.

He coughed a few times, then looked up, trembling violently as his eyes widened in horror: there was no longer a pleasant meadow in front of him, but a sprawling cemetery, filled with gigantic tombstones and leaning, broken statues of angels, the rust-colored moss that dotted their damaged bodies horribly like blood.

Blueblood stumbled forwards, breathing hard before he looked over his shoulder in terror as the monster stepped down into the path, looking at him with such... such anger. Such raw hate burning in its bulbous eyes, as it rasped: “Now you're my prey. No more table scraps from the Harbinger.”

“What... what do you want from me? Why won't you just leave me alone?” Blueblood pleaded desperately, stumbling backwards and staring fearfully at this hateful, vile thing; but he already knew the answers to those questions, even as the creature grinned cruelly at him. He could feel it in every trembling nerve of his body: he was nothing but food to this beast.

The monstrosity laughed cruelly, then leaned forwards and said hungrily: “Fear. I want you to be afraid, little stallion. I want you to run from me. I want you to struggle.”

The creature licked its lips, then suddenly growled and flexed, its red flesh shimmering strangely before it began to shrink and compress... and in front of Blueblood's horrified eyes, in only a few moments the beast had transformed itself into the terribly-familiar shape of a unicorn in a crimson raincoat, eyes shining with unnatural, hideous light from beneath the wide brim of its hat before it mocked: “Don't you want to play hide and seek with daddy?”

Blueblood screamed in terror, shaking his head before he leapt around in a circle and bolted into the cemetery. And behind him, the hideous thing laughed before it yelled hoarsely: “Run, yes! Run away, hide and cry little Blueblood! But you can't escape me, even in your own nightmares! I'll drink down every last drop of your soul!”

The unicorn darted through the nightmare cemetery, tortured and confused by the laughter that seemed to echo around him from all directions at once. He felt like a helpless foal as he tripped and stumbled, screaming for Sleipnir, for Invidia, for his Auntie... for anyone at all to help him, even though he knew it was useless: he was caught in the web of another nightmare, and there was no escape, and no one who could possibly save him.

Blueblood stumbled around an enormous tombstone, flinging himself into the weeds behind it and gasping for breath before he looked up fearfully as the monster's voice whispered: “The Harbinger had me harvesting you for years now... and you were so perfect, such a ripe fruit so easy for us to manipulate and squeeze the juices out of. But you had to grow difficult, didn't you? You had to run away with the angel, started growing skin, making yourself a harder target...

“But you're not so tough.” The monster in the shape of his father suddenly stuck his head around the tombstone, grinning coldly, and Blueblood yelled in fear, leaping back out onto the path and bolting deeper into the cemetery, as the monster called eagerly: “And if I have to go through the trouble of skinning you alive now, then I'm going to eat you all up myself! The Harbinger can find its own meals!”

Blueblood stumbled over a grave marker, falling in a sprawl before he covered his face, whimpering and doing his best to withhold his sobs. He convulsed once on the ground, then trembled violently as he heard the creature's heavy steps striding forwards... and oh, even though it wore his father's form, he heard the clicking of claws, felt its gnarled and gangly shadow looming over him-

Blueblood scrambled to his feet and leapt away as the monster tried to grab him, hissing in frustration... then grinning suddenly, licking its lips as Blueblood darted into another row of tombstones. “You're being rude, little colt! You're waking up all those nice ponies!”

Blueblood automatically looked down... then screamed when a hoof tore out of the earth, grabbing at him wildly. He immediately leapt on top of an oversized tombstone, watching with horror as more corpses began to shove and dig their way out of the earth, grabbing listlessly at him as they whispered and moaned...

It was too much. It was too much for him to take, and Blueblood screamed again as he looked back and forth, shaking like a leaf, his eyes wide and terrified as the monster approached him, laughing loudly through his father's face. And without anyone to support him, without anyone to pick him up and carry him along like the dead weight he was, Blueblood felt that it was impossible. There was nothing he could do...

We fail only when we allow ourselves to.

It was like a gunshot in his mind, Blueblood looking up and trembling from his perch on the gravestone as the dead things writhed helplessly in the dirt all around him, and the monster watched eagerly, drinking in his fear. Sleipnir's voice... but how could he believe that? How could he hope to win against... against something this powerful, something that had taken over his mind, made him experience these nightmares again and again...

But to... to come this far, and lose; to die, and to die a failure, not fighting, just a screaming, crying coward... Blueblood shivered at this, and even as tears streamed down his face, he felt a vehemence rising up in him. A raw passion: neither anger nor hate but something even more primal that sprang from a place in him Blueblood didn't even know existed.

He trembled, then looked over at the unicorn before yelling fiercely: “C-Come on then! Come... come on! You... you do whatever you want, y-you bastard, but I'm... I am not going to die at your claws a mere coward!”

“You don't get to choose the way you live or die!” roared the monster in return... and yet even through its unicorn guise, it looked almost shaken, glaring hatefully at Blueblood before it snarled: “I am fear incarnate. I'm playing a game with you, boy, don't you see? In a flash, I could cook your brain in your skull with the terrors of your life I could dredge up!”

Blueblood quaked, but all the same, he looked down and whispered: “Every single day of my life has been spent living in fear. Fear warped me. Fear of losing my illusion of power, my superiority, fear of... all my lies being exposed. Fear of the nightmares, fear of my past, fear of my memories and... most of all... fear of myself. Of looking at myself in the mirror, and being forced to see... the wretched failure I really am.

“But I will not... I will not die afraid. I will not die afraid.” Blueblood clenched his eyes shut, forcing away his terror, his horror, thinking of Sleipnir and Celestia and even Invidia before he gritted his teeth and looked up at the monster, who stared back at him with disbelief.

Even as he trembled like a leaf, Blueblood forced himself to step slowly forwards, down from the tombstone, into the mass of writhing corpses. He shivered as they grasped at him, but forced himself to look straight across at the fear demon wearing his father's face, to not look down even as dead hooves rubbed against his body and tried to pull themselves upwards.

And then, the corpses slowly began to slide back down into the rotten earth, but Blueblood forced himself not to look down, to only continue to glare at the demon... at his opponent, as the fear demon snarled, and the mask of his father's face cracked. The raincoat rippled unnaturally before it suddenly rose a limb, pointing at him not with a hoof, but a mottled claw as it snapped: “Put on all the brave faces you want, but it won't help you! Dead is dead, and you'll be remembered as nothing but a worthless slop of a coward anyway!”

“I don't care what they remember me as. I care what I do here and now.” Blueblood stepped forwards, and the monster's red eyes widened before the stallion trembled, then forced himself to take another step towards the beast, driving back the fear as he whispered: “I am not afraid of you.”

“You can't lie to me! You fear me, you fear your father, you fear your life!” the demon snarled, stepping forwards... but even as it did so, further cracks ripped through its features, pieces falling away like glass and revealing the red, raw pulse of the monster's true face beneath.

Blueblood laughed faintly, and then he took a steadying breath before taking another step towards the creature... and the monster trembled and stepped backwards. The prince gritted his teeth, then strode forwards again... and the fear demon tripped over its own raincoat, stumbling away and shaking its head as Blueblood asked harshly: “What's wrong? I thought I was the coward here, not you... I thought that you were-”

“Shut up!” screamed the demon, and the raincoat exploded into tatters as its body warped and distorted, the true form of the beast emerging before it reached down and seized savagely into Blueblood's throat. The stallion choked loudly as he was easily hefted into the air, the fear demon glaring at him with maddened eyes as he hissed: “Do you think this is a game, that you have any sort of hope? You don't! I'm going to rip you apart, kill you, devour you!”

Blueblood grabbed helplessly at its wrists as he coughed and gagged, then glared furiously at the monster even as he continued to try and yank himself backwards, rasping out: “I... I won't just sit back and let you!”

His horn glowed brightly, and the fear demon had enough time to look up in shock before Blueblood snapped it forwards and sent a bolt of light into the monster's face. The fear demon immediately screamed in anguish, flinging Blueblood away like a ragdoll before he grabbed at his face, shrieking: “M-My eyes! H-How? How can this b-be?”

Blueblood groaned weakly as he picked himself up off the ground, shaking his head as pain pulsed through his whole body: even if they were in a nightmare, getting flung into a tombstone had hurt just as much as he imagined it would in reality. But all the same, he pushed himself to his hooves in the grass...

Grass? Blueblood looked down in surprise, before his eyes widened as he realized that the cemetery had transformed: the tombstones looked less surreal, grass and flowers had spread amidst the barren dirt and ashes, everything looked... different. But Blueblood didn't have any time to try and figure it out as the fear demon half-uncovered his face and lunged at him with a snarl, one red eye blinking as his other hand remained firmly clamped over the other. “Come here!”

Blueblood winced and darted quickly between two enormous grave markers, and the monster hissed as it unsuccessfully tried to jam itself between these, clawing at him before leaping back and darting around. But the stallion had managed to slip away down another aisle and slipped into the shadow of an angel statue.

The fear demon looked back and forth, then it uncovered its burned, blinded-white eye, shouting furiously: “Where are you? Stop hiding!”

The monster lurched down between the graves, looking back and forth angrily, but Blueblood only stayed silently in his hiding place, trying to formulate some kind of plan as the fear demon growled: “Do you think there's any point in this game? There's no escape from your own mind, no matter how much you jumble up your memories! And even if I can't feed on you anymore, I can still hurt you, still kill you!”

Blue gritted his teeth, then he dropped his head, wishing silently that he'd learned some of that magic from Invidia... but almost the moment he thought of her, there was a flash in his mind before her voice said charmingly, as if right beside him: “Lord Blueblood, you're certainly more than strong enough to use this spell...”

“What was that? What spell?” snapped the fear demon, looking back and forth in surprise, and Blueblood's eyes widened before the monster turned towards the angel statue and suddenly broke into a shambling run.

It clawed into it and yanked itself overeagerly around, slashing out... at nothing but air. The fear demon stared for a moment, then snarled in fury and shoved itself away from the statue, looking back and forth with a low growl before its eyes widened as a voice roared: “Here, fiend! I am here!”

The fear demon spun around and bolted towards an open grave, skidding to a halt in front of it... and then the monster roared in frustration, grabbing at its head when it found nothing. Nothing in the grave, nothing cowering around the other tombstones “Show yourself! Show yourself!”

“I'm right here!” Blueblood snapped, and the fear demon hissed and spun around... then screamed in agony when a blast of light smashed into its face, knocking it staggering back a step before it shrieked and toppled backwards into the open grave.

Blueblood immediately bolted forwards, running past the open grave as the disoriented demon writhed in the pit. Then the prince spun around, throwing his full weight against the heavy tombstone at the head of the grave as the fear demon screamed curses and promises at him.

The grave marker stuttered, rumbling, and Blueblood shouted desperately as he shoved himself against it, pushing with all the strength in his body and more... and a moment later, he almost fell in after the stone as it toppled forwards, and there was a resounding, terrible crunch.

Then there was only silence, and Blueblood trembled before he sat back, dropping his head forwards and closing his eyes. He breathed slowly in and out, trembling weakly and barely able to believe what he had just done before he carefully picked himself up and stepped backwards. He looked uncertainly down into the open grave for a few moments, then laughed in disbelief as he whispered: “I... I did it. I actually did it. Sleipnir... Sleipnir was right.”

Blueblood shook his head slowly, and then he looked slowly up and smiled faintly as blue slowly bled through the sky above, driving out the red poison. The world around him transformed too, the gravestones and statues silently dissolving as green, lush grass spread beneath him, bringing life to a world that had once been dead.

Finally, the prince drew his eyes down to the hole in the earth in front of him, and he began to smile a little as he looked down and saw only shadows; that was, until the illusion of peace was shattered as the fear demon lunged up out of the pit and seized him by the throat, hefting him high into the air as Blueblood screamed in fear, his eyes wide with horror as the monster gurgled from its broken skull, shivering violently.

Blueblood's horn began to glow, but the fear demon reached up and seized on this, and the stallion howled in agony as a horrific burning sensation filled his entire body, but became an impossible conflagration around his horn. He kicked his legs weakly, trying to jerk loose from the beast's grip as it gurgled and gargled: the fear demon's eyes were blind and its head was horribly crushed and its shoulders looked bent and mangled, but all the same, the freakish thing seemed determined to take its revenge even as it struggled just to stand...

The pain was becoming too much, and Blue felt his spasming starting to weaken, his body starting to go limp and numb. His eyes rolled in his head as he felt a sick, ironic understanding, a feeling like he'd been right all along that no matter what, he was nothing but a failure and no matter how hard he tried, there was no way he could escape his own fate...

Blueblood trembled, tears rolling down his cheeks, breath cut off, body weakening. There was no point, really, was there? He had been stupid to even try, he had been...

No, he didn't want to die like that. He didn't want to die a loser, any more than he did a coward. He didn't want to die not-trying, making up excuses and reasons like he always did, acting all vindicated and bitterly righteous when something went completely all to hell. He didn't want to die in the grips of this... this hideous, malformed thing.

With the last of his strength, the unicorn tried to pendulum his body forwards: the creature's thin arms swayed a bit before Blueblood swung his body backwards, meaning to try and build up speed for a second kick-

Instead, he kicked too hard, and the unbalanced, weakened fear demon lost its grip for a precious moment, fingers slipping against Blueblood's neck before the stallion's horn twisted and slashed down its hand. The demon howled as it shoved at Blueblood even as it overbalanced, and a moment later the demon crashed down on its face as the unicorn stupidly hit the ground a few feet away, rolling backwards as he coughed and hacked for breath.

He grabbed weakly at his throat, struggling for breath before he looked up with a wince as the demon tried to gargle something out, digging its claws into the grasses as it attempted to pull itself forwards. Blueblood swore weakly as he shoved himself backwards, shaking his head and trembling violently as he rasped in and out for breath, his whole body still on fire with pain, trying to come up with some kind of plan or answer or...

“Prince Blueblood!” shouted a voice, and Blueblood looked up in disbelief before a shape appeared at his side... an impossible presence. He stared up at her blankly, but Invidia only looked down at him with worry, trembling as she touched his face and whispered: “Oh, this was never supposed to happen to you, my darling... not while I was here, at your side... not while you were under my watch, my protection...”

Invidia trembled, her eyes almost tearing up, and Blueblood was both afraid and strangely soothed by the honest pain he saw in her. And then her golden eyes flashed, and for a moment Blueblood saw such anger, such hate, that it made his blood turn to ice as his eyes widened...

But it wasn't directed at him, as Invidia's eyes slowly drew upwards, her features tightening until her face looked like a rubber mask over something... hideous, and horrible, and not like a pony at all as she hissed: “And you. Cheat and carrion... a miserable, wretched little mind-goblin that I see my Lord Blueblood has already bested... but all the same, you refuse to understand and admit to your inferiority. But I am not as generous or as kind as the Prince of Equestria I serve.”

And in a flash, Invidia was on her hooves, her horn glowing with a terrible, malefic radiance, and the fear demon screamed in agony as serpents formed out of black mist and twined themselves violently around the monster's body, their coils crushing down on his thin limbs and burning into flesh like they were coated with acid.

Blueblood trembled, watching as the serpents forcefully began to bend and yank the fear demon's limbs up behind his back Invidia rose her horn slowly, her eyes still burning with hatred, her expression cold and callous and without a speck of enjoyment... but instead, with a terrible, awful righteousness that almost hurt Blueblood to look at.

Her horn tilted to the side, and then she fluidly flicked it back and forth, tracing a rune through the air, and the acidic constrictors suddenly expanded, growing to twice their size... and crushing down with more than three times their strength, the thin limbs of the fear demon shattering and snapping like twigs, making it squeal in agony before the expanded snakes lunged forwards, twisting and twining with each other's upper bodies as their lower forms remained tightly bound around the crushed limbs of the demon.

And then Blueblood stared in horror as they became one smoldering mass of smoke that pulsed and bubbled unnaturally before becoming one hideous, tentacled beast that floated above the fear demon, a single hellish eye opening in the black mass as its grinning, gaping maw eagerly opened and closed. It lifted the fear demon in front of it as its now-tentacles bent the screaming, squealing demon cruelly back and forth, before Blueblood watched with horror as it raised the fear demon to its hungry, enormous maw...

Blueblood flinched away and clenched his eyes shut at the first crunch, but there was no way he could block out the sounds of chewing, ripping, tearing, as the fear demon's screams were abruptly silenced. He shivered on the ground, clenching into the grasses and breathing hard before finally hesitantly looking up after a few minutes of quiet.

Invidia stood in front of him, looking down at him with worry in her golden eyes. The smoky beast was gone, just like the fear demon had vanished entirely: not a shred of either was left, as Invidia asked fearfully: “Are... are you alright, Lord Blueblood? You... I'm not... I just wanted to help you. That's all. I wanted to make sure he would never harm you again...”

“I...” Blueblood trembled a little, and then he only meekly nodded, slowly standing. Invidia looked... normal again, for the lack of a better word, but now that he had seen what she was really capable of, caught a glimpse of that thing beneath her pony mask... “You're...”

“I am a demon, Prince Blueblood. I... I am a demon. I'm sorry if... that...” Invidia shook like a leaf, then lowered her head and visibly bit back a sob, but she could do nothing about the tears beginning to run down her cheeks as she whispered: “I just wanted to help...”

Blueblood lowered his head, licking his lips slowly before he hesitantly stepped towards her. She only continued to stare at him, looking so miserable, so dejected, and the stallion took a moment to steady himself before he silently slipped forwards and embraced her tightly with one foreleg, closing his eyes and lowering his head as he murmured: “Thank you.”

Invidia stared past Blueblood, and then she smiled weakly, tears continuing to course down her cheeks before she buried her face into his neck, reaching up to clutch tightly into the stallion as she trembled and whispered: “No. Thank you, Lord Blueblood... t-thank you.”

The unicorn smiled faintly as he held onto her, and little-by-little, he felt the last strings of fear of this demon fading away. It became easier, more natural to hold her close as he closed his eyes, letting her settle tighter into his embrace before he finally murmured: “Just... just Blue, Invidia.”

He blushed a little, but he could feel Invidia's smile as she nodded against him, could hear it in her voice as she said softly: “Of course... Blue.”

For a few minutes, they only rested together, and it was... it was good. It was what Blueblood needed right now, and to help him finally start trusting in the demon, even if... “I never imagined that you were actually...”

Blueblood halted and blushed, realizing he had actually been speaking, but Invidia only smiled faintly as she drew back from him, studying him silently before she quietly took one of his hooves. The trails of tears had dried over her cheeks, and her golden eyes were... well, they scared him a little, still, but at the same time he found something about her strangely... entrancing. “Well, Blue... I cannot claim to be an expert on my own kind. One day, I will tell you why, but for now, simply know that demons can come in many different shapes and guises, and the faces we wear often reflect who we are.

“That was a fear demon, as I know you have worked out yourself. That is part of why it was so different... that, and it never lived a life as a pony.” Invidia said softly, before she touched her own breast. “I am an Envy demon, and of a much higher tier than that pathetic creature was. But as I have the memories of life as a pony, as I feed best upon certain emotions... I wear the face of a pony most naturally. But I will not lie: this is only a disguise.”

The prince nodded awkwardly, and then he hesitated before asking before he could stop himself: “And your true face... would you still...”

“Now, Blue. It is very rude to ask a mare to remove her makeup.” Invidia said softly, even though she seemed strangely touched all the same by the question. “Let us simply say that... if and when you do see what I truly look like... I only dearly hope it won't make you think any less of me than you do. But I promise you, that no matter what I look like... I shall always be who I truly am. And I shall always... be loyal to you.”

Blueblood smiled faintly, shifting almost shyly before Invidia looked back and forth through the unblemished green field beneath the comfortable blue sky, and then she murmured softly: “You are very strong, though, to have resisted and defeated the fear demon's powers. It was merely a minor demon, but all the same. Few ponies would be able to crawl out of the depths of their own terrors.”

“I don't know how I did. I don't know what happened.” Blueblood said honestly, shaking his head briefly, and Invidia looked at him curiously before the unicorn smiled a little. “I'm not much of a warrior, Invidia, as I'm sure you've probably noticed by now. I'm not even much of a stallion, really... I just... I didn't want to die a coward. I didn't want to die on my knees.”

He looked down for a moment, and then Invidia reached forwards and gently tilted his head back up, looking into his eyes softly as she murmured: “Then you have done better than could be expected of any stallion, Blue. You gained yourself a second life. You freed yourself of the nightmares.”

“I... I don't know about that.” Blueblood shifted a little: he wished Sleipnir could somehow be here, too, because he remembered... “The demon said something... something about a.. a Harbinger, I think it was?”

Invidia's eyes immediately sharpened, her whole body tensing up as she leaned forwards and asked sharply: “What did it say?”

Blueblood looked up in surprise, shifting nervously at the almost-glare that Invidia gave him, and the demon seemed to relax a little after a moment, lowering her head and murmuring: “I... I apologize, Lord Blueblood. I simply... it worries me.”

“Why? Do you know what the Harbinger is? The fear demon didn't say anything else, only that he served him, whatever he is, but... that he was tired of doing his work for him.” Blueblood said slowly, and Invidia looked up with relief.

“So the fear demon acted on his own... good. Then he did not act in the Harbinger's interests...” Invidia looked down before nodding slowly, murmuring: “You are right, then. The nightmares may not completely subside, but the Harbinger will likely find it more difficult to influence you. I know this demon, yes: it is a very powerful one, who attracts minor demons to use as servants and help it feed its endless hunger. For all we demons... we always hunger.”

Invidia stopped, then shook herself and murmured: “But you must not be afraid. I will protect you, Blue. That, and Sleipnir's presence, will be enough to keep this demon at bay for now. But I fear that if it has locked on to you, then you will one day have no choice but to confront it. Because otherwise, it will not relent in its pursuit.”

“So I have some kind of... of master demon after me?” Blueblood asked disbelievingly, and Invidia smiled faintly before the prince lowered his head and asked weakly: “But... but why?”

“Because of your pain. Because of your past. Perhaps because you are a prince, too: perhaps it wishes to bring suffering into the lives of those around you, and through those you love, like your aunts, spread that pain into Equestria itself. To make the world hurt, as it hurts...” Invidia looked down almost bitterly, and Blueblood frowned a little before the demon gave a small smile and looked up, murmuring: “I apologize. But we demons are a bitter breed, and sometimes... emotions slip.”

Blueblood simply nodded, then he asked finally: “Is there nothing we can do?”

Invidia looked thoughtful, and then she hesitantly nodded, murmuring: “If you trust me, Blue, then I will... reach out to other demons, see if we can send a message to the Harbinger. Negotiate: there are few things that tempt demons more than a chance for us to speak, and brag. We are all too often... very fond of our own voices and schemes.”

She smiled a little, and the prince shifted uneasily: that sounded dangerous to him. Not because he was still learning to try and trust Invidia, but also because... “Won't... won't you be in danger, too?”

Invidia looked touched, blushing a bit before she lowered her head in clear, honest gratitude, murmuring: “Do not fear for me, my friend... I am more than capable of protecting myself from other demons. I have been doing so for many centuries now.”

Blueblood shifted a bit, looking at her with surprise... but he guessed that since she really was a demon, and this pony shape was just like a mask... “It's strange to think of you as so... well...”

“Oh, I am not very old by a demon's standards. I still have much to learn. I have only recently come to understand that, though...” Invidia looked away, laughing quietly. “Perhaps we are more similar than I once believed, even though... I have always seen a reflection of myself in you. I do not mean any offense by that of course, my prince...”

Blueblood only smiled a little, then he hesitated before asking quietly: “Where are we right now? How... how did you get into my mind?”

“You answer your first question with your second, Blue.” Invidia smiled back all the same, looking at him kindly before she bowed her head: “And do not be alarmed, but... this is the method which I most often use to feed. By slipping into the mind of my prey and digging into certain memories and emotions. That, and your mind was strangely vulnerable, although it seems to be healing now... but since I found you at the bottom of the hill, away from the campsite, I can only assume that the fear demon attacked you in reality before taking over your mind.”

“I... I don't know. I remember being thirsty...” Blueblood murmured, and then he grimaced a bit and rubbed at his face. “So... so I headed to the pool to get a drink...”

“The Pool of Reflection. I understand: the demon manipulated you, and the waters opened your mind, made you vulnerable to the attack.” Invidia said softly, shaking her head slowly. “But it no longer matters. The demon was destroyed, and consumed. It will do no harm to you or anyone else now, Lord Blueblood.”

Blueblood shifted a little, and then he cleared his throat before asking hesitantly: “So can I just... wake up? I... I feel like we should let Sleipnir know what's going on and... I don't know how much I've slept, but it feels like more than enough for one night.”

Invidia studied him for a few moments, and then she gave a slow nod before murmuring: “Of course, Blue. Besides, it nears morning now, and it will likely take some time for your mind to settle enough that it... returns to your body, so to speak. Dreamworlds are strange things, not entirely within the control of any of us.”

“So I've learned.” Blueblood said softly, thinking of the way he'd been able to summon up voices to confuse the fear demon, how reality had altered itself around them both as they'd fought... and then he shook his head quickly and smiled briefly: “Thank you, Invidia.”

“The pleasure is all mine.” Invidia smiled back, gentle and compassionate, then leaned forwards and tenderly kissed his cheek, Blueblood blinking and blushing deeply as he reached up and touched this spot before the demon simply vanished.

And there was... the strangest sensation. Warmth and tiredness that blurred together, and Blueblood closed his eyes and yawned quietly before he allowed himself to slip downwards, settling into the comfortable grasses as the smells around him changed, feeling a tickle against his sides, hearing a murmur run through his mind... and then he blinked, eyes snapping open as a hoof landed on his shoulder and a booming voice called cheerfully: “See, Blue? I knew thou wert made of sterner stuff than thou thought!”

Blueblood blinked again, then sat up and laughed in relief as he found Sleipnir grinning down at him warmly. Then the prince winced as the earth pony easily pulled him into a firm, one-legged embrace, the unicorn flailing helplessly until the enormous stallion finally dropped him and asked almost eagerly: “Well?”

“I uh... well what?” Blueblood asked crankily, and then he quickly stood up, grumbling away and doing his best to hide his embarrassment as he looked back and forth. But it was a bright, sunny morning, and the few other ponies he saw didn't seem to think a single thing was out of the ordinary. Sleipnir was smiling, and Invidia was sitting nearby, sipping at a cup of tea and gazing at him with a faint blush.

His eyes lingered on her for a moment, and then he gave a brief smile before saying finally: “I... if there's any tea left, I think I could use a cup myself.”

“Oh, I see.” Sleipnir said knowingly, as Invidia immediately nodded and went about grabbing another cup... before both she and Blueblood froze up as Sleipnir said positively: “Thou did not just conquer thy fears, thou conquered the pretty mare! Well, most excellent, young Blue! A handsome stallion and a pretty mare well deserve the pleasures-”

“I did not!” Blueblood snapped in a strangled voice, glaring furiously over at the enormous earth pony. “Can we please focus on what happened to me?”

“Oh, it must always be all about thou, thou, thou, must it?” Sleipnir asked teasingly, and when Blueblood only looked at him sourly, the stallion shrugged easily before saying kindly: “Very well. Invidia has always passed on much to me, but perhaps thou can tell me more of what happened. 'Tis very good to see though, Blue... thou art stronger than even I had first thought, perhaps. For I did see much promise in thee, but I will freely admit, to be able to conquer thine own fears... I do not think even I would be able to do such a thing.”

He paused, then said meditatively: “Of course, my fears would likely take upon the form of my big sister, so this is not all that shameful. Few things in this realm or the next are more terrifying than a hungover Celestia, and 'tis no exaggeration. Of course, it does not help that the only times I have seen her in this state are after I cheated in our drinking games, and she disliked both losing and my bending of the rules...”

Blueblood only looked at the earth pony, and then he sighed before smiling gratefully when Invidia strode over to him and offered another cup of tea. He took it with a nod of thanks, and Sleipnir became a little more serious as he said in a gentler voice: “But I am very happy to see that the two of thee have found some common ground. 'Tis a true relief, considering where we had stood before with things. And it gives me much faith for the future, too, I must admit.”

The unicorn only gave a brief smile, shrugging awkwardly before he sipped at his tea: it was good, and it helped him... well, not calm down so much as give him a moment to get his thoughts in order. And after a few more seconds of arranging himself, he finally looked up and said softly: “I... I've decided something, Sleipnir. And it's that I don't want to be a coward anymore. I don't want to be afraid of everything, of my nightmares, of... everything in the world. Will... will you help me not be so afraid anymore? Will you help me...”

Blueblood didn't have the words for what he wanted to ask, blushing and looking down, but all the same Sleipnir gave a warm smile before he said softly: “Help thou? But why, my friend? For it seems to me that thou art already well upon thy way to becoming a truly admirable stallion.

“Nay. Thou art doing fine by thyself in that regard: what I shall offer thee instead is to better train thee in the warrior's disciplines. We shall march harder, and I shall give to thee more responsibilities, more weight. But I shall also be less thy teacher, and more thy equal partner.” Sleipnir smiled again, reaching up and squeezing the stallion's shoulder firmly. “And of course, now that thou art not shrinking from her, Invidia shall be able to support thee and teach thee her magic as well!”

Blueblood smiled a bit, then he hesitated before looking between the two: he still had his worries about learning magic from the demon, but now it wasn't because he had to spend time with her. Instead, it was because... “I... but her magic is...”

Invidia frowned a bit, but Sleipnir softened a little, saying gently: “I see. Nay, Invidia, our friend does not mean anything cruel against thee, rather... thou art scared of thyself, is that it?”

The unicorn lowered his head and blushed a little, shifting embarrassedly before he mumbled: “I... I don't know if I'd phrase it as 'scared,' but... yes. I... I keep thinking... what if my aunt had always kept this magic away from me for a reason? What if... I was always...”

He looked down for a moment, then shook his head slowly, murmuring: “I don't want to think about what I might have become, if I'd had real power as a prince instead of... just all those silly, meaningless titles. Every time I think that I've realized just what an awful person I used to be, something happens, and I realize there are still so many pieces of myself that are still... broken. That still need to be fixed, turned into something new. That I still have a long way to go.”

“The very fact thou hast come to realize that says much about thee, though. 'Tis a very good sign.” encouraged Sleipnir, and the prince looked up uncertainly before the earth pony patted him on the shoulder gently. “Aye, thou still has a way to go. But we all do, friend: even I am not quite the stallion I wish that I was, I will have thee know.”

Blueblood smiled despite himself at this, sipping at his tea before he said softly: “Only because you aren't buried up to your neck in mares, I suppose.”

Sleipnir grinned widely at this: it was at least an attempt at playful humor, after all. “Well, do we truly see the stirrings of life in thee, Blue? Finally! Oh, 'tis welcome indeed. Here I was beginning to fear thou would end up humorless and abject as my big sister.”

The unicorn only smiled wryly, shrugging a little as he took another sip of tea before Sleipnir said kindly: “See? Already, we are off to a promising beginning. Thou must merely try, Blue, as difficult as it is, as strange as I know it makes thee feel. I honestly do not believe thy problem is that thou art a coward. The problem is that thou will not try.”

Blueblood opened his mouth to point out his unwillingness to try probably stemmed from the fact he was afraid of everything... but it wasn't always fear that drove that, was it? No, Sleipnir was right, in his own weird way. Sometimes it was self-consciousness, or self-loathing, or other stupid feelings that he'd never really been able to swallow.

The young prince looked down, rubbing awkwardly at his face before he looked up with an awkward expression. “I don't like how well you seem to know me, Sleipnir. The fact you know me better than I know myself is... well...”

“'Tis a good thing. It means thou has more reason to believe me when I say there is a great mettle inside thee. That thou art a stallion of promise.” Sleipnir replied cheerfully, and the unicorn looked surprised at this before he nodded hesitantly, giving a small, awkward smile. “Good. Then our course is set for the future, and I am gladdened by it. Set thy eyes upon thy goals and work towards them, Blue, no matter what happens. Fight for what thou believes in, and hold close those who are dear to thee, keep them firmly in mind and memory and remember that thou art not only fighting for thyself: that thou art fighting for them, becoming a better stallion for their sake as well.”

The young prince nodded awkwardly, and then Invidia added softly: “And we will be here with you for the entire journey, my prince. To support you, to be your friends, to help you whenever you need it. It is our honor and privilege.”

Blueblood smiled a little at this, nodding slowly to the demon, and then he turned his eyes up towards the blue skies above, gazing into that endless, calm sea as he said quietly: “Only... only if you both remember that I'm your friend as well. And I'd like to... to try and be there for you both as much as you are for me. Hard as I know that will be.”

Invidia and Sleipnir both gazed warmly at the stallion, and Blue laughed a little before he drew his eyes down, looking from one pony to the other before he smiled and said finally: “So... I'm... I'm ready to leave.”

“Then 'tis no time like the present to get going.” Sleipnir said agreeably, and the three ponies picked themselves up. They would pack up their camp, put on their equipment, and then resume their journey, headed once more out into the wilds of Equestria, a fellowship of three ponies and three races that had finally formed a bond that no enemy could break.

Winter Madness

Chapter Sixteen: Winter Madness
~BlackRoseRaven

The white unicorn sighed with relief as he shook packed snow off his armor and fur cloak, before he easily kicked the door to the hotel open and strode inside, calling easily: “The snowstorm is finally starting to lighten! But here, I brought enough for everyone!”

Ponies cheered from the tables, looking at the large white unicorn with gratitude as he carried the satchel up to the bar and flung it easily to one of the ponies behind it. The stallion looked surprised as he caught this, then opened it and stared in amazement, stuttering: “There must be half a dozen cans of food in here!”

“I wouldn't be that happy about potato soup if I were you. You may wish to continue starving after you've actually tried it.” the stallion said mildly as he reached up and brushed a bit more snow free from his armor, and then he reached up and firmly rubbed snow out of his curly, shaggy mane before shaking himself briskly, asking absently: “Sleipnir back yet?”

“N-No, and I... this is really too much!” began the bartender, and then he blushed when the armored stallion only held up a hoof and looked at him pointedly. “I... I really can't thank you and your friends enough for their generosity, Sir Blue.”

“Just Blue, please.” Blueblood smiled as he absently adjusted the simple azure headband around his head, which kept his shaggy bangs out of his eyes. “And all I had to do was take a little walk. It's not that dangerous out there anymore: Sleipnir, Invidia and I should be able to take another look for any survivors in the afternoon and bring them here. Maybe we can scrounge up some more food, too.”

“Thank you.” was all the bartender could say, and Blue shrugged easily before he turned and headed for the stairs, even as he smiled over his shoulder at the ponies in the bar, some of whom were still waving and cheering.

He headed quickly up to his room, then sighed in relief as he pushed through the door and kicked it closed behind him, shaking himself out again before quickly stripping off his heavy brown cloak, then his lightweight armor. The cloak he threw over a dresser, and then the armor he placed carefully on top of this before he smiled to himself, stretching out his athletic, toned body before he turned towards the bed and flopped into it.

Invidia was still gone, likely still scouting for any demons or frost imps they might have missed... but Blue was pretty sure they'd already hunted every one of them down. The storm magic the foul little creatures had been using to torment this little village would just take time to wear itself out, that was all.

It was a good thing they'd been passing through this area of Equestria, otherwise this whole town might have ended up wiped off the map by the cold spirits. But Sleipnir always said everything happened for a reason, and Blue was becoming more and more inclined to believe that... then again, after more than three months of traveling and learning from the enormous earth pony, it probably wasn't much of a surprise that the cheerful giant was starting to rub off on him a little.

Blue smiled despite himself: if you'd told him at the start of the journey that he was going to start becoming like Sleipnir, he would have gone kicking and screaming to Aunt Tia and demanded to stay in the safe cradle of Canterlot. But that's all Canterlot had really been, he realized now: a cradle And it was well past time for this little colt to grow up.

Still, he felt good. He felt... happy. Happier than he ever had. The nightmares still came now and then, but they were weak and didn't take him long to recover from anymore. Sure, there was a surprising amount of just... walking, and days they would take off to train and exercise in a safe little camp, and the weather was a nightmare sometimes... but he wouldn't trade any of this for the world.

He felt like he'd become an entirely different pony. He felt strong and proud and brave, and healthier than he ever had. And he actually... enjoyed helping all these ponies, who didn't even know who he really was. He was like some mysterious wanderer to them, and he actually liked that more: wouldn't they all be in for a surprise when the wanderer returned to Canterlot?

Canterlot... that felt so... so distant these days, though. He was so happy out here, and the title of prince felt like nothing but a weight, or worse... a baby harness. A mix of safety blanket and restraint he'd needed when he was still a little colt to stop him from running off anywhere. Well, he was a prince no more, and perfectly content with that.

Blueblood closed his eyes, front hooves behind his head, humming under his breath before he smiled slightly as he heard a clomping up the steps that could only be one thing. He opened one eye a moment before Sleipnir barged into the room, the earth pony still dripping with water as he complained: “By the Gods! 'Tis still a wretched blizzard out there. When Invidia returns, we should hunt for more of those accursed little imps.”

“No, no. Let's look for survivors instead, bring them here. I'm sure we haven't missed any of them.” Blueblood said airily, and Sleipnir frowned a little at him. But the unicorn only shrugged before saying pointedly: “It's been three days. Invidia would have sensed their presence by now. Furthermore, say that you're right and there are still some out there: by now, they must be hungry. If we gather the remaining villagers downstairs, the imps will have no choice but to attack here.”

Sleipnir looked thoughtful at this, lowering his head for a moment before he finally sighed and nodded, saying wryly: “Aye. I suppose thou art right. 'Tis warming to see thou hast learned to use thy mind, at least.”

Blueblood only shrugged and smiled slightly, then he rested back in his bed, letting his eyes slip closed. Sleipnir regarded the stallion meditatively for a few moments at this, and then he sighed a little before shaking his head slowly.

Sure, the unicorn had improved: physically, mentally, emotionally, and in just about every other possible field. But ever since the fear demon, they hadn't faced any real contest or challenge: some wild beasts here and there, a few evil spirits, and now the most serious thing they had come across so far, a cadre of imps and minor demons. Sleipnir thought that in spite of how much Blueblood had improved... a lot of it had gone to his head. And the fact they hadn't been doing much more than slogging through what were very mild dangers for the most part had given the prince a false sense of security.

He was prideful, maybe even arrogant. And Sleipnir knew that was something they were going to have to root out quickly, as he said mildly: “Perhaps thou should pull thyself up from bed and get ready to go then, Blue. And look at thy armor, 'tis soaked through! She is going to get a chill!”

Blueblood sighed at this, leaning up and saying dryly: “You do understand that our armor isn't actually alive, don't you?”

Sleipnir immediately grasped at his own breastplate, eyes wide before he apologized hurriedly to his armor: “Oh, now now, thou knows he does not mean it! Nay, he is still young, and knows not the ways of us, my friend... Blue, thou art callous!”

“Oh, I am not. It's just armor. Metal. Nothing more.” Blueblood grumbled, slipping out of bed and stretching absently before he added: “A tool is a tool, correct? And when we find better tools, we trade out our old equipment. Just because we feel some... sentimental attachment to it doesn't mean anything or give it life.”

Blue flicked his mane to the side, then began to smile up at Sleipnir... before he shrank back under the glower that the earth pony settled on him. There was silence for a few moments as the two looked at each other, Blueblood trying to force out a smile as Sleipnir glared down at him with surprising seriousness.

Finally, the earth pony said disapprovingly: “Here I had thought I had taught thee better... and more so, that thou had learned better! Every day thou awakens and polishes thine equipment, does thou not? 'Tis a part of thee. And aye, we have modified thy armor over the course of our journey, but never have we replaced too many of its original materials.

“Nay, our armor is... is more to us than metal, Blue. Just as thy sword is more to thee than steel... or shall we trade that away next, should we find thee a shinier axe, a pointier spear?”

“I... well, no, that's... clearly different.” Blueblood mumbled, looking awkwardly across at the sword he'd carefully placed on the windowsill, where it gleamed with fresh polish. “It's... it's a cultural artifact, really.”

Sleipnir looked at the stallion with wry amusement, then glanced towards the sword himself: Blueblood had mended the entire weapon with his own hooves, and had only needed minimal help from the enormous earth pony for the process. It had been a labor of love, and Sleipnir reflected it showed that there was still plenty of coltishness in this growing-up stallion: he was like the little boy who put all his faith in his shiny sword and forgot that there was much more to the battlefield than just sharp, blind steel.

“Alright, alright, you... you made your point.” Blueblood finally grumbled in a defeated voice, reaching up and moodily brushing his mane back. “I will... try and be more attentive of my armor's 'needs' in the future, is that what you want to hear?”

“Well, 'tis better at least, aye.” Sleipnir agreed, nodding calmly before he said gently: “And we must not underestimate our foes, Blue. We were fortunate in that we ambushed the ice spirits, in a place where they were forced to flee or close with us. Had we been outside the walls of that cave, there would have been precious little we could do against them.”

“I am not underestimating anything, Sleipnir, I'm simply... I'm certain that we did our jobs. That's all.” Blueblood said defensively, shaking his head quickly. “It's faith in our abilities. That's all. And like I said before, let them come to us if any are left: we'll have the safety of these buildings to fall back on.”

Sleipnir shifted uneasily, and then he finally gave a hesitant nod, gesturing to the stallion's armor. “Well, get thy gear ready and then meet me downstairs. And... I believe in us as well, Blue. Do not ever fear that I doubt thee or Invidia. Nay, 'tis simply that I know... things can happen, and easily be missed. That is all.”

The unicorn shifted a little, and then Blue nodded himself before he sighed and prompted: “But if the storm lightens enough by tomorrow...”

“Aye, if the storm lightens, then tomorrow we shall march onwards and hope for the best.” Sleipnir agreed, nodding back before he gave a slight smile. “Eager to be back upon the road, art thou? Well, fear not, the road shall be there no matter how long or short our stay here. Just as our journey shall not end before we reach our destination.”

“I hope not.” Blueblood said softly, and then he shook his head briefly before saying finally: “Thank you, Sleipnir. I just... I guess I am eager to be back out there. When we sit around for too long anywhere, I can never help but feel...”

“Aye, I know. I know it well, but as thou hast learned... 'adventuring' is much more than simply raiding dungeons and battling evil. 'Tis a lot of walking and waiting and patience.” Sleipnir said gently, and Blueblood nodded hesitantly a few times before the enormous earth pony said softly: “Nay, do not rush. There is no need to haste, even if... I understand thee well.”

Sleipnir stopped for a moment, licking his lips slowly before he shook his head when Blueblood looked at him oddly. “Nay. 'Tis... 'tis nothing. I shall await thee downstairs, Blue, and then we shall call Invidia if she has not yet returned.”

Blueblood nodded, not pressing the subject, and Sleipnir was glad for it as he turned and headed out of the room. His features became a little more solemn as he walked down the steps, head lowered, eyes closing as he slipped in silence past the bar and out into the frosty air.

The cold didn't bother him that much, though: he felt nature's warmth and love even through the blizzard, in the way the winds tried to push the ever-falling snow away, how the earth itself seemed to reject the unnatural ice and snow trying to build up over it. Sleipnir smiled a bit: oh, certainly, nature could be cruel at times... but she loathed nothing more than to see her creations tampered with.

Sleipnir gazed out into the blizzard from the safety of the deck: Blueblood was certainly sure of himself, but the earth pony had plenty of doubts. This blizzard was simply too strong, and the magic fueling it should have started to die out long ago... furthermore, the air was warm for winter, and it was the snow itself that was freezing cold, instead of sticky and wet like it should have been... assuming it even would have been falling in this warmth.

He wondered what his sisters would think... but that just made him feel... strange these days. He lowered his head and chewed slowly at his lip, feeling horribly like... like something was wrong. Something terribly awful had happened, and there was nothing he could do about it.

Part of him wanted to rush, to get the last components for the portal as fast as possible and throw it together... but the rest of him knew that would be folly. There wasn't even any guarantee that the portal would work... and this world was so strange. More than that, the more Sleipnir walked this world, the more he talked to nature and the trees and ponies, the more he saw that there was something ominous and evil happening here.

A darkness was spreading over this Equestria: an evil that Sleipnir already felt was going to do great harm to many ponies, if it was allowed to grow unchecked. It was why demons were becoming more active, why nature had lost control over some of her own children, why in the darker corners of the world like Horsia, evil things had been breeding rampantly.

Yes, he could feel it in his bones. And Sleipnir hated it... but all things happened for a reason, didn't they? He believed that... and so he believed that he was here for a reason, too: that it was more than just random luck that had sent him hurtling to this world when the monster they'd been fighting had banished him.

But something... something terrible was happening back in his home layer, he could feel that. Just as he had a premonition that soon, something was going to happen that would change... no, not the world. But would make him feel ruin and failure, like he had so rarely felt in the past. He didn't know if he'd experience that moment precisely when it happened back home, but he did know he would experience it, one way or the other.

He had always been able to sense these things, though: he had known for days before fighting the Black Wolf that death was coming for him, although Celestia would always argue with him about that, saying he'd self-fulfilled that prophecy. His instincts had never led him wrong, though... even when they told him to go in directions that hurt, even when they led him into pain and suffering. Even when he seemed to fall, it was only so he could climb back to his hooves in a better place than he'd been before.

Sleipnir silently scraped a hoof at the patio, then glanced up as there was a whirl of black smoke before Invidia appeared in front of him, the demon frowning a little before she asked quietly: “Are you alright, Sleipnir?”

“I am fine, friend. Fear not. Merely... heavy thoughts, about home.” Sleipnir said softly, and Invidia nodded and gazed at him quietly before he said gently: “Do not worry for me. And I am doing my best not to worry young Blue, either, so...”

“Of course.” Invidia smiled and reached up, making an awkward zipping motion over her muzzle, but it made Sleipnir chuckle. In the last few months, Blue had grown up some, and Invidia had become... more like a pony, for lack of a better way to put it. And more importantly, she had gotten her emotions under much better control.

Sleipnir tilted his head, and after a moment Invidia answered his silent question, shaking her own as she murmured: “No, not a thing, but... I... I sense that something is wrong, if I may be so bold. I... am not certain that we should leave yet.”

She stopped, then looked almost pained as she added: “I... understand that Blue desires to leave soon, and I will respect his decision in this, but... but I do believe there is something out there.”

Sleipnir smiled a little: in the last month, Invidia had finally started to form her own opinions. To even argue or disagree with Blueblood a little, instead of just silently fuming or sycophantically agreeing. He thought it was an excellent sign. It meant that Invidia was starting to do more than simply reflect the thoughts of Blue... which of course was good for many reasons.

The enormous earth pony only had to gesture at Invidia with his head, and the demon looked a little relieved before she said quietly: “I don't think we should leave. Not yet. The demons are merely hiding, waiting for us to go.”

“Aye, but how long will they continue to hide for? I know their hungers must be great, but thou knows better than I how long a demon can lurk in the shadows.” Sleipnir said pointedly, and Invidia scowled a little and nodded: it wasn't at him, though, like it would have been in the past, but rather it was because she realized herself that they couldn't stay here forever... while the demons could likely hide out for months. “Nay, we shall have to lure them out ourselves.”

Invidia tilted her head, but Sleipnir only chuckled and said kindly: “Fear not. I shall exercise the muscle I most rarely do and come up with a decent enough plan... or at least, I hope to. 'Tis hard to say, after all, I am not very good at Celestianess.”

The demon only gave him a quietly-amused look, and then Sleipnir bit his lip before he looked thoughtfully out into the storm, murmuring: “I have another question for thee, though: it regards... this world, as a whole. The demons are more active than usual, are they not?”

Invidia looked at him for a few moments, and then she gave a slow nod, saying softly: “We've spoken on this before, Sleipnir. And while I understand your worries, I do not think there is some... great darkness on the move. Things simply rise and fall... that is the way of the world. And besides, we have our own threats to worry about, do we not?”

“Aye, such as this Harbinger that haunts Blue. But thou hast done exceptionally well in protecting us from the foul demon, Invidia.” Sleipnir said gently, and Invidia smiled and blushed a little in response, lowering her head gratefully. “So I do not fret for that. Still, though, perhaps this Harbinger is another symptom of the disease...”

Invidia shifted uncomfortably, and Sleipnir looked at her curiously: but before they could discuss it any further, the door was pushed open and Blueblood stuck his head out, asking mildly: “And what are you two doing out here? Planning to leave without me?”

“Well, thou wert taking quite a while. I am sure thou cannot blame us for considering it.” Sleipnir said pointedly, and Blue only rolled his eyes in amusement before the earth pony smiled. “Nay, we were merely speaking of other things, fear not. Such as these demons-”

“Oh, there are no demons left. You're both being ridiculous.” Blueblood scoffed, shaking his head quickly before he complained: “And Invidia, you can't honestly have brought Sleipnir out here to tell him that you disagree with me, too. Or was it the other way around?”

“Oh, thou great child.” Sleipnir said mildly, but his voice was amused more than anything else even as Invidia gave Blueblood a grumpy look. “We are merely discussing the possibility. 'Tis not our fault thou took so damnably long to come down here. What were we supposed to do in the meantime? Were we to kiss, I fear in this weather our lips would freeze together. And while it would not be the most awful of torments...”

Invidia rolled her eyes, and Blueblood gave Sleipnir an entertained look before the unicorn asked wryly: “Is the mighty Sleipnir admitting he's afraid of a little cold? Because you can stay here if you want while I go and finish finding the rest of the civilians.”

“Fie on thee, great idiot. Very well, let us be off, then.” Sleipnir huffed before he strode down into the blowing snow with a grimace, looking back and forth. “Invidia, I fear I shall have to ask thou to take point, guide us forwards. Blue, conserve thy energy. Thou shall be in charge of shielding the ponies we find from the cold, should they need it.”

Both ponies nodded, and Sleipnir checked briefly over his shoulder before he nodded firmly to them both: at least he could always count on them listening, even if Invidia didn't seem to like the idea of herding the ponies into one place and Blue still didn't believe there were any demons left in hiding.

It probably helped that soon enough, one of them would be proven right, at least... and Sleipnir just honestly hoped that the villagers wouldn't be the ones to pay the cost.

It didn't take them long to find the last of the survivors: maybe an hour or two, and they had finally finished gathering all that remained in the village into the inn. And by the time they'd finished, the storm had actually begun to settle, which had made Blue gloat... but it only made Sleipnir even more nervous, even if Invidia seemed to be reconsidering her own position.

Blueblood was anxious to leave, and Invidia seemed to be having trouble finding reasons they should stay. So by mid-afternoon, Sleipnir gave in: they packed up, said their goodbyes to the surprised townsfolk, and then made their way out into the snowy day, past homes that were covered and half-crushed in some cases by snow and ice.

They waded through snow to the edge of town, and then Sleipnir suddenly yawned and stopped, stretching idly as Blueblood and Invidia both looked at him curiously... then stared as the stallion said cheerfully: “Here is a good enough spot to rest! What a journey 'tis through all this snow.”

“Sleipnir.” Blueblood started warningly, but Sleipnir pointedly ignored the stallion as he instead walked towards an abandoned house. “Sleipnir!”

The enormous earth pony headbutted open the door, then peered back and forth through the icy interior: half-frozen, but at least there was no snow in the living room and a few abandoned blankets. The stallion wandered towards these, ignoring Blueblood as the unicorn said his name again irritably.

Invidia was smiling in amusement despite herself, while the young prince looked cranky as he asked flatly: “Are we really going to play this game? Sleipnir, I know that you are perfectly capable-”

“Oh, aye, I am, but I am also very tired.” Sleipnir said earnestly, nodding seriously a few times as the demon closed the door and leaned against it, gazing at the two with unhidden entertainment as Blueblood only sighed and dropped his face in a hoof. “Well, I am! It has been a hard journey, has it not? All that snow... well, thou art small and flexible. My great size works against me at times like this, I am like a stone trying to roll through the sea.”

Blueblood only gave Sleipnir a flat look that clearly said he wasn't buying any of it, but Sleipnir only continued to try and look innocent before he cleared his throat and glanced up, adding positively: “Besides, this is all very nice.”

With that, Sleipnir tossed off his saddlebags, and Blueblood sighed and shook his head, saying moodily: “I can't believe you're doing this. This is foalish, Sleipnir. This is beneath what I've come to expect of you.”

“Then thou art either very generous or very foolish. Or perhaps thou art merely more like Celestia than I had first thought, she also always took grievance with me whenever I was suddenly struck by tiredness.” Sleipnir said blandly, and Blueblood glowered at the enormous earth pony before Sleipnir suddenly said seriously: “Why, look at how tired I am!”

With that, the enormous earth pony flopped down on a blanket and started to snore loudly, and Blueblood slapped his own forehead with a groan, rolling his eyes and looking disgusted. Invidia only covered her muzzle with one hoof, trying to muffle her growing giggling, before Sleipnir cautiously opened one eye and peered at them even as he continued to make snoring sounds.

Blueblood glared down at him, then threw his forelegs in the air as he grumbled: “You know what? Fine. We'll do what you want, Sleipnir, just like always. But I'm absolutely certain that we've dealt with all the demons here. The only pony with egg on his face here is going to be you.”

Sleipnir cleared his throat, then looked up and smiled cheerfully, saying easily: “Egg is rather good, though, so I shan't complain. 'Tis better than a great many other things thou could have upon thy face... although there are other such things that I would not complain about being stuck all upon my-”

“Enough, enough. You... peasant.” Blueblood grumbled, and Sleipnir gave the unicorn an amused look as he slipped into old, bad habits for a moment. But then Blueblood shook himself out, scowling a little before he muttered: “Alright, I... I know it can't hurt.”

Sleipnir nodded firmly, picking himself up... and then he held up a hoof when Blue started to pull off his armor, the unicorn looking up in surprise as the earth pony said in a gentle but serious voice: “Nay. Leave thy armor on. 'Tis... just a feeling.”

Blueblood frowned a bit, but then nodded hesitantly as Invidia asked quietly: “Would you like me to warm the room?”

“Nay, I fear I must ask that of Blue instead. Thy magic would be too easily detected, I fear.” Sleipnir replied, and Invidia nodded with a smile after a moment. “Blue, if thou could?”

“Of course. Sure. Why not?” Blueblood asked grumpily, but all the same he closed his eyes and concentrated, summoning up his magic and channeling it into a simple, short warmth spell: one he'd had to use quite often during this long, cold winter.

For a few hours, they just relaxed... or at least, tried to. Blueblood felt... grumpy, in a word, really. He didn't like feeling like Sleipnir had just undermined and patronized him, or that he and Invidia seemed to be having their own little private chat in the corner. Like the two of them were suddenly the best of friends.

Okay, maybe not suddenly. And he didn't miss the days when he'd been scared of the demon and she'd been an obsessive maniac, either. But he did admittedly sort of miss... that special way she'd always treated him. How she'd always held him with such deference...

He knew that was bad, though: that was getting into thinking about things that were probably better left alone. Yet all the same...

Then Blueblood frowned and looked up as he heard a loud creaking, and Sleipnir and Invidia both sharply looked towards the door leading out. For a few moments, there was a dead, uncomfortable silence before that sound came again, and this time it was accompanied by a scratching, a hissing...

“No, we... that's impossible.” Blueblood said disbelievingly, even as frost began to creep in from under the doorway, as that awful scratching noise worsened. “Sleipnir, this... Invidia, please tell me that this is some kind of joke...”

Invidia only smiled grimly, and Sleipnir grimaced a bit before he looked up and gritted his teeth as speckles of snow hailed down from the roof above, groaning as if something was applying great weight over it. “Are all the windows covered and secure?”

The demon nodded quickly, and Blueblood winced as he leapt to his hooves, stepping backwards as the trail of ice spreading from beneath the door nearly managed to tickle his hooves. “Sleipnir, uh... they're still getting in through-”

“Aye, I know, I know, fear not!” Sleipnir said quickly, holding up a hoof before he gestured sharply at Blueblood. “Here, beside me. Thou too, Invidia. And stay perfectly still.”

The two did as asked, hurrying to either side of the earth pony as he quickly snatched up a blanket, watching as the ice spread further and further before Sleipnir rolled the cloth in his hooves into a ball and flung it quickly into the spreading ice.

The ice immediately seemed to come alive, spreading rapidly over the warm blanket and covering it in a cold cocoon of frost. And for a moment, the ice ceased to spread as the three ponies remained perfectly still, even as thumps traveled through the roof above and the temperature in the room continued to steadily, painfully drop.

There was silence for a few moments, and then the door shuddered in its frame as something rammed into it. Sleipnir flexed and slowly, silently dropped to a ready position as Blueblood concentrated, carefully readying his magic without pushing that energy into his horn: it was a difficult trick, but allowed him to snap off a spell the moment it was necessary without creating any tell-tale signs beforehoof.

Invidia was simply staying frozen, eyes tightly closed, likely concentrating on completely suppressing the natural aura she emitted as a demon: that would give them away even more clearly than noise or unicorn magic would, after all. It was difficult... but thankfully, it also wasn't something she had to suppress for very long before the door was finally smashed open, and two greedy snow imps shot inside-

Sleipnir immediately leapt forwards, slamming a hoof into one bright blue, bat-like creature and shattering it into chunks of ice, while the other shrieked as Blueblood blasted it with a ray of heat, driving it backwards before it fell out of the air in a smoldering, watery mess to twitch weakly on the ground. And for a moment, Blue could only gape at the sight of this: he'd been so sure that they'd managed to get every last one of these stupid imps! How the hell had they managed to-

A furious roar rose up from the ceiling above as something smashed loudly against it several times, and Sleipnir darted to the doorway, followed closely by Invidia. They leapt out, and several other snow imps fled into the evening air with squeals of fear.

Invidia leapt upwards and became a streak of black smoke that shot after the imps as Sleipnir spun around and grinned widely as a demon leapt off the roof and crashed down in front of him with a furious snarl. The twisted thing had the face of a bear but an emaciated, hideously-thin body, covered in white fur still stained here and there by blood, and with large spikes of bone sticking up through its flesh like awful needles. Blood and saliva dripped from its jaws as its eyes glared holes in the earth pony, but Sleipnir only grinned easily back even as he glanced absently down at the thing's awful, barbed claws, remarking: “'Tis strange to see a hunger demon lurking and aiding these wretched little imps, but I suppose that when winter is long, one must do what thou must.”

The hunger demon only leaned forwards and roared furiously in Sleipnir's face, and the earth pony grimaced as he leaned back slightly before saying irritably: “Well, that was rather rude. And nor was I done speaking, great gangly grump. I am giving thee the option to-”

The bear-beast lurched forwards and tried to snap its jaws over Sleipnir's face, but the earth pony easily caught the demon by the nose, looking at him meditatively as the bear stared in surprise at Sleipnir, before the huge stallion sighed and rolled his eyes. “Oh, so be it.”

Sleipnir slammed an uppercut up under the demon's muzzle with enough force to knock it half-flipping into the air, blood spraying in a fine blast from its maw before it crashed down in a stunned, broken heap on its back. And then the enormous earth pony looked down mildly at the bear for a few moments as he absently shook his hoof out, saying wryly: “Now, may I speak, or art thou going to insist upon leaping to the fight again?”

The bear looked up dumbly for a few moments... then snarled slowly before it roared in fury and clawed its way up to its paws, lurching upwards and biting savagely at Sleipnir's face. But with ease, the earth pony dodged backwards, grinning widely as he said cheerfully: “Very well, but do not say I did not warn thee!”

The hunger demon pounced, lashing its claws viciously downwards, but Sleipnir dodged backwards and then slapped it almost mockingly across the face with one hoof, sending it staggering to the side before the earth pony danced away from the beast. And the bear snarled in fury, foaming at the mouth before roaring and charging stupidly straight at the stallion-

Sleipnir's hoof crunched loudly into the front of the beast's face, and the bear trembled for a moment before it slowly slumped to the ground, all the fight knocked out of the demon. A moment later, the two snow imps that had tried to flee both came spiraling down from the air in smoking messes, crashing with puffs into the snowy earth and falling still.

Invidia reappeared on the ground a moment later, shaking herself briskly out before she said quietly: “While I was above, I saw the hotel. It's under siege, Sleipnir, by quite a few demons... almost enough to make me think twice about your theory.”

“Can thou give me any specifics?” Sleipnir asked with sudden briskness, as Blueblood hurried out of the cabin and looked disbelievingly at the two. But it didn't take more than a look from Sleipnir to get the prince to fall into his usual position, even as he groaned loudly and did his best to repress a deep blush of embarrassment at how he'd been proven horribly, horribly wrong.

“I don't dare guess at how many they number, Sleipnir, but I saw at least two hunger demons and maybe a dozen snow imps... and that's only just what I saw.” Invidia answered. “I also saw North Wind in the air... there will be at least four of them. They never leave their herds.”

“Aye. Very well.” Sleipnir said meditatively, looking down in thought before he nodded slowly. “Great odds. And thou art hesitating again.”

“There are other creatures watching the demons with interest. I get the sense they are waiting for us to engage them... I think they're here to feed off the energies that will be released by the battle.” Invidia said calmly, and Sleipnir smiled slightly at this.

“Aye, 'tis possible. And 'tis also possible they are here to take stock of us and judge us.” Sleipnir said meditatively, nodding thoughtfully. “But so be it. We shall deal with them when we are forced to. Our first task must remain saving the citizens of this town from the snow creatures... they have suffered enough as 'tis without any further losses.”

“Then we had best hurry. By now, the snow demons will be forcing their way inside.” Invidia replied tacitly, and Sleipnir grimaced a bit as he nodded, picking up his pace a little.

Blueblood made a face as well, his horn glowing as he drew his silver sword and focused his magic. He remained quiet, and neither Invidia nor Sleipnir looked back at him as the three pushed back towards the heart of the town... the town that he, Blueblood, had been so intent on leaving behind, even though his companions had both been so sure that there was still something here...

He gritted his teeth, cursing himself for a moment, but then he forced these thoughts away. No distractions, no doubts, no regrets, especially in combat: that's what Sleipnir had taught him. He could call himself names later. Right now, he had more important work to do.

The moment they turned a corner and hit the main road, a snow imp screamed a warning to the others: immediately, several of the icy bat demons shot up into the air, focusing their vile magics as three hunger demons broke away from where they had been forcing in a door to charge straight at the trio, roaring eagerly.

But Sleipnir only grinned as he leapt forwards, ducking under one of the bear demons when it dove at him and instead catching it around the middle and leaping forwards to sling it viciously into the face of another hunger demon. They were knocked sprawling like dominoes as the third demon leapt towards Blueblood, who barely managed to deflect a slash of its claws with his sword before he lashed the blade sharply down across the beast's breast.

It stumbled backwards in surprise, bleeding a watery ichor before it snarled and leapt again at the unicorn. But Blueblood sharply windmilled his sword and knocked the beast off course, sending it staggering to the side before it roared and swung one claw out, smashing the stallion off his hooves and knocking him crashing painfully onto his back as his sword flew out of his telekinetic grip.

The hunger demon was on him in a moment, pinning him and leaning down to try and bite him, but Blueblood snapped his horn up and unleashed a bright flare of light in the bear's eyes, making it rear back with a groan of pain. As it shook its head wildly, Blueblood quickly yanked himself free from beneath its claws before he slipped out from under it... then gritted his teeth and leapt up onto the hunger demon's back.

The bear snarled in surprise, immediately trying to buck him off before it stumbled back and forth, growling and hissing in frustration. Blueblood only clung tenaciously to the back of its neck, however, riding it back and forth through the road before he yelped and ducked as several blasts of icy magic shot down at him from above.

Imps peppered the area with magic, trying uselessly to hit both Sleipnir and Blueblood as they wrestled with the hunger demons, while other several other bat demons unsuccessfully tried to hold off Invidia. But her demonic magic was much more potent and powerful than theirs, burning the imps out of the air one by one as she outmaneuvered and outcast them.

Invidia shot another fireball up into the air, purposefully aiming wide, and a snow imp dodged backwards as it chittered mockingly at her: that is, until Invidia smiled slightly and flicked her horn lightly, the fireball sharply twisting and arcing itself into the demon to explode in a powerful blast of hellfire.

The imp screamed as it was knocked from the sky, and the remaining snow imp shrieked over its shoulder at its companions, who were trying to smash their way in through the shuttered windows of the hotel. But then one managed to wedge itself inside, and instead of giving any help to their companions, the snow imps at the windows converged rapidly on the break in the defenses, swarming their way into the hotel as the other began to dart forwards-

And then it was blasted out of the air by another shot from Invidia as the demon called sharply: “Sleipnir, Blueblood! The imps are getting inside!”

“Very well, enough play!” Sleipnir said grumpily, a hunger demon trapped in a headlock under either foreleg. And then he gritted his teeth, dropping them both as he stepped backwards before he fierecely slammed the bears' skulls together, and they both whimpered before collapsing in broken heaps against each other, one of them pawing weakly at the ground and the other either unconscious or dead.

The other hunger demon had charged down the street before flopping over to dislodge Blueblood, but the prince heard Invidia's warning as clearly as Sleipnir had... although he wasn't nearly as fast to take care of his own foe, trembling a little as he saw Sleipnir smash his way into the hotel. Invidia followed, leaving Blue out here with this demon, alone: a situation he'd never been in before. In the past, somepony would always have been here to help him fight off the enemy, or there'd be some other safety net, whether it was visible or not.

But now, it was just him and this demon. This large, scary, angry hunger demon that very literally wanted to eat him. That radiated freezing cold, and had claws like hooks and fangs like swords and was at least twice his size...

Blueblood swallowed thickly, and then he forced himself to focus his magic: he didn't have a very wide array of spells, but he had learned to be capable with what he did have. The stallion trembled as he set himself, and then he flinched only a little when the monster leaned forwards and roared challengingly at him, making his whole body shake in fear before he responded by lashing his horn out-

And nothing happened. Blueblood looked up stupidly, then shook his horn back and forth, but his horn only sparked before he looked with terror back at the hunger demon as it grinned. And then Blueblood spun around and screamed, bolting in fear as the monster loped eagerly after him, roaring viciously again as it leapt greedily through the snow in the stallion's wake.

Meanwhile, Sleipnir had tackled another hunger demon that had somehow slipped inside already: on the bright side, it didn't seem like it had been able to get to any of the villagers yet, who had barricaded themselves in the kitchens. The demon had now turned its complete attention to Sleipnir, and the earth pony was grappling with it, allowing it to push him backwards to avoid it trying to bite him and to let him quickly assess the area.

There: the cellar door was splintered open. And Sleipnir gritted his teeth before he suddenly half-spun and flung the hunger demon straight at this, the bear looking stupefied as it was launched through the air before it crashed down the stairs with a series of rollicking bangs to smash down into something at the bottom of the steps with a miserable howl.

Sleipnir ran for the bar, snatching up a load of bottles in one foreleg before he leapt in front of the cellar door, grinning widely down the stairs as he saw not only another hunger demon, but several crawling, hideous and insectile beasts that hissed up at him angrily. “Aye, this explains the strange shape of those caves! Well, thou all deserve a fine drink for getting here!”

Sleipnir easily lobbed a bottle down, and one of the hunger demons caught this in his claws, looking dumbly down at it: another hunger demon snatched a second bottle out of the air, and then a third, before Sleipnir said disapprovingly: “Nay, nay, share! Share!”

A fourth bottle was flung down like a missile, smashing into the demon's head and knocking it sprawling backwards with a whimper, before the first hunger demon looked stupidly up just in time before another missile of glass smashed into its skull, knocking it flopping painfully over in the fetal position. And then Sleipnir grinned widely before he reached back into his equipment satchel, producing a box of matches as he flung the last bottle down to smash against the wooden steps in front of him.

One of the bug creatures began to rush up the steps, but too late: in a moment, Sleipnir had a match lit and flicked it easily down into the pile of shattered glass and bubbling alcohol, and it burst into bright flames that greedily spread over the dry wood. The bug-beast hurriedly withdrew, squealing, and then Sleipnir leaned down and slammed a hoof viciously into the top stair with a grunt, smashing through it and shattering the support bar beneath to make the entire set of steps groan before they tore loose from the wall and fell to the dirt floor of the cellar. Flames continued to spread over them, and the hunger demons whined loudly in their throats, looking fearfully back and forth before one of the genius demons attempted to fling one of its bottles at the flames.

It exploded in a great whoosh that only spread the fires further, the hunger demons skittering backwards as Sleipnir said wryly: “'Tis such a rare pleasure that I see foes who are more foolish than I. And I fear I do not mean that in a way that compliments thee, my friends.”

With that, Sleipnir turned and headed quickly for the half-destroyed barricade leading into the kitchen, the stallion hammering on this before he shouted: “'Tis time for all of thee to make thy escape, head for the safety of the building across the street! 'Twill be cramped in the shop but all of thee should be able to fit... I fear that soon much of this hotel will be aflame!”

There were yells and shouts of terror before hooves started to hammer on the back of the barricade, and Sleipnir reached up and quickly smashed apart loose boxes and chairs with one hoof, knocking debris out of the way to help clear a hole before his ears pricked up as he heard a shout. And then the stallion groaned loudly, turning to leap over the bar and run back outside.

Meanwhile, Invidia had forced her way upstairs, slashing her horn through a bat-like imp before she blasted another apart with a ray of heat. Then the demon hissed as a missile of cold scraped by her cheek, her golden eyes widening before she snarled in fury as her blood spilled down her face.

The snow imp that had managed to clip her spun around, squealing in fear as it tried to dash through its compatriots, but far too late: Invidia snapped her horn forwards, a massive blast of hellfire ripping down the corridor and erasing the remaining imps from existence as the demon was left breathing hard, her eyes glowing with rage before she clenched them tightly shut. The corridor before her burned with unnatural, hungry flame, but the demon only spat to the side when her furious golden irises snapped open again. Sleipnir had gone and set the basement on fire, after all, so she could let this stupid mortal structure burn to the ground.

Her eyes were cold as she turned around, but after a few moments of wrestling with herself, she managed to quench that... violent, emotional side of her, and instead head down the stairs with honest worry on her face. Not for the stupid villagers who were yelling and screaming as they tried to dig their way out of the kitchen, but rather for Sleipnir...

But before she could reach the door, a demon smashed its way up through the floor just a few feet away: the monstrous bug was like a cross between a cockroach and an earwig, with a snapping tail behind it and a large shell protecting its body, as many-segmented, barbed legs clawed wildly at the ground for purchase. It snapped its mandibles at her but glared at her with very-intelligent hatred in its glowing blue eyes.

Invidia smiled coldly, and then she cracked her neck before the bug-demon leapt at her, but she simply dropped low before slashing her blade-like horn upwards, piercing deep into its soft underbelly before flinging it onto its back with a squeal. It spasmed wildly, and Invidia let it find its footing again and roll over, trembling as it took a few shivering steps backwards, her golden eyes glowing as she fed on her fellow demon's fear. “Oh, darling. You don't know at all what you're dealing with, do you? Sad little Burrower, doing the bidding of much more powerful demons than you...”

The Burrower hissed at her before lunging forwards, and Invidia waited for it to get close before she stepped suddenly forwards and stomped cruelly on its skull, crushing its head into the ground as she created a shield of black energy in front of herself at the same time. And the tail of the thing bounced off this as Invidia licked her lips slowly, looking hungrily down at the demon as it clawed uselessly at the floor before she grinned wider and crushed slowly down with her hoof, shattering its skull and making it spasm... then fall still and silent.

She stepped back, giggling to herself... and then the Burrower almost exploded as a claw ripped up through the corpse, splattering Invidia with bug-guts and making her shriek in surprise as she staggered away before a hunger demon lurched upwards, ripping through its former compatriot and diving at her. The Envy demon cursed as she was tackled onto her back before the bear rose one of its badly-scorched claws and slashed at her.

But before the claw could hit, it suddenly stopped. The hunger demon flinched in surprise at this, then looked stupidly at its own claw before it looked down at Invidia, who was glaring hatefully up at the bear. And the hunger demon's eyes widened in understanding a moment before it tried to scramble backwards, a look of utter terror appearing on its features as it opened its mouth-

Invidia snapped her horn out and blasted the creature's head off its shoulders with a single fireball, and the corpse of the demon collapsed brokenly backwards into the hole, its neck smoldering and the stench of burnt fur rising into the air. Invidia breathed slowly in and out, and then she looked up as she realized several of the villagers were staring at her.

She began to snarl... but quickly stopped herself before saying sharply: “Quickly, get out of here! There might be more trying to come up from below!”

This got the villagers moving, at least... a few even thanked her. And whether she cared about them or not, she enjoyed their gratitude and the positive energy directed towards her, the demon smiling before she once more forced herself to rein her emotions in.

She couldn't sense any of the other demons: they had either fled or died in the growing conflagration below. All the same, Invidia lingered a moment, looking distastefully down at the hunger demon before she absently reached up and touched the blemish on her face, and then quickly drew her hoof along the cut, brushing it away as if it were nothing more than a few specks of dirt.

With that, she turned and headed quickly outside... and winced at the sight of Sleipnir a good distance down the street, wrestling down a hunger demon as Blueblood crawled slowly away from the bear. She wanted to leap over to them, to punish and kill the hunger demon and soothe Blueblood until he forgot his worries and pains... but both of those things would reflect badly on her. No, Blue had finally started to pay more attention to her in part because she was ignoring and arguing with him more... she wasn't about to sacrifice those attentions.

A distraction came in the form of another Burrower, which ripped up out of the ground near the store and sent the ponies into a panic. Invidia leapt over towards it eagerly, hitting it with an absurdly-weak bolt of magic to draw its attention to her: maybe she could even draw the fight out this time, make the ponies admire her more as she pretended to struggle with this pathetic minor demon...

Down the street, Blueblood was whimpering weakly, badly bruised, dragging one injured leg. He had never been hurt like this, over all the time they'd spent traveling. Even in Horsia... and yet he couldn't blame Sleipnir. Sleipnir had promised to protect him, certainly, but who had screwed up a simple magic spell? Who had wanted to be treated as an equal to the other two? Who had been training for this, acting like he was a real adventurer because he had a few paltry months of experience...

Blueblood tripped and landed face-first in the snow, gasping weakly for air before he shivered and whispered: “You... you worthless idiot...”

He didn't even have the strength to look up as he heard Sleipnir roar before there was a tremendous crash, followed by a weak whimper from the hunger demon. And then there was just the quiet crunching of snow before Sleipnir gently settled a hoof on the stallion's shoulder, asking quietly: “Art thou alright, Blue?”

“No.” Blueblood whispered, trying his hardest to pretend that it was just melted snow on his face, and not trails of tears. “I... I...”

“Now, now. 'Tis all going to be alright, there is no need for any of this.” Sleipnir soothed quietly, and then he gently hefted the stallion up to his hooves before brushing him off, giving him an encouraging smile even as Blue hugged his wounded leg tightly up against his chest. “We still have to clear the area, make sure it is safe, even if I see...”

Sleipnir glanced up, watching as Invidia fought one of those bug-demons... except no, she wasn't really fighting it. Her movements were too exaggerated and too exact: she was playing with the primal demon, trying to make it look like she was struggling...

And that, more than anything else, confirmed Sleipnir's suspicions. Invidia was strong, too strong to be a third tier demon like she claimed to be. Sure, back home there had been plenty of demons and even lesser creatures who rose to great heights, but they never hid their natures like Invidia did. They were proud of their powers and what they had earned: Invidia was the opposite, trying to wear a mask of weakness when really, she was something... entirely different.

Furthermore, there was the fact that Invidia apparently scared some demons as much as the Harbinger did: Sleipnir had more than once seen a demon in combat with her suddenly cower in submission or surrender for no reason he could discern... but Invidia would always kill them ruthlessly out of hoof. Just as she seemed to sense that now that she was being watched, she suddenly stopped playing with the primal demon and simply blew it apart with a single fireball.

Invidia turned towards them, then strode worriedly towards Blueblood as Sleipnir sighed and carefully supported the wounded unicorn. They walked forwards slowly, the unicorn limping and the earth pony turning his concerns away from Invidia and towards the welfare of the prince. The demon had her secrets, but even if he disagreed with a lot of her behavior... she was loyal. That went without question. “Do you need me to siphon your pain, Blue?”

“N-No. I'm... fine.” Blueblood murmured: ridiculous, considering how badly he was trembling and the fact the large gashes in his leg were bleeding through the frost coating his limb. “I c-can... I can help with the patrol...”

“Very well, then thou shall help by standing guard in front of this shop. Invidia and I shall check the area before...” Sleipnir was cut off by a loud crashing, his eyes flicking up... and then he only sighed a little as he saw flames greedily spreading over the exterior of the hotel.

But his eyes narrowed a little after a moment, as he realized they were much higher up than they should have been. Which meant... damnation. Well, 'tis not as if I can say anything against her. But still... “Did all the villagers escape?”

“I believe so.” Invidia said quietly, studying the burning hotel silently before she shook her head and added, glancing towards the store: “Either way, all the ponies are in the shop. You could take a head count if you like.”

There was silence for a moment, and then Sleipnir smiled a little, glancing down at Blue. “I shall leave this task to thee. And thou should also mend thy wound, Blue, 'tis a foul one. I apologize for leaving thee here with the demon, I did not think-”

“No, you never do, do you?” Blueblood asked bitterly, and Sleipnir frowned a little before the ivory unicorn closed his eyes, taking a slow breath and murmuring: “I... I'm sorry. I suppose that's just the pain talking...”

It both was and wasn't: plenty of that was just the unicorn's own stupid bitterness rearing its ugly head, and he shook himself out, trying to clear that away before he finally managed a smile and looked awkwardly up at Sleipnir. “I'll... I'll do my best.”

“That is all I shall ever ask of thee.” Sleipnir said gently, reaching up and squeezing his shoulder before he smiled again. “I will return shortly. Invidia?”

“If you like, I can try and put out the worst of the flames. There's plenty of snow around... I should be able to at least save some of the structure.” Invidia volunteered, and the earth pony nodded firmly at this.

“Excellent idea. I shall call if I need any of thee.” Sleipnir said quickly, and then the earth pony turned and headed quickly down the road.

Invidia and Blueblood both watched him leave, and then the two traded looks before the stallion asked finally: “Do you want me to... to try and help?”

“Yes, Blue, that would be very welcome. But first...” Invidia flicked her horn, and Blueblood winced as ice spread over his wound, sealing it closed as the demon said softly: “It should numb the area for now as well, but we will have to tend to it after we finish this. Hunger demons often carry vicious diseases... and I do not want to see you hurt, my prince.”

Blue nodded awkwardly, and then Invidia quickly flicked her horn again, scooping up a large mound of snow with magic before it dissolved into a sphere of water, which she easily lobbed forwards and sent crashing through a window, sending up a gust of smoke and ashes. “Please gather up as much snow for me as you can and pile it close by. It would save me much trouble.”

Blueblood nodded hesitantly, then he studied Invidia for one nervous moment before clearing his throat and hesitantly turning towards a nearby building. He used telekinesis to quickly scoop up as much snow as he could from the roof... but it was heavier and harder to control than he'd thought it would be, as he stumbled around and dumped it unevenly beside Invidia.

But Invidia was easily manipulating the snow: melting it into water, shaping it into liquid cannonballs that she fired with pinpoint accuracy through windows or into parts of the building that had already been weakened by water. Blueblood was only really starting to understand just how immensely powerful the demon really was: usually she did a good job of hiding her powers, but with things like this, Invidia didn't seem to understand that even if she was doing simple magic, the sheer magnitude of what she was doing, and how often she repeated the spell, as she pounded the front of the hotel with water blasts while Blueblood struggled just to pile snow for her... it was staggering.

And as always, there was something else there now: not just admiration for Invidia, or that lingering worry about what they would do if they ever made the demon mad at them... but also a desire. A wanting, for that kind of power, that level of ability, and Blueblood shivered a little before he turned around... and found himself staring at his silver sword, buried in a pile of snow. The stallion studied this silently, then lifted it carefully, looking over the gleaming blade: Sleipnir had said this sword had been made with hard work, and dedication, and not for its beauty, or its edge... but to last forever, as a symbol of protection.

“Blue? Would you please get more snow for me? This pile won't last very long.” Invidia said gently over her shoulder, and Blueblood looked awkwardly back at her before he gave a lame smile, quickly sheathing his sword on his back before he half-limped towards another house.

Invidia studied him for a moment, then narrowed her eyes slightly, tasting his emotions before she turned back towards the hotel and forced herself to calm down. No, in time, the young prince would see things her way instead of Sleipnir's: she just had to continue to expose him to the wonderful, much-better world she could give him, instead of the silly world of law and order Sleipnir so worshiped.

And when Blue willingly came to her side, she would give him everything he had ever dreamed of... and more. And all she would ever ask in return was his love. His eternal, undying love.

And then she would never, ever be alone again.

We All Get The Blues

Chapter Seventeen: We All Get The Blues
~BlackRoseRaven

The night was spent in one of the village's abandoned houses after Sleipnir apologized profusely for burning down the hotel. But thankfully, most of the village was just happy that the adventurers had come back and finished off the cold-bringing demons.

They had left in the morning, Blueblood favoring his front leg a little: understandable, since it was his first major wound. But Invidia had disinfected it and Sleipnir had sewn the wounds shut and applied a salve to it.

They made good time on their journey in spite of Blueblood's wound and the odd quiet over the group. Sleipnir looked a little strange, and Invidia seemed to be a bit more distant than usual. But Blueblood didn't even notice that something was off about his companions until late in the day, after quite a few hours of walking without any conversation.

They were headed through a rocky gorge, where the snow was much lighter than it had been: in part thanks to the cliffs, in part thanks to the strange warmth that radiated through the trench, and in part simply because they had left the area that had been taken over by all the cold demons. Blueblood looked up at the sky as he thought about this... then shivered a little when he saw a distinct blue shape seem to run by through the air high above, heard a faint whinnying... “North Wind?”

“Aye, that is correct.” Sleipnir glanced up absently, studying the sky for a moment before he shook his head. “It must be a scout. Do not fear, alone the North Wind can do little but worsen storms without the aid of fellow demons. And there will not be any storms for at least two nights.”

Blueblood looked awkwardly at Sleipnir: realizing how serious he sounded, how... well, tired, he looked. The prince licked his lips slowly, then asked almost uncomfortably: “Are... are you okay?”

Sleipnir rose his head slightly, then gave a brief smile before he nodded, saying softly: “Aye, I am. Of course I am, Blue, do not fear otherwise. 'Tis simply that... it has been a long few nights, and I must admit that I do not think the best of mine own self with how I have failed well in my job of protecting thee.”

Blue only laughed a little at this, looking down at his wounded leg as he mumbled: “No, Sleipnir... I failed to protect myself. I was afraid, and let myself... run out of strength and focus like a foal. I... I know better. And I'm not mad at you, certainly.”

“That actually does much to raise my spirits, Blue. Thou hast my thanks for that.” Sleipnir said softly, raising his head with a brief smile, and Blueblood smiled hesitantly back before the earth pony shook himself out quickly, then turned his eyes to Invidia. “And what of thee? How art thou feeling?”

“I am... I am alright, Sleipnir. But I suppose that since you two have felt... less than yourselves, it has affected me as well. Not to mention this continuing sense of... being watched.” Invidia admitted with her own small smile to the two stallions, and then she sighed a little before gazing ahead down the rocky trench, murmuring: “Not that this environment does much for me, either. It is rather... ruinous.”

“Nay, the barren tracts of nature have as much point as her most fertile fields and seas.” Sleipnir replied kindly, gesturing easily outwards along the trench. “For if nature was nothing but trees and grasses and flowers and fields, then wildfire would burn unchecked... and worse, 'twould be very boring to see nothing but green, and no great gorges to explore, no dark swamps to muddle through!”

“Yes, that would be so very sad.” Blueblood mumbled, the memory of the first swamp Sleipnir had forced him to wade through still very clear in his mind. “I still have muck in my hooves from trying to get your bog iron or whatever you called it, by the way.”

“Oh, shush, thou has muck in thine ears.” Sleipnir said crossly, and Blueblood couldn't help but smile in amusement: he didn't know why, but every time the earth pony sounded irritated, he couldn't help but feel accomplished.

Blueblood looked over at Sleipnir, and the enormous earth pony looked mildly back before he shook his head quickly, gesturing outwards and saying: “Aye, so 'tis not so pretty and 'tis a rough tract. 'Tis also still better by far than some of the places we have traveled, is it not? I would rather walk this trench than through, say... that great ugly city we passed through not long ago.”

“Yes, but you hate cities. And I quite liked it.” Blueblood argued, feeling a little more like himself as he did so. He shifted his weight a bit, but even the pulse of pain from his leg felt a little less as they continued to walk and Sleipnir strung him along into an argument.

But Sleipnir had long ago noticed that when he wanted to cheer Blueblood up, the fastest and most effective way was usually to distract the unicorn by getting him into some kind of debate. He was a lot like his family in that regard: the easiest way to distract Celestia had always been to start up a silly argument with her, and the sillier, the better. She would get so distracted and angry at him that she'd forget everything else... which usually let him get away with some of his best pranks and misadventures.

Besides, talking made him feel better, too: he'd almost forgotten that sometimes you didn't really need to talk about what was bothering you, you just needed to... to talk. It passed the time, gave a sorely-needed sense of connection, and helped the other ponies know that things were... even if they weren't okay, that time was continuing to move forwards, that nothing so bad had happened yet that it meant the world had ended.

That night, they set up camp, and the evening was just spent chatting and relaxing, trying to establish some kind of normalcy again between them. And it almost worked: the night passed well, and they all settled down to try and sleep in comfort.

Blueblood wasn't disturbed by nightmares that night, but all the same, something felt strange to him even through his dreams, like he could hear a faint, echoing noise he wasn't used to. His instincts pricked up at it, and Blue wrestled himself slowly out of the grips of sleep to open his eyes.

It was dark where they'd set up camp, only the dim light cast by the embers of the campfire lighting up this little nook in the shadows of the cliffs. The night was cloudy and desolate, with no wind, no stars, no nothing... but there was that quiet sound that was so unfamiliar, and yet Blueblood knew all the same he'd heard it before, or at least something like it...

He looked back and forth until he finally located the source of the noise, and his eyes widened in surprise as he saw Sleipnir was seated at the edge of the fire, his forelegs hugging himself tightly, his head lowered as he trembled and... “S-Sleipnir?”

The enormous earth pony rubbed childishly at his eyes, trying to hide his tears as he asked gruffly: “A-Aye? What is it, Blue, thou... did thou have a nightmare?”

“No, I... are you okay?” Blueblood asked uncertainly, climbing to his hooves and nervously taking a few steps forwards, and the enormous earth pony scrubbed hurriedly at his face as he half-turned away, trying to swallow his quiet, chuffling sobs.

“I... I am fine, Blue, do not fear for me, I... I am fine.” Sleipnir mumbled, shaking himself quickly out before he added roughly: “Thou... thou should sleep, 'twill be morning soon...”

“Sleipnir. Come now, what's going on?” Blueblood asked softly, halting and biting his lip before he sat carefully down on the other side of the fire, feeling almost like he was walking on glass as he looked uncomfortably at the enormous stallion. And yet at the same time... “I'm... I'm not going to go away until you tell me what's going on.”

Sleipnir grumbled under his breath, lowering his head and mumbling over another repressed sob: “I... I am fine, thou needs not worry for me, I... it is nothing, m-merely... merely a... a bug in mine eye, that is all...”

Blueblood only tilted his head towards the earth pony, giving him a dry look, and there was silence apart from the earth pony's snuffling for a few moments. And finally, Sleipnir gave a quiet sigh before he whispered: “Something... aye, something... terrible is happening. I... I feel it with every fiber of my being... a pony has been lost. And I know not if it is happening now, or happened in the future or past, I... I merely know that someone I love... will soon be lost.”

The unicorn sighed a little at this, and then he said quietly: “Sleipnir, please. It's one thing to believe that you can talk to nature, but it's another entirely to think-”

“No, I know this!” Sleipnir said with such vehemence that it almost made Blueblood fall over, the unicorn looking surprised at the near-anger of the earth pony. “I know this! Do not doubt this, Blue, I... if something happened to thine aunt, would thou not know it?”

“I...” Blueblood halted, and then he bit the inside of his lip. For some reason, it felt almost like a strange betrayal to say that he wouldn't have any idea if something happened to Aunt Tia... “I don't know, Sleipnir, but... I mean... how could I?”

“That is not an answer.” Sleipnir mumbled, and then he shook his head slowly before closing his eyes and rubbing at his face slowly. “No, there is something wicked going on and... I fear it will result in a great loss... I... the worst part is not knowing whether or not it has happened, is only that... I can only know that it...”

He shivered, then suddenly slammed a hoof down into the dirt beside him, grinding his teeth together. “Oh, damnation... what a failure I am! My family needs me and yet I can do nothing, nothing at all to aid them...”

“Sleipnir, of... of all the ponies I've ever met, you're the one who least strikes me as a failure.” Blueblood said with surprise, shaking his head before he gave a faint smile, hesitantly scooting forwards a little closer to the earth pony. He felt awful for this stallion, and even if he wasn't entirely sure just what he could do for Sleipnir, how he could even talk to him... all the same... “Look, I... you've taught me so much. You're wise, and strong. And if you could have done anything, I know you would have, Sleipnir... if anypony is to blame for making it harder for you to get home, then, well...”

Blueblood looked down, struggling for a moment before he said quietly: “Then it's me. I've done nothing but... delay you and hold you up this entire journey, and you've spent... almost wasted all this time trying to train me, and I... I keep making mistakes. I keep costing us time and... look at that village. I refused to listen to you and Invidia and it nearly cost those villagers their lives, and somehow I feel... I feel even more terrible than I think I would had I only put my own life at risk.”

Sleipnir laughed a little at this, looking down silently before he shook his head briefly and murmured: “Nay, 'tis... this... this is a good cause, Blue, and thou art young. Thou art not just expected to make mistakes, I... I would be saddened if thou did not. Mistakes mean thou art taking risks, trying to find thy own way... they are good and necessary.

“And... thou art more useful to me than thou could know.” Sleipnir looked up with a faint smile, rubbing his wrist childishly at his eyes before he nodded a few times, breathing slowly. “Aye, what a mess I am. Look at me, Blue, I am but flesh and blood too... and a rile of emotions. I know better than this and yet...”

“It's... it's alright.” Blueblood said finally, not knowing what else to say as he tried to give a small smile. “You've always shown me infinite patience, even for much more minor wounds.”

Sleipnir shrugged a bit, then he looked down as quietly rubbed at his face again with one hoof before closing his eyes and murmuring: “Perhaps, perhaps not. We have done much for each other, Blue. More than I expect thou may ever truly appreciate.”

The unicorn only gave Sleipnir another lame smile, and he didn't really know what to say or what to do. Bur just his presence seemed to be helping a little, so the prince let himself slip another few paces closer before he cleared his throat and dropped his head, mumbling: “I... I would always like to do more for you, though, Sleipnir. Please don't ever forget that or... lose sight of that.”

The young prince didn't know what to say... but after a moment, he realized he didn't really have to say anything at all, so he just smiled. They sat up together like that for a while, until Sleipnir finally gave the unicorn a smile in return and said softly: “I am sorry for worrying thee. Please, return to thy bed for a few hours, Blue. I shall be fine.”

Blueblood hesitated, then studied the earth pony for a few moments before he murmured: “Just... please remember that we're partners in this, Sleipnir. You don't have to fight these fights alone. I'm... I would like to try and be there for you, as you are for me.”

“I shall endeavor to remember it better in the future, Blue. And know that thou hast my thanks from the bottom of my heart.” Sleipnir said gently and honestly, and Blueblood simply smiled again and shrugged a little before the enormous earth pony chuckled quietly as he sat back. “Aye, pride... I fear I have my weaknesses too.”

Blueblood only shrugged, hesitating only a few more moments before he turned and headed back to his bedroll, and Sleipnir simply sat back and watched the unicorn return to bed. He studied him as Blue awkwardly slipped down to rest... but soon enough, he was back asleep.

Sleipnir smiled a little at this: he was still... young, really, for lack of a better word. But it was a good thing. It meant that Blueblood hadn't let his nightmares or this journey get to him; he was surprisingly resilient for a unicorn who'd started out as a rather rude, obnoxious, self-centered princeling. But Sleipnir had sworn there was something there and he was glad to see he was right... more right than he'd even expected to be, really.

The earth pony lowered his head as he looked into the embers of the fire, and then he closed his eyes and sighed softly, doing his best to push away the heavy thoughts before they could overburden him again. What a fool he felt like; not for giving in to his emotions, but for waking up and worrying poor Blueblood... and for his damned pride. Trying to carry all this burden on his own when the prince was right: he didn't have to. He had friends here, good friends, trusted friends. It was insulting to them when he refused to share his pains with them.

Still, Sleipnir hated to burden others. He was supposed to be the strong warrior, the cheerful one, the stallion who never gave in to the darkness or the pain. But he too had shadows in his heart, and he too from time to time felt the rain in his mind, especially when he was left helpless like he was right now. But he wasn't entirely helpless, was he? No, he could find purpose in doing good here, at least... even if there was something horrible going on back home, he could at least make sure that he did the best possible job he could here and made sure this world was kept safe.

Sleipnir reached up and let one hoof settle over his own breast, and then he smiled a little as there was a flicker of shadows before Invidia appeared beside him. The demon studied him intently, but Sleipnir only looked calmly, quietly back, until the demon nodded once and murmured: “If you like, I... I am very capable of siphoning your pain as well, Sleipnir. I merely thought that... it would be rude to ask.”

The earth pony shook his head, then he asked quietly: “Did thou find enough to feed?”

“Yes, thank you. Pickings are... meager, though. I begin to understand what you meant by how difficult the hungers would be: I do not want to feed upon you or Blue, and nor would it be polite to feed upon the few ponies we do happen to come across.” The demon smiled a little. “It felt... inelegant to return to the town we just saved and feast on their emotions. So instead, I found some wild game.”

The earth pony nodded a few times, then he asked curiously: “Does thou like to eat more than emotions? I am not the worst in the world at cookery, I shall have thee know. If thou kills an animal, bring it back here. There are many uses I can find for hides and other parts, and the meat I can make a serviceable meal for thee out of. Perhaps that will be nice for thou.”

“Oh, meat...” Invidia actually looked uncertain, which surprised the stallion. “I'm not... sure that I should be eating foods like... that, Sleipnir. Although your offer is generous and I will keep it in mind, all the same...”

“What, thou art a demon who has never eaten meat? I shall have thee know that even I have eaten meat... but aye, 'twas a much rougher world that I came from.” Sleipnir paused, then added meditatively: “And well, my wife is a Devourer. When one's love feasts, one cannot help but desire to taste her meals, one way or the other.”

Invidia studied him curiously, even though she looked almost ill at the thought of eating meat before she said finally: “You do not strike me as a... meat-eater, Sleipnir. It's a rather strange thought.”

“No stranger than much of the rest of this world, methinks.” Sleipnir replied easily, shrugging a little before he looked down into the ashes of the fire, reaching a hoof out and stirring them calmly... and Invidia blinked in surprise as flames leapt up after a moment as the stallion withdrew his hoof with a slight smile. “Aye, for in our world... things are rarely what they seem.”

Invidia looked down into the flames thoughtfully, and then Sleipnir said softly: “And I shall have thee know that I am not the worst in my family. Why, my younger sister eats meat almost every day. Even her children do, and they are some of the best ponies I have ever met. Strange, eccentric, oh certainly; but they are not killers or beasts. They merely... have odd tastes. That is all.”

Sleipnir paused, then he reached up and added ruefully: “Although I shan't pretend I enjoy such flavors as heartily as the rest of mine loved family seems to. I fear that I am very content upon a diet of ale and hardy vegetables, to the horror of my dear sister Luna.”

Invidia smiled at this, then she leaned forwards and asked curiously: “Will you tell me more of your family?”

“Nay, I shan't right now.” But Sleipnir was smiling all the same as he looked at the demon, nodding to her. “But if thou shall be patient until the morn, gentle demon, then I shall tell thee and Blue some of my favorite stories about my family. Perhaps 'twill satisfy thy curiosities and also... 'twill do me some good, remembering and celebrating them instead of... foolishly mourning them, when I do not even know what all is lost, pah!”

Sleipnir laughed and shook his head, saying quietly: “Oh, what a fool I am. Look at me, acting like a little filly. What silliness! I know better than this, aye, I do. I am only fortunate to have such caring friends here with me.”

Invidia smiled a little, glancing over at Blueblood and studying him silently for a moment before the demon's eyes widened in surprise as Sleipnir asked gently: “And I care for both of thee, too... enough that I must ask what is on thy mind, Invidia, and why it is thou tries so hard to hide who thou art, and what thou are.”

There was silence for a few moments, and then Invidia looked hesitantly towards Sleipnir, studying him silently, grinding her teeth together uncertainly before she asked quietly: “Isn't it enough that I promised fealty, and to help you protect out friend? Isn't it enough that I care?”

“Nay. One of those things is enough, and with the other, it is more than we silly stallions deserve.” Sleipnir said softly, wrapping a foreleg around her and squeezing her companionably, and the demon smiled despite herself, blushing ever so slightly at his touch. “I do not ask this out of fear thou art going to harm us. I ask because... my phoenix used to hide her strength as well. She was afraid of what others would think of her, to see her in full rage...”

Invidia shifted, then nodded a little, looking down as she murmured: “If you and Blueblood saw who I truly was... I fear you would no longer desire my company. As I have told you, I am very old, Sleipnir... I am very powerful. But my strengths are such that... it tends to frighten those around me. Much easier to pretend to be someone I am not; to wear this pony's guise, and let yourselves see me as this, instead of... what I am.”

“Now, do not be like that. I do not fear anything or anyone if they mean me no harm.” Sleipnir said soothingly, rubbing a hoof along her back gently. “And Blue has learned much. But he will never come to trust thee entirely until thou shows him who thou art.”

“I adore him, angel, but... I hold no dispersions as to how intelligent the young prince is. He is not nearly as perceptive as you are.” Invidia said calmly, bowing her head politely, and Sleipnir only smiled in entertainment at this.

“Oh, but at times I am not perceptive at all, I fear. Why, look how long it took me to notice thou wert ill at ease.” Sleipnir said gently, squeezing the demon lightly around the shoulders before he turned his eyes to the sleeping unicorn. “And he is still a colt, in many ways. But he is growing every day, in many ways. I am sure that as the journey continues, he will become a fine stallion.”

“He already is a fine stallion.” Invidia said softly, and then the demon hesitated before saying finally: “I promise that... I will consider your suggestion. Perhaps after winter ends, when travel is easier and we are in better lands... I will consider... revealing more of myself. But for now, I think it is best that I play this role.”

“If thou insists, Invidia... I only fear that 'tis too easy to get caught up in the roles we give ourselves, that is all.” Sleipnir said softly, studying the demon for a few moments before nodding to her briefly. “But aye. 'Tis thy decision, and not mine. I shall respect whatever thou feels to be right.”

“Thank you for that, Sleipnir. It's more appreciated than I can express.” Invidia said softly, and then she leaned up and quickly kissed his cheek before slipping out from beneath the stallion's foreleg, heading quickly away from the campsite even as the enormous earth pony smiled warmly after her.

She halted in the safety of the shadows, even though she could almost feel Sleipnir's eyes lingering on her, and the demon bit her lip as she looked almost disconsolately between the two ponies. She hated and loved that she had gotten so close to them, just as she hated and loved that Sleipnir's strange advice almost sounded good to her: it left her honestly confused about what to do. And it was a strange feeling made stranger still by the fact that she knew what she should be doing, and yet...

Invidia smiled faintly, then shook her head before vanishing completely from sight. She would do what had to be done, one way or the other. But no matter what happened, part of her remained determined not to lose these friends she held so dear.

In the morning, Sleipnir kept his promise: even before they set out, he began to talk of his family back home, regaling them with incredible tales about ponies who had done things... Blueblood had honestly never imagined possible. And by the look on Invidia's face, he guessed that she had never imagined simple ponies could achieve so much, either.

It was certainly inspiring to imagine that there were ponies out there capable of the things that Sleipnir talked about: spending years just journeying and adventuring, fighting self-proclaimed goddesses, destroying entire legions of evil, and even traveling between worlds to save the lives of countless ponies and do battle with fiendish foes. Blueblood didn't think he could ever be one of those ponies himself...

It was a good way to pass the day, and it helped the evening seem calmer as they finally exited the ravine and entered a wintry badland. And yet as always, Sleipnir managed to find a place where they could take shelter: in this case, it was an abandoned den, although from the smell it seemed possible the owner hadn't been gone for long.

All the same, they slept well that night: Blueblood had no nightmares, and Sleipnir refused to burden himself with his thoughts and sadness. They continued their journey the next morning in good spirits, keeping their eyes open for places where they could forage for food and materials as they trekked through biting wind and blowing snow.

The next few days passed without much incident: Invidia brought back the corpse of some kind of large feline she had killed one evening after they took shelter in a cave, and Blueblood had stared in horror as Sleipnir had hummed to himself and easily gone about the process of skinning the dead cat. This had been hard enough to watch: once Sleipnir started to cut up the meat, Blueblood had to hastily excuse himself to avoid vomiting all over the campsite.

When he returned twenty minutes later, Sleipnir had a stack of what Blueblood queasily guessed were steaks off to one side, while the earth pony was carefully making piles of other... parts. Blueblood had been both horrified and fascinated, but Sleipnir had gone right into explaining without needing a prompt: “Never forget that our bodies are part of nature as well: they are merely the casing for our souls, but made of useful and helpful materials. When we kill a beast such as this, we have taken a gift from nature: in order to best honor her, we must put every single part of the body to use.”

Blueblood studied Sleipnir thoughtfully, and then he nodded hesitantly before nervously approaching. He still paled a little at the sight of all the blood and the simple carving instruments Sleipnir was using, but he was able to settle himself a little and just listen with fascination as Sleipnir described all the different ways the things he'd harvested could be put to use.

It had ended up being another good night, and in the morning, they'd gotten up and Sleipnir had distributed the poultices, charms, and tools he'd assembled out of the single large cat-beast between their equipment bags. Blueblood was surprised by how much heavier his satchels were: the wildcat hadn't looked all that big, after all, but Sleipnir had always been able to get the most out of anything.

They walked until late afternoon, and finally reached the edge of the badlands: once the edge of a verdant forest came into sight, Sleipnir halted and looked back and forth thoughtfully before he pointed suddenly at what looked almost like an enormous white tower in the distance, along this narrow border between icy tundra and powdered woodland. “There! That is where we are headed, if Old Oak is right.”

Blueblood grunted at this, looking uncertainly over at Sleipnir as he said finally: “Last time things didn't go very well, though... and honestly, I'm so turned around that I don't even know where we are anymore. Besides, do you really expect Auntie Celestia to be able to send Royal Guards out this far?”

“Well, we shall write her a letter and see.” Sleipnir said reasonably, shrugging a bit before he smiled slightly. “Besides, what we are after here is a certain type of crystal, to help store the energy of the portal. I do not expect we shall be able to retrieve all that I need, but as long as Old Oak was telling the truth, we should manage a fine load. At the worst, we shall simply have to carry the precious stones ourselves until we reach another settlement...”

Sleipnir clicked his tongue, tilting his head, and Blueblood recognized the look as the earth pony 'talking to nature' and estimating where the closest town was. “'Tis only... fifty miles north, there is an... outpost? Nay, 'tis a fortress, perhaps...”

Sleipnir frowned suddenly, lowering his head in thought, and Blueblood looked uneasily at the earth pony before he asked nervously: “What do you mean, 'fortress?' We can't be that close to the northern frontier... winter is cruel here, but if we were in the far north...”

“Nay, nay, we are in northern Equestria but not past the snow-belt.” Sleipnir said absently, continuing to look meditatively in the direction of the trees. “But... the fortress feels strange to me. Invidia, how long would it take for thou to scout this location?”

“Fifty miles?” Invidia asked, and after Sleipnir nodded, the demon closed her eyes in thought. “It shouldn't take me more than half an hour to reach the fortress. But I may need to rest before I investigate... give me until tomorrow morning.”

“Then you have all that time and more.” Sleipnir said agreeably, nodding firmly to the mare before he turned a smile towards Blueblood. “And thou and I shall try and explore this mine, if thou art up for it, Blue.”

“Is that really a mine? It only looks like a big piece of rock from here.” Blueblood said dubiously, but Sleipnir only grinned widely and slapped the unicorn on the shoulder, making him wince and flinch before he sighed loudly and fell in step behind the earth pony.

By the time they reached the snow-stained pillar, Invidia had vanished... but Blueblood was staring with disbelief over the structure as Sleipnir studied it thoughtfully. “'Tis larger than I expected. Which likely means the cave system beneath will be much vaster. Will thou be alright with making camp inside the mines tonight?”

“It's better than out here.” Blueblood mumbled, looking back and forth across the barren tundra before he shivered a little and turned his eyes back towards the enormous column of stone: it stretched high into the sky, and it was at least thirty feet across, all of that solid rock. “I don't understand what this is, though.”

“'Tis a marker, of course.” Sleipnir said mildly, and Blueblood gave the stallion a sour look before the earth pony smiled slightly and approached it, brushing off some of the snow caked to the side of the pillar before he placed a hoof against it and closed his eyes. “'Tis a little worn now, but this edge is rounded... which means 'twas shaped by a pony's hooves. 'Tis tall and looming, but I would say from what nature tells me... this was once a much larger pile. But over the years, the hill that had grown around this was mined away, and instead this pillar was cut and shaped into this tower... a marker, to indicate the presence of the mine. Likely to act as a beacon for ponies traveling back and forth across these desolate wastes: I imagine in summer, they are even more difficult to cross than now, after all.”

Blueblood looked uncertain, but then he only followed after the earth pony when Sleipnir quickly strode around to the front of the pillar, before he gestured at what looked like a large pile of rocks... except after a moment, Blueblood realized there was a collapsed archway of wood amidst the snow and ice and jagged stone. “Well, damnation. This may not be so easy as I thought. Here, Blue, I shall pass the stones to thee and thou shall put them aside. We must be careful.”

“Wonderful.” Blueblood mumbled, but he nodded all the same: and really, it wasn't the idea of working that bothered him as much as it was the fact they were going into a mine that might not have withstood the tests of time quite as well as Horsia.

They quickly found a decent rhythm together, at least: Sleipnir would heft a stone, and Blueblood would catch it with telekinesis and haul it quickly off to the side. In only twenty minutes, Sleipnir had managed to create a large enough hole to lean down into, studying the tunnel beyond thoughtfully before he muttered: “Well, 'tis a mess, but... I think it is this passage that has suffered the worst of the damage. We should be able to slip inside without...”

Sleipnir halted, then narrowed his eyes before he called quickly over his shoulder: “Blue, I require a focused light!”

Blueblood frowned, but his horn lit up as he came forwards: the sun had barely started to set, so there was no way that Sleipnir couldn't see well enough into the tunnel... which meant that he wanted to inspect something else, and every time he wanted that...

Blueblood scowled horribly as Sleipnir absently grasped the back of the prince's head, guiding the light shining from his horn down the tunnel before halting on a distinct mark on one of the cavern walls, the earth pony swearing under his breath. “There, that? 'Tis not quite the same as I recall, but 'tis a warding symbol. I begin to suspect 'twas not natural age that caused this passage to cave in, especially with how sturdy the rest of the supports seem...”

“Oh. Wonderful. Another mine full of monsters.” Blueblood mumbled, and Sleipnir gave the unicorn an amused look before the prince sighed tiredly and asked plaintively: “Do you think that perhaps we could just, I don't know, find another mine somewhere? One that's not filled with goblins?”

“Oh, nay, this would not be to protect against goblins, even if their ilk does often share territory with the living dead.” Sleipnir said plaintively, and Blueblood groaned loudly and slapped his face with one hoof, looking disgusted. “Well, really, 'tis not nearly as bad as goblins, I shall have thou know. Goblins are wretched things.”

The unicorn only grumbled, shivering and hugging himself: he would much prefer goblins or even demons over the living dead himself. The living dead made him feel uncomfortable, reminded him too much of cemeteries or his nightmares... and while he could probably deal with a skeleton or two, or some other undead construct or even a ghost, the fleshier, more-zombie-like undead frightened him far more than he wanted to admit.

Sleipnir was wiggling down into the hole now, though, and Blueblood gave a groan before he sighed and dropped his head, grumbling: “Well. This is turning out to be another wonderful little journey, Sleipnir. I... are you sure that it's safe?”

The earth pony grimaced a bit, and then he hesitantly nodded, saying finally: “Aye, I... I am sure that it is. It must be. It had best be.”

Blueblood sighed tiredly at this, and then he nodded back before following carefully down after the earth pony, wrinkling up his muzzle at how... foul the tunnel smelled. It wasn't like earth, or rot, but something... wet, Blueblood thought. And he frowned uneasily as he tested his hooves against the ground, but it felt frozen here...

“Aye, thou senses it too, is that so?” Sleipnir asked, and Blueblood didn't have to respond as the earth pony smiled slightly. “Thou art growing sharper. But I can sense a strange heat down the passage... come, let us move forwards, and see what awaits us.”

“This feels like a terrible idea.” Blueblood mumbled, and then he sighed a little as he followed nervously after the earth pony, grinding his teeth slowly as they strode slowly down the sole narrow tunnel leading down into the mines.

It soon enough widened out, at least... and to Blueblood's surprise, the tunnels actually looked like they were being maintained: there were lanterns on some of the supports that cast more than enough light to see by, and the pillars and walls of the passage had been repaired in places.

Sleipnir frowned thoughtfully as they reached an enormous intersection, where polished steel tracks gleamed along the floor of one tunnel, with a well-maintained cart sitting as if just waiting for them to climb in it. And Sleipnir couldn't help but approach this, poking at it a few times before he smiled slightly as he noted a lever on one side, saying thoughtfully: “To adjust the speed and brakes... 'tis rather clever.”

Blueblood, meanwhile, was looking nervously down the other two tunnels: he could swear that he had heard something down one of them, while shadows played strangely on the wall at the end of the other. But then a clanking drew the unicorn's attention, and he turned slowly around before glaring at the sight of Sleipnir, who was now calmly seated in the minecart. “What in the name of Heaven are you doing, Sleipnir?”

“At the present, I am sitting. But soon I hope to be riding.” Sleipnir said cheerfully, and then he gestured quickly behind him. “Now give us a boost and hop thyself into this cart, and let us see where it has to go!”

Blueblood gave a short laugh, and then he said disbelievingly: “You want to jump in a minecart and blindly ride down into very-possibly undead-infested tunnels? Sleipnir, this whole place feels like it's some kind of-”

“Like it is occupied!” Sleipnir said cheerfully, nodding in agreement, and Blueblood sighed tiredly as he gave the stallion a sour look.

“No, I was going to say that it feels like a trap.” Blueblood replied grumpily. Sleipnir only shrugged easily, however, and the unicorn reached up and slowly rubbed at his face, looking pained before he finally muttered: “Why do I even bother?”

Blueblood strode forwards, then grumbled and braced himself against the minecart, biting his lip before he began to slowly push it onwards. The wheels squeaked against the tracks as the unicorn wheezed, then winced when there was a sudden clacking before the wheels loosened, and suddenly the unicorn was almost running just to keep up to the cart as it nearly slid out of his grip.

He yelped, kicking at the ground before Sleipnir called cheerfully: “Thou had best get in the cart, Blue, a hill appears to be approaching!”

“Wait, what are you-” And then Blueblood yelled as the minecart suddenly shot downwards, his rear hooves sending up sparks as he balanced precariously on the tracks while he clung to the cart for dear life, his eyes bulging with horror.

They streaked down, then around a corner, Blueblood howling as his forelegs were almost torn out of their sockets while Sleipnir cheered, thrusting his forelegs into the air and grinning widely as they zoomed around another curve. And Blueblood swore that if he survived this he was going to throttle the idiot earth pony peasant as they streaked down another hill, the unicorn swearing furiously as he was almost lifted off his hooves with how fast they were going.

They zoomed and twisted around corners, heading deeper and deeper through a network of tunnels, Sleipnir enjoying every moment like a foal on a roller coaster as Blueblood felt his forelegs coming closer and closer to the breaking point and his rear hooves burned with pain, kicking and hopping every now and then against the tracks as he desperately tried to avoid slipping off them.

Finally, Sleipnir suddenly grabbed the lever at the side of the minecart and yanked on it firmly to bring the vehicle to a screeching, sudden halt, and Blueblood was launched forwards like a rocket to slam painfully into Sleipnir's back. The earth pony flinched forwards, then huffed over his shoulder at Blueblood before he complained: “Well, I enjoyed it too, my friend, but thou does not need to be so insistent upon asking for another ride!”

Blueblood whimpered weakly from where he was laying in a broken pile behind Sleipnir, and then the earth pony turned his eyes back forwards to what looked like a large wooden platform at the end of the rails. Then the earth pony's eyes widened slightly as he spotted a skeleton dressed in a bright red uniform, the undead pony seeming to gape as the two stared back at one another before the earth pony suddenly sat up and waved a hoof happily. “Hello!”

The skeleton awkwardly rose a hoof in return, and then Sleipnir wiggled his way out of the minecart before he strode quickly towards the platform with a benevolent smile. A moment later, Blueblood slowly managed to pick himself up despite his ringing ears, blinking slowly... before gaping in disbelief at the sight of Sleipnir and the skeleton, the earth pony saying amiably: “I fear that my friend and I may have unintentionally intruded upon thy home... or workplace? I do not know which this is and I do not wish to be rude to thee.

“But I suspect there must be others here, aye? I would like to speak to whomever is in charge here, thy patriarch or matriarch.” Sleipnir said kindly, bowing his head politely. “I mean no harm, fear not. I simply do not wish to intrude upon thy domain, but I have need of certain rare materials I was told could be found here.”

Blueblood mouthed wordlessly as the skeleton looked blankly up at Sleipnir, and then the enormous earth pony suddenly slapped his forehead, the skeleton cowering away with a visible flinch before the vine-maned stallion exclaimed: “Oh, damnation! Look at me, how I have forgotten myself! I apologize, my name is Sleipnir, and mine cherished companion is Blue.”

The skeleton finally cleared his throat... or at least made a very similar sound, considering he had no throat to clear. Then he looked up and said in a voice that Blueblood was surprised to hear was actually quite nervous: “My... my name is Lock. It's very rare that we have uh... living ponies visit... you'll excuse me if... well...”

“Oh, nay, fear not. I know we have appeared rather suddenly.” Sleipnir said easily, waving a hoof before he glanced down the tunnel, smiling slightly as he saw two more skeletons nervously peek out from behind a corner. “Hello there!”

“Sleipnir... Sleipnir!” hissed Blueblood from where he was crouched fearfully in the minecart, and Sleipnir blinked before looking over his shoulder curiously at the unicorn, who was trembling more than a little as the skeleton in the red uniform continued to look uncomfortably up at the enormous earth pony. “What the hell are you doing?”

“What am I doing? What in Helheim's name art thou doing? Come, come, Blue, thou art being rather rude.” Sleipnir scolded, and the unicorn stared with disbelief at the earth pony before Sleipnir turned a smile to the skeleton, apologizing: “Forgive my friend. I fear he is very uncomfortable around sights that remind him of death.”

Blueblood blushed at this, but the skeleton only awkwardly waved a hoof before he quickly looked towards the other tow, saying hurriedly: “Shock, Barrel! Uh... one of you guys has to go and tell the bosses about this! I think you-know-who will want to see this!”

“Since when were you made leader?” complained Shock in a reedy, high-pitched mare's voice: a moment later, she nervously stepped around the corner, revealing the dusty black dress uniform she was wearing, complete with a small, pointed cap. “Anyway, Barrel, you do it.”

“I don't wanna.” whined Barrel, and then the skeleton hurried out from behind Shock as she grabbed at him, skittering quickly up in front of Sleipnir and looking at him with awe. Sleipnir, meanwhile, smiled benevolently back down at Barrel, who only had a simple white work mask of some kind propped back on his skull. “Hey, I'll stay with these guys!”

“Well, how about we walk with thee to see thy leader? As I said before, we mean no harm. And I am eager to meet whomever is in charge and pay tribute.” Sleipnir said eloquently.

Lock, Shock, and Barrel traded looks as the mare skeleton approached, and then the three stepped quickly off to the side before huddling up, mumbling to each other. Then they all turned and nodded firmly, Lock saying finally: “You uh... you promise to do what we say?”

Sleipnir nodded positively a few times, and Blueblood shivered a little before he whispered loudly: “Sleipnir, I don't think this is such a good idea...”

“Oh, shush. Thou art nothing but a great sack of worries.” Sleipnir huffed, and then he turned and hopped down from the platform, walking over to the cart and easily hefting Blueblood free by the back of his neck, the unicorn wincing and flailing a bit before he was set down on his hooves like a foal, the enormous earth pony saying pointedly: “They are not our foes, however strange they might seem. Does thou understand?”

Blueblood shifted back and forth, and then he grumbled and nodded a little, dropping his head and saying finally: “I... I suppose. I'll... try.”

The unicorn grimaced all the same at the sight of the skeletons, leaning away from them slightly with a shiver before he nervously followed Sleipnir back up onto the wooden platform. Lock, Shock, and Barrel were all looking at them with a mix of fascination and their own clear anxiety, though, and it helped Blueblood feel a little braver a she rose his head, saying imperiously: “I am Pr-”

Sleipnir smacked him in the side, and Blueblood wheezed loudly, then grumbled under his breath as he felt both embarrassment and frustration. Alright, so he'd almost fallen back into old habits to try and impress this weird little trio of undead ponies, but... still... “You didn't have to hit me so hard, Sleipnir. We aren't all angels like you.”

“Oh, thou sweet-talks me now! 'Tis very flattering, but I fear thou will have to do better than that to get me between thy sheets.” Sleipnir said cheerfully, winking down at Blueblood before he turned a benevolent smile to the trio of skeletons. “Now, new friends, please lead on.”

“This is going to be a disaster.” Shock whispered a little loudly over to Lock, who hurriedly hushed her, waving one hoof wildly before the mare skeleton turned her awkward, dead grin up to Sleipnir when the earth pony frowned a little. “I... I mean, I couldn't agree... faster! We should go, go right now!”

“Right now!” Barrel added hurriedly, and the three skeletons stumbled awkwardly around in a circle before hurrying off down the tunnel, and Sleipnir chuckled before he cheerfully followed in their wake.

Blueblood trailed last with much less fervor, scowling at first... and then creeping closer to Sleipnir, trying to make himself small as they entered a honeycombed series of passages that were brightly lit, well-maintained... and filled with skeletons chipping away at the stone, widening or constructing passages here, mining out precious minerals there.

Sleipnir looked back and forth with friendly curiosity, apparently not taken aback in the slightest by the literal army of the dead working these tunnels even as skeletons stopped to stare with disbelief at the sight of the living stallions as they passed.

Blueblood was far less thrilled, and could barely believe when Sleipnir actually stopped to pick up one of the pickaxes, Lock, Shock and Barrel all stumbling to a halt to look almost fearfully at the enormous earth pony before he rose the pick and then slammed it firmly into the rock wall.

A large chunk of stone was shattered free, the pick buried deep into the stone, and Sleipnir whistled as he released the pick, rubbing thoughtfully at his muzzle. “'Tis an alloy, is it not? Aye, I have learned much of alloys since I came to Ponyville and met with this most genius engineer... either way, I must compliment thee upon thy tools and knowledge. Why, this mine is beautiful!”

Sleipnir laughed loudly as a skeleton awkwardly scuttled up behind him and grabbed the pickaxe buried in the wall, then tried to uselessly yank it loose. And Blueblood couldn't help but look awkwardly over his shoulder as Lock, Shock and Barrel led them onwards, the prince watching as two more skeletons ran over to try and help the first one lever the pickaxe out of the wall, but all of them struggled to no avail.

He sighed, then turned his eyes back to Sleipnir, who was as always oblivious to his own strength... just like with pretty much everything else, Blueblood couldn't help but note. “So these mines, my friends... how long hast thou lived here? And what precisely does thou harvest from them?”

Lock, Shock, and Barrel all traded awkward looks between themselves, then they huddled and mumbled quickly to each other before Lock and Shock glared at Barrel, the shorter, slightly-wider skeleton saying lamely: “We're not allowed to talk about that. But it's mostly quartz.”

Shock immediately smacked Barrel, and Lock groaned and rolled his eyes as Sleipnir's eyes lightened with interest. “And I take it 'tis not just standard quartz, aye? Nay, for in quartz deposits there are often different elements... gold for one, and crystals of many different shape and size for another!”

“How'd you know that?” asked Lock suspiciously... and then he yelped when Shock smacked him as well, the skeleton flinching before adding hurriedly: “Not... not that that has anything to do with what we're up to, of course!”

There was an awkward silence for a few moments, and then Sleipnir glanced back and forth as they passed into a narrower, squarer corridor. The supports here were more pronounced, and archways had been chiseled into the walls that led into other halls and rooms: the earth pony couldn't resist poking his head into one of these, looking back and forth even as Lock, Shock, and Barrel all panicked and tried to drag the enormous stallion backwards, but they couldn't so much as make him budge.

Several skeletons and a figure in a heavy cloak all looked up dumbly at Sleipnir from where they were relaxing around a table, and the stallion peered at them for a moment before he said cheerfully: “Hello!”

And then the earth pony simply stepped backwards, sending the trio of skeletons escorting them all bowling over as Blueblood groaned and dropped his face in one hoof. “The work upon these rooms is fine stonecraft indeed! Not to speak ill of the work on these halls and the mines, nay, but I see much more detail has been put into the finished rooms... why, if I did not know better, I would say these mines seem as if they have been turned into an entire city!”

Lock, Shock, and Barrel all immediately gave awkward little laughs, looking fearfully at each other as they all stumbled up to their hooves before Lock said hurriedly: “We, uh, we should hurry up! You don't want to be late!”

“Nope, why, I'm sure that everyone's already waiting for you!” Shock added hurriedly, nodding fervently. “Word travels fast in these tunnels, you know!”

“The Lich King knows pretty much everything.” Barrel admitted, and then he yelped when Shock and Lock both bodychecked him before he shoved back at them, and the three dissolved into chaos for a moment as Sleipnir only looked thoughtful.

Meanwhile, Blueblood paled, mouthing wordlessly before he looked almost desperately at Sleipnir. But before he could say anything, there was a tremendous boom that got the attention of all present, Sleipnir looking up curiously at a blue-robed, pale unicorn with a dangerous-looking staff who was now standing only a few feet away, his eyes glowing with malevolent sapphire light as he glared down at the three skeletons.

Lock, Shock and Barrel all squeaked and leapt to their hooves, beginning to babble away... and without hesitating, the unicorn swatted his staff out and whacked the three of them across the head, the trio of skeletons immediately dropping low with whimpers. “Quiet, all of you! And you, newcomer, you are-”

“Hello!” Sleipnir said brightly, and the unicorn stuttered to a halt as Blueblood stared with utter horror at Sleipnir's back. “I am Sleipnir, and my companion is Blue. And who art thou? I must admit, thou also looks much like a Blue to me.”

The robed unicorn glared at the earth pony for a moment, then he swung his staff out and whacked Sleipnir between the ears with it, the enormous stallion blinking dumbly as his eyes crossed in an attempt to look up at the staff. “You are clearly an idiot. I do not know how you muscled your way in here, earth pony, but this is the territory of the Lich King!”

“Oh, then 'tis he whom I should ask for an audience with? There is business I must see done. 'Tis rather important.” Sleipnir said earnestly, and the blue-robed unicorn looked disbelievingly at the earth pony. “But I do not believe I caught thy name...”

“That is because I did not give it.” the robed unicorn said stiffly, his strangely-glowing eyes glaring holes in Sleipnir, but the earth pony only smiled pleasantly in response. “I am the Chancellor to the Lich King, and-”

“'Tis very nice to meet thee, Chancellor! Thou strikes me as a strong and able sort.” Sleipnir interrupted in his kind, oafish way, and the robed unicorn stuttered to a halt again as Blueblood winced, before shrinking further as Sleipnir added with an easy gesture over his shoulder: “And this is Blue. Blue, I am certain, is also pleased to make thy acquaintance, but he is a little shy of thy kind. Although 'tis very rare that we see such a well-put-together magewight, I must admit. Thou must have exceptional strength of character.”

The Chancellor looked sourly at Sleipnir, but he shifted almost uneasily at the same time, like he wasn't completely sure of what to say. Blue looked nervously out from behind the stallion, and then the Chancellor finally gave a long, tired sigh before he grumbled: “Well. Whoever, whatever you are, you will be pleased to know the Lich King is eager to meet with you. It's been a long time since mortal flesh has entered his domain, after all. And trespassers must be dealt with.”

“I do not mean to trespass, friend. I only came in search of certain precious materials that I am sure the Lich King will be happy to part with, once I tell him what I am able to trade.” Sleipnir said cheerfully, and Blue frowned uneasily at this: a Lich was supposed to be some kind of terrifying, incredibly-powerful undead mage, from what he'd heard. He couldn't imagine that any of their equipment could make worthwhile bargaining chips to such a creature...

But Sleipnir was only smiling, and the Chancellor looked at them distastefully for a few moments before he glared at Lock, Shock, and Barrel, gesturing violently at them with his staff and sending the skeletons scattering before the robed unicorn turned around, muttering: “Let's not waste any more time. Come with me. The Lich King awaits.”

Sleipnir continued to smile, following the robed unicorn and brimming with his endless optimism, while Blueblood slunk nervously along in the earth pony's wake, biting his lip and only hoping that Sleipnir actually knew what he was doing... and hoping desperately that he wasn't about to end up a permanent citizen of this city beneath the earth.

The Lich King

Chapter Eighteen: The Lich King
~BlackRoseRaven

The Chancellor led them through a series of intricate, gorgeously-carved passages: the deeper they went, the more beautiful they became, although Blueblood couldn't help but shiver at the fact that in spite of the statues, the tapestries, the beautiful lanterns and marble ceilings... it all felt like they were just heading deeper and deeper into a tomb.

That feeling only grew worse when they approached a set of massive concrete doors, which were guarded by a pair of heavily-armored knights with axes. They both bowed their heads to the Chancellor when he approached before the robed unicorn suddenly spun around, glaring at the two ponies as Sleipnir cocked his head curiously and Blueblood hid behind the enormous stallion. “You will present yourselves properly to the Lich King. You will be respectful, and you will not make demands of him. You will follow all rules of decorum that are given to you, and you will obey his word as law. Do I make myself clear?”

“Oh, aye. But I cannot make any promises all the same, my friend. For thou sees, I am most excitable and rather bad at listening. I shall certainly try my best to keep all thou hast given me to do in mind, but... such things have never been very easy for me.” Sleipnir admitted, and the Chancellor gave him a sour, moody look before the earth pony added brightly: “But Blue has much more experience with such diplomacy than I! Aye, Blue, perhaps thou should speak to the Lich King for us!”

Blueblood only gave a strangled laugh at this, and Sleipnir huffed before looking over his shoulder, grumbling: “Oh, fie on thee. Here I am, attempting to give thee a fair share of our work, and now of all times thou refuses it. But fine, very well. I shall meet thy Lich King with all the politeness I can muster in mine body.”

“I do hope that is much more than I've seen so far.” the Chancellor said moodily, and then he turned towards the doors, raising his staff calmly as both it and his eyes glowed.

The enormous concrete slabs both rumbled, then slowly began to slide apart, Blueblood staring in awe... awe, that quickly turned to horror as Sleipnir cheerfully tromped forwards and almost knocked the Chancellor sprawling as he brushed past, heading fearlessly into the polished room beyond without waiting to be announced.

All Blueblood could do was stare, then wince and hurry after the earth pony as Sleipnir looked back and forth through the pillared throne room, whistling at its magnificence: every inch of it seemed almost to shine, reflecting the light of the torches that danced with ever-burning, magical flame. On either side of the throne room were long benches, stacked like bleachers and filled with spirits and magnificently-dressed undead, who all stared curiously towards the interloper.

Sleipnir only smiled warmly, walking down the red carpet in the center of the room until he stopped on a slightly-raised section of flooring that sat in front of a raised dais. His eyes roved up respectfully to the figure that sat in an immense throne of crystal and gold: a unicorn with a bladed horn and gemstone-green eyes, his hooves tented in front of himself and beautiful, kingly robes flowing around his body, his long white mane spilling out from beneath the gorgeous golden crown he wore and his coat a pale, flaxen blond. An amulet hung from his neck, inset with a beautiful red gemstone: a blood ruby, if Sleipnir's sharp eyes could be trusted.

“Hail to thee! I am Sleipnir, and 'tis a pleasure to make the acquaintance of thyself and thy court!” Sleipnir said in a friendly voice, nodding firmly before he paused and reached back behind him, and Blueblood yelped as he was yanked forwards and set firmly down beside the stallion. “This is my partner in adventuring, Blue. We did not mean to trespass into thy lands, and first of all I wish to apologize if my presence caused any alarm. But I wish for thee to know that I have come only for a certain type of rare crystal. Seeing that this is all thy magnificent kingdom, however, 'tis only fair that we do business, and I wish offer up what I can in trade and tribute.”

The Lich King gave a quiet laugh, and then he bowed his head politely before replying in a charming, sonorous voice: “Sleipnir, is it? My, that's quite a strange aura you have about you... and so charming! It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance...”

He paused for a moment as his Chancellor stormed into the hall to take his place grumpily by the throne, and then the Lich King continued pleasantly: “I suppose that I have not been introduced by name, however: it is Auros. It grows dreadful, being referred to so often as the 'Lich King;' it's not as if I need a reminder of what I am, do I?”

The Lich King chuckled quietly, and then he sat back as Sleipnir replied kindly: “I am sure thy subjects mean their best for thee. Thou hast clearly organized thy kingdom quite well, after all, and they seem a strong and hardy lot. I was most impressed by the craft and structure of the tunnel systems... and of course, 'tis very pleasant to see they work so peacefully and well together.”

“Oh, yes. We are ever-expanding our borders... trying to bring a bit more room and cheer to this rather dismal place. It's dreary, having to live under the ground... but so few ponies are like yourself, Sleipnir. Embracing of us, rather than afraid of us.” the Lich King said easily, even as his eyes flicked measuringly towards Blueblood, studying him intently. “I have a duty to try and keep my subjects safe and happy, after all.”

“Aye, and thou art a fine jarl for recognizing it.” Sleipnir said agreeably, and then he smiled as he looked back and forth at the benches filled with the curious dead. “I see many lords and ladies, but I have only seen a few knights and warriors... although I know, of course, that the members of thy court are all likely quite powerful in their own regards, and require little to defend them. Still, I must admit that I am curious: where are all thy defenders?”

“We have little need for them.” The Lich King smiled, as if particularly pleased about something as he sat back in his throne. “Your sharp eyes did not deceive you, Sleipnir. There are few warriors or soldiers here: only a smattering, and more for the sake of appearances than anything else. A few guards to open doors and defend crucial areas, but as for the rest... well, even my meanest citizen is quite capable of defending himself.

“Besides, there are no foes here to fight: that is the entire point of this kingdom, tucked peacefully away beneath a barren tundra upon which ponies no longer dare to tread. I have built a charitable and prosperous community here... one that I hope, in time, will truly become worthy of the title of 'kingdom,' which I know is far too proud a name for our modest little village at the moment.” the Lich King continued pleasantly, gesturing slowly with one hoof. “But come. You said you had business with me, yes?”

Sleipnir nodded, replying easily: “Aye, that is correct. I would ask to take a look at thy stores of crystal, if it would be possible: I need crystals of the highest and purest quality for a project of great magnitude I am in the process of working on. 'Tis old magic.”

“Old magic?” The Lich King visibly perked up at this, leaning forwards as his eyes gleamed with interest. “You'll excuse me, but even with that strange aura you have about you, I can't begin to imagine that an earth pony could be suitably versed in the ancient forms of magic... unless, of course, you're speaking of crafting and runic arts...”

The enormous earth pony shrugged modestly, and then he replied equably: “'Tis an amalgamation of things, really. But thou could say that I grew up with very talented siblings: I am better versed in most forms of magic than many, in spite of the fact that I cannot cast such spells myself without the aid of a wand.”

The Lich King rubbed thoughtfully at the underside of his muzzle, asking curiously: “A wand? But surely such things are only myth: in all the years I've spent alive, I have never once met an earth pony capable of using magic, no matter what kind of amplifier he held...”

Sleipnir, however, simply smiled and shrugged again, saying cheerfully: “Well, I am from a much further place than many of the ponies thou has seen, that is all. The knowledge I have is a little different, that is all... perhaps that is the source of my true advantage.”

Auros sat back in his throne, looking meditative as he tapped his hooves together a few times before finally nodding and saying thoughtfully: “You require crystal... and I have a great thirst for knowledge, my friend. I fear there is a rather difficult obstacle that stands in the way of us both, however, as eager as I am for us to exchange treasure and tribute...”

Sleipnir tilted his head curiously, asking with interest: “Oh? I must admit I am rather curious as to what that could be, Auros. 'Tis not as if thy people have not been perfectly friendly and helpful.”

“You will refer to him as King Auros or Lord Auros!” snapped the Chancellor, raising his staff and shaking it angrily.

“Well, alright. Most of thy citizenry have been perfectly friendly and helpful, Auros.” Sleipnir corrected, with a gleam of mischief in his eye.

The Chancellor glowered furiously, but the Lich King sat back in his throne with an entertained smile, clapping his front hooves together as he said kindly: “Oh, do not worry. Poor Sageworm only tends to be a little bit excitable, that is all. But he is invaluable to my council. We all need someone who knows the rules and laws inside out, don't we?”

Sleipnir, to Blueblood's surprise, nodded in agreement. “Oh aye. So long as that pony does not have to be me, of course. But mine eldest sister was the same way, and she always made the finest of leaders. 'Tis not at all humble of me, but I like to think that she and I tempered each other well. But then, again, I must ask: what is the problem?”

The Lich King looked at Sleipnir thoughtfully for a few seconds, slowly becoming more serious before he finally gave a hesitant nod. “Yes, I suppose that... it won't do any harm to tell you.”

All the same, he was quiet for another moment, judging and measuring Sleipnir with his gaze before he said quietly: “Every kingdom has its dissidents. Even my kingdom: for all those you have seen are not slaves or servants, but they have free will, minds of their own. It can make them more difficult to work with at times, oh certainly, but I like to think that I have acquired some wisdom over the years, and their freedom is part of what I deem wise.”

“Aye, 'tis, and truly, thy wisdom shows, Auros.” Sleipnir agreed warmly, bowing his head politely for a moment before he looked up with a smile. “From the first, when I saw one of your citizens looking at us with surprise, I knew that 'twas fellow ponies we were dealing with. Not mindless beasts or abominations, but only people and ponies. It gladdened my heart.”

Auros looked pleased at this, sitting back in his throne before Sleipnir asked candidly: “But I suspect that as thou gave all the gift of freedom, some have taken it for granted, or given thee only spite in return, is this so?”

“That is... close enough to the truth, yes.” the Lich King replied delicately, and then he sighed a little, gesturing off to the side vaguely. “Only a few weeks ago, there was a... I suppose you would call it an uprising of sorts. It did not last very long, and nor was it very violent. But it did cause some damage to the eastern bloc before we were able to contain the rioters. Unfortunately, they chose to seal off one of the checkpoints, a... a safety structure of sorts that acts like a tunnel between areas, heavily fortified to protect my citizens in the event of a cave-in. The area they sealed themselves in is a deeper section of the mine, where the largest veins of crystal are accessed and raw materials are stored.”

Sleipnir nodded thoughtfully, and Blueblood hesitated before he asked uncertainly: “Why haven't you tried to drive them out, then? It all sounds very valuable...”

The Chancellor grumbled something about impertinence, but the Lich King smiled, raising a soothing hoof to the blue-robed unicorn. “No, that is a fair question. But you are mortal, are you not? Mortals, with their short lives, have no patience and have to act hastily to ensure they get anything done... but I and my subjects are not limited by time. No, while the dissidents have their... time out... I would much rather see the rest of my kingdom worked on, and there are still plenty of raw materials to be mined as we hollow out these caverns. And I am certain that in time, some of them would come to reflect upon the error of their ways, and they would return to me, to make their apologies and face judgment.”

“And how would thou judge them?” Sleipnir asked with interest.

The Lich King only smiled pleasantly, however, bowing his head as he gestured out with both hooves and said charmingly: “Well, we all make mistakes, do we not? No one was hurt, not more than a few broken bones anyway... and I'm certain you must know how little that means to many of my friends. Easily repaired. As long as they apologize in earnest, all fences are easily mended still. After all, they're really nothing but... upset children to me. And a child who recognizes his wrongdoing should be rewarded, not punished.”

Sleipnir smiled, but Blueblood felt a strange shiver at the Lich King's magnanimosity. He was too generous, too charming, too... nice. Blue honestly couldn't even imagine his Auntie Celestia just letting an uprising slide without punishing those involved somehow, even if it would just be a stern lecture on what they'd done wrong...

But Sleipnir went along with it, bowing his head and saying courteously: “'Tis truly a great act of kindness upon thy part, Auros. Aye, I see why all here must respect thee as their king. Thou art a fine leader of this peaceful place.”

The Lich King smiled pleasantly, and then Sleipnir said in a gentle but insistent voice: “However, I also fear that I require these materials quite badly. I hope dearly not to leave here empty-hooved, for as thou hast said, mortals' lives are short, and things must be done with haste. Perhaps thou and I can come to an agreement, however: if thou has other crystals available and there is work to be done, I would be happy to do it, or share what else I could in trade.”

“Oh, but that's just it, Sleipnir, there are no other stores of crystal, not of the type you're looking for, at least.” the Lich King replied with a shake of his head. “The rest of the crystals are already being put to use, or are in the process of being reshaped...”

The Lich King paused, then said in a slow voice: “Of course, there is something you could possibly do, but... I would feel unfair asking it. Still, if your need is very great, I also can't see how I couldn't at least put forwards this possible suggestion...”

Sleipnir cocked his head curiously as Blueblood felt a distinct sinking feeling in his gut, before Auros leaned forwards and tented his hooves, saying solemnly: “I do not desire to put the lives of my subjects at risk, so you must promise me you will not use more force than is necessary in this endeavor, but if you were to say... act as my hoof, and go to the eastern bloc, to speak with these rioters and perhaps bring them to their senses, I would be in your debt. And if you were able to apprehend those in charge, well. All the crystals in this cavern would not be enough to repay you.”

Sleipnir smiled benevolently at this, saluting easily and saying warmly: “'Tis an honor to do the work of a noble jarl such as thyself, and I have been told often that while I am not very tactful, I am very good at making friends. So I shall be more than happy to oblige. Thou needs not give up thy wares for this meager task, though: when I return with news of the dissidents, then we shall do business.”

“You are truly a noble stallion, Sleipnir. If only there were more ponies like you on the surface world, myself and my kind would not have to build this safe underground kingdom.” the Lich King said kindly, gesturing towards the stallion. “Chancellor Sageworm, please attend to our new friends. See that they are given all that they require for this task.”

Sageworm grumbled under his breath, then he gave a tired sigh and nodded grumpily. “As you command, my lord. Sleipnir, Blue, if you will follow me, please. The Lich King has spoken.”

“Aye, he has, but I have yet to say farewell to him.” Sleipnir said positively, and then he smiled up at the Lich King, who was looking down at the earth pony with entertainment from his throne. “Fare thee well, Auros. I shall speak with thee before the morn breaks, mark my words.”

Auros chuckled, then he rose a hoof and said kindly: “Fare well, Sir Sleipnir, and companion Blue. I have nothing but faith in both of you for this endeavor.”

The Chancellor sighed again in exasperation as he strode towards the doors, staff floating along beside him, and Sleipnir and Blue both bowed to the Lich King before turning and following the blue-robed unicorn out.

The moment the doors began to close, the Chancellor glared over his shoulder at them, growling: “Now listen, the both of you. There is a certain decorum and etiquette expected in this place. You are not permitted to explore willy-nilly as you please, any more than you are allowed to go above or beyond the directives of the Lich King. I will have an escort bring you to the eastern bloc, and once there, you will do whatever you have to in order to deal with the dissidents. Speak with them, capture them, eradicate them, I do not care. Just take care of the problem, understood?”

Sleipnir only looked kindly down at the Chancellor before he said gently: “We shall do what must be done, 'tis all. But I must admit that I am curious, friend: why is it that thou seems so nervous?”

Sageworm's glowing eyes widened slightly, and then he spun quickly away, growling under his breath before he slammed the butt of his staff several times against the ground, shouting: “Lock! Shock! Barrel! I know you're there!”

There was an awkward silence for a moment before one, two, three skeletons poked their heads anxiously out from around the corner, looking lamely at the Chancellor before he gestured grumpily over his shoulder with his staff at Sleipnir. “Take this idiot to the eastern bloc, then stand outside and wait for him, since you apparently have nothing better to do.”

“Well, uh. The trolley is broken, and the minecart at the entrance has to be reset, so I really don't have anything to do.” Lock said lamely.

“There's no one for the greeting committee to greet! Well, apart from these two, but they're mortals and all and... you know. That's weird, even for us.” Shock whined.

“I got thrown out of work.” Barrel finished, before he winced as his mask flopped down over his face, and Blue couldn't help but give a short laugh at the sight of it: the thin white wood was badly painted to look like a smiling skeleton's skull... which was precisely what Barrel was anyway.

Chancellor Sageworm slowly lowered his face into a hoof, looking pained before he said moodily: “Just do as I have asked.”

The trio of skeletons hurriedly saluted, and Sleipnir smiled amusedly before striding past the Chancellor, saying easily: “Fear not, my friends. I shan't cause thee too much trouble and 'twill be pleasant to have such nice company on the walk. Right, Blue?”

“Uh. Sure.” Blueblood said awkwardly, looking uncertainly at the skeletons: sure, they weren't all that threatening, but he still didn't quite exactly why Sleipnir was treating them so... naturally. Because they were anything but natural.

He bit his lip uneasily, but then followed quickly after the enormous earth pony as the trio of skeletons stumbled around and hurried down the tunnel. And as always, Sleipnir started to ramble, starting up the weirdest, most natural conversation with the skeletons that Blueblood had ever heard...

This whole place was starting to drive him crazy, though: and now what, they were supposed to be acting like... messenger colts or assassins, just so they could get their hooves on a bit of crystal? Blueblood shivered and only hoped that it was worth it, because more and more, this whole sprawling underground city was feeling just like one giant tomb... and Heaven, did he ever hate tombs.

It was a twenty minute walk before they finally reached a large set of double doors in the wall, which had been marked off by several signs and chained shut. Blueblood looked uneasily at these chains, biting his lip worriedly: you didn't have to be a genius to know someone outside of the tunnels had done that, not inside.

Lock, Shock, and Barrel were all standing nervously on one side of the large armored doors, the three trading worried looks before Lock finally said apprehensively: “I don't... know if you really want to go in there, dude...”

“Yeah, there's... well... there's something wrong with those guys. They're not like the rest of us. They remind me of our old boss.” Shock added after a moment.

Barrel nodded fervently in agreement. “And our old boss was even nastier than the Lich King. N-Not... n-not that the Lich King is ever mean or anything!”

The trio of skeletons all winced and looked wildly back and forth, but Sleipnir only smiled kindly before he agreed: “Aye, Auros seems like a very pleasant, charming stallion. So I am eager to do well here, and hopefully earn thy lord's favor. He seems to have the best interests of all of thee in mind, after all.”

The trio of skeletons all laughed bitterly at this, looking between each other like Sleipnir had just told some kind of sick joke, and the earth pony cocked his head before asking curiously: “What is this? Why, Auros seemed most personable when I spoke to him. But I suppose ill rumors must plague even the kindest of benefactors...”

“You could say that.” Lock mumbled, and then he winced when Shock smacked him as Barrel only looked embarrassedly away. “What? It's true. I'm not saying anything that isn't true or even really talking about the Lich King at all.”

“Aye, 'tis best not to speak ill of our noble lords, especially when they are so kind.” Sleipnir agreed with a nod and a smile, but then he asked carefully: “All the same, however, I must admit that I cannot help but indulge in gossip like a filly, and if there are any rumors concerning those upon high, well... I would be most interested in hearing them.”

The trio of skeletons looked at each other, then quickly huddled, mumbling between themselves as Blue stared for a moment at Sleipnir, admittedly caught off guard by his guile. And a moment later, Shock hesitantly poked her head up from the group as the other skeletons lowered their own, the mare skeleton peering back and forth before she rose a hoof and whispered: “Well, rumor has it that the high guard herded all of the dissenters into the eastern bloc and sealed them in for a reason... there's something evil in there. Something else that You Know Who created just to deal with anyone who disagreed with him...”

Sleipnir nodded thoughtfully as Blueblood winced immediately, looking fearfully at the door before the earth pony smiled and said easily: “But 'tis only a rumor, aye? And rumors are silly things we should not pay attention to... unless we find some truth behind them.”

Sleipnir paused, then asked curiously: “Tell me, where did all of thee come from? Wert thou created by the Lich King or wert thou all drawn here? 'Tis important for me to know so I can better deal with these 'dissenters,' as it were.”

“Uh...” Lock traded dumb looks with his fellow skeletons, and then he finally said hesitantly: “Well, I guess it's about half and half, really. The uh... the 'quieter' ones were all made by the Lich King. But then there's the rest of us, who were born outside the deathless kingdom but got dragged here one way or another...”

“Sometimes literally.” Barrel added bluntly, and then he winced when Shock shoved him and shushed him hurriedly.

Sleipnir smiled at this, nodding a few times before he said kindly: “Thy help has been invaluable already. Thou hast my thanks, from the bottom of my heart. Now, Blue, prepare thyself. I fear that whatever awaits us within may not be as receptive to our presence as I had first hoped.”

Blueblood grimaced, but then he drew his silver sword, shivering a little as he strode quickly up behind Sleipnir as the earth pony headed to the doors to start unwinding the chain from around the handles, the unicorn muttering: “Listen, we don't have to do this... I'll... I'll write a letter to Auntie to let her know about this place and to ask if the Magic Academy has these crystals in stock... they must, they do all sorts of experiments there-”

“Nay, nay. This is our journey together, and I shan't be deterred. Besides, we cannot run from danger, Blue: we had this conversation already, did we not?” Sleipnir asked gently, and the younger stallion gritted his teeth before Sleipnir gave a kind smile. “So come. Let us venture onwards. Besides, I have never been one to leave behind those in need.”

“Those... those in need? They're skeletons!” Blueblood said disbelievingly, gesturing towards Lock, Shock, and Barrel as the trio of undead looked dumbly up... and then the unicorn winced as Sleipnir turned one of his rare looks of disapproval on the stallion.

“Aye, they are. They are also people, as much as thou or I, and feel as clearly as thou or I do.” Sleipnir replied pointedly, and the prince awkwardly dropped his head, nodding lamely before Sleipnir sighed and reached up, squeezing his shoulder gently. “Would thou say that Invidia is any less a person these days than I or thou?”

“Well... no.” Blueblood admitted after a moment, shaking his head before he opened his mouth to complain how that was different... but after a few seconds, he simply nodded awkwardly as he realized that no, maybe it wasn't so different after all, really.

He finally gave a lame smile, and Sleipnir smiled warmly back before he said gently: “Good. Now then, 'tis time for us to work.”

With that, he yanked the chain free from the doors and tossed it aside before grasping the handles and tearing them open... then immediately scowled at what he saw, eyes darkening as Blueblood winced back and dropped his sword in front of himself almost like a shield.

The tunnel beyond was lined with both broken bones and pieces of rotting corpse, and Sleipnir grimaced as he stepped slowly into the passage before narrowing his eyes at the doors on the other side. They had been torn open by some tremendous force, one hanging halfway off its hinge, and the earth pony shook his head slowly before he murmured: “There is something wicked here.”

Blueblood only gave a short laugh at this, and then he shivered a little before nervously following after Sleipnir as the earth pony strode carefully down the tunnel. The prince did his best to keep his eyes forwards, breathing slowly and trying to swallow his fear as they strode slowly through this passageway filled with the dead, following carefully in Sleipnir's wake.

They were quiet as they approached the other side of the tunnel, and the enormous earth pony halted here for a moment to inspect the broken doors, studying them with interest before he rubbed a hoof slowly along a large set of claw marks. He studied these for a few moments as Blueblood looked uncomfortably at the earth pony, and then Sleipnir nodded and muttered: “'Tis quite large, whatever it is. We had best keep our eyes open.”

Blueblood nodded nervously, and then Sleipnir turned his attention ahead and strode onwards, looking back and forth with a frown. This set of caverns was far less elaborate than the ones they had seen so far, and while the main supports were all in place, there were still plenty of missing secondary supports, and the walls all looked raw, marked by tools only in a few rare places.

Sleipnir paused curiously at one side of the room, leaning down and studying a broken pickaxe intently for a few moments. Blueblood stopped behind him, nervously trying to peer over the stallion's shoulder, and the earth pony paused before slowly turning his eyes back to the unicorn, asking finally: “Aye? What is it?”

“I was about to ask you the same question.” Blueblood said after a moment, shifting awkwardly, and Sleipnir smiled at him before the unicorn dropped his head and muttered: “I don't like this. And I have no idea what you're doing.”

“I am merely looking at things. 'Tis about all I can do at the moment, after all.” Sleipnir said blandly, and Blueblood gave the earth pony a tired look. “Well, I do not see any beasts to smite nor ponies to reprimand nor anything else. Be on watch, Blue, but... there is no need for... for all this.”

Sleipnir gesticulated wildly with his hooves, and Blueblood scowled at him as he dropped his sword to a looser position at his side, saying irritably: “All this? Sleipnir, even you aren't stupid enough to believe that the Lich King-”

“Is anything but true to his word, aye.” Sleipnir said empathetically, glaring pointedly down at the unicorn, and Blueblood blinked before the earth pony said mildly: “Aye, it would not do to upset our gracious host, would it? Or to speak ill of him in his own kingdom. Nay, let us simply be about this task he has set for us and then return to him.”

Blueblood looked nervously back and forth, wondering uneasily if they were being watched and he just couldn't detect it. He decided the best course of action for now was just to nod his agreement, before he cleared his throat and asked apprehensively: “So did you... figure anything out?”

“Oh, nay, not much.” Sleipnir said mildly as he straightened and started onwards, and Blueblood sighed tiredly but recognized he simply wasn't going to get anything useful out of Sleipnir at this point. So he only followed along grumpily, keeping his eyes up as his silver sword gleamed at his side, as if reflecting his emotions.

They walked onwards through the twisting, curving passages, moving deeper through the tunnel system as Sleipnir grimaced a bit at how narrow it was becoming: but just as he began to feel claustrophobic from how tight the walls had closed in around them, the passage started to widen out again before they found themselves standing at a large fork.

Sleipnir frowned at this, looking back and forth as Blueblood hesitantly strode towards the right tunnel, looking down it before he said nervously: “There's no light this way...”

“Aye, and the torches are few and far between down this passage as well.” Sleipnir frowned a little, and then he gestured quickly at Blueblood. “Thou shall have to try and use Invidia's light spell again. Keep the bauble of light ahead of us on the path, light not ourselves but the road ahead. I do not trust the shadows between the torches.”

The prince grimaced a little, but then he gave a short nod before taking a slow breath and concentrating. His horn lit up with a bright glow that created a spotlight around them, but after a moment, a small white ball of light slowly lifted itself free from his horn and floated eerily ahead of them, casting a bright enough radiance around itself to light up the passage all around it.

Blueblood managed to halt it about ten feet away, where it floated quietly at the edge of his control. He closed his eyes for a moment as he continued to concentrate, keeping the sphere of light alive and glowing before he relaxed little-by-little, mumbling: “There. Ridiculous...”

“Oh, fear not. It has only been a few months, and 'tis quite a strange spell. I am only glad thou art able to cast it at all.” Sleipnir said positively, and Blueblood nodded hesitantly after a moment before the enormous earth pony lowered his head and said in a quieter voice: “But keep thy magic low and stealthy, if thou can.”

“Because of...” Blueblood stopped himself, but then he shivered and nodded uneasily. He didn't think that his magic would be of any use to something like a Lich, but maybe it was better not to take chances and just listen to Sleipnir for now.

They slowly headed down the tunnel, walking side-by-side as Blue kept the sphere of light floating ahead of them, quietly lighting the way. He shivered every time the light passed over a fallen corpse or a mangled skeleton, however, and with the oppressive, rocky walls looming in around them and the growing sensation of being watched, it was making it harder and harder for Blue not to just turn tail and flee as fast as he could.

Except with his luck, he'd end up running face-first into whatever the hell was lurking down here... and worse yet, Sleipnir would never let him live it down if he did try to cut and run. Blueblood smiled a bit despite himself at this thought: it was amazing how his biggest worry had gone from dying horribly to Sleipnir thinking less of him.

The unicorn sighed a little... then frowned uneasily as they reached what looked like a dead end, the sphere of light floating silently in front of the rock wall at the end of the passage. Sleipnir's own eyes narrowed, darting back and forth before Blueblood muttered: “Wonderful. So I suppose that-”

Then he winced when one of Sleipnir's hooves clapped over his mouth, the unicorn blinking and staring over at Sleipnir before the earth pony mouthed silently: “Quiet.”

Blueblood frowned uneasily, but nodded as the hoof pulled away from his muzzle before Sleipnir carefully gestured towards the wall, then made a sharp quenching gesture with both his hooves. And Blueblood frowned uneasily before he nodded again, the ponies slipping apart and both pressing tightly into the wall on either side of the passage.

Blueblood took a breath before extinguishing his magic... and then he clapped both front hooves over his muzzle, eyes widening in horror and nearly dropping his sword as he saw something hideous glowing in the darkness, staring blindly down the tunnel. Phosphorescent drool dripped from its jaws as it sat almost perfectly still, but parts of its body glimmered as if it had absorbed the light that they had accidentally shone over this huge, hunchbacked thing.

Its enormous, bulbous eyes rolled in its skull before it shivered and moved, and Blueblood heard the sound of gravel and dust pattering down off its body before it lumbered slowly forwards, breathing hungrily in it and out. It stared back and forth, but it didn't seem to be able to see very well through the darkness, the creature making a strange, low mooing before it began to stride away.

It stopped in the light of a torch, and now Blueblood could actually see the freakish thing: its hide was stony and rock-like, and visibly changed to match its surroundings as it moved. It gurgled loudly as it leaned down for a moment, pawing slowly at the ground in front of it before it began to lumber calmly onwards, breath rumbling loudly in and out.

The creature soon waddled out of sight, and Blueblood shivered a little before Sleipnir said moodily: “Damnation. Poor, tormented beast.”

“What... what was that thing? Was that what killed everyone?” Blueblood asked uneasily, looking fearfully down the stone passage, and then he winced in surprise when he felt a hoof grasp his shoulder, looking up and barely making out Sleipnir's bright chestnut eyes in the darkness.

“Aye, 'twas. But the creature is a victim itself, although... all we can do for the beast now, is put it gently to sleep should the chance present itself.” Sleipnir said softly, and then he shook his head slowly. “We must be careful, though. The creature is awake now, and on patrol. 'Twill be much more alert now that we have accidentally roused it from its slumbers.”

Blue nodded hesitantly, and then he winced as he stumbled over something in the dark, shivering a little and trying his hardest not to look down or think about what that might have been as the stallions made their way back down the tunnel. “So what... what precisely was it, Sleipnir?”

“”Twas a flesh golem. Grafted together from the parts of many different living creatures, and likely all it knows is pain and servitude. 'Tis a sad and miserable thing...” Sleipnir shook his head briefly, looking down for a few moments before he said almost solemnly: “But 'twill be very dangerous, and very strong. We must not underestimate the power of the sad, forlorn creature.”

“You sound so...” Blueblood bit his lip, not quite knowing how to phrase it, and Sleipnir only gave a wry smile before he nodded slowly as they stepped into a pool of torchlight.

“Aye, I am.” he said finally, then he shook his head quickly before murmuring: “We must be prepared to deal with the poor beast all the same, though. I fear that it will not be able to show us the mercy that I desire to show it... and nor can we afford to be gentle at this juncture, much as that pains me to say.”

Blueblood nodded nervously, studying the earth pony uneasily before Sleipnir started forwards again, the unicorn following silently with his sword floating loosely at his side before he asked quietly: “So sometimes... it is a mercy to kill?”

“I wish it were not true. But aye, sometimes it is. But one must always be careful to tread a thin line and keep close watch upon thy hooves...” Sleipnir answered grimly, shaking his head slowly. “For at times 'tis very easy to go from peace-bringer to executioner. 'Tis very easy to say a pony is broken and beaten, and confuse an ailment that is difficult to mend with an ailment that cannot be cured. Just as it is sadly simple, my friend, to start dealing death to all thou encounters, and reason away that it is punishment for those who deserve it and freedom for those who suffer.”

Sleipnir stopped, then smiled over at Blue, saying quietly: “But we do not pass judgment upon others, Blue. That is neither our duty nor our job. Nay, what we do is protect others, defend ourselves... and give what peace and salvation we can to all.”

The young prince nodded uneasily, and then he blushed a bit as Sleipnir added gently: “And thou art letting thy sword hang loose again, Blue. Bring it up at the ready now.”

Blue mumbled under his breath as he quickly shifted the sword up to a better position, looking lamely over at Sleipnir. The earth pony gave an approving nod, and Blueblood hated how much that had come to mean to him as the two continued forwards through the dimly-lit tunnels, the prince unable to stop himself from muttering: “Not that it really matters, though... I somehow doubt my sword is going to prove all that useful...”

“Now come, Blue, there is no need for that.” Sleipnir encouraged, reaching up and patting the stallion lightly on the shoulder. “Besides, what have I told thee in the past? That sword is to be wielded in protection and defense, not offense.”

Blueblood grumbled, but he didn't bother arguing as he only nodded grudgingly, and Sleipnir smiled at him before saying with a gesture ahead: “Now come, keep at the ready all the same. There may be other things in this place as well.”

The unicorn sighed tiredly, then he turned ahead with a grumble, he and Sleipnir continuing through the darkness until they reached the better-lit fork. Then both of them gazed off into the shadowy tunnel they had yet to travel down, and Blueblood bit his cheek before he asked hesitantly: “Sleipnir, this... creature. Why didn't it react to us right away?”

“I suspect 'twas in dormancy. A flesh golem must rest and recharge every so often, as I recall: like a golem, it has a power core, but like a living creature it is made of flesh and muscle, which can tire and ache.” Sleipnir replied, and then he shook his head briefly. “But this creature is strange. The fact it is capable of hiding itself so easily, and such strange eyes... it worries me.”

Blueblood made a bit of a face at this, and then he asked uncertainly: “So... what do I do? We couldn't see it in the dark until I shone the light over it...”

“Aye, thou shall have to cast a beam ahead of us, and we shall have to move very carefully. The creature seemed as blind as we were in the shadows, but it may merely have been in the process of waking up, or did not see us as either threat or enemy.” Sleipnir gritted his teeth. “Damnation. I do not like slaying idle beasts... but what must be done, must be done.”

Blueblood felt a strange pang in his own chest even as he focused on his simplified light spell, spreading a bright radiance around them as he asked uncertainly: “We're... we're really going to just go up to it and kill it, even if...”

“Aye. We are. The creature is in pain and this, unfortunately, also serves our own ends. Although I would much rather we were able to say we were doing this from purer motives.” Sleipnir muttered, and he and Blueblood fell in slow pace, making their way calmly forwards as the earth pony sighed a little, murmuring: “Sometimes, Blue, thou shall find thou art given a choice between two evils. There is always a third choice, of course, to walk away... but that is often an evil in and of itself. Just because thou turns thy back upon something... it does not mean those evils cease to exist.”

Blueblood nodded slowly, swallowing a little as they continued slowly down the tunnel. He shivered a little, careful to step over bodies and broken bones as he mumbled: “By Heaven... are... are you sure this thing killed all these people? It was certainly large but... it seemed so...”

“Gentle, aye. But a flesh golem is not truly alive, Blue, and that is the little solace I can give us both. It feels few things: pain, to make it aware of when it is in danger, and so crueler masters can chastise it roundly. Joy, which comes only when it performs the master's command and is praised for doing so. Anger, to give it strength when the tide turns against it.” Sleipnir shook his head slowly, murmuring: “It clearly is not out of control, so it must be obeying the last order of its master, still. To destroy all the living dead in this section of cavern.”

Blueblood frowned a little at this... then nodded hesitantly, muttering: “I see. But we're not dead, so... it might not target us.”

“Aye. That is mine one hope. And if 'tis true, we shall put it down swiftly and with as little pain as possible.” Sleipnir replied calmly, shaking his head again briefly before he suddenly halted, reaching up and gently catching the unicorn by the shoulder as he murmured: “Wait. Dim thy light.”

The unicorn winced a bit, then concentrated and did as he was asked, reducing the radiance until it was no more than a mere candle in the dark. For a moment, Blueblood was tempted to ask what was going on... and then he shivered a little as he realized he could hear a distinct, heavy breathing.

Heavy footsteps lumbered towards them, and Sleipnir swore under his breath before he slipped forwards, standing ready at the dim edge of the light before frowning uneasily as the sound seemed to echo all around them... and then the noises simply stopped. No breathing, no footfalls, only silence, and Sleipnir frowned uneasily as Blueblood looked nervously back and forth through the dim darkness...

And then the ivory unicorn's eyes widened slowly as he turned creakily to the side, trembling violently as he saw two bulbous, soulless eyes staring at him, reflecting the faint light back at the two stallions before Blueblood whimpered: “S-Sleipnir...”

“Aye, I see it...” the enormous earth pony muttered back, reaching up to settle a hoof on the stallion's shoulder before he slipped silently forwards, slow and careful. He flexed slightly as he lowered his head, licking his lips slowly as they stood in an awkward, uncomfortable stalemate.

The flesh golem gurgled, and the only thing that stopped Blueblood from cutting and running was the fact that Sleipnir was beside him, and the earth pony remained still. Then the ivory stallion looked slowly, disbelievingly towards the earth pony when he muttered: “Increase thy horn's light. Do it slowly, not quickly, to as bright as thou can make it.”

“Are you crazy?” Blueblood hissed, but when Sleipnir only looked at him pointedly, the stallion swore under his breath before he looked nervously back at the flesh golem. What else could he do but what Sleipnir had asked?

He breathed slowly in and out, then began to concentrate, the energy in his horn building little by little, and as it grew, so did the radiance. He trembled a little as light spilled over the construct, which had cloaked itself almost perfectly to match the stone around it, making it all-but-invisible in the rocky tunnel. But now that he was focusing on it, he could see almost a distinct outline around the creature...

The flesh golem swayed a little on the spot as it tilted its head slightly, and then it gave a long, moaning moo as its jaws fell open, revealing countless blocks of metal teeth. Blueblood shivered at the sight, then did his best to repress a whimper when the beast leaned slowly towards him, snuffling at his horn even as its eyes glowed strangely with the brightening light-

“Now quick, snuff out thy magic!” Sleipnir ordered, his voice low but sharp, and the flesh golem rose its head almost in confusion at the sound before Blueblood winced and his horn flashed before the light vanished completely.

They were left in absolute darkness, and the flesh golem gave a disconsolate, confused noise. But its body was glowing strangely again, as if it was covered in some kind of light-absorbing paint, and its eyes had a strange glow to them, like they refused to let go of the radiance they had seen.

Blueblood winced as he felt a hoof firmly push him to the side, stumbling quickly towards the edge of the tunnel before he whimpered as the golem's eyes seemed to trace after him, the creature giving more of a growl now. The prince began to shiver... and then he flinched as he heard a loud, wet smack, followed by a roar of rage, and then a sound of crashing.

Something huge swung narrowly past Blueblood, and the prince swore under his breath as he leapt to the side, breathing hard and flinging himself against the tunnel wall. But a moment later, something massive crashed firmly into the wall as Sleipnir gave a roar, and the flesh golem roared furiously back, Blueblood swearing and scrambling blindly away through the darkness as he looked over his shoulder, only seeing a glowing, phosphorescent shape darting through the shadows, to be smashed by some invisible aggressor...

Blueblood tripped over something and landed with a crunch on something else, swearing again under his breath as he scrambled for his hooves before looking fearfully up, breathing hard and trying to see through the dark as the two giants crashed and smashed and banged through the tunnel...

And then there was a horrible, wet sound, like sludge hitting the ground: silence followed this that felt fragile and dangerous as glass, Blueblood trembling and holding his breath until he whimpered when he heard a low moaning. But this was followed by the sound of meat on meat, and then a crackling before there was a single bright flash that made Blueblood flinch away.

But the light had imprinted a terrible image on the back of his eyelids, the prince trembling as he stumbled backwards and shivered, the profile of Sleipnir standing over a broken, beaten, torn-apart creature frozen in his mind. Blueblood breathed hard in and out, and then he flinched when something touched him before a voice said soothingly: “'Tis only I. 'Tis only I.”

“I... of course.” Blueblood said nervously, looking uneasily up at Sleipnir, breathing slowly in and out before he shivered a little despite himself, unable to stop from stepping back as he asked uneasily: “Are you... I mean, did you...”

“Aye, I killed it. 'Twas harder than I expected, 'twas... fierce. It ended up being... messy.” Sleipnir's words held a grimace, and then the enormous earth pony shook his head quickly before he murmured: “I apologize that thou had to see me in the rage, Blueblood. But we had little other choice, I fear, than to accomplish this task.”

“You keep saying that... are you trying to reassure me or yourself?” Blueblood asked before he could stop himself, and then he winced a bit as he thought he felt Sleipnir draw back a little. “I mean, I... I'm sorry.”

“I... nay. Thou has a fair point. Because aye, I am.” Sleipnir said honestly, and the unicorn gave a faint smile, the two looking at each other's shadowed shapes for a few moments before the earth pony sighed a little and dropped his head, barely visible in the blackness. “Very well, my friend. Let us return to the Lich King and tell him of our... 'great success.'”

Sleipnir laughed bitterly despite himself, shaking his head slowly, and Blueblood looked uncomfortably up at the earth pony before he said abruptly, not even knowing why: “I didn't see any kind of storeroom or anything... should... should we check the end of this tunnel for it?”

“Why? Any crystal we find is not yet ours to take. And furthermore, I know thou art more intelligent than that, young Blue. There is no storeroom here, and many of these raw veins are not pure crystal, but instead malachite and other gemstones.” Sleipnir said mildly, and Blueblood looked with surprise at the stallion, who the unicorn sensed only giving that same old smile of his in return as they began to slowly make their way through the dark tunnel and back towards the entrance to this bloc. “If thou could light the way, 'twould be most appreciated, Blue.”

“Oh, I. Of course.” Blueblood said awkwardly, and then he turned his eyes ahead, his horn lighting up and dispelling the shadows around him. He hesitated for a moment, biting his lip and tempted to look back over his shoulder at the corpse of the flesh golem... but instead, he settled for taking an uneasy look at Sleipnir, who only smiled at him with faint reassurance.

They slowly made their way back to the entrance of the tunnels without any real event, and found Lock, Shock and Barrel waiting for them apprehensively just inside the safety checkpoint. The skeletons seemed to stare as the two strode up in front of them, and then Sleipnir cleared his throat before he said finally: “We are ready to return to speak to the Lich King. 'Twould be nice of thee to escort us back to him.”

The trio of skeletons traded apprehensive looks, and then they finally nodded lamely before turning and quickly skittering onwards down the passage. Blueblood winced and looked nervously up at Sleipnir, but the earth pony only smiled faintly before he strode calmly in their wake, saying quietly: “Just keep moving forwards, my friend. This will all be over soon.”

The unicorn nodded hesitantly, then he turned his own eyes forwards with a sigh, only hoping that Sleipnir was right... and that this whole cruel charade would all be worthwhile.

The Art Of Mercy

Chapter Nineteen: The Art Of Mercy
~BlackRoseRaven

The Lich King smiled pleasantly at Sleipnir and Blueblood as the enormous earth pony explained calmly: “So thus we defeated the flesh golem. I fear that there was little other choice in the matter, sad as it makes me. But I fear leaving it to live would only be leaving it to suffer... and of course, 'tis obvious that its master, whoever it may be, may have ordered it to harm others.”

“You have done very well.” Auros praised almost tenderly, leaning forwards with a kind smile. To one side, Chancellor Sageworm was only scowling, and the court of zombies and spirits was shifting almost uneasily, whispering amongst themselves even as the Lich King continued warmly: “I cannot begin to express the joy I feel in the fact that I decided to place my faith in you both... you have done exceptionally well, far beyond my hopes and expectations.”

Sleipnir only shrugged with a smile that was less modest and more... well, sad, Blueblood thought. “We merely did what was necessary, that is all. Now, I do not desire to be rude, Auros, but I fear that I must press to move on to matters of business...”

“Oh, yes, of course. I understand.” Auros replied kindly, bowing his head forwards before he frowned ever so slightly as he tented his hooves, saying in a more solemn voice: “But sadly, Sleipnir, we have a small difficulty to discuss before we can speak at all of any business...”

The earth pony cocked his head, and Blueblood shifted apprehensively, part of him wanting to reach for the sword sheathed on his back as the earth pony asked slowly: “And what is that, Auros? Have I not done as thou asked?”

“Oh, but that's just it! You were... too enthusiastic, I am afraid, in carrying out my request... I didn't mean to send you in as executioners, after all.” Auros said disapprovingly, shaking his head slowly as he leaned forwards. “That is not how we do things here in my kingdom. We are a peaceful people, who handle our disputes with decorum and grace. I fear you've disappointed me, Sleipnir... you and your young friend.”

Sleipnir bowed his head politely, replying candidly: “Then all I can do is apologize to thee and ask if there is some way by which I can make amends for this error, my friend. I fear that I knew not else what to do, though.”

The Lich King smiled slightly at this, studying Sleipnir with interest for a few moments before he said softly: “Well, even as upset as I am, Sleipnir, I appreciate your candor and your apology... but I need to know you're sincere. And if you are sincere, Sleipnir, then of course you won't mind making a small pledge of loyalty to me... something to help me believe that you are as honorable as you claim to be. And of course, I will give you the same freedoms as I give all my other subjects... once you have earned it back, and made up for this... error of judgment.”

Sleipnir smiled kindly in return to the Lich King, and then he said gently: “I fear I must decline. Certainly I would be pleased to correct any mistakes I have made, but cost and payment must be equal, should they not? And 'tis not that I do not trust thy word, Auros... 'tis rather that I fear thy words are left a little too open to interpretation for my liking.”

Slowly, the Lich King frowned, his eyes darkening and his features tensing, losing much of their handsomeness as he asked quietly: “Are you trying to say something, Sleipnir? Because there's no need for you to step around the subject. I would invite you to be honest with me.”

“Then I shall.” Sleipnir looked evenly up at the Lich King, fearless and cordial... even gentle still, in spite of his next words. “I do not see any others here who would have the power to craft a flesh golem such as the one that I faced. Thou sent me to destroy the evidence of what thou did, and I have done it: but I did so out of mercy, not because I desire to be thy lackey.”

There was silence for a few moments, and then the Lich King gave a thinner, colder smile, sitting back in his throne before he said icily: “Very well. I certainly appreciate your... forwardness on this matter at least, Sleipnir. But I fear that I am going to have to... insist.”

The Lich King calmly rose one hoof, and the specters vanished from the seats on either side of the room as the beautifully-dressed undead all began to crawl forwards, their features distorting, their movements jagged and twisted, their finery no longer able to hide their true natures as they hissed and rumbled. Chancellor Sageworm stepped forwards as well, grinning coldly as his features became more sallow, his staff floating at the ready in front of himself as the Lich King yawned and sat back in his throne, asking in a wheedling voice like a child who didn't want to deal with his chores: “Are you sure you don't want to just give in, Sleipnir? This is so dreadfully boring... and if you give yourselves up willingly, I'll be very happy to give you a much higher place in my court than if you force my hoof to do something... unpleasant.”

Sleipnir, however, only smiled even as the monsters surrounded them, raising his head high as he said kindly: “I fear that this glimpse behind thy mask of lordship neither pleases nor terrifies. But as thou wert polite enough to offer me thine idea of a generous bargain, I shall offer thee mine own: there is still time for thou to call off this attack and instead for us to trade knowledge and supplies in peace. Do not force this confrontation.”

There was silence for a few moments, and then the Lich King laughed and shook his head slowly, sitting up in his throne but only looking amused as he gestured at the half-dozen undead and his blue-robed Chancellor. “Oh please. I must admit that I admire your fortitude and your courage, Sleipnir, but all the same... I have to question whether you speak out of brazen foolishness or if some poor, mentally-deficient part of you actually believes that you could stand a chance against my court.”

Blueblood couldn't help but privately agree, grimacing as he nervously held his sword at the ready behind the enormous earth pony as he looked fearfully back and forth, but the enormous earth pony only smiled and replied almost cheerfully: “Well, I suppose we shall find the answer to thy question in only a few moments. Tell me, will thou be taking part in this conflict?”

The Lich King looked both indulgent and entertained by this, waving a hoof a few times as he said wryly: “As if my powers are necessary to tame a nuisance like yourself. No, my court should be more than sufficient to handle the likes of you. I only hope that they won't leave too much of a mess to be cleaned up afterwards: I would like enough pieces of you left intact that I am able to bring you back as a thrall. I'm very forgiving, after all.”

Sleipnir only chuckled at this, and then he said gently over his shoulder: “Prepare thyself now, Blue. And remember that 'tis not an act of cowardice to bow thy way politely out of a battle if thou feels thou art unprepared. Besides, 'twill be all the more fun for me.”

The earth pony cracked his neck as he looked forwards with a slight smile, and the Lich King snorted in entertainment as he sat up in his throne before gesturing calmly outwards with one hoof. “Let's see if you're half the stallion you claim to be then, Sleipnir. Why don't you go ahead and show me what you're capable of, earth pony?”

Sleipnir didn't falter, even as the Chancellor suddenly stepped forwards, swinging his staff down as it crackled with maleficent magic; but as if he was dealing with a foal instead of a powerful deathless mage, the earth pony simply held up a foreleg and blocked the attack before he said almost gently: “'Tis a bold try.”

Sleipnir's hoof lashed down in a brutal hammer, smashing the staff into two halves, and the Chancellor staggered backwards in disbelief with a shout of pain as telekinetic recoil sparked over his horn. Before he could recover, the enormous earth pony slammed his other hoof into his face, sending the blue-robed unicorn hurtling across the room to crash painfully into the wall as the Lich King sat up in his throne with shock, alarm passing over his face for a bare moment before he snarled as it became anger. “Get him! All of you, get that earth pony!”

Two of the undead court leapt at Sleipnir, hissing furiously, but the earth pony caught one and easily flung it past him into the other, knocking them both in a sprawl before he ducked under a third, then stepped forwards and slugged a fourth, its skull giving a sickening crack as it was knocked flying backwards. The earth pony was only grinning widely, however, shouting cheerfully: “Come, come then, show me what these puppets can do! Show me thy mettle!”

“Do not allow him to make a fool of us! He is only one pony!” shouted the Lich King furiously, as Sleipnir laughed and continued to draw attention to himself... while Blueblood carefully slid backwards and out of the fight, feeling both cowardly but also relieved that the earth pony had taken over, watching with awe as his sword trembled at his side-

“You.” hissed a voice, and Blueblood looked up in shock to see the Chancellor was standing only ten feet away, glaring at him balefully. His eyes and horn both glowed with hellish, unnatural light as his horn sparked with poisonous magic, and Blueblood quickly set himself as he rose his silver sword defensively before the robed unicorn growled: “Pathetic.”

He flicked his horn, a toxic lash of poisonous lightning shocking towards Blueblood, but the prince only winced as he slashed his sword into the attack, keeping the blade tight in his telekinetic grip as he felt the weapon shivering beneath the fury of the magic... and then he managed to tilt the weapon slightly and deflect the burst of malice off to the side, the Chancellor looking surprised.

Blueblood was too surprised himself to try and press the advantage, but he quickly readied himself for combat all the same, clearing his throat before raising his sword gamely and saying in a voice that only shook slightly: “Y-You... I am giving you one chance to surrender.”

“Don't mock me, boy!” snarled the Chancellor, his horn and eyes glowing brighter, making him look monstrous before he slashed his horn viciously outwards, sending a blast of hellish energy at the ivory unicorn.

Blueblood swore under his breath, then leapt to the side, and the toxic missile of magic streaked past and exploded in a burst of malefic light against the wall before the magewight snarled and shot another poisonous burst at him. But Blueblood reacted swiftly, dodging to the other side as he gritted his teeth, remembering the basic rule that Sleipnir had taught him about magic combat: to keep moving and not be wherever his enemy was aiming.

The Chancellor swore under his breath, then snapped his horn fiercely upwards, and Blueblood felt the magic gathering beneath his hooves before he leapt backwards, flinching and narrowly avoiding being impaled on a volley of earthen spikes that exploded upwards out of the ground.

The magewight hissed in fury, then reared back, his whole body thrumming with power as blue veins pulsed hideously through his flesh, his eyes and horn blazing with hellish light as Blueblood looked up in shock: whatever the stallion was channeling, it wasn't going to be a spell he could simply dodge. And Blueblood found himself reacting on instinct, leaping forwards and making a wild charge straight for the robed monster.

Blueblood's sword lashed out, the reach catching the Chancellor by surprise and making him hiss in shock as it slashed through his robes before Blueblood drove his sword forwards, piercing deep into the chest of the unicorn even as he gritted his teeth. The Chancellor gasped, his body shivering before he grabbed at the blade as the vile aura died out from around him... and then he snarled in fury, glaring down at Blueblood and beginning to slowly force the sword back out of his chest as he hissed: “Your silvered weapons aren't enough to s-save you!”

“N-No...” Blueblood trembled, staring in horror as he lost his grip on the sword for a moment, letting the Chancellor yank it free from his body and toss it away with a curse as he staggered backwards. The wound was bloodless even with the blue veins pulsing visibly through the magewight's form, the unicorn gaping in horror as the Chancellor slowly steadied himself... and then Blueblood forced himself to remember what he was dealing with, forced himself not to panic or give in to fear as he stepped quickly backwards and swept up his sword, breathing hard as he snapped: “I'm not afraid!”

“You should be.” growled the Chancellor, and then he snapped his horn forwards, and Blueblood flinched as he was blasted backwards by a telekinetic hammer before the magewight followed up with a burst of toxic energy. And this time, Blueblood didn't react fast enough to block it, crying out in agony as the hellish burst ripped across his face, searing his features and gouging deep, putrid wounds through his cheek.

The unicorn staggered, and the magewight grinned viciously before he snapped his horn forwards, a burst of lightning thundering from the spire towards Blueblood... before he hissed in disgust as Blueblood managed to slash his sword up and block the stream of toxic electricity, arcs of energy pulsing and crackling around the blade as Blueblood hissed breath in and out through his teeth, one eye swollen shut but the other glaring at the undead stallion.

As they struggled, Sleipnir moved back and forth with incredible grace for such a large stallion, every movement carrying into a blow that smashed one of the undead harrying him aside as the Lich King watched with a mix of horror and disbelief from his throne. The earth pony moved with agility and power, one of his hooves swinging fiercely back to smash in the face of a ghoul before Sleipnir fiercely kicked both rear hooves back, knocking another monster flying across the room, and then he dropped flat on his stomach to avoid tackles from two more of the undead court.

Moving like liquid, Sleipnir suddenly rolled over, yanking one of the ghouls to the ground before slamming a hoof viciously down through its skull, and a scream rose up from the creature even as it burst apart into ashes and dust beneath its regal clothing. The Lich King shouted a denial from his throne as he straightened, staring with disbelief as Sleipnir leapt up to his hooves to smash another ghoul aside, then seize another member of the undead court by the back of the head, yanking it out of mid-charge before he slammed a hoof into its face as he yanked its skull forwards at the same time.

It too collapsed into dust, and the Lich King snarled in fury before he straightened, shouting: “What are you idiots doing? Get him! He's only one mortal earth pony, how can he-”

Then the Lich King gaped when Sleipnir snagged a ghoul on either side of him before he smashed their skulls together hard enough to turn them both to dust, the last two members of the undead court staggering fearfully backwards as the stallion said calmly: “Oh, I fear I never said that I was any mortal, friend... although aye, I am an earth pony. Now come: there is still time to settle this peacefully, and I would certainly be willing to do so.”

The Lich King stared for a few moments... then trembled before snarling furiously, his horn flashing as he gestured violently at one of the ghouls. The undead beast shrieked, then flung itself violently at Sleipnir, and the stallion's eyes widened as he saw the aura, felt the malicious energies around it too late to do more than desperately try and cover his face-

The ghoul exploded in a tremendous blast of malevolent energy, and the Lich King grinned cruelly... then stared in horror as the toxic smog quickly cleared, revealing Sleipnir standing with a look of disgust on his face, his body badly seared and his armor dented, part of his mane rotted away... but all the same, calmly brushing at himself before he looked up at the Lich King and said equably: “I fear that 'tis quite a grave offense to tamper with my mane.”

The Lich King's eye twitched, and then he began to make the same gesture at the other ghoul: Sleipnir, however, moved like lightning, sweeping up the undead beast even as Auros cast the spell before the earth pony sharply lobbed the ghoul to the side. It flew backwards with a squeal, and the Lich King's eyes widened as he realized too late what was going to happen.

The ghoul hit the Chancellor, who swore as the stream of magic he had been concentrating on Blueblood was interrupted before the undead beast exploded in a tremendous blast of miasma, the magewight howling as he was sent skidding to the side over the tile, his blue robes shredded by the rotting energy and his whole body steaming violently. He collapsed in a shivering heap as Blueblood stumbled in shock... then quickly readied himself with the Chancellor slowly began to haul himself up to his hooves, screaming: “This is unacceptable!”

He snarled as he straightened, the last of his robes falling away as his coat became a bruised mix of yellows, greens and purples, with blue veins like snakes twisting wildly through it. His tail and mane both fell away until only loose strands remained, and his hide tightened until bones and the pulse and shape of organs were visible through his thin skin.

The Chancellor rasped loudly in and out for breath, then licked his rotting teeth as sockets that were filled only with blue light glared furiously at Blueblood. The prince quaked in fear at the sight of the monstrosity, but all the same he forced himself to raise his sword, to steady himself as the Chancellor hissed: “How dare you try and stand against us...”

Blueblood only set himself, unable to give any other response, and the Chancellor lashed his horn viciously out to send a blast of poisonous energy at the stallion. But the unicorn dodged quickly to the side, then winced and darted back and forth as the magewight's horn slashed back and forth through the air, sending crescent blades of energy shooting one after the other at Blueblood. But the attacks, while vicious and fast, were easy to predict, easy to avoid... and even when the prince was almost cornered and a blade of magic shot straight at him, Blueblood reacted on instinct, slashing his sword through the magic missile and dispelling it.

The magewight snarled, then reared back, his horn and eyes glowing as he summoned up his energies, but this time Blueblood ran quickly to the side, avoiding the blast of lightning that hammered into the ground, then bounced and arced after him. He zigzagged towards the Chancellor before dropping his sword to try and thrust it into his chest-

The Chancellor lashed his horn viciously forwards, and Blueblood was sent flying across the room by a tremendous blast of thunder and lightning, hitting the ground painfully on his back and skidding into a wall with a groan of pain as his sword bounced and clanged to a halt beside him. He trembled as the magewight slumped for a moment, hissing in fury as he gathered his magical energies, and then Blueblood gritted his teeth as an old promise rose in his mind: he wasn't going to die a coward. He wasn't going to die on his knees, or crying. He wasn't going to defeat himself.

Blueblood crawled up to his hooves, steeling himself as he picked him his silver sword with telekinesis, and the magewight snarled before sending a vicious barrage of poisonous magic in the direction of the unicorn. But Blueblood dodged most of the missiles of magic, ignoring the pain in his body, the agony in his face, the fear trying to overcome his mind before he charged for the Chancellor again, roaring wordlessly as he rose his silver sword.

As the two clashed, Sleipnir gave a slight smile, his eyes flicking over his shoulder even as he remarked calmly to the Lich King: “Well, at least not all of this shall be for naught. Thy servant is giving my partner a well-needed challenge... and much as it pains me that we must be enemies, at least some good will come of it.”

“No 'good' will come of this because you are about to die.” the Lich King hissed, leaning down and glaring balefully at Sleipnir as he strode down from his throne, fearlessly striding forwards to stand almost nose-to-nose with the earth pony, who blinked and looked awkwardly down at the unicorn. “Do you know what you are dealing with? Do you know who I am? I have wandered Equestria for five hundred years and I will not allow you to ruin everything that I have worked for!”

“Oh? I also wandered Equestria for a sum of years quite similar to that. See how much we have in common already, friend?” Sleipnir asked pleasantly, and the Lich stared blankly up at him before the earth pony childishly patted the Lich's head, knocking his crown aslant. “We should put aside these petty differences and follies, and-”

The Lich King slammed a hoof into Sleipnir's breast... then whimpered and drew it quickly back, shaking it hurriedly with a look of disbelief as the earth pony smiled benevolently, reaching up to calmly pat his breastplate. “Aye, I apologize. I have blessed and purified mine most beloved armor many times. I fear it may cause thee some difficulties. Another reason for us to put aside this quarrel, though, is it not?”

Auros' horn began to glow as he leaned up with a snarl, and then he stared in horror when Sleipnir simply reached up and calmly grasped the spire, the Lich King's magic whiffing out before he whined and began to wildly shake his head back and forth, but Sleipnir only grinned roguishly as he said cheerfully: “Now, normally 'tis not that part of a stallion that causes them to panic so when I grip into it! Now do not get so excited, Lich King, I fear that if thy horn goes off 'twill still be quite a bang!”

Sleipnir laughed at his own joke, and the Lich King snarled in fury before he reached up and shoved himself free, glaring at the stallion before he shouted angrily: “I will not be made a fool of like this! You are nothing to me, absolutely nothing, earth pony, and it's time that you learned your place!”

He slashed his horn forwards, and Sleipnir grimaced as a telekinetic hammer smashed into him, knocking him back a step as the Lich King stared in disbelief. Then Sleipnir simply rolled his shoulders before saying gently: “My sisters would say I am too generous, but... I suppose I have always felt even more than they, that there is no greater gift to give than mercy. I would like to give thee that precious gift, Auros. Surrender whilst there is still time: I have faith thou can mend thy ways.”

The Lich King continued to stare before he shook his head slowly, grinding his teeth together before he snarled: “No! You... I won't... I won't be fooled by you, I... I will not be pitied by a miserable slave hoof! I'll kill you!”

Auros reared back, his horn taking on a terrible, dark gleam that made his gaunt features monstrous... and then the glow died out from around his horn as he gave a weak hurk of pain, his eyes bulging, his body trembling violently as he dropped limply forwards to hang over Sleipnir's forelimb, the earth pony's hoof buried deep into his stomach as the warrior said gently: “Thou cannot fight me if thou art too busy fighting thine own fears.”

Then Sleipnir lightly lobbed the Lich King into the air before slamming his other hoof into the undead unicorn, sending him hurtling backwards to crash into his throne, the huge, golden chair screaming against the floor as it slid backwards into the wall. The Lich King himself lay in a broken, whimpering heap, staring with disbelief as Sleipnir rolled his head on his shoulders before winking. “Now come! Try again now! If thou art to fight me, thou must fight with all thou has!”

The Lich King snarled in fury and desperation, his body trembling with fear before he shoved himself out of his throne. He overbalanced slightly, wincing as he looked down at the deep imprints left in his body from Sleipnir's hooves, but these were already healing... or perhaps a better word for the process was 'resetting,' as his body stayed visibly bruised and flayed even as his form tried to take back its natural shape.

Sleipnir readied himself, and he didn't flinch even as there was a resounding boom behind him and a cry of pain. He had faith in Blueblood: more faith, perhaps, than the prince had in himself as he was sent skidding backwards again.

But Blue managed to catch himself, breathing hard and trembling in pain, but raising his sword gamely and preparing himself again all the same. The Chancellor, meanwhile, had his head lowered as he breathed hard in and out, his eyes glowing with fury as his horn sparked with magic.

The magewight flexed, then rose his head before roaring and snapping his horn upwards to create three blades of energy that hovered ominously in the air above his head, before the Chancellor slammed his hooves into the ground as he snapped his horn forwards. Blueblood gritted his teeth as the blades began to shoot at him even as he felt the hostile energy beneath his hooves...

He dodged to the side at the last moment, and a fissure exploded in the earth where he had been standing, venting up poisonous steam as a blade of energy whickered narrowly past. Then Blueblood's sword lashed up, revolving sharply twice to smash apart the other two blades of energy before he snarled and charged forwards again.

The Chancellor snarled at him, eyes blazing as his horn crackled with energy and he roared: “Don't you ever learn?”

The magewight snapped his horn forwards, sending out a powerful shockwave of lightning and raw magic force, but this time Blueblood skidded to a halt before he gritted his teeth and anchored himself, bringing his sword up to try and absorb some of the magical malice.

He was knocked stumbling back a step as pain ripped across his body, but then he caught himself and looked up, his eyes widening as he saw his chance: and with that, everything else was washed away as the Chancellor struggled to raise his own head, trying to drag himself backwards, but he was too drained from the exertion to focus-

Blueblood gave a raw yell as he leapt forwards and slashed his sword down, hewing deep into the magewight's neck, and the Chancellor gave a strangled scream before he yanked himself backwards as he slashed his horn wildly out, but it was the sudden blast of reeking, toxic mist from the wound that made Blue stagger hurriedly backwards, yanking his sword with him.

The magewight was left gasping, the wound bloodless but leaking a strange blue ichor and toxic smog. He groaned weakly, dropping his head to the side, and the wound visibly ripped a little further as cracked and damaged vertebrae were exposed, Blueblood feeling nausea run through his system as he stared in horror... before trembling and stepping backwards when the magewight's head slowly rolled towards him and his eyes opened to look at him with undiluted hatred, the undead unicorn hissing: “You are going to pay for that, mortal...”

Blueblood trembled but set himself, raising his sword defensively before his eyes widened as he felt the crackle of power even before the Chancellor's horn glowed. The prince leapt sideways a moment before a blast of toxic mist streaked through the air, moving with the force of a cannonball and narrowly missing the stallion.

A second cannonball of poisonous energies shot at him, and Blueblood winced as he sidestepped again before the Chancellor drew his head back, growling as his horn glowed: “Stay still!”

The magewight snapped his horn back and forth, ignoring the stress he was putting on his own wound, the crackle of bone, the ripping of flesh: he was focused only on trying to hurt this stallion as much as possible as he sent blade after blade of malicious energy at the unicorn. But Blueblood dodged the first two, then slashed his silver sword back and forth even as he flinched at the shocks of energy that were released every time he smashed a crescent of magic out of the air.

The Chancellor snarled in fury, eyes glowing with rage before he snapped his head viciously forwards and sent another powerful blast of toxic mist at the stallion, but Blue ducked beneath this before his eyes widened as the magewight reared back, roaring: “You can't run from me forever!”

His horn and eyes glowed with hellish light before he lashed his head forwards, unleashing a tremendous, thunderous blast of blue hellfire... but the massive boulder of magic went slightly off kilter as the recoil blasted back over the Chancellor, and he was left gaping stupidly as his head tore free from his shoulders and was launched through the air, flipping erratically before it crashed down with a wet, sickening thud behind his still-standing body.

Blueblood barely had to stagger to the side as the boulder of magic force slammed into the vault doors that guarded the throne room, knocking them ajar. Fortunate for him, since he was gaping at the sight of the headless corpse as it slowly settled to its hooves, then stood for a few calm moments before its legs buckled beneath it, and then it simply fell forwards.

Immediately, the corpse began to steam violently, rapidly rotting away to nothing but reeking, toxic mist as the Chancellor gargled and foamed at the jaws, mouthing wordlessly before the light in his eyes stuttered, then died out as he gave a weak, broken sigh. And a moment later, the magewight's head burst into blue flames, in mere seconds charring away into ash and toxic mist that quickly faded from sight.

“N-No!” the Lich King cried out, staring stupidly at the ashes and smears on the floor that were all that remained of his Chancellor as he took his eyes off Sleipnir, and then Auros snarled before his horn began to glow as he shouted: “I'll destroy you for-”

And then a hoof grabbed his horn, and the Lich King had a moment to look stupidly up before a second hoof slammed into his skull: there was a bright, terrible flare of agony, and then the Lich King staggered backwards with a scream, shaking his head wildly as blood burst over his face and a horrible sensation of losing something wrenched through him...

Auros stumbled, then collapsed on his side in a broken heap, trembling and breathing hard as his features became sallow and ancient, his robes hanging loose now over an emaciated body as his crown tumbled down to bounce down the steps and roll slowly over the ground. The Lich King blinked weakly a few times... and then he looked slowly, disbelievingly up to see Sleipnir standing calmly over him... and in one hoof, the earth pony held his horn.

The Lich King mouthed wordlessly as Blueblood stared in shock, and then Sleipnir simply tossed the horn away as it began to steam and smolder. Auros immediately whimpered and leapt for it, scrambling uselessly after it... but far too late, as a moment later, the horn began to rot rapidly away to nothing, the undead pony whispering: “N-No, no, oh no...”

“Now calm down, friend. I know thou art a Lich and I know it will regenerate. But I cannot have thee threatening my partner, can I?” Sleipnir asked reasonably, and the Lich King looked blankly up at the earth pony before he whimpered and leaned back when the enormous stallion thrust a hoof towards him, but then Sleipnir only huffed. “Oh, cease that. I am not going to harm thee more than thou forces mine hoof, I would have thought that obvious by now.”

The Lich King stayed fearfully on his stomach, only staring with terror up at Sleipnir before the earth pony finally sighed tiredly and drew his hoof back, looking mildly down at the stallion. “Oh, fine. Be that way, great fool. But if I wished to harm thee, I would be much more straightforwards about it. I would not play mind games with thee. I do not wish to hurt thee.”

“You just tore off my horn! M-My horn, my precious horn!” Auros howled, staring up with fear and horror and fury at Sleipnir. “How can you say any of that? Y-You... you monster!”

The earth pony only smiled and shrugged easily, replying kindly: “Well, aye. But thou art a Lich, art thou not? 'Twill regenerate.”

One of the Lich King's eyes twitched at this, and then he shoved himself up to his hooves and shouted: “So just because my body will heal, you think it's perfectly acceptable to maim me however you please, is that it?”

“Well, again. Thou wert threatening my friend. I would not have done such harms upon thy head if thou had not started this conflict in the first place.” Sleipnir said reasonably, gesturing pointedly at the Lich King with one hoof, and the undead unicorn snarled before wincing and shrinking back when Sleipnir firmly pushed a hoof against his nose. “And I feel that I am being perfectly reasonable right now, especially when I inform thee that I find thy tone rather... unpleasant.”

“O-Of course.” Auros swallowed thickly, shrinking down in front of the enormous earth pony before he gave a weak grin, nervously reaching up to rub at the gaping hole in his skull... which made Blueblood feel a little ill as he tried to draw his eyes away, shivering a bit. “You know, I... this was all a big misunderstanding, wasn't it?”

“Aye, I think 'twas.” Sleipnir said amiably, smiling as he sat back before asking gently: “Now. Need I fear further attack by thee or any of thine?”

The Lich King hurriedly shook his head, whimpering a bit as he looked back and forth: at the empty court benches, at the damage that had been done to his once-magnificent throne room, at the smoldering remains of the Chancellor and the bubbling puddle that had once been his own horn. “N-No! No, certainly not! That... that would be silly, and... I have truly seen the error of my ways and-”

“There is no need to lie, Auros, simply be honest with me and I shall be honest with thou. That is all.” Sleipnir said mildly, looking pointedly at the Lich King, who swallowed thickly and nodding fearfully a few times. “I do not expect for thou to turn over some brand new leaf, after all... although 'twould be rather nice if thou did. I do not know what thy true goals in this place are, but I do know that thou shan't achieve a noble end through subjugation and bondage.”

The Lich King only grimaced as he looked away... then winced when Sleipnir reached up and grasped his shoulder, forcing him to look back at the enormous earth pony. “Aye, I know my counsels are unpleasant to thy ears. But perhaps that is precisely the proof that thou should listen to them.”

Auros grumbled under his breath, lowering his head and looking distinctly sulky before he flinched a little as he saw three skeletons had poked their heads in through the open doors. Immediately, he attempted to snap his horn down... and then he shook his head wildly before wincing as he remembered his horn was gone before he shouted in a strangled voice: “Get out! G-Get out!”

The trio of skeletons flinched, but didn't retreat: instead, they leaned in further as the Lich King awkwardly tried to hide behind Sleipnir and cover his head, whimpering. The enormous earth pony only glanced curiously over his shoulder, then he turned a smile back towards the Lich King, who whimpered weakly again before whispering fearfully: “P-Please, you have to get them out of here, I... I c-can't be seen like this!”

Sleipnir only shrugged a little as Lock, Shock, and Barrel looked with confusion between themselves. Blueblood looked woriredly back at the three, then turned his uneasy eyes towards the Lich King as he pleaded: “I'll... I'll do anything! A-Anything!”

“Well, 'twould be very helpful if thou would tell where thy stores of crystal are kept.” Sleipnir said gently, and the Lich King nodded hurriedly as he looked up at Sleipnir with terror. “But thou knows that thou cannot simply hide in here forever. And of course, 'tis a little difficult to extend too much trust to thou at this point. So instead... aye, I know!”

Sleipnir brightened as Blueblood uneasily looked over his shoulder at Lock, Shock, and Barrel, who were now nervously standing in the throne room and trying to peer past Sleipnir. Then the trio of skeletons winced when the earth pony spun around and said cheerfully: “I require thy aid, friends. I assume thou knows where the stores of crystal are kept, aye?”

“Uh... well, yeah...” Lock said hesitantly, shifting nervously on the spot as he leaned slowly to the right to try and peer around Sleipnir.

“Sure, no problem. But uh... hey, is he...” Shock began almost anxiously, leaning to the left and cocking her head curiously.

“Dead?” supplied Barrel, and then he shrugged when the other two skeletons gave him pointed looks, and he rubbed at his face awkwardly. “I mean, dead-dead. Not just... dead.”

Sleipnir turned back around to the Lich King and peered at him, but Auros was curled up in a trembling pile at the stallion's hooves, wheezing loudly for breath before he whispered loudly: “Get them out of here! I... I can't be seen like this! T-Tell them that... tell them that I beat you and I... I am going to take the next week to rest!”

“Why?” Sleipnir asked with honest curiosity, and the Lich King's jaw fell open as he struggled to find an answer, before the earth pony simply nodded and reached up to pat his head benevolently. “There, there. Fear not, all shall be well.”

The earth pony gently grasped the Lich King by the scruff of the neck, lifting the horrific undead monster like he was a foal, and Auros whimpered and curled up before staring with horror as Sleipnir turned around and gently deposited him in front of the three skeletons, who all stared with amazement at the sight of their ruler. “I fear we had a slight disagreement, but thy lord and master is still alive and fairly well.”

The Lich King flushed in fear and fury as he tried to cover the hole in his head, curling up in a terrified little ball before he whimpered out: “Y-You aren't allowed to be in here! G-Get out! Get out!”

But Lock, Shock, and Barrel were all only leaning forwards in fascination, and there was silence for a few moments before Sleipnir said gently: “I will ask the three of thee to lead me to where the crystals and gems are stored. Lich King, thou shall walk with us. 'Tis what is safest, after all: if we leave thee here, who knows what evils may befall thy head when more learn of thy... difficulties?”

The Lich King whimpered in terror, looking up at Sleipnir and shaking his head violently as he clutched compulsively at his amulet. “N-No! I can't go out there, I can't-”

And then Sleipnir reached out and snatched the amulet off the Lich King's head, and the undead unicorn stared for a moment before making a squealing sound like a kettle, grabbing wildly at this. But Sleipnir only childishly held the amulet up above his head out and out of reach, ignoring Auros as he scrambled back and forth, grabbing wildly at the jewelry as Blueblood stared in disbelief.

“Well, if thou insists. But I fear I must bring this, then, to ensure thou does not try anything silly...” Sleipnir looked meditatively down at the Lich as he attempted to crawl up him like a ladder, and then he simply shrugged him off before asking mildly: “Why would thou wear thine own phylactery? Truly, art thou that foolish, or that fearful?”

“I... I'm neither! It... it just... it enhances my powers, it's... I mean...” The Lich King suddenly cleared his throat, stepping backwards and looking nervously over his shoulder at the three skeletons, who were all peering at him suspiciously. “I mean, uh. It's nothing important, I really don't...”

“Oh, good. Then thou shan't mind if I do this?” And with that, Sleipnir cheerfully tossed the amulet in the air, then caught it in his mouth, Blueblood staring in disbelief as the Lich King paled, looking up at the earth pony with absolute horror as he said positively around the amulet: “It tastes of malign magic, and yet... 'tis rather sweet, for all of that.”

He suckled on it like it was a lollipop, and the Lich King squealed and grabbed wildly at the amulet, but Sleipnir simply reared back out of the way, then huffed and bit down when the Lich King snagged the chain and yanked wildly on it. But Sleipnir firmly jerked his own head back, growling like a dog before he suddenly jerked firmly and twisted his head, and the Lich King was yanked off his hooves to land with a splat on his face in front of the stallion, the amulet's thin chain snapping and dangling loosely from one side of the pendant.

There was an uncomfortable silence for a few moments broken only by the whimpering of the undead unicorn, and then Sleipnir finally spat out the amulet into one hoof. The Lich King looked up immediately, then he winced when the earth pony simply tucked this away beneath his breastplate, saying mildly: “I shall be keeping this for now. And 'tis up to thee whether or not thou shall stay here or come with us, but I think 'twould be much more in thine interests to come with us.”

The Lich King shrank a bit, and Blueblood frowned, his sword nervously flicking back beside him before he approached Sleipnir and asked quietly: “What are you doing?”

“Trust in me.” Sleipnir said gently, and Blue grimaced before wincing when Sleipnir reached up and carefully touched the wounded side of his face. “Damnation, Blue, this still throbs with malign magic... we shall have to purify this later. But for now, come along: Lock, Shock, Barrel, lead us onwards to where the crystal is stored.”

The trio of skeletons all saluted Sleipnir awkwardly, then spun around, gossiping eagerly between themselves. The Lich King whimpered on the ground, but then stumbled to his hooves when Sleipnir poked him a few times before he started forwards, dropping his head miserably and looking like a prisoner as the earth pony strode benevolently along after the stallion.

Blueblood hesitated a moment, then shrugged before following last, keeping his silver sword at the ready. His nervousness only grew as they entered the stone tunnels and found plenty of undead were already waiting for them, skeletons shifting back and forth and armored guard half-stepping forwards... but Sleipnir leaned forwards and muttered something to the Lich King, and Auros winced before saying hurriedly: “Everyone... everyone stay back!”

Most of the skeletons ignored him, but the guard listened at least, staying out of their way. Blueblood kept himself at the ready all the same, though, feeling his nervousness growing as the horde of undead slowly began to march after them, following in their wake not just with curiosity, but some growing feeling of... was that bitter justice? Gleeful retribution?

Blue swallowed thickly as they made their way slowly onwards, feeling like this could only end terribly as Lock, Shock, and Barrel whispered between themselves at the front of the group. The Lich King looked nervously back and forth as Sleipnir only continued to smile calmly, as if he had everything under control.

They eventually reached a large, heavy door, and the trio halted in front of this as the Lich King mumbled something about his treasures. Sleipnir studied the armored door thoughtfully, and then he said easily over his shoulder: “Thou shall wait out here, Blue, with Auros and our companions. I will be but a moment, and then I shall return.”

Blueblood winced, but then he nodded nervously as he strode uneasily over to the Lich King and then turned around. Auros half-hid behind him, whimpering a little, as Lock, Shock, and Barrel continued to mutter amongst themselves on one side, and the ring of undead slowly closed in around them, looking strangely eager now as they whispered amongst themselves...

“P-P-Please... you have to protect me...” whispered the Lich King fearfully, and Blue frowned over his shoulder as Auros half-clung to him, whimpering weakly. “They... they'll know that I'm vulnerable without my h-horn, you... you don't understand...”

Blueblood only turned his eyes back ahead, doing his best to ignore the undead unicorn before a voice suddenly shouted from the crowd: “Give him up!”

There was silence for a moment, and then another voice whispered: “Give him to us... walk away! The Lich King is... the Lich King is fallen!”

“The Lich King is ours...” rasped another voice, and Blueblood could hear... the pain, the fury, the hatred in it as it added roughly: “Let us take from him... everything he took from us...”

“His drones won't protect him for long... get away, living ponies... get away, leave with our thanks for bringing the Lich King to his knees, but leave him here with us... let him suffer at our claws, as we suffered for so long under his hooves...”

Blueblood looked back and forth, breathing hard: there were so many. Skeletons, fleshier undead, other thralls and creatures that Blueblood couldn't identify. All of the prince's worst fears, nightmares made real, standing in a slowly-closing ring... and Blueblood clenched his eyes shut before he suddenly rose his head and said as clearly and loudly as he could: “The Lich King... for now, he's under our protection!”

There were hisses and growls at this, but the undead all hesitated, and it took Blueblood a moment to realize why: it was because they were afraid. And although it seemed ridiculous that these monsters were scared of him, the prince realized a moment later that all these undead knew was that these two stallions had marched in, destroyed one of the Lich King's monsters, then taken down the entire undead court by themselves.

Of course they were afraid. If the Lich King had ruled through his power, keeping all his undead servants afraid of him, then what must he and Sleipnir look like to these poor drones? Blueblood could only imagine as he shook his head briefly before he frowned uncertainly as the crowd shifted a little closer.

Afraid or not, though, they were also angry... and likely saw an opportunity that might not ever come again for them: a chance to take their revenge on the tyrant who had lorded over them for so long. It was making them braver, and Blueblood grimaced as he wondered uneasily what he was even supposed to do as the mob of undead inched forwards, little-by-little...

And then Sleipnir came back out of the storage room, smiling as he looked back and forth before saying cheerfully: “Excellent news, my friend! 'Twas a grand supply of processed crystal, in most wondrous condition. It should prove most useful for our purposes.”

Blueblood gave an uneasy smile, and then he gestured nervously outwards at the crowd of undead before Sleipnir calmly dropped a hoof on the Lich King's shoulder, looking down at him with a smile. Auros looked up at them weakly, whimpering a little, and then the earth pony said gently: “A strong king is not one who rules through fear and tyranny. No matter what thy true vision was, Auros, thou must reap what thou sows... and iron hooves and tyranny can only beget bloodshed.”

“I... I just wanted... but...” Auros looked fearfully up at the crowd of undead, and then he trembled as he fell backwards, saying weakly: “P-Please! All I wanted was what was best for... for all of us! A... a kingdom, we... we would have become...”

The crowd of undead growled, and Blueblood could feel the anger and the aggression as they started to close in again. The prince knew there was no way they could stop them all: not even with Sleipnir's strength and talent, and yet at the same time, the earth pony was smiling...

“Friends!” Sleipnir shouted suddenly, surprising all present into looking at him and listening. “I ask all of thee today for the most difficult of gifts to give: I ask all of thee today to show mercy to this broken crown, this fallen king. All of thee, I look upon as people, and so I ask of thee to seek thy justice as a people, not as monsters. Jail him, put him to trial, and punish him however thou must, but do not strike him down here and now, while he is weak and vulnerable and beaten!”

There was silence for a few moments, and then a voice shouted brazenly from the crowd: “He would never show us that mercy! He made us act like... like ants! He killed our friends!”

“He's a murderer! He's worse than a murderer, bringing back the dead to serve him, stealing the minds of ponies who disagreed with him!” howled another voice, and there were roars of agreement as Sleipnir looked calmly back and forth.

“I believe thy words. I believe that he has done this, and worse. And yet all the same, I ask thee: show him mercy.” Sleipnir said calmly, and the undead shifted and shouted and swore at him, but the earth pony only smiled calmly and gestured towards the Lich King. “If thee and thine destroy him, what will it accomplish? 'Twill only make all of thee look like the monsters I see that none of thee wish to be. Look at thyselves! Just because thou art trapped in such a shape, does not mean thou must play the role of beast!”

Some of the undead uneasily looked down at themselves, but others were only snarling, one of them stepping forwards and snapping: “What do you know about us? Or about what he's done? You can't begin to understand the pain he's caused here, how we all had to toil away in his perfect, pretty little kingdom like dogs!”

The earth pony only chuckled quietly, and then he replied gently: “Aye, but if he is destroyed, then what will this accomplish? Truly, will any of thee feel better? Or will this only be the beginning of a cycle of death and suffering, as the Lich King will simply rise anew?”

There was silence for a few moments, and then Sleipnir said softly: “Nay. His death shall bring none of thee any joy. I do not ask for his mercy for his sake... I ask for his mercy for the sake of all of thee. So that all of thee may pick up the ruins of his kingdom and make it thine own prosperous nation. So that none of thee will be fooled into thinking anything at all was accomplished by thine act of vengeance. For more years than I can count, we ponies have killed each other, and then realized too late that it brings nothing but more heartache and sorrow. I do not desire to see this repeated yet again.”

Some of the undead shifted, and others snarled, refusing to be swayed, trembling with malice and hatred. And then Sleipnir lowered his head for a moment before he said gently: “But there is another option. Send him into exile: his court is demolished, and his supporters are few and far between. Thou may have both thy mercy and thy justice this way, and be secure in the knowledge he shan't ever trouble thee again. And believe me: once he is gone out of thy sight and mind, thou shall feel better for it.”

There was silence for a few moments, and then the Lich King trembled, dropping himself low and pleading in a broken voice to the glaring crowd: “P-Please... just... just let me go, I... I promise. I'll do anything any of you ask... I'll... I'll free each and every one of you from servitude, I'll let the other prisoners go, I'll... I'll do anything...”

For a long few moments, there was only uncomfortable silence... and then Lock finally said quietly: “He's pretty lame. I mean, look at him. He's pathetic.”

Shock hesitated, then agreed in a grudging voice: “Yeah. And I think he should definitely hand over the keys to the kingdom, but... killing him...”

“Exile?” Barrel asked, and the other two skeletons nodded firmly. “Exile.”

The Lich King rose his head, staring hopefully at the crowd of undead... and finally, there was a rumble from the group before a voice said moodily: “He... he has to release all his drones from servitude, and he has to release all the prisoners from the dungeon, and he has to turn off all his magic traps. Then he leaves and he never, ever comes back.”

“We shall stay here and ensure that all goes according to thy wishes.” Sleipnir said kindly, and Blueblood groaned, but nodded moodily after a moment. He looked nervously out over the group of undead, but Sleipnir only smiled down at the prince, slapping him gently on the back. “Fear not, my friend. All shall be well.”

Blueblood only hoped that Sleipnir's endless optimism was proven right... and that none of the undead were going to change their mind before they got out of this strange little kingdom.

Escape To Exile

Chapter Twenty: Escape To Exile
~BlackRoseRaven

Blueblood rubbed moodily at his face: he'd only gotten a few hours of sleep, and he'd had all kinds of uncomfortable dreams about undead ponies frolicking through his mind. But they were just about done here, at least: he had rested for the night while Sleipnir had cheerfully escorted the Lich King... well, ex-king, now... around from place-to-place, warding off assassination attempts and reassuring the dubious undead this was the best course of action.

Auros seemed very confused and upset by everything that was going on. Not that Blueblood could entirely blame him, of course: he barely knew what was going on himself, or precisely why the hell Sleipnir was being so insistent about trying to save the Lich. He didn't think this was the kind of pony they wanted on the loose in Equestria, after all, especially if he really was some five hundred year old master of dark magic.

Still, Blueblood had learned it was better just to wait until Sleipnir finally explained what the hell he was doing instead of trying to force it out of him, so for now Blue was just following the two around, waiting impatiently for them to be ready to leave.

By now, the Lich had taken care of most what he'd promised to do around this dark little kingdom that was no longer his: Blueblood figured that he was most surprised by the fact that the stories he heard about this evil ruler of undead weren't all that bad, really. Sure, he could sympathize with the citizens who wanted him thrown out, and locking a mob of dissenters up with a monster was inexcusable. But, as Blue was learning... there were better ways to punish some ponies than death.

Auros seemed plenty miserable at least, as he sighed and stepped away from the door he had just finished removing the enchantments over, scowling at it and mumbling: “There. That's all I can do without my horn, anyway... but I suppose the magic from those will fade in time, too.”

“Aye, and of course, they will have access to magic and magical implements of their own now.” Sleipnir added pointedly, and the Lich grumbled under his breath before Sleipnir reached up and gently squeezed his shoulder. “Come now. This is not so bad, is it?”

“No, it's terrible.” Auros said flatly, glowering up at Sleipnir. “I have no idea what you're trying to do or what you want from me, but I know you have some cruel plan in mind. And your petty revenge against me is going to put this entire kingdom at risk. These idiots can't look out for themselves!”

“Idiots often look out for themselves and each other far better than academics and scholars and other such smart-types do. We idiots do not feel the need to weigh or judge or value one-another constantly, after all.” Sleipnir said kindly, and the Lich scowled up at him before the enormous earth pony asked: “Does thou desire to see thy kingdom fall or flourish?”

Well, it's not really my kingdom anymore now, is it?” asked the undead unicorn moodily, but Sleipnir only laughed loudly at this, making the Lich slump and grumble. “Fine. I have no patience for this. You've already won and there's no point in trying to change anything.”

Then the Lich winced when the enormous earth pony reached up and ruffled his mane kindly, almost as if he was a foal. “Now there is no need for that! Blue, does this silly knave remind thou of somepony? Although aye, certainly thou wert never so silly as he is!”

“Oh, thank you.” Blueblood said moodily, scowling a little at the earth pony before he reached up and rubbed slowly at his aching face: it still hurt like hell, and he felt horribly like when he finally managed to get a look at himself in the mirror, he wasn't going to like what he was going to see. “Can we please just leave now, Sleipnir?”

“Aye, fine, very well. Thou art both so stuffy.” Sleipnir huffed a little, and then he turned, the two following grouchily in the wake of the earth pony even as Blue tossed uneasy looks every so often at the former monarch. “Oh, what have we here?”

As they strode into a large, open intersection, they found quite a few undead were waiting for them. Blueblood immediately felt nervous, but Sleipnir only smiled out at them benevolently as Auros tried to hide behind him. “Hello friends. I am pleased to announce that thy leader has done all in his power to dispel his own traps. The prisoners are freed, the thralls are released from servitude, and the kingdom is now in thine own capable hooves. And as I have what I came for, I shall happily escort Auros out and send him on his way.”

“That's very nice to hear.” A skeleton stepped forwards, his eyes glowing malevolently and his horn thrumming with malicious energies, and Sleipnir frowned a little. “And believe me. Me and my brethren are very happy that you defeated the Lich King, and humbled by your generosity in making him return the horns he stole to their rightful owners as well as turn over all his old treasures... but I'm afraid we do have one little disagreement to work out.”

“The Lich King isn't going anywhere.” growled another voice, an armored, pale monster dragging itself forwards as he shouldered a massive axe. “We had a little vote, see. And we decided that instead of exile, he should be executed.”

“Oh really?” Sleipnir asked mildly, looking fearlessly at the mob of angry undead in front of him. “I do not pretend to-”

“Then don't pretend. Then don't defend him or lecture us anymore, hero, or whatever you are.” interrupted the unicorn skeleton sharply, and Sleipnir frowned a little before the undead mage stepped forwards, saying coldly: “Perhaps our lives don't matter to you as much as a living pony's, but he still had plenty of our kind destroyed for 'treason.' Justice demands that we put him in the soul press. Like he did to so many of our compatriots.”

The Lich whimpered in terror at this, his eyes widening in horror before he shook his head wildly, babbling: “N-Now wait! I... I never... never ever used that on... I wanted peace! I was making you all strong, we were going to have our own kingdom!”

The skeleton mage only snorted in disgust, and the pale, armored zombie beside him grinned coldly, saying mockingly: “And we're going to finish that dream. A kingdom where we can just live out in peace... but for that to happen, we have to make sure there can't be any... sources of dissent. Isn't that how you phrased it yourself?”

Auros looked pleadingly up at Sleipnir, almost clinging to the earth pony, and the stallion frowned across at the horde of undead before he asked slowly: “This soul press... I take it that it destroys both body and spirit?”

“In a matter of speaking. The body is trapped inside, burned to ash, and these ashes are crushed into a gemstone that imprisons the soul of the victim. If the gemstone is destroyed, so is the soul.” the skeleton mage replied with a shake of his head. “Our 'benevolent king' crushed down souls to create the gemstone that powered his flesh golem...”

“In all my years here, I have only executed two people with the soul press! Two! My own apprentice and a madpony who would have threatened our whole society! And that was only because there was no other way to kill them, you... you know that, Roch!” the Lich pleaded, shaking his head vehemently. “Anything, anything but that-”

“Would be too little punishment! You deserve to die for locking our friends up with your monster, for trying to keep us all as your slaves, tinkering away down here, for never letting us use magic!” the skeleton mage snarled, and then he suddenly slashed his horn forwards when Sleipnir took a step forwards, scarring the ground in front of the earth pony with a jolt of lightning. “Don't move!”

Sleipnir huffed at this, and then he suddenly broke into a short, agile tapdance, leaving most of those present staring in disbelief before the enormous earth pony halted with one foreleg extended and on the tips of his other hooves. Then he dropped flat to all fours before saying in a suddenly-serious voice: “Thou does not desire to go down this path. It shall lead thee to naught but pain and heartache.”

There was silence for a few moments, and then the zombie in armor growled before saying disgustedly: “I think we've all heard enough from you, flesh-sack. Now, the Lich King can come with us peacefully... or you can try and defend him or whatever the hell is it you're trying to do, and we'll kill you and your little friend. We know mortals take a long time to heal, and now we have our magic and our weapons back. Even if the Lich King was at full power, he wouldn't be strong enough to stop all of us now, so I highly doubt you are.”

Sleipnir only shook his head slowly, and then he said softly: “Fools. Unified, no single force can ever break thee. Steel and magic pale in comparison to the strength that comes with working together.”

“Nice story. Let's go.” growled the zombie impatiently, and Sleipnir sighed... then perked up slightly as a strange noise reached his ears, and Blueblood frowned uneasily as the group of undead stirred and looked curiously around.

And a moment later, the mob of living dead parted stupidly, watching with disbelief as Lock, Shock, and Barrel slowly rolled in on a minecart that seemed to be magically propelling itself along the trackless rocks. It bounced and clanked, but all the same slowed easily to a halt in front of Sleipnir as the trio of skeletons looked at him lamely, before Lock laughed weakly as he looked over his shoulder and said awkwardly: “Uh... there's a guest.”

Shock nodded hurriedly, adding quickly: “Guest! Guest at the doors, just... we're just going to take Sleipnir and Blue and uh... leave. Okay?”

“She made this for us.” Barrel said helpfully, and then both Lock and Shock whacked him firmly on the head, knocking his mask over his face and sending him sprawling backwards.

“What are you idiots talking about?” growled the skeleton mage, looking frustrated now that his initial disbelief had worn off. “Look... fine! But the Lich King comes with us!”

“Oh, very well. Fie upon all of thee.” Sleipnir grumbled, and Blueblood looked surprised before he winced when the earth pony picked him up and easily tossed him into the mine cart. Then Sleipnir hauled himself forwards as the Lich King stared up at him with horror before the earth pony turned around and leaned over the edge of the cart, whispering something quickly to Auros before he sniffed loudly and sat back. “We shall peacefully leave. Now, how does this contraption work...”

Sleipnir hammered lightly against the top of the minecart even as the horde of undead looked at him suspiciously, but a moment later, the overstuffed cart began to toddle straight ahead, rolling past the Lich and heading down the tunnel they had just come from. And as they vanished into the distance, Auros trembled a bit before he stepped backwards and held up his hooves, saying hurriedly as the mob began to approach: “W-Wait! I... please, listen to me! Let... let me give one last speech!”

“One last speech.” The skeleton mage and the zombie at the head of the group traded looks, then they both glared balefully towards Auros before beginning to approach him slowly. “No.”

“I... two minutes!” pleaded Auros, and when they continued to approach, he dropped to his knees, covering his face and crying: “One minute! Th-thirty seconds!”

There was an uneasy silence for a few moments as the skeleton mage and the zombie halted and considered... and then the dead warrior rolled his eyes before dropping his axe in front of him to lean on it moodily, sighing tiredly. “Make it count.”

“I... I am the Lich King! I... did... many things in... the name of my people! I uh... I didn't ever mean to go this far and I am... sorry.” the Lich King said lamely, and there was silence for a few seconds before he cleared his throat. “I think that if-”

“Time's up.” growled the zombie, and he and the skeleton mage began to lead the horde of undead forwards again as the Lich staggered backwards, whimpering... and then the zombie's eyes widened before he looked up at a loud screeching of metal. “What in the name of-”

The enchanted minecart came rocketing out of the tunnel, and Sleipnir scooped up the Lich as they shot by before the cart simply rammed through the mob of undead, knocking them flying in all directions like bowling pins before the skeleton mage roared: “Get them! Kill them all!”

The minecart streaked up a hill as Auros screamed like a filly, flailing his limbs as Sleipnir held him high above his head, shouting cheerfully: “I would advise thee to hold on, but I know not to what!”

“Why is this happening to me?” howled Auros, and then he yelped as his head smacked painfully off a low archway, almost knocking him out of Sleipnir's hooves as he covered his face and curled up in the fetal position. “Put me down!”

Sleipnir only laughed loudly as they swerved around a corner, Lock, Shock, Barrel, and Blue all clinging to the cart and yelling as it zigzagged violently around skeletons and other gaping undead. They didn't slow even as they hit a slope and shot up it: if anything, they only seemed to be gaining speed still, as the enormous earth pony shouted cheerfully: “Onwards, onwards!”

They shot up over the slope of the hill... and then Sleipnir's eyes widened in shock as several blasts of magic shot at them from the end of the corridor from a pair of skeleton mages. Without thinking, Sleipnir immediately yanked the Lich down in front of him, holding him like a shield and using the undead unicorn to deflect the bolts of dark magic even as Auros howled in frustration, flailing wildly in the earth pony's grip.

The minecart slammed through the two skeleton mages before zipping around a corner, thankfully seeming to find the way on its own as Auros all-but-screamed: “What the hell was that?”

“'Twas an ambush. But fear not, thou did well in protecting us from the attack.” Sleipnir said blandly, and Auros almost twisted his head completely around on his shoulders so he could glare furiously at the earth pony... then squealed and flailed when Sleipnir nearly dropped him as he reared back in surprise. “By the Gods, do not frighten me so 'lest I leave you to be picked over by the... well... the skeletons. 'Tis an awkward thought, skeletons picking thy bones, but-”

“Sleipnir, behind us!” shouted Blue, and the earth pony looked back in surprise before his eyes widened as he saw several phantasmal stallions were charging furiously after them, rapidly gaining on their minecart. They glowed with hellish light as they roared silently, and the stallion gritted his teeth: the last thing they needed to deal with were wraiths.

“They can only be harmed by magic! Blue, drive them back!” Sleipnir shouted, and then he looked forwards and winced as they turned a corner to find another set of skeleton mages waiting for them at the end of a long tunnel, peppering the cart with dark energies. But once more, the earth pony used Auros like a shield, the Lich swearing furiously as he swatted wildly at the bolts of energy.

Blue swore under his breath, then turned around and concentrated, drawing up what energy he could before he fired a bolt of magic straight at one of the wraiths. It easily sidestepped, however, hissing silently before putting on a burst of speed, jaws biting furiously at the air, and the unicorn winced before he gritted his teeth as he charged up a different spell.

He snapped his horn forwards, lobbing out a grenade of energy that exploded in a burst of white light and sound in front of the wraith, and it screamed as the radiance drove it backwards. The other wraith staggered in its charge, and Blueblood quickly hurled out two more grenades of light, sending up bright flares that sent the second wraith shrieking into a retreat.

Blue wheezed in relief... and then shouted in shock when something crashed into the side of the cart before a zombie began to haul itself over the lip of metal, snarling furiously. Lock, Shock, and Barrel all immediately screamed in terror, hugging each other as the zombie clawed wildly at them... and then the prince slammed a hoof into the fleshy undead's face and knocked it loose from the minecart, sending it bouncing loudly down the stone tunnel.

The prince stared stupidly down at his own hoof, barely able to believe that he had actually just done that. But without thinking, he'd purely reacted, and... apparently he had learned a lot more from Sleipnir than even he'd thought.

He continued to look dumbly at his hoof for a moment, but then flinched as he was brought out of his reverie by the minecart smashing through a pair of skeletons. He looked up, then grinned in relief as they zigzagged through an intersection and launched over a familiar platform, smashing down beside the minecart tracks and racing up the slope.

But as they zoomed around the corner and into the intersection, the minecart hit a patch of rocky spikes, Sleipnir swearing in shock as the enchanted cart lurched back and forth before it suddenly toppled forwards, launching the ponies and skeletons flying. They crashed to the rocky floor in the center of the intersection as the Lich flew across the room to smack face-first into the stone wall, then peel slowly off it with a whimper.

Blue and Sleipnir picked themselves slowly up, the earth pony rubbing moodily at his head before he looked up with a scowl at a skeleton mage and a zombie in armor, both all too familiar. “Well. Normally I am fond of surprises, but 'twould be a lie to say 'tis pleasant to see thee here.”

“There's only one way in and out of these caves. And teleporting is much easier for the dead than the living. You don't have to worry about silly things like organs and pressure and all that.” growled the skeleton mage, his horn sparking with energy. “Now why don't we try going over this again, like adults?”

Sleipnir only chuckled as he climbed to his hooves, and Blue swore under his breath as he crawled up to his own, gritting his teeth and drawing his silver sword to stumble to a ready position. But to his surprise, the earth pony simply held a foreleg out, even as he smiled warmly. “Thou makes me proud, Blue, but... do not be foolish. Our friend here has taken precautions.”

Blue frowned uneasily... and then he gasped as something tore into his shoulder. A horrific, biting cold ripped through his body, like nothing he had ever felt before, and Blue struggled to stay on his hooves... but it was a battle he soon lost, falling to his knees and coughing hard as his sword clattered to the rock, his whole body shivering violently as his blood froze in his veins.

He forced himself to look weakly up, and he saw a grinning wraith looming over him... and there were more. At least three more, but he couldn't see very well anymore as he breathed hard in and out, struggling just to stay conscious now as he whimpered weakly. He heard noises, but they barely made any sense to him...

Sleipnir swore under his breath as Blue slumped to the ground, and then the earth pony spun towards the skeleton mage, growling: “There was no need for that! What dishonor, what... what childish cowardice, to call parlay and then ambush my wounded companion!”

“I didn't say we were going to talk, did I? I said we're going to handle this like adults.” growled the skeleton mage, and then he gestured sharply at the dead warrior beside him, the zombie grinning widely as he slammed the blade of his executioner's axe into the stone floor. “Just make it quick. Don't make me send in the wraiths.”

Sleipnir, however, only bowed his head courteously before he said politely: “I fear that I must decline this duel. 'Twould only be a waste of time upon all our parts, and I have my friends to attend to. So I shall ask that all of thee step out of our way, for I can sense our friend politely waiting just ahead, and she is not a mare to be kept waiting.”

“Oh, you don't get to just say 'no' and walk away, colt.” growled the zombie, dragging his heavy axe behind him as his eyes blazed with fury, and then he hefted the heavy axe up before starting to swing it outwards in a showy, intimidating cut-

Sleipnir's hooves moved like lightning, the earth pony slipping fearlessly forwards into range of the blade so he could catch it and twist sharply, spinning the weapon around and slashing downwards before anypony could react.

The axe buried deep into the stone floor, Sleipnir resting one hoof on the handle and looking calmly, almost complacently across at the undead warrior, who frowned in disbelief as he stepped slowly backwards... and then his eyes bulged and he gave a weak gurgle before his head and most of his upper body toppled forwards, broken armor clattering loudly to the ground as one foreleg collapsed in two halves. The rest of his body fell after another moment, looking almost like a large scoop had been taken out of it thanks to the curving slice Sleipnir had torn through the zombie.

The skeleton mage staggered backwards in shock as the zombie whimpered weakly on the ground, eyes rolling in his head as he spasmed helplessly, and the earth pony leaned down and said gently: “As I said. I must decline this duel. And 'twould be very, very rude of thee to insist any further.”

Sleipnir reached down and gently bopped the zombie on the nose, the bisected undead warrior mouthing silently before Sleipnir stepped back from the axe, smiling pleasantly across at the skeleton mage. “Now. I shall ask these wraiths to be called off. And then my friends and I shall peacefully leave. Otherwise, I fear 'twill end up being difficult all around.”

The skeleton mage gritted his teeth, then he suddenly snapped his horn forwards, sending a blast of dark energy at Sleipnir as he shouted: “All of you, get the earth pony!”

Sleipnir only batted the blast of toxic magic fearlessly aside with one hoof, his eyes sharpening before he suddenly leapt high and backwards, a wraith looking surprised as it missed clawing into him. The moment the earth pony landed, however, the other wraiths converged rapidly in on him, the skeleton mage grinning coldly... then glaring angrily over at Lock, Shock and Barrel as they crept for the tunnel entrance, shouting: “Don't you idiots dare to try and run away! This-”

He was cut off as something smashed into his back, knocking him flat against the ground before a black streak ripped past, and the skeleton looked up in horror as a unicorn formed out of the darkness before she simply slashed her horn through a wraith, the spirit dissolving with a shriek into motes of energy.

Then the snarling mare spun to the side, lashing her horn out towards the startled wraiths and blasting them with hellish whips of blue flame, the specters shrieking as they flickered in and out of reality before quickly breaking rank and fleeing wildly in all directions. Only two of them made the safety of the tunnels, however, the others blasted apart by purging sapphire fire.

The newcomer hissed as she began to turn towards the skeletal mage, but Sleipnir caught her by the shoulder, looking at her reassuringly as he said gently: “Take care of Blue, Invidia. Protect thy companions first. Destroy thine enemies second.”

Invidia grumbled under her breath, then nodded shortly before she hurried over to the dazed unicorn. Sleipnir nodded firmly at this, then turned towards the skeleton mage, who looked fearfully up before he shook his head hurriedly, raising his hooves and pleading: “I... please, have mercy on me!”

“Oh, after thou failed so many times to show mercy for us, or for thy former king? Now thou pleads for mercy?” Sleipnir asked moodily, striding over to the skeleton mage, and the undead unicorn whimpered weakly before wincing when the earth pony grabbed him by the back of the neck and hauled him up on his hooves. “Tell me, why should I show any mercy to thee?”

The skeleton mage looked back and forth fearfully, and then he flinched when Auros suddenly scurried up beside Sleipnir, the Lich shouting: “Yes! You don't deserve mercy, you deserve punishment, suffering, agony, atonement, anger, the whole kitchen sink! You wretched little defiler, you... you jerk! You deserve-”

Sleipnir reached up and firmly bopped the Lich between his ears, making him whimper and grab at his head as he ducked low, and the earth pony shook his head wryly before he said gently: “He deserves mercy, because all deserve mercy, Auros. And if thou argues with that, then I shall leave thee to debate the merits of who deserves mercy more with thy little friend here. Understood?”

The Lich King mouthed wordlessly at this... and then he scowled and dropped his head forwards, mumbling childishly to himself. Sleipnir looked between the two for a moment, and then he gestured calmly back over his shoulder, saying softly: “Look there. Blue and Invidia, a demon and mortal, one whom used to fear the other greatly. Now they are friends. And look here: in pursuit of the revenge thou foolishly called 'justice,' thy friend lays in ruin, thine own peers look upon thee with fear, and thy servants lay in death and defeat. Many have been hurt in pursuit of this 'justice,' and now, I ask thee: is such suffering worthwhile? Say for a moment thou had achieved thy victory, killed us all: 'twould only be more death, heaped upon a kingdom where all of thee should know well the price of taking and giving life.”

The skeleton mage dropped his head, looking awkward and shuffling a bit against the floor as the Lich King began to open his mouth, but then Sleipnir easily smacked him again between the ears, making him wince away before the enormous stallion said sternly: “And thou. Look at the pain and suffering thou hast caused. Look at the rage thou hast stirred up in these ponies: defend thyself if thou likes, saying it only proves that thou took their tools from them for a reason, but that speaks nothing to the fact that if thou had never taken their tools in the first place, if instead thou had tried to love them, or teach them, or aid them, then thou would have never needed them taken away, would thou?”

The Lich huffed and dropped his head, shuffling a bit on the spot, and then Sleipnir shook himself out before looking up with a smile as Invidia approached, supporting Blueblood as the unicorn half-dragged his sword behind him, barely able to summon up the strength to carry it. “'Tis good to see the both of thee. Fear not, Blue, thou shan't be needing thy sword. Will he?”

The skeleton mage shifted nervously, looking fearfully at the demon as Invidia glared at him with disgust before she said coldly: “You should kill him. He'll follow us.”

“N-No. I promise. I... I promise.” the skeleton mage said hurriedly, nervously backing up a few steps and shaking his head quickly as he retreated slowly towards the tunnel. “I... I've learned my lesson, really!”

The moment he thought he was far enough, the skeleton mage turned and bolted, and Invidia growled as her horn began to glow... but Sleipnir reached up and gently grasped her shoulder, shaking her lightly as he said softly: “Nay, 'tis fine. 'Tis fine. He will not trouble us any more.”

The demon grumbled under her breath, then nodded finally as Blueblood smiled a little: he wasn't even entirely sure why, but he felt strangely good as he carefully rose his sword and sheathed it awkwardly. And then Invidia grumbled as she glowered at the trio of skeletons that awkwardly approached, asking moodily: “And what are these?”

“They are friends. But come, out of this wretched place, before more wraiths attempt to ambush us. 'Twould be a fine joke to have made it through the mines, only to fall victim to our foes here.” Sleipnir said wryly, and Invidia nodded before grimacing and looking disapproving as Auros scuttled hurriedly up to Sleipnir's side.

But no one spoke as they made their way out onto the cold, icy tundra. Lock, Shock and Barrel looked around almost as if in awe, gazing around at the bleary terrain as if it was the most beautiful thing they had ever seen, while the Lich hugged himself and sneezed loudly, then scowled and rubbed at his face, mumbling. Blueblood only shivered, and he couldn't help but press closer to Invidia for warmth as the demon looked at him worriedly.

Sleipnir, meanwhile, was gazing off into the distance meditatively, tapping one hoof against the powdered earth before he asked quietly: “So what did thou see?”

“An occupied fortress, as you predicted, but it was... very strange.” Invidia hesitated for a moment, looking uncertainly into the distance. “It was not occupied by either Royal Guard, nor by bandits... the ponies there were very... odd. I did some investigation, but some of them were immensely talented... I was unable to hide my presence from them for very long.”

The stallion cocked his head curiously at this, and then Invidia sighed a little before she said finally: “But I do not believe they were hostile. They were very strange, that is for certain. But they did not seem dangerous. Merely... very different from those we have encountered so far.”

Sleipnir nodded slowly, then he frowned a little over at Blueblood as the prince struggled to straighten, breathing roughly in and out as he trembled in the cold. “Thou shall have to keep him warm as best thou can, then, and we shall spend the entire day pushing quickly onwards to that fortress, and hope for the best. Come, let us first head to the forest... I shall make a sled to carry our wounded companion upon.”

Blue tried to shake his head, tried to say he wasn't hurting that badly... but his numb body refused to move properly, and he shivered violently as the cold seemed to bite at his bones, to suck all the energy out of his body. He gasped quietly, then only pressed himself against Invidia as best he could, letting her help him stumble onwards through the powder as he felt the faintest prickles of heat over his form from the demon's magic.

“His energy has been almost completely drained by the wraith... I cannot do much for him with magic alone. He needs treatment.” Invidia said worriedly, and Sleipnior nodded quickly as he carved a path through the powder.

The demon hesitated, then looked moodily over her shoulder at the Lich, who was following hurriedly along with Lock, Shock and Barrel. “And not to question your judgment, Sleipnir, but... these strays that you seem to have adopted...”

“Aye, they are cute, are they not?” Sleipnir asked ironically, and then he shook his head quickly, murmuring: “Fear them not, Invidia. The skeleton triplets are friends to us, as thou no doubt learned thyself, and Auros can do no harm to us.”

“Yeah, you have his... phylacty-whatsit, right?” Shock asked brightly, and Lock and Barrel both looked at her dumbly before she seemed to grin, tilting her head up proudly. “Hey, I listen!”

“I listen too! But what's the point of talking about it when you don't even know what it is?” complained Lock, and then he huffed when Shock shoved him.

Barrel only shrugged, then looked ahead, asking hesitantly: “Is he gonna be okay?”

There was silence for a few moments, and then Sleipnir smiled over his shoulder, nodding firmly as he said softly: “Of course. Blue is very strong, and while the wraith may have weakened him, he has a true warrior's spirit. He will recover in due time. He merely needs to rest and recuperate.”

Invidia nodded in agreement as Blue shivered, breathing hard and trembling as they continued slowly but surely forwards until they reached the edge of the forest. And then the unicorn groaned and all-but-collapsed as the demon gently settled him down under the shade of a tree, looking worriedly down at him before she lowered her head, horn thrumming with energy as she concentrated more energy into the warmth spell.

Sleipnir quickly went about his own business, finding several large, loose branches and tearing them free as he heard nature's worried murmurs running through his mind: he knew that if they wanted Blueblood to pull through, they had to be fast. If they took too long to get him to safety and warmth, he would end up crippled... or worse. A pony who died from a wraith's vampiric touch was cursed to become one of the energy-sucking specters themselves...

But Sleipnir wasn't about to let that happen to his friend, as the earth pony hurriedly but smoothly put together a stretcher out of raw materials and some rope from his bag. He dragged this back to Invidia, and the two carefully slipped Blueblood onto this as he shivered and whimpered.

Invidia worked to keep him warm as Sleipnir dug out a blanket and quickly wrapped it around Blueblood, as the skeletons and Lich simply sat nervously nearby. Sleipnir swore quietly under his breath as he touched Blueblood's forehead, muttering: “Cold fever. Use what thou can to keep him warm. I will pull.”

“Uh, here, let me help.” Shock volunteered, and she hurried forwards as Sleipnir smiled in gratitude. She slipped the rope harness on over the earth pony, tightening it quickly before giving her brothers a pointed look.

Lock and Barrel looked at each other lamely, and then the skeleton who was still wearing his red uniform asked lamely: “Uh. Can we help?”

Barrel nodded fervently, but Sleipnir only shook his head, saying softly: “Nay. 'Tis very kind of thee to offer... but if thee wish to accompany us, thou art all more than welcome to. And thou, Auros, do not try and slip away. I will be most vexed.”

“I'm not that stupid.” the Lich grumbled, shifting on his hooves before he reached up and tenderly poked at the wound in his forehead: it had at least closed for now, but his horn didn't seem to be growing back all that quickly, which was probably for the best. “Besides, where else am I supposed to go? My entire kingdom is gone. Just... gone, like that. All turned over to the... the lunatics I was trying to keep under control in the first place...”

“Oh, do not justify and rationalize thyself as hero now of all times. 'Twould be very annoying.” Sleipnir grumbled, and then he gestured calmly to Invidia before starting to pull the stretcher smoothly through the snow, the demon falling into pace beside the stallion as her horn glowed brightly and spread warmth over Blueblood's shivering form.

Lock, Shock, and Barrel all hurried to keep up with the earth pony, while Auros slouched and followed grumpily along at the rear, grumbling under his breath. They were a strange group as they made their way through the forest, but all Sleipnir could focus on right now was making sure they got Blueblood to safety before anything irreversible happened.

Fifty miles was a long march with a larger group, but thankfully the undead were tireless, and Invidia refused to rest, the demon keeping her pace equal to Sleipnir's even as her magic continued to warm and comfort Blueblood as best she could.

They marched for roughly half the day before the forest started to clear around them, and soon enough the enormous, mouldering fortress was in sight, now only a few hundred yards away and well-hidden between ancient, burnt trees and several looming cliffs. Sleipnir sighed in relief at the sight of this, even as Auros looked up and asked nervously: “What about us? Our kind have never been welcome, anywhere in Equestria...”

“Oh, stop that. There is no need to whine, friend.” Sleipnir said almost crossly, and then he shook his head quickly as he slowed only slightly in his approach, murmuring: “Some of these marks are fresh... aye, and some of these burns upon her, nature tells me they have yet to heal.”

Invidia tilted her head curiously, but Sleipnir merely smiled briefly. “Nay, worry not. One way or the other we shall speak to those inside and... we must merely make it clear we are not hostile. Come, there looks to be the main gate.”

The demon nodded as Lock, Shock and Barrel shifted nervously, and Auros only sighed tiredly, muttering: “Well, at least this can't go too terribly wrong. I'm much less afraid of ponies than I am of those lunatics we left behind in charge of my kingdom. My former kingdom.”

“Thou art never going to let go of this, art thou?” Sleipnir asked ironically, and Auros merely grumbled from the back of the group before the enormous earth pony turned his eyes forwards, saying quietly: “Look, there.”

As they stepped into a narrow patch that was more of a yard than a road in front of the fortress, Invidia's eyes rose up past the half-raised drawbridge towards the burnt battlements, and she immediately noted what Sleipnir had seen. There, on top of the crumbled wall, was a pony with binoculars: they were clearly being watched, although it didn't seem like an alarm had gone up yet.

Sleipnir came to a halt at the edge of the moat... well, it was more of an empty trench, with soggy, swampy muck covering the bottom of it. Sleipnir grimaced a little as he leaned forwards and looked uncomfortably down into this: without any water, it was more of a vulnerability than it was a help, considering how shallow it was and how easy it would be to climb down the sides.

Then the earth pony looked up, and when the watchpony only continued to stare down at them with his binoculars, the enormous stallion cleared his throat loudly before he leaned up and called clearly: “Hello! I am Sleipnir the Mighty, and I seek shelter! My friends and I mean thee no harm, and one of us is grievously injured and requires urgent medical care! I beg thee for compassion and promise that in return, I shall pay thee handsomely or do whatever other tasks for thee I can accomplish!”

There was silence for a few moments, and then a whole group of heads poked their heads over the battlements, staring down with amazement at Sleipnir as the earth pony looked back up at them with a smile before he childishly waved up at them. “Hello!”

The group of ponies all ducked immediately, but they could faintly hear them arguing with each other for a few moments. And then there was silence, before a voice called shakily: “We... we don't want any trouble! Your... those undead have to stay far away!”

Auros scowled... then blinked in surprise as Sleipnir said evenly: “Nay, they are friends and allies, and I shan't leave them out here to suffer in the elements. One requires some medical care himself, and the others were invaluable in helping us escape the kingdom of the undead to the south! But please, we do not have all day to argue, my friend was badly injured by a wraith and I fear that if he is not treated soon, he will never be able to heal!”

More arguing from above, and then a voice shouted fearfully: “No way! How do we know this isn't a trick?”

Sleipnir turned a moody look towards Auros, and the Lich looked dumbly back at the stallion before he suddenly huffed and shook his head violently. “How dare you accuse me! If these ponies have ever been attacked, then it certainly wasn't by my citizens! They are not permitted to leave the kingdom except on special occasion.”

“Yeah, the Lich King was always really strict about that.” Lock added helpfully, but a moment later he frowned and tilted his head in thought.

And as if she could read his mind, Shock said slowly: “Although it's possible that... well... on the way to the kingdom, some of the meaner undead might have tried to sneak in here...”

Barrel nodded a few times, then he shivered and hugged himself: “Oogy would have.”

Immediately Lock and Shock both whacked Barrel, knocking him flat as they both snapped: “We don't work for him anymore!”

Barrel only mumbled on the ground, and Sleipnir sighed a little before he turned his eyes upwards, saying in a more-frustrated voice: “Thou must take my word for this! We are not thy enemies, we do not mean thee any harm! My friend is suffering and if we desired to harm thee, why would we all stand here before thee with no secrets?”

There was silence for a few moments as the ponies above digested this, and then that same voice shouted almost angrily: “No, no! No! We are not letting you in!”

“Oh damnation.” Sleipnir grumbled under his breath, and then he quickly unharnessed himself, muttering: “Very well. Do not let us in.”

Sleipnir set Blue's stretcher gently down, then he calmly strode a few steps down the rugged path before turning around and sprinting forwards, then flinging himself into a high leap, even Invidia staring as the enormous earth pony arced high and far through the air to catch the edge of the drawbridge. His rear legs kicked as he gritted his teeth, then he quickly hauled himself up to balance precariously on the edge of the bridge as voices shouted and panicked from above.

Sleipnir ignored them as he calmly, gracefully strode to one corner of the drawbridge, then he reached down and tugged at the large ring one of the drawbridge's paired chains was anchored to before he grunted and flexed... and there was a loud snap as the whole bridge shuddered, before listing slightly as the earth pony let go and the thick-as-a-limb chain fell loose.

The drawbridge creaked painfully beneath the earth pony even as he carefully turned around, striding carefully back along the swaying edge with catlike grace before he only looked moodily down as voices yelled at him: “Stop it! Stop him, don't let him attack!”

“I am not attacking thee. Were I attacking I would have already pummeled all of thee.” Sleipnir complained as he reached the other corner of the drawbridge, reaching down and testing this chain... and then he simply leapt down, yanking the end of the chain with him and snapping it like it was string. The drawbridge fell with a tremendous crash into place across the moat, while Sleipnir swung down on the limp chain and then easily dropped to land in front of several terrified-looking ponies.

They thrusted farm implements and rusted weapons at him, and Sleipnir didn't so much as budge, only reaching a hoof up to carefully push the point of a pitchfork away from his face as he said gently: “I am going to bring my friend inside now. I require a warm place indoors.”

The three ponies looked fearfully between each other, and Sleipnir sighed before he reached out and firmly swatted the old scythe one of the ponies had, the stallion yelping and dropping the weapon... before he stared in disbelief at the fact Sleipnir had actually struck with enough force to smash the head of the scythe off the pole, and it was now laying in a broken heap against one wall. “If I wanted to harm thee, I would have done so by now. My friend requires aid, and I do not have the time to negotiate and argue with thee. 'Tis better to save his life now and make my apologies later, than let him die now and never be able to apologize to him or his aunt.”

There was silence for a few moments, and then Invidia calmly approached, Lock, Shock and Barrel all carefully pulling the stretcher with them and Auros following moodily last. And as the three stallions looked nervously towards Blueblood, saw him shivering and whimpering on the stretcher, they finally relented and parted.

Sleipnir smiled warmly, then he clapped one of the stallions on the shoulder before striding easily past. He entered a large courtyard that was filled with scaffolding and tarps covering half-completed projects.

He frowned a little at the sight of this, then sighed tiredly as a voice howled: “You idiots! He's got a cadre of monsters with him, he just broke down our defenses, he's going to kill us all!”

Sleipnir pointedly ignored the Pegasus that was now shooting fearfully around his head, the frazzled-looking old stallion glaring furiously down at Sleipnir as he zipped back and forth, just out of reach. “I know your kind! Murderer! Killer! Thief!”

Sleipnir only led his group of companions quickly through the courtyard until he caught sight of the first door visible through the debris. He pushed towards this, patiently ignoring the Pegasus zooming around his head, then knocked twice before opening the door and poking his head inside.

A mare looked up at him with surprise, and Sleipnir smiled warmly: not just at the sight of her, but at the warmth and the roaring fireplace. “As much as it pains me to trouble a beautiful young mare, I fear that I shall have to ask for thy courtesy and patience for a moment.”

The mare didn't have a chance to respond before Sleipnir turned and carefully hefted Blueblood off the stretcher, the prince whimpering weakly, barely conscious and freezing cold to the touch. Sleipnir shivered a little at this as he carried the earth pony quickly inside, and the mare's eyes widened at the sight of the unicorn before she stepped forwards, asking worriedly: “What's wrong with-”

“Steele! Don't trust them! He brought monsters into the camp, monsters, he's a monster!” howled the voice of the Pegasus as he tried to worm down through the opening... but Invidia sharply snapped her horn, and the Pegasus yipped as he was sent hurtling backwards by a blast of telekinesis.

The mare turned nervously towards the door, though... and then paled, almost falling backwards into her chair as the rest of the group bustled inside, Auros following last and yanking the door shut behind him as he mumbled: “This is precisely why I wanted to avoid mortal society.”

Invidia only shook her head slowly, and then the demon glanced moodily at the mare who was now shivering in the corner: the demon studied her intently, from her steel-gray body to her bright-blue mane, and then Invidia lowered her head and said softly: “Now, there's no need to be afraid of us. We're not going to do any harm to you.”

The mare shivered a little, then looked towards Sleipnir... and her fears seemed to recede somewhat as she watched the earth pony carefully, gently lay Blueblood down on a bedroll he had set up in front of the fireplace. Without looking up, the earth pony smiled: and it was somehow clear he was smiling at her, even before he said gently: “Aye, Invidia is right. We mean none of thee any harm, fear not. I merely had to be... blunter than I'd like to ensure my friend here is taken care of.”

Sleipnir gently began to remove Blueblood's armor from his body, setting each piece carefully aside before he asked curiously: “Is there a forge here? While my friend is healing, I would like to at the very least repair our equipment... it has been a long journey, and promises to be longer still. I would like to ensure we are well-prepared for it when he awakens.”

“I... yes. We've been trying to fix it for a while now but... as you see, things aren't...” the mare halted, and then she blushed before looking nervously over at the skeleton trio, who were huddled awkwardly up as Auros simply sulked in another corner of the large, L-shaped den. “Just... just who are you people, though?”

“My name is Sleipnir, and this is Blue.” the earth pony paused, turning to point out the others one-by-one. “This is Invidia, Lock, Shock, Barrel, and Auros. Do not fear any of them: Auros may be rude, but he means no harm.”

Auros grumbled, crankily brushing snow away from his tattered robes before he mumbled: “Yes, I'm not a former ruler of an entire kingdom or anything, I'm just some unimportant pony now, that's all. Everyone just ignore me.”

“Okay.” Lock, Shock, and Barrel all said simultaneously, and then they giggled like children as Auros scowled at them horribly.

Sleipnir merely smiled wryly, then he finished removing the last of Blueblood's gear before carefully laying his cloak and blanket back over him. The stallion was still shivering and whimpering, but being out of the cold and the heat of the fire would both hopefully help him recover. Or at the least, it would take him out of danger long enough for Sleipnir to mix up some medicine that would help restore Blue's energy, and purge the wraith's toxic effects from his system.

Sleipnir reached down and gently touched the wounded side of Blueblood's face, and the prince gritted his teeth and shivered a little. He would need to make a salve for that, too... but since it had already started to heal, the earth pony thought that it might end up scarring. He sighed a little, wondering quietly if that meant he'd failed... before looking up in surprise as the mare they had barged in on asked nervously: “Is... is there anything I can do?”

Sleipnir turned towards her, studying the fellow earth pony for a few moments, and then smiled at her before he said quietly: “I have not made the best impression on most of this encampment, so I must go and try to make my apologies, and see if they will offer me their aid freely. Perhaps thou and Invidia could speak while I am gone: Invidia knows what I require, and thine own curiosities certainly deserve to be assuaged... Steele, is it?”

“Yes, Steele Love.” the earth pony said awkwardly, shyly shifting a little... but she wasn't able to hide beneath her long blue bangs, or cover up her cutie mark... what looked like a metal pole standing out of a heart, Sleipnir realized. He leaned curiously forwards as he eyed this pointedly, but Steele only blushed and shuffled on the spot, obviously not wanting to talk about it.

So finally, the earth pony shrugged before smiling encouragingly at Invidia, and then he turned and headed for the door. He was unsurprised when Lock, Shock, and Barrel all followed him out, although he hadn't expected Auros to join them as well, the Lich scowling and shoving his way through the trio of skeletons to fall into stride next to Sleipnir.

The earth pony looked at the Lich curiously, but Auros only huffed and looked grumpily back at the stallion, saying distastefully: “Oh, I've dealt with your kind before. I know precisely what you're up to, Sleipnir, you can't fool me. I'm not letting you escape with my phylactery, to hide it off somewhere or destroy it.”

Sleipnir only rolled his eyes, saying wryly: “Aye, that sounds much like something I would do. Hast thou not taken even a moment to get to know me, Auros? For even if thou considers me an enemy, 'tis to thine own great disadvantage to never try and understand me.”

Auros huffed, but he didn't get a chance to reply as the Pegasus from before zoomed down, yelling: “Here he is! He's right here! He's probably already killed Steele and turned her into another monster, just you go and see!”

“Oh, shoo, buzzing fly.” Sleipnir said crankily as he came to a halt, waving a hoof in the air, and the Pegasus zipped backwards as several other ponies nervously poked their heads around a corner. Sleipnir looked back at them for a moment, and then he leaned forwards and said in a gentler voice: “I mean none of thee any harm. Come out now, let me see thee.”

The ponies shifted uncertainly... and then finally, the ponies hesitantly strode into the open intersection, a group of seven people nervously planting themselves across from Sleipnir as he smiled at them benevolently. Three stallions, five mares... plus the stallion who was buzzing around above their heads, squawking away, but everypony seemed to be doing their best to ignore him.

The earth pony cleared his throat, and then he said kindly: “My name is Sleipnir. I do not remember if I had told thee this or not, and these are Lock, Shock, Barrel, and Auros. They mean thee no harm and nor do I. I am here to make amends for my rudeness in entering thy camp, and to beseech thy aid with my friend. And, of course, 'twould be very nice to know precisely what this place is.”

The group of ponies looked nervously between each other, and Sleipnir softened: they all seemed so afraid. And they were all a little battered, a little dusty and dirty... thinking about it, even Steele had seemed a little worse-for-wear, even if she'd at least been clean. But she'd definitely had the same nervous air about her...

And then the Pegasus shot down out of the air, glaring furiously down at Sleipnir and pointing at him violently as he declared: “He just wants to steal our mares and foals! He's a killer!”

Sleipnir rolled his eyes, then reached suddenly up and snagged the Pegasus by the forelimb before yanking him down to the earth, the Pegasus squeaking and sending up a puff of dust as the earth pony asked irritably: “By the Gods. What is thy problem, wicked little cur? Does thou have nothing better to do than buzz about and be as a fly in the ointment?”

The Pegasus scuttled quickly backwards, hissing over his shoulder at Sleipnir before he spun around in front of the group of ponies... but another pony quickly stepped forwards, hip-checking the Pegasus off to the side before the pony smiled awkwardly, saying quietly: “Uh, sorry about Rack. He's... well, nervous.”

The salt-and-pepper Pegasus hissed like a teakettle before taking to the air, zooming around their heads as he declared: “I'll laugh! I'll laugh when he kills all of you naïve fools!”

Since the other ponies all ignored him, Sleipnir decided that it was safe enough for him to do the same as he only studied the strange little group before asking tactfully: “I do not wish to be rude, but... perhaps thee could introduce thyselves, and we can take a moment to better know each other, if it would help thou to trust me.”

The group of ponies almost seemed as if this only made them even more anxious, which further piqued Sleipnir's interest. But after a moment, one of the stallions stepped forwards bravely, raising his head proudly before he declared: “I'm... I'm Jolly Roger. And uh... this place is called... well... we call ourselves the Outsiders, and this is Fort Exile.”

Sleipnir studied the stallion with interest: he was a big, brawny Pegasus with a sky-colored coat and a rugged, darker blue mane, and on his haunch was a symbol that looked suspiciously like... “Thy emblem, why does it remind me of a pirate's flag?”

Jolly Roger cleared his throat loudly, rubbing at his scruffy beard, and then a unicorn mare stepped up and said hesitantly: “That's... that's because it is. Like my cutie mark, well...”

The glasses-wearing, bright-yellow unicorn looked with embarrassment at her own flank as she twisted slightly so Sleipnir could see it: it looked like a large... ear? “I'm um... I'm very good at listening. I can remember anything anyone tells me, or identify notes and sounds... or... you know, eavesdrop on ponies from a block away...”

“We're all... we're misfits here.” said an earth pony finally, the dark orange stallion smiling as he stepped forwards and reached up to rub a hoof embarrassedly through his deep brown mane. “Some of us in more than one way. I'm uh... well, everypony calls me the Butcher. Or just Butch. My talent is, well... preparing meat.”

Sleipnir's eyes widened in understanding as he looked over these ponies, stomping a hoof firmly as the group of misfits shied nervously back... then stared at the bright smile that spread over the enormous earth pony's face. “Well, will wonders ever cease? Look, Auros! We have found the perfect little place, of talented and wondrous people whom I never dared imagine existed!”

Auros only rolled his eyes, then complained moodily: “What precisely are we supposed to learn from a bunch of freaks and weirdos, Sleipnir? These oddities make Lock, Shock, and Barrel look normal. It's ponies like these who used to give up their lives to join my kingdom.”

“Aye, and what a great folly that was, was it not?” Sleipnir asked ironically, and Auros scowled at him grouchily before the earth pony turned a kinder smile back towards the group of misfits. “No, thou art... thou art the most blessed of all ponies in Equestria, for thy unique skills! I could not ask for a better and safer place to-”

“I warn you, he's going to kill us all!” Rack suddenly hissed, the Pegasus shooting down between the groups and zipping back and forth, and Sleipnir slouched and glowered a little up at the Pegasus before the crazy old stallion suddenly turned around careened off towards the large, half-collapsed building in the center of the keep. “I'm going to tell all the others about this!”

None of the group looked exactly worried: if anything, they all seemed relieved that Rack had vanished. And Sleipnir cocked his head curiously as he asked with interest: “The rest of thee? How many live here?”

“There's about... thirty of us, I'd guess.” Jolly Roger said after a moment, and then he cleared his throat and rubbed awkwardly at his head. “Most of us, well... weren't very good at holding down our jobs, you see. So we would wander, tossing back and forth over the land like she was the mighty sea, blown in one course or another until we heard a rumor of this place, where... where ponies who don't belong anywhere else come to live.”

“Oh, sure, it's a little... crazy here from time-to-time.” added the unicorn mare, and she laughed awkwardly as a few ponies glared at her. “You have to respect each other's uh... eccentricities as well as their talents and try not to let your own... step on any hooves.”

Butch grunted, nodding and adding: “But as long as we work together, it's... not terrible here. Or at least it wasn't until recently...”

He looked nervously over his shoulder at the damaged keep, and Sleipnir frowned a little before he said gently: “Well, perhaps if thou shall help me, I shall be able to help thee. If thou can give me access to any stores of herbs or medicines thou has, and a decent table, I shall be able to mix up what I need to help my friend recover... and more, listen to thy story of what has befallen thee. Perhaps we can help.”

The misfits looked at each other, and then Auros mumbled: “Wonderful. I've gone from being the Lich King to assistant to some shoddy earth pony's work crew.”

“You're the Lich King?” gasped the yellow unicorn as her glasses almost fell off, and Auros looked up stupidly as the misfits shuffled awkwardly... but also glared at the mare, who blushed deeply and quickly looked lamely down. “Uh. Sorry.”

“'Tis fine. And he is not. Not anymore, at least.” Sleipnir said kindly, patting Auros on the shoulder and making him grumble, but then reluctantly nod in agreement.

The earth pony smiled benevolently even as he felt the seconds ebbing away, but he allowed the misfits to huddle up and whisper amongst themselves again, not wanting to push them too much as Lock, Shock, and Barrel lingered in the background, inadvertently huddling together themselves. And then, finally, the misfits all nodded firmly before Butch said finally: “Y'all are welcome to come and see what we have in the apothecary, then. Ain't much, but... maybe a stallion like yourself can help us find some herbs afterwards to make up for it.”

“I shall do thee one better and ensure there are enough salves and medicines to go around for the rest of winter.” Sleipnir replied with a kind smile, nodding firmly. “Lead on, friends!”

The misfits still didn't seem entirely sure of themselves, but all the same, Butch turned and began to lead them all back towards the main structure. And even if they were strange and wary, Sleipnir all the same had a good feeling about these ponies, and he only hoped he would be able to help them... and that he would be able to keep his promise to Blue, as well.

The Dead Never Rest

Chapter Twenty One: The Dead Never Rest
~BlackRoseRaven

Sleipnir gently supported Blue as he helped him drink the potion, the unicorn wheezing weakly but swallowing back the foul-tasting, hot liquid as best he could. It irradiated his entire body with an uncomfortable, sickly heat... but after two days of feeling like all the strength and warmth had been sucked out of his body, the fever was almost welcome.

It was a good sign. In another day or two, Sleipnir thought that the unicorn would be back on his hooves... but they wouldn't know until then whether or not Blueblood had suffered any permanent injuries from the wraith and the journey afterwards through the cold. But Blue trusted Sleipnir, and he knew that the earth pony would have done everything possible to get him treated and healed as quickly as he could. He trusted that his body would heal.

Blue sighed quietly as he was gently settled back down to the bedroll, closing his eyes and breathing slowly in and out. Invidia smiled at him faintly, reaching up to squeeze his shoulder gently as Sleipnir looked benevolently down at the unicorn, then he chuckled and reached up to ruffle his mane, murmuring: “Aye, thou art a strong young stallion now, Blue. Thou shall weather this storm and grow the stronger for it.”

“I wish I could say the same for the rest of us.” Auros grumbled, a large patch on the Lich's head to hide the hole where his horn had once been. He was crankily flipping through a book, and insisted on following Sleipnir around everywhere, even though Invidia was the one keeping his phylactery 'safe' for now in her own little subdimensional storage space. “I wish you would just... kill me and be done with it.”

“I am not going to kill thee, Auros. Besides, do not lie, I saw thou actually enjoying thyself yesterday when thou played that game of chess with Hopskip.” Sleipnir said mildly, and Auros only hid his face behind his book before the earth pony easily climbed to his hooves, rubbing absently at his bare chest before he smiled down at Blue and Invidia. “Will the two of thee be alright? I promised to help Butch and several others forage for herbs today, and to teach them how to refine them into better medicine.”

Invidia nodded, and Blueblood opened one eye before he managed to murmur: “Of course. Just... don't go bringing home any more... pets.”

“Shush, Blue. 'Tis time for thou to heal, not to chastise me or make poor jokes.” Sleipnir said gently, and then he chuckled before stepping forwards and patting Blueblood lightly on the side. “Sleep now. Invidia shall be here for thee.”

“Thank you... both.” mumbled Blueblood, and he shifted a little before slumping down against his pillows, shivering and hugging the blanket tighter around him. Sleipnir gave Invidia a nod, then turned and headed for the door, automatically pausing to hold it for a moment as Auros slunk along behind him.

The Lich huffed a bit, but then grumbled something that almost sounded like a 'thank you' before he followed sulkily along, dropping his head as he strode out to wait moodily for the earth pony.

Sleipnir mostly ignored Auros, however, raising his head high and taking a deep breath before he looked up into the gray skies with a smile. Overcast, but he didn't think it was going to storm again: yesterday it had been quite a heavy blizzard, but so far today it had just been dreary and windy. Thankfully, they were protected from the worst of the winds here in the middle of the forest... and better yet, the winds would stop the little problem the misfits were having from rearing its ugly head.

Unfortunately, a dragon had taken to making sport of the fortress, attacking the misfits more for his amusement than anything else. So far, he hadn't actually killed anyone, but he had done some rather severe damage to the walls and the building itself, making the already-creaky keep even more unsafe than it had been when the misfits had first founded it.

Sleipnir had promised to deal with this dragon if it showed up again, but since it only seemed to attack when it was bored and there were no storms in the area, the earth pony thought he would probably have to make a trip himself to the aerie instead of waiting for it to come to them. He wanted to wait until Blueblood was doing better, though... and if the unicorn was up for it, then he wanted the prince to come with him, hopefully to learn a few things about dealing with dragons and diplomacy.

Sleipnir smiled slightly as he headed through the courtyard, ignoring the yelling Pegasus circling wildly above the camp. But as he had seen for himself, Sir Rack Nigel Roon was an excellent scout and had better eyes than an eagle... the problem was that he was also a paranoid lunatic who no one else wanted to put up with for very long. He refused to even live in the fortress, and instead had some hidden little camp somewhere outside the walls... although every now and then Rack would sleep in the rafters of one of the storage sheds, then usually wake up everyone in the morning with his screaming about the coming apocalypse or whatever else was bothering him that day.

Butch and two others were waiting for Sleipnir at the drawbridge, all of them wearing saddlebags: Steele, who blushed at the sight of him, and Papa Mint, whom Sleipnir had learned almost a little too late was not actually a gorgeous, pearl-white mare with a wonderful mane of luxurious reds and pinks, but an incredibly pretty stallion who just happened to be especially talented at disguising stallions as mares.

Sleipnir had been relieved that they hadn't quite made it to the bed, and Papa Mint had almost been disappointed before Sleipnir had instead dragged him out to a balcony, saying cheerfully that stallions were far messier than most mares. And Papa Mint had bee n very delighted to learn of Sleipnir's golden rule: that if it was pretty, it was pairable.

The stallion winked cheerfully over at Mint, who giggled and covered his face shyly as Steele huffed. But Sleipnir only grinned widely, saying warmly: “Now, there is no need for that, most gorgeous and sinuous of mares! For whilst he may be almost as pretty as thou art, thou certainly proved thou art by far the most limber and flexible of any pony I have ever met...”

“Well, I threw up a little in my mouth.” Butch said amiably, and Sleipnir huffed as Mint and Steele both looked at him with amusement, while Auros mumbled what sounded like an agreement. “Now, if y'all are done, could we please get going while we have the chance? Turf says there's going to be rain, of all the damnedest things.”

“Nay, it shan't be rain...” Sleipnir paused meditatively, tilting his head up thoughtfully and listening to the wind, feeling the hints in the air around him. “A light snow, in... two hours hence, nothing serious. It should be rather pretty. And all of thee know how much I like pretty things.”

Sleipnir winked over at the mare and effeminate stallion, and they both giggled as Butch sighed tiredly before turning around with a shake of his head. “You're a strange one, Sleipnir. The stallion that every stallion wants to be friends with and envies.”

“Well, there is no need to. I am merely me. 'Tis the friendship of others that blesses me so.” Sleipnir said kindly, striding forwards as Mint and Steele fell in on either side of him, and Auros silently lurked behind them, scowling at the ponies. “Now, I have a curiosity, Butch. If I were to bring back an animal to thee, would thou be able to help me skin and prepare the body?”

The other ponies all stopped and stared at Sleipnir, but Sleipnir only looked curiously back and forth before he shrugged and said mildly: “Well, there are many curatives and other useful things thou can take from a body. And some cuts of meat will do well towards pleasing the dragon when I speak to it. Perhaps will even help make it an ally.”

Butch looked uneasy still, but as he shifted nervously, he mumbled: “Well... yeah, I guess that's good thinkin' and all. I just uh... well, it don't ever feel right to cut up a body, you know?”

“Aye, I do. But 'twill be for a good cause, and of a gift willingly-given from nature.” Sleipnir said kindly, bowing his head before he strode easily past Butch, adding cheerfully: “Come, we shall head due south. Nature tells me there is something she desires me to see in that direction.”

The misfits traded looks as Auros simply grumbled, and then they all sighed and shrugged before following after the stallion, Mint saying finally: “Sugar, you know we love you and all, but has anypony ever told you that you can be strange?”

“Oh, aye. Many a pony has.” Sleipnir agreed, nodding cheerfully before he added thoughtfully: “Still, it has never proven a problem for me. If anything, it seems to help lure such pretty ponies as thyself towards me all the faster.”

Papa Mint blushed , and Steele rolled her eyes before the mare said wryly: “You really are lucky you're so charming. Otherwise I think you'd probably be one of the worst ponies on the planet.”

“Thou cuts me so!” Sleipnir huffed and touched his own breast, raising his head with a disdainful sniff. “Well, so be it! This strange and worst pony shan't torture thee anymore with his company, then, great silly...”

Sleipnir broke off, then his eyes narrowed even as Steele began to babble something and Mint giggled... and then all three four following the enormous stallion halted as Sleipnir thrust a hoof out to the side, saying sharply: “Quiet.”

They stared at his back as Sleipnir looked back and forth quickly through the trees. Butch frowned uneasily, then slowly strode up beside the earth pony, hesitating before he started to lean forwards... but Sleipnir only reached up and quickly covered his mouth, shaking his head shortly before he murmured: “Stay still.”

Sleipnir slowly reached back, pulling open the bag hanging from Butch's side before he reached inside... and was relieved to feel the handle of the old, clunky scissors that Butch had brought for harvesting. He lifted these carefully loose, cupping them in one hoof before he suddenly stepped forwards and shouted: “Show thyself!”

The ponies behind him flinched... then stared in horror as a phantasm appeared only a few inches away from Sleipnir, incorporeal and stuttering in and out of reality in the sunlight that spilled down through the canopy of dead branches. Sleipnir faced it fearlessly as the sallow ghost loomed closer, rasping silently as it began to lean forwards, jaws opening as if to drink down his breath...

Sleipnir stabbed the iron scissors forwards, and to the shock of the misfits, the ghost's skull all but shattered before it screamed silently and leapt backwards, vanishing from sight. The stallion grimaced at this, then looked sharply over his shoulder at Auros, but the Lich looked as dumbfounded as the rest of the ponies.

All the same, Sleipnir turned around and stepped up in front of the undead unicorn, and Auros blinked a few times before he shook his head violently, saying hurriedly: “That... that wasn't anyone from my kingdom! Not unless...”

Auros chewed on his lip fearfully, and then he shook his head and mumbled: “No, no. I... I sealed all the dangerous spirits away, and it's not like any of those idiots have the magic to access or use my... I... no, no, no...”

Auros began to pace nervously back and forth, and Sleipnir simply watched him for a few moments before Butch asked fearfully: “What the hell was that? I ain't never seen nothing like that before, not in all my life... and I've seen some damn weird stuff since movin' out here!”

“'Twas a ghost of sorts... a wretched, miserable thing.” muttered Sleipnir, shaking his head slowly. “Not so wicked as a poltergeist, not so dangerous as a wraith... but able to travel in the light of day without fear of it. Auros?”

The Lich looked up dumbly, and then he shook his head almost wildly again before saying nervously: “I... I never used the wraiths, like I told you! I had them all sealed up in the dungeon, but that idiot Roch must have freed them... why would I let them out? They're hateful, vile things, they don't take orders, they just run out and try to find life energy to eat. They draw too much attention. I... I prefer things that can be controlled. That are tangible. That make sense. I am an illustrator, an artisan, a... a creator! I am not a destroyer!”

Auros almost shouted the last, glaring at Sleipnir as he trembled a little, and the earth pony sighed a little before reaching up and gently patting him between the ears, saying softly: “Aye, Auros, I know thou art not. And I do not blame thee for this, fear not. I merely need thy... wretched, wicked mind's aid, does thou understand?”

“Thank you for the compliment.” the Lich said sourly, and then he sighed and looked down, nodding moodily after a moment and mumbling: “I suppose that I do, Sleipnir, but... I don't remember any phantasms in my kingdom or in the dungeons. But I... I suppose it's possible that Roch may be tampering with transmutation necromancies; removing the spirit of a skeleton from its bones, for example, transforming it into a ghost...”

Sleipnir grimaced at this thought: that was really the last thing that they needed, revenge-hungry undead experimenting on their own as they hunted them down. And yet Sleipnir felt strangely... disappointed, too. He'd thought for a moment that he'd actually managed to get through, at least to that skeleton mage... and if not because of reason, then because he'd made it clear that they weren't any match for him and his friends.

But maybe that had only propelled Roch or whatever his name was to try even more desperate measures... and Sleipnir sighed wryly before he looked meditatively over at Auros, saying finally: “Well, do not fear, friend. I shall do all in my power to protect thee.”

Auros looked stunned at this, staring up at Sleipnir with disbelief before he blurted: “But why? I... I used you! I tried to kill you!”

The misfits looked surprised, but Sleipnir only smiled kindly at the Lich, reaching up to gently touch his shoulder as he said softly: “Because thy death shan't solve anything, my friend. Thou wert trying to defend thy kingdom and thy rule, albeit in a very silly way, but I shan't fault thee for it all the same. I have let go of our quarrel. I recommend that thou does the same.”

Auros only blinked slowly, and then Sleipnir turned back around and gestured quickly outwards, saying finally: “We should still be able to gather materials if we are quick, though. I do not sense the chill of any other lost souls in the area. But let us be fast all the same, for I fear I will have to beg thy assistance in warding the walls against such spirits.”

“I... I suppose that I can help with that.” the Lich mumbled, and then he shivered a bit as he looked to the south, in the direction of his former kingdom. “What is Roch doing...”

Sleipnir couldn't help but worry that neither of them were going to like the answer to that question: he felt even more sure that they would be seeing that skeleton mage again as well, and who knew what other maleficent soldiers of the dead kingdom...

Yet still, even as they hurried to gather materials, even as trepidation ran through all the ponies present and Sleipnir heard Mother Nature whispering her worries to him, the stallion didn't regret what he had done. He had done what he felt was right, and now he would deal with the consequences of his actions and continue to do everything in his power to stride towards a better future.

They managed a fair harvest even with their hurry, then returned quickly to the fortress. Sleipnir's first order of business was to inspect the drawbridge while the misfits took the herbs and roots they had gathered to the small apothecary, the stallion studying both the chains he'd repaired as well as the machinery that worked the drawbridge as Auros lingered nervously.

“What does thou require to help me in protecting this fortress against evil spirits?” asked Sleipnir curiously, and Auros looked up in surprise before the stallion turned away from the enormous wheel that powered the drawbridge to face the Lich. “Well?”

“I suppose... simple warding runes would work for the short term.” the Lich said slowly, and then he nodded musingly, looking down and muttering: “Yes, warding totems... if I had my magic, it would only take me a few moments. But as I don't...” He glared pointedly at Sleipnir. “It will take me quite some time to carve them all by hoof.”

“Well, carve the first for me, and then Invidia and I shall mimic thy design.” Sleipnir said easily, and the Lich looked surprised by this before the earth pony cocked his head. “Well, that will work, will it not?”

“Yes, it should... I suppose even Lock, Shock, and Barrel should be able to handle carving wood.” muttered Auros, and then he scowled before leaning forwards, asking moodily: “Are you really going to trust me, Sleipnir? Or is this some... some grand trick, all part of some enormous ploy to test where my loyalties lie?”

Sleipnir replied by shrugging amiably, and the Lich soured at this before the earth pony said gently: “The only methods I know of to protect this encampment involve iron and salt, and both will take too much time, and use too much of such precious resources. Nor do I want the fortress to be painful for Lock, Shock, Barrel, and thyself to be in. I seek to keep out the evil spirits, not house or imprison thou and our friends.”

Auros grumbled under his breath, and then he gestured towards the drawbridge, asking moodily: “And what about when Roch marches an army of skeletons and zombies to the gates of this keep? Or worse yet, simply marches them into the moat... I'm certain that you recognize as well as I do there's a gaping defensive flaw in their sewers. This is precisely why my kingdom did not have sewers. Well, that and all the money we saved.”

“Aye, but thou and thy kind do not poop, either.” Sleipnir said mildly, and the Lich huffed at this response, crossing his forelegs and glaring at the enormous earth pony. “Well, 'tis true! But very well. What does thou require for this totem? Will a log of wood suffice?”

“Yes. Stripped of bark, at least a few inches thick and a foot's length.” the Lich said moodily, and then he frowned when Sleipnir nodded before turning to stride into the forest. “What are you doing? Where are you going?”

“To fetch thee thy wood, of course! I shall be only a few minutes, fear not.” Sleipnir called easily over his shoulder, and then the earth pony smiled slightly as he turned his gaze back ahead, bowing his head politely as he said softly: “I must ask yet again for thy bounty, Mother Nature. I fear I must seem much the greedy foal to thee these days, but... these poor ponies need much in the way of protection, even if I do not understand how they could end up so lacking when they have such riches all around them.”

Sleipnir chuckled quietly as he wandered seemingly aimlessly through the forest, until he came to an old, large tree. He studied this thoughtfully, looking over the dead branches, hearing the creak of the wood as it bent and swayed under its own weight, and then he smiled slightly before bringing a hoof back and saying quietly: “Thou hast my thanks for thy gifts.”

Sleipnir slammed a hoof into the trunk of the tree, bark flying in all directions as deep fissures tore through the wood, and then the earth pony quickly spun around and slammed both rear hooves as hard as he could into the tree, sending it tottering backwards to crash down with a tremendous bang, only a short, jagged stump left behind.

Five minutes later, Sleipnir wandered back to the camp, humming under his breath and dragging the fallen tree and most of its branches with him. Then he frowned a little as several ponies came hurrying towards him as he entered the fortress, all of them shouting and yelling and pointing...

And after a moment, Sleipnir's eyes widened as he caught a few of the random words, the stallion dropping the tree and bolting immediately past the group of ponies. He leapt through the intersection and rammed his way through a door, several ponies yelping as they stumbled out of his way and the earth pony not stopping to apologize as he shot for the steps leading down into the basement of the fortress.

He ran past several more people, hurrying past equipment and then shouldering his way through the cellars, slowing only slightly so he could push past a knot of frightened ponies without hurting them until he reached an open door... and grimaced as he stepped carefully inside.

One of the skeletons on the other side of the room snarled at him immediately, Auros wheezing quietly in his grip and leaning away from the knife in the undead pony's grip with a whimper. Sleipnir studied the skeleton, noted the runes carved over one side of his skull, and then he held up a hoof before saying quietly: “I do not wish to harm thee. Put down thy weapon and we shall talk about this.”

“No way.” growled the skeleton, who was backed up against the far wall: Sleipnir had no doubt that he'd been trying to escape out through the sewers, but the assassin had either taken a wrong turn or been boxed in by the misfits, and he hadn't been brave enough to try and force his way through them. Which at least told Sleipnir a fair bit about this would-be assassin... “Now listen up. You show me the way out of here or I slit this bastard's throat.”

“Harsh language. I am terrified indeed.” Sleipnir intoned dryly, and then he shook his head slowly before stepping slowly forwards into the dusty, abandoned storeroom, the skeleton seeming to flinch a bit even as Auros yelped and flailed a little when the trembling knife pressed tighter into his neck. “That is a Lich in thy grip. Thou cannot kill a Lich so easily.”

“Yeah, see, that's what I thought, too... but it just so happens that this knife can.” growled the skeleton, and Sleipnir cocked his head curiously. “It's enchanted, see. It'll slice right into the Lich King's spirit and sap all the energy out of him. And if you don't want a taste of this yourself, you better listen to me and do what I say!”

Sleipnir only huffed loudly, then stepped slowly forwards as he complained: “Oh, now that is nonsense. Thou art lying to me, I see nothing more threatening than a sprig of iron in thy grip!”

“Yeah? Why don't you come over here and-” As the skeleton gestured sharply at Sleipnir with the knife, the earth pony moved like lightning, leaping forwards and punching the flat of the weapon fiercely enough to knock it flying across the room... and tearing off most of the skeleton's forelimb with it, bones bouncing and cracking as they struck the floor.

The skeleton gaped in shock at his missing limb, and then Auros yelled before he awkwardly flipped the skeleton over his shoulder and slammed him down onto his back, likely only succeeding because of how light the assassin of one was. Then the Lich started to viciously stomp on his assailant, but Sleipnir sighed tiredly before stepping forwards and moodily grabbing Auros by the back of the neck, hauling him easily into the air with one hoof and saying flatly: “Thou does not get to pummel the fool, for thou art a great fool thyself.”

Auros flailed uselessly for a moment, then slumped in Sleipnir's grip, looking humiliated and frustrated as the skeleton attempted to wiggle away. But Sleipnir easily reached down and caught the skeleton by one leg before hauling him upside down into the air, looking moodily at the assassin and asking distastefully: “And thou. Upon thy face is carved a tracking charm. I take it thou wert supposed to act as a scout?”

“I'll never tell you anything!” the skeleton growled, waving his remaining foreleg uselessly... although Sleipnir could hear the bravado already rapidly bleeding out of the skeleton's voice. “Y-You... can't cause me any pain, so there's no way you can torture it out of me!”

“I certainly know how to cause you pain. And I would be more than happy to. Or we can just pull off your head and throw the rest of you into the forest for the animals to chew on.” Auros grumbled, crossing his forelegs, and then he winced when Sleipnir shook him once before the earth pony dropped the Lich on his rump.

The skeleton visibly twitched at these threats, however, and Sleipnir added mildly: “Aye... and great idiot, thou brought thine own torture tool with thee, that silly knife. But do not look at me with such horror, I am no cur like thou and thy kind are: soul-sucking weapons, bah. I cannot begin to express my contempt and my great sadness that thou would use such atrocities. Here, look at me now! I pled for mercy for the Lich King so thou and thy kind would not pursue these dark arts; look now where the path of revenge takes thee, to thy worse-than-death!”

Sleipnir flung the skeleton down, and it bounced once against the ground before looking up and beginning to open its jaw... and then it whimpered and flung itself backwards when Sleipnir simply stomped forwards with a thunderous look. “O-Okay, okay, okay! You guys win! I... I didn't want to be here anyway, this isn't... I mean... have mercy! Mercy!”

The earth pony shook his head slowly, then he said softly: “It does neither of us good to hear thee cry that word as if 'tis thy salvation, for 'tis not. Mercy is more than something to beg for to escape the enemy's wrath. 'Tis a gift.”

Sleipnir stomped a hoof down, and the skeleton whimpered and flung itself backwards before the enormous earth pony straightened and smiled briefly. “Aye, though. Nothing shall be gained through punishing thee further. Thou art a coward, and a fool: if I put thee in chains, that tracking charm shall simply lead the army of the dead here. If I destroy thee, then 'twill be as if I have declared war, and the dead will hunt this location out anyway. Nay, I shall send thee back with one last warning, my friend: tell thy friends and warlord that naught but ill things will come of trying to continue this war. Tell them that I have been as merciful as I can... but if another attack comes, I shall do what must be done, for thou would threaten innocent lives alongside those thou hast judged as guilty.”

“Y-Yes, of course.” mumbled the skeleton fearfully from the ground, half-hiding under his remaining leg. He looked nervously towards his knife, but then yelped when Sleipnir reached out and gently grasped his bony back, hefting him easily up and turning around to gently set the three-legged skeleton down in front of the doorway.

Misfits lurched away from him, but the skeleton seemed just as scared of them as they were of him... except of course, the panicked ponies probably couldn't read his body language all that well, and Sleipnir gave a wry smile before he said gently: “This wretch shan't hurt any of thee... does not have the power in his bones to harm any of thee. He is no stronger than a normal pony and now lacks speed and balance. Lead him out and send him back into the wilds.”

The ponies looked fearful, but eventually Jolly Roger stepped forwards, growling: “Alright, avast then, time for him to walk the plank! We'll throw him to the forest sea, and if the brine doesn't take him, let him scuttle his way back to his crew!”

The skeleton winced a bit at this, although Sleipnir had to hold back a grin of amusement at the pirate Pegasus, and how he always started to talk every time he got a little bit too excited about this or that. But even if his special talent was old-fashioned pirating, the stallion knew that Jolly Roger could have made a fine naval officer... if only he would get past his bad habit of getting drunk and forgetting that he wasn't a real pirate.

The skeleton shrank fearfully away from Jolly Roger, and the other ponies took reassurance and strength from this, gathering themselves before the big Pegasus growled and stomped firmly down. And the skeleton whimpered before stumbling forwards... but as the misfits started to jeer, to get a little too rowdy, Sleipnir said firmly: “Treat him with respect. Treat the enemy better than they would ever treat thee: 'tis not simply about being the better pony, but 'tis about teaching them the error of their ways through the good of ours.”

The crowd of ponies shifted uneasily, but Jolly Roger looked up and nodded once, and Sleipnir smiled: he could trust these misfits to do the right thing at the end of the day, he thought. And as they began to escort the would-be assassin away, Sleipnir turned towards Auros... who was now moodily playing a hoof over the knife he had picked up, glowering balefully.

Sleipnir approached and held out a hoof, and Auros looked at him for a few moments before he grumbled and simply held it out towards the earth pony. The stallion took it, looking thoughtfully over the weapon before he murmured: “Wretched. I feel the hate and the sorrow in this blade... what a poor, evil thing. What does thou think, Auros?”

“I think I actually agree with you for once.” muttered the Lich, shaking his head briefly before he sighed a little and grimaced a bit. “But if I were you, I would hold on to that nasty thing. We may be dealing with spirits in the future.”

“Aye, I know.” Sleipnir smiled, then he simply took the knife between his hooves before snapping it in half, and the Lich grimaced away from the burst of energy and the sighs of released spirits that went up. Then Sleipnir easily dropped the broken weapon before he said gently: “Blessed iron will serve me well enough against them, though... and perhaps spare even their lives.”

“They aren't alive. I never pretended that any of us were alive...” the Lich King murmured moodily, looking down and shaking his head briefly, and then he frowned a little when Sleipnir reached up and squeezed his shoulder gently.

“Many of the living walk around as if dead or dying, even though their whole lives stretch out before them, my friend... and I have met some very special ponies who only found true life and calling after they had passed on.” Sleipnir said softly, and then he chuckled quietly and said gently: “Living and not are as much states of mind as they are states of being. If thou desires to cease being dead, all thou must do is live. 'Tis simple.”

“Yes. Simple.” Auros said drolly, and then he sighed tiredly and shook his head moodily. But as Sleipnir turned away, the Lich dropped his head low and mumbled something, Sleipnir blinking in surprise before cocking his head curiously as he looked over his shoulder.

The undead unicorn only huffed and stormed past Sleipnir, however, and the earth pony grinned a little after a moment before he said kindly: “Thou art very welcome.”

“Oh, shut up, you peon.” Auros said disgustedly, and then he dropped his head grumpily and added grouchily: “I still don't know why you even bothered to keep me alive, though, or what it is you want from me.”

“Well, aye, I do hope for thy assistance. But thou knows thou art free to leave any time thou likes.” Sleipnir said blandly, and Auros stumbled to a stop as they passed into the cellars, looking over his shoulder in surprise as the earth pony only smiled. “Well, 'tis true. And if thou asks kindly, I may even give thee back thy phylactery. But... I could use thy help here, Auros. And with going home.”

“This... portal project you talked about...” the Lich half-asked, and Sleipnir nodded childishly a few times before the undead unicorn scowled a little. “I still don't believe any of this nonsense about you being an 'angel,' or even from another realm. It's all ridiculous and impossible. Everypony knows that all life is merely a cycle: that is what an undeath like mine is based upon, simply... extending that cycle into an eternity. What could be worse than living your life all over again, after all?”

Sleipnir shrugged, then answered after a moment: “Bee stings. 'Tis nothing more terrible than being stung in the buttocks by a foul, evil bee.”

Auros reached a hoof up and slowly dragged it down his face, looking pained, and then Sleipnir rose a hoof and added quickly: “And once upon a time, my little sister Luna cooked this most wretched of dinners. Now, I am not one to undervalue a meal, nor of weak constitution. But Luna's cookery has always been fearsome: all too often I think we should merely have fed Fenrir one of her awful stews, and the Black Wolf would never have troubled the world again.”

The Lich only looked at Sleipnir for a few moments before he rolled his eyes and turned around, muttering: “Why do I even bother attempting to have a decent conversation with you...”

“Thou reminds me so much of Blue.” Sleipnir said jovially, and the Lich further soured at this, glowering over his shoulder before he almost bumped into one of the misfits, wincing and stumbling to the side as Sleipnir smiled warmly. “Aye, Freeze?”

The unicorn named Freeze Dry smiled awkwardly at the stallion: she was a very faint blue, with a short, spiky yellow mane and eyes that were a much darker, almost-gold. On her flank was the symbol of an ice cube: her talent was essentially freezing objects with magic, and she was probably one of the few ponies in the fortress who were really comfortable with their current lodging: the cold never seemed to bother her, after all. “Uh... well, Jack wants to talk to you. He's kind of worried about stuff.”

Sleipnir chuckled at this, nodding once before he replied easily: “I have some wood to cut, and then I shall be up in a moment. Will thou tell Jack Lantern this, oh beautiful snowflake?”

Freeze Dry blushed a pale blue and nodded hurriedly, then turned around and almost tripped over her own hooves as she ran up the stairs. Auros rolled his eyes, and then he scowled when Sleipnir said warmly: “So many ponies, of such unique talents!”

“They're weird. They're all weird and some of them even look weird. One of them has a checkered coat, did you see her?” asked the Lich moodily, and Sleipnir grinned roguishly.

“Oh, I more than saw her, my friend. She and I gladly played a wonderful game of hneftafl with her most glorious body... and I am pleased to see that after a long and difficult battle, my king finally cornered her queen.” Sleipnir winked, and Auros made a gagging sound... then yelped and was almost knocked flat as Sleipnir patted firmly on the stallion's back. “Careful now, friend. Breathe slowly.”

“Thank you, Sleipnir.” Auros said acidly as he picked himself up, then he grumbled moodily as he led the way up the stairs, hesitating for a moment before saying suddenly: “What is even the point of trying to leave when I don't have my phylactery? If anything happened to me-”

“Then thou would merely return to it, that is all, and thy spirit would slowly but steadily reconstitute itself.” Sleipnir paused meditatively, studying the Lich with interest. “Although I must admit thou art a rather interesting case. I see no signs of strain upon thy body, and yet thy horn has been very slow in regenerating... does thou modulate the flow of the magic that powers thee somehow? Is that perhaps why thou uses a blood ruby upon thy amulet, wicked as such arts are?”

The Lich stumbled to a stop, staring with disbelief at Sleipnir, and the enormous earth pony smiled before he said gently: “I have met more than one Lich in my time, Auros. And I have had the most wonderful pleasure of being dear friend and family to one whom helped me to look past mine own silly prejudices, and understand that we are all merely what we make ourselves.”

“Uh... huh.” Auros said dumbly, and then he shook himself hurriedly before glancing awkwardly away, mumbling: “Lucky... lucky guesses. And that blood ruby is made from my own original ashes and soul, I will have you know. That's why it works as such an effective filter.”

Sleipnir smiled kindly, then stepped forwards and wrapped a foreleg around Auros, almost choking him as the earth pony said easily: “And look! Here I am proven wrong, my ignorance rebuffed and my opinion of thee left ever higher, my friend! I apologize for assuming the worst... although 'tis rather miraculous, to hear thou made a blood ruby of thine own remains... thou must tell me the story one day, I would be most fascinated to hear it.”

Auros only wheezed loudly, and then he shoved uselessly at the stallion before prying himself slowly out of the earth pony's grip and glaring at him poisonously. “Why? What use would an earth pony like you have for any of that?”

“Perhaps not much, but I am very fond of stories. And perhaps mine own friend back home could make good use of such knowledge... or even just to know that she is not the only Lich to walk this path with goodness in her heart.” Sleipnir smiled gently, saying softly: “For I believe there is good in thy heart, my friend. Whatever foolishness thou committed as king... I believe 'twas only foolishness, and never evil.”

Auros glared almost angrily up at Sleipnir, but the Lich trembled ever-so-slightly, and he clearly couldn't find any words as he opened his mouth, shifting back and forth... so Sleipnir only smiled again before he patted the stallion on the back, then simply walked away, heading out through the main building and into the courtyard.

He chuckled as he found Butch already at work, cutting up the branches into good-sized logs, and the earth pony said kindly: “Good work, my friend, but these are not to be burned as wood. They are for protecting thy home from spirits. Pass that hatchet, I shall make short work of this.”

“I know, I heard. Well, sort of.” Butch said wryly, gesturing pointedly over his shoulder at Betty Hear, the mare blushing and half-hiding amidst some scaffolding. “I also heard that you have to go meet Jack. Go on, don't keep the old stallion waiting, Sleipnir.”

Sleipnir sighed loudly, but then he nodded after a moment, saying mildly: “Oh, very well, if thou insists.” He paused, then looked over his shoulder, then glanced curiously around when he realized Auros hadn't followed him. “Tell Auros if thou sees him to show Invidia how to carve these totems. I am certain she will appreciate the lesson and lessen his burden as well.”

Sleipnir paused, then looked oddly proud of himself before he declared: “Lesson and lessen! Did thou hear? Aye, I am quite a poet!”

Butch only smiled wryly, and then the misfit hesitated for a moment before almost blurting out, as Sleipnir started to turn away: “Why did you want to save that... assassin?”

The enormous earth pony glanced over his shoulder, then he chuckled after a moment, saying in a kind voice: “Do not fear, Butch. By all means, ask thy real question.”

The red stallion blushed a bit at this, and then he cleared his throat loudly before asking awkwardly: “Why uh... why the hell didn't you just turn over Auros? I... I ain't saying that I don't agree with you, I just... he hasn't been doin' a whole lot more than make a nuisance of himself, that's all. I don't know why the hell you work so hard to make us include him in everything when he seems to want to be left well enough alone.”

“Because he does not. He is shy, that is all.” Sleipnir shrugged a little, and then he softened a bit, glancing down and adding softly: “Because I too misjudged him. Aye, his hooves have blood upon them... but I question if they are any worse than mine own. I question if he did not do his best, Lich or not. And I know that while he craves both power and control, I also do not think... he is cruel. He is capable of cruel things, certainly, but he is not cruel by nature.”

The earth pony halted, then smiled and shrugged easily, saying softly: “Fear makes fools of us all, Butcher, and drives us to doing vile things when we feel we are alone. Besides, look at us: are we not as much misfits as all of thee? We must stick together, my friend! Thou, I, Auros, all of us.”

He laughed, and Butch chuckled quietly before he nodded briefly, murmuring: “I suppose you got a point there. Alright. I'll buy into that, and... well, Lock, Shock and Barrel seemed to fit in right quick. At least, once most of us started getting used to having three skeletons wandering around the place. Still gives me the heebie-jeebies at night when I see 'em, though.”

“Aye, well, fear not. I think the three of them seem to enjoy giving all of thee a friendly scare now and then.” Sleipnir said amiably, and Butch gave a rueful smile before the enormous, vine-maned stallion turned to head back towards the main building, calling cheerfully: “Try and not gossip too much, Betty Hear! And if thou art so interested in what goes on in my bedchambers, then by all means feel free to do more than just listen at the door!”

Butch laughed as Betty squeaked and crammed herself further beneath the scaffolding in embarrassment, while Sleipnir grinned to himself as he made his way to one of the few other accessible doors in the keep. He shouldered his way through the old, warped wood, mentally adding it to his to-do list as he trotted down a half-ruined hall.

They had done some shoddy repair work here and there, but Sleipnir was honestly pained by the sight of some of this: here was a joist that had been improperly secured and was just waiting for an excuse to fall on somepony's head, there was a support rod that they had done more damage to the wall hammering into place than if they'd left it alone.

All the same, these misfits had survived quite admirably on their own... the problem was just that none of them had yet really learned they could put their odd talents to use in other ways that would benefit the strange little society they had built here. Sleipnir hoped that he had the time to at least help a few of them understand that their unique talents really were blessings, and not curses like most of them treated theirs: all it required was a little discipline and creative thinking instead of, well... running away. Because as much as he adored this place, it made him a little sad, too, because it also represented how all these misfits had decided to deal with their problem: running away from it.

Sleipnir calmly pushed through the door at the top of a curving flight of steps, and then he smiled slightly at the old orange stallion who looked moodily up from the desk. His mane was a curly green, and his eyes dark emeralds that glittered with a little bit of bitterness, a little bit of annoyance... but a deep strength of character and a resolve that Sleipnir respected. “You know, it would be nice if you could actually come when I ask you to one of these days.”

“'Tis funny, usually it is the mares who say that. Not that they are complaining, rather that they are embarrassed that I am able to-”

Jack Lantern sighed tiredly, holding up a hoof and saying irritably: “Stop that. Now listen, everypony here is worried about these undead. It's not that we've never been aware of them... we've seen more than our share of strange things living in this isolated place. Why, for a while we even played host to a short little creature who claimed he was a dentist, and a large, friendly Yeti. They left with the oddest deer you've ever seen, with a great bulbous red nose. He thought his friends were too good for our little community.”

Sleipnir fidgeted a little, and Jack Lantern looked at him dryly for a few moments before he shook his head, saying moodily: “What I'm getting at is that we do our best not to judge. And Lock, Shock, and Barrel are certainly welcome here. They might call me the Pumpkin King but I've had much worse nicknames over the years.”

“Thou sounds rather pleased with it, really. And tell me again, why art thou here? For thou wert quite successful at running Nightmare Night, weren't thou?” asked Sleipnir curiously, and Jack Lantern gave a dry laugh at this.

“Oh, certainly. But it's a holiday that comes once a year. And even if one year I garnered the approval and an award from Princess Luna herself, it didn't matter all that much: everyone forgot about me the next day and my little shop was left deserted day after day.” Jack muttered, shaking his head briefly. “You know how I ended up here. I got tired of it all. And... here I am.”

“Aye, but thou almost did what many of these others must learn to do, Jack Lantern. Thou almost found a way to harness thy wonderful talent, to make use of it in a way that all could appreciate, every day of the year.” Sleipnir smiled kindly, striding forwards and reaching up to pat a hoof encouragingly on the old stallion's desk, almost tipping the uneven furnishing over and making him scramble to grab his papers before they could scatter. “And look at thou now! Thou hast gone above and beyond, and learned great skills alongside thy talent.”

Jack only sighed, fumbling through his papers as he muttered: “Nothing no pony else could do, though. Besides, half the time I get all the estimates wrong and... no, I'm not letting you distract me again. Sleipnir, Auros makes all the ponies here nervous. He can't stay here.”

Sleipnir huffed at this, and Jack held up a hoof, saying quietly: “Look, it's not just because he's a Lich, or... rude. We put up with Rack, we can certainly put up with rude ponies. But if he's being hunted by these other undead, we can't put these ponies at risk just to take care of him. Especially not with that dragon still a threat. I'm sorry.”

“'Tis not I thou should apologize to.” Sleipnir stopped, then he shook his head and added in a softer voice: “I do understand thy position, Jack, but still... it saddens me. Especially as there is still the hope they shan't pursue or attack here again, and Auros will be helping to ward this place against evil spirits. He will contribute, and willingly, upon my honor.”

“You believe too readily in other ponies.” Jack muttered after a moment, shaking his head and drawing back, and then he sighed when the earth pony huffed at him. “I call it as I see it, Sleipnir, that's all. Although, well...”

Jack stopped, looking down and picking up his pencil to tap it slowly against the table, and then he shook his head briefly before saying moodily: “Look. We'll put up with Auros as long as you're here, alright? But when you leave, then he has to leave. And if anything happens in that timeframe, you are responsible for dealing with it.”

“Aye, I understand.” Sleipnir said almost grumpily, and then he shook his head quickly. “Well, I do not see us staying here much longer, in any event. Blue is recovering well... it should be but a few more days before he is well enough to travel. We will perhaps impose upon thy company only a little longer than that, to deal with thy dragon issue.”

Jack Lantern grunted, shifting embarrassedly and looking down for a moment, but then he only gave a short nod. There was an awkward silence for a few moments, and Sleipnir cleared his throat as he reached out and swiped a pencil, playing it between his hooves as he looked pointedly at the stallion.

Jack ignored him until Sleipnir finally snapped the pencil in half by accident, and then the old pony gave a tired sigh before he asked distastefully: “What is it that you want now?”

Sleipnir only shrugged innocently, and Jack looked at him for a few moments before he returned to scribbling away notes on his papers. And Sleipnir went back to playing with the two broken halves of pencil, humming a little to himself as Jack did his best to ignore the titanic stallion until he finally looked up... and glowered at the fact Sleipnir had lodged both broken bits of pencil in his nostrils, and was trying his best to look like nothing was wrong.

They looked at each other for the longest time, and then Sleipnir sneezed loudly, sending both chunks of broken pencil flying and making Jack swear in disgust and frustration, throwing up his front legs. Then he dropped his elbows loudly on the desk and his face into his hooves, rubbing moodily at his forehead before Sleipnir said blandly: “I fear that I taste lead, and it makes me feel rather ill.”

“Pencils aren't made with lead anymore.” Jack said tiredly, and then he looked up for a moment before saying finally: “Alright. Alright, if it'll just make you go away, I'll... I admit that maybe we need a little bit of help that I feel uncomfortable asking for after telling you that you're going to have to evict your... your friend.”

Sleipnir only smiled, however, shrugging and replying kindly: “Well, that is simply silly, my friend. For help is what I am here to give. And fear not: I will not lie and say I am not disappointed, but all the same I did hope to have Auros help me with another task of mine own. But I had hoped at least he would be more... accepted here.”

Jack shifted a little, and then Sleipnir asked gently, thankfully steering the subject away: “But what job would thou have me do?”

“You've already done a lot to help us with the repairs here, but... we're just about out of raw materials. We need bricks and mortar and lumber... and well, in the past I just had Butch and Roger and Bertha go and fetch the materials for me from an abandoned lumber camp to the east. It's not a far journey, but...” Jack hesitated. “It's just that with the recent undead attacks and all...”

“Aye, fear not. I shall even do thee one better, and when I return, I shall teach some of thy ponies to tend the poor, battered beast of a forge thou has and how to repair the walls properly thyselves. I must admit, I was hoping for a reason to give thy ponies a lesson in craft and repair anyway... some of thy repairs are...” Sleipnir hesitated, searching for a proper word before he said delicately: “Humble.”

“Humble.” Jack smiled briefly all the same, and then he shook his head slowly. “Well, Sleipnir. It will never cease to amaze me that you can actually be quite a tactful stallion when you want to be. Alright, I'll let you choose your work crew, then... since you've been here, we've been able to get a lot more done and I have to worry less about ponies lagging off.”

Sleipnir smiled slightly, then he nodded briefly before saying thoughtfully: “Butch and Roger I have already ordered around enough for one day. Perhaps I shall have Bertha come with me: if not to guide me, then simply for the pleasant company.”

“Only you would find her pleasant company.” muttered Jack, and then he sighed and nodded, looking up and saying finally: “Do me a favor and check in once you're back. Let me know how much you managed to secure and I'll be able to tell you what we need repaired most. Deal?”

Sleipnir smiled warmly and nodded firmly. “Aye, and 'tis a far better one than I am used to getting. Thou art a fine administrator, Jack. I only wish thou would see for thyself what a patriarch thou hast become to these poor ponies.”

Jack Lantern simply laughed a little, shaking his head slowly, and the enormous earth pony bowed his head politely before he turned to leave. He almost bounced down the steps, happy to have something to do for now: he liked work, and he enjoyed helping these ponies out. He only wished that they would let him and his friends do more to make this place a better home for the misfits.

He emerged outside to find it was snowing lightly, and the stallion smiled warmly: big, thick flakes were falling slowly from the sky, and it added a strange sense of serenity to this ruin of a fortress; and as the powder fell over the scaffolding and the crumbled battlements, it gave the derelict structure a strange beauty, and helped Sleipnir see all the promise hidden within these still-strong walls. There was such potential here, for such a wonderful home for these misfit ponies: they only had to see it, and seize upon it while they had the opportunity.

Sleipnir shook himself briskly, and then he strode through the crowded courtyard and towards the side building where Steele lived, and had kindly allowed them to stay. He pushed into the familiar warmth of the den... and smiled warmly as he found not only Invidia and Auros carving logs, but Blue slowly but carefully working to engrave his own. “Well, do mine eyes deceive me? Blue, awake and doing a peasant's noble work!”

The unicorn laughed a little at this, smiling tiredly up at Sleipnir as Invidia said gently: “He has been doing very well, as a matter of fact. Both in helping us and in his recovery. It is a pleasure and relief to be able to say that there is no lasting damage.”

“I... I want to help. That's all.” Blue murmured, looking up and nodding a little. “And... I'm very tired, but it feels good to stay awake and to... contribute. And besides, the longer I'm awake the... the easier it gets.”

Sleipnir gazed kindly at Blue, and then he hesitated a moment before asking softly: “Hast thou been able to see thy face yet?”

Blue shifted uncomfortably, and Invidia softened as she looked over at the unicorn as he reached up and self-consciously touched the scars that marred one side of his face. They zigged and zagged wildly over his cheek, and while Sleipnir had seen worse... he was well aware that would be little solace to the young, handsome prince.

But after a moment, Blueblood smiled faintly and glanced down, murmuring: “I'd... I'd rather wait a little while before I... look, if that's alright. I...”

“Well, at least thou knows they are there. And no, 'tis not cowardice.” Sleipnir said softly, and then he shook his head before saying gently: “Do not overexert thyself, my friend. Just do what thou can, and 'twill be more than enough. 'Tis already more than I could fairly ask of thee.”

Blue nodded a little, and the earth pony glanced over at Auros, but the Lich was pointedly keeping his head down as he carved calmly away. So Sleipnir only shrugged before saying cheerfully: “Well, in further good news, I have been asked to retrieve materials and assist with the repairs of this wonderful little fortress.”

“I like how that's good news to you.” grumbled the Lich, finally joining in the conversation. “And by the way. I won't be troubling you for much longer.”

“Oh, shush. We shall talk about that later, Auros. Although I am somehow unsurprised to find thou art listening in to my conversations somehow.” Sleipnir said mildly, and the Lich only scowled before the earth pony said softly: “Besides. Thou shall stay here for as long as I am here, and we still have time to convince the ponies of thy goodness, if thou art willing to try and thou desires to stay here. But elsewise, I have important work for thee. I was not lying on that account.”

The Lich shifted a little, and Invidia and Blue only looked curious before Sleipnir shook his head quickly and said kindly: “In any event, I must not keep these ponies waiting. So I shall ask thee all to take care of each other while I am gone. I may be busy until late in the evening, and I am certain all tomorrow will be taken up with repairs... but there is good news. I feel there shall be a storm in the next day or so.”

“How is that ever good news?” Blueblood asked dryly, and Sleipnir looked at him mildly before the unicorn nodded a few times, questioning querulously: “The dragon, right, right. I remember, I do. What... I know better than to doubt you by now, Sleipnir, but can you really fight a dragon?”

Sleipnir only winked at the prince, saying cheerfully: “Fear not, young Blue. I do not think it shall come to that, but... we shall see in time. For now, rest here, make merry with our friends, and I shall return in the eve to check in on all of thee. Take care of each other, friends. I feel that we shall accomplish great things together.”

Invidia smiled, Blueblood nodded hesitantly, and Auros only grumbled under his breath, but Sleipnir gazed warmly over all of them before turning and heading back out into the courtyard, feeling that as long as he and his strange little company stuck together, they would be able to weather even the worst of the troubles the future promised to send their way.

Klaatu Barada Nikto

Chapter Twenty Two: Klaatu Barada Nikto
~BlackRoseRaven

Blueblood breathed slowly in and out, carefully lifting a bucket of nails with telekinesis up to Sleipnir, who was precariously balanced on a ladder and patching a wall shut. Blueblood personally thought that Sleipnir was doing much more work than necessary, but the earth pony insisted on helping insulate the walls with these thick planks of wood before he applied the cement or mortar or... whatever this goop was that they fixed the walls with.

Working mostly by himself, Sleipnir had already patched the worst of the damages to the keep and cleaned up most of the courtyard, breaking down almost all of the scaffolding to repurpose the materials in other places. He was diligent and a hard worker, and Blueblood was again left wondering if there was anything at all Sleipnir couldn't do.

The unicorn reached up and rubbed moodily at the scarred side of his face, feeling a little self-conscious... but... well, maybe it was because he'd had so long to adjust to it, but he hadn't been nearly as upset as he thought he would at the new additions to his features. Then again, maybe he just didn't have the energy to be upset about that right now. Maybe he still felt lucky that he'd gotten away with so little after suffering what he had at the claws of that wraith.

He shivered a little, rubbing slowly at his chest as he pulled his cloak tighter around himself... not that it really helped. He always felt a little cold now: even when he curled up in front of the fireplace under the blanket, his insides felt like he had just swallowed down a bucket of icewater. He wondered sometimes if that chill was ever going to go away... or if maybe that was part of the price for surviving.

The price for surviving, what a great way to think of that. The unicorn shook his head slowly, looking down... then he winced and blushed a bit when Sleipnir cleared his throat, looking quickly up and hurriedly taking the now-empty bucket back as Sleipnir said gently: “If thou needs to go and rest, Blue, by all means do so. Thou hast helped me all morning. Thou hast earned thy nap.”

“No, no. I'd rather not sleep.” Blue murmured, shaking his head briefly: the last thing he needed was another nightmare. And even if they had set up the spiritual wards around the fortress to keep out the ghosts, the nightmares had begun to crawl back into his mind. Thankfully, they were mostly incoherent, but the glimpses he was getting of his father amidst all the chaos...

He quieted, looking away for a moment, and Sleipnir softened before the stallion climbed carefully down from the ladder, asking quietly: “Would thou like to talk about it? And why will thou not accept Invidia's aid?”

“I just... I want to deal with this on my own.” Blueblood muttered, maybe a little harshly... and after a moment, he gave an awkward smile and added quietly: “Sorry. I'm... perhaps I'm a little cranky.”

“Fear not, Celestia was always much grouchier than thee. Luna too on occasion.” Sleipnir replied kindly, and then he reached up and squeezed the stallion's shoulder lightly. “Well, if thou desires to help more, perhaps thou can aid me with setting up a small enclosure. 'Tis not difficult, but 'tis awkward to build by myself. But it should be an easy task with thy unicorn magic.”

Blue smiled a little, then he nodded quickly: only a few minutes later, however, he found himself wondering what precisely the earth pony was doing as they carefully raised a large tarpaulin ceiling into place over a corner of the courtyard Sleipnir had already fenced off.

The unicorn used his magic to hook the thick, plasticky cloth over hooks that had already been hammered into the wall, while Sleipnir secured the heavy post that kept the far corner of the tarp raised. As the earth pony fiddled with that, Blueblood dubiously looked around the little area before he frowned and looked down, testing the ground beneath his hooves as he realized there was only a little bit of powder here compared to the rest of the courtyard, and the earth felt...

“Did you till this?” The unicorn scraped away some of the powder, and Sleipnir smiled slightly as he looked at Blue: in the past, the prince never would have noticed the ground beneath his hooves was any different, even if it had transformed from nature's warm grass to city's careless cement right beneath him. “You did. Why bother, though? You can't garden in the middle of winter.”

“Thou can if thou asks nature kindly enough. But nay, 'tis not a garden. 'Tis for the storage of materials, for 'tis very silly to have their inner stores cluttered up as they do. I think perhaps I shall begin moving the forge out into this courtyard as well, for 'tis quite spacious with all the garbage removed.” Sleipnir said cheerfully, and Blue gave him a dubious look before the earth pony huffed a bit. “Well, aye, I know we are leaving soon. But I shall at least move the heavier objects and give them a start to the project. I shall let them finish the work, for better or worse.”

“I fear it will be for worse.” Blueblood murmured, and when the earth pony frowned over his shoulder at him, the unicorn asked: “Don't you worry that these ponies are starting to depend on you, maybe a little bit too much?”

Sleipnir softened at this, and then he shook his head before saying gently: “Nay, I do not. Perhaps a few of them have taken to lounging and loitering, aye, but Butcher and Jolly Roger and Pap Mint have all been exceptionally helpful. Not to mention how active the mares are, Blue, the mares!”

“The mares, yes.” Blueblood said ironically, rolling his eyes before he smiled a bit despite himself. “You know, just because they slept with you doesn't mean they're being helpful.”

“I would disagree with this.” Sleipnir replied cheerfully, and then he turned with a chuckle, adding warmly: “Nay, I am not even speaking of that. Why, hast thou ever seen such a hard worker as Bertha? And Steele is both beautiful and studious!”

“Yes, well. Bertha reminds me more of a gorilla than a pony, and Steele reminds me of the old adage about strippers who are working their way through college.” Blueblood replied pointedly, and Sleipnir gave the unicorn a grouchy look.

The earth pony began to open his mouth, likely to chastise him... but then both looked up in surprise as there was a shriek from the front wall, followed by Rack howling: “Invaders! The dead march against us, we've been tricked by Sleipnir! Invaders, invaders!”

“Oh, it's probably just Lock, Shock and Barrel coming back...” Blueblood began uneasily, but then Sleipnir leapt past him, and the unicorn grimaced before turning to follow, hating that he couldn't reassure himself for some reason, that there was this weird twisting in his gut just telling him that something was wrong...

Sleipnir, meanwhile, had bolted to the open drawbridge, and was now standing near the end of it, glaring out at the band of skeletons slowly approaching across the field. One of them was waving a flag slowly: not for peace, but announcing their arrival and likely asking for parlay.

The earth pony rolled his shoulders and straightened, completely ignoring Rack as the old Pegasus shot down and yelled at him accusingly: “This is your fault! This is all your fault! You're either a traitor or an idiot, and I don't know which is worse but I do know that either way, it makes it all completely your fault!”

“Rack, quiet!” snapped a voice, and Sleipnir glanced over his shoulder with a brief smile as Jack Lantern approached, followed by Butch, Jolly Roger, and a massive, tan-colored mare with long red pigtails, an eternal scowl on her features as she chewed slowly on the end of a piece of straw: Bertha, her cutie mark of a boxing glove denoting her rather brutal special talent.

Sleipnir turned his eyes back towards the skeletons as Rack flew away, screaming profanities. But the Pegasus at least provided a decent distraction, letting Sleipnir lean down a little and whisper quietly to Jack: “Do not show fear. And whilst I recognize that 'tis not truly within my right to ask, all the same... permit me to handle this.”

“I would be more than happy to. Make it your problem, not ours.” Jack replied quietly, and then he stepped off to the side as the other ponies assembled, Sleipnir giving a wry smile.

He faced ahead, raising his head high as the skeletons approached and finally came to a halt only some ten feet away. They regarded each other warily, and then the skeleton carrying the flat calmly planted this in the ground in front of him before saying coldly: “We come bearing a message from our lord and master, the King of the Dead.”

“And who, may I ask, is this new king?” Sleipnir asked courteously, bowing his head slightly. “For I wish to know the name of whom I negotiate with. Singing his titles will gain him no respect nor praise: a true ruler-”

“We are not here to be lectured on what you believe, fleshsack.” growled the skeleton in the lead, and Sleipnir scowled slightly before the undead pony continued: “The King of the Dead hereby orders you to turn over the Lich known as Auros, formerly the Lich King, as well as his phylactery. He faces charges of high treason and mass murder. If you do not comply, then you will leave the King of the Dead no choice but to consider you enemies of the kingdom, and he will march upon you with all his might and glory.”

Sleipnir shook his head slowly, and then he said softly: “Auros is under my protection. We shall be leaving this fortress shortly, upon a journey that will take us far from these territories. He shall never trouble thee again. I implore thee: make peace with these good ponies. Release thy hatred, and thy desire for revenge.”

“Very well. The King of the Dead is marshaling all of his kingdom as we speak: it is only a matter of hours before he arrives with an army. But do not fear: death will only be the beginning of your punishment, as each and every pony here will join our ranks as loyal servants to his majesty.” said the skeleton, raising his head proudly. “You have been given your chance.”

“Nay. I see; 'twas no chance at all, was it?” Sleipnir asked softly, shaking his head slowly. “From the start, thou knew my answer... and even had I given thee Auros, thy king has given himself over to the dark call of bloodlust and now seeks to visit all his pain and vengeance upon the world... as if the world is guilty for the follies of a pony. As if the world can take away the prison of pain he now binds himself within.”

The skeleton in the lead only snorted in contempt, then stepped slowly forwards, saying darkly: “No mortals shall be allowed to impose upon our kingdom... our kingdom, which has hidden away in the darkness for far too long! Tonight, the spirits will give you the first taste of the horrors your kind deserves, for denying the sweet bliss that is death.”

“Madness. Madness and folly.” Sleipnir grimaced and shook his head, then he stepped forwards and reached out, tapping the end of the drawbridge as he said quietly: “But there is still time to fix this. Until the first of thy kind sets hoof upon this wood, I can still grant all of thee mercy. I can still try to reason with thee, to fix all that is wrong and broken. But once one of thee sets hoof upon this bridge with the intent to harm those inside, I will show neither quarter nor mercy. I will not be able to, as deep as it pains my heart.”

“Poor wretched little pony.” sneered the skeleton, and then he boldly stepped forwards as Sleipnir stepped backwards, the skeleton seeming to grin wider as he stepped over the line and slammed his hoof down on the bridge. “For such a large stallion, you seem to be nothing but hot air and pretty words.”

Sleipnir smiled faintly and closed his eyes, and the skeleton laughed before he started to lean forwards... and then there was a burst of dust and a sound more like shattering glass than bone as broken ribs and pieces of skeleton flew in all directions, the skull bouncing off the edge of the bridge before it fell into the moat below, to shatter into dust against a stone.

The few pieces of the skeleton's haunch that remained fell apart, Sleipnir standing with one hoof extended and his eyes cold as he said quietly: “I shall be generous. Thou hast to the count of ten to be out of my sight, accursed and cowardly dogs. Then I shall break the rest of thy brittle bones.”

Sleipnir didn't even have to start the count before the rest of the skeletons turned and bolted into the woods, and the earth pony smiled wryly before he looked moodily at the flag they had left behind. He strode over to this, then yanked it out of the ground and snapped the pole in half before tossing the broken pieces to the ground, muttering: “By the gods. What craven and foolish creatures.”

The enormous earth pony turned around, and while Butch and Roger were gaping with amazement, Jack was frowning uneasily, leaning forwards and asking urgently: “What do we do? Sleipnir, there's only one of you, and you can't stand out here and fight the entire army yourself. But there's nowhere for us to run...”

“Aye, there is not. And we have done too much work here, made this into thy home: to run would only be an act of cowardice, nothing more.” Sleipnir replied calmly, shaking his head slowly, and then he gave a soft sigh. “But aye, we shall have to prepare for war.”

He stopped, turning to regard the fortress silently before shaking his head briefly. “I do not like needless violence. Oh, certainly, I enjoy the battle, I thrill in the challenge of a strong foe... but when two true warriors fight, it should be as if a dance. One seeking to prove themselves the better, but not to kill, not to cripple nor maim. And if I should meet a monster, I do not fight with the intent to slay: I turn my eyes away from that black abyss, and focus upon doing what I must to protect others. Only Tyrant Wyrms I have never felt compassion for, and that is because they are less beast, and more terrible, insidious machine, parasites beyond nature...”

Sleipnir quieted, lowering his head as the ponies looked at him uncomfortably, and then he smiled briefly. “I shall not teach thee to make war. I shall teach thee to defend thyselves. And all of thee must promise to be wiser than these fools who march against us.”

Jack Lantern sighed quietly, and then he said finally: “We'll... do whatever you tell us, Sleipnir. What... what do you suggest?”

“I suggest that you fill the moat with kindling and oil. There are too many vulnerabilities in your thin sewer walls.” came a moody voice, and Sleipnir smiled a little as the misfits looked back in surprise at Auros. “The ghosts won't be able to get inside. But that won't stop them from... other... unfortunate tactics.”

“Aye, tactics that we shall defeat with plenty of ale and song tonight!” Sleipnir declared with a stomp. The ponies looked at him incredulously, but to his surprise, the Lich only gave a wry smile. “See? Auros, thou understands!”

“I dislike you. But what I dislike even more is that your idea is not a terrible one.” Auros replied moodily, and then he shook his head slowly. “I... I will stay watch tonight. I know better than any of you how the ghosts will act.”

The misfits looked uncomfortably at Auros, and the Lich scowled at them before saying contemptibly: “Oh, what, frightened that the awful Lich is going to sell you all down the river? Well, as loathe as I am to point this out, I am unfortunately defenseless at the moment and Roch clearly wants to either enslave me or destroy me entirely.”

“Oh, shush, they are likely just surprised thou art able to have more than selfish thoughts now and again.” Sleipnir replied mildly, and Auros gave the earth pony a moody look before the earth pony said quietly: “But we have little time right now for merriment. Come. We must make preparations quickly for the attack.”

“How serious is this, Sleipnir?” Blueblood asked worriedly as he limped up beside Auros, and Sleipnir smiled briefly, the prince hesitating before saying slowly: “I could inform Auntie...”

“Nay, nay. There is no need for such extremes, fear not.” Sleipnir replied, shaking his head quickly, and then he smiled wider before teasing gently: “Unless, of course, this is thy way of saying thou art afraid and now want to run home.”

“Quiet, Sleipnir. You... peasant.” Blue grumbled, shaking his head firmly, but he couldn't help but smile himself all the same... and he hated that, he really did. No matter what happened, Sleipnir always brought optimism and hope to a situation, always found a way to make him smile, even if he was aching and afraid...

Then Sleipnir stomped a hoof lightly before declaring: “Come, friends! There is no more time to dally now. Let us speedily make our preparations: we shall need every pony on hoof if we are to be ready for this!”

The misfits nodded, and Blueblood shifted uneasily, only hoping that they would be able to save all these ponies: even if he had all the faith in the world in Sleipnir, one of the lessons he had learned over the last few months was that nothing was certain... and that even a hero like Sleipnir could only protect other ponies so much.

If they were going to survive this, then these misfits were going to have to learn they couldn't just hide from all their problems: they were going to have to learn to stand up for themselves.

The day was long and difficult, and yet somehow Blueblood got through it on his hooves... which was more than could be said for some of the misfits. Yet even if quite a few of them looked at him with newfound respect, he didn't feel like lording over them, or even all that much pride: what he felt most was concern for the misfits who had given up or complained that they didn't have the skills or talents to be helpful.

One or two misfits had vanished entirely, much to Sleipnir's great disappointment. But both he and Jack Lantern had recognized there was nothing they could really do for them once the ponies fled into the wild, except hope that they escaped safely... although Auros had almost immediately ruined any hopes by noting ghosts were already lurking outside, and what they should really be doing was hope that Roch was too stupid to make the ponies who had fled into thralls.

As evening settled in, Sleipnir had everyone gather in the large dining room in the main building, where he had gathered kegs of wine and ale, bedrolls and cushions and blankets, and enough kindling to keep the fireplace burning for the entire night.

The earth pony cajoled them into telling stories, and singing songs, and enjoying each other's company. Blueblood sat outside the door, not because he wanted to be apart from the misfits and Sleipnir, but instead to get as much sleep as he could before the early morning hours, when he'd promised to switch out watch with Invidia. For now, the demon was only sitting nearby and watching him with a silent smile on her face, but her presence was... almost comforting. Even if he still had yet to get over those scary golden eyes of hers.

Auros was outside, standing on top of the front wall of the fortress and looking moodily down into the darkness as the wind howled around him... and below, the ghosts screamed and danced back and forth. Even as a Lich, the sounds bothered him: he pretended it was annoyance, but... seeing these wretched spirits leaping back and forth, shrieking as if they were in pain, then laughing and shouting hollow insults...

The Lich shook his head briefly, then he grimaced a little as he saw a strange, grinning pony approaching. She was matted with snow and forest debris, branches tangled in her mane, eyes glowing with hellish and unnatural light before she screamed: “Jolly Roger! I'm out here! Come and save me!”

Auros grimaced and looked hesitantly over his shoulder, but thankfully the music and the merriment coming from the keep was so loud, he could hear it from here. And that meant it likely drowned out the thrall's screaming, as the Lich looked back down over the battlements.

He didn't speak: he only pushed his hooves against the stone wall and silently wished for the monster to go away as he closed his eyes tightly. But the thrall continued to shriek and yell, twisting jaggedly, unnaturally back and forth as it paced drunkenly in front of the moat: with the drawbridge up, there was no way for it to cross into the fortress. Auros hoped that the awful thing would either fall in or give up and go away...

Then the Lich looked up in surprise as he heard hooves on the stone beside him, before he sighed almost in relief as Invidia approached, the undead unicorn muttering: “You frightened me.”

“I should.” Invidia smiled kindly to the Lich, who winced back a bit before the mare laughed quietly. “It was merely a joke. There is no need to fear, Auros... not so long as you continue to help the angel and our handsome prince.”

Auros gave an uneasy smile, and then he cleared his throat before muttering: “Well, it's... not like I have a whole lot of choice in the matter, do I? But what are you doing out here, it's not-”

“I was curious. I wanted to see how you were doing. I will return to my post shortly.” Invidia said softly, and then she leaned forwards over the battlements, adding quietly: “What a pathetic wretch. Even if the spirits could puppet that pony's body properly, they would still strike the shield trying to sneak her into our camp... are you sure this Roch is such a threat?”

“Numbers are always a threat. And you will excuse me if I feel that I've learned something about underestimating my opponents.” the Lich mumbled, reaching up and rubbing awkwardly at his forehead before he sighed a little. “I do not dare to guess what other horrors Roch has let out of the vaults and the dungeons...”

“I think you must have been a mighty king, to have kept all this in check. I think that Sleipnir merely failed to understand that you always did what was in your people's best interests... for in giving them freedom, look what they have done.” Invidia said gently, gesturing outwards over the ghosts and the puppeted corpse lurking on the other side of the moat.

Auros studied the mare warily, shifting uncertainly before he gave a brief smile and looked ahead, muttering: “Well, at least somepony here understands my vision...”

“It is beautiful.” Invidia said empathetically, and Auros gave her another uncomfortable look before the demon queried: “How did you make them obey, though? What manner of power must you have had, to make these animals bow before you and respect you?”

The Lich looked for a few moments at the demon, and then he suddenly turned away, crossing his forelegs over the edge of the wall and muttering: “I... I don't want to have this conversation with you, demon. I... I am no bully.”

A flash of hatred and anger passed over Invidia's features, but when Auros looked at her sharply, she was again smiling kindly, bowing her head to him politely as she said softly: “Of course. It's your choice... and I did not mean to insult you, my friend. I was merely... curious.”

Auros looked at her uncomfortably for a few moments, and then he bit his lip before shifting a pace away. Invidia's eyes narrowed dangerously at this, but then she simply turned on her heel and left, the Lich turning away from the battlements to watch almost fearfully as the demon made her way across the courtyard and back to the keep.

He didn't feel safe again until the door swung closed behind her, and when the Lich turned around, suddenly the screaming and the howling and the whimpering below wasn't bothering him nearly as much: he had realized there were much more frightening things in the world than some silly noises.

It was a few long, boring hours before another visitor came to speak to him, and Auros frowned as Sleipnir clomped up the stone steps to nod to him and ask curiously: “What is happening, friend?”

Auros shrugged a little, gesturing moodily down at the ghosts that were still cavorting around the outside of the moat: now the night had grown deep and clouds had obscured the moon's pale light, wraiths had appeared as well, grinning and slowly stalking around the fortress as if trying to size up their prey. “What you see.”

“Aye... and there, poor fool.” Sleipnir shook his head slowly as his eyes settled on the possessed pony, who cried up to him miserably... but there was an undercurrent of cruel amusement in her fearful tone, and her features were still twisted into a hideous, excited grin. “I was worried this would happen. Foul, tormented creature... and thou says these ghosts...”

“They are not my creations, no.” the Lich said stiffly, and Sleipnir only smiled at the undead unicorn, who felt a little stupid for his defensiveness.

But all the same, he cleared his throat and looked away before mumbling: “I don't want to know what Roch is doing. I... I tried to maintain order, you know. I was a good king. I was a strong king. I... look at what they've become without my guiding hoof!”

“Or perhaps they have become this because of how thou guided them.” Sleipnir said gently, and the Lich was stunned into silence by this before the earth pony reached up and squeezed Auros' shoulder gently. “But the past is the past: look now upon what the past has wrought and learn from thy mistakes, but do not dwell on it, nor what could have been.”

The Lich only lowered his head, not speaking, and for a little while there was silence between the two before Sleipnir asked quietly: “If I give thee thy phylactery, will it speed up thy healing? I do not know when the Dead King's army shall march upon us, but... every bit of strength would be welcome now. And I know thou shan't flee.”

“Oh really? You... you know me so well now, do you?” The Lich's voice lacked conviction or real venom, however, turning biting sarcasm into a meek question.

“Aye, I do.” Sleipnir replied kindly, smiling down at Auros. “Thou hast sought redemption thy entire life. Thou hast sought to do good and to be good, for the foolish way thou lived, treating others as less than they were worth, for selfishly hoarding thy love away... until the day it vanished, for not even vaults of iron can protect us from what destiny wills. But thou did not abandon thy friends, even if they always thought it so, did thou? Nay. Thou made this bargain in vain, to try and protect them. And thy failure to is not thy fault.”

The Lich shoved himself backwards, looking up with shock at Sleipnir as he nearly fell over, shaking his head weakly and whispering: “Y-You... you don't know... y-you couldn't know...”

Sleipnir only chuckled quietly, turning his eyes ahead and smiling as he said softly: “But thou told me. And while I am not as good as my nephew at reading ponies, I have always found it much easier than reading silly books and histories. Besides, for all thou claims to be mighty undead, thou wears thy heart upon thy sleeve... why, look at the way thou hast reached out to these ponies! Look at how thou treats thy imagined debt to me: not with grace, perhaps, but with stubborness and resolve. And those are much more valuable.”

The Lich looked away silently, rubbing at his face slowly before he shook himself quickly out. There was silence for a few moments, and then he lowered his head and whispered: “It was not my friends, you were wrong about that. It was my little brother. I was... I was supposed to watch him, he was... he was ill of mind. But instead, I made sport of him, even though he loved me, looked up to me... until the day... until the day I took the game too far.”

He lowered his head, trembling, before he looked up and almost pleaded: “People, all people, need a firm hoof and a guide! Need to be told what is right and wrong, and by any means necessary... otherwise they insist upon... upon this! Look at this violence, this escalation... look at what mercy wrought! When will you learn?”

Sleipnir only smiled kindly, and then he stepped forwards and reached up to squeeze the Lich's shoulder, looking down at him and replying gently: “I do see what my mercy has wrought, Auros. I look at the stallion who stands in front of me, and I know that I have done the right thing.”

Auros was dumbstruck by this, and then Sleipnir easily pulled the Lich into a brief embrace for a moment before he simply patted him on the back and strode away.

The Lich only sat with his head down for the longest time, rubbing quietly at his face. And early in the morning, he looked up and somehow found himself unsurprised to see Blueblood was striding towards him, the Lich surveying the stallion silently before he murmured: “I forgot how strong mortals are. It's so easy to call them frail when your body never tires or dies, but...”

Blue only shrugged slowly, smiling a little: he was wearing his armor, his sword sheathed over his back, his shaggy mane pulled back under his helm. “Well, coffee and a potion Sleipnir made for me have done wonders.”

The Lich smiled briefly, then looked silently out towards the empty fields: the phantasms had all retreated, abandoning the now-rotting corpse of the misfit they had been puppeting most of the night. The prince hesitantly stepped up beside him, then cleared his throat before he said softly: “Sleipnir is a rather difficult pony. From one monarch to another, he is the worst kind of subject: dirty, ignorant, constantly flouting the law. And worst of all, he's usually right.”

“I don't doubt Sleipnir. And I'm certain that he'll do everything he can to protect these ponies, and perhaps... I can admire that.” the Lich said softly, shaking his head slowly as Blueblood looked at him with surprise. “Not that I don't think he's an idiot for other reasons. If he hadn't shown mercy in the first place, we wouldn't be here.”

Blueblood only shrugged, replying after a moment: “Perhaps, but... I don't know. Sleipnir often doesn't do things that make sense to anypony but him, but... he... he is a better leader than I could ever be. Which certainly isn't saying much, but... he's helped me become a far better stallion.”

Auros only grunted, and the two looked towards the sunrise, and they shifted awkwardly before Auros finally asked: “Are you really Celestia's son?”

“I... no, Celestia is my Auntie.” Blueblood said, looking surprised as he looked over at Auros. “I'm her nephew. Sort of. She... she brought me into her family after I lost my parents.”

“I find it interesting that you don't seem to know much about magic, though. I could see that she taught you how to focus and control your magic quite well, but few actual spells.” the Lich said, and Blueblood cleared his throat awkwardly, looking lamely away and not wanting to admit that it was actually Sleipnir who had taught him how to focus. “I'd think the so-called 'Prince' should be able to move the sun himself by now.”

“I'm not really a prince.” Blueblood grumbled, feeling oddly defensive before he shook his head quickly, shifting a little before he glanced down at the emblem engraved over his breastplate. “I... well, I don't honestly remember what my special talent is supposed to be. I was always so focused on being... royalty, as if I had some claim to the throne, that...”

He quieted, and the Lich shook his head almost disapprovingly before he sniffed loudly and looked ahead. Blueblood only scowled at him, however, then said dryly: “Well, I don't even see a cutie mark on you, blank flank. And no matter what an awful prince I was, I certainly never drove my own people into staging a hunt for my head.”

Auros glowered over at Blueblood, and then he grumbled under his breath before looking back ahead, muttering: “My emblem isn't important anymore, I am a Lich. It's one of the things I gave up to become what I am now. And in any event, I don't know of any other Lich even half as powerful as I am, nor who managed to keep every detail of their old body present.”

“Luna's darling mare always did well with her own body, including her emblem. Of course, she would never let me inspect every inch of her, but Luna assured me many times over that yes, she was precisely the same as she was in life.” came Sleipnir's cheery voice, and Auros sighed as Blue smiled despite himself.

The enormous earth pony tromped up the steps to join them, then he peered for a moment over the wall before adding kindly: “'Tis good to see the two of thee having a chat. Aye, this is as good a time to be happy as any, for I fear that all too soon, we will be in the midst of battle and strife.”

Blueblood grimaced a little, and Auros scowled before he gestured outwards, saying distastefully: “Even if he's brasher and crueler than I remembered, there's no way that Roch is going to risk an assault in broad daylight... not when an army of the dead should have all the time in the world to simply sit outside these walls and let us die from within.”

“Aye, one would think that. And yet can thou not hear it?” asked Sleipnir, gesturing outwards: Auros frowned at this, and Blueblood hesitated before closing his eyes and raising his head, trying his hardest to do what Sleipnir always did, listening to the wind and the world and nature...

Blueblood frowned a little... and then his eyes widened in disbelief as he thought he heard... something. It was like a pulse, an impossible whisper; difficult to describe and yet something that sounded so familiar to him, like it had been everywhere he'd ever been all his life, and he'd just gotten so used to not listening for it, not acknowledging it...

As Blueblood stared dumbly into the air, Auros scoffed and shook his head shortly, saying sourly: “There is no possible way you can know anything of what's going on in Roch's camp. And I hear nothing. You may have some... strange talents, but... what? What is it?”

Auros scowled at the enormous earth pony, but Sleipnir only continued to smile warmly as he gestured easily past the Lich. And Auros followed his gaze to look with surprise at Blueblood, who had his ears swiveled to the south, staring into the distance as he whispered: “There's so many of them... S-Sleipnir, there's so many of them!”

“Aye, but we will survive this siege, fear not.” Sleipnir said gently, before he glanced up at the sky and murmured: “Nature will aid us: her winds have been cruel these last few days, and they will continue to blow, to bring down the weight of her hardest snow. And while the cold will do little, the weight of snow and ice will make even our enemies falter.”

Auros grimaced at this, then he shook his head and muttered: “A trick. That's all this is, another stupid little trick... well, I won't be deceived that easily, Sleipnir. And... and even if you are right, we have little to fear until tonight.”

But Sleipnir only looked out into the distance as Blueblood shook himself out, feeling strange as he hammered absently at the side of his head, shivering not at the cold, but at that strange pulse that seemed to be reverberating through his whole body. Like the ticking of a clock that he'd been used to for so long, it had just become part of daily life, but now that he'd reminded himself it was there, he could hear every tick and tock...

The Lich looked between the two of them, and then he sighed tiredly before asking dryly: “Oh, what, does your earth pony magic tell you what Roch is going to do?”

“Nay. But nature has warned me they are full of bloodlust and short of mind. They are afraid and angry, and not just of thee.” Sleipnir said softly, looking out into the distance. “When such an army marches, they show little in the way of patience or virtue.”

Auros grimaced a bit, and then Blueblood asked quietly: “What can I do to help? There must be something, Sleipnir... and I am honestly feeling much stronger than yesterday.”

Sleipnir studied the young prince for a moment, and then he said finally: “Aye, there is, and I see there is no deterring thou from helping, no matter how much I tell thee to rest. First, find Invidia and have her place several wards in the sewers, in case our enemy breaks in through the moat. Even once we set it ablaze, flames shan't last forever.

“Second, the munitions we created yesterday must be moved into the courtyard for easy access.” continued the earth pony, and Blueblood nodded quickly. “ I would do it myself, but the portcullis is still not repaired. I must see that the gate is dropped one way or another, and ensure the drawbridge is as secure as can be.”

“Alright, Sleipnir. I'll see to it right away.” Blue said quickly, and then he turned and hurried off, the earth pony watching him fondly as Auros frowned a little.

The Lich looked moodily towards the enormous earth pony, and then he said finally: “What is he, your child? Because you seem unnaturally attached to each other.”

“Nay, nay. I think of him as brother, really.” Sleipnir replied with a smile, shaking his head briefly. “It is simply... good to see him growing. He and I... we have traveled much together. Far and wide across Equestria, and I am proud to have him as a companion on this journey.”

The stallion halted, then shook his head slowly before he said softly: “Aye. I love him dearly, and I think that he has come to see me as a mentor. But I am not, not really. I teach and share with him what I can, but he teaches and shares just as much with me, whether he knows it or not. I am no ruler, no leader: any sway I have over his thoughts and decisions comes from what he gives me.”

“I doubt he knows that.” the Lich said wryly, and then he shook his head before studying Sleipnir meditatively. “The fact that you think so much of everyone is not a strength, Sleipnir. It's a weakness. It's a vulnerability.”

Sleipnir only gave the Lich that infuriating, ever-patient, ever-kind look in return, and then he smiled before saying gently: “If thou desires to help, perhaps thou can assist Jolly Roger. He is trying to prepare weapons and armor, but I fear he knows little of our foe, or what he is doing. He is a pirate, after all. Pirates are fond of their swingy swords, which will be of little use.”

The Lich grumbled a little under his breath, and then he nodded briefly before saying moodily: “I'll see what I can find that's iron, and teach the ponies how to deal with... my former people.”

Auros dropped his head, and then Sleipnir started: “This is not a betrayal on thy part, Auros, Thou art only-”

“You are only going to shut up.” Auros muttered, looking away with a grimace before his eyes flicked moodily back towards Sleipnir. “Let's keep one thing straight. I haven't made any promises. Whether I have a kingdom or not, I am still the Lich King, and... there... there is no other place for me in this world but beneath the earth.”

“Now thou sounds like these misfits.” Sleipnir remarked gently, and the Lich scowled darkly at the earth pony before Sleipnir turned and headed down the steps, calling over his shoulder: “Besides, there is no place at all for me in this world, and yet I seem to have adjusted quite well to it!”

The earth pony headed quickly to the front of the fortress, studying the raised drawbridge for a moment before he turned his eyes to the raised portcullis. The immense iron gate was stuck roughly halfway down, thanks to how badly rusted it was: he thought part of frame was bent as well, but it was difficult to tell with half the portcullis still hidden from sight.

Sleipnir spent at least an hour working on the gate, using mostly his bare hooves, brute force, and a little help from the giantess Bertha when she came along. But that was all he needed to eventually drag the gate down and firmly plant it into the ground.

“Thou art truly a wonder.” Sleipnir complimented the enormous mare, and she gave him a thin smile before he looked thoughtfully over at the wheel that controlled the drawbridge, asking meditatively: “Does thou think that perhaps now that I have fixed something, I should go ahead and break something else?”

Bertha grunted and nodded, and Sleipnir winked at her, saying cheerfully: “Thou truly are a mare after mine own heart, I shall have thee know.”

And then the stallion turned towards the wheel and grasped tightly into it before gritting his teeth and yanking as hard as he could, and the wheel groaned loudly before popping out of place, the chains around it rattling and clanking before Sleipnir shoved hard to the side, more gears popping and snapping out of place as the broken wheel was left anchored awkwardly, half in and half out of the foundation it had been set in.

Bertha grunted as Sleipnir looped the little loose chain he could around the large handles on the wheel, and then he glanced up curiously as a voice asked him disbelievingly: “What the hell are you doing? What... how are we supposed to get out of here now?”

“Believe me, Jack Lantern. The problem will be keeping the enemies out, not us inside.” Sleipnir replied, turning around with a nod and a grimace. “I do not wish to alarm thee, but the army of the dead is on the march, and it is rapidly cutting the distance towards us with each passing moment.”

“Oh no.” The old stallion gritted his teeth and shook his head, then he said uneasily: “We're... we're not ready for this, Sleipnir. These ponies are on the verge of panic and hysterics... at this rate, they're all going to want to cut and run or try and hide.”

Bertha growled and stomped a hoof, and Jack sighed tiredly, looking at her almost pleadingly. “Well, they're afraid, that's why. Most of the ponies here have spent their lives... running away from everything. Running away in order to survive.”

“Nay, running away was not what saved most of them. Running away was what caused so many of them the pains they faced.” Sleipnir said softly, and then he looked towards the keep, asking quietly: “How many will be able to fight?”

“Seven. Maybe.” The old pony muttered after a moment, and then he shook his head slowly. “They're frightened. You're asking them to fight a battle where even the Royal Guard would hesitate.”

Sleipnir only gave a brief smile, shrugging and responding: “We fight a fierce foe, aye, but the choice is to fight or to die. The Dead King's specters will not allow them to escape.”

“And how are we supposed to deal with those ghosts, anyway? What are you even planning, Sleipnir?” asked Jack Lantern almost angrily, and the enormous earth pony simply looked at the old stallion until he lowered his head and sighed, muttering: “I apologize. It... I just don't see how we're supposed to do this. How we're supposed to survive.”

“I cannot give any guarantees. All I can say is that so long as we all work together, we will figure a way through this. Together.” Sleipnir emphasized, and Jack nodded moodily before the vine-maned stallion strode past, saying quickly: “I shall marshal those I can find. Thou may find thyself surprised what the right encouragements can do for any pony.”

Jack only shrugged... but within two hours, Sleipnir had more than doubled the old stallion's estimate, and found no less than fifteen ponies willing to help with the defense of their home. Not to say the other ponies wouldn't be helping in their own way: two mares were on medical duty, and a group of ponies had been assigned to preparing food, keeping the lanterns burning, and other small but crucial tasks.

Auros had promised to keep an eye on the wards and to restore what magic he could: Sleipnir was unsurprised to find that Invidia had taken her own initiative and given the Lich his phylactery back, and wearing it seemed to be helping Auros regenerate and allowed him to cast a few small spells by drawing on the powers encased in the blood ruby. But what Sleipnir was most glad for was the fact that Auros was helping them of his own free will: he easily could have run off to hide, and perhaps with his phylactery, even made a quick escape through the sewers... but instead, here he was. Helping.

Invidia had vanished for now: not only to feed, but also to get some help from some 'demonic friends.' Sleipnir felt strangely uneasy about this, but at the same time, he recognized it was necessary: they would need every available hoof, after all. And he had learned not to turn down the help of even demons, just because it seemed strange to ally himself with the darker forces of the world.

Blueblood, lastly, would be on the rear wall, behind the keep: Sleipnir was afraid that the undead might try and sneak around the back of the fortress instead of simply yanking down the drawbridge and flooding inside, so Blue, two volunteer soldiers, and Betty Hear would stay on the northern ramparts, where they could alert Sleipnir if there were any attempts to sneak in.

Blue wasn't entirely happy to have been relegated to the back of the building, but he recognized that his job was important, and he knew he was still too weak and tired to be much use on the front lines. Sleipnir would guard the drawbridge and deal with the brunt of the forces, and Invidia and her demons would hopefully arrive before the undead army managed to force the bridge down.

The unicorn didn't think they'd have to worry about that too much, though: the drawbridge's chains had been nailed and clamped into place along either side of the enormous gate, and he didn't imagine the undead army had any dragons with them to yank the bridge down. Then again, he could still feel that uncomfortable pulse in his mind, and it made him feel like... like there was something bad coming, all the same. Something threatening, something... vile.

Sleipnir felt it too, and he grimaced a bit as he looked up into the snowy skies: everyone was in position, and a heavy, blanketing snow was falling, whipped now and then into miniature tornadoes of frost by the powerful winds that seemed to be haunting their fortress. The earth pony was half-glad, half-frustrated by it: on the one hoof, at least they wouldn't have to worry about any attacks from the dragon that had already been enough of a source of trouble for this fortress, but on the other, it concealed the approaching undead from view...

And he knew that everyone could feel it now: that army of the dead, drawing slowly but inexorably closer. Sleipnir could even hear them, pushing through the trees, clanking bone and metal together, and... heavy breathing, too, along with sounds that were almost bovine. He thought he recognized those sounds, and it filled him with loathing and contempt as he muttered: “In my Father's name... would they really practice the same arts they preached against?”

He leaned forwards over the battlements, scowling through the snow... and then he swore under his breath as he saw a massive black carriage drawing slowly closer, drawn by several pony skeletons in heavy harnesses, huge iron wheels crunching through the powder. There was an enormous, empty window in the front of the carriage, and he could vaguely see an armored figure inside, resting back with one foreleg draped over a huge axe...

Sleipnir leaned forwards as his eyes widened, and then the shape in the carriage leaned suddenly forwards, a cruel grin on the face of the zombie as he grinned coldly up at Sleipnir: not the skeleton mage, but instead the undead warrior who Sleipnir had refused to duel. “There you are! We have a score to settle, you and me... and this time, I don't think you're going to be able to run away!”

Sleipnir gritted his teeth, but the zombie only laughed loudly as he picked up his axe before leaping out of the carriage, his eyes gleaming beneath a spiky black crown. “Let me guess, you don't want to fight again? Well that's just fine. I don't want to duel you, either. I'm above that now. I am the King of the Dead, and you'll tremble before the power I have!”

The zombie slammed the axe into the ground in front of him, grinning cruelly as enormous, hunchbacked flesh golems strode up on either side of the carriage, chains that looked as if they had been melded into their bodies jangling over their forms.

And soon, they were joined by an entire horde: skeletons, zombies, flickering ghosts and hideous, ugly things wearing badly-put-together armor. Sleipnir swore quietly as the horde grew and grew by the moment, the Dead King laughing again before he gestured behind him with a sweep of his axe, saying darkly: “Do you see what we're capable of now? Do you understand that you should have all been good little boys and girls, and just given up Auros? We aren't going to let you surrender or show any of you fleshsacks any quarter! We're going to kill all of you!”

“I suppose we shall see.” Sleipnir said quietly, and then the earth pony shook his head slowly as he looked silently down over the army of the dead, before raising his head and asking clearly: “Where is the one named Roch?”

“Executed for treason, along with most of his mage friends. Never trust a magic user.” growled the Dead King, grinding his axe against the ground before he gestured over his shoulder with a cruel smile as a skeleton mage came forwards, holding a staff in his telekinetic grip... and Sleipnir bared his teeth in disgust as he realized that the crystalline staff was tipped with another unicorn's horn. “Although at least before they died, plenty of them decided to make one last donation to my new empire. To make up a little for their heresy.”

“Heresy? So thou would consider thyself a god now?” Sleipnir shook his head slowly, looking strangely disappointed before he muttered: “What foulness. What foolishness... what failure and ruin. Look upon thy army of shivering, fearful dead, and look at thy reflection, see what thou hast become. Oh, pathetic and wretched creature... how I wish the scales would fall from thine eyes.”

The Dead King only smiled cruelly, leaning up and saying coldly: “Oh, you think you're so clever, you think you're so capable... but you're neither, earth pony. You're just a wandering idiot with no home to go back to, and no warriors to call on.”

“Do not think that just because thou hast an army at thy beck and call, any one of them is a warrior, cur.” Sleipnir said coldly, shaking his head and looking disapprovingly down at the Dead King, before his eyes flicked slowly over the group: he could feel the mix of fear and anger and hatred that was running through their uneven ranks. He saw battered weapons and badly-maintained armor, he saw old siege equipment that had seen their glory days long ago and had been mishandled and damaged by the rough, long march here. “Aye. There are more warriors in my camp than there are in all thy kingdom.”

“Tough words. But that's all they are, words.” sneered the Dead King, and then he rose his axe above his head, shouting over his shoulder: “Auros is hiding inside, behind this mollycoddling clay pony and his friends! Let's tear down that bridge and show this weakling the might of our kingdom, and why the dead do not fear either mortals or the day!”

Some of his soldiers roared... and on the other extreme, some simply shifted fearfully, not moving even as their fellows pushed forwards to the edge of the trench. Sleipnir shook his head in disgust at how sloppy they were, then he grimaced as the undead began to pull loose chains from the sides of the golems: he realized now that all the chains melted into the sides of the creatures ended in long hooks, meaning these poor creatures had been transformed into living siege artillery.

Other skeletons had hurried forwards as ghosts began to rampage through the skies, laughing and cackling. The Dead King was shouting, egging on his troops, mocking and challenging them, but Sleipnir felt less fear and more like they were being besieged by angry, miscreant foals who still hadn't realized this wasn't a game.

The stallion only shook his head slowly, even as dead warriors grabbed grappling hooks and ropes to fling them wildly at the walls... but the fortress was tall and strong, the winds and snow fierce and heavy, and the undead not nearly as powerful as they thought they were.

“What do we do? They're going to get over the walls!” Butch shouted almost frantically as he hurried towards him, but Sleipnir only held up a hoof for silence, turning a serious, almost-cold gaze on the smaller earth pony.

Butch stumbled to a halt, swallowing thickly and looking up at the enormous stallion, who suddenly seemed imposing and unreadable, his presence making the smaller pony shrink ever-so-slightly. Then he followed Sleipnir's hoof as the vine-maned pony pointed down at the mass of undead, and Butcher watched as the grappling hooks fell into the pit or uselessly bounced off the stone walls.

One managed to actually lodge in place near the edge of the pit, and the skeleton tried stupidly to jump forwards, tugging on the rope... before yelling as the grappling hook ripped free of the ice and dirt, sending the undead soldier plummeting down with a loud crunch. Sleipnir shook his head in distaste as Butch smiled weakly, looking up at the stallion and touching his own chest as he mumbled: “I... I see, yeah. I'm sorry, Sleipnir, I didn't mean to go into hysterics like a scared filly on you.”

“'Tis fine.” Sleipnir smiled, and while he was still serious, it turned him from a menacing goliath back into the friendly stallion that the entire fortress had come to trust in. “Nay, we must not panic. There is no need to panic, for I recognize these foolhardy excuses for 'tactics;' spread word to be calm, and to not react unless a hook manages the top of the wall. But with both the weather and distance against them, they will likely exhaust themselves before they manage a way up.”

Butch nodded hesitantly, and then he turned and quickly headed down the battlements. Sleipnir smiled briefly before he turned his eyes forwards, almost sadly looking over the army of the dead.

His eyes settled on the Dead King, who was laughing, driving his forces on as they uselessly flung their rusted grappling hooks and shifted back and forth near the edge of the pit. Some of the other undead soldiers were pushing siege artillery and rolling walls into place, and a few were trying to assemble haphazard, rotten-looking ladders... but it almost hurt Sleipnir's heart to see how many of the soldiers were just sitting there, looking confused or like they were trying to hide.

Sleipnir shook his head slowly, then he sighed and pushed away from the battlements, ignoring the catcalls of the Dead King as he headed down into the courtyard. While the undead army had its tantrum outside, he could at least make sure they were stocked and ready for the conflict ahead. He knew now, after all, that it was going to be short and brutal and cruel, and as long as they kept their heads, their greatest weapon against the Dead King would be the warmonger himself.

That thought brought little comfort with it, but all the same, Sleipnir smiled faintly: not at the thought of destroying the enemy, but at the hope that they would be able to get through this with minimal pain and suffering for these misfits. He only hoped that when the Dead King was defeated, these ponies would remember to show mercy to those poor, tormented souls outside who had been too foolish to listen... and now were going to learn that those who lived by cruelty, died under the weight of their own sins.

The Dead King's Folly

Chapter Twenty Three: The Dead King's Folly
~BlackRoseRaven

When Sleipnir returned to the battlements only an hour later, he discovered that only three hooks had managed to actually managed to reach the wall, and these had all been quickly cut loose. The Dead King hadn't ordered any changes to his tactics, though, apparently content to sit back in his carriage and continue the full-frontal attack.

These were vicious, rabid tactics, and Sleipnir was sorely disappointed and disgusted by it. With only a little bit of patience, the undead army could have easily forced an engagement on their own terms by setting up a camp around the fortress. They even could have tried flanking them, or started building bridges of their own to bypass the moat.

The most strategy they had employed so far was to send several skeletons down into the bottom of the moat to try and find a weakness. And Sleipnir knew there were several walls that could be knocked down, niches and cracks to be exploited, and he hadn't had enough time to do more than put up a simple bulwark at the sewer entrance. But the scouting party had either miraculously missed all of that, or decided nothing they'd seen was worth the effort to try and take advantage of.

The ghosts had tried to carry the massive hooks chained to the flesh golems across to the drawbridge, but they had been repelled by the spirit wards and quickly given up. Now the unicorn mages were trying to literally fling the heavy hooks into place... and while Sleipnir knew they'd eventually succeed, it would clearly take much more luck than skill. And by the time they managed to bring the drawbridge down, Sleipnir would have his counterattack ready.

He had ordered the volunteers not to attack, but to instead study their opponents and to be patient. So apart from cutting a few ropes, there had been no real conflict with the enemy... and yet the Dead King's army had already lost at least ten soldiers, who had jumped, jostled, or tripped and fallen into the moat. It was doing quite a bit for the morale of the misfits, at least.

The biggest threat that Sleipnir could see were the mages: there were only three of them, but with their staves enhancing their magic, they were able to fling even the anchor-sized hooks around like toys. If they realized that they could start bombarding the walls with magic, then they might actually be a threat...

But they clearly took all their orders from the Dead King, and from what Sleipnir could see, the Dead King expected his troops to do nothing more and nothing less than what he told them. Or at least the ones he could see: there were plenty of undead soldiers now lounging around, and the earth pony was fairly certain that a few had already deserted.

Then the enormous earth pony grimaced as there was a loud clanking below, looking down with distaste to see that one of the mages had actually managed to hook an anchor into the drawbridge. For a few moments, he studied this silently, and then he shook his head before muttering: “Wretched fools.”

The army roared as the Dead King leaned out of his carriage with a callous grin, shouting some mockery or profanity, but Sleipnir barely paid any attention to it. He instead looked back and forth at his own soldiers, holding a hoof up before he turned to call calmly down into the courtyard: “Lock, Shock, Barrel! 'Tis time for the three of thee to trade off with Blue and his companions!”

The skeletons in the courtyard hurriedly saluted, then turned and bolted for the keep: Sleipnir had decided to rearrange the positions of the soldiers a little to better take advantage of the barbarianism and idiocy of the Dead King.

Then the stallion frowned in surprise when he saw Auros approaching, the earth pony hesitating only a moment before he left his post, shooting one last glance over his shoulder: but the three mages were actually doing a worse job now of hurtling their hooks, and one had already managed to tangle his chain in the line that had anchored to the drawbridge. Assumption was the mother of failure in war, but Sleipnir figured he had at least a few minutes more of safety.

He headed down to the courtyard as the Lich approached, asking quietly: “Is something wrong, my friend? 'Tis important that thou maintains thy post, and-”

“I want to talk to Brutus.” Auros interrupted, and Sleipnir cocked his head, then reached up and quickly caught the Lich before he could push past. The undead unicorn glared at him, but as Sleipnir only looked back, he eventually lowered his head and muttered: “I... I want to try and reason with him. Because he's... he's going to get my whole kingdom killed, otherwise.”

Sleipnir smiled at this, and then he nodded firmly before patting him on the back, saying quietly: “Then go, with my blessing.”

Auros looked up at Sleipnir for a moment, then he gave a brief smile before striding past. He headed quickly up the stairs to the top of the wall... and the moment he appeared, there was a great roar and commotion, flickering ghosts shooting straight at him and undead hurling rocks and grappling hooks at the former Lich King.

The snow had lightened, but the winds were still fierce, and the aim of even the best soldiers was wild enough that the closest any of them got to hitting him was a rock that flew over his head and arced down into the courtyard to bounce off Sleipnir's rump, making him yelp. Auros looked mildly over his shoulder for a moment at this, then he shook his head slowly before turning his eyes back forwards as the Dead King roared: “You! You dare to show your face?”

Another ghost shot towards the Lich, but he looked up with distaste before the spirit bounced off the invisible shield enshelling the fortress, the ghost squealing and zigzagging wildly away. Then the Lich turned his eyes back down to Brutus, saying coldly: “I should have known that you would turn on Roch at the first chance you got. I should have known that even with as much as he hated me, Roch would never have done these things to his own citizens. Oh, yes, he was cruel and he would have preyed on the mortals, and he certainly would never have hesitated to make me or his enemies thralls... but you? Look at what you've done to our own people!”

“They aren't our people, they are my servants!” Brutus shouted furiously back, slamming his axe down into the front of the carriage and cutting the wall beneath the front window in half. Then he snarled before ripping his weapon to the side, smashing a large chunk of paneling out of place so he could leap down out of the carriage and snarl challengingly: “Come down here and fight me, Lich King! Offer up these mortals as sacrifice and maybe I'll consider letting you live as a thrall instead of shoving you into the soul press!”

Auros lowered his head, and then he looked up and said quietly: “I am not you. Look at what you've done. All I ever wanted for us was peace and prosperity, and now...”

“Shut up! Shut up, come down here and fight! Fight me, and let me rip open your body and drink your blood and your spirit! Fight me, and let me prove that I am the rightful King of the Dead!” roared the zombie, leaning forwards as he stomped a leg savagely several times.

Auros looked moodily at this, and then he smiled thinly before saying in a patronizing voice: “Horn or not, I wouldn't want to take advantage of a cripple, Brutus. What's wrong, you couldn't reattach your poor hoof?”

Brutus snarled in fury at this, and then he roared angrily before suddenly flinging his massive axe at the Lich. It flew a surprising distance... but then arced downwards and fell, hammering uselessly off the drawbridge and falling into the moat below with a thud. “Come down here and I'll show you how crippled I really am!”

The Lich King was silent for a moment, and then he simply turned away from the wall as the army of undead all looked fearfully at their leader, who was all but frothing at the mouth, his eyes glowing with unnatural hate, his armored body trembling with animal fury before he suddenly turned and seized a skeleton, snarling: “Go get my axe!”

He flung the skeleton over the edge of the moat, the undead pony screaming until he hit the ground with a thud, and the Dead King's eyes blazed before he glared sharply over his shoulder. And immediately, fearful soldiers scurried towards the moat to slide and clamber down before the Dead King could take his temper out on them.

Auros approached Sleipnir, the Lich hesitating a moment before he looked up and said finally: “I... if we survive this, Sleipnir, I will help you on one condition. You must... I plead for mercy for my people. And... I don't even know what that means, whether that means you must let them return to their kingdom or... let them go free.”

“It means that thou hast not forgotten who thou art.” Sleipnir reached up and gently squeezed Auros' shoulder, smiling at him compassionately. “Thou hast glimpsed mercy, and glimpsed what the lack of compassion and love can cause. Thou hast weighed them, and understood which is grain, and which is chaff. And thou hast given me something to be proud of, no matter how this battle goes.”

Auros dropped his head, looking strangely embarrassed before Sleipnir glanced up as there was a loud thunking, and a roar from the undead army, followed by a bellow from one of the golems. And then Sleipnir sighed, shaking his head and muttering: “They are luckier than they deserve. Head into the keep and tell the noncombatants to prepare their shelters.”

The Lich grimaced, but he nodded and headed quickly on about his task. He passed Blueblood as the prince strode towards Sleipnir, and the earth pony smiled without looking around before he said softly: “Blue. 'Tis time for us to begin fighting these foes. I shall leave thee here to marshal the troops whilst I mount an ambush, in the hopes of slowing their offensive. Can thou do this for me?”

“You don't want to wait for Invidia?” Blueblood was surprised at how even his own voice stayed, and then he smiled briefly as Sleipnir only gave him an entertained look over his shoulder. “Of course not. Just... be safe.”

“As safe as I can be, fear not. But nature promises to cloak me as best she can.” Sleipnir smiled slightly as he looked up into the air... and Blueblood could swear that he not only heard something, some whisper in his mind, but the snowfall began to grow all the heavier.

Blue took a slow breath, and then he strode up beside the stallion before nodding firmly once, gazing up the stairs and saying quietly: “I... I won't disappoint you.”

“I know.” Sleipnir reached up and knocked twice on Blue's helm, making him wince a bit. “Remember, thou art not alone. Thou hast my whole family looking out for thee.”

Blueblood smiled wryly, glancing over his shoulder... and then he stared in disbelief as he saw that Sleipnir was already gone. He mouthed wordlessly for a moment, then shook himself quickly before hurrying forwards.

He took position at the head of the battlements, leaning down and grimacing as he saw one of the flesh golems was slowly trying to drag the drawbridge down, rumbling as its claws dug deep trenches in the earth. Chains clinked and clanked as the old wood of the bridge groaned loudly, shuddering already just from the one golem pulling on it. If the mages managed to anchor the other hook...

Blueblood looked back and forth, then he gestured quickly towards the ponies who were closest to him. They both approached hesitantly, Butch asking nervously: “Where's Sleipnir? We aren't supposed to leave our posts, I thought...”

“I want you to pass an order down the line. Have the ponies with crossbows move in to where they can get clean shots at the mages. The rest of you prepare your explosives. Once the crossbows fire, aim high and deep into the ranks of the army. Whatever you do, do not aim at the ones in front, near the moat. It's better to toss too far than too short.” Blueblood instructed quickly.

Both ponies looked surprised, then nodded hesitantly. They began to turn away, and Blueblood quickly added: “Keep quiet and low. Let's catch them by surprise.”

The ponies nodded, dropping a little and hurrying down the line, and Blueblood smiled grimly before he leaned forwards over the battlements to study the enemy's position.

The Dead King was back in his carriage, barking orders. Several skeletons were dragging the zombie's axe slowly out of the moat, and the mages were all clustered in one area. The ghosts were cycling through the air, and a few of them had started to angrily divebomb the undead infantry, taking out their frustrations on their own.

One golem stood on one side of the mages, and the other was inching forwards towards the forest, the drawbridge groaning as it fought to stay raised against the creature's massive strength. But the snow and frozen earth were both making it hard to get good footholds, at least, and it seemed to be tiring, little by little.

Blueblood shook his head slowly... then glanced up as the three ponies who had been given crude crossbows all approached. They all had bolts loaded... although after a moment, Blue realized that one of the ponies had loaded the weapon backwards somehow, and he sighed before holding a hoof out, saying moodily: “Here.”

The pony blushed deeply and passed the weapon to him, covering her mouth as Blueblood quickly reloaded the weapon properly... and then stared when the mare simply turned and ran away, whimpering. He blinked slowly at this, and then one of the other mares said awkwardly: “She's always been sensitive. Uh... sorry?”

“Wonderful. And I used to want to be in charge of ponies.” Blue muttered moodily, and then he looked down at the crossbow in his hooves before grimacing. Here goes, I suppose... “We're going to aim at the mages. Lean up and look at them. Don't draw attention to yourselves, just look at them and tell yourself that's where you're going to fire.”

The ponies looked nervous, but they did what he said... which was just repeating what Sleipnir had taught him. Blueblood took a slow breath, doing the same himself before he slowly brought up his crossbow, muttering: “Now take aim...”

The two ponies brought their weapons up... and one fired prematurely, sending a bolt shooting down into the ranks of the undead army and knocking a skeleton sprawling. Immediately, a roar went up from the ranks... and unfortunately, the other ponies all took it as a sign to leap up from hiding behind the battlements to fling their homemade explosives over the walls.

Blueblood swore, glaring furiously at the pony who'd fired, and he flushed and scrambled to reload his crossbow; instead, he fumbled the quiver of bolts, sending ammunition spilling all over the walkway before he scrambled to pick it up... and in his hurry, flung his crossbow to the side, sending it plummeting down into the courtyard to shatter into splinters.

Blueblood swore again angrily, then spun around and leaned quickly over the edge as the second pony fired, her shot going wide and smacking into the flesh golem, with roared loudly and shook itself angrily. Then she screamed when one of the mages snapped his staff upwards and sent a massive fireball hurtling past, Blueblood wincing to the side before he took aim, gritting his teeth and feeling frustrated and furious and-

There was a sharp pulse in his mind, and it felt like... like something seized him, wrapping him up in a tight embrace that was both loving and firm. His breath caught in his chest, anger draining out of his body as surprise was steadily drowned out by a sense of calm and control, before he heard a whisper in his ear, telling him to trust himself, and trust in the wind...

He aimed down at a mage... and then shifted his aim slightly to the side under that voice's guidance. And when that wordless pulse in his mind told him to fire, he pulled the trigger without hesitation, sending the bolt streaking through the wintry air.

It was buffeted by a shriek of wind on the way down, the bolt rolling to the side in the air... and then slamming straight through the skull of one of the mages, knocking backwards in a broken heap as its staff sizzled wildly with energy. The weapon fell to the ground and unleashed a tremendous blast of arcane force, and the other two mages were buffeted high into the air, one of them crashing backwards into the Dead King's carriage and the other flailing wildly through the air before he dropped into the moat with a scream.

The flesh golems both roared and went into a panic, the one that was caught on the drawbridge pulling harder, wildly yanking on its chains as the other living siege engine bolted, smashing through the ranks of undead soldiers as the chains lashed back and forth behind it, devastating its own allies until the anchors caught in the frozen earth and ripped furrows through the ground as the monster stumbled, then fell face-first with a tremendous bang as skeletons and zombies scattered.

Blueblood gaped in disbelief... and then he looked dumbly down at the crossbow in his hooves before shaking himself out and quickly throwing the weapon to the stunned pony who had dropped his. “Here, just... just aim and shoot! We can do this! We-”

And then the unicorn was cut off as there was a tremendous groaning from below before the drawbridge was torn out of place, falling with a tremendous crash as the panicking flesh golem flopped forwards. Blueblood stared with horror as the Dead King booted the stunned skeleton mage out of the way, grinning viciously as he leapt down from his carriage and shouted: “Bring out the sappers! Do your duty for your King!”

Blueblood's horror only grew as he saw the army breaking rank, most of them fleeing in all directions... but out of the crowd, skeletons with what looked like barrels shoved inside their ribcages were charging straight for the bridge.

“Shoot them! Stop them!” Blue shouted, and then he turned and leapt down the stairs, gritting his teeth as he bolted across the courtyard towards the storage area.

He skidded to a halt, snapping his horn out to heft up an entire barrel of lantern oil even as his whole body twitched with pain at the exertion, before he stumbled around in a circle and ran straight back towards the doors. He gasped for breath as he sprinted towards them as he saw the sappers drawing rapidly closer before he glared up at the keg of oil.

The cork tore itself out of place, fuel sloshing out as Blueblood ran to one corner of the gate before skidding around and running straight across, upending the barrel at the same time to leave a gush of oil in his wake. Then he flung the barrel down against the badly-anchored wheel before turning to try and run-

A sapper smashed itself into the iron bars before it drove a hoof into a pressure fuse on its own belly, sending up a brief crack before there was a tremendous explosion. The rusted portcullis was warped and mangled by the blast, and Blueblood was sent hurtling with a howl of pain through the courtyard, crashing bonelessly down on his face and rolling violently several times to a broken sprawl.

Several more sappers leapt into the portcullis only moments later, and chunks of metal flew in all directions as the broken wheel was knocked tottering out of place. The maw of the archway became an inferno as the barrel of lantern oil exploded, the fires flaring higher as the Dead King laughed loudly, then shouted eagerly: “Go! Go, go, go!”

Undead soldiers roared and swarmed forwards onto the bridge even as volunteer soldiers yelled and pelted them from above with explosive projectiles: some of these missed, however, falling into the trench and igniting the trap below prematurely, the entire moat filling with flames in moments. But the only purpose it served now was to make it impossible for anyone to escape through the sewers, as the undead swarmed eagerly towards the front door of the fortress...

Except the first wave of skeletons and zombies screamed in agony as they tried to shove through the firewall, panicking before flinging themselves backwards into their own ranks. And the Dead King stared in disbelief as gold-tinged flames leapt from soldier to soldier almost greedily, spreading through the ranks of his army before a sapper that had gotten caught up with the rest of the group squealed as it caught in the middle of group of suddenly-burning bodies.

It exploded with a tremendous bang, blowing apart part of the archway and tearing a chunk out of the thick wood of the drawbridge, making it shudder as undead spilled like fiery tears off either side of the span. Immediately, the rest of the Dead King's army tried to backpedal wildly, knocking a few more unfortunates into the inferno now raging below.

A few mangled skeletons stumbled weakly through the other side of the flames, but they collapsed in bursts of ash, all life fading quickly from their bones. The volunteer soldiers who hadn't panicked and tried to run for safety were left staring with shock, as Blueblood groaned weakly before slowly picking himself up, breathing hard as he shivered and looked over his shoulder.

Just as Auros and Sleipnir had promised, the lantern oil had been enchanted after all... and the unicorn smiled weakly before coughing a few times, then grimacing and spitting out a wad of blood. He shivered once, his whole body shaking with pain but the stallion forcing himself to look up, then shout in a rough voice: “You, uh...”

He couldn't remember their names, or what they were supposed to do. He could barely focus through the haze, the prince gritting his teeth and rubbing uneasily at his face before he yelled harshly: “Crossbow ponies, stay on watch there! The rest of you get... get down here!”

The volunteer soldiers that remained hurried down, even as Blueblood swayed blearily on his feet, and he coughed a few times before pointing at a big earth pony: Bob or Hutch or... Booth or something. “Y-You. Get... get more barrels of oil, it's going to burn up quickly and we need to... to hold them off for as long as we can. You three, get... we need to build a barricade. And you, you need to go... check on the tunnels. Make sure... make sure the fire isn't spreading inside the building.”

“Yes, sir!” The ponies all listened, at least, even though the big one hesitated a moment, looked at him with worry. But Blueblood only smiled briefly, shaking his head a bit and signaling that he was fine, before the unicorn forced himself to head back towards the stairs leading up to the battlements.

He stumbled a little as he made his way up to the top, and he had to take a moment to breathe once there, shivering and closing his eyes. He could hear the Dead King yelling orders, and the clash of grappling hooks against stone as well as the sound of the crossbows twanging away... but it was all blurring together, confusing him...

He found himself searching for that strange pulse without even realizing it, and he shivered a bit as he felt it touch his mind, felt the wind seem to stroke his face, teasing a bit of stray mane that had come out from under his helm. His eyes blinked open, and he felt the pulse in his mind thump sharply, making him grimace a little before he straightened slowly and murmured: “Right... right, don't... don't get distracted. Sleipnir, where the hell are you...”

Blue looked down... and then he flinched to the side when a grappling hook flew past before it yanked back, catching on the wall. The skeleton at the end of the line immediately leapt forwards and began to haul himself up the line, and Blueblood frowned almost curiously as he leaned over the hook and tapped it a few times with one hoof. “How many of these do they have? They should be... securing these at the bottom of the line, right?”

He continued to stare almost quizzically at the hook until the skeleton finally shoved his head up over the battlements, reaching out and clawing wildly at the wall. Then the undead pony stared at Blueblood as Blueblood looked almost querulously back, before saying with strange regret: “Sorry.”

Blue reached out and gently shoved the skeleton backwards by the head, and it grabbed madly at the snow-slicked battlements before slipping loose and toppling down into the trench. Then the unicorn grimaced before simply flicking the hook off the edge of the wall, muttering: “I don't think they know what they're doing.”

He rubbed slowly at his forehead, then frowned as he heard yelling before looking over his shoulder... and swearing loudly, the burst of horror he felt run through his system drowning out the daze he'd fallen into as he saw the ponies had tried to build the barricade too close to the flames, and it had caught on fire as well. He dashed down the stairs... then stared in horror as he saw it leap across a board to a barrel even as Butcher ran forwards, the prince spinning around and shouting: “No, stop!”

But just as Butch began to look over his shoulder, there was a terrible explosion of fire and heat and pain, Blueblood crashing down on his back and skidding over the courtyard as screams of agony went up. He gasped, blood flying from his mouth, then dropped backwards, choking on his own blood until he rolled on his side and vomited.

Tears stung his eyes his face scalded, his armor burnt and horribly, horribly awake: there was no loss of self or consciousness this time, as Blue slowly looked up with horror to see Butcher's smoldering corpse laying brokenly nearby, along with several of the other volunteer soldiers. And worse yet, as he watched, the battlements above the battered and broken archway trembled before collapsing in an avalanche of stone and shale, dragging down one of the crossbow ponies as the other barely managed to throw herself away.

Blue trembled in horror as yells, and worse yet, cruel laughter cut through the air... and a moment later, there was a shout, orders that barely made sense to Blue's buzzing ears. He breathed hard as he tried to crawl for his hooves, struggling and trembling... but when he next rose his head, he found himself staring with dread at the sight of the Dead King limping towards him, a cruel grin on the zombie's face, his executioner's axe gleaming as the army of the dead followed him over the smoldering stone that had suffocated the flames.

He laughed loudly as he approached Blue, and the ivory unicorn tried to shove himself up to his hooves... then swore in pain as a hoof slammed across his face, stumbling backwards but at least managing to get himself standing. He gasped, blood running from his mouth as he trembled hard, glaring at the Dead King as the dead warrior sneered: “Look, the pup's all alone! I guess the big coward ran while the running was good, huh?”

The Dead King laughed again, and then he leaned forwards, asking mockingly: “Now what about you, colt? Are you going to run away and cry or are you going to help me find the Lich King?”

Blue steadied himself, then trembled and gritted his teeth. And a moment later, his silver sword lit up before it shakily drew itself, shivering in the air as the Dead King grinned widely. “N-Neither. Stay... stay back.”

“Or what?” asked the Dead King derisively, and he stepped forwards before slapping Blueblood across the face with the flat of his axe, knocking the unicorn staggering before a skeleton leapt up behind the stallion and caught him, then shoved him to the ground.

Brutus laughed once more at this as several of the undead soldiers cheered, and the soldier who'd shoved the prince down kicked him roughly in the side before he hurriedly scuttled away, joining the crowd as it formed a rough circle around the two. Blueblood breathed hard, trembling on the ground, his silver sword somehow still floating beside him as the Dead King asked patronizingly: “Do you need a nap, little colt? Or what's wrong, you waiting for your daddy to come save you?”

“He's not... my 'daddy...'” Blueblood murmured, and then he trembled for a moment, closing his eyes... and he felt the pulse in his mind. He felt it spread through his entire body, felt the snow spreading a numbing, soothing cold through his side as the wind whispered down across his body, and Blue gritted his teeth before he rolled onto his stomach and began to stand.

Brutus reached forwards and seized him by his helm, then forcefully yanked Blueblood up and forwards, sending him stumbling past towards the crowd before another eager soldier leapt out of the ranks of undead and punched Blue across the face. The prince staggered back a step, but then caught himself before his eyes snapped open with a snarl, and the skeleton almost fell over as he hurriedly jumped back into line as the others only chortled.

The Dead King grinned and gestured at his soldiers to cheer louder, obviously thinking it was all about him as he strode back and forth. Blueblood, meanwhile, took the opportunity to steady himself as the wind whipped past, the snow lightening as Blue heard a whisper in his mind, felt a strange tremor run through his body as he dragged himself around in a circle.

Brutus turned towards him, and the zombie grinned widely before stepping forwards and saying mockingly: “Oh, what's wrong, yearling? You fall down and hurt your face? Don't worry, it's an improvement on that ugly mug of yours.”

The Dead King reached up and mockingly patted Blueblood's cheek, and then he suddenly drew his hoof back before roughly slugging the prince across the muzzle. Blue stumbled with a curse, and two undead behind him hurriedly stepped forwards and shoved him roughly down, sending him crashing down on his knees in front of the Dead King, who only grinned again as he spread a foreleg wide and taunted: “Oh, I'm sorry, but I'm not a colt cuddler like you! Or are you begging for your life? I really can't tell with the way you seem to be drooling all over the sight of a real stallion like me!”

Blueblood kept his head low, trembling and breathing hard: he was terrified, and he was in agony, but it was like... like he could feel the earth pulsing beneath him, and like the wind was carrying whispers and wisdom to him, telling him to wait, to wait, even as blood ran from his mouth and his silver sword trembled in the air beside him, and he was getting so cold...

The Dead King grinned coldly, and then he slammed his axe to the ground in front of Blueblood: the blade scratched just across his muzzle, but the stallion barely flinched as Brutus leaned over his weapon and said softly: “Tell you what, though. You bow your head low, and I'll make it nice and quick for you. And when you get to hell, I'm sure they'll let you get your mouth around all the stallions you want, with a pretty face like yours.”

Blue trembled, and then he lowered his head almost humbly as the pulse soothed him, and the Dead King grinned widely as he slowly reared back, hefting his massive, heavy axe leisurely, drawing it out as he basked and reveled in the adulation and the fear of the undead soldiers around him. His eyes glowed with delight and his head raised proudly as he posed with his weapon, puffed out his chest, displayed his total dominance...

And time almost froze as the zombie posed proudly over the stallion, and the prince's eyes snapped open as the pulse roared like a lion.

Blueblood was on his hooves in a flash as his sword shot upwards, and the Dead King didn't even have time to scream as the silver sword tore upwards through his exposed throat and out of the back of his skull. His eyes bulged with horror as Blue slammed both his hooves up into the handle of the weapon, sending the hilt slamming into the zombie's neck before the unicorn roared as he yanked to the side with all his strength.

The zombie's face all-but-exploded as the crown was torn in half and flung off the Dead King's head, Blue staggering to the side as his silver sword bit into the ground. Brutus spasmed, dropping his axe as he collapsed to his knees, the single eye remaining in his head filled with horror and disbelief before Blueblood snarled and gave a raw, desperate yell as he put all his weight into another vicious swing, this time hitting the back of the zombie's neck... and less than a second later, burying his silver sword into the ground.

Brutus' head toppled from his shoulders, rolling away as the undead soldiers stared in horror. The Dead King's body trembled for a moment as ichors spilled from the wound, and then the zombie's body collapsed... and a moment later, Blueblood trembled before falling to the ground himself, breathing hard but glaring defiantly at the Dead King as the zombie stared at him weakly.

Brutus tried to mouth something, tried to shake his head... and then he spasmed once before both his body and head began to steam violently. And then all life vanished from his form as his flesh rapidly rotted away into nothing but a few reeking pieces of meat and ancient, yellowed bone.

The undead soldiers looked fearfully back and forth between themselves before one of them drew a knife, stepping towards Blueblood... but before he could take even another step, there was a loud roar, and then the sound of one of the flesh golems howling before it was followed by a clap like thunder. The earth seemed to shake beneath their hooves, and the undead looked at each other with shock for a moment before there was a second bleating, a sound of smashing... and then silence.

The soldier trembled, then almost leapt on top of Blue, raising his knife high-

A rock shot through the air and smashed through the skeleton like it was made of paper, sending chunks of bone and rusted armor flying in all directions as it collapsed in a heap of dead debris. And all the undead stared as Sleipnir slowly, calmly approached over the rubble of the gate, the earth pony saying evenly: “I would not recommend that.”

Blueblood smiled faintly from the ground, looking up as Sleipnir simply shoved through the ranks of the undead before he crouched beside the stallion, gently reaching out to rub along his back as he said softly: “I apologize, my friend. It took me longer than I expected to circle around the encampment... and while I had hoped to draw their attention to me, thou ended up drawing their attention to thee. But thou hast done well... better, better by far than I ever could have asked.”

Blueblood only trembled and shook his head, then he whispered: “No. I didn't... I... Butcher, and the ponies, and-”

“Shush now. Shush. We shall mourn them when this is over. But first, my brother, we must attend to thee... and to those who remain on the battlefield.”

Sleipnir slowly straightened, surveying the undead soldiers with calm eyes, and the group looked with palpable fear back and forth between themselves before the surviving skeleton mage stepped forwards out of the group, raising his staff and snarling: “You may have won a victory today, but we'll be back... we are Death! You cannot stop Death, mortal!”

“I have met a Death or two in my time, creature, and I am very glad to say he has never worn thy guise.” Sleipnir said courteously, before he reached down and calmly picked up the Dead King's broken crown, asking evenly: “So what, does thou proclaim thyself the new ruler?”

“I... yes! I am the King of the Dead now! And I will never forget what you have done here!” shouted the skeleton mage as he rose his staff high, his eyes blazing with hellish light. “Now you will let us leave, or I will have my armies rip apart this festering mortal tumor!”

“Very well. Then here, thou requires thy crown.” Sleipnir said unhurriedly, and the skeleton mage had enough time to tilt his head before the stallion flung it viciously like a discus, the spiked circlet smashing through the skeleton mage's skull and reducing its head to dust.

The skeleton mage trembled for a moment, then fell slowly backwards as his staff sparked violently, and undead flung themselves out of the way before it exploded in a tremendous bang. But Sleipnir didn't so much as flinch, only smiling even as his eyes remained cold. “Perhaps all of thee can take this as a lesson. Thou art free to pick up the crown... but one must consider its weight before thou places it upon thy head.”

The undead soldiers drew back as the last of their resolve crumbled... and then several of them simply cut and run, and they were shortly followed by most of the horde. The rest only shrank down, staring up at the earth pony with either fear or miserable resignation, but Sleipnir barely spared these undead a glance before he knelt by Blueblood and asked quietly: “Can thou stand?”

Blue hesitated, and then he nodded slowly before gritting his teeth. His whole body trembled with pain as he forced himself up, and Sleipnir smiled faintly as he allowed the stallion to stand on his own power. Then the earth pony quickly picked up his silver sword, wiping the ichors clean with a bit of snow before he sheathed it carefully over the unicorn's back, murmuring: “Thou did well. How did it feel? And how did thou wield thy blade?”

“I...” Blue stopped, looking down before he closed his eyes, murmuring: “I'm not sure. I wanted to protect Auros... but... I also wanted to kill that... that bastard. And I did. I did, because... there was... something guiding my hooves.”

He stopped, then looked quietly towards the ruined maw of the fortress, trembling as he saw the corpses of the ponies laying amidst the smoking stone before he whispered: “Look at what I've done, Sleipnir... I... I'm so sorry...”

“No, no. Enough of that, enough...” Sleipnir soothed, reaching up and gently rubbing along the stallion's back, and then he turned his eyes out towards the silent undead. There were at least half a dozen of them who hadn't run, and the earth pony rose his head before asking calmly: “Why are all of thee still here?”

They looked between themselves, and then one hesitantly stood up, the pale, mostly-whole pony trembling a little before bowing his head forwards and whispering: “We have nowhere else to go, my lord. The... the Kingdom of the Dead has fallen. We have no Lich King, no King of the Dead. We have nowhere to go...”

“Yes, you do.” came a sharp voice, and all eyes turned towards Auros as the undead unicorn strode calmly out of the keep, keeping his head high and proud. The undead ponies all turned towards their former Lich King, and Sleipnir softened a little as Auros halted in front of his surprised audience.

The Lich looked slowly over his former subjects... and then he suddenly lowered his head, closing his eyes and saying quietly: “I... I am sorry for everything that has happened. I tried to protect you. I tried too hard, and made our paradise a cage, and Brutus took advantage of all of you, and your fear, and my... failure. I do not deserve this, but I... I ask that you all come with me. Sleipnir, please let them come with me, and let us help you. Maybe it's not much of a step towards redemption for me, but I think it would at least be a start.”

Sleipnir smiled faintly, and then he shook his head slowly before saying softly: “Look, Blue. Such wisdom. How fortunate am I, to bear witness to fools growing into wise stallions all around me... while I get to continue to be nothing but a silly foal myself?”

He laughed quietly, then looked up and smiled faintly, nodding and saying softly: “Thou asked me for mercy for thy subjects before. So I have shown them mercy and reprieve. Outside these walls are others, and while the ghosts can do little to harm thy friends and allies, they still heckle and deride and frustrate the undead who remain in the ruins of the field. I will invite thee, new friends, to make thy choice now: either leave this encampment in peace, to find thy way across Equestria... or go, spread word of this offer to those who have not yet broken away, and remain here with us.”

There was silence for a moment, and then one of the undead looked up before asking meekly: “H-Honest, sir? That's... you don't want anything else from us?”

“I require nothing else. But if thou will... help us lay our fallen friends to rest... I think it would be appreciated by all the ponies of this place.” Sleipnir replied gently, and the undead shuffled uncomfortably before the earth pony added: “And if any of thee like, know that we shall help attend to thine own fallen companions.”

There was quiet, broken only by the sound of more hooves hesitantly approaching. Blue dragged his head up to see Jack Lantern and other ponies walking towards them, looking afraid, looking hurt, looking ill... and as Jack began to open his mouth, Blue said before he could stop himself: “The dead ponies... it's not their fault.”

Sleipnir frowned, as Jack looked sharply towards Blueblood, and the prince trembled before dropping his head, whispering: “I gave... I was an idiot. The barricade I had them build caught fire, our store of oil exploded... I am the responsible pony here. Not... not these people. I am.”

Jack Lantern looked silently at Blue, before a pony cried out and ran away from the crowd, lunging towards the fallen body. Sleipnir reached up and silently squeezed the prince's shoulder, but Blue only stared at the ground before Jack whispered: “We've all seen enough death for now. We... we need to... deal one thing at a time.”

“Of course.” Sleipnir said softly, and then he looked up and smiled faintly as the snow began to lighten, saying quietly: “Fear not, my friend. For soon, thou shall close thy eyes, no longer than a blink, and when thou opens them, thou shall look at friend and foe side-by-side, and see only pony. Thou shall see only people, no matter how different we are on the outside... but both of us mourn, both of us feel, and both sides of the battlefield, today, have lost much. Have lost too much...”

Sleipnir squeezed Blueblood silently around the shoulders, and the unicorn trembled as Jack only shook his head slowly, then began to turn away. Except the old stallion's eyes were drawn by a scream, and he looked up sharply to watch as Steele flung herself at one of the skeletons in armor, who only took her useless blows before he reached up and caught her by the shoulders as she half-collapsed.

She looked up at him for a moment, and the skeleton simply stood for a moment before his hooves slipped silently back and pulled her close. And Steele trembled uselessly before she began to sob, her hooves grinding over rusted armor before clinging into his shoulders as she cried.

Jack stared for the longest time, and then his eyes looked disbelievingly towards Sleipnir, and the earth pony smiled faintly through the unshed tears in his eyes as he said quietly: “The cruelest truth of war, my friend, is that we are all merely people. People, in service to another, doing what we think is right... doing what we must to simply survive. We are all people.

“And we must never forget that, 'lest we risk becoming less than pony ourselves.”

As darkness fell outside the encampment, the torches and lanterns were lit with new oil, making the ruins of the fortress as bright as burning day. Sleipnir and many others had worked for the rest of the day on fashioning coffins for the ponies who had died, and the bodies had been laid quietly into them and carefully arranged near the center of the courtyard.

Wraiths and ghosts floated and hissed around the exterior of the fortress, kept out by the spiritual wards, but refusing to leave what they saw as easy prey behind. And Invidia hadn't returned yet, which made Blueblood wonder silently if she had abandoned them, as he sat quietly in only his cloak across from the coffins.

He hated coffins. He hated funerals. He hated the living dead. And yet here he sat, staring miserably at them, preparing himself as much as he possibly could for tomorrow, when they would dig their graves and lay these bodies to rest. Just the thought of a grave made him shake with fear, but he did his best to swallow it back: at least all the time he was spending around the undead ponies was starting to desensitize him to their presence a little.

There were quite a few undead wandering around the fortress, after all: even now, many of them were quietly working, hauling stone and debris away to toss into the moat or at the edge of the forest, clearing up wreckage and taking the remains of their fallen allies to throw into the great bonfire burning outside. They had used blessed oil to light it, so the ghosts and wraiths were staying far away from the purifying flame, and the camp that Auros had further protected with a few more totems and wards he had carved.

They weren't so bad. They were sheep-like and easily bullied and frightened, maybe, but they weren't so bad. Blueblood smiled faintly at this thought as he looked down, biting his lip before he lowered his head and thought that maybe they weren't so different from the misfits, though: the misfits had been told to trust in them, and they had, and now Butcher and three others were dead.

The prince closed his eyes tightly... then frowned a little as he heard a quiet crunching through the snow before looking up to see Auros striding towards him. And after a moment, Blueblood rose his head slightly in surprise as he saw a new, proud horn was standing out of the undead unicorn's skull... although it seemed oddly... mismatched.

The Lich caught Blueblood's look, then he gave a wry smile as he stopped and shrugged, gesturing up at his horn with his eyes. “One of the skeleton mages... left this behind. I decided to see that it was put to use.”

Blueblood shivered despite himself, looking back towards the graves, and Auros chuckled quietly before he murmured: “I suppose that I can understand how that concept is... unpleasant to you. But this is not the first body I've worn. I was surprised to learn that Sleipnir and I have rather similar views on the subject: our bodies are only... clothing. We wear them until they are used up, and then we shed them, and... move on.”

“Except when you take off your clothes, you usually don't die. Although I know that applies more to me than you.” Blueblood muttered, and then he added dryly, as the Lich gave him a flat look: “And even I didn't wear clothes every day. And I used to be... noble.”

Blue laughed a little, shaking his head slowly at his own bitter joke, and Auros studied him for a few moments before he looked across at the dead bodies, asking: “Why are you afraid of death? And I don't mean in the sense that many of the other ponies here are. You fear death as a concept, not the experience of dying.”

The prince was silent, and the Lich studied him for a few moments before Auros shrugged and looked back at the graves, saying quietly: “I apologize, then. And Blueblood... this was not your fault.”

“Yes, it was. I was responsible for the orders I gave them.” Blue murmured, looking down and closing his eyes. “It's a sick joke, Auros. I have done more damage to this whole encampment than an entire army of the dead did.”

“Would you like me to patronize you and tell you that you did the best you could? Is that what you want to hear, so that you can be angry, and hurt, and upset?” the Lich King asked distastefully, and Blue glared over at the undead unicorn before the Lich King looked towards the bodies and said in a softer voice: “Because I am not going to indulge your self-pity, Blueblood. You don't get to be self-pitying, because you fought with more bravery today than I have shown in my entire miserable life. Even if you're guilty of these imagined sins, your honest mistake only cost four lives: no matter how infinite their sum, it is nothing compared to the dozens of lives I have inflicted death and suffering and hell upon with my honest desire to... to help.”

Blue shifted silently, softening as he looked across at Auros as the Lich lowered his head, before he closed his eyes and whispered: “I am scared... no, more like terrified, of death. You see, when we die, Blueblood, we leave our lives behind. We fall into the great sea of souls within our planet, where we are supposed to be cleansed and purified, and then we're reborn. As... as anything from a blade of grass to a mighty dragon.”

Auros stopped, then looked over at Blueblood, meeting his eyes as he continued in a murmur: “Some ponies say that what we become in the next life is based upon how we acted in this one. And some ponies believe that... in the sea of souls, we can meet our lost and loved ones. For one final conversation, for... for judgment, too, I suppose.”

Auros' eyes flicked to the side, and then the Lich shivered and hugged himself, looking back at the coffins and whispering: “I imagine every day, dying, and going down to that sea, and seeing all the people I have failed. I thought with all my power, with eternal life, I could help more ponies. Instead, I... I simply have more ponies to fail, to watch wither away and die, languishing in disease and torment. There are so many woes in this world, and even if you fix some poor pony's problems, another one arises: out of luck or the audacity of others or his own idiocy.

“So... I thought that I would gather the others like me. The undead are feared, Blue, but... but most of us are far more frightened of you than you are of us. The bodies of the dead are brittle, and we do not heal like you do. The cold loves us, but fire loves our taste far more. And there is such... pain and darkness that opens up in our hearts and minds, always threatening to swallow us up...

“Look at how magnificently I failed, though. When... unstable elements arose in my kingdom, what did I do? I locked them up. I... I foolishly created a breeding ground for creatures like Roch and Brutus, who wanted to challenge me... perhaps not entirely unfairly. And when I grew more and more desperate and... and more fond of my power, why lie... I became the anathema of everything I had once striven to be. And when I tried to shove all my problems into the abyss I created, they just came crawling back out as monsters... and then I... I crafted something unforgivable. For five hundred years, I never took a single life, and then...”

Auros halted, then he simply gestured silently around, finishing: “And now, here we are. Et voila. And thus your petty responsibility is nothing compared to my grand misorchestration.”

The Prince of Equestria looked silently over at the Lich King, and then he shook his head slowly before he said quietly: “Is there any point in comparing our faults, Auros? Whether you're right or wrong, I still feel hollow.”

The Lich smiled briefly, looking towards the coffins before he replied candidly: “And yet part of you wants to suffer, does it not? Just like part of me wants to crawl into the darkness, or run away, and forget all this ever occurred.”

Blueblood looked silently towards the coffins as well, and... yes. He recognized that voice well. He recognized that pain, and that misery, and... heard that weak little voice whimpering to him about going home...

The prince smiled faintly, and then he shoved himself up to his hooves, and Auros looked at him with surprise as Blueblood held a hoof out, saying quietly: “Thank you. You're right: part of me wants to suffer. The selfish, foolish part of me that just wants to take the easy way out. But I won't give in to that part of me again. I'm going to keep going, and I'm going to keep fighting, and next time, I'll do better, and I'll never let these stupid mistakes happen again.”

Auros looked up at the prince, and then the Lich smiled again before taking the stallion's hoof, letting the scarred pony pull him up. And then, without another word, both ponies turned towards the keep, striding side-by-side out of the lonely darkness to rejoin the people who still needed their help.

All His Skill Points Are In Charm And Strength

Chapter Twenty Four: All His Skill Points Are In Charm And Strength
~BlackRoseRaven

It wasn't until after most of the ponies had gone to try and rest for the night that Invidia returned, with a small cadre of minor demons. They smashed through both the wraiths and the ghosts like wrecking balls, destroying the spirits they made contact with and driving the entire congregation quickly into retreat.

Invidia herself quickly touched down in the courtyard, smiling calmly over her shoulder as the rest of the demons gave chase greedily after the phantasms: she was confident that not a single ghost would escape her brethren.

She began to turn... and then Sleipnir called to her evenly: “Thou art a little late, my friend. We could have sorely used thy help earlier.”

“I was given one distinct job, Sleipnir, and I have done it.” Invidia replied calmly, a flash of irritation passing over her face, but her features were almost-serene by the time she turned her eyes to the earth pony, adding quietly: “Besides, you and the prince have both survived... and I see you have taken quite a few undead prisoner.”

“They are not prisoners. They have agreed to help us. The battle is over, Invidia, and the tyrant was destroyed... by Blue, no less.” Sleipnir said, and although there was pride in his voice, there was also that same equability that sounded almost... hostile to her.

Her ears twitched as she strode towards him... and then she suddenly halted and froze, her eyes widening before she slowly looked down. She breathed slowly in and out, and then she ground her teeth together loudly, her golden irises glowing with rage as she hissed: “Sleipnir...”

Sleipnir smiled kindly, stepping up to the edge of the circle of vines he had laid out, the enormous earth pony reaching up to absently brush back his green mane. “'Tis a fortune that my mane and tail have always grown back quickly, my friend, elsewise I would have been much more hesitant to lay this out. I apologize for taking this step, Invidia, but... but I have a worry, and I must have thee answer me honestly.”

“Demons can't lie! Now let me out of this snare!” Invidia snarled, leaping forwards... but her hooves struck an invisible wall as her whole body shook with fury, her hide rippling unnaturally as bones creaked and growled beneath her skin. “You let me out right now, Sleipnir, or I swear that I will skin you alive and devour your innards!”

Sleipnir only shook his head slowly, then replied quietly, pointedly ignoring the mare's threats: “Demons also do not have to tell the full truth, and demons oft cloak their motives. And I have noticed a growing trend: we are endangered, and thou art mysteriously absent. Thou promises to aid us, and that aid always comes at the last moment, or too late. And I know thou art far, far stronger than thou acts... and while I believe that thou would never endanger either myself nor Blue, I truly do, I also am starting to worry that thou hast some more sinister endgame in mind than mere physical harm.”

“You don't want to do this.” Invidia twitched, and then she glared balefully at the earth pony before leaning forwards and spitting: “You are a coward, who knows full well he could never have earned this strength he was blessed with, born with! You are a weakling and pathetic, hiding behind your smile so you don't have to deal with the pain in your heart. You old worthless drunk. You stupid whoremongering cuckold. You crybaby, you maggot.”

Sleipnir only smiled, spreading his forelegs and saying softly: “Thy provocations shan't work on me, Invidia. Speak to me as ill as thou likes, but know that I take far worse venom from my phoenix every day. And while she only grows the prettier for it, I fear that thou art becoming more and more... unwelcome to mine eyes.”

Invidia hissed, her own golden irises glowing with hellish light before she suddenly dropped her head forwards, closing her eyes... and then she took a slow breath, raising her head and asking in a cold but calm voice: “What do you want?”

“Art thou the source of Blueblood's nightmares?” asked Sleipnir, suddenly as cold as the demon, and Invidia's eyes widened in shock as she leaned back, staring at him with disbelief.

She trembled for a moment, then shook her head and answered sharply: “The Harbinger is the source! You know that as well as I do!”

“And for how long hast thou known this?” And Invidia flinched at the question, hissing through her teeth again: she'd fallen for his bait hook, line and sinker. It was so hard to remember that behind that stupid, smiling face was a sharp mind...

Invidia tried to deflect, tried to make some flattering comment, and instead she flinched when there was a sudden sharp pain in her mind, like a railspike being driven into her skull. She breathed for a moment, trembling and looking down at the vines... vines made from his own mane, layered with runes. Vines... that's why. He's an angel, and he has a blood pact with me. There are three layers of enchantment... he's... “Cunning bastard.”

Then Invidia hissed again as energy crackled over her body, punishing her again for trying to deflect from the question Sleipnir had asked. And if she continued to try and resist, to do anything but answer what he'd asked, the agony would only worsen... “You... you win. I... I have known about the Harbinger since Blueblood was born. He... he is important to the Harbinger.”

“Who is the Harbinger?” questioned Sleipnir, and Invidia smiled thinly, but the earth pony only shook his head sharply before he said quietly: “Invidia, there is still time to mend thy mistakes, to fix what thou hast done wrong. Now tell me, who is the Harbinger?”

“I can't tell you. I'm bound to the Harbinger.” Invidia replied calmly, before she half-flinched, as if she expected a bolt of pain... but when nothing happened, she sighed in relief and muttered: “There, see? That's enough of an answer even for your stupid devil's snare.”

Sleipnir was only frowning darkly at this, however, asking curtly: “How long hast thou been his servant, Invidia?”

Invidia looked down silently, then she closed her eyes, trying to count the years before she murmured: “Too many... not long after I was born, the Harbinger... corrupted me. I became the demon that stands before you now... a reflection of the Harbinger's own malice.” Invidia smiled thinly, looking down and whispering: “The Harbinger... it isn't male or female, pony or demon... it... it is an evil given physical form. I don't know why it touched me...”

Sleipnir was quiet, and then he asked softly: “Art thou going to allow the Harbinger to take Blueblood? Has all of this only been some intricate plan to worsen his pain and strife, to make him a better meal for the Harbinger's feast?”

“No!” Invidia roared, and her eyes flared with golden light as she leaned forwards, baring her fangs and shoving herself against the shield as she growled: “No one will harm the prince! Not the Harbinger, not me, not even you, angel! I will kill you, kill the Harbinger, kill myself before I allow anyone to take the prince away from me, to harm a single hair of his mane!”

The earth pony reared back slightly in surprise at the forcefulness of the demon as the world around him seemed to vibrate, and then Invidia trembled before she stepped back, tears rolling down her cheeks before she whispered: “But you are right, all the same. The Harbinger always wanted him for more than his nightmares: the nightmares were only a means to an end. Because there are two things that are invaluable to demons: broken souls, who can easily be manipulated and provide an endless feast of pain... and powerful vessels. The stronger the vessel, the more of a demon's power can be exerted through it...”

“And Blueblood has gone from crying princeling to a strong stallion who is well on his way to being worthy of the title of jarl. To being a leader of Equestria...” Sleipnir muttered, looking down and scowling before he closed his eyes as he realized... “And Celestia and Luna. If the Harbinger could act through Blueblood...”

“Then yes, the Harbinger could hope to hurt them as well. To hurt the whole world... to bring the pain it feels to Equestria and beyond. To stop this miserable cycle of rebirth...” Invidia said bitterly, shaking her head slowly, and Sleipnir frowned at her before she looked up and whispered: “And now the Harbinger will punish me. Please, Sleipnir... show mercy. I... you must understand now why I have done as I did... why I must play the role that I do...”

Sleipnir shifted uneasily, looking at the mare for a few moments in silence before he finally leaned forwards and said quietly: “I have one last question for thee, Invidia. If thou answers this, then I shall set thee loose, and we shall not speak of this again. I shall tell Blueblood of what I have learned, but I shall not tell him of the measures I took: only that thou told me, and willingly. For thou wants to protect him, does thou not?”

Invidia nodded violently, wiping convulsively at her face before she suddenly smiled brilliantly. “I... I did, I always did, I j-just couldn't! I never could, but... but maybe this is a blessing. You forced the information out of me... there was nothing I could do against you. You... ruled me, took me over. Dominated me and controlled me, oh mighty and glorious angel...”

Invidia shivered a little, leaning forwards and saying almost eagerly as she pushed her hooves into the invisible wall: “And you could do more, couldn't you? Force a collar and leash upon me... then... then I would no longer have to serve the Harbinger. Break my spirit and bind me to you... better yet, to our young, handsome, glorious prince. Wouldn't that be wonderful? I am already bound by our pact... it would be a simple feat...”

“I am no slaver, I fear, Invidia.” Sleipnir said gently, shaking his head slowly, and the demon almost scowled at him for a moment before she simply dropped her head politely.

The earth pony studied her uncomfortably for a few moments, and then he finally shook his head before asking quietly: “When will the Harbinger make his move against Blueblood?”

Invidia licked her lips slowly, and then she replied hesitantly: “When... when the prince is at his strongest, but also when he is vulnerable. In that precious window after you finish your quest, and before you return to Canterlot. That is when the Harbinger is most likely to attack.”

Sleipnir nodded slowly, looking down for a few moments before he reached out and simply yanked a vine out of place. Immediately, Invidia relaxed with a sigh as an invisible pressure vanished from around her body, and then she smiled radiantly at the earth pony, saying tenderly: “Thank you... my friend. My handsome, wonderful friend.”

The earth pony only looked back at her... and then he reached up with a grimace when the demon lunged at him suddenly, a snarl of fury ripping across her muzzle and shattering her tranquil smile. But he caught her by the wrist before she could sink a cloven hoof into his neck, the two looking at each other as she trembled in his iron grip and he held her back at a distance with a look of disappointment on his features.

And then Invidia suddenly yanked backwards, pulling herself free and stumbling away before she composed herself, calmly brushing her chest off. She looked up after a moment at Sleipnir, but her golden eyes were watchful even as she smiled again, saying softly: “I had to try, didn't I? If not for the sake of my own pride, then at least to tell the Harbinger that I made some effort to... redeem myself.”

“Aye.” Sleipnir said softly, and the two studied each other for the longest time before the earth pony asked: “Art thou going now?”

“No... no. I will delay my meeting with the Harbinger for as long as possible... although it is very possible that it has already seen. It... it is everywhere. Its eyes are always watching...” Invidia shivered a little, lowering her head and licking her lips slowly. “We'll never be free from it.”

“We will. One way or another.” Sleipnir murmured, shaking his head slowly before he leaned forwards, adding finally: “I am sorry it had to come to this, Invidia. I shan't beg thy forgiveness, but I do ask that thou does not allow this to affect where we stand. Now or in the future. We are still friends, we are still bound by pact and promise, and we still must trust in one-another.”

“Yes, Sleipnir. I see the depth of your trust well... although I suppose that as your suspicions were rewarded, it makes it more difficult for me to cast such silly dispersions.” the demon replied, her voice cold and biting. The earth pony only looked at her pointedly, however, and after a moment the mare lowered her head and muttered: “Fine. I will... do my best to forgive and forget.”

“Thou said thyself 'twas a blessing in disguise.” Sleipnir said after a moment, and Invidia simply glared at him until the earth pony shrugged and sighed wryly. “Oh, mares. Even when thou art right, I cannot be right if I agree with thee. 'Tis wonderful and awful in the same breath.”

The demon only shook her head in distaste, then strode moodily off towards the outbuilding, muttering under her breath. Sleipnir admittedly felt some reserve about letting her go find Blueblood... but considering how obsessive she was over him, their pact, and that demons had to tell the truth...

All the same, though, he shifted a bit on his hooves before turning his eyes to the snare he 'd created. He busied himself with cleaning up the remains of the trap, glad that it had worked and been powerful enough to contain Invidia... then again, she hadn't tried all that hard to break loose. Maybe part of her hadn't even wanted to break free...

But her emotions had gone wild again: there was no control, just her leaping sporadically from one mood to the next. He wasn't even sure if she had really ever gotten herself under control now, though... maybe she had just been doing a good job of cloaking her feelings, of making herself play a role while she was with them.

No, that couldn't be true: he was suspicious of her, but in a strange way, he couldn't help but trust her all the same. Furthermore, he knew that he had to talk to Blue about things first: if Blue was uncomfortable with her, then he might think about asking Invidia to leave, but otherwise... she was valuable. And like it or not, she never failed to fulfill her obligations to them. Even if from time-to-time she tended to twist their words more to her liking.

He looked towards the outbuilding for a moment, then simply shrugged before turning and heading towards the cleared, open gates. The drawbridge creaked under his hooves, and Sleipnir glanced down and smiled a little: something else to repair. But then again, he'd expected they would need a lot of repairs after the battle. If anything, he was only glad that it had ended up being so short... even if the cost had also ended up being much higher than he'd liked.

Sleipnir strode fearlessly over to the encampment the undead had set up, the various living dead greeting him awkwardly and watching curiously as he tossed the vines into the massive bonfire. Then he smiled, turning towards them, making gentle conversation for a little while before he turned to head back to the fortress, and this time let himself into the keep.

It was dark, and in that middling witching hour between deep night and deep morning, and yet Sleipnir was all the same unsurprised to see a few ponies were wandering listlessly, going about chores and little tasks and other things. He spoke to a few of them, offering kindness and support no matter how they reacted, and reactions did indeed vary from gratitude and to anger and blame.

It was all alright, though: he knew that not everypony was going to feel the same way about what they'd done, and he didn't expect them to. And it felt good to spend the night awake, helping where he could, listening to them and letting them either vent or giving them the little reassurance he could share that everything was going to be okay.

At sunrise, Sleipnir left the keep and strode into the courtyard to find Blueblood seated in front of the coffins, studying them silently. The earth pony smiled faintly as he strode over to the unicorn, then he sat beside him and asked quietly: “Nightmares?”

“Yeah. Not... not the usual nightmares, just... just regrets, I suppose.” Blue murmured, shaking his head briefly before he sighed quietly and reached up to rub at the scarred side of his face. He studied the coffins silently for a few moments, and then said honestly: “It's funny, Sleipnir. I feel very sore today, but... physically, much better than yesterday. But I am also very tired and... I promised Auros I would try harder, but there is so much... darkness...”

“Darkness is not always bad. Nor is sadness always a symptom of despair, my friend.” Sleipnir said gently, and Blueblood frowned curiously as he looked up at the earth pony. “There must be a little rain in every life, Blue. Rain is what feeds the soil and the rivers; without it, the land would become dry and arid. And oftentimes, sadness is the first step upon the road to happiness, is what allows us to feel and understand great joys and their value.”

Sleipnir paused for a moment, and then he smiled a little and shook his head, saying softly: “Aye. Sadness can excise the poisons, as when we cry, our tears help purify our spirit, wash away our pains. 'Tis only when we pour that sadness into our hearts instead of letting it flow outwards that it becomes despair. And despair is a terrible thing.”

Blueblood nodded hesitantly after a moment, looking down as he pulled his cloak a little tighter around his body, and then he asked hesitantly: “What happened between you and Invidia last night? She's been furious with you, and it's rare that she stays angry for very long... but she refused to talk about it at all, too.”

Sleipnir smiled briefly, and then he shook his head before saying softly: “I fear that Invidia and I had a rather... difficult argument last night, I used what was not the kindest of methods to ensure she could not run away... but she spoke willingly enough to me, at least, once she began to talk.”

He stopped, looking down and murmuring softly: “Invidia is a pawn of the Harbinger, Blue. She loathes this creature, but at the same time, she is bound to it.” He stopped, letting the prince process this as the unicorn looked up at him with shock, and then the earth pony continued in a gentle voice: “I do not wish to put thee in danger, but I still believe that it is best that we... continue to travel with her. Perhaps it will confuse the Harbinger, or stop him from attacking us prematurely.”

Blueblood shifted slowly, and then he said finally: “I trust you. And... I've done my best to trust Invidia, too, but... this makes me uncomfortable, Sleipnir. I dislike thinking that perhaps I was more in the right when I distrusted her than now...”

“And what does thy instincts say?” Sleipnir asked gently, and Blueblood sighed after a moment, dropping his head before he shivered a little, the earth pony frowning in surprise. “Truly?”

“I... I don't know.” Blueblood said honestly, looking up and smiling a little. “I really don't. I don't know how to put it into words, Sleipnir, but... even though I do trust her to some extent, even though I can honestly believe she wouldn't hurt us or betray us... at the same time she... she scares me. There's something... I can't put my hoof on that's always been wrong about her. And I think she's capable of awful things. That's... that's always been in her eyes.”

Sleipnir nodded slowly after a moment, looking down before he said softly: “Aye. I see, Blue. 'Tis not perhaps entirely fair to Invidia, but all the same, I cannot say 'tis unfair, either... that there is not perhaps a bit of wisdom in thy worries, and thy instincts have proven sharper than I had first thought.”

Blueblood smiled awkwardly, only shrugging a little before the enormous earth pony lowered his head and said gently: “This decision affects thou more than I, Blue. If thou desires to send Invidia away, I shall honor it. If thou would prefer her company to stay with us, I shall honor that as well.”

The unicorn looked awkwardly up at Sleipnir, and then he nodded almost hesitantly, mumbling: “I... I trust your judgment much more than mine. And Invidia is...”

Blueblood didn't know how to phrase it as he shifted quietly, and then he smiled a bit and asked hesitantly: “Is it stupid of me to think of her as a friend, even if...”

“Not at all. Not at all, Blue.” Sleipnir said kindly, reaching up and gently squeezing the young stallion's shoulder. They looked at each other for a few moments, and then the earth pony turned his gaze towards the coffins and murmured: “Any more than 'tis foolish to think that just because they have passed on, they are any less our friends now than they were before. Friendships do not have to end because of time and distance: they end only when we cease to pour our energy and compassion into them.”

Blueblood smiled faintly, shifting a little before Sleipnir asked in a gentle voice: “Does thou still blame thyself for what happened?”

The unicorn glanced down, rubbing silently at his head before he finally gave a short nod and admitted: “I can't think of it any other way, Sleipnir. I... it was my fault. This was my mistake.”

“Blue, this is no pony's fault. Not theirs, not thine, not mine... blame is a foolish soil to plant the seeds of memory and promise in.” Sleipnir said quietly, and the unicorn glanced quietly up at the stallion before Sleipnir smiled faintly and said gently: “The day is bright and kind, and our friends wish to lay the fallen to rest beneath the warmth of the sun. If thou feels up to it, would thou like to accompany me on a short march into the mountains this morning? We will return by afternoon, in time enough to say our own goodbyes.”

Blue looked up uncomfortably, shifting a little before he asked hesitantly: “Is... why do you want to go on a day trip into the mountains? It just doesn't sound like the best use of our time right now, considering... what we just went through.”

But Sleipnir only chuckled quietly, shaking his head slowly and replying softly: “Nay, worry not, Blue. Rather, I think 'tis the best that we can do right now. We are not going to take any short, silly hike, after all: instead, we shall do what I promised these ponies from the start: we will find the dragon, and make peace with it for them. 'Tis the best thing that we can do.”

Blueblood smiled briefly after a moment at this, and then he shook his head slowly before murmuring: “It's hard to remember sometimes that you actually are a rather intelligent pony, Sleipnir. I think I understand what you mean...” He hesitated for a moment, then asked impulsively: “And just the two of us?”

“Aye, just the two of us, unless thou would prefer to bring Invidia along. But I would like to use this opportunity to also discuss things with thee better left between us stallions, and I think that this is a fine chance for a lesson I wish for thee to study as well.” Sleipnir replied warmly, and Blueblood nodded a few times, raising his head a little and feeling that damned endless positivity that the earth pony always seemed to bring with him, no matter what was going on.

Blue hesitated, and then he smiled a little as he picked himself up. “Let me go and get my armor and sword, then, and-”

“Nay, nonsense.” Sleipnir smiled back, reaching up to pat his own bare chest, and the unicorn blinked in surprise before the earth pony said kindly: “We shan't need armor or weapons for this. If anything, 'twill get in the way and make us look like more appetizing playthings to the great beast.”

Blueblood looked dubious at this, shifting nervously on his hooves: sure, he'd seen Sleipnir do some amazing things, but... “And... what if the dragon decides that we're just two tasty little morsels that happened to have wandered into his lair?”

“Oh, fear not. I highly doubt that the dragon will be all that interested in attempting to make meals of us. I think 'tis probably young and arrogant, but I do not believe it must mean any real harm, even to these ponies here.” Sleipnir said reasonably, gesturing towards the keep, and Blueblood grimaced as he looked at the keep that still looked like it was half in ruin, in spite of all the repairs they had done to it during the course of their stay here.

“And... if the dragon is interested in making a quick meal of us after all?” Blue asked moodily, and then he narrowed his eyes as the stallion only grinned at him. “You can't simply punch everything, Sleipnir. I'm not underestimating your strength, I'm simply saying that-”

“Oh, fie on thee.” Sleipnir smiled amusedly, reaching up and ruffling Blueblood's shaggy mane, and the prince grimaced and pulled his head away before the earth pony said cheerfully: “I shall have thee know that I have bent many a dragon over mine knee in my time!”

Blueblood only grunted and looked unconvinced, and Sleipnir huffed before gesturing at him, saying mildly: “Thou art making it very tempting to show thee just how strong I am. How would thou like me to throw thee all the way to the mountains? Then we shall see who is stronger, the dragon or the mighty Sleipnir!”

The unicorn only shook his head, then fell into step with the enormous earth pony as they headed towards the broken gates. Blueblood bit his lip for a moment, feeling almost a surge of guilt as he looked over his shoulder towards the room where Invidia was staying...

But the stallion shook this off after a moment, smiling briefly at Sleipnir when the earth pony cocked his head towards him curiously. “Nothing, it's... nothing. I suppose I'm just worried about what Invidia might think, with her... with her current mood.”

“She will be fine. And 'tis good to see thou art concerned for her, as well. I suppose that points towards thou trusting her, in spite of everything. And that is good.” Sleipnir said kindly, and Blueblood frowned a bit, looking thoughtfully over at the enormous earth pony before he nodded hesitantly. He hadn't really thought about that...

The stallion's eyes roved towards the encampment of undead, and before he even realized what he was saying, he asked: “And Auros will be coming with us, right?”

Sleipnir looked inquisitively at Blue, and the unicorn cleared his throat before looking away, saying awkwardly: “Not that I care either way, I just... it's going to be strange. You're... you, and Invidia is a demon and Auros is a Lich... and here I'd thought that adventurers were supposed to be brave ponies who fought things like... that.”

“Like that? Like what? Good ponies, who are trying their hardest to help others?” Sleipnir asked with mock insult, and Blueblood simply gave him a dry look as they headed into the forest, the unicorn automatically falling behind the earth pony... and amazed as always at how a path seemed to carve itself through the forest for the enormous stallion, who always seemed to walk through nature with far more ease than he traveled through any pony city. “Thou forgets-”

“Yes, yes, I know. All of us are only people.” Blueblood interrupted, and Sleipnir smiled at him warmly and nodded quickly. The unicorn shook his head, giving the slightest of smiles himself before he said softly: “If there's one lesson that I've learned from you, my friend, it's that one.”

“I hope so, Blue. And I hope thou hast learned it better than I have, too: it may come as a surprise to thee, but 'tis a lesson that I sometimes find difficult to remember mine own self.” Sleipnir said softly, shaking his head as he gazed ahead through the snowy forest.

They fell into quiet for a little while, the unicorn not knowing what to say... hell, right now, he didn't even know what to think. So much had happened; ponies had died, enemies had become allies, and now they were walking off to fight a dragon. A dragon; how on Equestria were they supposed to fight a dragon, especially without any of their equipment? What was Sleipnir going to do, just talk to it and reason with it? Make it feel bad for attacking the ponies?

As the forest around them began to turn to scrub, and they started to gently rise up along a dirty slope towards a wide mountain pass, Blueblood couldn't help but finally ask: “If this dragon has been amusing himself by attacking these ponies, what makes you think that it's not going amuse itself by attacking us? And... Sleipnir, you come from a strange world where demons and undead and all sorts of other unbelievable things-”

“If they are unbelievable, than 'tis funny to hear thee speaking so readily to Invidia and Auros. Why, unbelief requires thou not to believe in such creatures, aye?” Sleipnir remarked easily, and Blueblood gave the earth pony a cranky look before the stallion added positively: “And oh, thou would be surprised. For dragons are known mainly in the Midgard I hail from as foul-tempered and wicked. But nay, trust in me. Mother Nature tells me these dragons are of a much kinder, gentler nature.”

“Oh. That's encouraging.” Blueblood said moodily, and then he shook his head before adding dryly: “I think you might find yourself surprised. Or perhaps 'mother nature' is playing a little joke on you, Sleipnir.”

Sleipnir only huffed, replying mildly: “Thou could offer up a bit more respect, young Blue. I do not expect thou to think of her with the love and affection that I do, but all the same... I know thou hast heard her voice. I know thou hast been graced by her wisdom, protection, and even felt her love.”

Blueblood frowned at this as they entered the pass, and then he almost ran into Sleipnir when the earth pony stopped suddenly. The unicorn's eyes widened as he assumed the worst, looking hurriedly upwards before gazing back and forth as he asked: “Where, where is it?”

“I do not know.” Sleipnir said cheerfully, and Blueblood blinked and stared wordlessly at the stallion's back before the enormous earth pony turned around with a benevolent smile. “I could certainly ask, and I know the earth would tell me readily... why, these gossipy mountains already are trying to tell me all about the nice young dragon who lives here! He is but a hundred years old if he is a day, and... nay, nay, tell me no more!”

Sleipnir laughed loudly, and Blueblood scowled up at the earth pony, one eye twitching as he grumbled: “Well, can the mountains tell me where the highest cliff happens to be? Because I would dearly like to push you off it.”

“Well, they can if thou asks them thyself. I wish for thee to speak to them, anyway.” Sleipnir said easily, and Blueblood looked at the enormous earth pony with disbelief before the huge stallion added thoughtfully: “In the past, Celestia used to often throw me from high places, I shall have thee know. Buildings, castles, mountains. Why, once she struck me from the highest mountains around Canterlot, and I bounced all the way down into Hollow Valley. The bottom of Hollow Valley, I should say, for as its name was, 'twas quite hollow. And quite deep. Hast thou ever been there?”

“I don't even know what you're talking about anymore.” Blueblood muttered, dropping his face in a hoof and rubbing slowly at it before he sighed and said tiredly: “I cannot speak to the mountains, Sleipnir. I... I will admit that maybe once or twice I've... heard and felt things I never expected to, yes. But that... I don't think I heard 'nature' like you do.”

Sleipnir smiled slightly, then he gestured at the stallion's cutie mark, asking curiously: “What does thine emblem mean?”

Blueblood looked dumbly over his shoulder, brushing back his cloak and opening his mouth... and then he bit his cheek nervously before shaking his head and muttering: “I... I don't remember. It was so long ago and... well... there are doors that I would rather not open. Allow the past lie where it is, you can respect that, can't you?”

The prince stopped, then moodily looked up into the sky, adding grouchily: “Although I suppose we are on our way to kick a sleeping dragon, so perhaps on the other hoof...”

“Thou cannot allow the past to rule thee either, though.” Sleipnir said gently, and the unicorn grimaced a little before he looked hesitantly up, meeting the earth pony's eyes as the enormous stallion smiled down at him a little. “It is difficult, but thou must not block out thy past. Thou must learn to accept it, and acknowledge it, and recognize that it is where thou hast come from. That thy past is part of what hast formed thee, and made thee who thou art today.”

Sleipnir reached up and gently tapped Blueblood's chest twice, and the unicorn looked down silently, opening his mouth... but then he closed it slowly as he realized how stupid his arguments were going to sound. After all, he could say that the past had no bearing on the present or future, but... he was a pony who couldn't even remember what his special talent was really supposed to be, in spite of the giant symbol stamped on his hip.

He reached up and silently rubbed at this, then sighed a little before looking uncomfortably towards Sleipnir, saying quietly: “This... still doesn't feel like the time or place. We're near a dragon roost. I would rather not go trudging into my sordid past while hunting a dragon.”

“We are not hunting the dragon, we are... inquiring.” Sleipnir replied after a moment, giving a slight smile, and the unicorn focused a dry look on the enormous earth pony before Sleipnir firmly planted a hoof in the ground, instructing: “Now, do as I do.”

Blueblood glowered, but then he finally sighed and relented, realizing it was utterly useless: Sleipnir clearly wanted him to make an idiot out of himself, and there obviously wasn't any way he was going to make the stallion consider otherwise.

So the unicorn grudgingly pushed his own hoof forwards and down into the soft, gravelly earth, looking grumpily up at Sleipnir. But the earth pony only smiled warmly before he bowed his head and closed his eyes. “Now, all thou must do is listen. Listen, with thine own mind and open heart: listen for the pulse of the world, feel it in thy body, and then hear.”

“Oh. Yes. That sounds very easy. Your instructions are very helpful.” the unicorn muttered, even as he lowered his head. He scowled a little as he closed his eyes, then mumbled: “This is idiotic. Mountains don't speak.”

“They do far more than speak, Blue, and I would prefer thou did not anger them. Now shush and concentrate: thou can mock my madness only if thou honestly tries in the first place, and I am proven wrong.” Sleipnir replied pointedly, and Blueblood grumbled under his breath, but then he sighed tiredly and mumbled in grouchy agreement.

The unicorn let his mind clear, taking a slow breath as his body relaxed even as his focus sharpened. He felt his mind stretching out and a strange sense of... of being embraced. Like the air itself was trying to soothe him, to help guide him, as he felt that pulse in his mind that was becoming all too familiar; felt it growing, spreading through his body, his heart thudding in time with it as he dug his hooves into the ground and tilted his head to the side...

And then he felt it: a thrum that seemed to roll up his legs out of the earth itself, that seemed to flow into the pulse already running through his mind and mix with it in strange chorus. But this one was deeper, richer; it was like a rumbling drumbeat, and Blueblood's eyes opened in disbelief before he looked up into the distance, whispering: “It's... I can almost understand it...”

“Nay, thou can understand it, thou art simply not listening well enough!” Sleipnir urged, and Blue glared at him... or tried to, at least. He was too amazed by what he was feeling, and how quickly he had caught onto this... this life. This second pulse that was the same and yet so different from the thrum he already felt in his bones and heard in his mind...

He felt the paired pulses drawing his attention, heard the way they interplayed, saw their colors in his mind with every thrum of their powers: one was made of earthen browns and greens, and the other was vibrant, like the sky and sunlight and bright flowers. And even though they said no words, even though they felt so strange and alien and powerful, all the same the stallion found himself doing his best to listen, to hear, to... to understand what the world was trying to tell him.

He forced himself to focus, gritting his teeth, clenching his eyes shut... then frowned a little as Sleipnir chastised gently: “Nay, Blue. 'Twill not do to try and force thyself to understand, thou must breathe. Breathe, in and out, and feel it grow. Thou art supposed to listen, not block up thy ears.”

Blueblood shifted on his hooves a little, and then he exhaled loudly before slowly allowing his body to relax, even as part of him worried that the pulse would weaken, that he would lose this tenuous grip on it... but as he relaxed, he felt it clearer in his body, and his thoughts quieted as that sound flowed through his mind. And he realized...

Blue breathed slowly in and out, and then rose his head slightly as he hesitantly opened his eyes. Yet still, he could almost see the colors of the waves running through his mind, and their sound seemed to become even clearer as he looked across at Sleipnir, who smiled warmly at him before the enormous earth pony asked: “Now, tell me: what do the mountains tell thee?”

“That... you're an idiot. An insane idiot.” Blueblood mumbled, looking awkwardly away, and Sleipnir laughed loudly before the unicorn closed his eyes as a question ran unbidden through his mind, and there was a flash of... of red, and a sound like wings, and even a smell that teased his nostrils before he blurted: “Not far. He stays near the edge of the mountains. Where it's warm, where the mountain's blood is...”

The ivory stallion blinked in surprise, and then he looked stupidly down at his own hooves, and Sleipnir smiled proudly again. “Mountain... blood? Wait, that doesn't make sense. What am I doing, what am I even saying, I... Sleipnir, what kind of game are you playing?”

Sleipnir only looked at the stallion with amusement as Blueblood shook himself hurriedly, throwing off the strange, almost siren call of those paired pulses in his mind. Then he looked awkwardly up as the enormous stallion said gently: “I have done nothing, as thou knows well. Thou art hearing nature, Blueblood, that is all. Nature, and the mountains. And thou hast done very well to hear them speak at all.

“Come. I may not have asked the mountains, but there are other ways to locate a dragon.” Sleipnir said cheerfully, reaching up and tapping his own nose pointedly. “Let us head onwards. I shall give thee the directions but thou shall find us a path... I am sure the mountains will tell thee the right road if thou only remembers to ask.”

Blueblood looked uncertainly at Sleipnir, licking his lips slowly before he said finally, not even sure why the hell he was almost afraid: “Mountains... the mountains aren't alive.”

“Every stone, every blade of grass, every tree has a life of its own, my friend. Every piece of this world has a voice... thou must merely learn to listen for it.” Sleipnir replied gently, and Blueblood shifted slowly before the earth pony added in a more positive voice: “And the mountains seem quite taken with thee. Thou art very roguish, very fetching, apparently. And I must admit, whilst thy mane is all a great tangle, thy scars have only lent further handsomeness and character to thee.”

Blueblood gave a dry laugh at this, reaching up and rubbing self-consciously at his cheek. He began to open his mouth... then scowled when Sleipnir only turned away and trotted cheerfully up the powder-speckled pass into the mountains, the unicorn grumbling under his breath as he followed after a moment, muttering: “You worry me, Sleipnir.”

The enormous earth pony only gave him a smile and a wink over his shoulder, and Blue sighed tiredly as he fell in behind the stallion. For a little while, they walked onwards in quiet, Blueblood looking uneasily back and forth... then stared as the earth pony asked cheerfully: “So, which way?”

“I... you mean...” Blueblood halted, looking back and forth as he realized they had come out onto a sort of plateau, and it looked like there were at least four different ways leading up further into the mountain. Two natural trails, a section of slope that looked easy enough to climb, a rocky incline that looked almost like stone steps...

“How the hell am I supposed to know?” Blueblood asked incredulously, and when Sleipnir simply looked at him, the unicorn sighed tiredly and dropped his head, muttering: “Oh, yes, right. Speak to nature, yes, yes. Because really, that makes perfect sense...”

Blueblood continued to grumble away under his breath as he looked back and forth between the paths, thinking there must be some hint... and then Sleipnir reached up and gently touched his shoulder, saying softly: “Thou hast done it several times already. Why art thou so hesitant to attune thyself to Mother Nature and her many kin, when she seems to love thee especially amongst her subjects?”

Blue shifted a little, looking uncomfortably away as that strange pulse in his mind continued to thrum, and then he reached up and nervously rubbed at his face before mumbling: “It's... because... I don't want to talk about it, okay? I... I don't want to think about it.”

Sleipnir studied the stallion for a few moments as Blueblood shivered: he didn't entirely know why himself. After all, that pulse had saved his life more than once already, hadn't it? And it felt so natural, but at the same time... it made him feel like...

“It just reminds me of the past.” Blueblood said before he could stop himself, and he looked down for a moment, frowning at the ground before he shook his head quickly and gave a brief smile to Sleipnir, as the earth pony looked at him curiously. “I... I remember what you said, though, I... I do. I can't be afraid of the past. But... well... it's hard, Sleipnir.”

“Aye, I know, my friend. But the more thou speaks with nature, the easier it shall become.” Sleipnir said encouragingly, reaching up to squeeze the smaller pony's shoulder gently. “And I do not simply mean that thou shall be able to communicate all the easier with her. I mean that thy fears and memories will have much less power over thee.”

Blueblood looked for a few moments at Sleipnir, and then he sighed a little, shifting uneasily before mumbling: “Let's just... keep going for now.”

Sleipnir smiled, then cocked his head curiously, and Blue looked down awkwardly before he cleared his throat and closed his eyes. He forced himself to concentrate on that strange pulse, shifting a little before he nodded once to himself and murmured: “It's... well... that way.”

Blueblood pointed awkwardly towards the paths to the right, and he hesitated a moment, feeling strangely certain that if he tried, he could figure out which was the faster road to the dragon. Then again, he thought that might be obvious, too: one was a gentle slope and the other was all jagged rocks that probably would be a pain in the flank to scramble up, so...

Yet all the same, the ivory unicorn was hesitant as he took the lead, and Sleipnir watched him appraisingly, letting his companion figure this out on his own. It was important for Blueblood to learn, after all... and well, they had room for a few mistakes.

Forty minutes later, Blueblood stared disbelievingly around as they came to yet another dead end: the gentle slope had just led them into cliff faces, every path leading only to another nook or ledge or apparently nowhere at all. He blushed as he looked over his shoulder, shame greatly outweighing his pride by now as he mumbled: “I'm... I'm sorry.”

“Now, now, fear not, Blue. 'Tis perfectly alright.” Sleipnir said soothingly, shaking his head and chuckling quietly. “Thou hast not led us... entirely wrong. We are fairly close, but we have climbed higher into the mountains than 'twas at all necessary, that is all. Can thou not smell it?”

Blueblood hesitated for a moment, and then he grimaced a bit as he realized that... yes. There was the faint but distinct, pungent smell of smoke in the air. Blue frowned uneasily as his eyes roved up along the cliffside, and then he bit his lip for a moment as he asked nervously: “Are you sure you want to go... down, Sleipnir? It doesn't look like like much could even fit down there...”

“Well, methinks thou shall be surprised, then.” Sleipnir said cheerfully, and Blueblood simply looked sourly at the enormous earth pony before the huge stallion winked and reached out to suddenly pick Blueblood up in one powerful forelimb, the unicorn flailing, then yelling in horror when Sleipnir turned and leapt easily down into the narrow chasm between the mountains.

He hit the jagged slope halfway down with an easy laugh, skidding back and forth before leaping forwards, jumping off an outcropping, then hopping down to a ledge and gracefully kicking off it without losing his footing as it shattered under his weight.

Sleipnir hit a flat patch of stone, his hooves sparking as he skidded down it before he grinned and threw himself down towards the bottom of the gorge, and Blueblood covered his face and curled up as tightly as he could in the stallion's limb as he saw the floor was nothing but jagged, biting spikes of rock waiting eagerly for them-

And then there was no more movement, and the only sound was the tumbling of small stones down the slope behind them before Blueblood hesitantly opened his eyes... and looked stupidly down to see that Sleipnir was standing on three limbs, balanced neatly between several large spires of rock. He looked back and forth thoughtfully, then brightened before leaping forwards and away from the uneven spike-trap that made up most of the trench floor, saying cheerfully: “There it is!”

Blueblood only continued to stare with disbelief at the earth pony, but then he shook himself hurriedly out as the earth pony gingerly set him down, hurriedly brushing himself off before he snapped: “What have I told you about doing things like that?”

“I forget!” Sleipnir cheerfully confessed, and Blueblood groaned and dropped his head moodily before the earth pony trotted happily off towards what looked like a pitfall in the middle of the trench. But Blueblood frowned after a moment as something about it struck him as odd.

He approached... then stared in disbelief as he reached the edge of what wasn't a pit, but a narrow ledge that gazed down into a large box canyon. It was grassy and dusty, barely a speckling of snow visible in this secret little sanctuary.

Blueblood looked at the stone walls on either side of him and realized that he was actually standing in a fissure that had formed in the mountain, and that this side of the cliff actually curled forwards over the canyon, meaning it would have been all-but-invisible from the direction they'd come. He whistled quietly to himself, then gazed back down to the bottom of this hidden valley, noting the steaming pools of water here and there... “Hot springs.”

“Aye, and 'tis not because of the dragon's presence. A volcano sleeps beneath our hooves.” Sleipnir said, and Blueblood looked with surprise at the enormous earth pony, who only shrugged easily before he gestured over the ledge. “'Tis a long drop, even for I. Give me a moment to anchor a rope and then we shall be on our way.”

Blueblood let Sleipnir reach back and grab at thin air for a few moments, before the unicorn pointed out as Sleipnir looked dumbly over his shoulder: “You were the one who didn't want to bring any equipment with us, remember?”

“Oh damnation. Caught without my purse.” Sleipnir grumbled, and Blueblood couldn't help but give a wry smile at this before the enormous earth pony huffed. “Very well. Well, 'tis always more polite to announce thyself first, in any event.”

Sleipnir took a deep breath, and then Blueblood winced and reached up, covering his muzzle as he hissed: “You'll cause an avalanche if you do that! Please, Sleipnir, why don't we...”

Blueblood hesitated, and then he sighed tiredly before closing his eyes and lowering his head, not knowing what else to do. And Sleipnir smiled slightly behind Blueblood's hooves, patiently waiting for the unicorn to attune himself, before the unicorn said finally: “There... there's a lower ledge we should be able to reach. We can climb down from there.”

“Good.” Sleipnir muffled out, and then he reached up and gently pulled the unicorn's hooves away before he strode over to the edge of the cliff, poking his head out and peering down thoughtfully. “Aye, come here, Blue. I shall lower thee down.”

Blueblood grimaced at this thought, but then he nodded hesitantly before approaching and poking his own head moodily out into the box canyon. He couldn't see the ledge, but he figured that... well, it was this, or let Sleipnir cause an earthquake or an avalanche or... any number of other disasters his ridiculous strength could cause.

The unicorn grumbled, then turned around and let Sleipnir take his front hooves before closing his eyes as he carefully stepped backwards into nothingness. He slipped down off the ledge, clutching Sleipnir's front hooves for dear life as the earth pony lowered him down a few feet, and Blueblood did his best to swallow back his childish desire to scream and crawl back to the safety of the clifftop, as he instead wheezed: “Okay, I'm... just... don't let go.”

Sleipnir only smiled reassuringly... and right now, that was all Blueblood really wanted, since he didn't think he'd be able to hear anything the earth pony might say over the thudding of his own heart. But all the same, he forced himself to carefully look over the cliffside before he shivered, and said something he direly did not want to: “Okay. Let go of one of my hooves.”

Sleipnir did so, very carefully, as Blueblood braced his lower hooves against the cliff wall. Yes, there was some narrow ledge here, and when he brought his hoof carefully down, he was able to grasp into a sort of natural banister. But was it a way down?

He looked around, and answered his own question a moment later: yes, there was a larger ledge to the left, almost a natural platform, and from there he thought he could see a few large outcrops that would be easy enough to hop between... assuming nothing horrible happened, that was. But Blueblood shoved those thoughts violently away before he took a slow breath, then whispered: “Okay. Let... let go. And hope I don't fall.”

Sleipnir nodded, and he very gently, carefully allowed Blue to slip his hoof free of the earth pony's, the unicorn hurriedly snagging the natural rail of stone before he shivered once. He licked his lips nervously, then carefully slid himself sideways.

He managed to get a rear hoof onto the wider platform, trembling hard before he threw himself forwards, landing in a little ball on the ledge with a wheeze and barely able to believe that he'd actually done that. Then he shook himself briefly out before shakily picking himself up and mumbling: “Never again. I don't care what's at stake, I am never doing that again.”

“Oh, thou would be surprised what thou will do, given the right incentives.” Sleipnir said wryly, and Blueblood squeaked and looked over his shoulder in shock to see the earth pony was calmly slipping himself off the narrow ledge to join him on the small plateau.

“D-Don't scare me like that! I... asshole!” Blueblood snapped, and then he grasped his chest and dropped his head, breathing hard in and out before he muttered: “I swear that you're trying to get me killed, Sleipnir. Maybe you're the Harbinger.”

“That is a joke in poorer taste than my lovely little sister would have made.” Sleipnir said, and even though his tone was anything but scolding, Blueblood dropped his head in embarrassment. “Oh, stop, I am simply... well, I suppose I did not realize how taxing this has been on thee. Fear not, though, the way down the mountains shall be much easier and faster.”

“Down right now? Or when we go back to the fort? Because I'm still not even sure we're going to get back there.” Blueblood mumbled... and then he winced when Sleipnir picked him up, the unicorn beginning hurriedly: “Wait wait no I'll-”

Sleipnir only grinned as he leapt forwards, landing on an outcropping before kicking off and hopping smoothly down between the large juts of stone, until he was able to land on a much-gentler slope in one corner of the canyon. Blue wheezed as the earth pony set him down, and then the unicorn groaned when Sleipnir ruffled his mane cheerfully. “See? There is no need for fear. I have thee, and I shan't let anything bad happen to thee.”

Blueblood only mumbled under his breath... then stiffened and looked up in fear as a loud roar echoed out of the gaping maw of an enormous cavern. Blueblood and Sleipnir both looked towards this, and the ivory unicorn trembled as he heard the thud of huge claws, saw a flash of fire before glowing eyes pushed out of the shadows, a voice growling: “And who dares to set foot in my home?”

“We do not have feet. We have hooves.” Sleipnir called cheerfully, and Blueblood stared in something like horror as the enormous stallion calmly strode down the slope to the canyon floor. He turned towards the cave, looking up with a fearless smile even as a massive dragon slowly emerged, red scales gleaming across its body, emerald eyes filling with surprise as it looked down at the earth pony who stood fearlessly in front of the gargantuan dragon.

They looked at each other, and then Blueblood winced when Sleipnir gestured towards him impatiently. Thankfully, the dragon seemed too incredulous to do anything but stare as it turned its eyes to Blueblood, and the prince flinched before hurriedly scuttling over to Sleipnir's side as the earth pony announced: “We are here as envoys, on behalf of the ponies of the fortress at the bottom of the mountain. Thou art familiar with it, aye? I believe thou hast been making sport of it... and we are here to ask thee politely if thou will stop.”

The dragon blinked slowly at this, then leaned down, poking at Sleipnir with one claw as if he didn't believe the stallion was real before he asked in an amazed tone: “You strange little ponies ventured all this way through the mountains yourselves to my lair... to ask me politely to stop amusing myself with your little sandcastle?”

Sleipnir nodded and smiled benevolently, and the dragon looked down at him as the earth pony gazed back, completely unafraid, before the huge dragon threw his head back and laughed. He clapped a claw over his face, roaring with merriment as Blueblood swallowed thickly and Sleipnir only cocked his head curiously, watching as the dragon rocked back and forth with his entertainment.

And then the enormous reptile suddenly stopped, grinning and leaning forwards as he challenged: “Give me one good reason why I should, pony.”

“I shall be more than happy to.” Sleipnir replied pleasantly, unfettered and unafraid even with the dragon only inches away. And Blueblood only hoped desperately that Sleipnir had some trick under his saddle... because otherwise, the only way they were getting out of here was after the dragon digested them.

Red Dragon, Teen Dragon, Nice Dragon, Mean Dragon

Chapter Twenty Five: Red Dragon, Teen Dragon, Nice Dragon, Mean Dragon
~BlackRoseRaven

Sleipnir regarded the ruby dragon thoughtfully for a few moments, unafraid even as it snorted smoke out over him. He lowered his head meditatively, and then he said calmly and seriously, as if his words were a real answer: “Because 'tis not very nice.”

“It is not very nice. This is your reason, why I should leave those ponies alone?” the dragon asked, some of his amusement vanishing. He leaned back, scowling as he studied the earth pony thoughtfully, and then he asked moodily: “Are you diseased? Do you have some... brain damage, perhaps? I ask because I don't like to risk food poisoning.”

“Oh, nay, I have perhaps been knocked upon the head one too many times, but I am as healthy as a horse!” Sleipnir declared, then giggled a little at his own pun before he suddenly smiled and thrust up a hoof, the dragon rearing back a little in surprise. “I have been rude. What is thy name? Mine is Sleipnir, and my companion is Blue.”

The dragon looked awkwardly down at the earth pony, then cleared his throat before he hesitantly rose a single claw as he said finally: “I... I am called Infernus.”

“Well, Infernus, 'tis very nice to meet thee. And what a mighty name thou has! 'Tis almost as proud a name as mine!” Sleipnir smiled as the dragon scowled, then opened its mouth: but before it could speak, Sleipnir cut him off as he continued thoughtfully: “But 'tis rather difficult to say. So I think I shall call thee Little Red.”

“L-Little?” the dragon scoffed, then glared down at Sleipnir before he tried to rise to his full, intimidating height... and only succeeded in slamming the top of his head into the ceiling of the cavern, whimpering a little and grabbing at his own skull.

Sleipnir laughed loudly as Blue stared stupidly, and the dragon snarled, smoke and fire bursting from its nostrils before it snapped: “You stop that right now!”

“Oh, shush, 'twas quite humorsome! And there is nothing wrong with being a little clumsy, friend... thou must admit 'twas rather silly of thee, though.” Sleipnir smiled benevolently, unintimidated even as the growling dragon leaned down so his head was only a few feet away, smoke wreathing up around the stallion from the beast's tremendous jaws. “Now come, enough of thy smoke and sparks. 'Tis good to learn to laugh at thyself. Especially for the proud and strong, like thou art; it helps us all from becoming arrogant and foolish.”

The dragon growled moodily, then he reached up a single claw and disdainfully attempted to shove Sleipnir down into the ground... but instead, his digit simply ground down through the stallion's mane of vines and along his neck before the earth pony gave a loud sigh of relief. “Now that is fantastic! If thou art trying to woo me, Little Red, thou art succeeding!”

The dragon stared blankly for a moment, then drew his claw back and looked stupidly at it before Sleipnir shook himself quickly out and said easily: “But we were speaking of something else, were we not? Aye, why thou should leave those ponies below alone, that is just so! Blue, thou art better at this than I: explain to our friend why 'tis wrong.”

Blueblood stared with horror at Sleipnir, but the earth pony only gestured at him pointedly several times, and Blue spluttered before grinding his teeth together and muttering under his breath: “Sleipnir, if we get out of this... I really will kill you.”

“Oh, thou shan't, thou adores me.” Sleipnir scoffed, then he slapped the unicorn on the back, almost knocking him sprawling.

Blueblood shook himself off as he picked himself up, but before he could glare over his shoulder or say anything to Sleipnir, he found the enormous dragon had leaned down again and was now studying him almost suspiciously.

The prince gave Infernus an uncomfortable smile, and then he cleared his throat before saying weakly: “Well, it's... it's very nice to meet you, Lord Infernus...”

“Yes. Lord. I like that. I am a lord, as a matter of fact, I'm glad you recognized that.” the dragon said proudly, raising his head and polishing one of his claws against the scales of his breast.

“How could anyone not? You're... a mighty dragon, after all, you must... you must rule over these mountains and beyond!” Blueblood said hurriedly, smiling nervously... and then he winced when Sleipnir elbowed him firmly.

Thankfully, Infernus was distracted by the compliments, preening and completely ignoring Sleipnir and Blueblood as they huddled and almost shoved their heads together, the prince hissing: “I'm just doing the one thing that might keep us alive-”

“And 'twill make him feel as if he has every right to continue to be a bully. Thou art doing him no favors, either.” Sleipnir said disapprovingly, and Blueblood looked with disbelief at the earth pony. “Aye, 'tis difficult at times to tell someone they have been a fool, whether they are great or small, pitiable or proud. But 'tis important that we do, all the same. For they will be the stronger and better for it. False compliments and empty kindness do naught but encourage arrogance and narcissism.”

“You do realize that basically describes dragonkind, right?” Blueblood asked moodily, and Sleipnir only huffed again, the unicorn groaning and rolling his eyes. “Fine, Sleipnir. Then what do you suggest that I do?”

“Well, I do not know. Thou art the diplomat here, not I.” Sleipnir replied mildly, and Blueblood felt one of his eyes twitching as he glared balefully at the earth pony. “But do not do what thou just did. 'Twas a step backwards.”

“Good, any steps we take away from the dragon and his teeth are good.” Blueblood muttered, and then he and Sleipnir both winced and looked up when the dragon cleared his throat loudly.

“Lord Infernus wants to know if you have anything else to add, or... if he should start thinking about making lunch preparations.” The dragon eyed them both, licking his lips slowly as he laced his claws together. “Of course, it would be rude of me not to invite my two... 'guests,' wouldn't it?”

Blueblood gave a weak laugh, but Sleipnir only rolled his eyes before the earth pony suddenly complained: “Oh, enough of thy lies, great newt.”

Infernus scowled, leaning forwards moodily, but Sleipnir only stepped forwards and said dryly: “Thou art not going to eat us. And aye, 'twas amusing the first time, but 'tis no longer prankish but... childish. Aye, 'tis like when my daughter was a little girl, and threatened to bite me until she got her way. Although at least my daughter always bit, whereas thou might have the teeth, but certainly not the drive nor hunger.”

Infernus laughed loudly at this, and then he gestured at himself, saying sourly: “If you haven't yet noticed, Sleipnir, I happen to be a dragon. Your friend seems to understand what that means. While I, on the other claw, am struggling to understand precisely what you are, since no pony would be dumb enough to accuse a dragon of being a vegetable eater.”

“I never did.” Sleipnir replied with a slight smile, and the dragon blinked before flushing slightly as the earth pony said thoughtfully: “Although I must admit, there is a rather... interesting odor coming from thy jaws. Aye, 'tis the sweet smell of burnt wood and leaves...”

“N-No, no. Don't... how dare you accuse me of...” Infernus fumbled wildly with his words as Blueblood gaped in disbelief, before the huge reptile suddenly leaned forwards and roared.

Blue yelped and dropped low, covering his head and staring in shock as a massive gout of flames burst through the box canyon... but Sleipnir only stood undaunted, smiling as the roaring flames passed harmlessly several feet above his head.

The dragon dropped his head, and his grin immediately died on his face at the sight of Sleipnir looking up at him pleasantly and fearlessly, the enormous earth pony asking kindly: “Art thou done? I do not know why, but... at least thy little burst of temper brings me more entertainment than thy sulky complaining. But I have always feared the weight of words; 'tis terrible what they can do. That is why poets are such awful creatures, and of course I speak with all the love in the world to mine brother, most foul of that wretched kind!”

Sleipnir laughed loudly, and Infernus simply looked blankly down at the earth pony. “How did you... I just... alright, fine! Maybe I don't enjoy eating meat, but I will make an exception in your case, Sleipnir, if you continue this... this...”

“Little Red, come now. Thou art reasonable. I am perhaps a little less reasonable and much more silly, but that means only that our negotiations should be all the swifter, and filled with cheery heckling, not this... thisness.” Sleipnir gestured back and forth, shaking his head with a chuckle before he reached down and absently yanked Blue to his hooves, the unicorn wincing a bit as he kept suspicious eyes on the dragon. “Oh, cease that, Blue, our new friend shan't harm thee. Aye?”

“I haven't decided yet.” the dragon said moodily, and then he growled before reaching down and picking Sleipnir up in one claw, hefting him up to eye level. He snorted out smoke, but Sleipnir simply huffed and wiggled a foreleg free to wave the smog away.

They looked at each other for a few long moments, and then Infernus finally rumbled: “I think that you should take your friend and leave, Sleipnir. I have no interest in discussing this with you. And if you refuse, well... I don't think you'll like what will happen then.”

“What will happen?” Sleipnir asked curiously, and Infernus looked dumb for a moment before hesitating... and Sleipnir immediately pounced on this, declaring: “Nothing! Aye, precisely, just as I thought! Thou shan't do a thing to us, will thou?”

“I... I will! Stop putting words in my mouth!” the dragon growled, squeezing Sleipnir in one claw... but he might as well have been trying to squeeze water from a stone, Little Red growling as Sleipnir only grinned widely at him.

“Does thou desire to hoof-wrestle? I shall tell thee what, if thou can beat me in hoof-wrestling, I and Blue shall simply leave here, right this moment. But if thou loses, thou must shush and listen to whatever Blue has to say, and we shall see if we can change thy mind.” Sleipnir challenged, and the dragon frowned suspiciously at this, leaning forwards and narrowing his eyes.

He squeezed the stallion testingly for a moment, and then the dragon huffed before quickly setting the earth pony down, saying dryly: “I've come to the conclusion that you're insane, little earth pony. Fine, we'll 'hoof wrestle.'”

The dragon smiled indulgently as dropped an elbow on the ground and held his claw out, and Sleipnir smiled warmly as he reached up and firmly grasped just below the bottom digit. “Very well, Little Red! Blue, come here and referee for us!”

Blueblood sighed tiredly, but Sleipnir seemed as confident as ever... and while the prince still had plenty of worries about what the dragon was going to do, he was fairly certain who the winner of this little contest was going to be.

The unicorn hesitantly cleared his throat, then leaned back and opened his mouth... only to be cut promptly off as Sleipnir complained: “Thou art not doing it right! Thou must come and stand here, thou knows what to do!”

Blue groaned loudly, and then he grumbled under his breath as he walked up beside Sleipnir before stretching up with a grunt to push his hoof carefully against where hoof and claw met, muttering: “Great.”

“Careful you don't get crushed now... Blue, was it?” Infernus asked patronizingly, and Blueblood glowered up at the dragon. “Between you two, you certainly seem like the sane pony, after all. I'd hate to think of how your friend will get along without you.”

“Oh, very badly. But I do not think we will have to worry about that quite yet.” Sleipnir replied cheerfully, and then he winked up at the dragon. “Art thou ready?”

“I'm ready, Sleipnir.” Infernus only smiled wryly, like an adult who was humoring a toddler in some game. “Blue?”

Blueblood sighed, then he took a slow breath before suddenly yanking his hoof back, saying sharply: “Go!”

And in the blink of an eye, Infernus went from lazing comfortably to flailing one limb wildly as Sleipnir easily pinned the other against the ground, the earth pony grinning widely as Infernus wailed: “You're twisting it, you're twisting it!”

“Oh, I apologize, friend! I had simply expected a much better fight from thee, that was all.” Sleipnir said kindly, and he finally allowed the dragon to yank his claw away, the enormous reptile scuttling backwards into his cave and staring with something like horror down at the earth pony, who smiled benevolently up at him before suggesting cheerfully: “Perhaps thou would like to have the best two out of three?”

The dragon mouthed wordlessly, and then he flinched away, holding up both his claws as Sleipnir began to step forwards. “N-No! No, no, no... I... I think you made your point, Sleipnir, I... uh... speak your piece and I will consider it with all the most amiability I definitely can certainly dredge up!”

“How strange the language of today sounds to mine ears! How it twists and turns upon itself like a great gluttonous serpent!” Sleipnir said with interest, and Blueblood smiled in amusement despite himself, wishing that he could still be surprised by the enormous earth pony's ridiculous feats of strength. “Well, Blue, will thou say thy piece? And will thou try and say it half so well as this dragon speaks, my friend?”

“I'll do my best to, Sleipnir.” Blueblood said ironically, and then he shook his head quickly before looking up at the dragon, who was half-hiding in his cave and looking nervously out at them...

Blueblood softened in spite of himself: he couldn't help but pity this poor, giant idiot. This dragon, who... well... he wasn't so large and powerful now, was he? No, he'd thought he was so powerful, that even if sure, he didn't really want to hurt these ponies, he still had a right to treat them however he wanted, he still wanted to prove that he was the biggest, the strongest...

Blue smiled faintly after a moment, and then he asked: “Why were you attacking the fortress? Considering the fact you apparently don't eat meat and, from what I heard, you never really hurt any ponies, only scared them... I find it difficult to believe you were doing it out of some kind of enjoyment. You don't strike me as cruel. Only... young.”

“I am not young, pony, I am an adult!” growled the dragon... which was probably the most revealing thing he could say in regards to his maturity and his age. But after a moment, he settled a little, leaning forwards hesitantly out of the cave and saying finally: “And... this is my territory, that's all. I'm... they shouldn't be there, that fortress belongs to me, not any other dragon.”

“Not any other dragon...” Sleipnir looked musing, tapping a hoof against the ground before he suddenly rose his head and sniffed the air several times. Infernus stared at him, while Blue only frowned, by now used to Sleipnir's eccentricities, before the earth pony suddenly brightened. “Aye, that is why the smell is so strong! Thou hast played host to other dragons recently!”

“N-No! I definitely do not share my territory, that is for... for younglings!” spluttered Infernus, and Blueblood and Sleipnir traded looks before the young dragon covered his mouth, then blurted through his claws: “Stop it! I'm an adult now, I really am!”

“You just left your aerie, you must have only been here for a few months.” Blueblood said slowly, as realization dawned on him, and the dragon winced as Sleipnir looked curiously towards the unicorn.

And Blueblood felt a strange sense of both victory and relief at the fact that he finally seemed to know something that Sleipnir didn't, as he explained: “Dragons live mostly solitary lives. But they gather into social aeries when it's mating seas...” Blueblood broke off at the horrible glare Infernus was giving him, and he gave a weak smile.

“We are not animals. We are not some... stupid little beasts. Just because our culture is different than yours, don't talk about me like I'm a... a pig or something.” growled the dragon, looming forwards threateningly out of the cave.

“Yes, I. I know. I apologize.” Blueblood said awkwardly, leaning away... then he grimaced as Sleipnir only gestured at him to go on, the unicorn sighing before he continued carefully: “What I meant to say is that, uh, they... do have families. But usually the families split up once the babies are able to fly and follow their... which parent they choose.”

Infernus crossed his forelegs and sulkily dropped his head, but Blueblood felt a lot more confident now with that glare off him. And Sleipnir still looked interested, so the unicorn hesitantly gestured to Infernus, saying: “When a dragon grows old enough, he leaves the nest. Sometimes with his siblings, other times not. And while they're still young adults, they settle a shared territory: they all live on their own, but usually within a short flight of each other, to protect themselves from other aggressive adult dragons.”

“More or less.” mumbled Infernus, moodily flicking a boulder away with one claw before he glared at the two ponies. “I don't see what that has to do with anything, though. And I don't like you talking about me like I'm some kind of animal to be studied. How would you like me to talk to you like that, huh?”

“You mean like how you were talking down to us like we were food?” Blueblood asked dryly, before he could stop himself, and the dragon looked surprised as the unicorn winced... then bit his lip and added in a quieter voice: “It's not very nice when that happens, especially when that person... scares you a little, now is it?”

“I'm... I'm not scared at all.” Infernus shyly dropped his head, half-covering his face in a very childish gesture, and Sleipnir chuckled as Blueblood smiled a little in spite of himself. “I... okay. But... but I don't really eat ponies. I just eat trees and magma and gemstones.”

“Aye, as I figured.” Sleipnir said with a smile, turning his eyes towards the dragon. “Thy culture is very interesting, though. I enjoy that all of thee take care of each other... but now thou must tell me if thou art being very foolish, or very foolish. And by this, I mean art thou trying to impress a maiden dragon, or art thou trying to prove to thy friends that thou art the biggest, toughest brute in these territories?”

The dragon looked up in surprise, and Blueblood took only a few moments to put it together himself, nodding slowly before he murmured: “Of course. You're attacking the fortress to make it look like you're either fearless or feeding.”

“I... well... no!” exclaimed Infernus, blushing deeply and looking awkwardly back and forth... and then he slumped to the ground, visibly deflating as he sprawled out and dropped his head in front of them with a look of humiliation. “Okay, okay. Yes. I... I'm supposed to be the biggest, toughest dragon in these mountains, look at me! But... but the other dragons would laugh at me and chase me away if they found out that... I...”

He bit his lip, and Sleipnir smiled kindly, striding forwards and reaching up to gently pat the dragon on the end of the muzzle. “Now, there there, my friend. There is no need for such sorrow or pain! Aye, thou art young, and when one is young, one is prone to such mistakes.

“But while I promise not to lecture thee upon them, thou cannot continue this charade. For it puts those ponies at risk, and they have suffered very much already. For a little like thou art, I think, they too are misfits.” Sleipnir said gently, and Infernus grimaced a bit and shifted uneasily.

“Well, I can't... I mean, sometimes when I hunt, the others watch me. We usually go out hunting together... I can't just leave the fortress alone! It's hard enough as it is convincing the others not to attack it!” complained Infernus, and Sleipnir looked thoughtful at this.

“Aye, and if the others are used to the taste of meat, then I fear they will not take as readily to our advice as thou has...” The enormous earth pony crossed his forelegs as he sat back, lowering his head in thought as Blueblood shifted uneasily. “Tell me more of these dragons.”

“Oh, uh... Stormwing, Sunflare, and...” The slight pause, the sudden dreamy look, the little smile all made it very clear what the dragon likely thought of this next name on his list: “Crystelle...”

“Oh yes, I see, then... 'tis both kinds of foolishness at play!” Sleipnir said cheerfully, looking up and smiling warmly in return. And then a moment later, he suddenly clapped his front hooves together, and Blueblood gave the enormous earth pony an uneasy look: he had a bad feeling about whatever Sleipnir was about to suggest, especially with that twinkle in his eyes...

“I know precisely what we must do! Little Red, thou must woo this Crystelle!” Sleipnir declared, and Blueblood slapped his forehead as the dragon gaped down at the enormous earth pony. “Aye, 'tis very simple indeed. For then all shall be happy and in balance, and thou and thy mate may claim and rule this territory together.”

Blueblood stared in disbelief, and Little Red gave a high-pitched laugh before he stuttered out: “W-What makes you think that... that I even want some... that I... that Crystelle... that I would ever want her as a mate or-”

“Roughly everything thou does. Thou sounds almost like I when I first fell in rapture with my gorgeous phoenix.” Sleipnir replied with an easy shrug, looking kindly up at the dragon. “Fear not, 'tis a good thing, 'tis a grand and glorious thing! Young love is to be admired and applauded and celebrated... and I can think of no better way to do so than this.”

Infernus blushed deeply, and Blueblood stared at the enormous earth pony before he said disbelievingly: “Sleipnir, even if this wasn't a completely ludicrous idea... we don't have the time to play matchmaker between two dragons right now!”

“Oh, nonsense!” Sleipnir huffed, waving a hoof before he glanced up at the sun thoughtfully: “Let us see. We must return by mid afternoon, and 'tis... why, 'tis not even yet noon! We have all the time in the world and more!”

Blueblood scowled horribly at the stallion, but Sleipnir only grinned widely and winked over at Blue. “Now, do not complain. For I am sure thou can benefit well from these arts I have to teach, too. For what better way to spend thy time than enchanting sweet mares, and sharing with them the pleasure and comforts that can only come with the pairing of hearts and bodies?”

The ivory unicorn reached up and rubbed slowly at his temples, and Infernus hesitated before asking uncertainly: “You... are you sure that you can... I mean, Crystelle, she's... she's never really...”

“Nay, thou never need doubt in these skills of mine! 'Tis certainly one thing to doubt in mine skills as a warrior when I am but a pony and thou art some grand dragon, but I take grave offense at thy doubting in mine abilities as a lover and pleaser of mares!” Sleipnir declared, thrusting a hoof into the air. “Why, if thou continues to doubt me I shan't have any choice but to drag thee off to whatever serves as thy bed and make thee squeal in delight, size or no.”

The dragon stared down at the earth pony, and Blueblood slowly rubbed at his own face before he asked tiredly: “What do you propose then, Sleipnir?”

Sleipnir winked, saying cheerfully: “'Well, first of all, our new friend dragon must find something precious to him. Something that he would not desire to part with, something that has... meaning to him.”

The dragon frowned uneasily at this, looking suspiciously down at Sleipnir, but the enormous earth pony only nodded fervently before he continued confidently: “And then we shall go and visit Crystelle. We shall speak to her together, and handsome Little Red shall do as I instruct. And by this afternoon, thou hast my promise, Crystelle will adore thee as she has adored no others in her life!”

The dragon continued to look down at Sleipnir warily, while Blueblood tilted his head curiously... although he admittedly had no idea just what the earth pony was up to himself. Knowing Sleipnir, though, it would be something no normal pony would request...

But after a moment, Infernus nodded moodily, saying grumpily: “I... I'm going to try and trust you, even though I really don't think that I should. But... I'll be a moment.”

Infernus looked at them both measuringly, then huffed out a bit of smoke before turning and heading quickly down the steps. Blueblood scowled a little at this, then moodily looked over at Sleipnir, but the enormous earth pony simply smiled cheerfully in return before he said kindly: “Fear not. I shan't leave thee here alone, Blueblood, but thou seems strangely uncomfortable around the dragon. If thou prefers, thou does not have to come with us. I am sure Infernus will be glad to allow thee to rest in his abode.”

Blueblood laughed dryly at this, and Sleipnir cocked his head before the unicorn asked moodily: “Do you have any idea how protective most dragons are of their hordes?”

Sleipnir huffed, then countered: “Well, does thou have any idea how deep the passions of a dragon run, Blue? Because love is the greatest of all treasures we can attain, and when young, we feel the stings of passion so much the deeper, do we not? Aye, when we are young, fires seem so much hotter and the world seems like it will end with every misstep we take...”

The earth pony paused, then smiled suddenly, laughing and saying cheerfully: “'Tis a good thing that I have never been young myself, although Celestia has always told me I am quite young in mind. Well. Not in those exact words, but 'tis the gist of it, in politer fashion.”

Blueblood looked moodily at Sleipnir, and then he shook his head quickly before muttering: “It always astounds me how people warm up to you so quickly, Sleipnir. And yet you quickly annoy anyone who spends any extended amount of time with you.”

“Well, that is not entirely incorrect, but I am fond of thinking that I frustrate other ponies in the best of ways.” Sleipnir said easily, shrugging before he smiled as Infernus lumbered back towards the entrance, holding something daintily in his jaws. “And... oh, 'tis perfect!”

The dragon looked nervously at Sleipnir, then hesitantly set the trinket he was carrying down: Blueblood was surprised to see that it was some kind of silver necklace, with a large, shimmering blue gemstone inset into the front of it. It was definitely too large for any pony, but was clearly too small for Infernus, too...

“This uh... this was my mom's.” Infernus mumbled, shifting awkwardly before he glowered when Sleipnir stepped forwards and picked it up, studying it appraisingly. “Hey! Careful with that!”

“I am gentle as a lamb!” Sleipnir complained, and then he returned his eyes to the necklace, studying it thoughtfully before suddenly smiling and looking up at the dragon. “Aye. This will do most excellently indeed, my friend. Thou shall present this to Crystelle.”

Infernus winced at this, shaking his head hurriedly before he blurted: “N-No! I couldn't, this... my father gave this to my mother when-”

“Aha! Then 'tis all the more perfect! More perfectly perfect than I had thought!” Sleipnir declared brightly, and then he hefted the large necklace above his head, looking up into the gemstone on the front with a loud laugh. “Aye, I feel the love and warmth and tenderness it radiates... 'tis a grand gift, my friend, 'twill win her heart even without the gift and art of my words.”

“But... but it means a lot to me! I mean, mom is...” Infernus quieted, and then he cleared his throat and shook his head violently when Sleipnir looked up at him compassionately. “Look, not important. It's mine and I don't want to give it away.”

The earth pony only chuckled quietly at this, however, and Blueblood looked curiously at the enormous stallion as Infernus scowled, before Sleipnir said gently: “As has been said by many wiser than me, the only gifts worth giving are those that are important to us. I understand that thou does not desire to part with this, but ask thyself: is this better hoarded away with thy mounds of treasure, or adorning the neck of thy beloved?”

The dragon puffed out a bit of smoke at this, shifting awkwardly back and forth before he dropped his head and mumbled: “That's... that's not a fair question.”

“I do not see how. 'Tis only what it is, after all, and that is fact and truth.” Sleipnir replied easily, shrugging and smiling up at the stallion. “Come now, Infernus. Search thy heart and feelings: is this thy mate? Does thou love her?”

“I... but we're young, and dragons aren't supposed to choose mates until they're adults and... families usually split up and we're just sharing territory and... and what about Stormwing and Sunflare? And if she sees me with a pony, she's... they're all going to just laugh at me!” Infernus retorted, shaking his head vehemently before he snatched the necklace away and hugged it up against his breast. “No, no, this... just... no!”

“Oh, cease. What does thou feel? Damnation, idiot, what does thou truly feel?” Sleipnir asked, gesturing pointedly up at the dragon, and Infernus shifted awkwardly before dropping his head low and mumbling something unintelligible.

But Sleipnir only smiled warmly as if he'd understood... and Blueblood wasn't sure if Sleipnir actually did or he was just that good at reading people. Or manipulating them in his gentle, tender way, the unicorn reflected ironically. “Precisely, now thou art beginning to see, art thou not?”

Infernus dropped his head and scowled at the enormous earth pony, but the stallion only looked benevolently back before he gestured at him quickly. “Now come, come. If thou does not mind, Blueblood shall sojourn here for the... oh, hour, I would wager, that it shall take us to woo Crystelle and convince her of thy worth. For it should not be a thing of great difficulty, as long as thy feelings are true and she does not detest thee.”

The dragon winced at this, and then he hesitated before leaning down and asking meekly: “And... and what if she does hate me? What... what do I do then?”

“Oh, that does not matter.” Sleipnir smiled kindly, and Infernus blinked as Blueblood stared for a moment at Sleipnir, before the earth pony smiled again and closed his eyes, saying softly: “Thou cares for her, aye? So thou must do what thou can to share this affection with her, and show her thy love, and discover if there is a connection between the two of thee.

“The connection is what matters, not love. Infatuation burns hot, and 'tis exotic and fast-paced, but is good only for short-lived courtships that are meant to be... fond memories, or practicing thy love.” Sleipnir continued, smiling up at the dragon. “Love that comes slow, that must be earned, is far better. Love will grow, if tended, if thou puts the effort to it, if thou nurtures it. What is most important is that the two of thee share a bond, a connection that will act as the foundation for thy affections.”

“Do... I don't know if we have that or not, though, I mean... I've never... I don't think I've ever spoken to her on her own or... she's never...” Infernus shifted back and forth, and Sleipnir winked cheerfully up at the dragon.

“Well, then this is all the more reason for us to visit her now! And fear not: if there is a connection between the two of thee, 'twill burn as hot as day. Why, I predicted long before my sister knew that she and a certain silly Draconequus would end up as wife and husband. My sister being the husband, of course, and poor Discombobulation the wife.” Sleipnir smiled again, although Blueblood noticed a strange shift in Sleipnir's demeanor.

But maybe that was just his imagination. Or maybe even the mighty Sleipnir didn't like the Draconequus... not that Blueblood could precisely blame him. Discord had always been a troublemaker, after all: he still didn't know why Auntie had allowed him out of his imprisonment.

The dragon, however, was looking more worriedly than suspiciously down at Sleipnir, shifting back and forth anxiously on his claws before the earth pony suddenly gestured impatiently at him. “Enough, enough of all this silly chatter, though! Come, let us be off, Blue shall be able to make himself comfortable enough in thy happy little abode, I am sure.”

Infernus grimaced at this and shifted a little, and then he sighed tiredly before nodding and looking hesitantly over at Blueblood, asking awkwardly: “Are you going to... I mean... you don't mind staying here, right?”

Blueblood grimaced a bit, but then he simply nodded, pawing a hoof at the ground as he said moodily: “I... suppose not, no. Perhaps I'll... help myself to the use of your hot springs, and then take a short rest inside your cave.”

“Just... just don't touch my treasure. Or anything else. Please.” Infernus said after a moment, and the stallion resisted the urge to glower as Sleipnir badly hid a grin behind his hoof.

Thankfully, he only had to resist for a few moments before Sleipnir waved a hoof to get the dragon's attention, saying easily: “Now come, there is no need to be so concerned! I assure thee, Blue has as much interest in treasure as I do in books or other silly things.”

Infernus shifted awkwardly as Blueblood gave Sleipnir a dour look, but forced himself to nod all the same. The dragon looked only a little mollified by this, but hesitantly nodded back after a moment before he dropped his head and mumbled: “I... fine. I'm... I suppose you can't run off with anything, anyway, and... we'll be back soon. Right?”

“Aye, we shall. 'Twill be but minutes, fear not.” Sleipnir agreed, and then he winked over at the unicorn. “'Tis a good idea to make thyself presentable, though. Handsome or not, a little extra shine shan't hurt for when we return with the pretty dragoness in tow.”

Infernus smiled awkwardly, and then he winced when Sleipnir cheerfully leapt forwards and scampered his way up onto the dragon's back, thrusting a hoof into the air and declared: “And now, let us venture forth to the maiden fair!”

The dragon almost whimpered, but then he scooped up the necklace in his claws before spreading his wings and flapping them once. Blueblood winced at the gust of wind, then looked up and watched with a mix of envy for Sleipnir and sympathy for the dragon as the great red beast flew into the air, then turned with a roar and flapped his wings hard, propelling himself onwards.

Blue watched until the two flew out of sight, and then he sighed before turning and looking out towards one of the hot springs. After days of sputtering lukewarm showers, and all the nights he'd spent in the wild with only a wet cloth and a sponge to clean himself, it looked incredibly inviting...

A few minutes later, Blueblood was seated comfortably, resting back against the naturally-smooth rim of the pool and sighing in relief. He sank down until only his muzzle was left sticking out of the water, relaxing slowly in the heat as he mumbled in contentment.

Blueblood wasn't sure how long he stayed like that, but he was certain it wasn't even an hour before the world shook violently as something crashed heavily to the ground, and Blueblood was startled out of his doze, splashing wildly in the pool before he flung himself around in a circle and glared furiously, opening his mouth-

His words died in his throat as he stared in disbelief up at the huge black dragon that was currently glaring at the entrance to Infernus' cavern. He was almost as large as the red dragon had been, but had an extra set of horns pushing up from his skull and several large, dangerous-looking spikes along his tail, which was slapping angrily against the ground every few seconds to send rock and shrapnel flying in all directions.

“A home? A home for her? Let's see what you'll do when you have no home and no treasures left!” growled the dragon as his eyes roved along the edge of the cave. He reached up experimentally, grasping into it... then swore as he only managed to tear away a single large, loose stone, looking moodily down at the boulder in his claw before flinging it absently over his shoulder.

Blueblood stared in horror as the rock arced towards him, then it crashed to the ground only a few feet away, bouncing once as Blue flung himself sideways. He managed to just get out of the path of the huge stone before it splashed down into the pool, sending him sprawling with a yelp.

The dragon looked over his shoulder with a frown, and then his eyes widened in surprise as they locked on Blueblood, who winced and stared back. There was a moment of stunned silence between them, and then the dragon suddenly snarled as Blueblood scrambled for his hooves, the beast spinning around as he asked with disgust: “He's been hiding another one?”

The giant lumbered towards him, and Blueblood staggered backwards, wildly trying to think of anything he could possibly do as he asked hurriedly: “So you know my friend, m-my good friend Infernus? He's... he's about to be home, you know, he'll be back any-”

“No, he won't. He's too busy trying to mate with Crystelle... Crystelle, who was supposed to be mine!” roared the dragon as he leaned down, and the power of his voice knocked Blueblood rolling backwards with a yelp before he landed on his back.

He propped himself up with a wince as the dragon loomed over him, the massive reptile sitting back and raising his head to full height: almost as big as Infernus... but then again, his long, thin neck probably added a few extra feet to that. And he was certainly tall, but his body was narrow, even if his wings looked like the largest that Blueblood had ever seen as the beast gestured angrily with them. “Over there, right over there, he's trying to claim her as his wife, and that worthless sack of scales Sunflare is just calling it all cute! But I knew it, I knew that there was always something wrong with those two... with all three of them, really, since how could Crystelle ignore me? Me?”

“I... I don't know.” Blueblood said lamely, and the dragon hissed at him through his teeth before the unicorn held up a hoof, asking weakly: “Would you... happen to be Stormwing, then? Because... b-because really, Infernus has told me all about you-”

“Oh, yes?” Stormwing only seemed more infuriated by this, however, leaning down and snorting out a reeking steam over the unicorn, Blue flinching away before the dragon asked coldly: “Did he tell you how much I just love you tender little morsels? And how angry it always made me that he kept that fortress of you little tasty treats all to himself?”

Blueblood smiled weakly, and then Stormwing reared back and narrowed his eyes, saying coldly: “Tell me, friend. What would hurt Infernus more? Finding his home destroyed and you missing, or finding his home destroyed and a nice little note written in unicorn parts telling him to get lost before the same happens to him?”

“Well, I... Infernus was talking about moving to a brand new cave, you know, and... t-truth be told, he's never really liked me that much, we really have never simply... clicked...” Blueblood babbled out before he was even really aware of what he was saying, and then he forced himself to smile weakly, tapping his front hooves together nervously as Stormwing narrowed his eyes.

The enormous dragon slowly tapped a claw against the ground, and Blue swallowed thickly. He knew that there was nothing he could do to escape this dragon or even hope to hurt him, especially without any of his equipment... not that his tiny little sword would have done more than piss this giant off, of course.

Blueblood thought desperately before he squawked when Stormwing reached out and picked him up, the giant reptile asking coldly: “What do you mean, he's moving to a new cave?”

For a moment, Blue could only stare, mouthing wordlessly... and then all the breath whooshed out of his lungs as Stormwing snapped: “Don't make me repeat myself! Where is this cave?”

Blue wheezed loudly in and out, then shouted almost desperately: “I... I don't know!”

Stormwing snarled, clearly not pleased with this answer, but the unicorn was only relieved he hadn't called the brute an idiot. And then his eyes widened in horror as the dragon drew him in close, hissing: “Then you're of more use to me dead.”

Stormwing began to open his mouth, and Blue shouted the first thing that came to mind: “But if you kill me, y-you won't get his treasure!”

The dragon paused, then scowled as the unicorn wheezed loudly in and out, studying him intently before asking slowly: “What are you talking about? What treasure? You couldn't possibly have anything that interests me.”

Blue nodded a few times, then he let himself slump forwards, closing his eyes as he whispered: “Infernus... Infernus has a secret place where he hides his most valuable treasures, though. Magical ones. Amazing artifacts, gemstones... gemstones almost as large as me!”

The dragon's eyes gleamed greedily, and then he asked impatiently: “And where are these treasures? What's to stop me from just killing you and ripping Infernus' lair apart?”

“B-Because they're hidden in a place a dragon alone can't reach. That's... that's the trick. That's why he keeps us pony... slaves.” Blueblood wheezed, even if he almost stumbled over calling himself anything less than the adventurer he'd become. I suppose... I still have to have some pride, though. “He... he keeps us alive and happy so that we'll... take his treasures back and forth between the... places.”

Blueblood halted dumbly, realizing he had no cover story whatsoever, but Stormwing was only looking at him, visibly wrestling with himself. And then the dragon growled suddenly before he almost crushed Blue in his claw, the unicorn crying out in agony and again struggling for breath as the dragon growled: “Take me to these treasures. Show me where they're hidden, and prove they exist. And maybe, just maybe, I'll let you live.”

Blue wheezed in pain, trembling a bit before he was flung almost disdainfully to the ground, and he hit with a resounding thud that nearly knocked him unconscious. And yet even as his mind danced between light and dark, and sounds slurred together in his ears and his whole body trembled with pain, another idea came to mind. One that was an enormous risk, and yet...

Stormwing shouted at him, and Blueblood shakily tried to stand... then flopped over on his side and screamed as loudly as he could, grabbing at one of his hind legs. The dragon leaned back slightly in surprise as Blue continued to scream and howl, rolling back and forth a little on the ground before he yelled: “M-My leg! It's... it's b-broken! Oh Heaven, it's broken!”

The dragon hissed, and then he leaned down and snapped: “That's too bad, you're just going to have to get up and walk it off!”

“W-Walk it off? I can't walk at all, a-a-at all!” Blueblood howled, convulsing on the ground as he continued to hold his 'broken' leg. “Oh, oh it hurts so badly, it hurts so badly that if... if something doesn't dull the pain s-soon, I'll... I'll die!”

“Maybe I should just kill you now and get it over with.” growled Stormwing, leaning down with disgust, as Blue trembled in very real fear, knowing this was a one in a hundred chance.

“Go a-ahead then, j-just go ahead... and... and then when Infernus finds out he's... he'll kill you with the dragon sword and I'll be avenged!” Blue cried out in as miserable and bitter a voice as he could manage, forcing himself to half-roll away.

“The dragon sword? What are you talking about, what is this 'dragon sword?'” growled Stormwing, and then he snarled and stepped forwards over the unicorn. “Tell me! Tell me now, or I'll break your other leg and kill you!”

“No, no! No, oh p-please no!” the unicorn wailed, covering his face as he felt a mad, insane urge to giggle. He knew his luck was going to run out eventually, he knew that he should be trying to escape, trying to come up with some kind of plan... and yet all he could do was spout more insane, unbelievable garbage that Stormwing was just eating up. “It's... it's the most p-powerful weapon a dragon can wield, it... it can kill any dragon in... with one hit!”

Stormwing scowled, but he shifted back and forth, clearly not knowing what to think. Blueblood wanted to continue rambling away, but he made himself focus on whimpering and rolling around on the ground in pain as the dragon shifted indecisively back and forth.

And then suddenly he sat back, laughing shortly before he shouted: “I knew you were lying! I know it, because... because there's no way that Infernus could... that he would let you touch something like that, I know it!”

Blueblood laughed disbelievingly: that was the reason Stormwing thought he was lying? And as the dragon snarled down at him, the unicorn felt a surge of inspiration before he snapped, as if it was common knowledge: “W-Why not? It's far too large for anyone but a dragon to use, anyway! I... I can b-barely move it when I drag it behind me!”

Stormwing halted, one claw half-raised, his eyes widening... and when Blueblood looked up at him, he realized that whatever else, this dragon wanted to believe what he was saying. He realized that he was faced with a giant, terrifying beast that he couldn't possibly hope to fight in physical combat... but one who also didn't seem capable of even thinking for himself, let alone figuring out that this weak, tiny little pony was manipulating him.

They looked at each other for a moment, and then Blue realized he had fallen silent, and the dragon narrowed his eyes before Blueblood threw his head back with a badly-forced cry of pain. But the silence had been too long, and he'd frozen up, and he'd gotten arrogant, and even if it had just been for a bare moment that he'd dropped out of character... it appeared that while Stormwing was stupid and gullible, even he could figure things out if enough hints were dropped in front of him.

“You little bastard!” snarled Stormwing, slashing a claw down, and Blueblood flung himself backwards, scrambling to his hooves and bolting away as Stormwing roared: “I knew your leg wasn't broken! I knew you were lying, you little lying bastard!”

He dropped forwards, then gurgled before his jaws snapped open, and a thick jet of black, steaming poison shot out of his maw. Blueblood barely managed to fling himself out of the way of the burst of acid, hurrying towards the other end of the box canyon even though he knew it was pointless, he knew he was trapped, and Stormwing roared in fury as he flapped his majestic wings before taking to the air, shouting: “Stay still! Stay still so I can crush the life out of you!”

Blueblood looked over his shoulder in horror as Stormwing leaned down and spat out another stream of poison, and the stallion threw himself forwards and sprinted with all the strength he could, narrowly avoiding it. Stormwing hissed in frustration at this, then shot quickly forwards, winging down low to attempt to slap Blue with his tail, but it narrowly missed and instead smashed into the ground beside him, knocking the stallion reeling.

He tripped over his own hooves and went face-first into the ground, swearing as he flopped painfully over with a gasp. He twisted up onto his belly, then winced as Stormwing streaked onwards through the air: he was forced to veer upwards to avoid the canyon wall, then flapped his wings hard several times to pick up speed even as he shot away from the canyon itself and higher into the air, and for a moment, Blueblood had the wild hope that maybe he was just going to go away.

But then the black dragon slowly began to wheel around, and even though he was far, far away by now, Blue could feel the reptiles sharp eyes glaring hatefully at him. And then the mountains shook with the beast's voice as it roared, terribly loud even from across hundreds and hundreds of feet: “Stay right there, and maybe I'll make this fast!”

Stormwing slowly angled himself into a weak decline, and Blueblood trembled before he felt it: the pulse. No, not just the pulse, the drums of the earth as well as the heartbeat of nature, time seeming to slow down as his entire body shook with their beat... and yet... “I... I can't understand! I can't-”

Just listen! Sleipnir's voice shouted in his mind, so urgent, so real, that Blueblood actually looked around in shock for the earth pony.

No, he wasn't here... but yet in a way, he was. Everything he had taught him, it was still with him... and Blue gritted his teeth before he clenched his eyes shut, shrinking himself down on the spot as much as he could as Stormwing dove eagerly in towards him, and-

Blueblood heard the command, and his body reacted even before his mind could process it, his horn lighting brightly up before his eyes snapped open and he looked disbelievingly up, knowing what his one chance was, and unable to believe he was actually going to try and do this as the dragon angled himself downwards, came on ever faster, dove greedily-

Blue snapped his horn sharply upwards, and a flare of light shot into the air as Stormwing dove in low... before the flare exploded in a brilliant volley in front of the dragon, and he shouted in consternation, jerking his head back and grabbing at his face, his whole body tilting... and then going out of control as he careened wildly past, low enough to the ground that his frantic wingbeats knocked Blueblood sprawling.

Less than a second later, Stormwing crashed face-first into one of the canyon walls, cracking it with the force of his impact and sending boulders and debris tumbling down from above to add insult to injury as he sprawled brokenly to the ground, helpless beneath the avalanche. Blueblood gaped as he picked himself slowly up, then he grabbed at his own body and looked dumbly down at himself, barely able to believe... he was alive.

He began to grin... and then he turned dead white as Stormwing roared furiously as he flung himself to his claws, chunks of loose rock flying in all directions as he stumbled around in a circle and almost screamed: “Bastard! Little bastard!”

Stormwing broke into a shambling stagger-charge, and Blueblood trembled and stared, knowing there was no way out, there was no way he could survive, there was nothing that could save him-

And then his ears twitched as he heard it: a brazen, fearless voice shouting a war cry and warning before something smashed violently into Stormwing's face and sent him crashing to the earth with a great blast of dust and rock.

Blueblood gaped in disbelief, then coughed loudly, stumbling back from the dust cloud rising and swirling through the air around Stormwing... or at least, whatever was left of him. And then hiseyes widened as he heard wingbeats, looking up over his shoulder in amazement as two dragons touched down behind him: Infernus, and a beautiful, rose-colored dragoness wearing the blue-stone necklace around her neck.

Their wings blew away the dust as they both settled to the ground, and Blue turned his amazed eyes back forwards to see Stormwing was wheezing weakly, his muzzle visibly crunched in and tears running down his cheeks as Sleipnir calmly hopped off the dragon's maw... and then, without looking behind him, he simply slammed one rear hoof firmly backwards into Stormwing's face.

It knocked the dragon's head backwards, and Stormwing squealed before he leapt into the air and wildly flapped his wings, clawing at the air with all four limbs before he finally managed to fly up and away, sobbing like a baby.

Sleipnir approached Blue with a smile, and the unicorn looked at him with relief and warmth, laughing weakly... before his face froze as Sleipnir clapped him on the shoulder and said cheerfully: “See, my friend? I told thee we would not need our equipment today. And thou wert so worried for some reason, but look at how well all has turned out!”

Blueblood mouthed slowly... and then he slowly ground his teeth together, one of his eyes twitching before he leaned forwards and yelled furiously: “You idiotic, ignorant, insensate... imbecile! You... you peasant!”

“Oh, come now, thou art fine! And I am certain thou hast grown stronger for the experience.” Sleipnir said helpfully... and then he winced and ducked back when Blueblood swung a hoof at him, before the earth pony danced backwards when Blue attempted to tackle him. “Well, I cannot bring the great cowardly beast back to eat thee, Blue, 'tis the truth otherwise!”

“Come here so I can strangle you, you... idiot!” Blueblood shouted furiously, charging after Sleipnir, but Sleipnir easily kept ahead of the unicorn, grinning over his shoulder at him and only fueling the prince's incoherent rage all the further. “Wipe that... that stupid smile off your face!”

“Well, now I most certainly cannot, since 'tis my smile that makes thee chase me like a lusty maiden!” Sleipnir replied cheerfully, and Blueblood skidded to a stop so he could stomp his hooves and shout a furious volley of curses he never would have dared to use in his Auntie's presence, Sleipnir giggling like a foal from where he'd stopped a few feet away to watch.

The dragons, meanwhile, turned from the two to look at each other, and Infernus gave a weak grin, trying to think up some excuse... but a moment later, Crystelle said with a strange delight in her voice: “Oh, they're just like little hatchlings at play!”

“I... that's why I take care of them!” Infernus said glibly, and Crystelle gave him a warm look as Infernus grinned lamely, turning a deep scarlet as he caught an amused, quick look from Sleipnir before the earth pony went back to teasing Blueblood.

The dragon still didn't know what to make of the ponies... but one thing he did know was that he was extremely glad he hadn't tried to pick a fight with them. They had clobbered Stormwing, they had helped him show Crystelle how he felt for her... and like it or not, the strange little ponies were starting to grow on him. Even if Sleipnir had also managed to make him agree to a few embarrassing requests in front of the dragoness... but she had giggled so cutely that it had almost made up for the humiliation.

Still. He only hoped that these 'misfits' were half as amusing as Sleipnir was... and they realized how lucky they were going to be to have their own resident dragons watching over them.

A Gentle Farewell

Chapter Twenty Six: A Gentle Farewell
~BlackRoseRaven

Sleipnir and Blue returned in the early afternoon to the fortress in the shadow of the mountain, on the backs of dragons. At first, Blueblood had been terrified of climbing on Crystelle, but she had been gentle and kind: Blue had honestly been surprised by how kind she had been, and how tender, and he was somehow certain that if she had been a pony, he would have wanted to sweep her off her hooves.

But as she was instead a twenty-foot tall dragon, he instead shuffled meekly around her until she finally reassured him that she preferred a diet of gemstones and ore to ponies... at which point, Sleipnir had cheerfully blurted out Infernus' secret, that he did too.

Infernus has uselessly tried to squish Sleipnir under one fist until Crystelle quickly pulled the dragon away, not realizing that the dragon's hammering on the pony had all the effect of making him laugh. And she had been so nice to him, in a way that Blueblood envied: he didn't think any mare had ever treated him like she was treating Infernus, after all, and it made him feel... funny.

Then they had gotten on the dragons, and Blueblood had shortly forgotten everything else: first to fear, and then to awe. And as they sailed through the sky, he stood and shouted his wordless joy to the air, mane streaming around him, eyes glowing with wonderment before he laughed as Sleipnir shouted as well, and then both dragons joined in their chorus, encouraging Blue to roar along with them as loudly as he could, his whole body filled with ecstasy.

They had landed carefully and gently in the forest to avoid frightening any of the already-strained ponies, and Sleipnir had called cheerful greetings to the ponies and the undead. And Blueblood had been surprised at how afraid of the undead ponies the dragons had been at first: it was just so strange, to see these terrifying beasts scared of what were nothing but little bony ponies.

They had eventually all... acclimatized to each other, was probably the best way to put it at the moment. They were all a little wary, all a little uncomfortable... well, except for Sleipnir, of course. But Crystelle was kind and empathetic, and Infernus did his best to follow her lead: and when he realized what had happened here as Jack Lantern talked about the attack and the ponies that had been lost, the sadness on his face had been honest. Had been painfully real.

Infernus and Crystelle had departed after only an hour, so that the misfits could tend to their dead. Auros and Invidia both came to help, and although at first Jack was stiff with them, he loosened up a little when Sleipnir touched his shoulder. And even Rack seemed grateful when they found the undead outside already waiting by the burial site in respectful lines, their heads bowed, the ground cleared and offerings already resting at each grave.

Jack Lantern led the services, and Sleipnir and Blueblood sat off to the side, only watching, letting them tend to and take care of their dead the way they wanted to. But as Jack's long, emotional speech ended and he stepped aside, they were surprised as Auros came forwards, looking to the crowd, hesitating a moment... and then saying in a heartfelt, emotional voice: “I'm sorry.”

There was more, much more... but really, it was only those words that really needed to be said. It summed up everything he could say and told the misfits what they had needed to hear: everything else he said was soothing, and reassuring, and kind, but it was all extra and unnecessary.

After Auros stepped down, Sleipnir went up, and his words were... gentle, and compassionate, and even though there was nothing happy about what was happening... Blueblood thought that all the same, he could see such a... a warmth, a light, visibly fill up every pony here. Sleipnir simply had such a... a positivity about him that Blueblood could only envy: he shared love and light fearlessly with the world, and made everyone around him all the better for it.

When Sleipnir stepped down, Blue wanted to go up, to say something, to honor them in his own way... but what could he possibly say? What wouldn't just be repetition, how could he hope to bring peace to any of these ponies in the way that Jack and Auros and Sleipnir all had?

Blue fidgeted in the spot, then only lowered his head as Sleipnir sat back beside him, and the prince decided it was better to just listen quietly as Steele silently strode up in front of the graves, smiling faintly and trembling a little.

The band of misfits said their last goodbyes to their departed friends, and Blue watched with solemnity and strange fascination... and maybe just the slightest tremble of pointless fear. But he didn't think that he'd ever get over his dislike of funerals: those scars, he felt, might be too deep to heal, no matter what Sleipnir seemed to believe.

Blueblood and Sleipnir sat until the ponies were done speaking, and until the crowd began to disperse. They sat and watched until several of the misfits quietly began to fill in the graves, and then Sleipnir smiled faintly before standing and saying softly: “Come. Let us offer to help.”

“I... n-no.” Blue murmured, shifting uneasily, and Sleipnir frowned a little as he turned his eyes to Blue... but his gaze became concerned after a moment as he saw how pale the unicorn was, as Blueblood's eyes fearfully followed the movements of one of the shovels, watching as it dipped into earth, then poured cold soil down into that hole in the ground, heard the thump as it knocked on the coffin cradled in the earth's grip...

The unicorn blinked as he realized that Sleipnir was talking to him, and then he forced a smile, looking up uneasily and whispering: “S-Sorry. I... I just... lost myself for a moment, that's all. Would... yes, Sleipnir, do you need something?”

Sleipnir studied the stallion intently for a few moments, and then he asked quietly: “Art thou alright? Thou looks more ill with fear than when thou faced the dragon.”

“I doubt that.” Blue mumbled, shaking his head quickly before he added: “And I just... didn't have time to feel fear back then, and then... you showed up. I... I knew you would. You always do, always have to... steal the moment.”

It was weak and forced, but Blue was trying to act normal, and the earth pony knew he had no choice but to respect that. Yet all the same, he studied the unicorn for a few moments longer before he nodded slowly, then said softly: “Well, all I heard was the dragon roaring away. I thought it was calling me to battle, not trying to drive off a certain young prince who had already roundly beaten it.”

“Yeah.” Blue murmured, dropping his head and shivering as he reached up and rubbed at his forehead slowly, memories intruding, killing his focus, making it impossible to think or do anything before he finally swallowed and said quietly: “I uh... I think I need to get out of here. Did you want to leave tonight or tomorrow?”

“Tomorrow. Thou must write a letter for me to thy aunt.” Sleipnir replied gently, and then he gave a brief smile before saying gently: “We must inform her that we shall be sending a caravan to Canterlot, of ponies who are going to assist us with the creation of the portal. They will require lodging, and protection, and most of all, understanding.”

Blue frowned up at the stallion, and then he asked slowly: “Wait, you're going to send... all of them? But I mean... a whole group of undead ponies marching through Equestria... even disregarding the fact they'll have to find a way into Canterlot, it's going to scare a lot of ponies...”

“Nay, Auros looks normal enough, and they have already built a large wagon.” Sleipnir gestured off towards the undead camp, adding: “Auros has been most industrious since I asked him to do this for me. I am very impressed.”

The unicorn only shrugged a little as he followed Sleipnir's gesture, and then the earth pony said in a softer voice: “But go ahead, get started on that letter, my friend. I will join thee in a few moments.”

Blue hesitantly nodded, and then he picked himself up, shaking only a little bit. But before he could walk away, the attention of both ponies was drawn by a throat loudly clearing itself, and they looked up to see Jack Lantern.

The old stallion regarded them for a few moments, and then he lowered his head and said softly: “I talked it over with the others, and... you are both welcome here for as long as you like, and... so are Auros and his subjects. We've had time to recover and... they've done as much for us as you have.”

“In some ways, perhaps they've even done more.” Sleipnir replied with a kind smile, and then he nodded slowly before saying softly: “Thou hast my thanks, from the bottom of my heart, Jack Lantern. But fear not: I believe that most of Auros' band will be leaving soon enough. A few may stay behind, though... I know that Lock, Shock, and Barrel seemed to fit in rather well here.”

Jack smiled briefly, shaking his head and replying quietly: “It's funny. I don't think any of us ever remembered that those three were even from the Dead Kingdom. There was just something about them, I guess... or maybe it was just always easier to pick and choose.”

“We are all guilty of that, fear not.” Sleipnir replied gently, and then he chuckled and shook his head before saying kindly: “We shall be leaving early tomorrow morning. If there is anything thou needs help with before then, I would recommend thou tells me now.”

The old stallion looked between the two of them, hesitating before he asked finally: “Is there any way we could convince you two to stay for a few more days? It's not that I don't appreciate everything you've done for us, how you even convinced those dragons to protect us, but... we all feel a lot better with you two around.”

Sleipnir only shook his head even as he smiled, replying kindly: “It gladdens my heart to hear thee say so, but I fear that I must refuse thy kind invitation, as much as it pains me to do so. Nay, 'tis... 'tis well and above time that Blue, Invidia and I all make our way onwards.”

Jack nodded after a moment, and then he sighed and lowered his head, murmuring: “Well, I suppose I can understand that, Sleipnir. I won't stand in your way, of course... but... keep us in mind, will you? Maybe if you and Blue ever pass back through this way, you'll stop in. And Invidia too, of course. You're all welcome here, always.”

Sleipnir smiled and bowed his head politely, and Blueblood nodded, then he hesitated before saying quietly: “I'm... sorry for all the trouble we caused. If I can ever make it up to you somehow, please don't hesitate to ask.”

“No, no... no. It wasn't your fault.” Jack said quietly, looking towards the stallion and shaking his head briefly. “Maybe you made a mistake, maybe I did, maybe Sleipnir did... maybe they did, as much as it pains me. But this was no one's fault. The only person to blame in this whole thing is the Dead King.”

The enormous earth pony nodded firmly at this, and Blue smiled a little before he cleared his throat and picked himself up. “I... I appreciate it.”

Jack only shrugged, and Blueblood shuffled on the spot before he cleared his throat and turned, walking quickly away. Sleipnir smiled wryly and shook his head, and then he gazed back at Jack and asked: “So, where does thou need my help?”

“Maybe... we should try and take care of our own problems, Sleipnir. Rest for now. You've done more than enough for us.” Jack replied quietly, and Sleipnir chuckled and shook his head.

But all the same, there was an approving glint in his eye, and the old stallion felt that maybe, just maybe, he and his band of misfit ponies were going to be alright after all.

They were on the road again, and Blueblood didn't know how he felt about it.

Yesterday had really just been a blur, and the night far too short, with far too little sleep. And in the morning, they had been seen off by Auros and Jack and a mixed bag of ponies. Everypony had been sad to see them go: maybe most telling of all had been how Rack N. Ruin had flown down and yelled at them that they were traitors for leaving, which went to show they had apparently grown even on the paranoid Pegasus.

Now, they were following a natural trail that ran along the edge of the mountains, continuing their journey to the west. It was a fairly easy walk, and from the looks of it, they weren't the only things that used this trail: every now and then, they passed fairly large footprints and other markings Blueblood had begun to notice.

His armor felt a little... strange on him. He wondered if Sleipnir had been forced to rush therepairs on it, or if maybe he'd put something on wrong. He paused for a second to absently tap over his chest, and Sleipnir only smiled at him before saying easily: “When we next find an appreciable forge, I shall make better adjustments. But I did not desire to either hurry along the process or do so without thy help, Blue. As thou hast grown, 'tis time for thy armor to grow with thee.”

Blueblood looked with surprise at Sleipnir, and Invidia smiled before saying approvingly: “Often, Sleipnir, I can't help but disagree with you... but on this subject, I can only wholeheartedly concur. Yes, our handsome prince has grown exceptionally...”

Blue looked awkwardly at Invidia, and then he turned his eyes quickly ahead: he still wasn't entirely sure how he felt about her these days. But even as he concentrated on the path, he murmured: “I appreciate it, Sleipnir, but... I don't know if I've really earned it. It still... I still feel like I'm getting used to this armor, after all.”

Sleipnir looked curiously at Blue, and then he softened a little before saying gently: “Fear not, my young friend. I shan't rush anything, and there is both time and distance yet to cover before we find a decent forge with decent materials. Mother Nature has warned me that the trek ahead is long, after all. We must be prepared to travel for many days.”

Blueblood was glad for the change of subject, asking quickly: “Many days? But I just don't see how that's possible. Why, I've heard of ponies crossing all of Equestria in a week-”

“Aye, yes, walking upon a straight road, I suspect, with naught to stand in their way and no reason to stop.” Sleipnir said wryly, and then he shook his head briefly. “Nay. We have strange terrain, strange roads, and strange creatures all around us; nor are we journeying through explored lands, which means we lose even more time when we are forced to double back or find other paths to our objective.”

Blueblood nodded a little, hesitating before he said finally: “I just... I remember when we talked about this before, you pointed out how convoluted Horsia is. But... we're traveling above the ground, on a relatively straight path...”

“Aye, but it won't be for long. Fear not, Blue, I am not leading us in circles, if that is what thou art afraid of.” Sleipnir huffed, then added pointedly: “And furthermore, we are keeping a more than respectable pace. In the past, Luna and I would oft drag our heels or complain constantly to Celestia, until she would grow aggravated enough to allow us to stop for a time or wander off in some new direction that had tingled our senses.”

“So you're saying we're actually making good time.” Blueblood said dryly, and Sleipnir nodded childishly a few times, which made the stallion sigh tiredly as he closed his eyes and rubbed slowly at his face. “How wonderful, really.”

“'Tis!” Sleipnir agreed positively, winking over at the unicorn. “Now come, let us focus upon our march. Thou art the one anxious to make good time, after all.”

“More anxious not to wander in circles.” Blueblood muttered, but then he nodded and allowed Sleipnir to stride past, falling in step with the stallion and doing his best not to look back over his shoulder at Invidia.

The demon was being strangely quiet, and smiling too much: what disturbed Blue the most was that he didn't think she was just trying to pretend to be positive for them. Apparently she was quite pleased about something, but she didn't want to share what that was with either stallion, which meant it likely wasn't anything good...

And now that he knew she was some kind... triple or quadruple agent who was apparently first sent to them by the Harbinger, it made him more than a little paranoid about precisely how dark and dangerous her secrets might be.

But for now, he just wanted to focus on moving forwards. Once they got to a base camp tonight, they could settle in, and then discuss things from there. Or at least, that was what he told himself: part of him felt like just... pretending that Sleipnir had never told him about Invidia, and that everything was okay... or at least, everything apart from those creepy golden eyes of hers...

They pressed onwards through the snowy forest, until they emerged into a frosty field filled with waist-high powder. Sleipnir cut through the field like an icebreaker, however, and Blueblood and Invidia simply followed him until he had plowed his way into a frozen marshland, the enormous earth pony noting here: “Be careful, friends. It may look and seem solid at first glance, but if thou stands for a moment, thou shall realize 'tis sludgy beneath the topcoat. There is quite a bit of warmth in the earth here, still.”

They trekked carefully and slowly through the muck, Blueblood swearing every now and then when he accidentally stepped onto a weak section of ice, or he stumbled into some other slimy hollow. But by the evening, they had reached a large island with a scraggly copse of trees, and they were able to set up camp in relative safety: there wasn't a lot lurking in this frozen bog, after all.

Sleipnir prepared their stored rations, and Blueblood grimaced: they didn't have a lot of food left. It had felt somehow wrong to take food from the misfits, after all, and so he hadn't really pressed the subject of restocking with Sleipnir. And the earth pony seemed unconcerned, but Blue didn't think Sleipnir really got worried about anything apart from his precious mane.

Still, he trusted the earth pony to find them food for the next few days, and the two ate in quiet as Invidia excused herself to find her own 'food.' That thought made Blueblood shiver a little, but he didn't say anything even when Sleipnir looked at him quizzically: he wanted to avoid the subject of the demon for as long as possible.

Blueblood headed to bed after dinner so he could be up for the last watch: only minutes after he hit the bedroll, he was asleep, snoring loudly and descending down into the darkness and curling up tighter as his whole body shivered with sudden cold...

He tried to reach up to pull the blankets tighter around himself, but he couldn't seem to find them. The stallion frowned uneasily at this, and then he opened his eyes before swearing quietly and sitting up, wishing he could be more surprised than he was to find himself in the grips of a dream... or more likely, a nightmare.

His eyes roved back and forth, and he realized after a moment he had no idea where he was. It looked a little bit like a foal's bedroom: the bed he was in was pretty small, after all, and there were a few childish drawings on the wall and a few old wooden toys on the floor... but they were in pretty awful shape. They looked like they'd been badly carved by someone with good intentions, but who really had no idea what the hell they were doing. And whoever owned them obviously hadn't been treating them the kindest, from the chipped paint and the dents and... were those teeth marks?

Blueblood smiled a little despite himself, slipping out of bed before he looked around the room uneasily. It felt... familiar. Had this been his room when he was a foal? But no, he wasn't about to allow himself to get tricked into thinking about the past and summoning up those memories and making this nightmare even more powerful. He'd play along to get out of this dreamscape, but there was no way he was going to do anything that could make this place worse than it already was.

The unicorn's eyes roved towards the door, and after a moment, he sighed and shrugged, walking over to push it open. It was quiet in the connecting hall, and Blue stepped carefully out, ready for just about anything...

But there was nothing. Just plain wood and motes of dust that danced in the beams of sunlight leaking in through the cracked ceiling. Blue looked up at this... and then he shivered as he heard a child's laughter, a child's voice...

But that wasn't his... was it? Blue licked his lips uneasily, looking up at the ceiling as he realized... no, his family had been poor when he'd been growing up, but they'd lived in a ground floor apartment...

No, he wasn't going to think about that. He wasn't going to remember... but at the same time, it was so hard to swallow the instinct to. Not when this place all the same felt so weirdly familiar to him, like it was a home he had lived in for all of his life...

He strode down the hall and into a front room of this little cabin: it was like a dining room and living area all mashed into one, with a rickety table and chairs taking up most of the room. In one corner, a large woodstove sat dangerously close to the wall, the pipes corroded and filthy-looking. In a different corner, another small cluster of badly-treated toys sat: wood again, Blue noticed. And these were as badly beaten up, but they at least looked more like whatever they were supposed to be.

There was a single large door leading out of this room, across from the archway he had just come in through. Blueblood studied this doorway for a moment, and then he bit his lip as he looked towards a shuttered window: more light was leaking in through the old planks but... he knew that didn't mean anything in a dream world like this. For all he knew, trying to leave this place could drop him right down in the cemetery, or some other cluster of hellish memories...

Then again, there wasn't a whole lot to do here. Not even a cupboard to poke through... what kind of kitchen didn't have cupboards or shelves? Or anything too cook with, for that matter, or...

“But life was hard, back then...” Blue murmured, and then he frowned uneasily before reaching up to touch his own muzzle, surprised by what he'd just said and not even entirely understanding precisely why he'd said it. He licked his lips again, then shook himself quickly out before muttering: “Maybe... maybe I shouldn't just stand around after all.”

He nodded uncomfortably to himself, then turned and headed for the door, pushing it open... and staring with disbelief out at a grassy hilltop that stood overlooking a scenic little valley. There were other homes here and there: cabins and longhouses, some beautiful, others almost as ramshackle as this old, beaten up one behind him was.

There was a well-worn path beneath his hooves, and Blueblod followed this as he looked back and forth with... strange nostalgia, for a past that he didn't even think was entirely his. These memories felt both terribly familiar and terribly alien all at once...

He looked up towards the blue sky, and smelled woodsmoke and... pine trees, he thought. Yes, they were in a pine forest, which meant they had to be far north... but it was late summer here, and the sun beat down with welcome warmth, and the breeze was cool and comforting, stopping the heat from becoming unwelcome or oppressive.

But there were no other ponies, he noticed, even though something told him this little community should have been vibrant and alive. There should have been friendly ponies, and playing foals, and more than the vague sound of birdsong in the distance...

“Young prince. It's good to see you.” said a soft voice, and Blue winced a bit before he wheeled around and found himself uncomfortably facing Invidia. But the demon only bowed her head and smiled at him kindly, before she asked almost eagerly: “What do you think of this place? This is a very special place to me... and I do hope that it shall become special to you, as well...”

“What... what is it?” Blueblood asked nervously, and Invidia smiled at him before he straightened and added uneasily: “I don't really like the thought that you've... hijacked my dreams, Invidia, I... I would like you to please try and understand that there are certain boundaries I'd like you to respect...”

“Oh, I will and I do, but you see, this was the best way I could protect you, my darling.” Invidia replied calmly, bowing her head politely towards the stallion. “I know that it makes you uncomfortable to remember, but I unfortunately must continue to pretend to serve the Harbinger: so I have drawn you into a 'nightmare,' so to speak, but not one that will harm you.”

Blue frowned, and Invidia bowed her head, whispering: “Please, Lord Blueblood. Please believe that I would never, ever harm you, not for anything. But we walk a dangerous path and play a dangerous game, and I must continue to... to pretend that I am the Harbinger's pawn. Otherwise its servants may seek to do worse harms to you. Otherwise, I fear... what evils it would visit upon you itself, what nightmares it would plunge you into. Please, trust me.”

Blueblood shivered a little, feeling like he was caught between a rock and a hard place. Especially if Invidia was the one controlling this dream... and yet he couldn't help but ask: “If these are your memories, why does it feel so familiar to me?”

Invidia brightened at this, studying him intently for a few moments before she glanced almost shyly to the side, murmuring: “Because... because, I suppose, you can feel the emotional resonance in these dreams. Because I am open, and vulnerable to you. Close your eyes and reach out with your mind, Blueblood... you will feel me.”

The unicorn looked uncomfortably at the demon, but then decided his safest bet was to do what she suggested, shrugging a bit before he took a slow breath as he closed his eyes. He found himself focusing naturally as he felt something almost calling to him, the stallion locking on to this as he rose his head slightly and murmured: “It's almost like... some kind of beacon...”

“Yes: like I said. We are connected, you and I: I am your humble, ever-loyal servant, my darling... my prince.” Invidia murmured, bowing low to him and trembling with what seemed almost like excitement. “I am your friend, and anything and everything else you want me to be. For always and forever...”

Blueblood frowned a little, and then his eyes opened in surprise as he felt something connect to him, like a tether in his mind. He flinched backwards, but Invidia immediately shook her head hurriedly, urging: “Don't panic! It will not hurt you, just relax and focus and you will understand that you can control it perfectly well...”

The unicorn grimaced, then winced as he felt a strange tremor run down his horn, shivering and feeling almost as if he had a thousand ants crawling over his body, and all he could do was pray they weren't hungry.

But after a few moments, the feeling faded, and instead he was left with an odd, warm tingling sensation through his mind. He frowned a little, shifting back and forth before he raised his head and focused experimentally, and Invidia smiled warmly as she nodded encouragingly, shivering and straightening. “Yes, that's right!”

Blue frowned nervously: when he focused now, he could feel... it was hard to describe. It was like a conduit had connected itself between his horn and something else, and if he focused, he could easily push power through it... but he had no idea what doing that would actually do.

Invidia was gazing at him almost hungrily, however, and Blueblood wondered uncomfortably if he'd done something stupid. But after a moment, the demon seemed to get a hold of herself, blushing and bowing her head as she murmured: “I apologize, my darling. I don't mean to be so... overzealous. I only want you to know that you are safe, and that I shall never harm you. That I cannot harm you...”

“And... how exactly does this prove that?” Blueblood asked uneasily, and Invidia laughed quietly and stepped forwards... and admittedly, the unicorn found it difficult to resist the urge to step backwards.

“I have given you a modicum of control over me: you will now be able to give me commands and, if you so desire, you will be able to punish me for disobeying you... or if I simply disappoint your expectations.” Invidia said calmly, and then she smiled as Blueblood looked at her disbelievingly. “Would you like to give it a try?”

“What do you mean, try and... hurt you?” Blue grimaced at the thought, shivering a bit before he looked nervously up at his horn. “And... I mean... how would I even...”

“All you have to do is focus on me, and channel your energies towards me. Tell me what you want me to feel... or concentrate firmly on a single thought. Speak to me with your mind.” Invidia said with a smile, bowing her head forwards... and Blueblood shivered a little at the raw intensity of her gaze, at how eager she seemed for him to... to try and control her.

And the worst part was that... that awful excitement. That mean, greedy part of him that wanted to all-but-celebrate the idea of having complete control over a demon, that craved control and being in charge and having things that could never, ever be taken away...

Blueblood shivered, looking off to the side as he licked his lips slowly, and then he asked finally: “Can... can you undo this, Invidia? I... I appreciate the gesture, but this connection between us... it's dangerous, isn't it? The Harbinger-”

“The Harbinger will think that I've forged this connection with the opposite intent: that I created it to influence you, and one day control you.” Invidia smiled lovingly, stepping forwards and shaking her head briefly as she whispered: “But it can never comprehend my adoration for you... our connection, and how much I have come to love you, and cherish you, so much...”

Invidia leaned in closer, Blueblood leaning away and wincing a bit... before his eyes widened in surprise as he heard a distinct giggling. A child's laughter, he realized, and he looked over his shoulder to see two translucent foals who were barely out of diapers stumbling and charging along the road, leaping back and forth together...

Then they simply vanished as if they had never been there, and Blueblood winced as Invidia grabbed him and yanked him around in a circle. She glared at him furiously, and yet at the same time she half-hid herself against his chest.

They looked at each other, Blueblood not knowing what to say, Invidia looking torn between anger and fear... and then the stallion carefully pushed her away, shivering a little before he asked uncertainly: “What... what exactly was that?”

The demon looked away silently, biting her lip for a moment before her eyes flicked away as she murmured: “Shards of memories I would rather let rest, forgotten and away... you... you would not want to remember the friend who you failed either, would you?”

“So you were mortal once?” Blueblood asked quietly, leaning down towards her... and the next thing he knew, he was laying on his back, his face throbbing with pain before Invidia pinned him by the shoulders as she leaned down over him, her golden eyes glowing with hellish fury.

“No! No, do not confuse the miserable maggot of the past with who and what I am now! I am... I am a demon, who was never mortal, never loved! I am... a brand new consciousness, created from... from consuming the failings and the weaknesses of a little miserable filly who couldn't even... hold onto her best and oldest...” Invidia trembled, tears welling up in her eyes before she stumbled backwards, touching her own lips and paling as she whispered: “Oh, oh, oh no. Prince Blueblood, oh... I... I am so very sorry, I... I never m-meant to... I... I'm so sorry, I'm so very sorry, I'm...”

Invidia quaked as Blueblood slowly sat up, staring at her and trembling: some part of him wanted to say that it was okay, but the rest of him only feared that he had always been right about Invidia. That this was why those golden eyes scared him so much: because all her rage and emotion shone so violently out of them, revealed that behind her pretty and prim exterior she was nothing but a seething, chaotic tempest.

Blueblood breathed roughly in and out as Invidia looked at him for a moment longer, then whimpered before she suddenly spun away. And as she leapt away from him, the dreamworld shattered into nothing, the demon vanishing from sight into the darkness that Blue was left laying in.

He shivered a little, then reached up and touched his cheek: it hurt so badly that he wondered if she had actually hit him in reality. He hesitantly drew his hoof back, then frowned uneasily as he looked nervously up; why the hell hadn't reality faded back in, on that note? If Invidia had run away, and the dreamworld had shattered...

Blueblood slowly climbed up to his hooves... and then he stumbled backwards in surprise as black soil vomited up from the nothingness in front of him, splattering down all around him and spreading into a dead, bracken field. His eyes widened, and then he stumbled back and forth as grave markers shot unevenly out of the ground all around him, ancient and mouldering, forgotten and mangled by the jaws of time...

Blue looked back and forth wildly, then he forced himself to calm down, clenching his eyes shut and bowing his head forwards. This was a nightmare and nothing more, and nothing could hurt him here, and he was-

“Blueblood...” whispered a voice, and Blue's eyes snapped open as he looked up... then trembled in horror as he saw a hideous, amorphous black shape slowly flood its way over a distinct tombstone. It was like rippling liquid, a shadow come to life, and Blue stumbled backwards before the voice emanating from this phantasmal thing rasped: “Come to our embrace...”

The unicorn stumbled backwards, swallowing thickly and shaking his head fearfully before he spun around and bolted, dodging around broken tombstones as he ran through the seemingly-endless cemetery. And behind him, he could hear that thing slithering and slurping along the ground, quickly gaining on him in spite of how fast he was running: he couldn't escape it like this. There was no way he was going to outrun it, especially in a nightmare.

A nightmare, he was in a nightmare, that was right! When he'd fought the fear demon, he'd been able to bring up memories by concentrating hard enough, to distract the creature, even reshape his surroundings: maybe he could do that here, too, if he managed to focus...

Blueblood gritted his teeth, looking at a mausoleum ahead that was flanked by two enormous statues of angels. He focused all his energy on them, trying to will them to change, reminding himself that this was nothing but a nightmare, and it was inside his mind, and he had control...

The statues began to tremble violently, and Blueblood felt victory for a moment... but then it dropped away into horror as black, fleshy tendrils suddenly twisted violently up along both statues, and the voice of the monster said almost tenderly: “No. You will not escape, Blueblood. You are mine now. And soon enough, you will thank me for it.”

“No, no! Get away!” Blueblood veered to the side, away from the statues... and then he skidded to a halt as massive black spikes ripped out of the earth in front of him, Blueblood staggering backwards and staring in horror at these before he turned around-

A pony-like shape stood behind him, its mane and tail both composed of writhing black tendrils, its eyes glowing with horrific light as it stared into his soul. Blue fell backwards, breathing hard and trying to shove himself away as he stared in horror at this... this awful, hideous monster. This terrible, surreal thing that radiated nothing but hatred and malice and... and...

Blueblood swallowed thickly as the pony-thing stepped forwards, looking at him with hideous tenderness as it whispered: “Yes. You and I have a great destiny together. Since we first met, many years ago... have you already forgotten me? Have you already forgotten who you are? You don't have to be afraid, Blueblood... I am a gift. I am here to give you power, and the love you always craved.”

Blue trembled and shook his head, crawling backwards until he was pressing painfully back into the black spikes, wincing only a little at the poisonous energies he felt thrumming through them. And the monster only continued to look at him, studying him silently before it leaned slowly forwards and said gently: “Yes. You are not yet ready... but very soon, you will be. I had almost given up on finding you, you know; I lost you so many times. But I finally found you... and how perfectly everything has played out so far. Soon... we will be together. Soon, you will remember, and understand.”

The Harbinger smiled at him, and then it simply vanished into black mist: not a moment later, Blueblood snapped away, gasping for breath, almost choking as he grabbed at his chest and his whole body shook. He was freezing cold, his eyes bulging with terror, his lungs trembling as he tried helplessly to take a single breath.

Sleipnir was beside him instantly, the earth pony throwing a foreleg around him... then leaning back in shock before scooping Blueblood quickly up and carrying him hurriedly over to the fire. The heat hit the unicorn like a hammer, and he coughed hard before taking a long, whooping breath... only to cough yet again thanks to the smoke.

But as he dropped his head low and clutched at his breast, he felt his breathing evening slowly out and his blood thawing in his veins, the unicorn shaking himself briefly out before he mumbled shakily: “T-Thank you. I... I had... Invidia...”

“Thou had a nightmare... and damnation, the specter's touch must have left a worser mark than I had thought.” muttered Sleipnir, shaking his head briefly before he sighed a little and soothingly rubbed a hoof along the stallion's back. “Thou wert colder than frost, Blue... thou wert cold like death.”

“So... so what, I get scared now, and I turn to ice?” Blueblood asked disbelievingly, and then he shook his head quickly before holding up a hoof. “Look, it doesn't matter anyway, okay? Invidia-”

“Nay, it does matter!” Sleipnir said stubbornly, looking pointedly at the stallion. “Thy spirit has been scarred and damaged by the wraith's touch! We must learn what will trigger these scars to... to bleed their poisons, so to speak, into thy very being. And we must cure this if possible, but... I fear by now it will have set in its course, and may no longer be any simple task to fix.”

“Will you please listen to me?” Blueblood snapped, glaring with frustration at the earth pony, who looked taken aback by the sudden flash of anger. “Listen! Invidia... Invidia tried to make some link between our minds, but... when she left, the... the Harbinger attacked.”

“What?” Sleipnir leaned forwards, his eyes widening before he asked quickly: “Tell me, how did the demon make the pact with thee, what did she say?”

“I...” It was all hard to remember, though: it was getting blurrier by the moment in his mind, and thoughts of the Harbinger were welling up, spreading like an inky stain over his thoughts... “It was... something to do with my horn. She said... I could control her. Command her. P-Punish... her. But she...”

Blueblood halted, then reached up and rubbed at his face, murmuring: “She had me trapped in her memories somehow, not a dream... to try and hide me from the Harbinger. But then something made her think of... I think it was her as a child. Although when I mentioned that...”

Sleipnir smiled wryly, saying mildly: “Now that is a gesture I recognize. She struck thee, did she? Fear not, 'tis simply how some mares show affection.”

“This is not a joking matter.” Blueblood said sourly, glowering at the earth pony before he shook his head and murmured: “She... I have never seen her that angry, Sleipnir, as when I asked about her former life. And then she seemed to... realize what she had done, but she... panicked, I suppose.”

“Then that is how the Harbinger must have sensed thou wert vulnerable.” Sleipnir said quietly, and Blueblood frowned a bit, looking up curiously. “I have no doubt that the Harbinger is watching us closely... Invidia, perhaps, closest of all. As I believe I have told thee before, demons feast upon emotions, and can sense the more complex and powerful of emotions even over great distances... 'tis how they excel at tracking and hunting.

“I know enough of how demonic magic works to know she must have done two layers of enchantment over thee: the first to keep thee asleep, the second to mold the dreamworld thou found thyself trapped within.” Sleipnir continued, as Blue looked at him uneasily. “How she linked herself to thee, I will not make many guesses at, but I am relieved to know 'tis not a true pact. Although the fact she harmed thee, even whilst in rage... it worries me.”

Blueblood shifted uneasily, then he said finally: “But she's... she's always been so... reactive.”

“Aye, yes. But when Invidia and I first made our own deal, one of the things she was forced to promise was never to raise hoof to thee. She has broken that tenet... and it means that she must either be suffering for it, or something about Invidia permits her to break deals that other demons could not.” Sleipnir shook his head slowly. “'Tis worrisome.”

Blue looked less than thrilled, but also less than convinced, shifting a little before he asked hesitantly: “I don't see how Invidia could be 'suffering' over it, though... I don't see why you seem so convinced that demons must all be... honest, and as honorable as you like to think that you are.”

Sleipnir huffed at the implied insult, but then he shook his head and murmured: “Demons are creatures of emotion and spirit. I believe they cannot lie because 'tis simply fact: precious few can do more than bend the truth, at most. Likewise, I have seen what happens when a demon breaks its word, Blue: young, foolish demons often think the warnings from their elders are nothing but lies, and end up in great torment for it.”

“So... wherever she is, she's... hurt?” Blueblood asked querulously, and then he sighed a little before asking finally: “What makes you think the demons of our world are exactly the same as the demons of your world, anyway? Apparently everything else is different, after all.”

Sleipnir opened his mouth... and then he closed it thoughtfully, reaching up and tapping slowly at his chin as he murmured: “Thou art right.”

Blue frowned, and Sleipnir shook his head as he expanded: “Aye, thou art right: for while this world sits upon a different span than my world, I was told that other demons have come here from Helheim, and they would carry the same blood, the same laws, the same spirit. But what I failed to remember is that others are born into this world as well: and if a demon is born to this world's cycle, apart from those of Helheim, apart from any outside forces... aye, it may not be bound by the same rules, the same laws. 'Tis something I must think upon.”

There was silence for a few moments, and then Sleipnir shook his head quickly before he asked quietly: “But now, tell me of the Harbinger. For I do not believe any of us expected this attack... and it shows that perhaps the Harbinger is even more cunning than I had first anticipated. It makes me fear that he may already have plans in motion against us...”

Blueblood hesitated for a moment, and then he lowered his head and murmured: “I... I think he must. Because he... he could have killed me, or captured me or... I don't know. Done whatever he wanted to do to me in the nightmare he trapped me in. But... he let me go, and said that... he said that I'd met him before, and he wanted me to remember him before...”

Sleipnir's eyes were intent and his features serious as he looked at the unicorn, but Blueblood only shook his head, looking down and continuing: “I... I honestly can't remember, though. I've never met him at Canterlot, and I can't... remember before then.”

It wasn't entirely the truth, maybe, but Blueblood was somehow certain that if he'd seen something as malicious and horrific as the Harbinger before, it would have stuck in his mind, no matter how much he wanted to block it out. And yet... “He made it sound like it was years ago, though... like all my life, he's been there, watching me...”

The earth pony nodded slowly, then muttered: “Perhaps he has. I know thou does not like to think of the past, Blue, but... heed my words, words that I have spoken to thee before, but perhaps now thou can see the warning in: thou must not forget thy past. Thou must face it, even when thou art afraid of what it will mean, even when thou knows it will bring pain to thee. Elsewise, we leave ourselves vulnerable to the wickedness of enemies.”

Blueblood looked down quietly, shifting uneasily before he sighed quietly and murmured: “I wish that wasn't true, Sleipnir. Why can't we just leave the past where it lies?”

“We can, Blue. And we must. But we must also not forget what it all means.” Sleipnir replied softly, shaking his head and giving a small smile. “Think on it, my friend. 'Tis better to suffer a little pain now than it is to let it fester and worsen, and weaken thee in the future.”

Blueblood smiled a bit, then he dropped his head and closed his eyes, knowing that Sleipnir was right... and only wishing that he had half as much courage as Sleipnir thought he did, because he knew that unless he was pushed, there was no way he was going to risk delving into the past.

The future would be what it would be, he reassured himself... even as part of him lamented that no matter how much he'd grown up over this journey, in his heart of hearts, he had always been and would always remain one thing: a coward.

Friendship Never Dies

Chapter Twenty Seven: Friendship Never Dies
~BlackRoseRaven

The months had rolled past and the seasons changed to summer, bright and warm... but not quite as bright, nor as warm as Blueblood had expected it to be. But then again, they weren't actually in Equestria anymore, but had traveled to the colder, harsher lands ruled by the griffins, in search of what Sleipnir said would be the final piece of the puzzle.

Over these last few months, they had pushed themselves fast and hard back and forth across Equestria, zigzagging around the country and retrieving materials, playing cat and mouse with the Harbinger, and fighting monsters. It had been the most exciting time of Blueblood's life, and the once-chubby, colt-like unicorn had grown into a strong, capable adventurer.

Part of him, he knew, would always be weak: part of him would always be afraid of pain, and would want to take the easy way out, and would want to just bury his head in the sand. But he was learning more and more to block that voice out, and that often the hard things in life were the only things worth doing.

He was learning to challenge himself... and he was learning to hold his head high and smile, and be proud without being prideful. And he was learning to be kind to everyone, to reach out to ponies, to trust and show compassion even when it didn't seem like other people deserved it.

They had been traveling through the rocky, rough wilderness that belonged to the griffin folk for a few weeks now, and it had been a very exciting trip. Nature here had a different voice: Blueblood had finally started to hesitantly accept that maybe, just maybe, the world had its own voice and its own consciousness, and for some reason, he was able to tune into that like Sleipnir was.

He had learned to further understand the voice of nature over the last few months, and he was now spending a lot of evenings meditating with Sleipnir and 'conversing' with the earth and the trees... or at least, trying his best to. Sleipnir chatted happily away with whatever forces that were like they were old, good friends... and Blueblood was lucky if he could feel more than just an instinctive pulse in his mind from whatever he was trying to talk to, and a quiet whisper every now and then.

He did at least understand how to interpret the signals nature tried to send him much better: he was usually able to find fresh food and water, and to plot his course through even dense forest. But as he'd learned, every part of nature had a different voice: some parts of nature were much easier to speak to than others. Rocks, for example, tended to grumble away stubbornly, while Blue had found that trees were almost always happy to point the way and share their bounties with him.

Admittedly, Blueblood wondered sometimes if he was maybe just going insane after spending so much time running around Equestria with Sleipnir. On the other hoof, he honestly felt like he was learning a lot from the stallion... and he much preferred spending his time practicing the earth pony's lunacy over working with Invidia to try and improve his magic.

He really didn't seem capable of learning a whole lot of spellcraft after all: sure, he could throw around modified light spells and sustain them for quite a while now, but even if his reserves of energy had vastly improved, he wasn't capable of a whole lot more than telekinesis and a few minor elemental spells.

Sometimes it bothered him that he'd never be some great spellcaster, sure: he would never be able to move the moon or the sun like his aunts could... hell, he'd probably never even be able to teleport short distances, and that was a spell most of the Academy students learned fairly quickly, if only so they could show off.

But he had his own talents, talents he could be proud of, and he'd come to realize that being a strong stallion wasn't about being a master of magic or as physically-powerful as Sleipnir. It was about making the best of what you had, and doing what was right even when you were afraid, even when it meant standing up for people you might not entirely like against foes that were stronger than you.

Blue smiled a bit to himself as he reached up and grasped into one pauldron, rolling his shoulder slowly. His armor gleamed over his body, polished to perfection: at their last stop, Sleipnir had harangued him until he'd finally agreed to spend time with the earth pony at the forge instead of snoozing at the local inn, and they had not only gone over a whole slew of blacksmithing techniques, they had heavily modified and readjusted Blueblood's armor.

They had removed a lot of plating, but put in a new, insulating underlayer and replaced the chain mail with tighter, tougher ringmail that ran beneath his plate armor and covered most of his body. The vambraces on his forelegs had been replaced completely with a gleaming, golden composite, and his hind legs had heavier cleated greaves: they were actually meant more for climbing than anything else, but Blue had no doubt that the little spikes would add quite a bit of punch to his kick. No pun intended, of course.

And of course, he had his helmet on, although he was only just now starting to appreciate the meaning behind this gift. Sleipnir had embraced him as kin and family, and it meant a lot to Blueblood: more than he would ever be able to express, he thought. He knew that he'd probably never be able to really return the favor, but... he hoped that one day he'd be able to show Sleipnir that he really did look up to him like he was a big brother.

They had only grown closer over the journey, and Blueblood's trust in the earth pony was absolute. So far, after all, Sleipnir hadn't led them wrong, and they'd managed to make good time towards their destination: Blue didn't know why he was surprised, but it seemed that even the notoriously foul-tempered griffins weren't immune to Sleipnir's charm.

But while Blueblood had only grown fonder of Sleipnir over the last few months, he had also grown more and more wary of Invidia. And Invidia had started to lapse back into her old ways, no longer trying to control her emotions and doting too heavily on the unicorn. And as little as he liked to admit it... it was hard some days not to take advantage of Invidia: he needed to not just remind himself that she was damaged, but that if he did give in to any urge he had, it would give her more power over him. It would become harder to resist her allure...

He felt that Invidia had a role to play yet, though, and Sleipnir was still trying to reach out to her, to be kind to her, even though by now the mare's violent mood swings meant that some days she clung to Sleipnir like a security blanket, and other days she treated him with raw, vicious hatred. Blue figured that if the earth pony could manage to still treat her respectfully and kindly, he could do his best to do the same, too.

Maybe all she really did need was compassion. Maybe once they destroyed the Harbinger and freed her from his control, she'd become... less insane, to put it bluntly. Blueblood found himself hesitantly looking over at her as they walked, hoping that the could do something for her... after all, her help had been invaluable more than once. She could go places where they couldn't, she was the only pony between the three of them that could effectively use magic, and she was a buffer that kept other demons and the Harbinger's forces from attacking them openly. And Blue was well aware that part of what made Invidia so erratic was a lack of decent meals recently... she always became much more volatile when she wasn't able to find anyone she could feed off of.

Invidia glanced towards him curiously, and Blue awkwardly smiled at her: the mare immediately smiled warmly back, her eyes glowing before she said happily: “I believe we must be drawing close, my darling. Would you like me to scout ahead?”

Blue looked automatically towards Sleipnir, but the earth pony only shrugged amiably. So after a moment, Blueblood nodded hesitantly, saying finally: “That sounds like a good idea. But... try and return quickly.”

“Of course: I will be as fast as possible.” Invidia replied kindly, bowing her head low before she quickly turned and vanished in a burst of dark smoke.

Blueblood sighed a little as he gazed uncomfortably down the dusty path they were walking, and then he shook his head briefly before Sleipnir asked softly: “Would thou like to take a rest for a moment? Or does thou have something thou would like to get off thy chest?”

“No, no...” Blue reached up, absently toying with the handle of the silver sword strapped across his back, before he sighed and asked almost impulsively: “How do you manage to be nice to everypony, Sleipnir?”

Sleipnir only shrugged easily, then replied kindly: “I do not always manage to, my friend. Some days I am very short-tempered, other days I give in too easily to mine own prejudices. Thou knows this. Thou hast seen me treat people most foully.”

“Yes, except your version of 'most foully' usually amounts to mean-spirited pranks. And you usually apologize afterwards.” Blue replied wryly, and then he shook his head briefly before looking down the path, adding in a lower voice: “The forest is quiet.”

“'Tis.” Sleipnir agreed, looking back and forth at the blooming, rustling trees. Many of them were filled not with fruits, but with gorgeous flowers that birds buzzed around, feeding off both the nectar and the bugs the blossoms attracted. “Art thou worried?”

“A little.” Blueblood admitted after a moment, and then he smiled briefly before dropping his gaze and murmuring: “We've been on the road for almost a year, Sleipnir. It... I never thought I could do anything like this, and it... it's incredible to me. And I almost... don't want this journey to end, I suppose. Although considering your position, perhaps that's rather selfish.”

But Sleipnir only smiled warmly, shaking his head as he strode up beside Blue and slapped him gently on the back. “Nay. What is selfish is that I too do not want this journey to end... even if... my heart hurts for home. And my heart hurts because...”

Sleipnir quieted, looking down, and Blueblood looked silently up at the enormous earth pony before Sleipnir cleared his throat and shook his head quickly. “Nay. Fear not, I shan't drop off into these silly thoughts. 'Twould be pointless. Instead, let us focus on finding Old Oak's seedling. 'Tis very close, for I feel his roots here in the earth.”

“I'll just take your word on that.” Blueblood said wryly, and Sleipnir looked at the stallion with amusement before the unicorn shook his head quickly and he began down the path again, adding hesitantly: “Sleipnir, this path has been well-used recently, and you heard the griffins... a lot of them come out here to explore.”

“Oh, aye, but I doubt that they delve all that deeply into the cavern, and from what we have been told by Old Oak, the minerals we seek are very deep indeed.” Sleipnir replied, smiling over at the unicorn. “But 'twill likely be a difficult search, all the same. The ore we seek is extremely rare. I am honestly glad to know we stand a chance of finding it at all.”

Blueblood nodded, muttering: “So you've said. Still, I'd think that would mean the griffins would be all the more eager to get their talons on it...”

“Only if they knew of its existence, Blue. Why, how many times did thou walk past the garden in thine own home of Canterlot without ever knowing about all the useful roots and flowers that were secreted within the laurels and bushes?”

The unicorn only looked grumpily over at Sleipnir, replying dryly: “I was less interested in plants back then and more interested in how nice a place the gardens were to take a mare.”

Sleipnir laughed loudly at this, and then the earth pony grinned teasingly and nudged him playfully. “Aye, but I am rather certain thou never quite dared to do more with any pretty maidens thou wooed than pray for their gentle kisses, aye?”

Blueblood only glowered at Sleipnir, a faint blush tingeing his cheeks before he huffed and turned ahead, storming down the path. The earth pony grinned wider at this, trotting cheerfully along behind him before he said easily: “Well, 'tis precisely what thou did with that lovely mare thou courted a few weeks back...”

“I... I was... I'm not like you, going around and breaking mares' hearts, that's all!” Blueblood blurted, glowering over his shoulder at the stallion, but Sleipnir only gave him an entertained look. “I just don't think it would... it wouldn't be very nice to sleep with a mare and then just leave her behind, that's all there is to it.”

“Aye, thou art a true gentlecolt. Or perhaps I should say genteel!” Sleipnir said teasingly, and Blueblood looked grumpily over his shoulder at him before the earth pony added thoughtfully: “And was there not that other mare who had eyes only for thee? Aye, thou wert as a little colt with her, all blushing behind thy voluptuous mane...”

“My... do you even know what that word means?” Blueblood asked sourly, even as he blushed deeper: so alright, maybe these days he was a little shy around mares. In the past, he would just use his prestige and authority to try and drag mares along on dates with him, although they very rarely worked out... and maybe he'd always been trying, on some level, to drive them away. To avoid any kind of vulnerability, intimacy...

Blueblood shook himself hurriedly and looked grumpily back ahead, as Sleipnir said kindly: “I only tease, Blue, thou knows this. Besides, 'tis no shame in liking stallions. Many stallions are very pretty. Why, thou art very pretty!”

“For the last time, Sleipnir, I am not a colt cuddler.” Blueblood said tiredly, looking grumpily over his shoulder at the stallion.

“Well, nor am I, but that does not mean I do not enjoy the company of a handsome stallion now and again.” Sleipnir replied reasonably, shrugging with a smile. “If 'tis pretty, then 'tis pairable. And I shall have thee know, there are few things that excite some mares more than a stallion who is willing to tease and test another stallion's steel against his own.”

“Thank you for that wonderful mental image, Sleipnir. What was that nickname you said you used to have, Double Swing?” Blueblood asked dourly, and Sleipnir huffed. “I'm starting to understand that doesn't refer to your hooves at all.”

Sleipnir opened his mouth as his eyes twinkled mischievously, but thankfully whatever he was going to say was cut off as Invidia reappeared in front of them, bowing her head with a polite smile. “A small crew of griffins are just leaving the cavern... explorers, it seems. They were not very well equipped, so perhaps they are just young fools, looking for a thrill.”

“Well, we shall find out shortly, in any event.” Sleipnir said easily, nodding once before he looked pointedly over at Blueblood. “And thou shall not let thy temper get the better of thee, aye?”

Blueblood grumbled under his breath, but then he nodded moodily: he'd do his best not to let the griffins rile him up. He'd fallen into an old bad habit after too much taunting from them at the border and warned them that he was the prince of Equestria, and he'd ended up just getting mocked even more, until Sleipnir had thankfully defused the whole situation.

Blue just tried to keep in mind what Sleipnir had told him: griffins were blunt and cranky and aggressive, but it was part of their culture for a lot of them. They sometimes didn't realize how they came across to ponies, who often came across as insulting or patronizing to the griffins.

Honestly, Blue was amazed that they were allies at all: this nation was different from Equestria in just about every possible way. Freer, rougher, hardier: perhaps the only advantage they had over griffinkind was the fact they had magic at their disposal. And while the griffins couldn't be described as 'respecting' their magical prowess, they certainly were wary of it, and of angering Princess Celestia.

They ran into the griffins only a few minutes later, as they emerged into a small, cleared area that had been set up in front of the cave. The griffins immediately looked at them with suspicion, but Sleipnir only brazenly approached with a warm smile. “Hello, and well met! I am Sleipnir the Mighty, and these are my friends, Blue and Invidia. We are here to plumb the depths of these caverns in search of a rare ore: do any of thee know anything about these caves?”

“Yeah, we do. But we were paid to dig around in these stupid caves, so why the hell would I turn my payday over to you?” grumbled one of the griffins, who looked up with a scowl on his eagle-like features as his blue eyes narrowed dangerously.

Blueblood grimaced a bit as a second griffin shifted slowly, half-reaching towards what looked like some kind of dangerous-looking climbing tool hanging from his hip. But then the last explorer quickly gestured outwards placating with a talon, the gray-feathered griffin saying calmly: “Now let's just all wait a moment here. Are you ponies here on official business? Because it's very rare to see ponies out here in the wild. Tourists usually stick to the cloud cities and the cities near the border. Where griffins are friendlier.”

The gray griffin glared pointedly at his companions, and one grumbled as the other dropped his head... and thankfully, lowered his talon from the climbing axe, too.

Sleipnir smiled immediately at the apparent leader of the exploration team, the enormous earth pony bowing his head courteously before he replied: “'Tis a difficult question to answer. For aye, we have contact with Princess Celestia and 'twas her influence that I believe allowed us to pass the border so easily, but 'twould be false pretenses to claim this business is anything but personal for me. I seek this ore for an important project that the Princess has agreed to assist me with. Fear not, though, I mean none of thee any harm.”

The gray-feathered griffin frowned curiously at the earth pony, but then he simply nodded before gesturing calmly at his companions. “These are my surveyors, Blair and Giles. My name is Bard: I'm a professor at King's University, and I've been studying these cave systems for quite some time, trying to find out where they go... tell me, what kind of ore are you looking for?”

“Mythril.” Sleipnir answered honestly, and the gray-feathered griffin blinked, then laughed and shook his head, smiling in amusement.

“Oh, come now. You can tell me: I'm more interested in getting these caverns mapped out than trying to steal any precious gems.” Bard said kindly. “Perhaps I can even tell you where the deposits you're looking for might be located... we've already noted a few large veins of quartz and basalt, after all, and the stone takes on a strange limestone consistency down several of the tunnels...”

“Fear not, I trust in nature to guide my hooves. Blue and I are on good terms with her, and the stone already has told me that there are many treasures to be found within the womb of this cave.” Sleipnir paused, then asked with interest: “What about water? Hast thou heard it, or seen water that seems to sparkle in spite of a lack of light, that seems clean in spite of all the dust and debris?”

The griffin frowned curiously, and then he answered hesitantly: “There... may be water deposits on the lower levels... but we have yet to map out many different branches through this cave system. These caverns are very deep, and the tunnels extremely varied, especially as you go deeper. I would recommend against pursuing your ore too deeply.”

Sleipnir only chuckled quietly, shaking his head before he replied: “Nay, mythril can only be found in the deepest depths of the earth. But if thou will excuse us, the day already grows late, and we have quite a journey to walk as of yet.”

“Wait, are you really going after mythril?” asked the griffin incredulously, and when Sleipnir nodded childishly and Blueblood smiled despite himself with a shrug, the griffin said disbelievingly: “But... but mythril doesn't exist! It's nothing but a legend, a... well, a myth, just like its named!”

The earth pony only laughed, however, then he said cheerfully: “Aye, but many myths begin in truth! And whilst I suspect that aye, much of what thou hast heard about the magical material is likely half-truths and lies, I can assure thee that it exists, and there are few metals more potent and more valuable for crafting.”

The two griffin surveyors traded looks at this as Bard frowned uneasily, then simply sighed before gesturing at the cave. “Well.. if you insist, by all means. It's not like we're in any position to stop you, but... you're chasing a legend.”

“Aye. Well, I shall tell thee what. When I catch this legend, I shall do what I can to bring it back so thou can see it with thine own eyes.” Sleipnir replied cheerfully, and the griffin looked at him dubiously before the enormous earth pony strode past, calling easily over his shoulder: “Come, friends! Let us not dally!”

Blue shrugged a bit, then nodded lamely to the griffins as he walked past, while Invidia only glared at them distrustfully. Blue didn't think they were going to do them any harm, though: the professor had seemed a little odd, but nice enough, after all, and the surveyors seemed like they only cared about their paycheck.

Besides, Sleipnir was already a good distance ahead, and Blue called to him to slow down as he hurried to catch up. The enormous earth pony looked curiously back over his shoulder at them, and then he smiled as the ivory unicorn reached his side, asking: “Why should I slow when thou art already here, Blue?”

“I... shut up.” Blueblood grumbled, and then he shook his head quickly before gazing down the tunnel ahead, frowning slightly in surprise: light filtered down here and there through holes in the stony roof above, meaning the area was actually surprisingly well-lit. “This doesn't look all that big so far... I don't think we're even really under the earth yet.”

“Well, we are under some earth. Although 'tis more stone, aye.” Sleipnir agreed, gesturing absently upwards with his head before he smiled slightly at the look Blueblood gave him. “Oh, do not be so sour. Besides, thy mood will improve shortly if thou art looking forwards to being within the earth's grip. Does thou not feel it?”

Blueblood hesitated, then he halted, Sleipnir pausing beside him with a smile to watch as the ivory unicorn lowered his head and braced his front hooves against the ground. He tried to block everything else out even as he sensed Invidia flittering around behind him, and then the stallion murmured: “Yes... there's something here, but it's very, very deep... and... that's a root, not a sapling.”

“Ah, thou even detected Old Oak!” Sleipnir smiled warmly before he gestured cheerfully upwards with his head. “And aye, I believe his seedling sits upon the mound above us. Now, what else about this place does thou sense?”

Blueblood frowned a little, then straightened and looked back and forth at the crumbled walls, overgrown with moss and covered in debris and... “Wait... this place was built by someone, wasn't it? Either it was carved through the rock or built here.”

Sleipnir nodded firmly. “Aye, precisely. Thou cannot blame Bard for failing to notice, though: look at how ancient this stone is, how the ruin has been overtaken almost completely by nature. Even I nearly failed to notice this passage was not a design of nature.”

The unicorn nodded hesitantly, and then he tested the uneven, rocky earth beneath one hoof before Sleipnir said gently: “We shall keep our eyes open for any other signs of the tampering of ponies... or griffins, rather. Or perhaps 'twas neither who forged this tunnel.”

Blue only smiled awkwardly as Invidia simply looked bored, rolling her eyes and turning her attention away as she chided: “It has little bearing on the situation at hoof, Sleipnir. Perhaps if for a moment, you could swallow your need to constantly be the center of attention, we would have already made good progress towards our objective.”

“Aye, thou art right, Invidia.” Sleipnir said agreeably, and Blue wondered how the hell the earth pony could always manage to be so damned... nice. “Come, Blue. Do not let my rambling away interfere with the task at hoof. I do not mean to slow us down.”

“It's no problem. You know that.” Blue said finally, as they started down the tunnel again, Invidia lingering behind them and glowering a little until the unicorn hesitantly added: “And it's important that we know our terrain, isn't it, Invidia? Besides, I was the one... taking my time here. If it's anyone's fault, it's mine.”

“Oh, I never meant to imply that, Lord Blueblood... I merely thought that if Sleipnir had something to say, he should say it. He shouldn't play games with the subject; I recognize your wisdom in this matter, and that you are doing everything and more in your power to keep us moving forwards.” Invidia said quickly, bowing her head respectfully. “I would never be disrespectful to you. Never, ever.”

Blueblood smiled uneasily at this, shrugging a little before he turned his eyes ahead: after only a few moments, they reached a set of natural steps leading down into the earth, and Blueblood paused to study this as Sleipnir knelt and brushed a hoof over the stone, murmuring: “There is little evidence of whether or not this was carved into the earth, or if 'twas here first, and the tunnel was built over it. But many, many people have walked this path over the years.”

“Well, it's definitely a lot darker down there, too.” Blueblood muttered, peering down the rugged descent before he glanced over his shoulder at Invidia, who brightened at just his look alone. “Well, uh... would you create some light for us?”

Invidia smiled warmly and flicked her horn, a ball of light appearing in the air and bringing a daylike glow to the area around them, and Sleipnir grunted his thanks as Blueblood smiled awkwardly back to the demon. Then the earth pony stood, saying hesitantly: “Well, I do not sense much in the way of danger, but... I feel that we should be wary all the same. Once we have collected this last piece of the puzzle, 'twill be time to return to Canterlot...”

“And the Harbinger may attack us, so we will have to be wary.” Invidia finished, and Sleipnir nodded before the demon looked tenderly towards Blueblood, murmuring: “But fear not, my darling. I shall never, ever allow anything to take you away from me... from us. Your best, closest friends...”

Blueblood smiled hesitantly, nodding slowly, and he felt a strange tingle as Sleipnir seemed to pause for a moment. But Invidia settled, even blushed and mumbled what sounded like an apology, and the stallions only shared a look before they both shrugged and turned to head down into the complex system of tunnels.

The cave system had a strange beauty about it: the passages were almost the perfect size for a pony to fit through, and strangely smooth. But there weren't any tool marks, any other signs that this was anything but natural stone, and Blueblood wondered quietly if this had maybe once been some kind of underground river... or perhaps they were descending into a dead volcano.

Every now and then, they would come to an intersection or an offshoot, but their path was clear: Sleipnir continued to push downwards, apparently intent on getting as deep as possible beneath the earth before they started to search in earnest. Blueblood decided simply to go along with it: every time he argued with Sleipnir, he ended up looking like an idiot, after all. And more than that, he had come to trust in Sleipnir's odd instincts, and odder yet ability to speak with nature and the earth around them.

Besides, even if they spent hours hiking down into the depths, it was well worth it when they emerged into a gorgeous cavern, the crystalline walls reflecting the light of Invidia's spell and turning the entire cave into a glittering paradise. Several bats squealed and fluttered for the safety of a crack in the wall, fleeing the light, but they were the only life they had seen down here so far, apart from a few random bugs and newts.

It was beautiful, and Blueblood whistled quietly as he approached what looked like a breach in the floor before he realized the crack was filled with all manner of multicolored crystal. He poked at this, and Sleipnir smiled warmly as he approached, saying easily: “'Tis too bad no other creature has dared to push as deep as we have. 'Tis a hoard a dragon would envy, here alone!”

They spent a few more minutes inspecting the cavern: there was no mythril here, but even Invidia found something to fascinate her: an almost-perfectly round, natural mirror of crystal. She carried this with her when they left, gazing at it silently for the longest time as they headed down a narrower passage of stone, before the demon suddenly ran forwards and pushed herself side-to-side with Blueblood, thrusting the mirror in front of them as Blue winced in surprise.

He looked dumbly ahead as Invidia smiled warmly, gazing into the mirror and seeing their reflections looking back at them before Invidia said happily: “Just like old times!”

Blueblood frowned uneasily at this as Sleipnir cocked his head curiously, and then the unicorn shook his head and hurriedly stepped away. Invidia looked at him with surprise, and then her face lost all expression as Blue said uneasily: “I don't know what you're talking about.”

Invidia lowered her head, her bauble of light floating silently higher, leaving her draped half in shadow as the mirror shivered in her psychic grip. And then Blueblood bit his lip before saying hurriedly: “I... why don't we find the ore and then... have a rest? We can talk about it.”

The demon looked slowly up, golden eyes glowing through the shadows that had fallen over her before she whispered: “Oh, darling... what happened to our promise? Why are you so intent to try and find this silly piece of rock when... when you already have everything you desire? No, let's not find it. Sleipnir, you... you don't have to go home. You're better off here. Blueblood and I love you, we're your friends, your family now. Let's... let's go back to the surface. Let's journey forever...”

“Thou art my friends, and my family... but I have a responsibility to the family I have left behind, Invidia.” Sleipnir said gently, stepping forwards before he smiled and said quietly: “We have months together yet, my friend. And thou shall always have Blue, aye? Even after he returns to Canterlot and even after I am gone, thou shall be by his side.”

“In Canterlot?” Invidia laughed bitterly, and then she shook her head slowly. “No. You don't understand, Sleipnir. You could never understand...”

Invidia lowered the mirror in front of herself, studying it silently for a moment before she suddenly flung it sharply down, shattering the crystal. Blueblood stepped automatically backwards, wincing a bit, and Sleipnir frowned before the demon murmured: “When Blueblood returns to Canterlot, he'll forget again. He'll forget everything that I did for him... he'll forget me. He'll leave me behind, he'll forget everything we promised... look how long it took to get him to trust me. To remember that I've always been his closest friend...”

“Invidia, I... you are my friend. And I will never forget you.” Blueblood said slowly, feeling a strange twinge of fear run through his veins before he said quietly: “Let's... find a place to set up camp, then. We can talk about this.”

Invidia smiled faintly, then she gave a quick nod, and Blueblood smiled back, feeling the faintest hint of relief. He turned as Sleipnir nodded encouragingly to Invidia, then turned himself to follow in Blueblood's steps-

Tentacles of dark energy snapped viciously around Sleipnir, and the enormous earth pony's eyes bulged before he was hefted high into the air, gasping in agony. Blueblood staggered around in a circle, staring in horror as the tentacles constricted and crushed, smoke and steam bursting up from the burning flesh of the earth pony as Invidia whispered: “No one will take him away from me. Not even you, Sleipnir.”

The earth pony was slammed cruelly down into the rocky floor once, twice, thrice, sending up a sickening crunch with each impact before his body was flung limply to the side. Blueblood immediately tried to run to the stallion, but then he was repelled with a wince of pain as a wall of black fire exploded out the ground in front of him, sending him staggering away.

He barely caught himself, breathing hard... and then he trembled violently as Invidia calmly strolled through the dark magic, her glowing golden eyes locked on Blueblood as she whispered: “I searched for you for my entire life. Hundreds of years, Earthwalker... hundreds of years...”

Blueblood stumbled backwards, shaking his head weakly as Invidia slowly advanced on him, her eyes glowing as she trembled violently. “P-Please don't run from me... please don't leave me alone again, I... I couldn't stand it. All of this, I've... I've done for you. To bring you to me, but... oh, it didn't work out the way it was supposed to, and I'm so very sorry but I... I was too eager! I... I need you! I spent hundreds of years without you, and... and I swear that even when I was crushing your spirit, it was all out of love, out of need for you, to bring you to me...

Blueblood's mouth went dry, and then he winced as his hoof hit a rock and he tripped, falling in a sprawl with a whimper, before looking up in terror as Invidia stepped overtop him, tears running down her cheeks as she whispered: “You don't have to be afraid of me. I'll never, ever hurt you. I love you, Earthwalker. You were my brother and my best friend... y-you still are. I'll never let you go... we promised, we promised to never let each other go...”

“I-Invidia...” Blueblood stared with horror up at this mare, shaking his head weakly before he said weakly: “My... my name is Blueblood, and-”

“You don't remember... I know you don't remember. How could you?” Invidia trembled, bowing her head forwards as her tears slid down her muzzle, pattering over Blueblood's armored chest. “You and I were best friends... the very best. The very best. But you... y-you died, Earthwalker, but I promised to find you when you were reborn, to do anything and everything it took to f-find you. And I continued to search, even after I died... but it was dying that gave me the power to find you. And I... I have waited so long for this day...”

The demon smiled shakily, and then her golden eyes opened, looking down at him fanaticism and adoration as she said shakily: “I... I found you when you were a foal, don't you remember? Don't you remember me? But your parents... your parents were so scared of me. Your parents wouldn't believe that I loved you, wanted to be your best friend, they t-thought I wanted to... do things to you. That I was some sick, demented freak...”

Invidia snarled suddenly, her eyes flaring with anger before she clenched them shut. “I... I wanted you. I couldn't t-take you without drawing too much attention to myself... not unless I got rid of them first. But then Celestia... Celestia stole you from me! And her magic kept me away from you, made it impossible for me to reach you... all I could do was try and warn you that these ponies were going to betray you, like your parents did. But your will was so strong, and you were so scared...”

Invidia's eyes opened, looking down into Blueblood's pleadingly as the stallion stared with horror at her, memories flashing through his mind, his blood turning to ice as he saw this terrible, wicked demon grinning as she loomed behind his father as he sat limply in the graveyard, trembling as he clutched his shovel like it was an anchor...

“The nightmares were... an unfortunate side effect. I would come to you in your dreams, every single night... and you would push me away. Hide from me... maybe you were trying to call up your memories, but you couldn't... I don't know why you would repress them. I was the best thing in your life... I am the best thing in your life.” Invidia said softly, reaching up and silently stroking Blueblood's face. “All the power I've gained, all of me... it's all for you, Earthwalker. All for my talented brother. All for my best friend...”

Blueblood stared weakly at her, and then Invidia smiled faintly, whispering: “I wanted to tell you sooner, but you would never have believed me... and... then we started to spend this time together. Sharing adventures. Being together. But now you know the truth, and there's no need for false faces, no need to hide... I... I can make you happy! We can be happy, and burn the world for keeping us apart for so long... we will no longer have to hurt, Earth! You and I, together forever...”

“You're the Harbinger.” whispered Blueblood, and Invidia smiled at him lovingly before she leaned down and tried to kiss him, and Blueblood whimpered and clenched his eyes shut, gritting his teeth and trying to turn his head away.

She laughed when she drew back, though, her eyes glowing brightly, strings of saliva gleaming between his cold lips and her own hungry maw as she whispered: “I am your Harbinger, Earthwalker. I am going to give you everything you ever desired... we're together again, but we're not foals anymore. You are a prince, I am a demon... and I will make you a king.”

Blueblood swallowed thickly, and then he asked weakly: “What... what did you do to Sleipnir?”

Invidia's eyes narrowed dangerously at this, and then she leaned back and spat: “He is not worthy of your affection! He's a bumbling moron, an oaf! He would betray you, leave you! Just like everypony else has... everypony but me...”

Invidia's voice became pleading, wheedling, as she whispered: “I've given you everything. Forget about him. He's not your friend, he was only using you for your connection to your aunt... but all I want is you. All I love is you. I will help you gain everything you ever wanted: power, prestige, rulership. Everything... you can use me however you want. We have a connection... an eternal connection. A connection that can never be broken.”

Blueblood trembled as he turned away, and Invidia looked down at him helplessly for a moment before she suddenly snarled, shouting: “Look at me, Earthwalker!”

The stallion flinched, then looked up at her as Invidia glared down at him before she asked coldly: “Are you trying to insult me? To deride me? To anger me? I've done this all for you!”

“You... you killed my parents.” whispered Blue, and Invidia snorted in disgust, rolling her eyes with a look of contempt.

“They were only your body's parents, Earthwalker. And they were trying to keep us apart!” Invidia snapped, shaking her head shortly. “All I did was influence the evil already there... because there is evil inside all of us, Earthwalker. We all have our selfish desires... but you already know that, don't you? Oh, you do indeed...”

Invidia smiled cruelly down at him, and Blueblood grimaced a little and looked away before the demon reached up and stroked under his chin tenderly, purring: “But that's good. That's fine. I am here for every wicked urge you have, I am here to make you stronger, better...”

The demon's eyes suddenly flashed, and she half-turned, her horn blazing with black light and catching Sleipnir in bonds of dark lightning as he tried to fling himself through the flames, the earth pony snarling, then hissing in pain as he was left suspended through the black hellfire. And Blueblood's eyes widened in horror as the stallion writhed... yet refused to cry out even as his skin burned and peeled, as blood boiled out of his pores, as his limbs kicked and convulsed uselessly... “Sleipnir, Sleipnir, Sleipnir...”

“Leave him alone!” Blueblood shouted, and Invidia looked surprised... and then she gasped when Blue drove both rear legs in a savage kick into her stomach.

She gagged as she staggered backwards, Sleipnir cursing as he was launched back through the black wall of flames by a spasm of the demon's powers. But Blueblood was staring in shock at Invidia's stomach: he'd forgotten for a moment about the cleats on his greaves, and the demon was whimpering as she clutched at her body before she slowly rose a hoof in front of her disbelieving eyes to stare at the blood running down it...

And then Invidia's eyes blazed with fury before she glared at Blueblood and hissed: “Apologize. Apologize to me right now, Earthwalker!”

“I... my name is Blue!” the unicorn shouted before he could stop himself, and he trembled violently before rolling up to his hooves, glaring at her even as fear flooded his veins, even as his body felt like it was filling with ice. “Invidia, I... that's enough! You and I are not friends, I am not this... Earthwalker, and... I'll never give up the world for you! I'll never abandon everything I've learned for you... for... for your lies!”

Invidia trembled for a moment, and then she suddenly went very still. Her eyes slid closed as she took a slow breath... and then they opened, glowing with golden hatred as she said softly: “Then I suppose I'll just have to make you see the world my way.”

Invidia's body flexed, then rippled violently, growing and reshaping itself. She grew larger, her hooves cracking apart into claws as her skin became leathery, pulling tight against her bones; her hide ripped itself open down the center of her chest, her ribs ripping through the front of her body, opening and closing like teeth as a gaping throat opened in her chest.

Her lips seemed to simply rot away, leaving fangs and tombstone teeth bare, her beautiful features becoming sallow and monstrous as her horn crackled with malice. Her ears fell away, replaced by large horns as her mane shivered, hair coiling and mutating into thick, fleshy tendrils that lashed back and forth behind her as her eyes became nothing but merciless pits of light, the demon rasping: “I was your best friend, Earthwalker. But if you really want me to, I can be your worst enemy instead.”

Blueblood stumbled backwards in horror, and the twisted monstrosity snorted out a cloud of greenish smoke before it hissed: “Run away then, Blue. Let's see how long it takes before you're crying for mercy and begging me to be your friend again.”

She took a single step forwards, and Blueblood turn around and bolted as fear filled him up, his whole body going numb with terror as he shot down the passage. But Invidia only laughed loudly, the glowing bauble of light streaking through the air: it lit up the passage around him, but at the same time it made him an easy target as the demon roared: “You can't even escape me in your own mind, in the paradise that I created for you! How do you hope to run away from me here?”

Invidia began to lope forwards, and Blueblood cried out in misery and terror as he heard her heavy claws crashing against the stone. He made the mistake of looking back over his shoulder, and immediately tripped and went rolling painfully into a wall, gasping in pain before he scrambled back to his hooves.

He stumbled and dropped for a moment against the stone wall, breathing hard in and out as he managed to fight off the panic for a moment. He could hear the monster approaching, but he forced himself not to look back: instead, he steadied himself, focused on the rock around him, tried to feel out the best course of action...

His eyes widened as nature cried out all around him, and the stallion hurried forwards before he snapped his horn sharply and dispelled the ball of light, leaving himself in total darkness for a moment and only hoping that it would buy him the time he needed.

Invidia snorted in cruel entertainment as her magic was dispelled: but she could still see perfectly well in the dark, and all he had done was make it harder for himself. She could smell him, feel his mind, taste his fear...

Invidia rounded the passage and grinned widely... then faltered, staring in surprise and slowing to a stop as she saw it was empty. But she could sense him here still, and the demon snarled before flicking her horn sharply, a flash of light ripping through the area and illuminating...

Nothing. So he hadn't cloaked himself with magic, either. Had he somehow left a false trail for her? Had he-

A thump caught her attention, and Invidia looked sharply in the direction it had come from before she strode quickly over to the rock wall and paced along it, glaring over the jagged stones before her eyes widened as she found herself standing in front of a narrow crack. And Blueblood had wiggled almost all the way through it, the stallion wincing as he saw Invidia before he snapped his horn out.

Invidia howled as she was sent stumbling backwards by the bright flare of light, rubbing convulsively at her face before she snarled in fury and slammed a hoof into the wall beside the crack, screaming: “Blueblood!”

But Blue had already flung himself out the other side of the gap, stumbling along a narrow ledge and wincing as he looked over the side and down into a dark pit that led down into a trench filled with churning water. He didn't dally, though, throwing himself forwards into a run and hurrying onto an uneven stone path that led along the jagged cliff wall, the stallion breathing hard as he desperately tried to think about anything he could do to try and stop Invidia: he knew that narrow crack wasn't going to hold her for long, after all.

And he was right, as a moment later, an inky black mass burst out of the fissure before splashing down and rapidly reforming into Invidia, the demon hissing: “Come here, Earthwalker!”

Blueblood only kept running, his body shivering with cold, trying to focus and call up the pulse of nature in his mind before he felt it: both in his hooves and his body, as he skidded to a halt, then glared over his shoulder and turned around, quickly drawing his silver sword.

Invidia seemed surprised as she skidded to a halt herself only ten feet away... and then she smiled coldly, looking at his silver sword and asking mockingly: “What are you planning to do with that toothpick? It might work well against smaller prey, Earth, but I've been alive for hundreds of years... consumed thousands to grow strong enough to come to you... to...”

Invidia trembled, then clutched at her face before the demon leaned forwards, pleading in a cracked voice: “P-Please! It doesn't have to be like this! Come back to me, I still love you, I... I'll always love you! Don't make me h-hurt you, Earth... my prince... my brother, Blue... let me share all this power with you, stop fighting this connection between us...”

“Don't take another step closer.” Blueblood whispered, raising his sword high, and Invidia trembled before snarling slowly, her eyes blazing with hellish light. The demon all but leapt forwards, crushing shale and making the ledge beneath her tremble as she crashed down in front of him, and Blue flinched back automatically, his sword shivering in the air.

“Or what?” asked the demon coldly, leaning forwards and cocking her head mockingly, and the two looked at each other for a moment before Blueblood slowly lowered his weapon, the demon grinning as she said softly: “That's just what I-”

Blueblood suddenly stabbed the sword downwards, slamming both hooves into the hilt as his horn sparked with magic, shoving all the telekinetic energy he could through the weapon and down into the broken stone ledge. And Invidia stumbled, eyes bulging as she grabbed wildly at the rocky floor when it all-but-exploded beneath her claws, before she shrieked as she tumbled forwards, smashing her head painfully off a jagged stone before she followed the broken rock floor down into the gorge.

Blueblood half-fell backwards, the silver sword clutched tightly in one hoof as he leaned over the edge, watching as the demon splashed down into the trench far below... but then he reared back in shock as a tentacle of black energy ripped immediately out of the water, hooking into the stone cliff. A moment later, a second tore upwards, and then hauled Invidia up out of the liquid, the demon screaming furiously: “I'm going to make you eat that toy, Earthwalker!”

Blue flinched as he quickly yanked his sword into the air with telekinesis before turning to bolt along the cliffside, and Invidia hissed at him furiously as she used the tentacles of darkness emerging from her back to yank herself higher. Two more ripped free from her body, slamming into the stone wall before she began to sprint along the cliffside like a freakish spider, quickly cutting the distance between her and Blueblood.

She lunged suddenly upwards once she drew close enough, hooked tentacles lashing viciously down like blades, but Blueblood managed to fling himself out of the way, rolling almost to the edge of the ledge with a gasp before he stepped forwards and slashed viciously outwards with the silver sword when Invidia tried to swing a tentacle into him. And instead, the appendage was slashed almost in half with a burst of inky blood, Invidia howling and reeling back.

Blueblood didn't waste any time, turning and sprinting away, quickly bolting around a tight corner... and then he was blown off his hooves when the wall in front of him simply exploded, Invidia crashing through the rock like it was paper. She overshot the narrow ledge, however, shrieking as she plummeted into the watery gorge again with a loud splash, and Blue gasped for breath before he picked himself up and stumbled through the rubble, sparing only a single wince at the sight of the enormous hole Invidia had torn through the rock in her frenzy.

He knew she wasn't going to stay down for long, as he continued along the winding path, but it looked like there was at least another tunnel in sight. He began to grin... and then his eyes widened in horror as Invidia leapt up out of the water, springing up the wall to crash down onto the path ahead.

Blueblood began to turn, and Invidia slashed her horn out with a snarl, a black fireball blowing apart part of the cliff behind Blueblood and sending the path crumbling into ruin. It left the stallion trapped, the unicorn turning back around and raising his sword-

One of Invidia's tentacles slapped down and smashed him across the face, knocking Blueblood sprawling on his chest with a gasp as the demon strode slowly forwards, the half-real appendages twisting back and forth around her as she hissed: “I should feed you to my pets. I should make you suffer like you've made me suffer, but... but I could never betray you!”

Invidia seized the stallion by the throat, yanking him up and glaring down at his bloody face as her ribs flexed and stretched hungrily towards him like teeth. “I would never hurt you! I never forgot our promise! I became this to save you! To find you! To love you!”

Invidia flung him down to the ground with a crunch, and Blueblood went limp as his silver sword bounced uselessly away down the ledge. “We could have had everything... we were supposed to always be together! Our love was supposed to conquer everything! W-Why... then... w-why, Earth... Earth? Earth?”

Blueblood only lay silently, barely breathing, his eyes closed. He felt... so cold, and numb, and hollow. He felt broken, and like there was nothing he could do...

“Earth? Earth! Earthwalker!” Invidia trembled violently, grasping the stallion and shaking him roughly before she whimpered and shook her head, whispering: “N-No, no no... you're... you're so... wake up! I c-c-can't lose you now! I can't lose you after I've spent so long, trying to f-find you! P-Please! Please Earth, wake up, wake up! I'll do anything!”

She grasped him, then turned him over, and tried to push her mouth down over his, but he kept his tightly shut, refusing her breath, refusing her kiss of life. His eyes half-opened all the same, though, but Invidia only looked into his eyes, trembling violently before she whispered: “P-Please... oh, please, my d-darling... let me heal you...”

“What do I have left to live for?” Blueblood asked quietly, and Invidia began to smile before he closed his eyes, whispering: “Look at what you've become, Invidia. Look at what you did to me... you... you destroyed my family. You promised never to hurt me, but... I can't... imagine a way in which you haven't hurt me. You're not my friend...”

Invidia began to snarl in fury, and then she froze when Blue looked up at her, trembling. “But not because I don't want you to be. Because you're the one who doesn't understand what friendship is... because you're the one who broke her promise.”

“I... I...” Invidia began to argue, reaching up to grasp his face... and then she trembled and drew her hoof away, sticky with his blood. She shook her head weakly, then looked back at the unicorn before almost dropping him, stumbling backwards as the demon whimpered: “N-No...”

Invidia clenched her eyes shut, and then she covered her face and simply screamed. It echoed through the cavern, shaking the walls, making the whole world quake as Blueblood flinched backwards, covering his own head with a curse.

Slowly, the sound faded, and the two were left sitting in silence before Invidia looked slowly up, trembling violently. She uncovered her face, breathing shallowly in and out as she looked down at Blueblood, before whispering: “But I want to be together, forever. We... we p-promised, Earthwalker...”

Blueblood shivered, and then he swallowed thickly before he slowly forced himself up to his hooves. He looked at her silently, and Invidia gazed back at him brokenly before the stallion dragged himself sluggishly forwards. His body moved by itself as he reached up and silently embraced her, and Invidia trembled and lowered her head against him.

They rested like that for a few moments, and then Blueblood closed his eyes before whispering: “You have to go now. It's time... it's time to let go. This isn't the way.”

Slowly, he drew back... and Invidia trembled before she hugged herself tightly, whimpering and leaning down. Her whole body shook before she clenched her glowing golden eyes tightly shut... and then they opened, and Blueblood's breath caught as he stared up into her radiant blue irises, filled with tears and sorrow as she whispered: “I can't hold it back for very long. It will never stop chasing you... I... I will never stop chasing you. Please... please save me.”

The mare took a gasping breath, then clenched her eyes shut as her ribs quaked before they slowly sprawled open, revealing that gaping throat in her chest. But as the hungry maw stretched itself open, Blueblood trembled as he saw something in its depths, pulsing, aching, filled with poison...

He looked up at her, and her eyes opened, gazing down at him pleadingly. And there was nothing else he could do, nothing else he could say, as he silently picked up his silver sword. But when he looked into her eyes again, he saw the truth: he heard the promise, remembered the life they had lived together, and he did his best to smile for her, one last time, as he whispered: “It's okay... Cerulea.”

The mare smiled at him radiantly, and Blueblood trembled for a moment before he drove the blade forwards, into the maw in her chest, into her poisoned heart. And she gasped quietly, trembling for a moment before she reached up and caught one of his shoulders with her claw... then simply smiled at him, mouthing silently: “I love you, Earthwalker.”

The stallion felt tears running down his cheeks as his sword clattered to the ground, passing through ashes and flower petals as the mare dissolved before his very eyes. And then the stallion trembled before dropping back to the ground, covering his face and starting to sob even as he smelled flowers and felt a gentle warmth spill across his body, reassuring him that he had done the right thing... telling him that he had done the only thing he could do to free his lost friend from the darkness that had consumed her.

Paupers And Their Promises

Chapter Twenty Eight: Paupers And Their Promises
~BlackRoseRaven

Blueblood rubbed silently at his face, shivering a little and wishing silently they could be anywhere but here. They still had to find the mythril, but that could wait until tomorrow: he was too tired and confused, and Sleipnir was in bad shape himself.

The earth pony was laying beneath a blanket across from him: there was no wood for a fire, but they had a little lantern going, at least giving them a bit of light. Neither of them had talked much about what had happened... Blueblood really didn't know where to begin himself, after all.

Earthwalker: he had lived once before. Well, of course he had, if everything he'd heard about the sea of souls and reincarnation was all true. And Invidia had once been his best friend, Cerulea... Cerulea Zeal. They had been raised as siblings, spent all their time together in the little mountain village where they'd grown up... or started to, anyway. Something had happened... a fire? An attack?

He didn't remember the details. He wasn't sure if he could... as it was, he was still trying to put the pieces together in his mind. Blueblood looked down and silently touched his cutie mark, thinking about how this had been the same, at least... and yet he could only half-remember how he'd managed to earn it in the past, and still had no idea how he'd earned it in this life.

This life; that was a weird thought. And if this life ended, did that mean there would be a next life for him? And a next one after that? Blueblood shivered at the thought: did that mean life was just some kind of twisted game, where you tried to build up the best score you could, only to have all your accomplishments wiped away by death, before you were forced to play the rigged game again?

Blueblood shook his head slowly, hugging himself tightly before he looked up in surprise as Sleipnir whispered: “Take a blanket if thou art cold, Blue. Do not suffer.”

“You're... you're one to talk.” Blueblood murmured, swallowing a bit as Sleipnir shifted slowly on the ground: he was such a mess of... of wounds and scars and burns. Almost every inch of skin blackened or bruised or bloodied, his mane and tail in burnt and ruined tatters, raw muscle and veins pulsing through his damaged flesh...

“I have a blanket. Thou looks as if thou could use one, that is all.” Sleipnir tried to smile, but the look was almost ghoulish on the earth pony's face, Blueblood shivering a little before the wounded stallion shifted and murmured: “Thou must... take care of thyself. Otherwise... neither of us shall survive, whether we are faced with... catacombs or catastrophe.”

“Save your strength, Sleipnir... please. And... and don't say things like that. We... we don't need you being negative on top of everything else.” Blue managed a faint smile, but it didn't even come close to his fearful eyes as he looked uncomfortably at the earth pony. “Is... is there anything at all I can do for you?”

“Nay, I must... I must simply rest. When I am stronger, then... we will apply salves and bandages, but for now...” Sleipnir shivered a little, closing his eyes, refusing to show his pain... and it scared Blueblood, more than he wanted to admit, how this titan was struggling just to stay conscious. How Invidia had managed to hurt him so badly...

“Sleipnir...” Blueblood shook his head slowly, and then he bit his lip before asking uneasily: “Sleipnir, are you sure there's nothing that I can do for you?”

The earth pony did his best to shrug, then he slumped down and murmured: “Thou... thou must take care of thyself first and foremost, Blue. If thou desires to be... thou must...”

Sleipnir shivered a little, and Blueblood winced before he picked himself up, staggering around the lantern and dropping worriedly down by the earth pony. But Sleipnir only smiled faintly up at him, whispering: “There is no need to fear, and... thou art so sad... hurt on the inside. And... c-cold, aye? Aye... the... the wraith's touch, thou-”

“Enough.” Blueblood muttered, shaking his head quickly as he studied the stallion, then he turned and fumbled through Sleipnir's equipment bag until he managed to draw out a skin of water, unscrewing the top and carefully levering Sleipnir's head up.

The earth pony gritted his teeth, but accepted the canteen, drinking down several swallows before he tried to push it away. But Blueblood shook his head, saying quietly: “I'm fine. And there's plenty of water just around the corner. I'll... I'll refill the canteens later.”

Sleipnir shifted... but then nodded a little and drank a few more swallows, Blueblood smiling faintly before he pulled the canteen back. The earth pony looked up at him quietly, and Blue looked back down, his smile fading into concern before Sleipnir murmured: “I am sorry, Blue. All of this... 'tis all my fault...”

“No, I... no. How could you blame yourself?” Blueblood shook his head fiercely, looking down at the earth pony silently. “No, Sleipnir, if... if anything, I should be thanking you. You... you gave her a chance. I think that for a while, we even helped her, we... we almost saved her... but...”

Sleipnir smiled faintly, and then he said softly: “If thou would like to talk about her, Blue... thou art free to. Thou needs not make sense, thou may just... speak as thou feels 'tis right to, and I shall listen. I enjoy listening, Blue, even if I have no right to ask this of thee... but 'twill help us both.”

The two looked at each other quietly for a few moments, and then Blueblood hesitantly nodded before dropping his head forwards, murmuring: “I... I suppose that...”

He stopped, then smiled faintly, reaching up to scrub a hoof at his face slowly as he whispered: “It's hard to think of. Earthwalker... that used to be my name. In another lifetime, so many centuries ago... centuries. And I had a best friend, named Cerulea... she was my sister. We were raised side-by-side and... I think we were meant to be together. The whole... I don't want to call it a tribe, but...”

Sleipnir was only looking up at him attentively, and Blueblood sat back, smiling faintly but biting his lip, unused to such... attention. Unused to Sleipnir's intense eyes studying him so deeply, and the prince hesitated before he asked quietly: “Are you sure you don't want to just sleep?”

“Nay, this is far better than sleep. Tell me of Cerulea. Was she pretty?” asked Sleipnir softly, and Blueblood chuckled quietly, shaking his head slowly.

“She was more than pretty. And she was smart, and... fierce.” Blueblood nodded slowly. “I remember everything about her so clearly. I remember how dedicated she was, and how... how good she was to me. I remember that we promised to be together, forever, but...”

Blue quieted, looking down before he closed his eyes, and Sleipnir murmured: “I cannot apologize to thee enough for-”

“For what? This... this wasn't your fault. I already told you that now stop... fishing for sympathy and compliments.” Blueblood mumbled, looking away and shaking his head briefly before he lowered his head and said in a quieter voice: “You tried. You did everything you could and... and you gave us time together. But she was so... she was changed.

“Cerulea was always... passionate.” Blueblood smiled faintly, shaking his head again. “She always reacted... so strongly to anything and everything. She was emotional, she was blunt, she was... everything I needed. She was the perfect friend. And she always stuck by a promise...

“I can't imagine what it must have been like for her... I don't want to know how she became a demon, of all things.” Blueblood shivered a little, hugging himself tightly. “I don't want to imagine that she died, and she was reborn as... as that...”

But Sleipnir only shook his head, murmuring: “Fear not, my friend... nature would not be so cruel to have poisoned her so. But I fear that instead, mayhaps... in pursuit of thee...”

“I... I know. She said as much herself, before...” Blueblood bit his lip, and then he sighed a little and asked quietly: “Did I do the right thing? Could... couldn't we have... Sleipnir, I broke my promise to her, and she's... she's...”

“Nay, thou did not... thou did all thou could for her.” Sleipnir smiled faintly, then he slowly forced himself to sit up, even as Blueblood looked at him worriedly. But all the same, the earth pony ignored the pain so he could look across into the stallion's eyes, saying quietly: “And thy promise is to stay together, forever, is it not? 'Tis very simple then, Blue... thou must search for her. She will be reborn one day in this world's infinite cycle, and... thou shall find her. Thou shall help her remember. And thou and her shall be together.”

Blueblood smiled faintly at this, looking down and rubbing the back of his head before he gave a brief nod. Even if it took a hundred lives, he'd find her... and he'd tell her that he had forgiven her, for everything that had happened.

He didn't know how much evil Invidia had spread into his life, how responsible she was for the deaths of his parents and his own constant struggle and torture... but he did know that Invidia had been the cruel, golden-eyed monster, while Cerulea had been nothing but blue-eyed love. He thought Cerulea had been manipulated just like he had, as a matter of fact: maybe it was childish, but he needed to believe that. He needed to believe that good people couldn't do such awful things, and that good intentions didn't always pave a road to such unimaginable torment...

“I miss her.” Blueblood murmured, and Sleipnir nodded silently before the unicorn sighed quietly. “I... I remember how I earned my cutie mark in my old life. It was the same as this... it was for communing with nature. I remember I was never any good at magic, but even as a foal, I could track down animals and find food even in the thickest of jungles... nature... nature has always spoken to me. Loved me, like you said...”

Blue smiled faintly, looking at one of his hooves before he clenched it quietly. “What a low-born power. Look at me, all this time I've been calling you a peasant, but I'm the peasant... and... and yet I'm happy about it. How does that make any sense?”

Sleipnir chuckled quietly, and then he shrugged slowly before saying softly: “I do not know. I do not care, either, if 'tis what makes thou happy. I have always been much happier as a fool than trying to be wise, Blue. Life is much easier when thou simply takes things in stride instead of studying every fickle detail.”

Blueblood looked at Sleipnir for a few moments, and then he nodded briefly before giving a small smile. Sleipnir smiled back, and then Blueblood looked down before he murmured: “I don't know how I should feel anymore, about... anything. I... if Invidia twisted everything...”

He halted, then asked finally: “How did she never reveal she was the Harbinger? How was she able to go against... all her promises?”

“I do not think she ever did.” Sleipnir replied quietly, and Blueblood frowned before the earth pony lowered his head. “Invidia hated the Harbinger. I believe she was honest about this, as honest as she was when she said it was nothing but corruption of love and emotion. The Harbinger and Invidia were very much different entities... for thou freed Cerulea from the Harbinger's grips, did thou not? Thou does not believe the Harbinger was Cerulea.”

Blueblood shook his head sharply, grimacing a bit at the thought of even comparing the monster and the mare, and Sleipnir smiled faintly. “Then Invidia was what was created between the warring of the Harbinger and thy beloved. Invidia was thy love's personality, warped to extremes by the poisonous Harbinger; the Harbinger was... something else entirely. A parasite perhaps... or the true demon. 'Tis possible, after all, that Invidia's strong will attracted a demon spirit looking for a vessel... but there is little point in making wild guesses. Just know that... the Harbinger was the evil thou destroyed. Cerulea was the mare thou set free.”

The ivory unicorn looked down, then swallowed a little before he whispered: “I... I would like to believe that. So... I will.” Blueblood smiled faintly, glancing up hesitantly and giving a brief nod before he murmured: “I... thank you, Sleipnir. Thank you, for everything.”

Sleipnir only shrugged and smiled faintly, and then he lowered his head a little before asking quietly: “Would thou like me to honor her with a song? I fear that without a chorus of warriors to sing with me, I may sound quite rough, but all the same...”

Blueblood smiled again, and then he bowed his head and cleared his throat, doing his best to swallow the lump he felt as he whispered: “I... I would really like that, Sleipnir. But aren't you...”

“I am never too weak to honor a friend... and to help another remember that he will see her again someday. Of that, I can be certain.” Sleipnir replied gently, reaching up and squeezing the stallion's shoulder, and Blueblood trembled and did his best to hide the tears in his eyes, even as he looked with gratitude towards the earth pony.

But the stallion had his own eyes closed, his head bowed as he breathed slowly... and then he straightened, looking proud and majestic even in spite of the wounds covering his body, but yet it was like he had forgotten all pain and weakness as he began to sing. He sang in words that Blueblood didn't understand, and yet still, tears spilled down his cheeks and his heart thudded: he didn't need to know the words to know what Sleipnir sang of all the same.

When Blueblood awoke the next morning, he found Sleipnir was busily patching himself up. He looked worn and tired, but all the same he managed a smile as Blue climbed to his hooves, the earth pony saying quietly: “We shall have to make this quick, my friend. These tunnels tell me intruders are delving these caves, creatures that the earth does not care for. I fear that they may seek us, either out of desire for vengeance or greed.”

“Harbinger's demons? Or something else?” Blueblood asked uneasily, and then he hesitated before almost blurting: “Are you alright? Are... are you going to be able to do this, Sleipnir?”

Sleipnir nodded firmly in response, then he reached up and absently ruffled his mane of vines: Blueblood winced as a bit of rotten vegetation spilled down with a few malformed gemstones, but the unicorn felt some relief at the fact that at least the rest that remained looked greener... “Thou may not believe me, but I have faced far graver injuries with far more at stake. 'Tis not as bad as it looks... but the energies were savage, channeling both fire and poison. The Harbinger knew me too well.”

Blueblood nodded slowly, and then he asked: “Can I do anything to help you?”

Sleipnir only smiled in response, then he shook his head and replied kindly: “Fear not, Blue, all is well. Give me but a few more minutes, and I shall be done with these accursed wrappings. I will look very silly, but they shall help the salve adhere to my body and permit me to heal. But 'twould be a welcome hoof if thou would clean up our camp.”

The unicorn nodded again, smiling a little more: that was something, at least. He took only a minute to quickly slip his way into his armor before he went about the task of packing up the few things they had taken out, and then sweeping away some of the signs of their presence: there was no need to leave too many signs of their passage behind, after all.

Sleipnir was indeed ready in only a few minutes, and he did look a little silly, covered in bandaging and smelling faintly of flowers and disinfectant. All the same, he only limped a little bit, the two walking side-by-side deeper into the earth.

After almost an hour of twisting and turning passages, they reached an underground lake. A rocky beach sprawled out ahead of them through the shallow water, and Sleipnir strode slowly down before he leaned forwards and studied the liquid intently... then smiled. “Look, see this, how the water almost floats upon the air, how the dust collects beneath the surface and does not float upon it? 'Tis a sign of the water's purity, and that we shall find mythril here.”

Blueblood looked curiously over at the stallion as Sleipnir leaned down and drank a bit of the water, then smacked his lips once before murmuring: “Aye. Look around carefully. But be wary: if thou stumbles into a hole, thou shall sink to the bottom just as dust does.”

The unicorn grimaced a bit at this, and then he nodded hesitantly before striding carefully down into the shallows. Then he looked down in surprise as he rose a limb and studied with fascination how barely any water clung to it, the surface barely rippling. “Holy crap.”

“Well, 'tis something like holiness, aye. Mythril is a rare gift of nature's purity: 'tis so flexible that it can be woven into strings, and so strong that not even a dragon would be able to tear that string with either claw nor jaw.” Sleipnir replied with a slight smile, shaking his head. “Only those who speak to nature can hope to shape it in the forge. Those like us, Blue.”

The unicorn laughed a little, then he waded a little deeper, muttering: “Maybe you can, then... I still can't even manage my own repairs, yet.”

Sleipnir only shook his head, then gestured outwards with one hoof, suggesting: “The mythril must be near where the water flows in. 'Twill be acting like a sluice, draining the impurities from the liquid, straining out everything but the purest elements. 'Tis why the water is so clear and so smooth.”

Blueblood nodded hesitantly: at least he knew what to look for now. Still, it took him a few minutes to finally find what he thought might be the right place: a large crack that water seemed to be quietly pouring in from, although it was barely a stream, and barely making either sound or ripple.

He leaned down, peering in as best he could through the fissure before he frowned a bit, then said quickly: “Sleipnir, I think I found it! There's this... bright silver stuff in the hole here, it looks almost like it's lodged...”

“Then we may be near the lode. How solid is the rock?” Sleipnir asked, and Blueblood experimentally struck his hoof against it before blinking in surprise as part of the stone wall crumbled. “Well, either thou hast been training in secret, or...”

“It's pretty brittle.” Blueblood confirmed, carefully poking and testing the wall before he managed to grasp a large chunk of shale and jerk it loose. When it fell free, much of the rest of the wall collapsed with a splash into the water, Blueblood wincing away before he whistled a little at the creek he'd revealed, in a narrow but tall passage. “It's all sparkling... I think I can actually wiggle into here, too, but...”

Blueblood looked down, then reached up and picked up a small piece of ore the size of a tennis ball, studying the way it gleamed and almost glowed with fascination. And then Sleipnir laughed loudly, Blue looking over his shoulder in surprise before the stallion exclaimed: “'Tis more than enough for our purposes! Excellent Blue!”

Blueblood smiled a bit, then carefully lobbed the stone to Sleipnir, who caught it with a wide grin before he looked up and instructed: “Thou may search further if thou likes, but we have all we need here, so do not take long. If there are any other nuggets, then feel free to take them: if any are too large, though, leave them. We must not be greedy, and this is not our land: let the griffins discover it, if they are brave enough to venture this far.”

The unicorn hesitated... but then nodded reluctantly before he turned and stepped carefully into the hole he'd made. He felt some misgivings about letting a warlike race like the griffins get their claws on a large supply of mythril, but at the same time, he understood what Sleipnir was saying. And the stallion had a point, too: these caves weren't very dangerous, but they were extremely deep: he didn't think most people would be up to making this journey.

He wiggled his way carefully through the narrow passage, water splashing up to his waist before he managed to step out into another pool. And his eyes widened in amazement as he found himself staring at a gargantuan boulder of mythril that was lodged in the wall, veins of the same stuff extending outwards through the rock in all directions like the roots of a tree.

At the far side of this passage, Blue could see a waterfall steadily streaming down... and what caught his attention was that the water looked almost green. But the pool itself was only that ugly algae-like color around the edge of the waterfall: apparently Sleipnir hadn't been making things up when he said this metal purified what it touched.

Blueblood whistled as he stepped towards it... and then winced as he almost stumbled into a hidden, underwater trench, the stallion looking down in surprise before he realized that a deep chasm cut through the center of the pool, separating the boulder from everything else. Blueblood hesitated, then splashed at the water a little as he realized there was no way he was going to get across to it...

But as he looked down, he realized there were things gleaming here and there in the water... and the stallion laughed after a moment before he reached down and picked up another nugget. It was smaller than the first, but the unicorn smiled all the same: he had learned by now not to look a gift horse in the mouth, and not to take even the smallest things for granted, either.

He picked up the few nuggets he could find to tuck into his pack, noting that there was a vein in the ceiling and wondering if the mythril just... grew like fruit or something. It sounded completely ridiculous, but by now Blue had learned that nature had its own magic.

The stallion made his way back out to rejoin Sleipnir, who cocked his head curiously before Blue said wryly, gesturing over his shoulder: “Your rare mineral doesn't look like it's so rare.”

“Truly, 'tis that great a cache?” Sleipnir asked curiously, and Blueblood nodded before he approached and opened his path, turning so the earth pony could peer inside before he smiled warmly. “Oh, most excellent indeed! We shall put this to great use when the chance presents itself: we can make thee something truly fine.”

“Are you sure? I mean... it doesn't look like enough for even a knife.” Blueblood said dubiously, but Sleipnir only chuckled and shook his head.

“Nay, remember the strength of it! Were I to make armor, the plates would be thin as paper, but stronger than the strongest alloy!” Sleipnir declared, nodding firmly. “Likewise, a blade would be springy and slender, but all the same would cut with the ferocity of a war axe!”

Sleipnir halted, then quieted suddenly, and Blueblood frowned a little before the earth pony shook his head and said softly: “'Tis nothing, just... a moment of self-indulgent misery. I... I sense that it is too late, by far, for my help to matter in the war that has raged on. And I sense that something terrible has happened to my home, Valhalla. She cries out, Blue, and it echoes across all the worlds, but... but there is nothing I can do for her. And it hurts me to think so.”

Blueblood softened a little, then he hesitated before saying quietly: “Well, we're... we're going to get your portal working soon, right? And you'll be able to go home.”

Sleipnir only gave a brief smile, and then he looked down for a moment before shaking his head and murmuring: “Well, we shall see, at least. Aye, there is no use moping and fearing the worst. We must move forwards... and even should it fail, we will find a purpose for it. Aye, thou art right: let us make good our escape from this sad place.”

Blueblood nodded, and then he glanced over his shoulder silently, as if expecting to see Invidia there... but of course, she was gone. So after a moment, he simply shook his head before turning to follow the enormous earth pony.

Sleipnir had refilled their canteens, at least, and the pure water tasted good to Blueblood and took the edge off his hunger and exhaustion. He was amazed that Sleipnir was still on his hooves, but if anything, the earth pony seemed to be regaining strength even as he limped along: Blue was certain that any other pony would be dead by now, but Sleipnir... just kept going and going.

They walked for hours, heading upwards higher and higher through the twisting and turning tunnels until they strode into the crystalline cavern they had passed yesterday... and Blueblood felt a stinging pain in his stomach as he thought of Invidia, almost losing concentration on the light spell he was using to guide their way.

Sleipnir noticed his wince and stopped, the earth pony studying the younger stallion for a moment as Blue awkwardly lowered his head and looked away, before Sleipnir said softly: “Aye. This is a good place to rest for a moment, isn't it?”

“It... it is.” Blueblood agreed after a few seconds, and he flicked his horn to toss the sphere of light into the air, the light reflecting off the crystal and illuminating the entire area as Blueblood closed his eyes... and he could almost feel the gentle touch of a mare's hoof along his spine, whispering: “Cerulea... I miss you.”

He opened his eyes, but Sleipnir had politely turned away, and Blueblood appreciated it more than he could say. He found himself wandering shortly, before he smiled faintly as he picked up a small piece of crystal: it wasn't quite as round or smooth as the one Invidia had found, but it was still enough to let him gaze down into his reflection...

And Blueblood saw not a roguish young unicorn with a scar on his face, but a smiling unicorn colt gazing back at him. The colt had a darker, tanned coat and a darker mane, but the same blue eyes he had now... and Blueblood shook his head slowly before he tilted the mirror slowly to the side.

And there was Cerulea. Beautiful, both the parallel and opposite of Invidia. She was leaning over him, clinging to his shoulders, bright smile on her face, her eyes the same blue, her coat and mane like seafoam and sky, and he could almost feel her...

Blueblood shivered and shook himself, and when he looked back in the crystalline mirror, he only saw himself. He studied his own reflection for a few moments, then quietly tucked the mirror away, murmuring: “I'll remember you, Cerulea. I'll find you again one day.”

Blueblood turned towards Sleipnir, striding over to the earth pony and opening his mouth to say he was ready to go... and then he winced in surprise when the enormous stallion slapped a hoof over his jaws, Sleipnir's eyes narrowing before he cursed under his breath. “Damnation upon my weakened senses... Blue, we are not alone.”

The unicorn grimaced, then he pushed the stallion's hoof away before stepping forwards as he flicked his horn sharply, drawing his sword with a snarl of steel. Sleipnir looked at the unicorn with surprise, but Blueblood only leaned forwards, any possible fear swallowed up by almost-irrational anger as he shouted: “Show your faces, cowards, we know that you're there!”

There was a loud chuckle before a griffin emerged with a grin from the tunnel entrance ahead, saying mockingly: “Well, then you got ears. Good for you, big-ears. Let's see if you got enough brain to count too, chicken-turd.”

Blueblood's eyes narrowed as several more griffins emerged: there were four in total, two of them taking to the air and starting to circle threateningly as the other two stayed low on the ground. They were all armed: one of the flying griffins had a crossbow, and the other had a quiver on his back that was filled with barbed, dangerous-looking javelins.

The two on the ground were in heavier armor: probably too heavy to fly easily. One had a flanged mace he was tapping slowly against his free talon, and the other had a pair of hatchets on his waist. This last griffin seemed to be the one in charge: he was the only one who had spoken so far, and he seemed like the biggest and meanest, too.

The lead griffin grinned, then pointed at Sleipnir and asked: “What the hell happened to your buddy here, chicken turd? He fall down, go boom, hurt his poor wittle self? Or he just naturally that ugly, huh?”

The other griffins laughed, and Sleipnir scowled a little and set himself as Blueblood said coldly: “We don't have any quarrel with you. Let us pass.”

“No. First of all, I want to know more about this mythril crap.” said the griffin, and Blueblood frowned before Sleipnir shook his head in distaste, the earth pony relaxing slightly.

“Aye, I see. Thou art...” Sleipnir paused, then said thoughtfully: “Well, thy name appears to have slipped my mind, but 'tis been a rather trying few days, as thou can see. Thou art... Gilda? Glider? Gilly? Damnation, I know I am getting closer.”

“Giles.” growled the griffin, and Blueblood grimaced as he remembered the old professor... and his mercenary-looking surveyors, who both stood in front of them. Blair and Giles, if he remembered right... “But names don't matter, chicken-turd and big ugly. Soon both of you are going to be named dead meat if you don't tell me right now what I want to know. Right boys?”

The griffins in the air halted on either side of the ponies, staying high out of reach as one drew a javelin while the other aimed his crossbow at Sleipnir.

Blueblood winced at the griffins flanking them from the air, but Sleipnir seemed unperturbed, replying pointedly: “This is not a wise course of action; if thou harms us, thou shan't learn the way down to the mythril. And 'tis by far the largest deposit I have ever seen: what we have helped ourselves to are but crumbs compared to its size.”

Blue looked uncomfortably over at Sleipnir: the earth pony was only lying by technicality, but the unicorn felt like he was maybe showing a little bit more of their hand than he should... and then he winced when Giles demanded: “Show me.”

Sleipnir shrugged, then gestured at Blueblood, and the unicorn sighed before he reached back into his saddlebag and withdrew a piece of mythril. The griffin scowled, then held out a talon... before the crossbow rose and the javelin was cocked back when Blue took a single step forwards, Giles saying coldly: “You make another step, and you die, little pony. No, you roll that to me, nice and easy, see?”

Blueblood cursed under his breath, but when he looked back at the enormous earth pony, Sleipnir nodded. Still, Blue hesitated, and Giles snorted in contempt before he snapped: “Come on! Your big ugly daddy there just gave you his permission, didn't he? Or what, chicken turd, you need him to throw it to me for you, too?”

The unicorn twitched a bit, and then he gritted his teeth before looking back at Sleipnir... and the earth pony sighed tiredly before giving a grumpy nod, saying wryly: “Well, thou cannot say I did not try, at least.”

Giles began to snarl, and then his eyes widened in surprise as Blue tossed the piece of mythril into the air: it arced backwards instead of forwards, however, and the griffin began to open his beak... before staring and realizing too late what was about to happen as Sleipnir drew one hoof back.

The enormous stallion punched the piece of mythril through the air, sending it rocketing into Giles' face and knocking him crashing backwards in a broken heap with a fine spray of crimson blood. The other griffins reacted almost immediately, Blair leaping forwards as the aerial griffins both took aim-

Blueblood leapt up and slashed out his sword, and the griffin wielding the crossbow swore and flapped his wings hard to try and get out of range, firing his bolt wild. Menawhile, the second griffin flung its javelin at the unicorn's back, but was then left gaping as Sleipnir's front hoof shot out and he caught the short throwing spear by the neck. “Now, friend, do not lose thyself to battlelust so easily! There is no honor in that!”

And then, without missing a beat, Sleipnir simply slapped the javelin out when Blair leapt at him, the griffin swearing as he attempted to turn the swing of his mace into a shielding gesture.

The heavy flanged mace smashed through the javelin... or maybe it was more right to say the javelin smashed itself apart against the mace; either way, the griffin was sent staggering painfully backwards, dropping his weapon before Sleipnir leapt forwards with the broken javelin and slammed the little pole that remained down as hard as he could, clubbing the griffin to the ground and leaving him in a broken, dazed heap.

The griffin in the air began to grab wildly at the quiver on his back, but then Sleipnir easily scooped up the stunned griffin in front of him before he flung the half-conscious mercenary through the air, sending him crashing like a cannonball into the other griffin and knocking them both to the ground in broken, dazed heaps.

Sleipnir grinned wryly at this even as he rubbed at his aching shoulder, and then he smiled a bit as he turned his eyes towards Blue, watching the unicorn deflect a bolt from the crossbow with his sword before he replied with a blast of telekinesis that hammered into one of the griffin's wings, knocking the mercenary to the ground. His crossbow caught unevenly beneath him, and there was sickening crack of bone as the griffin howled... then gargled when Blueblood slammed a hoof across his face and knocked him crashing painfully onto his back with a broken beak.

Blueblood jumped on top of the griffin, sword raised, and Sleipnir's eyes narrowed... but a moment later, Blue only grimaced before slamming the pommel of his blade down, knocking the griffin into an unconscious heap. He glared balefully down at the mercenary, but then simply stepped back and looked over his shoulder at the earth pony, saying finally: “This isn't nearly as fun as I imagined it would be.”

“Aye, but is it ever?” Sleipnir asked kindly, and Blue looked back and forth before the earth pony asked: “Does thou at least feel a little better?”

“Not really. You did all the work again and... well, look at you.” Blueblood gestured awkwardly at the bruised and beaten earth pony, grimacing a little before he turned his moody eyes towards Giles as the mercenary gave a weak moan. “What do we do with them?”

“Oh, leave them, of course. I do not think there are any others apart from this brash little group. Perhaps in the future they will learn to be smarter.” Sleipnir said mildly, and Blueblood smiled a little: he didn't know if that wish was a kindness or a cruelty on Sleipnir's part.

Blue took a moment to search the fallen griffins as the earth pony absently poked around the room, gathering a few useful gemstones and the nugget of mythril they'd knocked out Giles with; the mercenaries didn't have anything useful on them, however, apart from some flint and tinder and a few small lanterns. The latter he smashed, and the former he stuffed into his own sidepack before they continued onwards and left the griffins in the dark.

Blue channeled a simple light spell ahead of him, while Sleipnir studied him for a while before he finally smiled warmly and said cheerfully: “Thou reminds me of my little sister!”

The stallion sighed, but he knew by now that Sleipnir never meant this kind of thing as an insult: he truly adored his sisters, after all, and thought the world of them... which made Blueblood think quietly of the Luna and Celestia he knew, as he murmured: “I really don't think I'm anything like either of my aunts, though.”

“I do not think thou art, either. But that is because thou art thine own person. And thou can be certain there are flashes of both my siblings in thee from time-to-time. Perhaps the helm I made for thee is indeed lending thou the strengths of my family, as I had hoped it would!” Sleipnir said warmly, and then he smiled as he looked ahead, saying honestly: “Thou art truly one of the very few reasons I have not gone mad with heartache in this world, Blue. I feel as if we were meant to know one-another. I feel as if we are kin, you and I.”

Blueblood only shrugged a little, blushing a bit: not out of embarrassment, but because he couldn't imagine comparing himself to this incredible earth pony. Even if they shared a connection with nature that Blueblood was still trying to understand, he was no warrior, no hero... “It... it means a lot to hear you say that. But-”

“No buts. Buttocks are not for shoving rudely into compliments, but for touching and teasing and sometimes slapping.” Sleipnir said easily, and Blue couldn't help but laugh in spite of everything, looking with amusement up at the stallion as the earth pony added kindly: “But thou must always judge well the character of the pony before thou lays hoof upon their rump. And thou must always remember, as my little sister says, 'a slap or touch is pleasing, but to grope and fondle is most unwelcome.' But of course she was speaking of strangers. I am very sure she was very fond of having her buttocks fondled. She was always shoving it in the face of her husband, after all.”

Blue couldn't help but laugh again, feeling some of the sadness falling away from his body before he smiled warmly, looking up and focusing his light down the passage as he asked: “How do you do that? How do you make everything... I don't know. Maybe you don't fix everything, but you just... you make it more bearable.”

“What a silly question. I am merely happy.” Sleipnir shrugged easily, smiling again before he said kindly: “All I do is strive to be happy, because there is no real point in being sad. 'Tis nothing bad in being sad, but it does not do good for ourselves, nor those around us, either. It does not honor our lost friends, and it makes us short tempered and foul. So why not strive to simply smile, even when it rains? For the rain is good, too. The rain is necessary. Without rain, the soil would be arid, and no new life would be born from nature's womb.”

Blueblood smiled a little, gazing up at Sleipnir before he nodded slowly, then bit his lip before saying suddenly, surprising himself with how honest his words were: “I think Cerulea would prefer me to be happy, instead of... mourning her.”

“Aye, I think she would, too. Because she would not wish for thee to mourn. I think instead, she would wish for thee to celebrate.” Sleipnir looked up, and Blueblood tilted his head before the earth pony said softly: “Perhaps 'tis just because I am of a different time and culture, but... I would prefer to sing and drink and remember the good times spent with those lost to us, than to be sad and sulky over their loss. Oh, aye, it hurts the heart fiercely to lose someone... but I do not believe our loved ones ever truly leave us. Why, I feel my little sister and brother even now... even though I know they are dead.”

Blueblood looked up in shock and stumbled to a halt, and Sleipnir slowed to his own stop, lowering his head before he said softly: “Aye, they died, and I was not there to aid them. Valhalla is lost. My home has changed in ways that it hurts me to think of, Blue, and I know this as fact. I have felt it in my heart and soul, and I have seen other signs, less subtle... why, look at thy helm.”

Blue frowned uneasily at this, and then he carefully reached up and pulled his helm off, looking down at it... and then his eyes widened slightly as he realized there really was something different. Something so subtle he would never have noticed it without Sleipnir pointing it out, but now that he had, it was clear as day...

Several runes had darkened, like the metal had become blemished. He studied this with disbelief, then looked up at Sleipnir before whispering: “How long?”

“I do not know. Weeks? Months?” Sleipnir shrugged slowly, looking ahead down the tunnel before he said quietly: “I did not notice the change right away either, and for a time, I was doing all I could to resist believing these bad feelings... for aye, even I find some truths hard to stomach and accept. But... I have come to. All the same, I have come to.”

Sleipnir stopped, then chuckled and shook his head slowly, murmuring: “And 'tis selfish of me to wish 'twas any different. I am certain that if they died, my friend, then 'twas fighting a fierce foe... and I know no enemy could defeat them without great cost to itself. I have no doubt the enemy is either broken and in ruin, or was brought low along with my brother and sister... and there is no better way to die. No better way to die, than to die upon thy hooves, standing up for all thou believes in against a mighty enemy! I will sing their praises for evermore and a day!”

Sleipnir laughed and stomped a hoof, grinning as he looked up, even as tears sparkled in his eyes. “Aye! And now, in the after-afterlife, I know my sister and brother shall live forever in the halls of the brave, known to all for their courage... and let us not forget their mischief! I am sure Luna is adventuring, and her faithful mare Scrivener following loyally behind her, dedicated as always... and of course, Twilight Sparkle. Twilight Sparkle, their confidante, the last piece of the puzzle that has always been my siblings, best friend and closest admirer...”

The earth pony lowered his head, then he shook it slowly before saying softly: “I have no room for sadness in my heart right now. Aye, Blue. Do not be sad for me. Celebrate with me. Tonight, I will tell you a story about a wicked Jötnar named Valthrudnir, and how he was thwarted. 'Tis a grand tale, thou will enjoy every moment of it, and it will carry us through the nights until we reach the border, at the least.”

Blueblood didn't know what to say: nothing seemed appropriate, nothing seemed... right. And he bit his lip for a moment before finally simply nodding, studying Sleipnir silently before he reached up and touched his shoulder, saying quietly: “I... I want you to know that you don't have to bear these burdens alone, Sleipnir. You say it, but... there isn't anything wrong with being sad. There isn't anything wrong with... relying on others.”

“I rely upon thee more than enough as it is, my friend.” Sleipnir said gently, but then he gave a small smile before nodding, lowering his head respectfully even as he murmured: “I know thou art here for me. But some things... they are simply hard to talk about.”

Blueblood nodded a little, looking down at his helmet before he cleared his throat and carefully put it back on, murmuring: “Well... let's see if we can find our way out of here.”

He focused back ahead, light spilling from his horn and filling the tunnel again, and Sleipnir smiled faintly as he nodded to the stallion and fell in step behind him. He limped only a little, but it was clear that the pain that was bothering him most wasn't the physical wounds scarring his body, but the ache in his heart that wouldn't go away, no matter how hard he tried, and no matter how much he did his best to smile.

Yet all the same, he was smiling, and part of him was happy, and proud: his sister had been a Valkyrie, after all, and there was nothing more shameful to a Valkyrie than the thought of dying anywhere but the battlefield. And his brother had been the same way: even if he'd been quieter and had done a far better job of hiding his face, Sleipnir all the same had known his true heart: he had been a warrior, through and through. And whether or not he had been a Clockwork creation or a real pony, Sleipnir had accepted him as family, and as a pony he was honored to stand on the battlefield beside.

For some strange reason, though, it was harder to know what had happened to Twilight Sparkle: he felt less that she had died, and more like she had perhaps been... stolen away. What a strange thought that was: as a Lich, she had been soulbound to her phylactery, and her phylactery had been Luna and Scrivener themselves. A complicated story, too complex for him to think about the details of now: what mattered was that if something had happened to Luna and Scrivener, she should have vanished with them... but did she?

And what of Valhalla? What had happened to his home? Why did he feel like Asgard was crying out, as if it had been... burned? Not corrupted or twisted by the god they had fought, but like something else had happened: like perhaps all the battles and skirmishes had only been a prelude to the true poisoning of the Vale of Heaven.

That ached to think: what if all the time he had been needed, could have made a difference... and here he was, gathering up materials for a portal that he was growing more and more sure wouldn't work. And if the portal didn't work... what was he going to do? As much as had come to enjoy this world, even if he loved Blueblood as much as he did his family, he didn't belong here. And he had his phoenix to return to, and his daughter, and a war to fight...

Too many thoughts. Sleipnir shook his head briefly, and then he dropped his head forwards and took a silent breath before looking up as he forced his mind to clear. He would do what he had always done, and tackle things one at a time. He would just keep moving forwards, little by little, until he figured out how he could return home... and after he had made sure that Blueblood was safe, and that he had kept his promise to the best of his ability.

Because there was something tickling at his senses: something else dark and wicked that warned him that something evil was lurking on the horizon, just waiting for them to let down their guard. Perhaps they had defeated the Harbinger, but what was she meant to be a Harbinger of? Not just Blueblood's rule, Sleipnir was somehow certain: demons were certainly fond of their fancy titles, but the titles only had meaning when they meant something.

But everything would be revealed in time, he knew: until then, all he could do was keep moving forwards, and try and smile as much as he could along the way. All he could do was prepare, and enjoy his time with Blue, and ensure that the unicorn was kept safe, no matter what else.

And Sleipnir smiled, because there was no point in doing anything else, as he rose his head and swallowed his pain and his worries for now. Yes, for now, he would just keep moving forwards... and do everything he could to enjoy the journey, instead of fearing for the end.

A Bardic Battle

Chapter Twenty Nine: A Bardic Battle
~BlackRoseRaven

Two weeks had passed since the Harbinger had been defeated, and they had crawled their way up out of the caves. Blueblood was honestly very thankful that they were now done with crawling around caves and mines and dungeons, and he had already made Sleipnir promise they wouldn't try and cut through the Mines of Horsia or any other subterranean hells on the way back to Canterlot.

Unfortunately, they had run into a problem that Blueblood had never expected: they had actually managed to get lost.

It had all started a few days ago, when Sleipnir had realized they might have a problem crossing into Equestria. The border of the griffin territories was fairly heavily defended, after all, and they had a tendency to search ponies attempting to pass through and relieve them of any valuables they could get away with: and while they hadn't been hassled too much on the way through, Blueblood was worried that not even a letter from Princess Celestia would stop the griffins from seizing the mythril once they figured out what it was.

So that meant they had to sneak through the border, and the best way to do that was to go where the griffins weren't: Sleipnir had been able to quickly figure out that there was an entire swathe of thick forest that sat between Equestrian and griffin territory that was left completely undefended, likely because of how wild and dangerous it looked.

They had made camp near the highway, then slipped off the main road one night to avoid being spotted by any griffin aerial patrols, slipping down a narrow cliff and into a shallow valley. From there, it had been an easy walk to the forest, and they'd made camp beneath the trees for the night.

In the morning, Blueblood had awoken to find Sleipnir happily playing fetch with a timberwolf pup, as the rest of the wood lupine family only watched curiously. The unicorn had stared at this until Sleipnir had finally realized Blue was awake, and then he'd happily dragged him over to try and introduce him to the timberwolves... but the magical animals had taken the moment to snatch their pup and flee from the odd earth pony, much to the consternation of the enormous stallion.

So there were definitely dangerous animals here, but Blueblood had realized that danger, unfortunately, was also relative. Sleipnir talked as readily to animals as he did to plants and trees, happily chatting away with them and seeming to understand them perfectly well, even if Blueblood had his doubts that most of the animals understood Sleipnir nearly as clearly. All the same, they had made good progress...

Except then they'd gotten turned around somehow, and now, here they were. Walking in circles through the forest. The beautiful forest of beautiful trees with beautiful multicolored leaves that made it look like they were in endless autumn...

Blueblood sighed a little, lowering his head sulkily. All this beauty was starting to annoy him. Sleipnir seemed as cheerful as ever, but ever since the earth pony had healed up, he'd been unbearably bouncy: it made Blue wonder if Sleipnir enjoyed having near-death experiences. It would certainly explain a lot about his personality, after all.

Sleipnir paused at a familiar bush, and Blueblood looked sourly at him before the earth pony turned around and smiled, saying cheerfully: “I know precisely where we are now!”

“Yes. So do I. Where we were about half an hour ago.” Blueblood said tiredly, and Sleipnir gave him an amused look. “Well, excuse me, but this stopped being funny yesterday. Very early yesterday. We're walking in circles and for some reason, I can't seem to understand why.”

“Aye, nor can I. But look at this bush, Blueblood: what is unnatural about it?” Sleipnir questioned, and Blueblood scowled: he really didn't feel like playing twenty questions right now.

Sleipnir only looked at him insistently, however, and after a moment the unicorn sighed before looking grumpily at the bush. He remembered that Sleipnir had eaten about half the forest when they'd last passed through here, but it looked like he'd missed this bush, at least... it was covered in lush berries that looked...

Blueblood frowned after a moment, then he looked quickly around at the other nearby bushes, studying them intently before his eyes widened slightly. “But... but I saw you eat all these!”

“Aye, I did. They are very delicious, too, I think that thou should try some.” Sleipnir said positively, reaching out and plucking up a berry before he tossed it into his mouth. Blueblood only looked at him sourly, but Sleipnir shrugged, saying cheerfully: “Well, we may as well take advantage of the enchantment if we are to be bound by it. 'Tis quite good.”

Blueblood sighed tiredly, and then he shook his head slowly before grimacing a bit as he rubbed a hoof against the grasses. He should have picked up on this sooner... “What kind of magic is this? What's trapped us here?”

“I do not know if we are precisely 'trapped,' Blue: 'tis more that we are... unable to leave.” Sleipnir said delicately, reaching up and plucking another few berries from the bush, and the unicorn gave him a foul look. “Oh, shush, there is indeed a difference, my friend. There is no sense of being bound or held here, 'tis more that we are stuck in a living riddle. The spirit of this forest is a mischievous one, not spiteful.”

Blue scowled, as Sleipnir continued placidly: “There is no great need for haste, anyway. We have access to good food and 'tis plenty safe to make camp here. Do not mistake a labyrinth for a prison, or even a gilded cage, my friend.”

“You know, ponies used to die in mazes. Even in Canterlot, in that stupid little hedge maze, ponies would get lost and make themselves sick and the Royal Guard would have to go and carry them out.” Blueblood paused, then added dryly: “And before you say anything, Sleipnir, no. I never got lost in the maze myself.”

Sleipnir shrugged innocently, saying seriously: “As if I, the mighty Sleipnir, would ever make such silly accusations. Why, 'tis not as if I expected his great lordship the prince to have ever graced some ridiculous hedgebushes with his presence, after all.”

“I despise you. Can we please focus on this?” Blueblood asked in exasperation, gesturing out at the forest around them, as the leaves in the trees seemed to ripple and giggle of their own accord. “I don't want to be stuck here forever.”

“Oh, we shan't be.” Sleipnir said kindly, plucking up a few more berries and tossing them into his mouth: by now, he had eaten his way through most of the bush, Blueblood noted sourly. “But if thou feels we must rush out of here, then there is clearly but one thing we can do.”

The prince already knew he was going to regret this, even as he asked hesitantly: “And what precisely is that, Sleipnir?”

Sleipnir winked, and then he threw his head back and simply roared, Blueblood wincing and covering his ears as he shouted a useless, unheard volley of swears at the earth pony.

But Sleipnir simply continued to yell wordlessly to the air... until Blueblood gaped in shock as a bipedal figure ran out of the trees, slapping wildly at the earth pony and screaming back at him; Sleipnir didn't seem surprised in the slightest, however, as he warded off the blows and continued to cheerfully yell purely because he could.

Finally, the strange creature managed to grab Sleipnir's muzzle and force it shut, although from the twinkle in his eye, Blueblood knew that Sleipnir was just playing along and had some horrible further mischief in mind.

The unicorn's eyes were drawn to the newcomer all the same, though, studying him with a nervous frown, even though he didn't sense any danger or hostility from this weird... thing. Was it some kind of Draconequus? No, it couldn't be: his arms and legs were all the same, long and gangly and covered in short green fur. He had talons for feet and long, pale-skinned fingers, and his body was thin and a deep blue.

Thick feathers covered his shoulders and flowed back behind him to form an enormous cape that dragged over the ground, while his bird-like head was raised high, beady, dark eyes glowering moodily down at Sleipnir. He had a frill of feathers that stood up awkwardly out of the middle of the wooden crown he was wearing, and after another moment Blueblood realized he was looking at some kind of... giant, bipedal bird. And the worst part was that this wasn't even close to the weirdest thing he had seen on this little adventure.

“Are you done? How rude!” snapped the creature, crossing his arms and glaring balefully down at Sleipnir: he was taller than him by a few feet, but with how terribly thin he was and his awkward hunched posture, it made him look much smaller and shorter than he really was. “First you tromp into my forest, and then you eat all my food, and then you start yelling your head off! What kind of guest are you, anyway?”

“A very fun one.” Sleipnir said positively, and then he smiled and stomped a hoof, saying cheerfully: “We apologize for intruding upon thy domain, but we are on urgent business. We seek to return to Equestria, for we have an important meeting with Princess Celestia.”

“Equestria has no authority here!” declared the creature as he thrust an arm into the air, and then his cape suddenly burst upwards and became a massive fan behind him, Blueblood staggering backwards in shock... and then staring in disbelief as he realized that it wasn't a cape at all. The fan was made of enormous, gaudily-patterned feathers. “Do you know who I am?”

“The biggest peacock I've ever seen.” Blueblood said before he could stop himself, and then he cleared his throat awkwardly and looked away when the creature slowly turned on his heel towards him, glaring at him furiously.

Sleipnir covered his muzzle and giggled like a child, and the giant peacock clenched his hands into fists before he threw his arms into the air, shouting: “I am the Forest King! And this is my domain, the Enchanted Forest! And you will never leave this place alive!”

Blueblood honestly had no idea what to say, as the Forest Peacock King breathed hard in and out and Sleipnir only continued to giggle, then suddenly blurted: “Peacock!”

And then Sleipnir fell backwards, laughing loudly, and the enormous bird-thing twitched before glaring down at the stallion, pointing at him and screaming: “Shut up! I am the Forest King! The Forest King! And you'll wander this place until the timberwolves feast on your bones!”

Sleipnir grinned widely as he sat up, asking through his giggles: “Oh? Only... my bones? But what about my flesh, and everything else? What will feast upon that? And will they be doing it with their mouths or their eyes, for am I not a handsome sight to behold?”

The earth pony gestured cheerfully at himself, and Blueblood sighed tiredly before turning moody eyes back towards the strange bird creature. But he was far from intimidated by the shrieky, flaunting Forest King, and he only hesitated a moment before saying carefully: “We didn't mean to insult you, and... well, we certainly can't order you to do anything, we both recognize that. But wouldn't it be in your best interests to try and forge an alliance with Equestria? I'm sure our kingdoms could-”

“No.” the Forest King interrupted in a surly voice, and Blueblood scowled before the bird creature sniffed loudly and raised his head proudly. “Both the ponies and the griffins fear me and fear the endless stretches of my foresty kingdom.”

“'Tis not endless at all! Why, when thou walks halfway through a forest, thou art already out the other side!” Sleipnir said positively, and the peacock looked dumbly at the enormous stallion before he popped up to his hooves and added kindly: “Now, friend. I am in no position to tell thee any of thy business, I recognize this. But honestly, can we not learn much from each other? Give me but a moment to bend thy ear, and I am sure I can convince thee to let us pass through thy beauteous forest.”

“No! Never!” the peacock shouted, clenching his hands into fists at his sides and stomping his feet childishly. “This is my forest, and you ponies are now stuck here, forever! You might as well just give up now and... cry!”

“Why would I cry? There are far worse places to be trapped in. And besides, thou strikes me as neither malicious nor cruel. Why, I think we may get along quite well.” Sleipnir said kindly, smiling up at the Forest King. “And I believe that-”

“I don't care what you believe.” the Forest King said pettishly, crossing his arms and scowling moodily down at the earth pony as the fan of feathers finally settled behind him. “We'll see what you ponies think after the forest drives you mad! Then I'll let you go, but only after you're stark raving crackers! Crackers, I say!”

“I thought the forest was going to kill us. Not make us... crackers.” Blueblood grimaced a bit, and then he winced when the peacock spun towards him and shoved a finger into his nose.

“It will either kill you or drive you crackers, and either way you'll like it!” threatened the peacock, and then he halted and frowned before correcting hurriedly: “I mean, you won't like it! At all! Because you'll be... crazy or dead or both!”

“I am not so certain I can be both crazed and dead. 'Twould be very awkward. One needs some awareness to be mad, does one not?” Sleipnir asked curiously, and the peacock looked stumped by this before the earth pony simply shrugged and smiled beneficently. “But no matter. I am sure thou art quite right in these regards, and 'tis a fate I wish to avoid, my friend. I am sure thou does not want our corpses cluttering up thy pretty forest, either, so perhaps we can negotiate.”

The Forest King scowled, and then he leaned down, putting his hands on his hips as he asked waspishly: “And what, pray tell, would make me want to negotiate with you? You're lucky that I'm here at all, you annoying miniature horse!”

“There is nothing miniature about me, knave!” Sleipnir retorted in an outraged voice, stomping a hoof firmly as he rose himself to his full height, and the peacock immediately quailed backwards before the enormous earth pony huffed. “And well, thou art here and we are here. Is that not reason enough for us to speak? If thou desires us to be gone, we shall be gone with much greater the haste if we know the way out... and if thou desires us to stay, well, thou need only ask and we shall help thee with whatever thou needs. Thou need not act like a great silly foal.”

The peacock glowered, then he sniffed loudly before turning his head away, crossing his arms and regaining some of his bravado as he replied grouchily: “Well, this 'silly foal' doesn't want anything to do with you little ponies. As a matter of fact, I think I'll just leave you two here to... to pout. And die. And go crazy.”

The Forest King spun around on his heel and began to march away, and Blueblood scowled at his back... then was almost knocked over as Sleipnir threw back his head and began to yell wordlessly, his wild howling making the trees quake as the Forest King stumbled back and forth, tripping over his own tailfeathers as he spun around and bolted towards the earth pony.

He grabbed at his face, but Sleipnir only continued to yell and shake his head back and forth, dodging and ducking under the hands of the Forest King as the peacock yelled back at him almost desperately. And then, finally, he managed to cover Sleipnir's muzzle, forcing it shut as he dropped his head forwards and wheezed for breath, glowering horribly down at the stallion.

Sleipnir looked placidly back at the Forest King, then smiled before reaching up and gently pulling his hands away, saying cheerfully: “I know! Let us make a wager! And should we win, thou must show us the way out of thy forest. But if we lose, we shall stay here forever and be thy humble servants. For it seems thou art rather short on servants.”

“I... I am not. They're... on vacation.” the Forest King said awkwardly, and then he cleared his throat before looking warily down at Sleipnir, adding moodily: “And why should I lower myself to taking part in some kind of contest with you? I am a King! Kings don't play games with their prisoners, they... they just throw them in the dungeon!”

Sleipnir shrugged, saying mildly: “Well, I mean no offense, my friend, but thou seems rather short on dungeons here. And if thou does not desire to play, then I shall merely keep yelling until thou decides to set us free.” He paused meditatively, then added cheerfully, as the Forest King looked at him with a wince: “Oh, do not fear. My other idea to attract thy attention was to pee upon every tree. For that is how one claims territory in the forest, aye? Thou must pee upon it. Blueblood, thou may pee upon things too, but watch thy aim. If thou wets me, I may feel the need to wet thee back, and I am sure my hose will be much more voluminous than thine.”

Blueblood slowly dropped his face in his front hooves, rubbing painfully at his forehead as the Forest Peacock King leaned back with a look of horror and revulsion, while Sleipnir merely smiled cheerfully. And then the earth pony began to open his mouth again, but both the Forest King and Blueblood reached up and shoved hoof and hand against the stallion's muzzle, making him huff.

The two traded looks, and then the Forest King huffed before drawing back and saying grudgingly: “Very well. But I will choose our contest! And it will be a contest of wits, not muscles and brawn, is that understood?”

“Well, if thou art choosing the contest, thou art free to set any rules thou likes.” Sleipnir said amiably, before he added kindly: “I believe we should employ judges from one-another's camps, though... Blue, will thou act as a judge? And Forest King, does thou know any honest creatures thou could use as judges?”

“Honest? As if I would have to cheat to win!” The Forest King said grumpily, sniffing loudly as he looked grouchily at Blueblood. “But he had better be honest himself.”

Blueblood scowled a little, although he did feel an odd shift of guilt inside him. After all, it would be difficult to be entirely honest: he wanted to get out of this forest himself, and the only way that was going to happen was if they won the contest.

But all the same, Sleipnir smiled cheerfully and shook his head, reassuring: “If thou feels so strongly, Forest King, Blue does not have to judge. He may sit back and watch, and act as my second should the contest require it. Fair?”

The Forest King looked moody, but then he crossed his arms and nodded grumpily. “Very well. Then I say we shall be judged by beasts of land and the birds of the air. Come, children!”

The Forest King rose his arms and beckoned several times as he posed imperiously, and Blueblood stared as several small songbirds flitted down and landed on his arms. For a moment, the Forest King smiled... and then an entire mass of crows and jaws and even a few hawks seemed to appear out of nowhere, landing in one writhing mass over the King's entire body.

Sleipnir immediately began to giggle as Blueblood stared, then winced when the King shook his arms violently, sending a few birds fluttering away as the rest cawed and squawked and only clung tighter. “Get... get off me! Get off me, you idiots!”

The birds clung stubbornly only for a few more moments, and then they finally rose up en masse, floating in a squawking cloud above the King's head. Then the King winced as a distinct goop dropped from the mass to plop loudly over his head before the birds separated, winging up to the safety of the trees.

The King twitched a few times as Sleipnir giggled... then smiled brightly as a large falcon winged around and calmly settled on his head. He looked happily up at the Forest King, but the peacock was busily glaring around before he pointed at a rabbit that emerged nervously from the underbrush. “Come here!”

The rabbit visibly winced, but then approached miserably, and Blueblood stared: even as other small animals began to emerge, the peacock swept up the bunny and then used its back to busily scrub the droppings off his head. Then he huffed and dropped the abused, frazzled-looking lapine back to the ground, letting it scurry away as he grumbled: “Ingrates, every one of them.”

A tired-looking bear rumbled as it shoved out of the bushes, and Sleipnir looked back and forth with delight on his face. Blueblood was rather amazed himself: in a moment, the whole forest had come alive with animals that looked surprisingly intelligent, as the birds seemed to gossip eagerly between themselves in the trees and the smaller beasts arranged themselves into clans and families...

The large, old bear waddled over the Forest King, then flopped down with a very distinct sigh. And without looking behind him, the peacock leapt backwards to sit back in the bear's flabby body like he was resting back in a throne, stretching his arms out so one hand rested on his head and the other near the bear's heavy rump. “Well, is this to your liking, Sleipnir? An entire audience, composed of my loyal subjects... I mean, loyal but completely aloof, ready to give a fair and measured judgment.”

“Oh, aye, 'tis fine.” Sleipnir said cheerfully, although Blueblood couldn't help but wince, doing his best to repress a groan. This wasn't clearly going to turn out badly for them... “I am ready to begin whenever thou art. Whatever thou suggests, I shall gladly do.”

Sleipnir nodded firmly, and the falcon seemed to nod along with him as the peacock studied the earth pony suspiciously... but then a slow, crafty smile spread across his face before the Forest King held up a hand and declared: “Very well, Sleipnir, then we shall play three rounds, and whoever wins two out of three shall be the victor... in our poetry contest!”

Blueblood heard what could only be described as groans from around the field as animals half-hid and covered their faces... and then he winced and looked with something like fear at Sleipnir as the earth pony's eyes twinkled and he giggled loudly behind his hooves, dancing back and forth on the spot before he burst out enthusiastically: “This is a grand idea! Aye, Forest King, I agree wholeheartedly! Let this great clash begin!”

The Forest King looked a little put off by this, but then he simply shook his head and leaned back as Blueblood looked nervously at Sleipnir. He had a horrible feeling that Sleipnir's idea of poetry was going to be far different from the usual pony's... “Very well, uh. Well, Sleipnir, I will begin with a short verse. We shall tally the votes in the applause and approvals we receive. The more yays, the better, obviously.”

Sleipnir simply nodded a few times, looking so cheerful that Blueblood was now wondering whether or not the idiot had completely forgotten about the fact they were competing for their freedom. And it wasn't that he didn't trust in Sleipnir... but well... alright, maybe in this case I really don't trust Sleipnir at all.

Blueblood nervously looked over at the earth pony, opening his mouth... but before he could speak, the Forest King loudly cleared his throat, then held his head up high and declared: “I shall begin with a short poem that I wrote about my beautiful kingdom. The forest kingdom.”

The Forest King slowly stood, then held his arms out to either side with a smile before his tail puffed out, standing tall and straight and slapping the tired-looking bear in the face. The bear only mumbled as if he was used to this, however, and the King didn't seem to notice as he glared balefully back and forth, then loudly cleared his throat again.

Several birds flitted their way over to land on his limbs as adorable little animals scurried up to his feet, and the Forest King smiled magnanimously... even as he booted away one ugly little rat, then tapped his toe against the ground until a much-cuter little little duckling toddled its way up into the semicircle.

The Forest King pretended to look down over his subjects benevolently, even though his beady little eyes were clearly glaring challengingly at Sleipnir as he recited in a lilting, painfully-exaggerated cadence:

“Oh, beautiful Forest of Enchantment, ruled over by a handsome king;
Are you not so glorious and so wondrous, and so fortunate, too,
To be the realm of the Lord of Fantasy, who can command the birds to sing.

Oh, beautiful Forest of Enchantment, aren't you a heaven come true?
Here in this place, hidden away, where no one has a clue,
Except of course, for your King, who knows the way here, there, and through.

Oh, beautiful Forest of Enchantment, I will while away my days,
Happy here in your emerald feels, beneath the skies of blue,
Ruled over forever by the Forest King, who in your meadows frolics and plays.”

The Forest King rose his head proudly, his eyes gleaming brightly, breathing hard and looking absolutely jubilant. There was only a smattering of applause, however, and the animals that had been forced to be part of his show were leaning awkwardly this way or that, one of the songbirds distinctly covering his face with a wing as a squirrel on the ground covered his ears and another little pig-thing was rolling back and forth, as if pained.

Then the Forest King flung up his arms, and several unprepared birds arced off his arms to thump to the field as the rest of the avians squawked and cawed, flapping their wings wildly and veering back and forth as the peacock looked dumbly up. Meanwhile, the small animals took this as their cute to skitter wildly in all directions for the safety of the bushes.

The Forest King began to grind his teeth together, raising a fist... and then he looked dumbly down as Sleipnir clapped loudly before declaring happily: “A most noble poem! Thou spoke very well, I am glad to have such a determined adversary!”

Immediately, the peacock unclenched his fist and instead gestured outwards as he made a showy bow towards Sleipnir, replying kindly: “Oh, well, don't give up so soon! Please, Sleipnir, by all means. Grace us with at least one poem, will you?”

Sleipnir smiled warmly and winked, replying easily: “Oh, do not expect me to give up at all. For aye, even if thou outmatches me, let it be known I plan to recite all three of my poems, if only so that I may sing my praises to those whom deserve it!”

The Forest King smiled indulgently, and then he gestured at Sleipnir again, saying patronizingly: “Then why don't you tell us your first poem, will you?”

“Thou hast my thanks. Aye, this poem is about something very near and dear to me, and 'tis entitled 'An Ode to the Plow.'” Sleipnir declared jovially, and for some reason, this gave Blueblood a horrible premonition of coming pain.

And then Sleipnir began, in a proud, booming voice, looking just as excited as the Forest King had been:

“Oh mighty plow, thou scepter of kings, thou bringer of life,
How great thou hast swelled with pride, how solid thy mettle!
The pillar trembles with the anticipation of the sowing,
The delights of forging pleasure-iron anew in the blissful furnace!”

Blueblood gaped in horror, his mouth working slowly as he wished he didn't understand what Sleipnir was talking about. The Forest King was only frowning curiously, while many of the animals had expressions that varied between disbelief and the same shock that paled Blue's cheeks, as Sleipnir continued with happiness and yet a seriousness that told them all this poem wasn't some stupid joke:

“Thy steel knows no compare, pulsing with the heat of life,
And even when sheathed, the weapon is vast, commands respect,
Thrums with the need to plunge fertile fields, to feed the hottest forges,
To pour its blessed elixir forth and whet new flame in place of old!

The true king wields his great sword with pride and respect,
For this great and glorious tool is not meant to serve as his weapon;
Nay! Such cruelties make it wither and weak, kill the heat of the blade:
And may cursed may the wielder of such a weapon stand!

Nay, the plow is meant only for the field that spreads before it,
Needy for the seed to be planted, calling for the heat of the blade,
Begging for the burning firesteel that brings life to be plunged deep;
Crying out for the release of the king's holy oil to birth the phoenix!

Oh, a thousand blessings upon the blade that thrusts with life,
That makes us sing, that makes brave stallions of cowards,
That goes to war, smashes down gates, delves deep into the cavern beyond,
But brings not death but ecstasy, and does not pillage, but gives!

Great spear of Heaven, I am proud to wield you,
Proud when you are sheathed, prouder still when bared,
Proud that you bring life, and pleasure, and warmth;
Proud to till the field with your noble, caressing thrust!”

Sleipnir came to a halt, grinning brightly as he looked back and forth... and after a few moments, several animals began to cheer away, chittering. This was joined by laughter and delighted sounds from other birds and beasts, as the Forest King looked dumbly back and forth before blurting: “That doesn't even make any sense! You don't use swords to plow fields!”

Blueblood had turned beet red, and was currently rubbing slowly at his face as Sleipnir grinned cheerfully... then frowned up at the falcon as it gave a short, unamused caw. “What? Nay, 'twas not a silly poem! I am not very good at rhyming poems... or rather, I have none in my memory. This poetry I recite comes from mine heart!”

Blueblood didn't think that poem had originated from Sleipnir's heart... but the animals were getting a giggle out of it, and the Forest King was still staring blankly around before he suddenly leapt up to his feet, waving his arms wildly before declaring: “Very well, Sleipnir, so... so your prose may have gotten you some... amusement, but I think I still won that round.”

There were a few loud grumbles and squawks at this, and the Forest King huffed and glared around the field, gesturing angrily at the animals before Sleipnir said cheerfully: “I agree.”

Everyone went silent, looking dumbly at the earth pony, who only smiled happily as he said kindly: “'Twas more of a personal poem than anything else, and I fear that I may have spoken one or two words wrongly. Nay, I shall concede this first round to thee, Forest King.”

“Yes. Yes, that's good. Because my poem was much better.” the Forest King retorted, huffing loudly before he sniffed and straightened, adding primly: “And it's time for me to get serious, anyway. Serious, with this next poem I wrote, all by myself. It's called the Legendary Hero. The... the Great Legendary Hero.”

Sleipnir smiled encouragingly, and after a moment, the peacock grumbled before his tail fanned out again and he posed dramatically, beginning:

“Oh alas! The Forest lays in ruin and danger, and no one can do a thing,
Listen to all the animals crying for help, as this song I sing!”

The Forest King halted, then glared pointedly around at the animals, and there were a few weak squawks and barks, and what sounded like a squeaky fart from the bear. The peacock was visibly and understandably less than thrilled with this, but then he turned around and posed dramatically again, continuing in a woeful voice:

“Is there no one here who can save us? My beautiful forest hurts!
It needs a real hero to sweep in and save us from these imperts!”

Blueblood was pretty sure that making up your own words so you could rhyme was frowned upon with most poetry.

“I suppose it's up to me, the great Forest King,
To travel far and wide and find a hero to do the saving!

So I'll travel through my kingdom wise, running near and far,
I'll cross the mighty mountains and the great pits of tar!

I'll leap the rivers and the streams, searching for this savior!
I'll look under every root and rock, for someone who can stop this misbehavior!”

The Forest King pranced back and forth, and Sleipnir giggled and clapped, looking like a delighted foal. But he was just about the only one, since the peacock kept nearly tromping on his own subjects and was taking himself far, far too seriously.

“I'll fight off evil and beat the bad guys, all to find a clue,
I'll try and find the hero who must exist, even though it's not you or you or you!”

The Forest King pointed at several of the larger, fiercer animals, and then he suddenly gasped and grasped his face with both hands: Blueblood was reminded of that famous portrait of a screaming pony for some reason.

“Wait a minute! It was me all along, the mighty Forest King!
I beat up all the evils and sent them away scurrying!

But I was so humble that I never dared to think,
I was the hero who all the legends spoke of saving all life from the brink.

But now I know, and so from here on out, I'll be the Heroic Forest King,
Here to save the day from evil, darkness, and everything!”

The peacock posed mightily, and was greeted with dead silence. Something coughed, and then Sleipnir cleared his throat before quickly applauding, as the Forest King looked dumbly back and forth.

There were a few other scattered, weak attempts at applause, and the peacock slumped for a moment before suddenly huffing and reaching up to adjust his crown, saying grumpily: “Well, as you can see, I have... I have amazed everyone into silence! That's. That's all.”

Sleipnir simply smiled and nodded kindly a few times, and then he said warmly: “I shall recite a short poem, if thou does not mind. It is in honor of my Father. He was also a king, a great and proud jarl... and while I will be the first to admit that he made his mistakes, I also know best of any stallion that he did all he could to mend his ways, and he died... honorably. He died well.”

The peacock grunted and dropped back in his bear-throne, gesturing moodily, and Sleipnir closed his eyes as the falcon on his head flapped its wings once, then gave a sharp cry, silencing the few noisy birds that were still gossiping. Sleipnir smiled wryly, but after a moment he rose his head and began in a strong, firm voice:

“Falcon, thy wings have spread;
Away from the golden mountain thou has flown,
Sailing into the endless sea, beyond her foam and silk:
Headed past Sol's chariot, and beyond the veil,
Yet still thou sings to me; yet still I hear thee sing.

Art thou among the candles of other gods?
Does thou ride my sisters' chariots, or are thee beyond?
Or does Gungnir sleep in Yggdrasil's grasp,
As thou drinks with Mimir, and thy fore-father of old?
And yet still thou sings to me; yet still, I hear thee sing.”

Blueblood reached up and silently rubbed a hoof at one eye, and the animals were quiet for a few moments in respect as Sleipnir smiled faintly, looking back and forth with twinkling eyes. Even the Forest King shifted awkwardly, not speaking, not mocking, not even trying to proclaim his victory before a bird hesitantly whistled a cheer.

There was quiet, and the other birds began to sing, and the animals over the ground stomped and applauded. And Sleipnir laughed loudly before he bowed his head with a blush, saying warmly: “'Tis... 'tis nothing! I... all of thee, thou all hast my thanks!”

“I... yes. I suppose it was a fairly nice job you did there. That's all.” mumbled the Forest King finally, and then he cleared his throat before leaping to his feet and shouting over the din of applause: “But this final poem will decide everything! Yes, Sleipnir, I will now bring forth my finest and greatest poem, and...”

The stallion was looking attentively at the peacock, but many of the other animals were ignoring him, some even still applauding and praising Sleipnir in their odd ways. The Forest King twitched a bit at this, and then he threw his arms out, howling: “All of you, shut up!”

The animals all went silent and looked awkwardly towards their master, and the peacock huffed loudly before stomping one foot and saying flatly: “Now. As I was saying. This is my greatest poem. And I'm afraid that after I read it, you will be in such awe of me that you may well just give up!”

“We shall see. Go ahead, tell us thy poem, Forest King. I am eager to hear it.” Sleipnir said kindly, and Blueblood couldn't help but reflect that only Sleipnir could manage to be so honest and gentle without being patronizing.

The Forest King huffed, but then he cleared his throat before gesturing slowly upwards with one hand: but even though he was clearly trying his best, his reedy voice was far too self-serious, his posing too dramatic, and he quickly became less regal and more self-parodying without even realizing it. Blueblood couldn't help but wonder wryly if this was what he had used to look like.

“Here, beneath the boughs and birds, there is a sacred place,
A hollow, where sits the Lord of the Forest, resplendent in his glory;
He who rules over all in the forest, treating equal every race:
He, whose duty is to defend and protect the forest's neverending story.

I am the Forest King, and today I will tell you of our history,
How many hundreds of years ago, this place began with a single tree:
A sapling, frail and small, that took root among rock and quarry,
From a seed that had flown wild along the wind, seeking to be free.

But that tree grew against all odds, it became tall and strong:
Its roots broke through the stone, and bared soil to the air;
Its branches caught other strays that the wind had carried along,
And it set them to the earth, where they could stay beneath its care.

And as they tree grew ever higher, and more saplings joined its ranks,
Rock gave away to soil, and grass began to spread:
That is why today to the Father Tree all of us give thanks,
Because without his bravery, this land would still be dead.”

Blueblood was surprised. The poem wasn't exactly the greatest in the world, but it could have been much worse, too, all things considered. And even if the Forest King was being a little... gaudy, for lack of a better word, he wasn't doing the worst job in the world, either. His poem might even stand half a chance against Sleipnir's... at least, assuming Sleipnir decided to recite another poem about his penis, or worse.

But then whatever little positives the King had earned was all lost as he suddenly thrust his arms above his head and declared:

“But the forest by itself couldn't get very far all alone,
It needed someone strong to protect it from its foes!
And that is where I come in, I, who sits upon the Forest Throne:
I, the Forest King, protector of all the forest from its woes!”

Yes, I am mighty, my enchantments know no bounds no law,
I stand here, ruling from my place of power, looking after you all.
I am the King of the Forest, by right and decree, for I am without flaw,
And to protect you all, around the Forest, I have made a magic wall.

You all know the tale, how I defeated a hundred thousand monsters,
Evil wretched beasts that wanted to cut down our trees at night,
And then I wove my spells and built a barrier to keep out imponsters,
And keep safe inside all the citizens, as is only right.

Now you know the story of how the Enchanted Forest came to be,
And I hope that you will all celebrate here with me,
The founding of our forest by one single mighty tree,
And it's continued protection by none other than yours truly.”

The Forest King rose his head proudly, and there were a few grumbled cheers and a smattering of applause. The peacock growled in frustration at this, gesturing wildly with his hands, and the applause picked up a little... but then immediately died flat again, and the Forest King huffed loudly before saying grouchily: “Well, Sleipnir. I suppose that now it's your turn.”

“Aye, and I shall do my best to honor thee as thou hast honored me.” Sleipnir replied kindly, bowing his head low before he closed his eyes and thought for a moment. He tilted his head back and forth, then looked up and said honestly: “I have not yet completed this poem, so I may stumble along the way. But I would like to recite it all the same for thee, or at least what is finished.”

The Forest King looked strangely relieved, gesturing quickly, while Blueblood frowned over at the earth pony, wondering why he would choose something incomplete to end up. But when Sleipnir gave him a reassuring look, the unicorn sighed a little before shrugging and saying finally: “Good luck, I suppose. Just remember, it's both of our lives on the line here.”

“Fear not. All shall be well.” Sleipnir promised, and then he smiled before looking back and forth and taking a slow breath, facing his audience as he began in a calm, strong voice:

“Beneath the twinkling gemstones of the black waters above was born a daughter of the moon,
A falling star who fell into the clutches of beasts, who dared the fangs of foes as her first act.
To her rescue came dawn's sharpest kiss and the thunder-bringing avalanche,
And found a family who had fallen apart, joined together in the tapestry once more.

And after the wolves had chased Sol and Mani for four thousand seasons,
A poet was born, in a nest not his own, unbound and free of the three who watch.
He wandered, restless, until he came to the pearl upon the mountain,
And within the pearl, he found the star of the glorious moon, and stole it away.

Poet and star were joined by the flower of the dusk, and together the three intertwined:
Three warriors of three realms, all firm as gianttooth, but not half so hard of heart,
Bereft only of the goblin's bile, sharp as eagles, standing taller than the mountains;
They would cut the eternal sea in twain were they to raise their heads any higher.

Together, they fought wolves of flesh and wolves of steel, defenders of field and hearth,
And even when the blossom was crushed, the violet all the same rose with strength renewed,
And even when star and poet fell, martyred by a puppet in his ashen, forgotten kingdom,
Still, they returned: still, their spirits stayed strong, and their bonds grew ever stronger.

The worst of storms they weathered more valiantly than any ship,
And the cruelest of dragons they brought low, then humbled with outstretched hoof,
For it was with warm hearts and open eyes they chose to save the world, not cutting axe:
For more potent than any spear is the arrow that flies to the heart with love, not poison.”

Sleipnir stopped for a moment and visibly gathered his thoughts, breathing slowly in and out before he looked up with a proud smile, his eyes glimmering with unshed tears as he declared firmly:

“Hear this tale, and know their names! Brave Valkyrie true, Luna Brynhild of the Moon!
Hear this tale, and know their strength! Dragon-hearted Poet, Scrivener Blooms of the Rose!
Hear this tale, and know their honor! Pure-souled Battlemaiden, Twilight Sparkle of the Night!
Hear these names, and etch them in thy soul, and learn from them true virtue and sacrifice!”

And may they live on forever, bound but never captured, wild and unbending to all;
May they live on forever, and may they be honored and loved, and their story told to all;
And may they live on forever, where the sword and shield sing only praises, not pains;
May they live on forever, beyond the veil, beyond need, in endless Ithavoll...”

Sleipnir took a slow breath, and then he closed his eyes and lowered his head, murmuring quietly: “And that is my poem, and I thank all of thee for listening to this long-winded stallion and his fumbling adulations.”

There was silence for a moment more, and then Blueblood smiled faintly as he began to clap. And only moments later, the animals began to applaud and cheer as well, becoming a growing storm of sound and cawing and stomping.

Sleipnir only smiled warmly and bowed his head, closing his eyes in visible gratitude. And eventually, even the Forest King sighed before clapping a few times, then saying loudly: “That's very good, that's... very nice. I suppose that you... did better than I expected you to. I... excuse me. Excuse me!”

But the animals only continued to cheer happily away, until the Forest King twitched, then leapt up and shouted: “All of you, shut up!”

The animals grumbled down into silence, and the peacock glowered for a few moments back and forth before he crossed his arms and said grouchily: “Well, since I believe we have a tie-”

Immediately, the animals and birds all began to boo and hiss, and the Forest King looked dumbly back and forth as Blueblood gritted his teeth. Sleipnir only looked up curiously, however, unfettered and unafraid.

The Forest King gestured violently for silence, and then he cleared his throat before holding up his hands, saying with all the sincerity of a natural born liar: “I can't help the fact that so many of you adore my poems, even if plenty of you seem to think that Sleipnir has managed to at least raise his head high enough to deserve a second chance. Or fourth chance, rather.”

There were growls and grumbles from the Enchanted Forest's citizens and Blueblood narrowed his eyes before he said sourly: “Not to step on any toes, oh mighty Forest King, but maybe you should just have your citizens vote.”

“No, that's stupid.” the peacock retorted, crossing his arms and huffing. “Because clearly plenty of these silly little beasts are going to vote for Sleipnir just so he doesn't feel bad instead of being objective and voting for the truly better poet here. But let us not forget, you two invaded our kingdom! And as King, it is my duty to deal with you both, however I please!”

There were more growls and boos at this, but the Forest King huffed and rose his arms, his tail fanning out as he declared: “I am the Forest King! My word is law and my law is that the poem battle is over and it was a tie!”

The falcon on Sleipnir's head spread its wings and gave a threatening cry, and the peacock winced away from this as other animals rose in volume and anger. But then the earth pony suddenly rose a hoof, calling out clearly: “Friends! Hear me!”

The animals all fell quiet, a few grumbling away as the Forest King frowned uncertainly over at Sleipnir, but the enormous earth pony only smiled and said kindly: “I am willing to listen to thy King, and what suggestion he has to make to remedy this situation. I still have faith he shall make a good and fair decision.”

The peacock brushed at himself several times, looking placated as Blueblood sighed tiredly and the animals shifted moodily, before the King announced: “As a matter of fact, I do indeed! I... I mean that I have indeed made a decision, and it is that there is no need for another contest because...”

The Forest King halted, looked nervously back and forth, then said in a rush: “Because they are trespassers and they were given the chance to win, and as they did not win, but tied, then I declare the contest invalid and instead they will remain imprisoned here!”

Cries and yells rang up, and the Forest King winced as several birds dove in towards him, swatting wildly at them. A snake twisted forwards, then wrapped itself firmly around one of his legs as the old bear grumbled and yanked itself to its claws to step slowly away, and the peacock squeaked as he tripped over the snake before landing on the hard ground instead of his makeshift seat, grabbing immediately at his rump as his eyes watered.

“Friends, friends! Peace!” Sleipnir cried, and Blueblood looked with surprise at the enormous earth pony before the huge stallion smiled and stepped forwards as the animals slowly settled, the Forest King looking up awkwardly. “The Forest King has made his decree. I will not pretend I am not disappointed by it, but I will certainly do my best to understand it. Know that I do not desire to be his foe, but if he leaves me no other choice, then I shall accept that we must stand on opposite sides of the field here and now.”

The peacock looked uncomfortably down at Sleipnir, then hurriedly climbed to his feet and glared down at him, saying quickly: “Then if that is the case, I order you to submit and bow to me!”

“I cannot do that.” the earth pony said gently, and the peacock looked dumbly down at the enormous stallion before Sleipnir said kindly: “Instead, I must insist that thou allows us to go free from this forest. I have no quarrel with thee, Forest King. Blue and I merely desire to return to Canterlot. 'Tis not so great a thing to ask, is it?”

“Well, no one can leave the Enchanted Forest! Not without my express and explicit permission!” The Forest King glared down at Sleipnir, then stabbed his finger against the stallion's nose, Sleipnir crossing his eyes to peer at this thoughtfully. “And I will not give permission to an invader to take down the barrier, especially when this may all be part of some nefarious plot against the Forest Throne, where you selfish ponies plan on instilling your idea of order over the natural and beautiful chaos of nature that runs rampant through all these-”

Sleipnir's large tongue twisted out of his mouth and wrapped around the peacock's finger, and the Forest King stuttered to a halt, staring disbelievingly at the enormous stallion as the earth pony looked innocently back up at him, his tongue writhing and squeezing around the single digit. And then he suddenly rose his head slightly as he yanked down with his tongue, pulling the finger into his mouth and suckling on it with a smile.

A strange, high pitched whine began to rise in the peacock's throat as he stared down at Sleipnir, eventually reaching a feverish, shrieking pitch before he pounded madly on the stallion's head with his free hand as he tried to yank his finger back, but Sleipnir clung gamely on with his mouth, making a horrible slurping sound and wincing only slightly at every impact.

Finally, the Forest King grabbed Sleipnir's nose, and the stallion wrinkled up his muzzle as he blinked several times before sneezing and spitting out the peacock's finger. The Forest King staggered away, holding his hand up in front of his face with a look of utter horror as it dripped with spittle, and Sleipnir smacked his lips several times before childishly rubbing at his nose with his wrist, saying mildly: “Well, 'tis not the worst taste in the world.”

He paused, then giggled like a foal before looking over at Blueblood and blurting: “I have suckled upon a peacock!”

Blueblood groaned loudly as Sleipnir threw his head back and laughed, and the Forest King glared furiously down at Sleipnir before raising his hand high, a crackle of energies bursting up his arm before he screamed: “Well, why don't you suck on this?”

The Forest King gestured violently down at Sleipnir, green lightning leaping from his hand and bursting over Sleipnir as the enormous earth pony flinched and the falcon hurriedly took flight with a cry of betrayal. Blueblood shouted, but he was helpless to do anything as the Forest King cackled.

Magic danced across Sleipnir's body, sizzling and flashing... and then the stallion blinked dumbly several times as the energy suddenly dissipated, leaving him steaming faintly as Blueblood gritted his teeth and quickly drew his sword, the animals and birds scattering in all directions in fear.

But the Forest King looked unperturbed, crossing his arms and declaring as Sleipnir swayed on his hooves: “I wouldn't do that if I were you... for now this stallion is my servant! Yes, servant, come here! Come and bow before your king, the Forest King!”

The earth pony looked up with a faint frown, and then he strode forwards with a huff. He halted in front of the peacock, who still looked so proud and so sure of himself... and then Sleipnir simply slammed his head forwards into the crotch of the Forest King, and Blueblood winced at the fleshy thud the impact made.

The peacock's eyes bulged as he clutched his crotch, whimpering weakly as his fan of tailfeathers immediately flopped down, and then he slowly, slowly lowered himself to his knees, gasping weakly for breath as he began to turn a pale shade of green beneath his feathers. Sleipnir was only scowling at the Forest King, however, before he said grumpily: “Now that was quite uncalled for! What an act of silly cowardice, bah. Attempting to control my mind... as if there is enough of that left in mine skull for thee to lasso with thy silly magic!”

The Forest King gurgled weakly, then leaned forwards and retched loudly, and Sleipnir winced a bit and stepped backwards, saying awkwardly: “Although perhaps... I was a little extreme in mine own response. I apologize, my blood still boils from our contest, although 'tis no excuse. Art... art thou alright?”

The peacock whimpered as Blueblood slowly approached, moodily keeping his sword at a loose ready position. “I think he deserved it, Sleipnir. There are few better ways to understand you're no better than the lowest peasant than to be punished roundly by one.”

“Oh, shush. Thou art so cruel at times, Blue.” Sleipnir said wryly, smiling slightly over at the unicorn before he returned his eyes to the Forest King, adding gently: “'Twould be most appreciated if thou would point us on our way towards the nearest town. I think 'twould be in the best interests of us all if thou would simply point the way.”

The Forest King whimpered weakly, then looked up and nodded a few times, gasping for breath before slowly, carefully crawling up to his feet. He shivered a little, one hand still covering his groin as he pointed shakily, mumbling: “T-That way.”

Blueblood frowned, and Sleipnir gave a chuckle before saying gently: “I do not wish to cause any offense, my friend, but I fear we will need more than a direction. 'Twould be very easy for thou to send us wandering into the maze again, after all, and I would rather not be forced to waste time searching thee out. Furthermore, I think thy subjects may wish to have an unkind word or two with thou, and 'tis probably in thy best interests to try and keep them happy.”

The Forest King looked slowly over his shoulder to see several rows of animals glaring at him, and he gave a weak giggle before swallowing thickly and turning his eyes lamely back towards Sleipnir. “I uh... yes. I'll guide you out, certainly, that sounds... very good. I'll... I'll even give you directions to the nearest pony settlement!”

Sleipnir smiled warmly, and Blueblood nodded slowly before he calmly sheathed his sword. He still looked suspicious, but the earth pony only slapped his companion on the back and invited: “Now come, there is no need to be so stuffy, Blue! The King has learned his lesson, or at least what little we can teach him on our short passage through his lands. And look at this wondrous place! He takes good care of it, for all his dandyish qualities.”

The Forest King scowled a bit, but didn't really dare to say anything to the earth pony as he finally seemed to regain some of his strength, rubbing at his stomach slowly as he mumbled: “Let's just go. You've caused me more than enough trouble, pony. Oh, this will be a day they'll never let me live down... the day that the Forest King was beaten by a brute.”

“I have not really beaten thee. And thou art escorting me from thy domain, aye?” Sleipnir pointed out positively, smiling up at the peacock. “Therefore thou art driving me out of thy lands, to ensure that I do not cause any more mischief. For I must admit, I oft drove my sister mad with the pranks I would play upon her.”

The Forest King looked thoughtful at this, and then he huffed before crossing his arms and saying grouchily: “Of... of course! That is precisely what's going on! Now... now I demand you to march. Let's leave, both of you!”

Blueblood glared, but Sleipnir simply shrugged amiably before turning around, and the Forest King proudly rose his head and waved to his subjects as he guided the ponies away, calling clearly: “Fear not! Spread word that I have defeated these intruders and am now seeing them out of the kingdom, to make sure they will never, ever return again!”

Sleipnir only shrugged and winked over his shoulder as Blueblood sighed, and the animals watched with mixed entertained and exasperation as the peacock waltzed away with his head high, his arrogance restored. They traded looks and shrugs, and then birds took to the air, and animals scurried for cover, and the bear simply flopped down with a yawn.

It was too bad that their visitors had only stayed for such a short time... but at least they could hope that the strange earth pony and his friend might come back in the future, and spend some more time with the young, self-proclaimed 'Forest King.'

Above, a falcon winged high before seeming to smile as it looked down at the three traveling towards the edge of the Enchanted Forest. It watched with warmth as Sleipnir laughed, lingering for a moment... and then it suddenly twisted in its flight, shooting up into the sky, rising faster and higher than any bird could go...

And then, with a single bright flicker of light, it was simply gone... and far below, Sleipnir smiled as his eyes flicked upwards, as a far-off falcon's cry sang out, and he felt that everything was going to be okay.

Sins Of The Father

Chapter Thirty: Sins Of The Father
~BlackRoseRaven

It was late afternoon when they walked into the little frontier town: they had been traveling for... Blueblood didn't even know how long, anymore. It felt like at least a week, but he'd lost track of the days, and the travel had been hard and rough on both of them.

Blue shook himself slowly out as he grumbled under his breath. After the Enchanted Forest, the terrain had quickly gotten rougher and turned into barrens, with the occasional speckling of swampland here and there. There had only been a few scraggy trees, and they hadn't been able to scrounge up much in the way of food or wood. They had ended up being forced to take a slower route just so they could scavenge enough supplies to keep themselves going.

Even Sleipnir seemed tired, but that was likely from the trouble they'd run into while trying to cross a gorge. They had startled some animals out of hiding, and they'd knocked loose a ledge and caused a rockslide: it had made the whole valley shake, and brought some even larger rocks tumbling down on their heads.

Blueblood had ducked for cover, while Sleipnir had set himself, then literally punched his way through the boulders and rocks falling into them, amazing the unicorn with not just the unfathomable strength of the earth pony, but his speed and precision. Sure, a few rocks had still managed to bounce off the giant of a stallion, but he'd smashed his way through the entire avalanche with only a few bumps and bruises.

They had made it out without any other major difficulties, and pushed hard until they'd reached this little town. It was actually out of their way and closer to the coast than it was to Canterlot, but Blue recognized that they needed to restock and get some rest. As a matter of fact, he was looking more forwards to getting to an inn than he was to getting back home.

Home... it sounded funny to say, after more than a year out here. Blueblood looked down at the dirt street, then he smiled briefly when Sleipnir strode up beside him and asked: “What is on thy mind now, Blue? Thou hast been so... brooding lately.”

“I... I have not been.” Bluebood grumbled, giving a grumpy look over his shoulder at the earth pony, but Sleipnir only gave an amused smile, as if this just proved his point. Which, well, maybe it did a little. “I... I guess it's just the thought that...”

Blueblood quieted, then he looked silently up and around the dirty streets, at the ramshackle wooden houses and the ponies that he would have only seen as peasants in the past... and now he saw them for who they were, every single one of them possessed of nobility as much as ignorance, their lives and happiness determined not by their status, but their actions... “I... maybe it's a surprise to hear, Sleipnir, but... I don't want this to end.”

Sleipnir chuckled quietly, shaking his own head slowly before he replied softly: “Aye. And nor do I, Blue. I have come to greatly enjoy our time together. And I have learned many things on this adventure we have shared and... I feel thankful for it. For what thou hast taught me, and the companionship thou hast shared with me.”

Blueblood blushed at this, smiling a little despite himself at Sleipnir before the enormous earth pony said warmly: “But away with such silly, sad thoughts! The journey is far from ended yet, Blue, we still have much time together, fear not!”

The unicorn laughed despite himself, looking ahead even as he smiled faintly, knowing that time would be too short. But all the same, he did his best to try and smile, like Sleipnir always did, and to believe... “You're right. We... have to make the most of the present. Celebrate the present and the past, not fear the future.”

He hesitated as Sleipnir nodded firmly, and then added: “And we should... maybe stop here for a few days, too. Our armor could use adjusting and I'm sure there's other things we've forgotten to take care of... we may as well take advantage of this place while we have the chance.”

“A wise decision.” Sleipnir agreed, and Blueblood found it a bit easier to smile now, before the earth pony gestured towards a bar with a grin. “And there! I see the first thing to attend to that we have forgotten! 'Tis been too long since I have had a fine flagon of ale.”

Blueblood rolled his eyes in amusement, but turned to follow the earth pony all the same towards the bar as Sleipnir happily bounced towards the propped-open door. The unicorn opened his mouth to speak as they stepped into the bar, his eyes automatically roving through the interior as he admittedly took a guilty pleasure in the way that everypony stared at them...

Except then his eyes locked on a figure sitting at the bar, who dropped his drink on the counter and leaned forwards with shock. Blueblood stared back with disbelief, doing a double take before he almost fell over, his legs beginning to tremble beneath him, his eyes barely able to process the sight of the thin stallion with his ragged blond mane and baggy blue eyes...

“Son?” croaked Blueblood's father, and Blueblood stumbled backwards out of the bar and nearly fell over as he leapt out into the street, gasping in shock, going pale before he began to stumble away, even as his father's voice shouted: “Wild! Wait, wait!”

He began to stumble down the road, but tripped over his own clumsy hooves before he caught himself and looked back over his shoulder, freezing up as the old stallion came lunging out of the bar and staggered towards him. Blueblood wheeled around like a frightened animal, trembling and staring, as the old, thin stallion came to a halt some ten feet away.

They looked at each other for a few long moments, son forgetting that he was a large, strong unicorn now, father staring with wonderment and fear and so many other mixed emotions dancing in his eyes.

After a few moments, Sleipnir emerged from the bar, carefully and quietly walking over to Blueblood and gently grasping his shoulder, smiling at him kindly. Blueblood trembled, but then he bit his tongue before straightening slowly: he was glad, more glad than he'd ever been, that Sleipnir was here. That Sleipnir was somepony he could trust, who gave him strength, who was like best friend and big brother and maybe even a bit of a father rolled all into one...

Blue straightened slowly, breathing quietly in and out before he said in a voice that shook only slightly: “Sleipnir, this is... this is my father.”

Sleipnir smiled again, bowing his head to the old unicorn... the unicorn, Blueblood realized, who looked so much thinner and smaller than he'd remembered him being. But maybe all the nightmares, all the bad memories, everything he'd seen through a child's eyes had made him appear so much larger and more frightening than he really was...

His father nodded, then hesitantly took a step forwards. Blueblood shifted nervously, but he didn't move back... although he grimaced when the unicorn took another. At least the old stallion seemed to notice this, halting and clearing his throat before saying in a reedy voice: “Yes, I... my name is Restless Languish. But... everypony just calls me Lang.”

He had an accent... why hadn't Blueblood remembered that? Had his mother had an accent, too? Suddenly it seemed so important to know, but Blue hesitated for a moment before asking quietly: “What... what are you doing here?”

His father smiled at him faintly, then hesitantly slipped a little closer, and Blue shifted nervously on his hooves before Lang said quietly: “I... well, after... what happened, I had to move away. I'm... I'm so sorry. To this day, I don't know why I did that. Why I did such an awful, terrible thing, and I... I can't ever apologize to you enough but...”

Lang shifted, then coughed a few times before rubbing slowly at his throat and trembling a little, before he turned his pale eyes back to Blue's, saying weakly: “I never wanted to hurt you. I know what that must sound like after what I did to you, it was unforgivable. But I never wanted to hurt you, Wild Heart. I just... they said that something happened to my mind, but...”

Lang trembled a little, and Blueblood looked down, murmuring his own birth name before he closed his eyes, whispering: “Wild Heart. I never... I'd forgotten my own name.”

Sleipnir reached up and soothingly rubbed along the stallion's back before he encouraged gently: “'Tis a good name. It suits thee.” He paused, then bowed his head to Lang, adding: “I fear that I have not yet introduced myself. My name is Sleipnir, and thy son and I have been traveling across Equestria. Blue – or Wild Heart, if thou prefers – has been of exceptional help to me. He is brave and strong and true, and I am honored to have him as friend and brother.”

Lang smiled faintly, looking like he wanted to take another step closer, but he resisted as he nodded and looked respectfully up at the enormous earth pony. “Thank you, sir. I... I'm happy to know that. When he was a young colt, Wild was... always getting into trouble. He'd climb all over the old building we lived in, and his mother... Tender Heart would always take him out to the park to work off his energy, and he'd... run away, race the other colts up trees and lead them off on wild adventures...”

Blueblood smiled faintly, as the door of memories in his mind cracked open... and oh, it hurt. It hurt, but it hurt in such a good way as the memories came back, and even as tears came to his eyes he reveled in the sound of a foal's laughter as he ran through the field, his mother shouting after him to be careful, but likely knowing he'd come back with scraped knees and mud in his mane and yet... happy...

He closed his eyes, taking a slow breath before Sleipnir asked kindly: “Restless Languish, does thou have a home here? Blue, if thou art alright with it, perhaps thou would feel more at ease were we to retire to privacy, the three of us.”

Sleipnir squeezed his companion's shoulder gently to emphasize his hidden promise, and Blueblood smiled faintly: alone, he would have been terrified. But as long as Sleipnir stayed beside him... “If... well... if my... Languish, if you would be willing.”

Lang nodded hurriedly, saying quickly: “I have a place just outside of town. We can have some privacy, maybe... sit in the back yard. Does that sound alright?”

Blue nodded hesitantly, and Sleipnir patted his companion on the shoulder before replying amiably: “Aye, I think we are all in agreement. I only hope thou hast a good store of ale, 'lest I drink thee dry.”

Lang gave a small smile, and then he cleared his throat before gesturing to the bar, saying finally: “Well, just... give me a moment, and... I'll pay my tab, and we'll be on our way. Alright?”

Blueblood nodded again, forcing himself to smile awkwardly in spite of his nervousness, and the old unicorn vanished into the bar, leaving Blue and Sleipnir outside in the street. Ponies were looking at them curiously, but the unicorn simply lowered his eyes to the ground before he whispered: “Sleipnir, p-please don't leave me alone with him. No matter what happens.”

“Of course not. I am here for thee, whatever thou needs.” Sleipnir reassured quietly, reaching up and rubbing gently along the stallion's armored back. Blue could feel it even through the plating, though, and it reassured him as he closed his eyes, nodding silently. “We will get through this together, as long as thou feels ready for this.”

“I...” Blueblood halted, and then he laughed a little and glanced up, smiling faintly. “Well, you're the one who taught me that you can't run away from your problems. And I... I need answers. Especially ever since the Harbinger, I need answers, and... this might be my only time to get them.”

Sleipnir nodded slowly, and then he reached up and gently patted the helmeted head of the unicorn, saying softly: “Aye, then we shall get thy answers. We shall stay here as long or short as thou needs, Blue.”

Blueblood smiled faintly at this, and then he bowed his head low and murmured a quiet 'thank you' before looking up uncertainly as his father emerged from the bar. He was wearing a coat now... but Blue was thankful to see it wasn't the old red rain slicker, but instead some cheap dusty thing... although that made the unicorn shiver and wonder if he had resumed his old occupation as a gravedigger. “It's this way.”

Blue and Sleipnir fell in step, and the unicorn did his best to keep a buffer of distance between himself and his father. Sleipnir helped by striding a little ahead, and Blueblood appreciated it more than he could begin to say: he would never be able to thank the stallion for all that he had done for him.

They walked onwards in quiet through the little town: it at least let Blue get a sense of his surroundings, although it didn't seem like there were more than three roads at the very most in the village, and most of the buildings were made of cheap timbers that were already falling apart.

Lang's house was a short walk past the village, up on top of a squat little hill. It was an old cabin that faced towards the town, with sprawling barrens behind it that had only a smattering of dry trees, and a small, stagnant pool. There was a little grass, but most of the lot was occupied by weeds and brambles that kept it from being a proper yard.

Languish headed to the door, shoulder inside... and then he hesitated before smiling uncomfortably over his shoulder as Blue and Sleipnir simply lingered outside, the old unicorn clearing his throat before saying finally: “You can head around back, if you like, and I'll bring out some refreshments.”

Blueblood nodded quickly, and Sleipnir smiled and bowed his head in thanks before Lang vanished back into the house. Blueblood studied the ajar door nervously for a moment, half-wanting to stick his head inside... and then he shook his head and muttered: “Come on, let's... let's see what's out back, then.”

Sleipnir grunted, and the two turned and made their way around to the back of the house. There were a few old pieces of furniture out here, and what looked like the remains of a forgotten garden that had become nothing but a dried, weedy mess.

Blueblood awkwardly sat down at the slanted table, while Sleipnir inspected the garden, then glanced back at the barrens and whistled slowly, murmuring: “What a great expanse. What a strange and lonely place we have arrived in, Blue. It has the feel of the Fortress of Exile, and yet... so much more sorrowful, so much more lost.”

“Yeah.” Blueblood murmured, looking down at the tabletop, and then he shook his head quickly before carefully shrugging off his saddlebags. Sleipnir studied him curiously, but the unicorn only shook his head before he said quietly: “Just... I suppose we'll probably be here for a while, that's all.”

Sleipnir chuckled softly, and then he nodded before calmly pulling off his own satchels, placing them aside. Blueblood smiled faintly and shifted embarrassedly, but the enormous earth pony only shook his head before reassuring: “Take as long or short as thou needs. We have all the time thou needs. I am in no great hurry.”

The unicorn didn't know how to respond to this, whether he should be worried or he should be grateful... and then he glanced up as the back door creaked open and Lang emerged, carrying a tray in his telekinetic grip as he smiled uncertainly over at the two ponies.

Sleipnir smiled welcomingly back, then grinned as the old unicorn set down three large glasses and a box of some kind of cheap wine. “Well, 'tis good enough for now! Thou hast my thanks for being such a courteous host.”

“I... I wish I had more to share, that's all.” Lang murmured, and then he shook his head before carefully opening the wine, fumbling with it a little as his eyes kept continuously roving to his son.

But Blue kept his own gaze down as much as he could, fidgeting silently as Lang poured them each a cup of the cheap wine. Sleipnir drained his immediately, smacking his lips loudly, but Blue only toyed with his as Lang only sipped once at his drink, then looked awkwardly down.

There was silence for a few minutes, and then Lang looked up and said hesitantly: “I'm sorry, I should have asked what you'd prefer... if it's no good, Wild Heart, I can get something else for you. I don't have much here, though, so you'd have to wait a few extra minutes while I run into town...”

“No, I... this is fine, thank you.” Blue said quickly, looking up and nodding, and then he took a small sip and gave a faint smile as he looked down at what was really a lot more grape juice than it was booze. Still, there was something almost reassuring about that... and ironic amusement, as always, in reflecting how the old him would have demanded a classy chardonnay in a proper glass, likely after splashing the wine everywhere like a toddler having a temper tantrum.

He looked down into the purple liquid, before glancing up as Lang asked softly: “So how have you been? You're... it's been more than twenty years, and... you're all grown up.”

“I... not quite.” Blueblood smiled a little again, glancing over at Sleipnir. “I've done a lot of growing up on this journey, but... I only recently stopped acting like a colt, I think.”

“After what you went through, Wild Heart, I don't think anyone could blame you...” The stallion halted, then he laughed a little and lowered his head, saying softly: “I mean... I'm... I'm sorry, I'm not sure what I should call you. I don't know anything about you anymore, and... I mean, were you adopted by a good family? Did they take care of you?”

Blueblood hesitated... but when he looked up at his father, saw the desperation to connect in his eyes, and all that concern that seemed so deep and honest... “Yes. I was lucky, luckier than any other foal in the orphanage, really.”

Blue smiled faintly, then he reached up and pulled his helm off, letting his shaggy golden hair spill free and giving a full view of his face as he said quietly: “I was adopted by Princess Celestia. Auntie called me Blueblood... the young prince, she used to call me.” He laughed a little, as Lang rose his head in amazement. “It... went to my head a little. Sleipnir knows that.”

Sleipnir chuckled, reaching up and slapping his companion on the shoulder. “Well, aye. Thou wert quite stuffy, but thou wert also quite unhappy, Blue. But thou hast grown into a wiser and better stallion than I.”

“I... I'm glad to hear it. It really is wonderful, Wild Heart, or... Blueblood, I mean. A prince...” Lang smiled faintly, and his gaze was a mix of joy and sorrow, Blue tilting his head a little before the old unicorn laughed a little and shook his head, whispering: “I just wish that your mother was...”

Lang quieted, and Blue lowered his own head, and there was silence for a few long moments before the old unicorn cleared his throat and looked over at Sleipnir, asking: “So... are you a Royal Guard, then? My son... I mean, Blueblood seems to think very highly of you.”

Sleipnir smiled softly, and Blue felt a strange twist in his stomach before the earth pony explained: “Nay, Blue and I met by happy accident. Or perhaps 'twas fate, for that is what I prefer to believe. I am from a far different world than this one, and am seeking a way to get home. Young Blue agreed to act as my guide and to help me gather up materials. His help has been most invaluable. He is brave and strong and loyal, and is my contact with Canterlot, and we have shared many adventures together. We have traveled for more than a year now, gathering up materials from different places and helping pretty mares and battling cunning evils.”

Lang laughed a little and shook his head slowly, murmuring: “Amazing. Of course, I'd heard the rumors that Prince Blueblood had... well, some ponies said he was thrown out of the castle, other ponies said he was on a mission for Celestia, but... I never imagined he... you were doing something like this. Or that you'd end up passing through this little town here, and...”

The old unicorn smiled faintly, and Blueblood nodded a little before he said finally: “We've passed through... a lot of strange places, to be honest. I've done things I've never imagined possible, and I found out things that...”

He lowered his head silently, shifting a little before he asked quietly: “How... how have you been? I don't know... much about you, either.”

Lang smiled faintly, and then he took a sip of his wine before lowering his head and murmuring: “Well, I was... in a special prison, but they let me out early for good behavior. They helped me a lot there, actually... helped clear up my mind. Helped with... my problems.”

He shifted a little, then looked down and continued quietly: “I... I moved around to a few different towns, but... my past had a way of catching up to me, and I made ponies nervous. Not that I can blame any of them. The hardest part was when the journalists would come by, but... I understand that it's all part of the consequences for... what I did wrong.

“I uh... I eventually moved out here. They hire me for odd jobs and to help out at the cemetery. My doctor says... it's not a problem as long as I keep myself under control, and everyone is aware of my past.” Lang said in an almost meek voice, pushing his cup back and forth between his hooves as he kept his head low, and Blueblood smiled faintly as he shifted awkwardly himself. “It... well, it's the only job they really have for me, out here. It's not easy, but...”

“I can imagine.” Blueblood murmured, thinking of his own nightmares, and there was silence between the three for a little while. Blue actually had to look up to check that Sleipnir was still there: he wasn't used to the earth pony being so quiet, so respectful... but it was something he was immensely grateful for. That, and the fact he was always here, encouraging him, helping him... push through this.

Lang shifted back and forth, then looked at the two ponies across from him before he cleared his throat and gestured at his house, saying finally: “My... my place isn't much, but... you can stay here, if you like. I know that money probably isn't a problem for you, Prince Blueblood, and the inn might be more comfortable, but...”

Blue only shifted a little, and Sleipnir replied gently: “That is a very kind offer on thy part, and we do appreciate it. But for tonight, at least, Blue and I will likely retire in town.” He paused, then smiled over at Blueblood, adding kindly: “But perhaps thy father can show us around town tomorrow... and I am sure we would both appreciate if we could leave some of our things here. Our armor will need repairs, but I could not tell if there was a forge in town...”

“There used to be, but the smith left for better pastures... there's always work for a decent blacksmith.” Lang said, and Sleipnir chuckled and nodded a little before the old unicorn added hesitantly: “If... if you do want me to show you around tomorrow, though, we can ask Merlot for the key to the old smithy, though. He keeps most of the town running.”

Sleipnir looked over at Blueblood questioningly, and the unicorn hesitantly nodded. “I... I think that sounds good. We'd both appreciate that.”

Lang nodded and smiled a little, and the three sat in quiet for another few moments. Then Blueblood finally took a slow breath before he looked up and asked quietly: “Why... why did you kill my mother?”

Restless Languish looked down silently, then he looked uncomfortably at Sleipnir. But as Sleipnir only gazed at him kindly, not judging, not accusing, and as Blue looked at him almost desperately... the old stallion finally lowered his head and murmured: “You have every right to know. You do. But I... I need a moment. And I'd like to get something from inside, if you don't mind.”

Blue shifted uneasily... and then he finally nodded, and Lang smiled faintly before excusing himself and heading to the door to vanish into his cabin. Blueblood bit his lip, and then he looked up at Sleipnir and said quietly: “You didn't seem surprised.”

“I am a fool, Blue, but I am not an idiot. Besides, thou told me many times without telling me. We have no secrets between us; I merely respected thy need to not say it with words.” Sleipnir replied with a shrug, and strangely, Blueblood couldn't help but smile faintly at this, feeling... relieved.

He lowered his head after a moment, then mumbled: “Thank you, again, for being here. I couldn't do this alone.”

“Thou could. Thou art stronger than thou realizes... but I am glad to be here for thee, all the same. 'Tis an honor, and a privilege, even if my heart cries out with such pain for thee, as well.” Sleipnir replied quietly, and then he shook his head slowly and reached up to squeeze his shoulder gently. “I pray that thou shall be merciful, Blue. If not for his sake, then for thine own. Thou hast carried this stone long enough upon thy shoulders.”

“I...” Blueblood didn't know what to say, only bowing his head and closing his eyes. Even if a childish part of him wanted to reject Sleipnir's advice, the rest of him knew all too well that... “I hate that you're... you.”

“Aye. Many ponies do.” agreed the earth pony, and Blue laughed despite himself, shaking his head slowly. Then both stallions looked up as the back door creaked open, and Lang emerged with a small bundle floating beside him.

The old stallion returned to the table and carefully set this down, silently unfolding the cloth to reveal a few small, framed pictures. Blueblood's eyes widened, and he reached forwards... then hesitated, looking up, and Lang smiled faintly and gestured at him. “Go ahead.”

Blueblood carefully picked up the picture on top, trembling a little: it was a picture of his mother. He studied it with fascination: she looked so prim and pretty, smiling into the camera, so... so warm. So radiant...

He put it gently aside, then picked up another picture: it was of him as a foal, with his parents... and there was another of him and his mother, too. Everyone looked so happy in the pictures, all dressed to their finest... even if their best clothes were still cheap and worn out and... and had so much more character than the rich finery that Blueblood had gotten used to wearing once and then throwing out during his days as prince.

He silently put the last picture down... then frowned in surprise as he realized something else was in the bundle, reaching out and silently picking up a pair of tarnished golden rings on a ribbon. He studied them curiously... then looked up in surprise as Lang said quietly: “Those are... were, your mother and I's wedding rings. And that ribbon... that was her favorite. Those things... they all belong to you now, Blueblood. You deserve them.”

Blue looked down silently, then he gently lowered the rings into his hoof, feeling their weight, taking in every detail as he turned them back and forth. They were plain, apart from a small inscription inside each, and Blue smiled faintly as he read from the first: “Te valde amo...”

“Ac semper amabo.” finished Lang, looking down and closing his eyes, and Blue looked at his father silently as the unicorn murmured: “I meant those words. Even now, I still love her... so very, very much. And to this day, I... I can't explain...”

Restless Languish shook his head slowly, and then he sighed softly, tracing a hoof aimlessly over the tabletop as he murmured: “I don't know where to begin. I don't know what I should tell you, Wild... I mean, Prince Blueblood-”

“Please, just... just Blue. I'm not a prince.” Blueblood interrupted before he could stop himself, and Lang glanced up in surprise before the unicorn smiled faintly, shaking his head and looking down before he added quietly: “And I... I would like it if you could... tell me about everything. Start... start at the beginning, please, I... I've blocked out so much, and now, I'm sitting here, and I think...”

Blueblood clutched the rings silently in his hoof, then shivered a little and looked down, whispering: “I wish that I could remember her. But I can barely remember anything, except...”

He shivered again, and Lang smiled faintly before he looked down and said softly: “Your mother and I met when she was attending university. She... she was such a smart, talented pony. And she worked hard, Blueblood...

“But there just weren't that many jobs where we lived, and of course, we were young and stupid and... well. Not entirely prepared when your mother got pregnant.” His father smiled again, looking silently at Blueblood. “But we were both happy. And when you joined us, it was the greatest moment of our lives. It... I promised to do everything I could to take care of you, and your mother loved you so much... more than anything else in the world.”

Lang quieted, looking down before he coughed a few times, then picked up his half-full glass of wine and sipped at it slowly, clearing his throat before he continued: “I got a job at the cemetery and your mother worked part-time on campus, until she graduated. But when she graduated, that was when things got harder... no more free daycare for you, and she had to give up her job.

“So we moved to Canterlot, where I could get work at the Horsehead Cemetery...” Lang smiled faintly as Blueblood shivered, the unicorn looking down and whispering: “I... I won't insult you by saying that I understand how you feel, but... that place has come to give me nightmares, too. It felt like from the moment we moved to Canterlot, things started going wrong... you didn't have any friends to play with, and your mother had to watch you like a hawk whenever she took you out to the park because of strangers...”

“Because there was always a mare. With golden eyes...” Blueblood murmured before he could stop himself, and Lang looked up in surprise, rearing back slightly.

“You... you remember that?” he asked, and then he smiled faintly and shook his head slowly. “I... I thought she was harmless at first. She seemed so fond of you... but then Tender Heart said she tried to run off with you one day, and she was only lucky that she was able to catch her before...”

Lang halted, then he shook his head and lowered his head, saying quietly: “I'm... I'm sorry I was never a very good father, Blueblood. I failed you so many times when you were a foal... Tender Heart always seemed to know what to do, but I guess I never knew you as well as I wanted to... and I suppose I got so afraid of... of screwing up, that it just made me screw up even more when I wouldn't take a risk, when I wouldn't even talk to you.”

The old stallion lowered his head, looking away for a moment, and Blueblood hesitated before he said softly: “That... that wasn't your fault. That mare, her name was Invidia, and she was...”

Blueblood looked down, torn for a moment, and Lang looked at him curiously before the young unicorn shook his head and murmured: “Maybe I can tell you more tomorrow, once I figure out what to say. But I knew her, until recently... and she was... she had the best of intentions, I think. But I've learned where the best intentions tend to lead by now.”

Lang nodded hesitantly, and then he dropped his head before murmuring: “I know this is a lot to ask, and that you have no reason to believe me, but... you can tell me anything, Blueblood. I'm... I want to start making up for all the years I wasn't there for you, somehow, since I know... I know I can't make up for what I did in the past.”

Blue shifted a little, nodding hesitantly, and then Sleipnir reached up and squeezed the young unicorn's shoulder gently before he suggested: “Perhaps thou could continue with thy story for the moment. I would certainly like to hear more of thy wife.”

“Yeah, me too.” Blueblood murmured, and Lang smiled a little at them.

“I would like to talk about that.” Lang hesitated, and then he reached out and silently picked up one of the pictures, studying it quietly. “Tender Heart... she doted on you, each and every day. But she knew you had to have your freedom, too, and she helped you be so... so strong, and so independent, even while you were so young.”

Restless Languish smiled faintly at the picture, then he gently, carefully set it down. “But when we came to Canterlot, she couldn't get a job: she was trained as a nurse, but Canterlot attracts ponies from all over Equestria. We never would have gone if not for the job I got... but I guess just like blessings sometimes come in disguise, so do the bad things in life.”

He quieted, then sipped at his wine before pouring a little more for himself from the box. He offered it to the others, but Blueblood realized he still had a mostly full glass, awkwardly shaking his head and picking this up... but still only gazing at his father with fascination.

As Sleipnir took the box and refilled his own glass, his father said quietly: “Things weren't good, but they weren't bad either, at first. But then that strange mare started haunting you at the playground, and we couldn't find a foalsitter and your mother couldn't find a job, and... Tender Heart was crushed when your application for the preschool we tried to get you into was rejected. She decided to tutor you herself.”

Blueblood frowned at this, and then he closed his eyes for a moment as faint memories stirred through his mind, before he asked hesitantly: “Was that... I don't know why, but that makes me think of a teddy bear...”

“Sparky.” chuckled Lang, nodding a few times, and Blueblood cocked his head in confusion as Sleipnir looked up curiously. “Sparky was your 'best friend' for the longest time, and your mother used to use him in all her lessons... you paid more attention to that stuffed bear than you ever did to her when it came to listening and learning things.”

Blue smiled a little and rubbed at his head slowly before Sleipnir remarked cheerfully: “Aye, this sounds true! I may have to employ this method in the future myself, for elsewise Blue seems as inattentive as mine own self while pretty mares are abound.”

“Oh, quiet.” Blueblood shoved at Sleipnir lightly, and then he shook his head before hesitantly smiling a little more at his father, asking quietly: “What happened to him?”

“I'm not sure. I always thought that he was taken with you when you... left.” Lang said softly, shaking his head briefly, and Blueblood quieted a little as the two looked at each other before the old stallion said finally: “A lot of... after I went to prison, almost everything was sold off or donated to charity. I'm afraid that included a lot of your old things, too... I was only able to make sure a few things were sent to storage.”

Blue nodded slowly, and then he shifted a little before questioned: “What... what was it like in prison? You were sent to Black Stable, weren't you?”

“Only for part of my sentence.” Lang shook his head slowly, and then he said quietly: “It was bad in there. The inmates were cruel, and I spent a lot of time in solitary confinement... and the guards were even worse. It didn't matter what your crime was or how well you behaved. You were just another prisoner to them, scum, and while... while some of us might have deserved the beatings and the pain, they always seemed to be harder on the few ponies who were honestly trying to do better.”

Lang looked down for a moment, then cleared his throat before glancing up and continuing: “But I got lucky. Because of my... altered mental state, I was transferred to a psychiatric hospital in Manehattan. The Center for Advanced Diagnostic Research. CADRe was very good to me, all things considered... and even if they hadn't been, it was still cleaner, quieter, better there.”

Blueblood nodded slowly, and the two looked at each other quietly before Lang glanced down and murmured: “But even they couldn't... figure out why I did what I did. To this day, I still don't know... and I don't want to make excuses for my actions, Blueblood. I don't want you to think I'm making up reasons or...”

“I... please. Just tell me.” Blueblood leaned forwards, shaking his head slowly as he smiled faintly. “I just... I need... I need to hear your side of the story. I need to know... why.”

Lang sighed softly, lowering his head and nodding once before he closed his eyes and murmured: “Alright. Alright, then... I'll try to make it make sense.

“I know that... we were all unhappy in Canterlot. And we were all stressed and... it made things difficult between Tender Heart and I.” Lang shifted slowly, keeping his head low. “We couldn't find a school for you or a daycare center we could afford, meaning your mother had trouble getting out to find work. She could just mail off resumes and hope for the best.

“We were poor, and we lived in a poor neighborhood. I don't think it was a bad place, but... we were the strangers, the newcomers, and it made ponies wary of us. I guess I can't blame them... and I guess if anything, I just ended up justifying their fears.” Lang looked up, giving a faint smile. “Maybe it's a good thing we never made friends there, though, considering... what happened. It would have made everything even harder.”

There was silence for a few moments, and then Lang shook his head and went on: “Both your mother and I, maybe because of the stress... we started having nightmares. We never talked much about it, though... we... we stopped talking. And when you don't talk to your partner, then... things tend to start falling apart.”

Sleipnir nodded with a silent smile of agreement, and Blueblood lowered his head, thinking about how that was true for a lot of relationships. Not just because sometimes talking helped you, but because you owed it to the people you cared about to... be open, and honest, and to try and tell them what was going on. Because relationships were give and take... not just take, take, take, as Blueblood had learned.

“We... we grew distant, and...” Lang hesitated, looking away before he shook his and flushed a little. “And I started having thoughts that were... that weren't good or right, to put it simple. I won't bother you with the details, but I had... cravings, and... delusions, they said. Imagining things that weren't real, that weren't... really there...”

Lang looked down, shaking his head briefly before he said quietly: “I... I did my best to resist acting on any of those impulses. And when they... they started to grow too strong, I began spending more and more time out at Horsehead, trying to... trying to find a way to vent them that wouldn't...”

The old unicorn trembled, looking down, looking so awfully, horribly ashamed of himself, and Blueblood couldn't help but feel sympathy in spite of all the years of nightmares... but then again, he'd grown up a lot during this last year. And he'd also found out... that maybe everything he'd thought he'd known about this stallion was wrong.

“I... I don't... I won't describe what... kinds of things started to be...” The unicorn dropped his head, shaking it slowly. “But even though part of me knew how wrong, how awful the things I was doing were... it was also an escape. A fantasy, and it gave me control. And I started to... to need more and more. The doctors say that's the kind of problem with these kinds of... fantasies. They... they escalate. They grow, and you start to need... more.

“And there was... I let myself get so angry, and so bitter, Blueblood. I let myself... I forgot myself.” The old stallion reached up and silently rubbed at his eye with a hoof, but he did a remarkable job of steadying himself in the moment of pause he took before he rose his head and looked silently into Blueblood's eyes. “I... I know you've probably already figured this out for yourself, and you are a far better stallion that I have ever been... but there's never a point of no turning back. There's never a reason that... if you're falling into some deep, dark place, you should just give in and let yourself go all the way down. You can always try and stop, always try and catch yourself before things get any worse... if not for you, then at least for the sake of the people you care about.”

Blueblood smiled faintly: that was a lesson he had been learning over the course of this entire journey, really. He nodded slowly a few times, looking silently back at his father before he murmured: “And when we do hit bottom, there's... never any reason not to try and climb back out of whatever hole we've dug for ourselves, is there?”

“Yes, that's right. That's exactly right.” Lang murmured, nodding in agreement before he lowered his head. “But I didn't realize that back then. I felt almost like I was being drawn along by something else, but... that was an excuse. I failed you and Tender Heart, Wild... I mean, Blueblood. I failed you both, and...”

Lang shook his head and looked away quietly, and then he bit his lip as he shivered and said uncomfortably: “I... I don't know how much you remember, and I don't... want to go into too much detail, I don't want to... bring back...”

“I... I remember what happened. It's one of the few things I do remember clearly.” Blueblood replied quietly, shifting uncomfortably before he forced himself to look up and across at his father. “I just... I just don't know why you did what you did. I don't know why you... and I need to know. I just need to know and try to understand.”

Lang nodded and lowered his head, then murmured: “And I know that you have every right to, too. I just... I just don't know what to tell you, Blueblood. I wanted... I brought your mother to the cemetery because...”

Lang looked down and trembled, whispering: “I never meant to hurt her. I never, ever meant to hurt her. But we... started to argue when she saw what I was... doing. And then... and before I knew it, she was on the ground and I felt so... so cold, and numb, and nothing mattered anymore. I didn't care about getting caught, any more than I cared about...”

The old unicorn looked away, shivering a little. “I can't put it into words, Blueblood. I can't tell you why that... I decided to do what I did. I thought... I thought, in some bizarre way, I was going to fix everything by... making us a family. But after I... after I brought you to Horsehead and... filled in the grave... it all came crashing down on me. And... and I ran.”

The old unicorn choked with shame, trembling and hugging himself as he dropped his head low. “I just... ran. I was a coward, and instead of trying to save you, I ran away. I'm... I'm so sorry, Wild Heart, I'm s-so sorry...”

Restless Languish trembled and lowered his head, repressing a sob, and Blueblood silently trembled, closing his eyes and breathing harder. In all his years, all the imaginings he'd had of finding his father... this had never been how it was supposed to go. He'd never had any solid idea in mind, but at the same time... this? He'd never imagined that it would be like this, or that his heart would hurt so much, or that there would be so many conflicting thoughts in his mind...

Blueblood trembled, then looked weakly over at Sleipnir for some kind of help, some kind of guidance, and the enormous earth pony smiled faintly at him before he gave a slow nod. Sleipnir's eyes reassured him and reminded him of everything that he had learned over this journey, and Blueblood lowered his head before trembling and looking across at Lang.

He couldn't form the words. He didn't know what he could even say as the old stallion did his best to swallow his sobs and sat with his face buried in his hooves... but maybe he didn't have to say anything at all.

The unicorn picked himself up from the table and stepped around it, then hesitantly reached up and grasped his father's shoulder. And the old unicorn looked up in surprise, then reached suddenly up and compulsively hugged him.

Blueblood winced... and then trembled as he reached up and silently wrapped one foreleg around his father, feeling how... how frail he was. This poor, old, emaciated unicorn couldn't hurt a fly anymore... oh, Heaven, the old stallion felt like he was made of paper, and Blueblood held him almost gingerly, afraid that he might hurt this broken, aching old pony.

He felt a single tear escape his eye and slide down his cheek, his emotions a whirl, contorting and twisting on themselves and leaving him not knowing what to do. What to think. What to feel... oh, it hurt so much. This all hurt so much, and even as some small part of him shouted tinnily that this was all wrong, the rest of him only felt empathy and loss and such pain...

He was surprised when his father was the first to pull back, and only after a few moments. Blueblood let him slip back down into his seat as Lang looked shamefully away, saying quietly: “I'm... I'm sorry. I didn't mean to... I just... I don't deserve sympathy from you of all ponies, Wild Heart. Oh, I'm sorry, I mean... I mean Prince Blueblood...”

“Just Blue is fine, and... it's... it's okay... Dad.” Blueblood stumbled a little over the word, feeling so strange in his mouth... but Lang looked up at him with a faint smile, a flash of happiness that made his sorrowful features look... noble, Blue thought, and made him want to taste the word again. To see if he really meant it, to see the shine in this old stallion's eyes... “Dad... I... I don't know what to think or feel. I don't... I don't believe this was all your fault. I know how that must sound, but... while I was traveling with Sleipnir, I found out some things that I never would have believed unless... I'd experienced them myself, and...”

“It's... it's okay. It doesn't matter anymore, Blue...” Lang looked up with a faint laugh, shaking his head and whispering: “You're okay. You're... you're strong, and you've grown into a fine, a noble stallion, a better stallion than I ever was. I can never forgive myself for what I did to you and Tender Heart, but I can be happy, knowing I didn't ruin you, that... you grew up so... so compassionate. So strong. And to have you here now is more than I deserve.”

Blueblood smiled faintly, looking down before he shook his head and whispered: “I don't know. Sons deserve fathers, too, don't they?”

Lang laughed a little at this, then he looked down before coughing a few times. He cleared his throat and shivered a bit, and Blue frowned uneasily before Sleipnir said softly: “If thou would honor thy son, Restless Languish, then thou must be honest.”

Blue frowned at this, looking over at Sleipnir before he returned his eyes to Lang. And Lang looked back at Sleipnir before he sighed raggedly and lowered his head before he murmured: “You're... a crueler stallion than I expected.”

“I do not speak out of cruelty, friend: I speak because Blue already has his concerns about thee.” Sleipnir smiled a little, and then added gently: “And 'twould be best not to found thy relationship upon lies or half-truths, either.”

Lang nodded hesitantly in agreement, and then he lowered his head before admitting: “I... I'm not well, Blueblood. The doctors said I have a year, maybe eighteen months, and then...”

He broke off, then shook his head and smiled faintly, looking up at Blueblood and saying honestly: “But this... that doesn't matter. I feel like I've been blessed. I feel more at peace than I ever have, in my entire life.”

Blueblood nodded silently, swallowing a bit and looking silently down at this stallion for a few moments before he reached up and almost nervously squeezed his shoulder, whispering: “Okay. I...”

Blue halted, looking away for a moment and not wanting to run away, and yet at the same time feeling such... he didn't know. He just didn't know what to feel, couldn't process this flurry of emotions running through his body, before he looked back at Lang and said quietly: “I'm... I'm going to come back tomorrow, okay? And tomorrow we'll... we'll talk more.”

“I'd like that. I'm... I'll be up early, Blueblood. And... thank you.” Lang said honestly, looking up with a faint smile, and Blueblood smiled back hesitantly before he nodded and stepped slowly back.

He lingered for a moment, the two studying each other as Sleipnir rose from his seat, and then Blueblood simply nodded before turning and stumbling away, moving maybe a little too fast to be casual. He hurried down the road, not paying attention to anything else as he staggered back towards town, feeling happiness and sadness in a nauseating spiral inside his stomach...

He had found his father. More than that, they had come to some kind of... peace. And yet at the same time, he hurt, and it brought back painful memories, and... and what a sick joke it was to think that he might not even have a future to work things out!

Blueblood finally stumbled to a halt at the edge of town, breathing hard in and out... and then he flinched and looked up in surprise as a hoof touched his back. But it was only Sleipnir, the stallion smiling faintly before he said quietly: “Thou did a good thing.”

“I... I don't know what I did. I don't know what to feel. I don't... know...” Blueblood whispered, looking down and closing his eyes tightly.

Sleipnir only nodded calmly, looking softly down at the stallion before he said gently: “Thou rushed off before we could drop off our things. But I suppose 'tis fine: I have reassured Restless Languish that we shan't run off in the morning, and promised to meet him early. Thou art always an early riser, after all, and I know thou shall want to spend time with him.”

Blueblood nodded a few times, looking down and licking his lips, hesitating only a moment before he blurted: “I... I do want to spend some time here with him. I... I know you must be anxious to get home, but-”

“Nay, Blue. I know both the value of family and the value of a promise. I have promised to stay by thy side, to help thee, and to get thee home in one piece.” Sleipnir replied gently, shaking his head and smiling reassuringly to the stallion. “We shall take as long as thou needs. I shall not rush thee: and when thou art ready, then we shall return to Canterlot. There... there is no great rush, no haste necessary. I trust and love and believe in my family, and...”

Sleipnir halted as a shadow passed over his eyes, but then he smiled again, shaking his head and saying softly: “Fear not for me, but mend thy pains with thy father. I am here for thee, and I will help thee, as best I can.”

Blueblood smiled with gratitude up at the enormous earth pony, swallowing thickly before he nodded firmly and whispered: “Thank you, Sleipnir.”

Sleipnir only smiled once more in return and shrugged easily, then patted the stallion gently on the back before starting forwards. And Blue gazed ardently after his friend and brother and companion before he followed him into town, sparing one longing glance over his shoulder at the house of his father in the distance... and silently promising that he was going to make the most of the little time he and his father had together.

We All Redeemed

Chapter Thirty One: We All Redeemed
~BlackRoseRaven

Blueblood loved his father. No matter what had happened in the past, no matter how much had been the influence of the Harbinger, and how much had been because Lang, like all ponies, had some shadow in his heart, Blueblood still loved his father.

But it was hard to... accept, and understand, in some ways: no matter what had happened, Lang had still killed his mother, and nearly killed him. Lang brought back bad memories, and sometimes just being around him made the younger stallion feel uncomfortable... but in spite of all these things, for some reason, Blue just couldn't... stop caring about him. Couldn't turn away from this old, dying stallion who was doing his best to make up for what he'd done, who was trying so hard to be a friend and a father to him.

As the days passed, however, it began to get easier: even though the Harbinger was gone, the nightmares had come back briefly after meeting his father... but those were fading away, too, graying and becoming weaker. And more than that, now that he was hesitantly looking into the past, all these doors had opened in his mind and let in thoughts of better times that he'd thought he'd lost forever. Looking at his mother's portrait helped him remember more than just her face: he remembered the soothing smell of her perfume, and her laughter, and how she had always, always loved him...

At first, Blue didn't want to be alone with Lang at all: but gradually, he began to grow comfortable enough to spend an hour or so at first with him in the bar without Sleipnir... and after a few weeks, to visit the old unicorn's home and even stay the night while Sleipnir worked the forge or did odd jobs in town. Sure, part of it was because Lang was so weak that Blue couldn't even imagine how he managed to totter around his job at the cemetery, but he honestly had started to feel... safer with Lang. Maybe there would always be some lingering worries, a bit of paranoia or fear, but... Lang was his father. And he believed the old stallion when he said that he'd never hurt him.

Both of them were doing their best to make up for lost time, and for the past: Blueblood didn't know why, but he felt... guilty about how much Lang was hurting over what had happened. It didn't seem fair to him when he felt that the Harbinger had been the one pulling the strings all along, causing all those emotions, those... vile needs to surface in Restless Languish.

But Lang refused to believe that it was all the fault of some evil force. Blue thought that maybe Lang didn't even believe the golden-eyed mare had really been a demon, that he had been the victim of tampering by some wicked entity: the old stallion always said that he was responsible. And Blueblood was both frustrated by this and yet... he admired it, too. Lang always took responsibility when something happened or went wrong: there were never excuses, never even reasons; even when something happened that no reasonable pony would take the fall for, Lang would apologize for it in his quiet, dignified way, and then... fix the problem.

One example was the way that Lang always took responsibility for whenever the tombstones were vandalized, or the idiot kids threw a party in the cemetery. There was no real way to stop them from doing it, after all: there were no gates and a waist-high fence, and the cemetery was sprawling and had no place for the groundskeeper to actually sit and rest. Which meant that on the few times that Lang had been forced to stay overnight, he'd had to just sit outside in the dark by himself, or use one of the empty mausoleums to get out of the cold tundra nights.

And yet Lang had stayed out there somehow for a week just to try and talk the kids off the property... which just resulted in him getting beaten up by a bunch of dumb young punks with nowhere to go. Blueblood had been incensed, and twice as angry when he'd found out that the sheriff hadn't done a thing about it because... well, because the sheriff didn't really do anything about anything. He wrote tickets, dragged ponies to the doddering little courthouse, and drank and looked miserable on the front porch of the dinky little sheriff's office and... that was it.

So Blueblood and Sleipnir had gone out to the cemetery one night, and hidden amongst the graves. And sure, it had been uncomfortable and Blue had felt old, stupid fears prickling along the back of his neck, but he was doing this for his father... and well, because entitled little snots pissed him off.

The dumb young punks had sauntered along and started their dumb little party... before it was interrupted by the two large stallions walking into their midst. Sleipnir smiled, benevolent as always, and Blueblood just glared around at them and asked what the hell they thought they were doing.

The one in charge had been the largest and dumbest of them all, and apparently thought he could get away with anything from the way he shoved himself right up into Blueblood's face. A fight had almost broken out... until all eyes had been drawn to the sight of Sleipnir drinking the entire keg of beer like it was just a can of booze, before he had belched and then simply tossed it away, complaining about 'foul tasting water.'

And then the enormous earth pony had not only scolded and shamed the half-drunk and half-stupid ponies into leaving, he had also gotten Blueblood to show much more mercy than he'd actually wanted to. But he'd pointed out that if Blue punched any of them out just because he didn't like them, he would just be abusing his power, just like he had in the old days. Sure, the method would be different, but whether it was his hooves or the Royal Guards', he was still taking advantage of his superior strength, and someone else's vulnerability.

So as much as Blueblood had wanted to clean the big dumb punk's clock, they had instead left him alone and headed back into town. It left Blue feeling a little... strange, though. A mix of guilty and frustrated and maybe even a little confused: the punks has been the ones in the wrong after all, right? So why was Sleipnir warning him that they could become the bad guys if the situation escalated any further?

Except Blue did understand and know. You weren't automatically the 'good guys' just because you went out and fought monsters and tried your hardest to help the other townsponies. That was a hard lesson he had learned, but true all the same: so much was uncertain. So much was nothing but listless gray, shades between right and wrong, good and evil... and so often, it was trying to do good that led to such awful things happening in the world. It was fighting too long, against too many monsters, that turned champions into killers.

Of course, that didn't stop Blueblood from being thankful when they had another little run in with the dumb jerk a few days later. He was threatening some other poor kid, and hadn't even noticed them approaching... but then again, Blue was rather proud of the fact that he could move almost as quietly as the giant earth pony.

Before Blue could do anything, however, Sleipnir had simply plucked the punk up by the ruff of his neck, making him wince and flail... and then he had curled up with a weak grin when the giant earth pony had only leaned in and glowered at him.

On the other hoof, it had still been plenty entertaining for the unicorn to watch Sleipnir shake the punk kid back and forth like a doll while berating him. So he had contented himself with that, and decided that once the punk ran away like a scared little puppy, it was a lot closer to justice than he'd really wanted to bring down on the idiot at first.

Maybe that was part of the trade-off of learning everything he had: maybe that was part of why Auntie Celestia had always been so firm that he never learn these arts, and why she was so strict with the Royal Guard and the other forces that protected Equestria. It was so easy to find yourself being twisted, to... take one wrong step and end up somewhere deep and dark, and so completely the opposite of everything you had meant to be...

He had reflected on this, used it to sift through the enormous pile of emotions and thoughts and memories that had built up in his mind. And it had made it much easier to figure out where precisely he stood on the subject of his father, to extend a little more understanding over past mistakes...

Part of him knew that this wasn't Lang's fault in any way. The rest of him, though, just wouldn't let go of what had happened. Couldn't forget, couldn't forgive, just... festered with fear and bad karma and refused to simply let go of the past...

But it eventually started to get easier to ignore that part of him. As the days passed into weeks, Blueblood spent more and more time with Restless Languish, and welcomed him more and more as father, as family, as... everything he'd been missing. As someone he'd needed in his life, a stallion that even Sleipnir couldn't replace.

Sure, it had been awkward at first for them both: every time that Lang mentioned something he needed or something that had happened, Blueblood would take off like a rocket, swearing that he wasn't doing it to try and impress or even help his father but just because they had the time and nothing else to do. In the space of a month, Lang's entire house had almost been rebuilt from the ground up, and they had fixed up an assortment of problems in and around the town... many of them duties and odd jobs that had been assigned to Lang.

But it was good to help him out, and Sleipnir seemed to think it was the right thing to do, too. Then again, Sleipnir was doing his best to help everypony, as he always did everywhere they went: Blue still remembered when that quality had annoyed him, and yet now it was one of the things about the big oaf that he had come to admire most of all.

Every now and then, Blueblood would look at Sleipnir and remember they had a job to finish, still... but Sleipnir would always just encourage him gently to spend a little more time with his father, or smile and remind him that they had no reason to rush off, and to take all the time he needed.

And Blueblood... really didn't want to leave, no matter what he told himself, no matter how much he thought of home and Canterlot and their mission. His father was here and... right now, he needed time with his father.

So he had stayed. He had stayed, every time he'd almost forced himself to leave. And every time, he'd been so glad that he had, in spite of the... well, not quite guilt, not quite regret. It was hard to put into words, really: it was like he had two nations inside of him that were seated at an uneasy truce, and they had to be reminded of their allegiances every now and then... otherwise they might collapse into some kind of civil war.

Maybe that was a bad metaphor, but that was honestly what it felt like a lot of the time: he was in some precarious balance, trying to maintain two different loyalties... and at the same time, he knew he was being selfish. Sure, he wanted to spend time with his father for his father's sake, and he wanted to help Sleipnir... but he also wanted to do things in his own time, and he wanted all the answers he could get for himself and his own mind and his own ego. He wanted to prove...

Prove himself? Prove that he wasn't making a mistake? Prove that he was a good pony by forgiving his father, by showing mercy and honor? He didn't know. He couldn't know, either. It was impossible to put things together with all these thoughts bouncing around in his head...

But no matter what it was, it had compelled him to stay, even though he felt that... maybe he wasn't doing what was entirely the right thing. He honestly didn't know what else to do, though: there was no way that Restless Languish would survive traveling to Canterlot with them – hell, Blueblood didn't know how Lang even managed the walk to town every day – and Blue... just couldn't leave his father. He felt like that would be a betrayal. And even as they spent months together, he felt time passing so quickly, the hours and days and weeks bleeding away.

Besides, Sleipnir had been able to find a way to occupy himself: after all the work he'd done on the town, the informal ruler of the town, Regal Merlot, had grudgingly agreed to turn over the keys to the old smithy and allow Sleipnir to get it back in working order.

Although Sleipnir had done much more than that: he had made short trips – sometimes with Blue accompanying him, other times on his own while Blue spent time with his father – to gather all kinds of materials from both the tundra and the distant mountains and forests: and what little he couldn't find in nature, he made the journey to the nearest city for and bought with the endless supply of gemstones from his mane and tail.

Within a few months, Sleipnir had essentially built not just a forge, but the entire smithy: all the old had been broken down into raw materials that had been used to create something brand new. And Blueblood had learned enough about the forge to know the moment he had seen it that Sleipnir had built something amazing here.

Blueblood had felt a little guilty about the minimal help he'd been in rebuilding and remodeling the structure, but Sleipnir had just laughed and reassured him, like always. The enormous earth pony was an endless wellspring of happiness and positivity and kindness, always looking out more for other ponies than he ever did for himself, never asking for help and always encouraging him to go and enjoy himself while he worked...

And the forge had only been the start of Sleipnir's work: he had waited barely a single day before he'd begun forging. And Blueblood had been surprised when he'd checked in on the stallion and found that the first thing he'd started to create were actually tools for this forge itself.

Sleipnir had spent days on each tool; the forge tongs took at least two, the hammer three, and all the other shaping and forging implements he'd made varied between a single day's work and almost a week. But that had been amazing to Blue: after all, the stallion would normally create even a complex weapon or a full set of armor within a day, if not hours. For him to spend so long on what looked like relatively simple objects to Blueblood...

But the ivory unicorn had learned to trust in Sleipnir, for better or worse. The enormous earth pony was an idiot when it came to a lot of things, but he had his own weird genius and a natural charm and understanding that seemed to let him get away with just about anything. And by now, Blue understood that Sleipnir really did believe that everything had a spirit, and everything could be communicated with and encouraged and charmed into doing whatever he wanted it to... and he usually got oddly good results from his strange way of interacting with the world.

After finishing his tools, Sleipnir had stayed busy: he seemed to recognize that Blueblood wasn't going to want to leave this town for a long time, wanted to cherish this time with his father, and he had accepted and respected that. He had instead decided to make the most of the time he had now, and started forging the mythril they had acquired: not just into the thin, malleable strips that would be used to form runes and veins through which magic energies would flow and help stabilize the portal, but also new pieces of armor he planned to gift to Blue, when the unicorn was ready for them.

Blue was to this day unaware of the fact that Sleipnir was working on armor for him: Sleipnir had so many projects on the go, after all, and even when Blueblood used the forge himself, he had never suspected that any of the half-finished pieces of mythril armor were for him.

But then again, so much of his attention had been taken up by his father that he had missed even a few larger things: things like how Sleipnir would go quiet now and then, or how the enormous earth pony would vanish every so often without mentioning where he was going; the few times Blue did notice, he had tried to pass it off instead of going to speak to the stallion about it. And the one time he had tried, Sleipnir had laughed, and smiled, and easily shrugged the subject aside, saying not to worry about it, like he always did.

So Blue had done his best not to, even though some nights, he would wonder how Sleipnir was doing, if maybe tomorrow they should leave... but he never did. With each passing day, Blueblood's desire to stay here, to learn about his father, to learn about his past, only growing.

And the more time he spent with Restless Languish, the more interested he'd become in his father, and the more his father had started to actually... open up. To hesitantly start talking more about himself, and about his past with Tender Heart.

What Blueblood had remembered most about his father – apart from the nightmares, that was – was that he had always been so quiet and withdrawn. And Lang was quiet and shy, but he was also a hard worker, and as generous as Sleipnir: Blue found out that many times, he'd refused pay for the odd jobs he did around town, saying that he was just happy to help out and have the work. The ponies here in Rancher's Ridge had been very wary of him at first, understandably... but over the years he'd lived here, it seemed like everypony had come to at least respect his dedication to the town and to living a normal life, if nothing else.

And Lang was smart, far smarter than Blueblood remembered: he was able to speak fluently in three languages, he read science and philosophy books that Blue couldn't crack the first few pages of, and he wrote poetry. Good poetry... at least, according to Sleipnir, who had been extremely impressed. Blueblood thought it was pretty good himself, but he didn't read a lot of poems, while Sleipnir said that he came from a society where good poets and poems were highly valued.

Blueblood had wondered aloud one night why Restless Languish had decided to work as a gravedigger instead of anything else... and the answer had honestly surprised him. Lang had never earned his diploma: he had dropped out of university to get the job at the cemetery, so he could support Tender Heart after she'd become pregnant. Neither he nor Tender Heart had had much in the way of family to help support them... so Lang had taken the best job he could find: work at the cemetery.

This had led to all kinds of questions, and Lang had opened up more as he'd answered them... and Blueblood had been amazed by what he'd learned about his father. That he had actually been studying dream sciences and had been planning on eventually becoming a Dream Weaver: essentially, ponies from all around Equestria who helped create and shape dreams and fantasies for other ponies. While protecting ponies in their dreams was the duty of the Princess of the Night, the Dream Weavers existed to help shoulder some of Luna's burden and to also provide ponies with designer fantasies and interactive stories and adventures.

To be a Dream Weaver, you needed focus, discipline, imagination, and a powerful mind. You also needed to be trained rigorously: Dream Weavers tended to do most of their work during the night, and they spent intense amounts of energy and concentration just to create dreams... let alone all the magic that was required to 'bottle' dreams in gemstones or other charms that the user would wear while they slept, to experience the dream held inside.

There was also the unfortunate fact that Dream Weavers more often suffered from depression, delusion, and many other mental disorders than your average pony did. The job itself required long periods of time spent living in and creating fantasy worlds: many ponies just couldn't handle the strain that put on the mind, and ended up losing themselves. It was as dangerous a profession as it was amazing, in Blueblood's eyes.

Somehow, this had led into talk about the stallion's other hobbies... and Blueblood had been surprised to learn that aside from Dream Weaving, his father had a deep interest in cryptozoology. Blueblood didn't even know what that word had meant, until Restless Languish explained – with a bit of embarrassment – that it was the study of supernatural animals... including the ghosts and echoes of pets and wild beasts, among other fantastical things.

Blueblood had almost scoffed that it was ridiculous... except then he'd thought about everything he'd experienced on his journey. The invisible presence around Horsia, and the echo of the demon that Sleipnir had fought; the countless undead they had battled and defeated and befriended; the Harbinger and Cerulea...

So instead, he'd asked further about it, and how Lang had lit up. And his father had become more enthusiastic and less embarrassed, approaching the subject from a surprisingly-rational standpoint: if the existence of ghosts was tied to emotional resonance and attachments, then wouldn't it just make sense that sometimes the spirits of animals could become tied to certain areas, too? Some species of bird would literally wither away and die if they were taken away from each other, and some pets would stay at their owner's grave, even die there themselves. If that wasn't loyalty and emotion, Lang didn't know what was.

Blueblood hadn't been able to help himself from challenging his father a little at this point: did animals really have emotions, or was it just instinct? But Lang had replied that emotion was instinct: even if you broke it all down to just chemical reactions, ponies were really just powered by the same thing. How could you not apply what you did to ponies to animals, when the building blocks that made up them both were all so similar at the end of the day?

The only real difference, Lang felt, was that animals were much better at acknowledging the cycle of life and death than ponies were. Maybe in that case, their 'lack' of higher thinking processes was actually a plus: it let them accept things more readily. But Lang believed some things overwhelmed even the basest of instincts, things like anger, and loyalty, and... love.

Lang had gone quiet for a little while after this, and soon enough, retired to bed. Blueblood had stayed up a little while longer, amazed by everything he'd learned about his father... and so sad for him, too. For this wonderful stallion who kept blaming himself over something that had been so far out of his control, for... what Blueblood had finally convinced himself, after more than half a year here, wasn't at all the fault of Restless Languish, but the Harbinger.

With that decision and that acceptance, it made it so much easier for Blueblood to finally... start talking to his father. And he had decided to start with what was easiest right now to think of: his journey with Sleipnir, which had started so long ago now, and everything he'd learned.

He spent weeks, talking about his adventure. And sometimes Sleipnir would join him and help him tell these stories, and other times he'd tell the story by himself, often running off on tangents, going out of order, forgetting something here and remembering something there... but Lang never minded. Lang had never told him to slow down, or stop, or that he wasn't interested. His father had listened to every last word, and Blueblood could see in his eyes that he was memorizing every last detail and assembling it all together in his mind.

Even after Blueblood had finally finished the story, Lang often wanted to hear his son's tales all over again, or had questions that would lead into long conversations about spirits and the philosophy of good and evil and anything and everything in between.

Blue only came to admire his father more as time went on, and grew closer to him. And when he wasn't with his father, he was with Sleipnir, training, helping him in the chores and odd jobs he'd taken around town, or just spending time with his... his big brother, really. Because that was what Sleipnir really was to him these days: family.

He had almost forgotten that one day, he'd have to go home, to Canterlot: but Canterlot didn't really feel like home anymore, even if Blueblood loved his Auntie Celestia dearly, and the thought of seeing her again always made him smile. But Auntie Celestia and Auntie Luna were eternal and ageless: his father, on the other hoof...

As the one-year anniversary of when they'd come to town had rolled around, Restless Languish had fallen ill. Still, he hadn't said anything, and he'd gently refused when Blueblood had offered to go into town for him and get him some medicine from the pharmacy. And then Lang had changed the subject and asked if Blueblood had thought about going home.

Blue had... but he wanted to stay here. But Lang had smiled at him, and had said quietly, words etched in Blueblood's mind even now... “You and Sleipnir gave up a year of your lives for me. You gave me back my entire world. I never deserved a son like you, Blue, and I still don't, and.. the best thing I can do for you, maybe, is tell you that you can go home. You should go home.”

Home... but was Canterlot home, anymore? Still, Blueblood had realized... just how much time it had been. And that Sleipnir had waited this whole time for him to be ready...

He'd spent the day thinking, wandering in and out of town to help with odd jobs here and there, greeting the citizens who had come to know him as well as any other pony in this little, now almost-pleasant village. Everyone had gotten so warm and friendly, and Blueblood thought that was probably Sleipnir's fault. It was hard to be sad around Sleipnir, after all, and the big lummox was always wandering around, helping out every pony he came across...

Maybe it was time for Blueblood to help out Sleipnir. His loyal brother, his best friend... and Blue had decided to head back to the cottage and find his father.

But on the road outside of the village, he had found his father laying on the road in a pile of crushed cupcakes, with crimson icing that had smeared across his body like blood, gasping for air and pawing sightlessly at the air. And for a moment, Blue had only stood helpless, staring with horror down at this awful, ominous sight, before he'd yelled for help and then picked up his father – So weak! So thin! So fragile! – and spun around to run back into town.

A week passed: a week that Blueblood spent most of his time in the sad excuse for a medical clinic, where his father was housed in the one piddling care unit they had, trying to regain his strength. But he never would..

When he became stable enough, Blueblood carefully, gently took his father back home. Lang was stuck in a wheelchair now, with only one working eye and one working foreleg. He had suffered some kind of stroke or brain aneurysm or... something. Blue didn't know, didn't remember; all he knew was that his father was stuck in this wheelchair, half-blind, unable to take care of himself, and yet there was still so much life – and sadness, and fear, and pain – in his single working eye...

Blueblood hadn't been able to leave. Not with his father like this. He wouldn't abandon this parent that he'd found too late in life, and lost too fast. He wouldn't leave his father to die alone and miserable in this forlorn house, stuck in diapers and a wheelchair. He was scared, and he hurt, and it was hard just to look at the poor, broken stallion... and yet at the same time, Blueblood had never been more determined to do the right thing than he was now.

Sleipnir had helped him, done more than Blueblood could have ever hoped for him to without needing to be asked. He fixed the damaged doors, ensuring they would stay securely latched when shut, but would also open at the touch of a hoof without getting caught or stuck. He replaced the few steps with gentle ramps, and lowered every countertop and every shelf, making sure that only the highest shelves were out of reach of the wheelchair-bound stallion.

And Sleipnir talked to Restless Languish, and helped him without ever patronizing him, and treated him like he was still a normal, healthy stallion... and Heaven, it almost made Blueblood cry to see that. Sleipnir was so good, so kind, so... so everything that Blueblood wanted to be...

Physically, Lang was barely able to move, but as the weeks passed into months, the unicorn began to react a little more mentally. He could barely talk, his voice only a whisper, his words slurred and sometimes mixed up... but his magic still seemed to work to a point. Blueblood was amazed by it, and by the tremendous strength and discipline he knew his father must have to be able to still try and move his own wheelchair with telekinesis when his broken body wouldn't even let him stand on his own emaciated legs..

Then, one day, while Sleipnir was out fetching groceries and Blue was quietly reading, Lang had carefully struggled into the room, using his working foreleg and his magic. Blue had hurriedly gotten up, worried something had happened, that his father's pain had worsened, that he was having an attack of some kind... but Lang had shaken his head and gestured at his lap, trying to slur out words, but only making noises.

Still, Blue had learned to interpret what his father wanted, and he was surprised and amazed to find that his father had made something for him. A gemstone, sloppily attached to a strap... and after a few minutes of studying it, Blueblood had realized he could feel magic pulsing through it. It had taken only another second for it to click in his mind, and he had smiled faintly, looking at his father with admiration and awe, as his father looked back... with sadness, and pain, but also love, and respect.

That night, Blueblood had slept with the band around his foreleg, and he'd found himself in a dreamworld that was so incredibly similar to the cottage he lived in now with his father. It had been eerie, really, getting out of bed and walking out to the living room... and to find his father sitting there and waiting for him, the old stallion looking up with a faint smile.

Restless Languish had recorded messages for him through the dream, letting them 'talk,' in a way... and it was wonderful, and it hurt so much at the same time, because this was only an echo of his father. It was his father's words, and his father's wishes, and it hurt so much to hear what he had to say in his gentle, compassionate voice...

In the morning, Blueblood had gone out to find his father in the living room, struggling just to turn the pages of a book that stood on the special stand Sleipnir had built him, since Lang couldn't hold a book up in front of his face anymore without help. And Blue had gently turned his father towards him, then reached up and grasped his shoulders as he struggled to hold back the tears in his eyes before he whispered: “I will not abandon you, Dad. I won't leave you like this. You don't deserve to suffer like this, okay? And I'm staying here because I love you, and because I'm... I'm not ready to let you go yet. It... it still feels like only yesterday that I got my Dad back, and... I... I don't want to lose you.”

And then Blueblood had hugged his father and buried his face against his thin chest, as the tears had flowed down his cheeks and he'd swallowed back his sobs. And his father had silently embraced him back as best he could with his working foreleg, trembling as tears streamed down his own face, chuffling quietly as he did everything he could to stay strong for his son.

Blueblood didn't think there was any other stallion in the world as strong as his father had proven to be. Every few weeks, his father would create a new gemstone for him, and Sleipnir would attach it to a band, and Blue would slip it on and sleep. He eagerly awaited each and every dream his father had to share with him...

Until today. Today, Blueblood had woken up early, then made breakfast before quietly making his way to his father's room with a small tray of food, gently knocking once before he pushed the door open and gazed inside...

His father was seated in his wheelchair, his head lowered, his forelegs cradling a fragile gemstone that had cracked from the magic energy focused into it. Blueblood stood in the doorway, gazing at his father and trembling as the tray floated silently beside him, and he... he simply knew. There was no better way to put it, as he breathed slowly in and out before silently, carefully putting down the tray on the floor outside the room.

He strode inside, reaching up to grasp his father's shoulder... and then he closed his eyes tightly before leaning forwards and hugging him as tightly as he could around the neck, burying his face into his shoulder and whispering: “I love you, Dad. You don't... you don't need this, but I forgive you. I know Mom does, too. I know she's waiting for you, so... so go find her, and... and say hello for me. And... and thank you, for... for being my father...”

There were no dramatics, no theatrics, as Blueblood silently hugged his father again and let the tears flow down his face, until he felt a gentle hoof touch his back. He looked up to find Sleipnir standing beside him, and Blueblood nodded to him silently before he had turned around, and the two had embraced fiercely.

After a few minutes, they pulled apart, and the two looked at each other before Blueblood asked quietly: “Will you... go into town for me? He needs his... everything is all arranged, and... we just need to let... to tell people...”

“Aye, Blue, of course. I shall see to everything, fear not.” Sleipnir halted, looking down before he added quietly: “That gemstone has fractured. While I am in town, I can repair it so it does not break when thou uses it, for I am certain that thy father... has left thee one last dream.”

“Can you really...” Blueblood stopped, then laughed faintly and shook his head, whispering: “Of course you can. I'm... I'm so lucky to have you with me, Sleipnir. I would never... I'd hate to think what would have happened without you.”

“There is little need to thank me there, Blue.” Sleipnir reached up and gently touched the old scarring on the side of the unicorn's face, saying softly: “I fear I am the root of as many pains as pleasures, little brother.”

Blueblood only laughed a little, and then he shook his head slowly. There was silence for a moment, and then the unicorn took a shuddering breath before turning and silently picking up the gemstone from his father's lap.

He held it for a moment, then closed his eyes and squeezed it gently: it was fragile, and yet... so warm. Pulsed with so much magic, so much life... and Blueblood trembled before he whispered: “He would have been the best of the Dream Weavers. He would have been as good as Princess Luna.”

“Aye, I do not doubt it. He was a noble, strong stallion...” Sleipnir smiled faintly, shaking his head slowly before he gently took the damaged gemstone, saying softly: “Thou shall see him again one day, I am certain. Life cycles in this world, and all that tars the soul of thy father is unnecessary guilt and pain he needs not feel. I am certain that Mother Nature will love him as dearly as thou did, and see that he is amply rewarded for the life he has lived.”

Blueblood smiled faintly, then he nodded briefly before lowering his head and murmuring: “I hope so. For now, I... I'm going to give him the little dignity I can.”

“Alright, Blue. I shall give thee time before I send anyone to thee, then.” Sleipnir promised, and Blue smiled again, looking up and rubbing silently at his eyes. Somehow, the big earth pony always knew just what he needed, and... it was at times like this he realized how lucky that made him.

Sleipnir left, and Blueblood turned towards his father, studying him silently for a few moments before he took a slow breath, then reached up and silently brushed some of his straggly mane away from his closed eyes, murmuring: “At least... you're free from this broken body now. And... and Sleipnir's right. We'll see each other again, some day...”

He smiled briefly, then shook himself slowly before gazing over his father silently. Stuck in this wheelchair, a harness half-pulled on around his body, like he had passed away while trying to hook himself in, stuck wearing a diaper and with patches and bandages all down his chest because of how much his body had hurt, reeking of the salves they used to help his body resist atrophy... he deserved so much better than this. He deserved dignity.

Blueblood gently pulled his father out of the wheelchair, and laid him silently on his bed before he grasped a garbage can. He felt like his body was shaking, but his hooves remained steady as he first removed all the... the excess. It left his father bare on the bed, naked and silent and so thin... and Blue shook his head slowly before he picked up the garbage can and left.

He returned a few minutes later with a sponge and a bucket and a whole kit of cleaning implements. He owed his father this, he felt. He knew his father was gone, that his spirit had moved on... but this was important to him. Even if he no longer had to fear the nightmares, Blue still feared everything about funerals and cemeteries and how his body would be treated after he died... he could at least show his respect for his father by helping make his body... comfortable.

He scrubbed his body with care, combed his mane and tail, wiped away all the dirt and grime. He gently scraped and polished his hooves, before quietly heading to the closet and finding his father's best suit.

Blueblood studied this for the longest time, and then he silently hung it back on the rack, taking a slow breath. No, it didn't seem appropriate: his father had been humble, and kind, and proud of his roots. Being a gravedigger and groundskeeper hadn't been a job that was below him, but he had done his very best at it, like he'd done with everything else, even though he'd had the makings of a Dream Weaver, of unicorn nobility...

No, he was unicorn nobility. This was real nobility, Blue thought: a proud stallion who always gave his best, who never looked down on other ponies, who took responsibility for his actions. Who was strong and decent and modest almost to a fault...

Blueblood realized that he was crying again, and he trembled before reaching up and wiping at his eyes, breathing roughly in and out before he swallowed back his pain. As he wiped at his eyes again, he looked to the side... and then smiled faintly as he saw something far more appropriate, he thought. Far more suiting to a stallion like his father had been.

Blueblood gently, gingerly dressed his father's body in his old traveling clothes, silently tightening the simple belt around his waist, gently brushing the wrinkles out of the simple jacket. There was a cape as well, but for now, Blueblood only draped it off to the side, smiling a little more as he studied the strangely-regal figure of the body. His undershirt was clearly from a different suit and the colors were all faded and the clothing was all worn and... it just felt perfect.

The unicorn sat quietly with his father, and the minutes bled away. He didn't know what else to do, what else to think, as he only gazed silently at the figure of Restless Languish and... didn't even know what to feel. Sadness? Relief? Serenity? Regret?

It was too strange. There were too many conflicting emotions, and Blueblood shook his head slowly before he smiled faintly as he finally heard a quiet knocking at the door. He hesitated for only a moment, then leaned over and silently kissed his father's forehead, whispering: “Okay Dad. Time... time to go.”

He climbed to his hooves and made his way to the door; everything past that became a blur. There were ponies, asking him if he needed anything, treating him gently and gingerly even as they talked about... funeral costs, and asked what they were going to do about the coffin, and where it was going to be held.

Blueblood wasn't able to come up with any good answers except to repeat, again and again, that his father had arranged everything himself ahead of time.. but thankfully he didn't have to spend long thinking about it: Sleipnir returned, and with him was the town's sole lawyer, who presented Blueblood with both a copy of his father's will as well as his last requests.

It was all set up, just like Blueblood had thought. His father wanted to be cremated, and his ashes scattered. Not a bad choice, Blue reflected.

There would be no viewing, and no real funeral, either: his father had requested that very specifically. And Blueblood felt somehow that his father had done that for him more than anything else, which made him smile faintly before he shook his head slowly. He still wanted to do something more for his father...

Sleipnir seemed to sense what he was thinking about, and the earth pony leaned down and whispered quickly in his ear. Blueblood had frowned at this, but then nodded slowly before saying quietly: “Tell everyone... they can come here tonight, if they want. They can say their last goodbyes, and... then have him cremated tomorrow.”

The pony that Blueblood guessed was the funeral director looked awkward for a moment... but then Sleipnir calmly dropped a hoof on his shoulder and smiled before saying gently: “Honoring the wishes of our departed friends is more important than girding thy bottom dollar, is it not?”

“I... yes. Yes, of course.” The funeral director smiled weakly up at the enormous stallion, and Blueblood couldn't help but feel thankful that Sleipnir had decided to step in.

Thankfully, the rest of the conversation hadn't lasted too long: the ponies left, and Sleipnir and Blueblood were left sitting quietly by themselves in the living room. Then Sleipnir cleared his throat and reached up into his mane, digging through the vines before he smiled and pulled loose a purple gemstone on a strap, saying softly: “Here. I had almost forgotten.”

Blue reached up and took the gemstone, feeling the magic thrumming through it, as powerful and potent as it had been before. But the surface felt strong and solid, not a hint of a crack visible in the amethyst as he studied the surface silently, then laughed a little before saying quietly: “You really never cease to amaze, Sleipnir. It looks... it looks just right. I can feel the potency of the magic in it.”

Sleipnir only smiled and shrugged slowly, then he replied honestly: “I merely did what I could, Blue, that is all. 'Tis my pleasure, though, to have been of service at all to thee in thy time of need.”

The unicorn only shrugged a little, and then he hesitated before looking down and murmuring: “I don't know what I'm supposed to feel. I don't... I don't know what I'm supposed to do. He was... he was such a good stallion, Sleipnir.”

“The very best.” Sleipnir agreed softly, and then he chuckled quietly before saying gently: “There is no crime in happiness. Even at the worst of times, when thou art lost in the darkest of darks... thou can still laugh, if thou has the heart for it. And 'tis no crime in it. So laugh, Blue, if that is what thy heart calls for... but likewise, cry, if that is what thou needs. Sing out, my brother, with whatever it is that thou feels.”

Blueblood looked down for a moment, biting his lip... and then he looked up at this always-smiling, always-pleasant, always-helpful stallion before he asked quietly: “You really don't think... my Dad would mind?”

“I think he would be happy that thou art happy. For that is all he ever seemed to want for thee, Blue: happiness.” Sleipnir replied honestly, and then he leaned forwards and reached up to squeeze his shoulder firmly. “Of course there is no joy to be found in times of great strife, if thou does not look for it. But if thou art to search the darkness... thou shall always find a beacon. Thou must just be willing to open thy eyes.”

Sleipnir reached up and gently tapped Blue's forehead a few times, and the unicorn gave a brief smile before he nodded suddenly. He leaned forwards, and the two traded a tight embrace for a moment before pulling apart, and Sleipnir laughed and reached up to firmly tousle Blueblood's mane, making him wince and shove at the enormous earth pony. “Good! Good, my brother! Now tell me, speak with joy of thy parents. Tell me again, another story of when thou wert a colt.”

Blueblood glared at Sleipnir for a moment... but then he looked down for a moment at the purple gemstone in one hoof before sighing and nodding, although his voice was almost meek when he began: “The... how about when.. I was at the playground.”

The earth pony smiled benevolently and nodded firmly, and Blueblood started to talk. And once he got going, he began to honestly smile, even when sadness pricked at his heart and his eyes... but no, there was happiness, too. Good memories, as he talked about how he'd gotten lost and his parents had come to look for him and they had all ended up covered in dirt but... happy. So happy, because there had been nothing wrong in those old days, because getting lost had become an adventure and they'd stumbled across this gorgeous little paradise hidden in the woods...

He remembered it so clearly, and it made him so... so happy. He cherished these memories, as he clutched the last gift from his father tightly in one hoof, and felt like the magic, the life that pulsed out of it was helping bring all these memories all the clearer to the surface, helped him to talk, helped him not to mourn his father's passing, but to celebrate the life he had lived, and everything he had done.

Blueblood talked and lost track of time, until they were interrupted by a knock at the door. And the unicorn was touched to find Merlot, of all ponies, had brought his family and a large tray of sandwiches, the well-dressed unicorn saying kindly: “I hope we aren't imposing, but... he was always a decent stallion. And he worked harder for me than any other pony in this town. I thought it was only right that I come and pay my respects.”

“I appreciate it, and I know my father would as well. Thank you.” Blueblood said honestly, and he quietly took the tray of food before smiling and turning to head into the living room, Merlot following with his wife and daughter. “Restless Languish is... in his bedroom. Sleipnir and I were just talking about... about the good times.”

“That's the best thing to keep in mind, I think, hard as it is. Your father would want you to be happy: even when he should have been worrying about himself, he only ever seemed to think about other ponies, and you were at the top of that list.” Merlot said gently, and then the richly-red unicorn straightened before gesturing politely at his family. “Penny, we're... going to say goodbye to Mr. Languish now, alright? Mind your manners, dear: he's just started his long sleep.”

“Okay, Daddy.” said the little filly, nodding a few times, and her mother smiled faintly and gently tugged the young girl onwards as Merlot lingered a moment, then glanced over his shoulder at Sleipnir and Blueblood.

“I... feel very inadequate offering you this, Blueblood, but... I'd like to take care of any costs for the cremation, at least. And if you need anything else, please let me know. I'd be more than happy to help out.” Merlot said quietly, gesturing at the two and smiling hesitantly.

Blue only smiled in return, however, shaking his head slowly before he replied quietly: “I appreciate the offer, more than you can know, Merlot. And I won't deny your kindness, either, it would... I know my father would have been honored by it. And so am I.”

Merlot only nodded in return, then smiled briefly before he turned and headed back towards the bedroom. There was silence for a few moments, and then Sleipnir picked up a sandwich from the tray and bit into it, saying around the mouthful of food: “'Twas good of you.”

“I don't see how.” Blueblood laughed a little, then gestured at Sleipnir and added: “And it's rude to talk with your mouth full, you know.”

“'Tis funny. Usually I only hear that from mares.” Sleipnir waggled his eyebrows at the unicorn, and Blueblood looked at the earth pony for a moment... then, in spite of everything, in spite of how much Sleipnir annoyed him and how much his father's passing had hurt and how strange this all felt, Blueblood couldn't help but laugh.

It felt good to laugh. It felt good, in spite of everything, to get a little relief. To be able to smile openly, and honestly, and to... to remember that there were still important people in his life. His father had passed on, but one day, they would meet again one way or another, he was sure of that... and now, he was free of pain.

But his life wasn't over yet. His life was just starting, really: sure, maybe he'd started a little late, but he was a stallion now, who had done everything he could for his father, and who... who owed this stallion across from him a debt he could never repay. Who had a best friend and brother who had stood by him through thick and thin, in spite of the fact...

Blueblood smiled faintly, and then he lowered his head before saying quietly: “Sleipnir, after... my father is cremated... we're going to leave for Canterlot. I'm... I'm sorry I made you wait. I know you must be eager to leave, and... my father wanted me to finish this, too.”

“Nay, Blue, all is well, fear not.” Sleipnir said gently, and then he shook his head and chuckled quietly before murmuring: “I honestly wished for thee to spend all the time thou needed with thy father... and I am all the more glad that thou did. 'Tis unfair that thou lost him so early, Blueblood, but... all the same, thou hast managed thyself well. Thou hast shouldered this burden with a grace that I can but admire, my friend.”

Blueblood only shrugged a little, and then he looked hesitantly down at the purple gemstone still in his hoof. “I guess... it helps knowing that I've never really lost him. Not only because of the cycle, but because... he gave me his very dreams, Sleipnir.”

“He was a wise and wonderful stallion.” Sleipnir smiled, then invited gently: “Tell me more of these Dream Weavers. I fear my great empty head still does not entirely grasp the concept.”

Blueblood chuckled quietly, but then he glanced up curiously as Merlot returned with his family, the well-dressed unicorn bowing his head politely to Blueblood before he said quietly: “We won't impose. Thank you for-”

“No, please. Feel free to stay.” Blueblood invited, and Merlot looked surprised as the unicorn smiled up at him before he chuckled as there was a knock at the door. “Well, excuse me, but... feel free to stay. Sleipnir and I are both happy for the company.”

Sleipnir nodded firmly, and then he smiled kindly down at the filly, who was shyly looking back and forth, not entirely understanding what was going on. “Fear not now, little filly. 'Tis a safe place here. Come, sit with me, I shall braid thy mane and make it almost as pretty as mine own!”

Sleipnir cheerfully tossed his viny locks, winking at the little mare, and she giggled quietly before looking up at her mother. The mare smiled indulgently at her daughter after a moment, and Merlot sighed, but then finally gestured towards Sleipnir. “Of course. I don't think you've ever been introduced, though. Sleipnir, this is my daughter, Penny. Penny, this is Sleipnir.”

“Be careful though, Penny. Sleipnir's so vain about his mane he might purposefully make a mess of your pretty hair. He can't stand competition.” Blueblood said as he entered the room, and Penny giggled a little even as she glared suspiciously up at Sleipnir, who pasted an innocent expression on his face as he touched his breast with both front hooves.

Merlot looked surprised at Blueblood's amiability as he led several more ponies inside, then gestured kindly to the side, saying softly: “Dad is... sleeping in there. Go ahead, let yourselves in. And thank you. It means a lot to me, and I know it would mean a lot to him.”

The ponies smiled, then traded nods with Merlot and his wife as they walked past. Sleipnir, meanwhile, had hefted the filly into his lap, and was doing a surprisingly good job of braiding her hair, the entire sandwich now stuffed into his muzzle.

Merlot hesitated, then looked over at Blueblood, asking uncertainly: “Are you sure that you're alright? I know this must be hard for you. You don't need to put on any airs for us, though, we're...”

Blueblood looked back at Merlot for a moment, and then he laughed a little and nodded, replying quietly: “I... I honestly am alright. It might sound strange, but I really am. In fact, the more I think about it... the harder it is to be sad, because Restless Languish wouldn't have wanted that. He wanted me to be happy, to push forward with my life... he... he told me so many times he would be fine on his own here. That I should go...”

The prince smiled briefly, shaking his head slowly. “But I'm glad I never did. I'm... I'm sad that he's gone, but I'm happy for the time we spent together. I've learned as much here as I ever did on my adventures across Equestria... maybe even more.” Blueblood chuckled quietly, then smiled over at Sleipnir. “But perhaps that's because I had two strong stallions by my side instead of just one.”

Sleipnir gazed warmly back at the unicorn, and then Blue cleared his throat before saying finally: “Once my father is cremated, Sleipnir and I are going to leave for Canterlot. I'm going to bring his ashes with me. There's a place there I know he would have loved to see, where... I'd like to scatter his ashes and lay him down to rest.”

Merlot nodded, then he gestured around and promised: “Well, this home will be waiting for you, if you ever want it. I'll make sure that someone maintains it, at least for a few months. It's the very least I can do for you.”

“I appreciate it, Merlot...” Blueblood glanced around his father's house... what had become his home, really, before he said softly: “I already have a few ideas about what I'd like to do with it. Things that I hope my father will appreciate, wherever he is.”

“He's just sleepin', right?” Penny asked curiously, looking up, and Merlot smiled awkwardly as his wife shifted uncomfortably.

But Blueblood nodded calmly, and Sleipnir reached up to ruffle the filly's mane, ruining the braids he had just finished, the young girl giggling as she looked up at him warmly. “Aye, but he is in the long sleep now, which means that he has said goodbye to us and is now off to a better place.”

The filly nodded wisely a few times, and Merlot studied Blueblood with interest before he said quietly: “I hope you don't mind me saying this, Blueblood, but... when you first arrived here, I was worried. Worried about what might happen between you and Restless Languish, worried about all the tales that I'd heard about the Prince of Equestria. But you've left me feeling... humbled, to say the least. And I wish that I could say something to make you both stay, if just a little longer. You've done wonders for our town.”

Sleipnir only shrugged, then replied kindly: “Fear not, friend, for I have seen the light return to this place, and know thou and thy kin shall see to it that thy home does not fall back into despair. But remember, teach thy children to nurture the life of this town: for it is not size alone that makes a place great, but the drive of the ponies who live within.”

Merlot and his wife both smiled at this, and Blueblood nodded firmly in agreement as Penny giggled quietly. Sleipnir gazed at the foal with warmth as he reached up and tenderly stroked through her mane, and she blushed and looked up at him with happiness... and as Blue looked at the two, he felt just like Sleipnir that there was nothing better, nothing purer, than bringing happiness to the innocent... and if there was any way they could best honor Restless Languish, it was by continuing to hold their heads high as they protected all ponies with compassion and honor.

Blueblood only hoped that he could be half the stallion his father had been.

The Prince Returns

Chapter Thirty Two: The Prince Returns
~BlackRoseRaven

The last two days that Blueblood and Sleipnir had spent in Rancher's Ridge had been comfortable, and renewed the strength of both ponies even as they'd attended to their last goodbyes... both to Restless Languish, as well as to this little town and its inhabitants.

The funeral parlor hadn't been exactly happy with the plans for Lang, and they'd dragged their hooves through most of the process, from picking up the body to the meeting with the funeral director. He had spent most of the appointment trying to come up with reasons why Blueblood needed to buy a coffin or blathering on about how they normally required a full funeral to provide services and on and on and on. Blueblood had been annoyed, but he hadn't allowed himself to get angry or to allow the greedy funeral director to ruin his mood: he'd just continued to insist until Sleipnir had complained that he was getting bored, and promptly smashed his face into the funeral director's desk.

The little fit of pique had nearly broken the funeral director's desk in half, and the funeral director had hurriedly promised they could pick up the ashes in the morning. And as they had walked out, Blueblood had asked wryly how Sleipnir could be so happy and compassionate and such a giant bully at the same time.

Sleipnir had only shrugged cheerfully, and then they had gone back to the house, where they still had guests waiting for them. The night had been spent in good company, talking about old times, drinking and eating and... it hadn't quite been a party, but it had been close. And it had been enjoyable, and helped keep the lights going during this dark time.

Eventually, the guests had left, and Blueblood had settled down to sleep with the gemstone his father had given him. He slipped the band around his head, and felt the comforting weight of the gem settle just beneath his horn, the magic making the spire tingle faintly as he closed his eyes...

And his father had been waiting for him, to tell him that he loved him, to share a hug with him, and then... vanish. But Blueblood found himself in a great hall, lined with a hundred, if not a thousand doors, and he had wandered over to the closest before pushing it open...

Sound and light had assaulted him, surprising him before he stumbled into a busy university. But generic-looking, grayish ponies were walking right through him, and he didn't know quite what to think as he gazed around... until his eyes widened as he saw two ponies that stood out in vibrant color shyly standing in the middle of the square, the mare clutching a set of books against her breast as the stallion smiled at her and listened to her ramble away...

His parents. And Blueblood trembled as he realized what Lang had done: with the last of his strength, he'd poured countless memories into this gemstone: he had left his son a gift that he would never be able to thank his father enough for. He had left him a gift that truly allowed Blueblood to keep a piece of his father with him, forever.

The morning had come too soon, but Blueblood had never felt more invigorated, more ready in his entire life. And when they had retrieved his father's urn of ashes, Blue had silently hugged it against his chest, and promised that he would never, ever forget all the things that Restless Languish had done for him.

And Sleipnir, to his surprise, had a gift for him as well: one that left Blueblood awed and amazed. His armor had been heavily modified, new parts added and old parts swapped out, polished and repainted and... absolutely gorgeous. It gleamed brightly, almost as if greeting him, and it had only taken a touch for Blueblood to realize... this was what Sleipnir had done with the extra mythril. And he couldn't begin to express how honored he was by the stallion's effort and dedication and kindness.

He had suited up gladly in what was now a proper set of full plate mail, but felt only a little heavier than it had been before in spite of the segmented and flexible metal plates now protecting almost every inch of his body. And he'd been humbled beyond all measure when Sleipnir had presented him with a small shield of ironwood overlaid with thin mythril sheeting: the targe was polished to a reflective glint, and was bordered with a prayer for peace written in ancient runes.

It was all so much more than he deserved. And Blueblood wore it proudly now as they headed towards Canterlot, his satchels tight on his sides, his head high and helm gleaming, and the gemstone filled with his father's memories pulled down to rest tightly around his throat. It was probably going to stretch the band out, but Blueblood planned to move the gemstone to a proper amulet when he had the chance, or something like that. It was something he was going to want to have on him at all times.

The unicorn paused for a moment, then looked over at Sleipnir, asking curiously: “What would you recommend I do with this gemstone? I was thinking about an amulet.”

“Oh, nay. 'Tis too heavy.” Sleipnir said thoughtfully, and Blueblood cocked his head before the enormous earth pony explained: “Thou may not be able to fit it beneath thy armor, and if thou does, the movements of thy body and any strikes thou may take could cause it to fracture, sandwiched between solid steel and thy handsome stallion's chest.”

Blueblood frowned meditatively at this, muttering: “I didn't think of that. It is pretty big...”

“Oh aye, 'tis quite large.” Sleipnir said blandly, and Blueblood slowly looked over at the earth pony, giving him a dry look even as Sleipnir continued seriously: “But I must warn thee, that mine is far larger. Fear not, though, Blue: if thou fights and trains and lives with the courage of a stallion larger than thee, than I am certain that thou shall swell to sizes far greater in time.”

“I hate you. Alright, then should I put it in... I don't know. A collar or a choker seems too strange to me.” Blue muttered, looking thoughtfully away, and then he glanced up tiredly when Sleipnir giggled a little. “Now what?”

“Oh, 'tis just funny that thou should say that, 'tis all. For, thou sees, my little sister was very quick to collar both her mares, and they never did complain.” Sleipnir winked. “Although Scrivener Blooms, as I recall, was most reluctant to wear his pretty jewelry around me. I do not know why: I rarely tried to take advantage of the handsome creature!”

Blueblood sighed, then finally looked up and asked out morbid curiosity and possible masochism: “Just how many stallions have you slept with?”

“Oh, not many.” Sleipnir said pleasantly, shaking his head and smiling cheerfully over at Blueblood. “Stallions are more picky than mares about where they make their bed, I shall have thee know. Or at least the kind I have always been around, who so crow about their stallionness but act as whimpery as dandies should they be caught thinking a single impure thought about another stallion. And 'tis not as if I can blame any creature for having impure thoughts of me!”

Blueblood simply looked at Sleipnir for a moments, then decided it was better not to ask before he looked ahead down the road. “Is that Rider City in the distance?”

“Aye, I believe thou art right.” Sleipnir said thoughtfully, peering ahead, and then he smiled and nodded before saying cheerfully: “We are making good time, Blue! And once we reach the city, we shall be able to board a train and cut our journey's time to a few days!”

Blueblood's eyes widened in surprise, and he felt a weight drop in his gut as he asked disbelievingly: “You... you want to get on a train? But... I thought we were going to walk back to Canterlot, and... I mean...”

But Sleipnir only chuckled quietly, smiling reassuringly over at Blueblood and saying gently: “Now fear not, my friend. I do not have plans to leave for a long time yet: there is much that has to be done before the portal will be ready to test, even if we have friends working hard away at readying it for us. But I merely thought thou would enjoy seeing thy family again, and this one time, I will be willing to ride in a blasted, lumbering machine.”

Sleipnir paused, then added teasingly: “Besides, I had always thought that little colts like thou art enjoyed trains! 'Tis just like a bigger version of thy silly doll-toys, is it not?”

“Oh, ha ha, Sleipnir. You peasant.” All the same, Blueblood smiled despite himself, shaking his head briefly before he replied finally: “And I.. well, if you feel we should, Sleipnir... I guess it would be nice to actually travel in leisure for once. And it would be nice to surprise Auntie...”

Blueblood smiled a little, and Sleipnir nodded firmly. “Then let us make for the train station, and I am certain that we shall be able to burst in upon thy aunt and both rain kisses upon her before she even knows what is happening! Although in my case, Blue, I fear I may again have to sweep her off her hooves and off to bed before thou gets much of a chance to speak with her!”

“Oh, please don't.” Blueblood groaned, and then he glared over at Sleipnir as the enormous stallion only grinned cheerfully and winked at him. “There's honestly something very wrong with you. You can't live like a foal forever, you know.”

“Oh, aye, I certainly can.” Sleipnir replied stoutly, shaking his head quickly before he added with surprising seriousness: “It is not being childish that makes ruin of us, Blue. 'Tis being immature. And there is a vast difference betwixt a happy fool and a whimpering dandy who will not accept his responsibilities.”

Blueblood looked thoughtful at this, turning his gaze ahead, and then he said wryly: “So you're very... maturely childish, in other words.”

“Aye, if thou must make it sound so poetic!” Sleipnir said mildly, and then he winked, adding cheerfully: “Not all things must be broken down into silly, simple facts, I shall have thee know. Some things merely are: why can't thou simply be happy with this knowledge, Blue?”

The ivory unicorn smiled wryly in response to this, then he sighed and shook his head before saying dryly: “Probably because I can't help but ask logical questions in response to your completely illogical answers. It's a foolish habit, I know.”

“'Tis, but I still love thee, brother.” Sleipnir replied easily, and Blue laughed in spite of himself before he shook his head and smiled, turning his eyes forwards as amusement and a growing excitement ran through his body.

They were going home. Blueblood was going to get to set hoof in Canterlot again, see his Auntie, share with her everything he had learned and finally tell her in person all about Restless Languish. Then, they could build Sleipnir's portal, and...

And Sleipnir was going to leave. And he hated how that thought immediately sucked all the cheer out of his system, how it made him feel so... so bad. What was he going to do without Sleipnir, after all? The stallion was his brother, his best friend, his guide: he had taught him so much, and was still the pony he looked to for advice, depended upon, needed...

With him gone, what if he started to slip back into his old ways? And hell, without Sleipnir around... what was he going to do with his life? Sure, ponies called him the prince and all still, but he felt like that was more of a nickname than anything else now, and if anything, he was afraid of what it would mean if they tried to make him take the throne. Thankfully, that was very unlikely with his Aunts and now Twilight Sparkle... and oh, he really was going to have to apologize to her when he got home for how he'd treated her and all those nasty anonymous letters he'd sent to her.

Blueblood mused, head lowered, and Sleipnir only smiled faintly at the unicorn and half-led him onwards down the road, matching his pace to his companion's. It was going to hurt to leave here, he knew... but it had been so long, and he felt that things were still so very wrong back home. He really had no other choice but to make sure he left as soon as possible, to try and help his family however he could...

Except he had this awful feeling that he was too late to do any real good: that it had been too late the moment the dark god had whisked him and his wife away and thrown them into exile. And more than that, he was growing more and more sure that this portal simply wasn't going to work: he'd talked about it with Mother Nature, and Old Oak, and come to the conclusion that the portal couldn't possibly work because this world wasn't linked to any of the others.

For all he knew, the portal could backfire and rip open a hole to the Void: it made him hesitant to even finish this journey, and half-tempted to include some glaring flaw in his own designs, one that would make it impossible for the portal to focus magic or activate. But he also knew that there was a very slim chance the portal might just send a blind signal out through the realms that might just be able to touch upon another world... and if he could get to any world that was part of the endless chain that spiraled around the Core World...

He had to try, because if the portal failed, then he was either going to have to figure out how to teach the ponies of this world to open the Bifrost – which would be next to impossible for many reasons, not the least of which was that he couldn't do magic himself – or he was going to have to find another way home. And if even demons couldn't escape back to Helheim from this world...

But still, part of him wanted to believe there was a way out of here. Sure, he could probably settle down on this world, smile, and be comfortable... but oh, he missed his family. And his phoenix, his darling, beloved phoenix... he ached for her. Every day he thought about her, every night he had long conversations with her in his head, imagining that she was already safely back at home, fighting beside his friends against... whatever evil had survived.

He could sense that something was still terribly, painfully wrong, after all, and that whatever was going on was only worsening: the premonitions tortured him, but Sleipnir refused to give in to them, refused to allow them to poison his thoughts or his mood. Why worry, why be sad if there was nothing he could do about it? Why not continue to smile, and focus on what he could change, and the people he could help?

He would never, ever abandon his family and friends, but likewise, he knew that they wouldn't want him just mourning and whimpering. That wasn't what honorable stallions and mares were supposed to do! They were supposed to continue to fight, to help, to serve the hopes of justice everywhere they went, not cry and whine just because they couldn't find their way back home as quickly as they wanted to!

Sleipnir smiled and nodded firmly to himself after a moment. He could be sad, but it was better to just be happy, to not let heavy thoughts weigh down the head and the heart and make him selfish and stupid. It was better to keep himself moving than to slow to a stop, and stagnate, and worry pointlessly about things he couldn't do anything about anyway.

The enormous earth pony gazed ahead down the road, smiling: he could hear ponies now all going about their business, and hear the clanking of carriages and the distinct sizzling of electricity and machinery. Usually they weren't things he was so happy about, but it meant they were nearly back to Canterlot, and it meant he could steal a few days of peace with Blueblood aboard one of those infernal contraptions he barely fit in.

He wanted to spend time with Blueblood as a friend and brother, after all... and he also wanted to prepare him as much as he could for when he had to leave, one way or another. He wanted Blue to be strong, to uphold the honor he had earned, to continue to fight as a warrior and prove he was truly worthy of one day, being a great jarl: a leader of ponies.

But Sleipnir had faith that one day very soon, Blueblood would be.

The train ride back was... fun, in a word. Sleipnir had spent most it teasing Blueblood, seducing various mares, and generally being a nuisance to the train crew. But he was too charming and lovable for them to kick him off, thankfully... well, that and the fact that Blueblood was the Prince of Equestria and bound for Canterlot.

But Blue oddly felt... unhappy about that title now meaning so much again. And when they had pulled into Canterlot and the train workers had cleared the entire aisle for him to go first, Blue hadn't felt special, but instead embarrassed and uncomfortable.

Walking through the city had been a surreal experience: he felt so out of place, looking around at all these posh and happy ponies, who were all in suits and expensive clothes or had covered themselves in perfumes or makeup.

And him, on the other hoof? He was dressed in armor, sword and shield both on his back and rawhide bags strapped to his sides. His helmet was off, but with his shaggy mane and the scars over one side of his face, no one could recognize him. Sure, ponies were staring at him, but not because they knew he was the prince: because he was such an exotic sight, just like Sleipnir was.

Sleipnir, of course, had just happily trotted along with him until they'd finally reached the castle, and here, Blueblood lingered. All he had to do was cross this bridge, and announce who he was to the Royal Guard on duty. They would let him in, and he would be able to see Auntie Celestia, and...

And then what? He was so excited and so nervous and so anxious and... and yet he wanted to turn around and just leave. He already felt the country and the road calling him to resume his adventures, outside of these marble walls, away from this monstrosity of a castle. He didn't want to be here... as much as he loved his aunts, he wanted to be anywhere but here.

He flinched as Sleipnir gently clapped him on the shoulder, the unicorn looking up before the earth pony said kindly: “Come now, Blue. It shan't be so bad, and thou has much to speak of to thine Aunt Celestia, does thou not? Art thou not eager to see her?”

Blueblood nodded hesitantly, and Sleipnir smiled kindly, saying gently: “Then focus solely upon that, my friend. 'Tis the best thing thou can do, here and now.”

“I... alright, Sleipnir. I'll try.” Blueblood said quietly, and the enormous earth pony gave him a warm look before Blueblood took a slow breath, then rose his head proudly before striding calmly over the bridge with the enormous earth pony trundling happily along behind him.

The Royal Guard were all staring at him, and Blue looked calmly back at them before he bowed his head and said politely: “Please let me through, and tell Princess Celestia that Blueblood has returned from his journey with Sleipnir the Mighty.”

The guards stared, then looked at each other before one of them asked nervously: “Sir, uh... well, where is the prince? Is he on his way?”

Blueblood looked blankly back at the guards for a moment, and Sleipnir giggled before clearing his throat and looking hurriedly away when Blue glared at him. Then the unicorn took a slow breath before looking back ahead and saying firmly: “I am Blueblood, and I would like to go inside and see my aunt.”

The soldiers traded looks between themselves, and then one snorted laughter as another rolled his eyes, and the guard in front began mildly: “Sir, I don't know what you're trying to do, but unless you give me your real name I can't let you into the castle.”

Blueblood sighed, then he looked moodily over at Sleipnir before the earth pony said cheerfully: “Well, thou cannot blame them, Blue! Thou hast grown into a handsome, mighty stallion. Perhaps they would believe thou if thou acted a bit more like thine old self, though...”

Sleipnir winked knowingly at the unicorn, and Blueblood looked mildly up at the earth pony before he sighed, cleared his throat, and then threw his head back and howled: “I demand you peasants get out of my way and let me in to see Auntie right now, right now, right this moment!”

Then Blueblood dropped his head forwards, glowering at the guards as they all stared. Then one stallion began to mouth wordlessly, pointing at him with disbelief as another paled and a third wobbled on his hooves, and Blue groaned loudly before almost pleading: “You can't honestly be that amazed!”

The Royal Guard who had been wobbling on his hooves fainted, and Blue looked down at him dumbly before the officer apparently in charge hurriedly bowed several times, blurting: “P-Prince Blueblood, it's so... we didn't... you look great! Great! Please just go right on inside and please... just... please, go right inside!”

“Please, just... calm down, everypony. I'm not mad at any of you. I'm just a little bit... surprised, that's all. Do I really seem that different?” Blue asked quizzically, and Sleipnir snorted in amusement, which made the unicorn scowl up at him. “Well of course I seem different to you, Sleipnir, you've-”

“I have been with thee, training thee for the three and some years, Blue, and I am still amazed by the transformation that has blossomed in thee.” Sleipnir replied kindly, gesturing easily at the unicorn and winking at him. “'Tis not their fault they still remember the old thee instead of the new Blueblood... although 'tis rather sad there has apparently been so little news of our mighty conquests here in Canterlot!”

The guards all traded awkward looks, and then one of them cleared his throat before gesturing lamely again at Blueblood, saying hesitantly: “If you like, we can... send along a messenger or... have you escorted up to the Princess, she'll... she'll be very happy to see you, I'm sure. Sir. Prince, sir.”

Blueblood only smiled briefly, shaking his head before he replied gently: “That's very generous of you, but I'm more than happy to make my own way up to see Auntie Celestia. I'd like to surprise her. Is she in her throne room at the moment?”

“Attending to audiences, yes sir, Prince Blueblood.” the soldier replied, saluting quickly, and then he tilted his head when the unicorn only smiled wryly and rose a hoof.

“There's no need for any of that. I haven't done much here to earn anypony's respect yet... and anyway, we all know I'm not really a prince. Just call me Blue.” The ivory stallion answered, and the soldier was left gaping.

But this time, Blueblood quickly patted him on the shoulder before clearing his throat and shouldering gently past the line of amazed Royal Guard. Sleipnir laughed loudly, then followed after a moment, playfully bodychecking one of the guards out of his way as he passed and saying teasingly: “Careful, friends! If such a little thing as this leaves thee shellshocked, then I fear what death may pass over the castle when all of thee find just how deeply our wild-hearted friend has changed!”

Blueblood gave Sleipnir an amused look at this, then he shook his head slowly as they walked down the halls... halls that felt so familiar, and yet so alien to them both, as the unicorn said mildly: “You know, I know what you're doing.”

“I am doing nothing, Blue.” Sleipnir replied innocently, and then he paused for a moment before adding thoughtfully: “But Blue Heart... or Wild Blue.. or perhaps Blue Wildheart Earthwalky.”

“Earthwalker.” Blueblood corrected dryly, and then he sighed before shaking his head and smiling a little, glancing down at the floor and murmuring: “And if there's one thing I've learned, Sleipnir, it's that no matter what your name is... you're still the same person.”

Sleipnir nodded firmly several times at this, and then he said kindly: “Aye, precisely. And thou hast always been a strong stallion, Blue, that is what I see. Perhaps thou wert not so well off at first in this life, aye, but that was not even all thy fault, was it?”

“I don't know, Sleipnir. I really don't.” Blueblood said honestly, smiling briefly again up at the stallion. “What... what if it's this place? Canterlot, being a prince... I... I'm afraid that...”

“Now, cease that.” Sleipnir said gently, and the two halted in the middle of the hall before Sleipnir reached up and took the unicorn by the shoulders, saying softly: “Thou art not weak. And thou art well on thy way to being a true leader of ponies, Blue. And I do not believe thou art going to fall or fail, because... thou hast learned some of the hardest lessons thou can in this life and the next.”

Sleipnir reached up and firmly tapped a hoof against his own breast, and Blue smiled faintly before he nodded slowly, closing his eyes. Yes, that was right: the ponies he'd lost at the Fortress of Exile, and Cerulea, and his father, Restless Languish... and Sleipnir, of course. He had to honor Sleipnir, even after, especially after...

Blueblood took a steadying breath, then looked up at him before he said quietly: “I get scared, though, because when I was Prince... very little in me recognized that what I was doing was wrong. It all felt justified, and I was bitter, and angry, and... I honestly believed you were trying to take away my throne, that everypony was out to get me. I couldn't see the mirror past... my own fat, I suppose.”

Blueblood smiled briefly, reaching up to silently rub the armor over his now-toned, solid stomach, and Sleipnir shrugged easily before replying simply: “Well, if thou becomes a great marshy-mellow again, thou shan't fit in thy armor anymore. And I have seen how fond thou art of it! Therefore thou shan't become slothy and slovenly again, I am sure.”

“Oh yes, Sleipnir, a great reason why I'm not going to go down that road.” Blueblood said ironically, and then he hesitated before silently reaching up to touch the purple gemstone on the stretched band around his neck, asking hesitantly: “What if I... what if without you to guide me... I use all this strength you've given me for bad things?”

Sleipnir softened, and then he shook his head slowly before reassuring quietly: “Blue, if there is one thing in this strange world I have faith in... it is that thou hast never been a tyrant. Thou hast never been malicious, nor cruel. And thou hast worked too hard and gained too much to throw thy honor away for something so silly and worthless as a bit more power.

“But most of all, Blueblood... tyrants and monsters, at the end of the day, are nothing but the castoff, the slake, forged from hate and fear, and broken by it.” Sleipnir said softly, meeting the stallion's eyes evenly. “Thou hast overcome even thy worst fears, though, and shown compassion and love to even those thou had every right to hate. Thou hast learned to quell savagery with mercy, and to strike with surety... but only when there is no other choice.”

The two looked at each other for a few moments, blue and chestnut eyes gazing deep into one another's and seeing the faith and trust and admiration they shared... and then Blueblood smiled faintly before he lowered his head and murmured: “I don't deserve the trust you have in me.”

“Thou deserves that and more.” Sleipnir replied firmly, shaking his head before he stepped back and said kindly: “Now come. If thine Auntie is anything akin to the Celestia that I know, then I fear by now she must already know we are here and the surprise is all ruint.”

“Ruined, you mean. Ruined, Sleipnir. Enunciate. It's bad enough you have to talk in that strange dialect of yours and all.” Blueblood retorted, and Sleipnir huffed loudly before smacking the back of Blueblood's head, almost knocking him over. But instead, he turned his stagger into a brisk walk, raising his head high and pretending that his ears weren't ringing as he grumbled: “Oh yes, solve all your problems with violence, peasant.”

“I shall solve thy problems with my... violence.” Sleipnir argued lamely, and then he huffed again before complaining: “And thou art all the ones with strange accents! Thy twisty and turny words, 'tis like shards of glass in mine ears! Oh, sure, my big sister would agree with thee that I am of strange discourse and speech, but she is terribly stuffy when it comes to such things. Are not my sweet words as music?”

“Not really.” Blueblood replied dryly, and Sleipnir gave a disdainful sniff. The two bumped against each other as they walked along, and the unicorn wondered both how he and Sleipnir had managed to work together so well for three years... as well as how he had ever gotten along without this stallion by his side.

Although the answer to that, he realized, was that he kind of hadn't... and the unicorn smiled despite himself before he glanced mildly over at Sleipnir as the enormous earth pony asked cheerfully: “Art thou having impure thoughts about me, Blue? For I remember when we were aboard the train and forced to share that cramped little compartment, I awoke to a rather stiff pokery one morn...”

“Oh shut up.” Blueblood huffed, looking away in embarrassment. “And that was... that was merely my hoof!”

“'Twas a small hoof.” Sleipnir remarked cheerfully, and Blueblood glared over at the earth pony, one eye twitching before the enormous earth pony added, waggling his eyebrows: “But I suppose that not all ponies can have hooves nearly as large as mine own!”

Blueblood sighed tiredly: but thankfully they had reached the audience chamber... or rather, the hall outside it. And as always, the corridor was crowded with ponies, many of whom were visiting nobles, others who had honest problems, and as always, a few who were just here to sort of hang out. Blueblood grimaced as he thought about all the times he had used to do things like that: mingling with a captive audience, gossiping with nobles and stirring the pot and generally throwing his weight around... sometimes literally, with how heavy he'd used to be.

Sleipnir looked quizzically back and forth, then he reached up and rubbed at his head thoughtfully before remarking: “How strange! I feel as if I have encountered this precise scene before.”

“Well, it's possible. Auntie always tries to do as many audiences as she can, but... she always ends up overbooked, and usually by privileged ponies who know the right people to ask, have the right connections.” Blueblood said dryly, and then he shivered a little, Sleipnir cocking his head curiously at this. “Oh, it's... nothing. Just thinking about how I used to think that kind of nepotism was okay.”

Sleipnir nodded wisely, and then he winked over at the unicorn, saying cheerfully: “Aye, it all comes back to me now. As I also recall...”

The earth pony looked back and forth, then smiled and strode over to a stallion in an expensive suit. The well-to-do pony scowled up at pony, then winced a bit when Sleipnir said brightly: “Hello!”

The rich pony only snorted, then looked away with a huff, turning his nose up in the air. Sleipnir studied him for a few moments, then he glanced up as well before asking curiously: “Are we looking for rain? We are indoors, so thou had best not hope 'tis about to rain, for if it were to come inside, 'twould be quite heavy.”

The pony slowly looked over at Sleipnir with a moue of distaste, and then he started to open his mouth, and Sleipnir frowned as he leaned down before asking curiously: “Would thou perhaps have any more of that chocolate thou hast been eating on thee? I am rather hungry.”

The rich stallion's eyes widened as he reached up and covered his muzzle, and then he looked embarrassedly back and forth before hurrying off. Blueblood stared in disbelief as Sleipnir smiled brightly, then turned and trotted over to another pony, greeting brightly: “Hello!”

Blueblood watched with amazement as Sleipnir wandered from pony to pony: he solved problems, debated, teased, and did basically anything and everything he could to get ponies to leave. And he was very, very good at it, managing to clear almost the entire audience hall before Celestia's attendant emerged, then did a double take... before glaring furiously at Sleipnir, pointing at him and shouting: “You! You!”

“Oh, good! Look, Blue, we are being invited in!” Sleipnir said cheerfully, and the attendant glared before he began to shout furiously for the Royal Guard, but the earth pony only called clearly over his yells: “Oh, nay, nay! There is no need for an escort, we are well enough known here!”

Blue laughed despite himself as he ran quickly up after Sleipnir, ponies staring in disbelief as the earth pony approached the double doors and simply shoved them open, almost knocking over the two Royal Guard that had been coming to see what all the ruckus from outside was about.

They both stared as the enormous earth pony boldly strode past with Blueblood, both stallions ignoring the attendant as he fluttered back and forth around them, shouting angrily as Celestia straightened in her throne... and then her eyes widened, her mane visibly flared with light, and she gave a cry of joy that stupefied the attendant into silence.

Celestia leapt down from her throne, and Blueblood looked up in surprise.. then laughed when Celestia almost pounced on top of him, hugging him fiercely against her body as she exclaimed: “Blueblood! Oh, Blueblood, I've been so worried about you, it's... it's so good to see you! Oh, Sleipnir, it's so good to see you, too, both back here in one piece, with everything your letters said I was getting so... I got so...”

Celestia drew back, and then trembled a little as she reached up and silently touched Blue's face, tilting it to the side as she gazed silently over the scarring across his cheek. She bit her lip for a moment, then took a slow breath before stepping back and looking at him. She was still smiling, but it was much weaker as she studied him silently before whispering: “Oh, Blueblood... you've... you've grown up so much.”

Blueblood smiled faintly, shrugging slowly before he straightened in his armor, letting her gaze over him, take in every detail of the plate mail, the sword and the shield, how his features had matured into deeper handsomeness and yet lost their coltish charm at the same time. He was a stallion now, she saw: he was no longer young, dependent, needy Blueblood... and strangely, part of her ached at that thought. At the fact that now, he was a strong stallion who no longer needed her.

“Sunstroke, please spread word that Prince Blueblood has returned. And in honor of him and Sir Sleipnir, I want tomorrow to be a day of celebration. Invite everypony, our doors will be open to all.” Celestia said warmly, and then she blinked in surprise as Blue smiled awkwardly and held up a hoof. “Yes? What is it, Prince Blueblood?”

“Just... just Blue, please, Auntie Celestia. I'm not worthy of being a prince.” Blueblood said honestly, and Celestia stared at him with surprise before the ivory unicorn added: “And I appreciate the thought and the gesture, but... Sleipnir and I are just happy to be here. It's just... it's wonderful just to see you, Auntie. We don't need a big celebration.”

“Well, thou may not, but I certainly do!” Sleipnir said cheerfully, nudging Blueblood playfully before he winked across at the stunned-looking Celestia. “Fear not, we shan't reject thy kindness, 'twould be rude. Blue is merely being silly and worried. He is as anxious as a frog amidst serpents.”

The unicorn rolled his eyes even as he blushed a little, and Celestia cleared her throat before she said finally: “Well, Pr... I mean, Blueblood... I'd like to do this for you. You and Sleipnir deserve it, and... I'm sure all of Canterlot is eager to see how much you've changed. That you've grown into a fine, strong stallion.”

Blueblood smiled awkwardly, and then he shrugged a little before saying after a moment: “Well, I just hope that I'm on the way there, at least.”

Celestia studied him almost curiously, and then she cleared her throat before saying finally: “If you'll excuse me, though, I... I suppose I should try and get through the rest of these audiences, but then I'll be right up to see you, Blueblood. Perhaps your Aunt Luna is up: she's been asking about you quite a lot lately. She missed you.”

The unicorn chuckled at this: he doubted Aunt Luna had missed him at all, really, but he nodded and bowed his head respectfully to Celestia before murmuring: “Okay, Auntie. I think Sleipnir and I both have to settle in, anyway. I'll be looking forwards to seeing you tonight.”

Quiet. Respectful. Kind and honest. Celestia gazed with wonderment as Sleipnir waved to her happily before he turned proudly around with her adopted child, and led him back out of the throne room. All the ponies looked just as amazed and confused as she felt, but Celestia forced herself to snap out of the daze she had fallen into before she cleared her throat and asked: “Who... who is next on the list, Sunstroke? And will you please send out that message as soon as possible?”

“I... yes! Oh, yes, of course!” her attendant said hurriedly, shaking his head wildly before he turned and scurried for the open doors. Celestia stood for a moment longer, watching as the Royal Guards awkwardly stumbled back to their own positions and a sense of normalcy started to return to the throne room.

She returned to her own throne, completing the illusion that things were going on with business as usual... but even as ponies began to come in and out with requests and complaints and questions, she answered and reacted mostly on autopilot, her mind still focused almost solely on Blueblood.

He was so different than she remembered... maybe after all the years he'd spent here as nothing but her admittedly-sometimes-infantile nephew, she'd forgotten that, well... he wasn't immortal. He wasn't going to be young Prince Blueblood forever... now he'd found his heritage, and who he thought he was meant to be, and he'd become somepony she could barely even recognize.

But he seemed so strong now. And she had seen humility and modesty in him: things that the old Blueblood had never learned. And... the fact that he had changed so much in a few short years, and she was actually almost sad to see him so strong and happy and independent... did that mean that the way Blueblood had been really had been all her fault? That she really was that awful of a... a mother-figure?

Celestia fidgeted even as she did her best to listen to ponies, to help them, but... she had her own problems right now, and so many of them had requests she honestly found hard to take seriously. And others were complimenting her and telling her so nicely how nice and good she was, as if she didn't have a hundred other ponies waiting at her doorstep, as if she could afford to take half an hour to talk about herself with a complete stranger who just wanted to brag about his or her audience with the Princess...

Time ticked onwards, and Celestia became more anxious: she just wanted to see Blueblood, see how much he had actually changed... make sure that he still remembered her. A few years wasn't a long time at all to her but... it really was quite a long time to a mortal pony, wasn't it? And he was still so young, and... what if he was just trying to impress her? What if he was afraid that she didn't remember him? What if, what if...

And finally, Celestia cleared her throat when a pony left, and Sunstroke looked curiously up before the Princess of the Sun instructed: “Tell everypony outside that they'll have to come back tomorrow. I have to go and speak with Prince Blueblood and Sleipnir, find out what's going on and... talk with them about the long-term guests they requested us to look after.”

Sunstroke saluted sharply and nodded, then turned and headed quickly out of the room, shouting at the ponies outside even before the doors fully opened. Celestia couldn't help but smile wryly: he was a little high strung, maybe, but he was a good, dependable stallion, and a pony she was glad to have on her staff. Even if he did clearly hate Sleipnir with a passion, and even after the years that had passed, Celestia still sometimes fondly remembered... well...

She shook her head out, then composed herself before climbing down from her throne and heading to a side door that took her away from the crowded main halls and down a private corridor to a secluded set of stairs.

Celestia wended her way through the halls, careful to avoid as much contact as possible, quickly excusing herself whenever ponies tried to stop her or draw her into conversation. She hated to be rude, but she felt it was important to see Blueblood as soon as possible and... well, assuage her own fears as much as find out just how much he had changed, how much he had learned on his journey with the strange earth pony.

Sleipnir... had she been right to trust him? Blueblood had returned in one piece, looked healthier, stronger than he'd ever been... but he also looked like a warrior, with scars upon his face and in full armor and a sword and shield...

But one thing that reassured her was that Blueblood was easy to find: just like she'd hoped, she'd come upstairs and found Sleipnir, Luna, and Blueblood sitting together in the old, large den that she and Blue had always had family time in. Sleipnir had a foreleg around Luna, who was laughing as Blueblood smiled warmly... then looked up as Celestia entered, standing quickly with a blush. “Auntie! It's good to see you, I... didn't expect you'd be up so early.”

“He is not such a dick anymore, Celestia. At least, not in the bad way.” Luna said approvingly, and Blueblood gave the sapphire mare an amused look as Celestia glowered at her sister... but smiled maybe just a little, all the same. “Well, it is true. We all agree on this, do we not?”

“We do, aye.” Sleipnir said cheerfully, winking down at Luna as he squeezed her playfully up against his side, and then he flailed his other foreleg, adding brightly: “Celestia, come, we have saved a spot for thee right here on mine other side! For 'tis very lonely on my left, with only one pretty mare snuggled all up against my right!”

Celestia sighed and shook her head as Blueblood rolled his eyes, then remarked wryly: “I think it's your brain that's the most lonely of all, though, Sleipnir. Where did you forget it, again?”

“Oh, who knows, but 'tis the least important part of me, at least.” Sleipnir replied jovially, and Blueblood laughed and shook his head, Celestia gazing at her nephew with amazement at how... how changed he was. How he was talking and laughing and sharing teasing with his friend, and... standing up, out of his armor, she could see how toned and strong his body had become, not an ounce of flab left on a body that was...

She softened, her eyes filling with concern for him as she saw more scars here and there: they were well-hidden against his ivory coat, but they were there all the same, and... oh, she saw the signs of weapons, and of magic, and...

Blueblood shifted nervously, and Celestia forced herself to shake herself out, taking a slow breath before she said softly: “You've grown up so much. You've... changed so much, too, and... oh, Blue, are you... are you okay?”

The prince smiled faintly at this, and then he nodded before striding forwards. Celestia gladly met him in a tight, fierce embrace, the mare bowing her head forwards, mane half-wrapping around the stallion as he said quietly: “I... I'm better than okay, Auntie. Don't worry about me. I'm... I'm only sorry about all the pain I must have caused you. I never meant to cause you so much trouble, I just... I was never able to look beyond myself in the past. But now...”

Blueblood hesitated, and as they parted, he smiled up at his aunt as her mane gently, almost gingerly stroked along the stallion's side. “Now I want to make sure that I go above and beyond what ponies expect of me. That I live with honor and dignity and... that I take care of others. When I focus on other ponies, it helps me put aside my own selfish desires. It helps me be a better pony, and... it makes me proud of who I am.”

Celestia smiled warmly at this, gazing down at her nephew radiantly... and yet part of her still hurt, and craved... “I'm so proud of you, Blueblood, I just... this is hard for me. You've changed so much, and while I'm used to taking care of ponies, I'm also used to moving in and out of their lives... but not yours. You're a son to me, more than a nephew, and... and I suppose I'm feeling what every mother must. A little... helpless, as I watch you... growing up and... pulling away. Finding your own way, and realizing now that maybe I... maybe I always indulged and encouraged you as a prince because I was always afraid of losing you.”

Blueblood softened, and then he shook his head before replying quietly: “You'll never lose me, Auntie... I promise. I think about you every day, Auntie... I think about the lessons you tried to teach me and... I hope that... you're not disappointed in me, or angry with me for this path I've chosen.”

Celestia laughed quietly and shook her head, replying softly: “How could I be? You're... Blueblood, I was never afraid of what you'd do if you learned... how to defend yourself, or how to fight. I was... I was always afraid of you getting hurt. I wanted to protect you, and I wanted you to be a part of a world that... that maybe you don't entirely belong in. I wanted to keep you close because I was always afraid you'd... go away.

“But I can't stop you from being who you are, and I won't stop you from... following the path you want to, Blueblood.” Celestia murmured, lowering her head almost humbly to her nephew as they gazed into each other's eyes. “But I still want to protect you, and be there for you, and help you. I still want to make sure I am a part of your life, Blueblood... so if you'll allow me to, I'd like to teach you some magic that I hope will help you on your journeys.”

Blueblood smiled warmly, and then both ponies winced in surprise as Sleipnir hammered a hoof against the table in approval, declaring happily: “Wonders never cease! Aye, thou art as wise as mine own sister back home, but only half so stuffy! 'Tis a grand joy to see!”

Luna seemed to approve as well, a small smile quirking at her muzzle as she added: “I have to admit, it is a nice change of pace to see, Celestia... I just hope this isn't like the time you promised me that I could have any pet I wanted, and then saddled me with that damned fish.”

“Which you killed within two days.” Celestia said pointedly, laughing a little as she rose her head and looked fondly at her sibling and the enormous earth pony. Then she softened and turned her eyes back towards Blueblood, adding quietly: “But I promise to help you, Blueblood, and to teach you. And I want everypony here to make sure that I hold myself to that promise. Because it's so easy to... forget, sometimes.”

Sleipnir nodded firmly, hammering a hoof against his chest, and Luna looked thoughtfully at Celestia before she gave a brief smile and murmured: “Now that is a promise I'll soon make you regret making, big sister.”

Blueblood gazed up at his aunt with warmth and happiness and... a little bit of embarrassment, maybe, feeling like he didn't deserve this kind of treatment. But he knew better than to reject his aunt's gifts, especially when she sounded almost... guilty. “I appreciate it, Auntie, and... I'll do my best to learn as much as I can. But I've never been very good with magic... the most I ever usually manage is a light spell or two.”

“Aye, but when I was pressed into a corner by the rage spirit, thou leapt to my aid, did thou not?” Sleipnir smiled warmly and winked over at Blueblood, who blushed deeply: he was amazed that Sleipnir still remembered that. “And I still owe thee that life-debt, do I not? For without thy help, I know I would have been far sorer by the end of the conflict.”

“Sorer, but not dead. It's not a life-debt, Sleipnir.” Blueblood said embarrassedly, waving a hoof before he added lamely, as he looked up at Auntie Celestia: “And honestly, the spirit was vulnerable to... simple light. A foal could have done it.”

“Sometimes, a little light is all you need.” Celestia smiled a little over at Luna, who looked back curiously before the ivory mare said softly: “Maybe you and I could both share our own versions of light with Blueblood, then. Daylight, and moonlight.”

The sapphire mare perked up at this, and Sleipnir grinned widely as he winked over at Blueblood, saying easily: “See? Thou truly art in good hooves here... but speaking of good hooves, I fear I must steal thee away from thy nephew, and speak seriously for a moment on an important subject, abject as it makes me to be the fun-ruiner for tonight.”

Celestia smiled and nodded, and both she and Blueblood turned towards the table... and the rainbow-maned mare was admittedly touched and delighted when Blueblood actually pulled out a chair for her to sit down in before returning to his own. He was so different...

But she didn't let herself get distracted, nodding her thanks to Blueblood before she replied: “I actually wanted to speak to you about a few things too, Sleipnir, and I suppose we should get those out of the way first before I start asking you both about your adventures. For example, the... uh... ponies that you sent us...”

“Oh, yes. Jerry Rig, and Auros and his people. I apologize for asking so much of thee, Celestia, but I was confident that they would find fair lodging here... and I am certain they have been working hard, have they not?” Sleipnir smiled, and Celestia couldn't help but nod almost grudgingly. “Good. I had great faith in those ponies, after all.”

“I must admit, I wasn't comfortable with them at first...” Luna looked meditative as she rested back against Sleipnir, before continuing thoughtfully: “But it has been quite a welcome experience to no longer be the most feared and hated pony in Canterlot. Why, I have even been able to gossip about Auros behind his back!”

“Oh, but if thou art anything at all like the Luna I knew, then I am quite certain thou insults and derides him to his face as well, aye?” Sleipnir said inquisitively, and Luna nodded firmly several times as Celestia sighed and shook her head slowly. “Good!”

After a moment, Celestia decided to simply press on, looking calmly between her nephew and the enormous, handsome stallion as she said: “It's been very strange, and while I respect what you've been trying to do here, Sleipnir, giving them both work as well as a chance to try and live peacefully... I'm not sure they can live peacefully here. Jerry Rig, certainly, has settled in well at the Magic Academy and his talent with making constructs of all kinds is extraordinary, but... I admit I feel uncomfortable giving Auros even limited access to the Academy, and his... citizens... make all of Canterlot nervous.”

“I did not feel Canterlot was nervous. Why, these walls seemed as tall and proud as ever, and the stone beneath my feet warm and welcoming.” Sleipnir replied jovially, and Celestia gave him a wry look before he brightened a little. “Oh, thou meant that the ponies are afraid of them! Well, aye, but they only fear them because they do not understand them. And, if I may be so bold, because thou art a little afraid of them, art thou not?”

Celestia shifted awkwardly, and Sleipnir chuckled before shaking his head and saying kindly: “Fear not, my friend. Aye, they are different, and different is often feared, especially when what we know of those who stand apart from us are mainly fears and myth. But they are good ponies. I will wager my life upon that fact.”

Luna nodded hesitantly in agreement, chipping in after a moment: “Auros can be patronizing, but he seems like an honest stallion. I trust him.”

“I... I know. But a Lich, still...” Celestia bit her lip, then looked across at Sleipnir. “No matter what I believe, I have to do what's in the best interests of Canterlot. I want to discuss this with you because I don't want to simply... send them away after we find a way to send you back home.”

“Maybe... we could send them to Rancher's Ridge.” Blueblood suggested hesitantly, and Sleipnir looked up with interest as the princesses both looked curiously at the ivory unicorn... and again, Celestia was amazed by how much Blue had changed. Politely putting forwards his own ideas with confidence, not just... yelling or begging for attention... “The tundra is inhospitable to most ponies, but Auros' people certainly aren't most.”

Sleipnir lowered his head thoughtfully... and then he nodded slowly, a smile spreading little-by-little across his face before he firmly slammed a hoof against the table and declared: “Aye! 'Tis an excellent idea, Blueblood! We shall have to speak to Auros about this and see what he thinks... besides, 'twill be good to have an excuse to catch up with friends.”

Blueblood nodded in agreement, surprising Celestia as he said: “I've been anxious to see him myself. I want to find out how he's been doing.”

“Aye, we shall do that tomorrow, then, and we shall see how the portal is coming along.” Sleipnir agreed, and then he turned a smile towards Celestia, pressing tactfully: “And of course, that leads to a question I cannot help but ask...”

Blueblood shifted a little as Celestia hesitated, then said finally: “We've been taking every precaution with this... it's unfamiliar magic, and I understand that if something went wrong, it could be... dangerous. I also understand that if this really is a portal to another world... it's important that we protect it.”

Sleipnir nodded a few times, and Luna looked pointedly at her sister, who sighed a little before admitting finally: “We'll need at least another month to finish the secure shelter. Once that's done, then I'll allow the work on the portal to begin... but I honestly wouldn't feel right authorizing it before then. I'm sorry.”

“For what?” Sleipnir only smiled, and Blueblood looked strangely relieved as well before the enormous stallion said cheerfully: “As I have told Blue again and again upon our journey, 'tis no wisdom to act with unnecessary haste. Aye, I am certainly eager to return home, but I have no desire to put anypony at risk... so nay, there is no need for apologies. Instead, I am gladdened by thy wisdom and dedication to protecting thy people, Celestia. 'Tis wonderful to see.”

Sleipnir paused, then winked, holding a foreleg wide and declaring: “Now come, my side is now cold as well as lonely and requires a mare's touch! Thou and Blue shall have all time to catch up, and I fear my need is far the greater than his!”

Celestia sighed, but Blueblood, surprisingly, only laughed before he stood up and said wryly: “Oh fine, Sleipnir, have your fun... but please, Auntie, don't let him talk you into anything silly. You don't want to imagine the places he's been.”

“Oh, shush, thou hast been to the same places as I!” complained Sleipnir, and then he winked at Luna as he squeezed her playfully close. “Although I was always the stallion who got to better learn every nook and cranny.”

Luna laughed, and Celestia held a hoof up to Blueblood, saying quickly: “Blueblood, you don't have to go, I promise that-”

“No, Auntie, I don't want to listen to Sleipnir's whining all night. It's fine.” And Blueblood smiled, then he blushed a little as he added: “I... wanted to go and speak to some ponies around the castle, anyhow. Reacquaint and... if I'm lucky, reintroduce myself. I should do it while Sleipnir's distracted, too, otherwise he won't give me a moment alone, Auntie. He's very needy.”

“Oh, shush, thou art just as bad!” complained Sleipnir, but then he softened and gazed with honest affection and pride at Blue as the prince only waved to him as he left, before the earth pony said gently to the stunned-looking Celestia: “Fear not for him. He has become strong, but a stallion may never become so strong he does not need a mother.”

Celestia blushed a little, and Sleipnir winked at her before flapping his open foreleg again as Luna laughed. “Now come, without a gorgeous mare on either side, my balance is all off and I fear I may soon tip over, and then Luna and I will be upon the ground and thou will be forced to watch as I-”

“Enough, Sleipnir, enough!” Celestia sighed, rolling her eyes and promising herself she was going to resist the stallion's charms... and less than a minute later, she found herself sulkily cuddling up to his other side, the enormous earth pony grinning as Luna laughed at something he had just said. All Celestia could do was wonder if Sleipnir had some kind of hidden power, or if he really was just that... charming and cheerful.

Celestia, after all, felt herself loosening up, and even beginning to smile more and more as Sleipnir started to talk about Blueblood and the journey and all the friends they had made. It was wonderful, to think that Blueblood had made friends all around the country, that he had helped ponies far and wide...

And Blueblood was thinking of old friends as well, as he made his way slowly through the halls of Canterlot, smiling and feeling warm and happy and... good. He had already run into a few people he'd known, and they had all been so amazed by how much he'd changed... but Blueblood was working hard to not think too much about that feeling. He didn't want to get arrogant again, or spend too much time basking in their attention when he had so many ponies he wanted to see...

Then Blue frowned as something caught his attention, and he came to a halt in the mostly-deserted corridor, looking curiously over his shoulder. There was nothing behind him... except as he closed his eyes for a moment, he could feel it. Sure, in a structure like this, nature was suppressed... but as he'd learned, Mother Nature could never be tamed to the point where she was blinded or muted entirely...

“Excuse me, but... why are you following me?” Blueblood asked politely, and he felt the twitch from around the corner before the pony hesitantly stepped out... and Blue smiled a little, saying quietly: “Oh, uh... you're...”

The Royal Guard began to open his mouth, but Blueblood simply held up a hoof before saying quickly: “Velvet Hoof! You were one of the Royal Guard I left with... how are you doing, lieutenant?”

“Sergeant, sir, I was demoted. Sir.” Velvet Hoof almost whispered, and Blue frowned as the Royal Guard hesitantly approached, before the prince's eyes flicked quickly over him, widening slightly in concern. His armor was dented here and there, stained and uncared for, and he has a sickly pallor, his eyes dark and feverish... “S-Sir, I'm sorry to have followed you, b-but...”

“What is it? Are you alright?” Blueblood asked quietly, and Velvet Hoof smiled weakly and nodded a few times, blushing and lowering his head. “And 'sir' is not necessary. We're equals, you and I.. both stallions just trying to do our best for the ponies around us, right?”

Velvet nodded a few times, breathing slowly before he said honestly: “I... I just wanted to apologize to you for all the t-trouble I know I caused when I was traveling with you...”

Blueblood looked blankly at the Royal Guard, who blushed and lowered his head before whispering: “The... the dream charm, sir...”

“You... oh, yes.” Blueblood remembered now: Velvet Heart had smashed his dream charm for some reason, but... well, assuming from what he remembered about how he'd used to act... “We all have our bad moments, Velvet Heart, it's fine. It's long forgiven and forgotten and... I never used another dream charm after that. So perhaps you did me a favor, really.”

Blueblood smiled encouragingly, and Velvet looked hesitantly up before he gave another weak smile, nodding a few times. There was an uncomfortable silence for a few moments as the Royal Guard slowly lowered his head, and Blueblood shifted before asking quietly: “Be honest with me. Are you alright? You look... unwell.”

“I... I'm f-fine, sir.” Velvet Heart said hurriedly, raising his head and nodding a few times before he took a shuddering breath, then lowered his head and mumbled: “I just... haven't been sleeping well, that's all.”

“I would be happy to let my Aunt Luna know. I'm sure she'd be very glad to help you out personally.” Blueblood said gently, then blinked in surprise when the Royal Guard shook his head vehemently.

“N-No, no! No... I... no.” He petered out, lowering his head and flushing a little before he mumbled: “I apologize, Prince Blueblood, I... I'm just... I would rather not even the princesses... I mean, these are... personal. I'm sure you understand.”

“I... do, yes.” Blueblood said slowly, and then he shook his head briefly before saying finally: “Well, if there is anything I can do for you, please let me know. Those days were... trying on all of us, I know, and I'd like to help out the ponies who helped me so much at the start of my journey, whether I appreciated it back then or-”

“Where is Invidia?” blurted the Royal Guard suddenly, and Blueblood cocked his head with a frown before Velvet Hoof blushed and dropped his head. “I'm... sorry. I just... just remembered her, that's all. Just remembered her.”

“I'm afraid she and I... we had to go our separate ways.” Blueblood said quietly after a moment, and then he hesitated before saying gently: “I know. Let me walk you down to the outfitter's. We can polish your armor: I've always found that relaxing.”

But Velvet Hoof seemed to lose his connection with reality for a moment, glancing blankly back and forth. Blueblood frowned uneasily, reaching slowly up... but the moment before he could touch the stallion, Velvet suddenly snapped out of his daze, replying quickly: “T-Thank you, sir, but... I should really be going. I have to finish... my patrol. Finish my patrol.”

Blueblood shifted uncomfortably, and then he nodded slowly before saying finally: “I... hope you feel better soon then, Velvet Hoof. Please let me know if I can do anything for you, will you?'

Velvet Hoof only smiled blankly at Blueblood, then turned and stumbled slowly away. The prince watched the Royal Guard leave uneasily, shifting back and forth on his hooves before he shook his head slowly, then turned with a sigh... but he couldn't help but toss another nervous look over his shoulder all the same, feeling an uncomfortable chill run down his spine.

The Royal Guard had stumbled his way out of sight, however... and wandered blindly into an old, unused gallery, the few paintings still hung on the walls covered in dusty sheets. He drooled a little as he stumbled back and forth, before a voice called to him tenderly: “Velvet... Velvet, my darling, I'm over here... waiting for you...”

Velvet Heart turned blankly in the direction of the voice, then he smiled weakly as he saw the mare, with her glowing golden eyes. She flickered strangely in and out of reality as he approached, but he didn't even notice, couldn't process how unnatural that was...

And the shadowy figure giggled quietly as Velvet stepped up in front of it, tried to lean forwards to kiss it... but the creature caught the Royal Guard gently by the muzzle, whispering: “No, no. You have to earn your kisses...”

Another claw reached up, tenderly stroking over Velvet Heart's face, and he shivered... then moaned as the claws of shadow simply passed through his skin, sinking into brain beyond, the stallion mewling in pain as his whole body shook violently. But the creature drained him eagerly of emotions and experiences, hissing softly in delight before it bared fang teeth.

It was stronger, it was more than it had been before, and it had been right: all it had to do was hide quietly away here in Canterlot, right under the noses of the princesses. It could feed, and learn about its prey, and evolve as it waited patiently for its time to strike, now that Blueblood had returned...

Oh, everything it wanted was right here: souls and minds to devour, magic to learn and absorb, bodies to puppet and control. And soon, very soon... the perfect vessel for it to squeeze into. Strong, and resilient, and full of so much hope and courage and all those other emotions that were so delicious to squeeze out and drink down...

It would bide its time, and then strike. And when it did, no one would be able to stop it: because it had become powerful, it had become sly, and it had become many.

The One And The Many

Chapter Thirty Three: The One And The Many
~BlackRoseRaven

Sleipnir and Blueblood were the best of friends, as inseparable in Canterlot as they had been on their travels across Equestria. But as the weeks passed, Blueblood found himself not only growing anxious and more depressed about Sleipnir leaving, but also... restless.

Sure, he and Sleipnir still went out into the mountains, found secret and hidden places, explored caves and caused mischief. They ran across the rooftops in the city, and dared dizzying mountain heights as well as the darkest, deepest depths of gorges and lost trenches hidden beneath the stony peaks. And Sleipnir stole the hearts of mares and left stallions humbled and brought joy to foals, while Blueblood gave to the poor, brought laughter and joy to ponies, put the needs of others far above and beyond his own desires.

But in weeks, they had adventured through almost every inch of the territory surrounding Canterlot... and even through the dangerous caverns beneath, too. And they had helped many ponies, but... Canterlot was already a well-off place, where even the poor ponies at least had food and shelter: it wasn't like anypony was going to let the jewel of Equestria look any less than its shiniest, after all.

He wanted to be back on the road, adventuring: it was wonderful to talk every night with Auntie Celestia, but... he no longer needed goodnighties or to be tucked in. Every now and then his aunt insisted on it, though, like old times; a kiss to the forehead, the tender touch of her warmth and magic. A blessing of love that was a little embarrassing but... appreciated, even if Blueblood put up with it mostly for the sake of his aching Auntie, who wasn't ready just yet to let go.

He knew that Sleipnir was getting fidgety, too: somehow, he doubted that the stallion had ever been able to stay in one place along, particularly with so little to do. But he sensed there was something more than that tingling the earth pony's senses, too: maybe a sense that this portal wasn't going to work properly, or a feeling like something else was about to go terribly wrong.

Either way, Blueblood had started to feel a chill in the air himself, like there was some lingering malignancy. And he hadn't seen Velvet Hoof for the last few days, either... as a matter of fact, the last time he'd seen him, Blueblood had gone to the section commander and asked that Velvet Hoof be reassigned to guard duty at the throne room, if he still refused to accept medical leave; at least if he was at the throne room, he wouldn't be pacing the castle all day on patrol, and he could keep a closer eye on him and how he was doing.

There wasn't much else he could do, though... at least, not today. Today they were test-firing the portal, to ensure that it was going to work properly. It was something that Blueblood just couldn't manage to make himself happy about, since it meant that soon... Sleipnir would be leaving.

Auros, Jerry Rig, and Twilight Sparkle had all been essential in the portal's construction: the Lich had been able to quickly put together the base and framework for the portal ring with the help of his fellow undead, and Jerry Rig had seen to all the detailing, and had the various constructs he had been able to build fix the extra supports and shielding in place. And lastly, Twilight Sparkle had helped with the implementation of the mythril runes as well as the magical crystals that would help retain the energy the portal needed to power itself.

The portal itself had been built inside a large rectangular building near the hedge maze: Blueblood always thought it looked like a big ugly warehouse, except armored. The outer walls were incredibly thick, made from several feet of stone, wood, and insulating fibers: the inner walls were all titanium and steel, the strongest metals they had available.

It was heavily guarded and fortified, with a small army of Royal Guard on duty at all times to keep it secure. Coupled with the heavy security doors that could only be opened by unicorns who knew the right magic to channel into the horn-locks, it meant the facility was essentially unbreachable, even with ponies coming and going and working day and night.

Sleipnir had made an odd request, though: he had asked Blueblood to come in full armor. Stranger still, Blueblod had felt that he should go in full armor anyway... and the ivory unicorn grimaced a bit as he adjusted his sword and shield on his back, making sure they were both secured tightly, but in easy access. Just in case.

Blueblood shifted a little on his hooves, then he shook his head quickly before he picked up the amethyst his father had given him. Sleipnir had coated it in something to further harden the polished surface of the stone, and attached a simple, short chain of iron: Blueblood had actually gone through the trouble of modifying his armor so it had a hidden, lockable pocket under one of the plates that he kept the stone in. So far, he hadn't had any problems with it, and he'd made sure there was a hoop for the chain to attach to just in case the gemstone somehow slipped out and free.

Blueblood gently dangled the amethyst by the chain so it could pendulum a little in front of his eyes, and then he gave a brief smile before shaking his head and murmuring: “It's funny, Dad, what you end up being proud of... but I guess a pocket is a start, isn't it? And I know that all I have to do is... keep working at it. That's the best way to live... by never giving up.”

The unicorn smiled a bit, then slipped the gemstone down into the hidden pocket under his armor at his waist, making sure it was securely locked and snuggled into place before he turned around. And for a moment, he sat back in the little chair at his dresser, just gazing silently over his room: enormous, but... bare. A set of weights and training equipment had replaced the giant chest of toys and knickknacks, and his books all placed into neat rows. His little end table only had a book and his mother's portrait on it, and the top of his dresser had a little box Sleipnir had helped him carve, in which rested Tender Heart's ribbon and his parents' wedding rings. Even the mantel above the fireplace was bare now, except for a few pictures of family and the urn that had once held his father's ashes, which he scattered in the Lunar Shrine's flower garden with the blessing of his aunts.

This room felt so immense now. It felt... too big. It felt like an empty house.

The stallion shook his head briefly, and then he climbed to his hooves and headed for the door. He pushed it open... and was unsurprised to see Sleipnir lounging against the wall opposite, looking up at him with a smile as he said kindly: “'Tis good to see thee, up and ready. Thou hast felt it too, aye?”

“Aye.” Blueblood echoed, and then he shook his head before asking quietly: “What is it? And why didn't you ever say what was bothering you?”

“Because I did not need to.” Sleipnir climbed to his hooves and smiled softly, striding forwards and reaching up to squeeze the unicorn's shoulders firmly. “Because we are brothers, and thou noticed it soon and shortly after I did, that is why.”

Blueblood simply shook his head slowly, and then he laughed a little despite himself before he murmured: “I'm going to miss you.”

“I do not believe I shall be leaving just yet, Blue, fear not.” Sleipnir said softly, and then the two turned and fell in natural step with each other, the enormous earth pony biting his lip for a moment before he confessed: “If I must be fully honest, I do not believe this portal shall work at all, but... I must try. I am not anxious to leave thou, Blue, but I am anxious to be home. And whilst it saddens me that we must part ways... I look at thee, and I am proud of what I have done here. I am proud to have made a friend and brother in thee. I feel... a better stallion for it, and I like that feeling.”

Blueblood smiled warmly over at Sleipnir, but he still felt a bite of sadness that he couldn't quite keep out of his voice as he said quietly: “It's going to be hard without you around. But I know you have to go... I just wish...”

“Aye. I know.” Sleipnir said softly, and then he chuckled quietly and shook his head slowly before looking ahead, murmuring: “After we deal with whatever troubles await us today, my friend... oh, what would thou say to another adventure? If the portal does not work, I will need to find another way home.” Sleipnir glanced over at Blueblood and smiled. “And I will need my partner by my side.”

“You don't even have to ask.” Blueblood replied with a warm smile of his own, and then he chuckled and shook his head, adding wryly: “Besides, what could a tremendous idiot like you do without your trusty sidekick? A peasant like you would end up buying a prostitute instead of a guide and giving away all his bits to some shyster masquerading as a charity. You're gullible.”

“Nay, I am trusting, and 'twould certainly not harm thou to have a little more trust, oh noble prince!” retorted Sleipnir, the enormous stallion grinning widely and nudging the ivory unicorn playfully. “Besides, as my little sister loved to brag, the money I lost gambling with prostitutes was often repaid to me after I purchased their services...”

Sleipnir smiled slightly as Blueblood looked at him with amusement, and then the earth pony said softly: “But little sister has always loved to exaggerate, and 'tis a great, fun story to brag of, but... I was not repaid because of my skills in bed, worthy as they are. I was repaid because for that night, we told stories, and we made sport, and I promised them I would deal with the reckless slavedriver who had put these poor fillies under his whip. And at the end of the night, they would not accept a bit of the money they had taken from me.”

“And which you lost on purpose.” Blueblood added without looking at the earth pony, and Sleipnir looked surprised by this before the unicorn said mildly: “I'm not an idiot, Sleipnir.”

The earth pony only smiled amusedly after a moment, then shook his head and said easily: “'Tis not that I think thou art foolish. 'Tis merely that I forget sometimes precisely how perceptive thou art thyself. And how well thou seems to know me, for true.”

Blueblood only shrugged and smiled despite himself over at the enormous stallion, and then he turned his eyes back ahead and asked in a quieter voice, as they found themselves striding out of the castle and towards the secure facility: “So what are we dealing with?”

“Evil.” Sleipnir said simply, and the unicorn frowned before the earth pony continued in a murmur: “And aye, if thou knows me well enough to know when I have cheated myself at cards, then thou knows me well enough to know I do not like using that word. 'Tis an easy label to throw upon anything thou does not like.

“But nay. This is evil, and malice. Whatever this is, it hides in plain sight, under the guise of its own boldness. And yet it is familiar...” Sleipnir frowned a little, then he shook his head slowly and murmured: “But it is... strange. It feels not like one foe we have battled, but reminds me of our entire journey, and I do not know why...”

“The Harbinger is dead, though.” Blueblood said uncertainly, and Sleipnir nodded a few times before the prince asked quietly: “Should we tell my aunts? Maybe Auntie Celestia can do something to help flush it out... and why hasn't she sensed it?”

“But does thou sense dark magic with thy horn, or feel the malice with thy hooves and heart?” Sleipnir asked pointedly, and Blueblood hesitated before he nodded slowly. “Precisely. Even mine own big sister was sometimes blind to the dangers that I sensed. Nay, this is best, Blue: let the foe think he has caught all unawares. We shall spring to the first line of defense.”

Sleipnir paused, then winked and added in a whisper as they approached the doors: “Unless thou would rather share the glory and the thrill of battle with all these hundreds of soldiers...”

Blueblood managed to glare at Sleipnir for only a moment before he looked awkwardly around, then mumbled back: “Fine. But we'll take whatever it is together when it shows up. Don't hog it all to yourself, you greedy pig.”

“Pig? Pig! Pig, yet!” Sleipnir shouted, raising his head and glaring back at Blueblood before he came to a halt and firmly flicked his viny tail. “There, does this look curly and ungainly as a pig's?”

Blueblood only rolled his eyes as the guards awkwardly opened the doors for them, and then the unicorn dropped his face in a hoof when Sleipnir began to strut, moving as gracefully as any model as he switched his hips back and forth like a mare. “Look upon me, I am no pig! I am the envy of mares and stallions with my supple buttocks and gorgeous locks!”

Blue shook his head with a tired sigh, and then he strode inside, quickly walking up beside Sleipnir if only so he didn't have to watch his ridiculous strutting. “You know, I think there's a reason that some ponies believe you're brain-damaged, Sleipnir.”

Sleipnir simply huffed again, and Blueblood turned his eyes down the sterile corridor as they circled towards another set of doors. These were even larger, and the Royal Guards that protected them were both dressed in much heavier equipment: they were dervishes, the elite of the elite, hoof-picked by Celestia herself for this security detail.

And yet Blueblood didn't feel reassured even as the dervishes both turned and plunged their horns into the twin locks on either side of the massive double doors: in perfect time, they twisted their horns slightly and channeled an exact amount of energy along a precise frequency into the armored doors.

The doors rumbled loudly, then both dervishes withdrew as the huge, armored shutters slid apart. Blueblood and Sleipnir both strode through, the earth pony becoming more serious even as he smiled calmly, his pace evening out and ears swiveling back and forth.

Blueblood's own eyes looked warily around: this massive room was almost completely empty, and there were precious few places to hide, and yet he couldn't see anything even though he could sense that something had somehow slipped its way inside. All he saw were ponies, and undead, and constructs, and the portal ring in the center of the room...

Blue's eyes lingered on this for a moment: it had four enormous support pillars around it that went up to the ceiling high, high above, each pillar made of stone and metal and magic-charged gemstone. The ring itself sat on a solid dais, and had rune-covered chains: in the event of something catastrophic happening, these magically-enhanced chains would yank the framework apart, which would cause the portal to collapse in on itself.

Auros smiled and waved to them: the Lich was pale, but he otherwise had adjusted quite well to life in Canterlot. And it was clear that everyone in the room respected him, at the least: in fact, most of the undead seemed happy to be working for the Lich King again. Then again, they were no longer really king and peons, lord and servants... they were a team.

Jerry Rig was here, too, proudly wearing robes that marked him as a scholar of the Magic Academy in spite of the fact he was an earth pony. He was excitedly directing around constructs of every shape and size as well as multicolored living slimes, attending to all the last little details and making sure the portal was ready for the test run.

Blueblood was surprised to see both of his Aunts were here... as well as Princess Twilight Sparkle. The purple winged unicorn waved at him with a bright smile that made her amethyst eyes even warmer, and Blueblood smiled lamely and nodded in response before Sleipnir remarked cheerfully: “I shall have thee know that she and I were quite friendly just the other day. Although not as friendly as the other other day! She is a good friend indeed, Blue, and a rather ferocious one at that, in spite of all her small stature...”

“I'm surprised you didn't know that from back home.” Blueblood said dryly, and Sleipnir huffed at him before the unicorn looked back and forth as they approached the princesses, lowering his head and his voice so only Sleipnir could hear: “Whatever it is, I can't lock on to its presence. Can you?”

“It will come to us, Blue, fear not.” Sleipnir replied casually, and then he gazed warmly at the three princesses, all dressed finely in their tiaras and peytrals and pretty shoes, all of them looking eager, all of the smiling and completely unaware there was anything wrong... “'Tis so good to see all of thee here! So, I take it we are nearly ready, then?”

“Nearly. As you can see, Jerry Rig is having his golems set up the last of the security netting.” Celestia replied calmly, gesturing over her shoulder: and yes, Blueblood could see it, roughly twenty feet away. The golems and the slimes were hooking thick fiber nets up... presumably so that ponies would have something to stop them from getting sucked into the portal in the event it became a black hole or something.

Sleipnir smiled pleasantly, and then he looked around at the dozens of workers and the hoof-full of soldiers present even inside here, remarking easily: “'Tis good to see all of thee working together so well, though! I must admit, I had my fears that this portal would never see completion.”

“Once we worked out a few minor kinks, everything went smoothly.” Celestia replied with a smile, nodding once before she turned her eyes towards Blueblood, asking softly: “Did you want to help us with the portal as well? Although I must say, between you and Sleipnir...”

The ivory mare paused, and then she hesitated before asking uncertainly: “Is there something that we should be worried about coming through that portal? You seem tense, Blueblood.”

“Aye, he is still very bad at relaxing. That is one thing even I could not teach him.” Sleipnir agreed, slapping Blueblood on the back and making him wince. “He reminds me greatly of my brother, Scrivener Blooms. He was also always quite tense. But he was also a poet, and poets are always a strange sort.”

Blueblood shook his head slowly, and then he realized that Celestia was still looking at him and waiting for an answer even as Luna and Twilight both looked with amusement at the enormous earth pony. So after a moment, the unicorn made himself smile, replying quietly: “Well, Sleipnir's always wearing his armor and all. And it's better to be prepared, just in case... I think you taught me that first, Auntie Celestia. Or at least, you tried to.”

Celestia seemed placated like this, and Blue looked at her with soft eyes: it hurt to just keep the truth from her, to lie through omission like this. But he forced himself not to blurt anything out, to not twitch, give away any tells as he cleared his throat before finally saying: “No, I... well, it's been embarrassing how little I've been able to improve my magic. I'm afraid I would just get in the way of charging the portal.”

“Oh, thou art so silly and self conscious.” declared Sleipnir, shaking his head and looking with entertainment at Blueblood before he firmly grasped his shoulder... and Blueblood felt himself given the slightest nudge, the slightest squeeze. So they had a direction, at least... “But fie on thee, fine then. Know that I shall make thee lift boulders with thy silly horn alone when next we train, though... and hope I mean the one upon thy head, not the one between thy legs!”

Luna snorted in amusement at this, as Celestia sighed and Twilight Sparkle blushed but giggled a little. And Blueblood only gave Sleipnir a dour look for a few moments before he shook his head and grumbled, letting his eyes drift off in the direction that the earth pony had silently indicated.

He studied the crowd there, but saw nothing out of the ordinary: a few Royal Guard who were keeping an eye on the area, two large, stone-and-steel golems that were slowly but tirelessly setting up a barrier, and of course the various workers. Yet the pulse in his mind increased when he looked towards them...

He looked up towards the ceiling, but there was nothing above, either... unless their enemy could turn invisible, that was. But he couldn't even tell what the hell they were dealing with; was it another demon? An evil spirit? Some kind of trickster or greedy mage or...

“If you're both ready, I'll call everypony to order.” Blueblood was brought back to earth by his Aunt's voice, looking lamely towards her as he studied him intently, then asked slowly: “Are you sure there's nothing wrong, Blueblood? You seem distracted.”

“I...” Blueblood hesitated as Luna and Twilight both looked at him curiously as well, and then he smiled briefly before sighing and looking towards Sleipnir, saying quietly: “I suppose it's not entirely a happy occasion for me, Auntie, as... as hard as I'm trying to make it one. Sleipnir, I'm sorry. I... I just don't want you to leave. As hard as I try, I still... don't want you to leave.”

Sleipnir chuckled quietly, then he reached up and gently rested a hoof on Blueblood's shoulder, murmuring: “Aye, I know. We have spoken of this, but... I suppose I cannot blame thee for still feeling sad all the same. I too, am sad. I swallow it as best I can, and yet... I too, am sad.”

He paused, then easily shook the unicorn once before winking down at him. “But still, we have other things to focus on now. Mind us not, beautiful mares, we stallions are merely acting as we proud warriors must, trying too hard to swallow our silly emotions.”

Celestia smiled briefly at them, and then she hesitated for a moment before saying softly: “Well, perhaps if this portal does work properly... you might still be able to visit, Blueblood. Would that be allowed, Sleipnir?”

“Nay, it would be encouraged!” Sleipnir nodded firmly, smiling warmly and slapping Blueblood on the back with enough force that he was nearly knocked over, the ivory unicorn wheezing as his legs trembled beneath him. “Aye, 'tis a grand idea!”

“Great.” Blueblood smiled a little all the same even as he glared at Sleipnir, and admittedly... the idea tickled him. Adventuring into another world, Sleipnir's world, which sounded so fantastic and incredible... that would be the experience of a lifetime.

Celestia studied the two stallions for a moment longer, then she simply shrugged before striding past them, clearing her throat and raising her head high as her horn glowed brightly, then sent a thrum through the room that got the attention of all present. Everyone looked towards her as she rose her head high, then said clearly: “We will be testing the portal shortly, so every pony should retreat to safety now! Please stay behind the netting unless you are taking part in activating the portal!”

Ponies began to shuffle quickly off in all directions, and Celestia looked back and forth before nodding once to herself. Then she turned and softened at the sight of Blueblood and Sleipnir, as they talked with Twilight and Luna, yet seemed like they only had eyes for each other right now: even with all the years she'd lived, she'd rarely had a friendship, a partnership as deep and meaningful as they shared... and she couldn't imagine being forced to choose between willingly giving that up, or being trapped in a world that wasn't your own without the rest of your family.

She bit her cheek, wondering if she should tell Blueblood to go... and then she was surprised when Auros and Jerry Rig both strode past her, heading quickly for Blueblood and drawing his attention. They talked to him, congratulated him and Sleipnir, and Celestia smiled faintly as she saw Blueblood lighten and Sleipnir look almost... relieved, staying close to Blue, reveling in his company, but looking so happy for him...

It never failed to amaze her how... how truly generous Sleipnir was. How kind, how tender, how simply good he was. She watched them for a few moments, and saw how so much of Sleipnir had rubbed off on Blueblood, and yet he was still his own stallion, had his own opinions and quirks and...

Celestia paused, then frowned as she glanced curiously to the side and saw a Royal Guard standing nearby. He seemed unwell as he swayed on his hooves, his head lowered and the large helm he was wearing hiding his face from view... “Is something wrong? Did something happen?”

The guard gurgled... then slowly rose his head, and Celestia frowned and reared back in surprise at the sight of his glowing golden eyes, the stallion whispering: “Blueblood.”

Celestia blinked, then looked over at her nephew for a moment, distracted and confused... and in that moment, the stallion suddenly grinned viciously before he snapped his horn forwards with a raw, broken laugh, tendrils of black energy lashing out of his horn and twining themselves savagely around Celestia's body.

The Princess of the Sun cried out in pain and horror as she was constricted by burning bands of dark magic, her form filling with agony as her skin immediately began to smoke and peel wherever the hellish magic touched. She convulsed in the coils as ponies cried out and stared with horror, only Sleipnir managing to react, to try and leap forwards as Blueblood gaped in disbelief-

Celestia was slung bodily into Sleipnir, the earth pony catching her with a grunt and skidding backwards from the force of the throw before he came to a halt, cradling her in one foreleg as Celestia trembled and spasmed. She gasped for breath, her eyes rolling weakly in her head as the earth pony glared at the Royal Guard... or rather, at the thing puppeting this soldier's body. This golden-eyed monster... “Did we not already destroy thee?”

The pony staggered around to face them, a grin distorting his pallid features as Blueblood ran forwards, drawing his silver sword as he stepped protectively up to Sleipnir's side. It took a monumental effort not to look at his Auntie, as much as he wanted to... but he wasn't about to give this freak an opening to exploit. Even if... “Velvet Hoof, fight it!”

“Oh, he's long gone...” The golden-eyed demon laughed, reaching up and calmly stroking along its own twisted, distorted features as the tentacles of black energy vanished into motes. “This body is merely a vessel now... a weak one, at that. But even a weak vessel amplifies and protects me enough to ensure that none of you are any match for me.”

“A demon?” Blueblood's eyes widened in surprise as Auros stepped up beside him, and the Lich smiled sourly at the look the ivory unicorn gave him, saying calmly: “Maybe we're not all fountains of courage like you, Blueblood, but if I don't do something, then they'll certainly blame this on me. Everyone always blames the dead ponies, after all.”

Blueblood gave a wry smile in spite of himself as Sleipnir calmly turned to the side when the princesses hurried forwards fearfully; without hesitation, he passed Celestia's wounded body back to them, smiling reassuringly to Luna and Twilight before the enormous earth pony queried evenly: “Harbinger... nay, thou art not quite the Harbinger any longer, art thou?”

“Perceptive.” the monstrosity whispered, and then it laughed loudly as constructs and slimes and Royal Guards and undead all slowly encircled it. It looked back and forth, then almost gleefully turned its eyes towards Blueblood and Sleipnir, with their extra company of Auros and Jerry Rig, and the princesses half-hiding behind them. “Oh, yes. So many ponies here... so many lives. So much magic and malice, and finally, I... we... are powerful enough to abandon these games and distractions and make our move.”

The creature grinned coldly, and then Sleipnir said gently: “Know that this is folly. We are many and thou art but one. Even if thou hast brought others with thee-”

But the creature threw its head back and laughed loudly at this, and Blueblood frowned uneasily as Sleipnir narrowed his own eyes, before the possessed unicorn looked forwards and retorted: “That is where you're wrong. You are few... but in this one vessel, we are many.”

The possessed pony's head twisted unnaturally as the ponies set themselves at the wave of malice and hatred it exuded... and then Blueblood's eyes widened in horror as black masses twisted up out of the creature's body, ripping through and shredding apart its own armor to reveal raw, burn flesh and stretched and flexing muscle. And the appendages that had burst up from its body twisted wildly back and forth, boiling with dark energy, of every shape and size before they all suddenly receded, leaving the pony that had formerly been Velvet Hoof standing with his head high and his eyes blazing with hellish golden light, almost all of his coat and mane burned away apart from a few straggling strands and clinging hide, cable-like veins of black and blue pulsating visibly over his rotten flesh.

And he exuded.. such tremendous power. He felt like a thousand different things to Blueblood's mind, as Sleipnir gritted his teeth and leaned forwards... but it was Auros who stepped forwards, his eyes widening as he whispered: “No... no, you can't have... that's not possible!”

“Of course you recognize us, Lich King! You would, with all your 'great knowledge' of the cycle...” The monster laughed loudly, then his eyes blazed before he cracked his neck and said mockingly: “Do not blame us for our creation... oh no, we were not born because of the Harbinger or any other self-proclaimed 'great evil;' we have been born because of the follies of oh-so-righteous Sleipnir and Blueblood! All the evils that they fought and defeated... all the darkness that they washed back with their precious light... all of it, poured down into the sea of souls! They made us!

“We are the accumulated evil that they have destroyed! We are a thousand-thousand souls, washed and salted with the hateful, the violent, the evil gunk that clogged up the cycle of rebirth! We are Legion, and we are Many!” roared the beast in triumph, and then it laughed before rearing back, eyes blazing as Sleipnir's widened and he reacted too little, too late. “We are One!”

A pulse of dark energy tore through the air, and Sleipnir grimaced as it washed over him with enough force to make him bow beneath its weight. Blueblood and the others were almost knocked off their hooves, while constructs fizzled and undead ponies were driven backwards with cries of terror.

Blueblood shook himself roughly out, then he began to lunge forwards, sudden fury bursting through his mind... but Sleipnir caught him by the shoulder and halted him in place, the unicorn glaring angrily at the earth pony.

The stallion only looked back at him calmly, however, and after a moment, Blueblood felt his rage vanish, his senses going dull and stupid for a moment before Sleipnir said quietly: “Shield thy mind, not just thy body. This foe will target-”

“G-Guys! Oh hell, guys, look out! I can't control the constructs anymore!” Jerry Rig shouted, and Sleipnir looked up in surprise before his eyes widened at the sight of the blackness steadily spreading through both the quaking slimes as well as the golems.

And then the earth pony shouted a useless denial as one of the Royal Guards suddenly lunged forwards, roaring... only for Legion to suddenly turn and send a blast of black flame tearing across the Royal Guard, incinerating metal and flesh alike and knocking him sprawling backwards in a dead heap. Except Sleipnir's horror grew as he saw the dark fire seemed to be greedily pushing itself into the body, which was jittering and twisting...

And then the dead soldier slowly dragged himself up to his hooves, gurgling in his throat as the one socket of his melted and mangled skull burned with dire, emotionless red light. He shifted back and forth, shivering violently before suddenly going very still as he rose his head.

All eyes stared with horror as Legion grinned callously, slowly turning his golden eyes back towards Sleipnir before both he and the puppeted corpse said, in the same horrible, echoing voice: “We are Legion. And our numbers continue to grow.”

Sleipnir gritted his teeth, then suddenly burst into a sprint, catching the monster off-guard as it reared back slightly... but then simply snarled and flung the puppeted corpse straight at Sleipnir, the dead soldier stretching his forelegs out to-

Sleipnir's hoof smashed into the corpse with enough strength to send it shooting like a cannonball back into Legion, hammering him backwards as he hissed in pain before the earth pony dove forwards. And a moment later, the entire hall erupted into chaos as the infected constructs and slimes charged straight for the earth pony, and a few valiant soldiers tried to leap into their way while others fled for cover and Auros shouted as he ran into the fray to try and shut down the constructs.

Voices shouted all over one-another's as Blueblood looked over his shoulder and shouted sharply to the princesses: “Pull down the ring! We can't let Legion access it!”

Blueblood didn't entirely know what the hell Legion wanted with the portal ring, but everything told him that they had to make sure he didn't access it. And both Luna and Twilight were staring up at him with disbelief before he began to leap away-

Celestia caught him by a foreleg, and Blueblood was surprised by the strength of her hoof as he looked down at her. She had one eye open, breathing slowly in and out as she looked into his eyes before she gritted her teeth, her horn glowing gold...

And Blueblood's eyes widened as his silver sword burst into golden flames, Celestia coughing weakly before she whispered: “Stop him... please.”

“I will, Auntie. Be strong.” Blueblood whispered, reaching down and taking her hoof for a moment to squeeze it tightly, and then he gritted his teeth and looked up as he heard the sound of metal being smashed apart by raw force.

Sleipnir had just punched away one of the constructs, but he was being attacked from all sides now as Legion stayed back, snarling and watching for an opening as his body smoldered with hellish energy.

The earth pony ducked under another construct, then slammed a hoof into a slime as it dove at him, turning it to nothing but sludge before he cursed in pain as another armored construct managed to hammer him from behind, knocking him staggering. And then he looked up in shock before a missile of black energy smashed into his breast and knocked him rocketing back through the crowd of enemies around him, rolling painfully backwards before he caught himself on his hooves and skidded to a halt in a scream of metal and sparks.

He trembled for a moment in pain, then rose his head and gritted his teeth, shrugging off the mental howls rippling through his mind. Legion only laughed, however, shouting: “Yes, yes! Your strength amuses us, Sleipnir! But we will consume you... we will consume all!

“Ignore the self-proclaimed hero! Kill everyone else! Make him understand his inadequacy!” Legion ordered gleefully, and Sleipnir's eyes widened in horror before he snarled as the constructs and slimes and the ponies that Legion's dark magic had already spread into all turned and rushed towards soldiers, towards undead, towards civilians. “We are many! And soon we shall be All!”

Sleipnir gritted his teeth, then began to step towards Legion... before he looked sharply to the side at the sound of a scream, watching as a construct seized a pony who had been too slow to run before breaking its neck. It held the corpse for a moment longer before flinging the dead body to the side... but even as it hit the ground, dark and putrid essence was already spreading visibly beneath the hide of the pony, who gurgled before slowly clawing his way up to his hooves and immediately stumbling in the direction of the other ponies.

Sleipnir roared like a wounded animal as he turned away from Legion, leaping towards the nearest enemies with desperation in his eyes: but even as he smashed through one construct, a slime leapt up onto the face of another pony, suffocating it, poisoning it, killing it. And not a single enemy turned to face him even as the earth pony darted from foe to foe, smashing into them with brute strength, disabling, crushing, killing, ruining...

Blueblood ran into the fray, slicing his fiery sword through a slime that leapt at him before he ducked under a construct that tried to grab him. He gritted his teeth as Legion laughed loudly, the monster excited, eager, sickeningly joyous from where it was watching the chaos-

Blueblood felt the pulse in his mind, heard the desperate cry of nature and something even more, even greater. He heard the voice, yelling at him that this was his only chance, that if he wanted to save anypony here, he had to get rid of the puppetmaster, he had to take this one slim opportunity...

The unicorn ran forwards, his sword drawing back at his side as he darted back and forth through the battling ranks of pony and undead and monstrosity, and then he burst out of the other side of the crowd in a full sprint towards Legion. And Legion looked up with surprise in his golden eyes before he snarled and reared back, dark appendages tearing out of his back and stabbing forwards-

Blueblood shot between the tentacles and claws of smoky hell, his eyes blazing even as the shadows seared his armor and roasted flesh beneath before his sword drove forwards. Legion screamed in horror as the stallion's blade buried through his breast, the shadows bursting backwards into unfocused, dark flames that danced and flickered with the monster's pain. “How... dare you!”

The ivory unicorn only gritted his teeth as he reached up and seized into the handle of his sword, grinding the blade into Legion's chest to the hilt... but even as Legion spasmed, a twisted grin crossed over his face, and the black hellfire began to try and twist itself into a new shape as he rasped: “Y-You can't kill me that easily... you cannot kill us in this vessel!”

And yet Blueblood felt instinct and something more guiding him as his horn began to glow, his eyes blazing before he shouted: “Maybe I don't have to!”

Legion stared with disbelief as magic crackled through the air around them... and then, in a burst of light, both he and Blueblood simply vanished. And the moment the two were gone, Legion's army of puppets faltered, as if they had lost the connection with whatever was guiding them. They hesitated and slowed... and it was not an opportunity that Sleipnir took for granted, as he roared: “All of thee, flee to safety! Create barriers, protect thyselves whilst I remove this chaff!”

The earth pony gritted his teeth as he threw himself into the fray with the sluggish, weakened puppets, thanking Blue from the bottom of his heart and hoping that wherever he was, he was safe, and he would be able to hold out until he could find him...

And Blueblood only hoped the same, as he and Legion reappeared in a flash of light before they both began to fall. Blue's eyes widened in shock as he looked over his shoulder, and Legion immediately took the chance to slam a hoof into the stallion's face, screaming: “What have you done?”

Blue half-flipped... then smashed painfully down onto a sloped roof, Legion crashing into the shingles a moment later in a spray of dust and debris. The two bounced and rolled painfully down the sharp slope before Blueblood managed to catch himself with a gasp of pain, halting his slide as Legion squealed and slipped off the edge, but then just managed to snatch the lip of the roof, looking down in horror as he realized- “N-No! No!”

Blueblood breathed hard, his head ringing more from the magical exertion than the punch he'd taken, even though it had left a steaming, acrid bruise. He gritted his teeth, then forced himself to stand even as Legion began to lever himself up: the unicorn's wild teleport had apparently taken them above the castle rooftop... but at least it was out of the facility.

The ivory unicorn stumbled towards Legion... then cried out in agony as a whip of dark energy shot out of the creature's horn and slashed across his face, ripping over his scarred cheek and knocking him backwards. He clutched at this, trembling as Legion glared furiously up at him, then clawed at the shingled rooftop, shivering only a little from the sword buried through his breast even as golden veins started to slowly spread through his body. “I don't... need my vessel in perfect condition... and since you've ruined this, you ruined this, I... I am going to-”

Blueblood wasn't interested in whatever the hell Legion thought he was going to do: instead, the unicorn leapt forwards and reached down to seize tightly onto the handle of his sword, Legion gargling and his body spasming before Blue shoved downwards, then yanked viciously up and backwards, tearing the weapon loose.

Legion was nearly knocked loose from the rooftop, howling in misery as his chest was flayed open by the flaming sword. Blueblood brought his weapon up, meaning to finish the fight-

Black tentacles snapped viciously upwards, wrapping around Blue and seizing into his sword, the unicorn howling in agony as Legion hissed up at him... and then his eyes widened as Blueblood overbalanced, the stallion bouncing off the edge of the roof and falling past Legion, tearing the monster free from the wall as he squealed in horror.

They fell, dark appendages losing their consistency and tearing free from Blueblood's scalded body as the unicorn gasped for breath, then wildly grabbed at his sword before his eyes widened as Legion tried to claw at him. But the unicorn swung his sword up, pinning Legion's forelegs against his breast before Blue twisted the weapon with both his hooves and telekinesis, rolling in the air and forcing the monster beneath him.

Legion's eyes widened before he started to look over his shoulder... and then they crashed down with a tremendous bang on the bridge, the monster screaming in misery and mixing with Blueblood's cries of pain as he was launched backwards by both the force of impact and a great, raw burst of black energies. He hit the ground and bounced once before landing in a painful bellyflop, leaving him gasping weakly for air as his sword clattered to the ground beside him.

Pain wracked his whole body, and he knew at least one of his ribs had broken, and he felt... drained. And yet all the same, Blueblood only let himself rest for a moment before he took a slow breath and slowly but steadily forced himself up to his hooves, gritting his teeth as Legion snarled, then pried himself up off the cracked stone.

They glared at each other, Legion shivering before he reached up and touched his wounded chest, and then he hissed: “You think you're so strong, so smart... but you are nothing... nothing... compared to us! You can destroy this vessel, but you can never destroy me and us, because I am more than you, I am greater than you, we are everything you are not!”

“And I've never been more glad to hear someone say that.” Blueblood replied coldly, and he reached back and pulled down his shield, slipping the targe onto his forelimb before he dropped himself to a ready position. The pain was pulsing, but it was driving away his exhaustion and his dazedness, making him focus, making him angry, making him recognize that the only way the pain was going to end for him and everyone else was by putting a stop to this... this twisted thing in front of him.

They looked at each other as Legion grinned widely, and then the monster gestured off the bridge, through the maze of towers and turrets and staircases to Canterlot below. “Don't you want to rule all this, Blueblood? Be my vessel. Share your body with me. And we can rule this and more. I can make you powerful... we will use that portal to open a gateway to an endless feast in the sea of souls, and we shall pour that power into our body and shape us anew...”

Blue laughed shortly at this, raising his sword as he retorted: “Even at my worst, I would never be idiotic enough to believe the words of a body snatcher like you. How long did you torture Velvet Hoof before you consumed him?”

“Velvet Hoof was weak, and a far different case from you.” Legion retorted, but he seemed more like he was playing a game now than actually trying to sway Blueblood. No, he was simply taking pleasure in his own voice, in voicing his own superiority... but maybe that was something that Blueblood could try and take advantage of. “When I was Invidia, I clipped the first strings in his weak mind, I made him smash your precious dream charm so I could get into your thoughts as I pleased... it was simple. And he was easy prey, after that: he was vulnerable to my powers. You should thank me for finishing what I started years ago... his mind grew so tormented, so broken, so delicious...”

The monster grinned widely, and then he leaned forwards and proclaimed: “And now, he is part of us! As we consume all things, and revel in the fact there is darkness in the heart of every pony, darkness that we add to ourselves, to I the Many! And even you, Blueblood, have a darkness in your heart that I will take delight in exhuming and showing to the entire world when I possess your body!”

Blueblood only smiled thinly, and then he gritted his teeth as Legion snapped his horn out, sending a black fireball at him. But the unicorn deflected this with his shield before he slashed his sword into a second blast of black flame, dispelling it.

Legion laughed as he approached, pelting Blueblood with dark magic: the unicorn dodged and dispelled and blocked as many of the attacks as he could, but bolts of dark energy still tore against his armor, melting whatever wasn't mythril and scalding his hide even through the near-indestructible material. Every blast he took seemed to amplify the pain scorching his entire body... and yet still, Blueblood fought on before he lunged forwards and slashed down at Legion.

But the monster easily caught Blueblood's sword in a black claw that stretched up out of his back on a limb of bending, twisting shadow, the monster grinning cruelly as he mocked, even while the golden flames around the sword slowly started to sear away his dark magic: “What's wrong? Or do you not understand that you cannot win?”

Blueblood replied by twisting his sword suddenly and slamming it down, driving the pommel into Legion's eye and knocking the creature backwards before the stallion stepped forwards and slammed him across the face with his buckler. The monster staggered further as he lost his grip completely on the blade, appendages of dark energy lashing wildly out all around him in near-panic, but Blueblood slashed through these half-formed tentacles before he managed to slam his blade home into Legion's face, the monster screaming in agony.

“What I understand are actions, not words!” Blueblood shouted, bringing his sword back and slashing viciously back and forth across Legion's face, driving the creature back.

But as Blueblood brought his sword back for a rending blow, the monster screamed, eyes flashing with power, and Blue barely managed to get his shield in front of him before he was sent skidding across the bridge by a blast of raw psychokinetic rage, the stony floor cracking and breaking with the power of the attack.

He came to a halt, gritting his teeth as Legion glared at him furiously through the cuts and gouges covering his face. Black lightning sparked over his horn, and then he threw his head back and roared, a surge of dark energy ripping through the air in all directions, and Blueblood swore, dropping low as he rose his shield.

All the same, he was battered painfully backwards by the hellish wave, his whole body lighting up with a mix of pain and numbness. He gasped for breath, but it felt like needles were paralyzing his lungs, like his blood had turned to ice in his veins, like his heart refused to beat...

But then the unicorn's eyes rose with surprise as he saw something was wrong with Legion as well: the monster was shaking his head wildly back and forth, his features looking broken and cracked, dark energy steaming up from these wounds as he moaned in pain. His horn was sparking and sizzling, but it looked like it had come dislodged from his skull as the creature rasped: “N-No... we are too powerful for this flimsy body...”

Blueblood slowly forced himself up to his hooves, and then Legion snarled in fury before he dropped his head forwards, gurgling in his throat... and Blueblood stared in horror as a black mass twisted and stretched up out of Legion's back, forming into a hideous, skull-faced monstrosity. Its body was huge and imposing, its long arms ending in vicious, hooked claws, baleful golden veins pulsing all along its form and light glowing out of its empty sockets as it rasped: “But it does not matter... soon, we will own you. Soon... you will be ours.”

“Never!” Blueblood shouted, and Legion, the true Legion, grinned at him before raising a claw, a sphere of dark energy appearing in his grip before he easily lobbed this at Blueblood.

The unicorn slapped it away with his shield on instinct, and the sphere of dark essence sizzled as it flew away before exploding in a burst of lighting and hellfire. Blueblood snarled at this... but Legion only laughed, raising its head high as it said cruelly: “We have the powers of all the evils you destroyed... and the Harbinger alone consumed an army of demons to power itself after it took root inside of Invidia! You cannot win against us!”

Legion's claws rose, a sphere of black malice appearing between its hands before it shoved this towards Blueblood, and the stallion barely managed to fling himself out of the way. The sphere smashed into the stone where he'd been standing a moment before with enough force to leave a crater behind and Blue cursed before he ducked sharply, a second cannonball of energy shooting past just above his head.

The monster laughed, the rotten, beaten pony body starting to walk calmly forwards as the hellish entity sticking out of its back continued to pelt Blueblood with magic. Blue dodged back and forth, backing slowly down the bridge as he swore under his breath before Legion suddenly extended a claw towards him, and the stallion reacted too late as the monster's arm stretched freakishly.

The claw clamped around his throat and hefted him into the air, Blueblood gargling as his emotions went wild: fear, hate, anger, pain all filled every nerve of his body with the touch of the monster as it yanked him in close... then lowered him in front of the pony vessel, which tilted its horn forwards as Legion laughed again. And Blueblood's voice joined the monster's in a scream of agony as black lightning shocked violently over his body, jittering wildly, his eyes rolling in his head, his armor and hair both beginning to smolder, his sword falling from his telekinetic grip...

And then the lighting ceased, and Blueblood was left dangling weakly as his body spasmed now and then, drool falling from his jaws as he stared blankly ahead. Legion only grinned down at him, before asking through the mouth of the vessel: “It is your choice, Blueblood. One last time, I will offer this: will you house the Many willingly, or will we have to break your feeble mind?”

Blueblood trembled, and then he shivered as he slowly began to raise a hoof, Legion grinning... before his head was forcefully twisted to the side as Blue slammed his shield across it. The pony vessel staggered backwards with a gurgle as Legion swayed on the puppet's back and dropped the limp unicorn, and then the rotting body caught itself before taking a slow breath.

But a smile curled slowly across the vessel's lips all the same as Legion looked down with amusement and contempt at Blue, as the unicorn scrabbled weakly for his sword. Legion slammed a hoof into his stomach and knocked Blueblood to his side, but the unicorn refused to cry out, glaring furiously up at the vessel... but this only made the monster lick his lips eagerly as he whispered: “Yes. You will be strong. And to think, this all started because of your pathetic concept of 'love...'”

Blueblood trembled as the vessel began to reach forwards... and then it looked up in surprise as there was a crackle of energy before four ponies appeared in midair, only a dozen feet away: three were winged unicorns, and the last was an earth pony who was already diving straight for Legion-

Legion snarled, the twisted apparition leaning forwards and slashing a claw viciously into Sleipnir just before he could connect, sending the earth pony hurtling away from the bridge with a cry of pain. And Blueblood shouted in horror as he leapt up, almost falling over the edge as he watched Sleipnir fall and vanish into the maze of towers and white stone...

The vessel began to reach forwards... and then screamed as a blast of fire hammered into its face, staggering to the side and covering itself even as the monster stretching out of its back snarled and created a ball of black flame in either hand, flinging these savagely up at the princesses.

Twilight Sparkle created a barrier, wincing back as the sphere exploded against it, while Luna deflected the other off to the side with a slash of blue magic. And, before the monster could attack again, wounded but determined Princess Celestia snapped her horn forwards, sending down another golden fireball that Legion barely managed to sway out of the way of.

He hissed in fury... and then flinched when Blueblood picked up his sword and slashed it across the vessel's face, distracting him. The apparition lashed a claw towards the stallion and knocked him staggering... but then several blasts of magic from above pelted his shadowy form, making his smoky, incorporeal frame flash with visible pain as he howled in agony.

Blueblood picked himself up... then swore and brought up his shield as the vessel lunged at him, madly attempting to pummel on him with his hooves. And at the same time, the true Legion roared in fury, flinging blast after blast of dark magic up at the princesses.

Twilight Sparkle created another barrier, gritting her teeth as blast after blast pounded into the purple wall, while Luna and Celestia retaliated with every offensive spell in their repertoire; blasts of flame and ice and lightning and raw, piercing magic tore down around Legion, but now the phantasm only seemed to be growing angrier and angrier from the little pain they were causing him.

But as Blueblood did his best to defend against the berserk rage of the puppet attacking him, he could see the spread of rot and wounds over the pony's corpse. Legion was drawing his strength from this vessel's spirit and body: if they could just get rid of the vessel, then Legion himself would finally be vulnerable...

The vessel slammed both hooves down into the shield, and Blueblood felt the pulse of instinct before he twisted and roared, twisting and slapping out the targe to fling the pony vessel to the ground. The corpse landed heavily on its side with a gargle... and the phantasm was dragged down with it, crashing in a sprawl across the bridge as a blast of dark energy flew wild.

“Now!” Princess Celestia shouted, and all three princesses snapped their horns down, rays of light shooting down and hammering into Legion's vile spirit. The creature screamed in agony and anguish, writhing helplessly beneath the beams of energy as the vessel howled miserably, kicking and convulsing and gargling...

And then Legion suddenly grinned, golden eyes blazing as his claws sparked before black lightning exploded up out of his claws, hammering into the princesses on either side of Celestia. Luna and Twilight both screamed in agony as they were knocked backwards, and the ivory mare cried out, losing her concentration as she looked back and forth... and watched with horror as both princesses burst into flames, clawing at the air as their wings flapped wildly but their bodies overbalanced, their feathers turned to ash...

Both fell, like purple and blue stars, streaking down as Celestia reached helplessly after them... then snarled as she looked up, mouth opening, eyes blazing as she began to dive. Blueblood tried to howl a denial, a warning, as Legion grinned and Celestia turned into a meteor-

One of Legion's claws snapped up and caught her by the face before he half-spun and simply flung her away like a toy with a burst of malice-made-fire. Blueblood turned, staring in horror as he watched black flames spreading over her body... before she crunched loudly into a stone tower, and then simply fell limply.

Blue trembled violently, then snarled as he spun towards the monster; but with ease, the vessel blasted him backwards with a raw surge of energy, Blueblood gargling as his head snapped forwards and his helm flew off. It landed with a clank in front of Legion as the monster picked itself up... a moment before Blueblood crumpled to the stone bridge himself, trembling in pain and disbelief.

Legion only smiled cruelly as he straightened, then cracked his back as the phantasm vanished back into the vessel. The corroded, weakened vessel, that all the same was steadying itself, seemed to be recovering some of its vitality as it said easily: “Disappointing. Preening princesses... and to think, demons actually fear them.”

Blueblood gritted his teeth... and then he felt it, a moment before the presence landed softly beside him. His heart swelled, and he felt his hopes return even in spite of the horrors he had seen as Legion's eyes widened in surprise, before Sleipnir said cordially: “Well, one must not forget that it has been quite some time since they have seen war of any kind... thou cannot be too rough upon them.”

Sleipnir stepped forwards, and Blueblood trembled as he looked up at the earth pony, whispering: “Thank Heaven.”

“Nay, thank Mother Nature.” Sleipnir smiled kindly, but he didn't take his eyes off Legion even as he instructed gently: “Thou hast done well, but for now, keep back and recover what strength thou can. Be proud of thyself, though, Blue: thou hast accomplished much.”

Blueblood laughed weakly, and then Legion stepped forwards, the monster smiling contemptibly as he asked coldly: “Has he really? I've crushed him. I've crushed Canterlot. And I'll crush you, Sleipnir...”

Legion glanced down, then picked up Blueblood's helm, studying it before he grinned coldly as Sleipnir's face lost its cheer and his eyes slowly narrowed. “And when I'm done with all of that, I will find your family, and crush them, too.”

The vessel flexed... and then simply crunched the helm between its hooves like a tin can, and Blueblood felt Sleipnir stiffen beside him before Legion asked coldly: “So what do you think of that, powerless little earth pony? All this talk about honor, and what has it gotten you? You have allowed me to be born, and caused the deaths of all these innocent little ponies... and given the whole world proof that you can't even protect the precious little prince.”

Sleipnir was breathing slowly, his features serious, his eyes cold, and Blueblood could feel something he had never, ever felt from Sleipnir before emanating off him in waves... and then Legion laughed, leaning forwards and asking mockingly: “So when I kill your family, will they be as weak as you? Or will your whore demon wife at least-”

Sleipnir crashed into the vessel like a meteor, and before the stupefied monster could even react, smashed a hoof across the creature's face in a haymaker so fierce it audibly snapped Legion's neck and sent his half-rotted horn flying free from his mashed-in skull.

The earth pony drove forwards, hoof after hoof crushing into Legion's chest and shoulders, leaving visible dents in his body with every blow before the cold-faced earth pony smashed an uppercut up under his jaw with enough force to lift Legion into the air... except Sleipnir's other hoof expertly caught the monster by the back of the skull, letting his hindquarters snap almost comically upwards before Sleipnir drove him face-first down into the bridge.

Legion was helpless to react, and Blueblood could only stare in shock, watching as blood and bits of bone flew in all directions as Sleipnir mercilessly brought hoof after hoof down into Legion's face, crushing the vessel into an unrecognizable mush before he drove a hoof into the remains of the corpse hard enough to drive it rolling backwards down the bridge. The earth pony's body tensed as his eyes narrowed, watching before Legion tried to stop himself-

Sleipnir leapt high into the air, then slammed down on top of Legion with all four hooves and enough weight and strength to make the bridge shatter around them, blocks of stone shifting out of place as Legion was driven down into the structure like it was made of putty. Then Sleipnir kicked off, launching himself up into the air again and gracefully twisting his body to dive straight down towards Legion, who had a moment to scream before the earth pony smashed into him... and Blueblood gaped and staggered as Sleipnir ripped straight through the stone bridge, pushing the monster ahead of him through the hail of falling rock and brick.

And even as they fell, Sleipnir refused to let up, slamming blow after blow down into Legion's broken, mangled body before he suddenly reached forwards and snagged Legion by the little that remained of his skull and mane, the stallion gritting his teeth before he began to spin. His body picked up momentum, rotating violently as they fell, Legion shrieking wordlessly before Sleipnir roared and flung the vessel savagely straight down.

Legion crashed into a courtyard far below with enough force to send up a cloud of dust, shocked ponies that had been gawking at the conflict from below knocked off their hooves from the pulse that tore through the earth... and then Sleipnir hammered down a moment later, a second wave of force clearing the dust cloud as time seemed to freeze for a moment with the stallion's rear hooves buried through Legion's body, his forelegs out to either side before he kicked off.

Sleipnir rose one front hoof at the apex of his jump... then slammed down with all his weight, all his strength, all his momentum, stomping the little that remained of Legion into oblivion.

And then, it was over: Sleipnir took a slow breath as he calmed himself, then stepped away from the mangled, ruined mess that was all that was left of the vessel: twitching, rotten, useless flesh. Sleipnir studied this with contempt for a few moments, and then he shook his head slowly before muttering: “Fool.”

The earth pony brushed at himself slowly, and then he sighed softly and lowered his head, murmuring a quiet prayer before glancing up and smiling briefly at the sight of the bridge high above. Blueblood was leaning over the edge of it, and Sleipnir shook his head briefly before he cleared his throat and rose his head.

And then the stallion blinked in surprise as he felt... pain. But more than that, he felt surprise as he looked down disbelievingly at the black claw buried in his chest, before his eyes widened as a shadowy, monstrous shape yanked itself free from the remains of the pony. It was misshapen and hideous, pulsing with golden veins, a twisted amalgamation of all the evils they had fought as it hissed: “We are Legion... I am Many... and we are more than just one worthless body!”

Sleipnir was smashed away by what felt like magic more than a physical blow, gasping in pain as he clutched at his breast, then glared when Legion dragged itself towards him, the monster staggering drunkenly back and forth before it clawed forwards. Sleipnir swayed out of the way, then swung a hoof forwards to counterattack-

His hoof uselessly passed through Legion's smoky form, and Sleipnir's eyes widened before a claw slashed across his face, leaving burns and rot in its wake as the earth pony was knocked staggering backwards with a cry of pain. He was forced to throw himself out of the way when Legion attempted to dive into him, cursing under his breath as ponies screamed and fled in all directions... not that Legion even noticed or cared anymore. All it had eyes for was him, and Sleipnir gritted his teeth before he whispered: “A moment's weakness, and now what evil have I unleashed?”

Above, Blueblood stared in horror as Legion clawed at Sleipnir... and Sleipnir did nothing. Could do nothing, some instinct told him... and the stallion gritted his teeth before he looked over at his sword.

Silver, and still wreathed with his Aunt's blessing of fire... Blueblood snatched it up, believing that it would work. Needing to believe that it would work, as he looked back and forth before he looked down, trembling hard and knowing that there was no way he was going to get down from here in time unless... unless...

Blueblood stepped backwards... and then he forced himself to breathe before he ran forwards and leapt off the bridge into open air. His eyes widened in terror as he fell, but then he gritted his teeth, gripping his sword with both telekinesis and his hooves before he stabbed it forwards with all the strength that he could as he passed close to a tower.

The sword screamed as it ripped halfway into the stone wall, and Blueblood cried out in agony as he slammed painfully against the rock before he kicked his rear legs out even as the sword tilted. But somehow, he managed to brace himself against the tower wall, gasping for breath as his broken ribs cried out for mercy.

But he didn't have mercy to give right now. Not to himself, and not to Legion as he watched the monster claw savagely after Sleipnir, who seemed to be tiring, weakening... and Blueblood gritted his teeth before he sawed his sword back, his armor grinding like nails on a chalkboard against the tower wall as he slid down it to a staircase below.

He stumbled on the steps, then leapt quickly off the side to land on another set of stairs. He hurried further down these, silver sword floating at the ready beside him, body aching but filling with fear and determination and so many other emotions as he looked... there!

He jumped from the steps to land on a lower rooftop, skidding down the shingles straight towards a tower wall... and then he fell over the edge into the narrow space between the outbuilding and the tower, kicking his legs quickly out and shoving his back into the wall behind him in spite of the agony that filled his body.

He skidded quickly but safely down between the walls, then dropped to his hooves with a gasp... but he didn't let himself stop as he staggered along another rooftop before looking down to see Sleipnir was stuck almost right beneath him, feebly trying to ward off the ethereal claws of Legion as the monster laughed and tore and slashed and tortured...

Blueblood snarled, then he leapt forwards with a roar, and Legion had only a moment to look up in shock before Blueblood slammed down on top of him, lashing his sword out... and Legion screamed in agony as he was driven backwards by the holy flames, clutching uselessly at the deep wound ripped through his chest before he shrieked: “No! You are my vessel, and I... we will devour you!”

“I won't let you... we're going to finish this, here and now!” Blueblood drove forwards, roaring, and Legion's eyes widened before half-falling backwards as the ivory unicorn slashed viciously at him.

Blueblood staggered from the too-hard cut, and Legion hissed as he tried to take advantage of the opening, a claw ripping into Blueblood's face... but even as he was knocked stumbling, Blue yanked his sword with him, ripping a swathe through Legion's body.

Legion flinched away with a shriek, and then Blueblood slashed the sword down again... but Legion almost slithered out of the way before the monster lunged-

Blue's shield drove up between the two, and the creature bounced off the blessed mythril before Blueblood dropped suddenly, then roared as he scooped upwards, hefting Legion off its misshapen legs before he half turned and slung the monster flat into the ground. Legion gargled... then screamed in agony when Blueblood stabbed his sword down, pinning the monster to the ground.

Legion howled, writhing back and forth as Blue staggered backwards, gasping for breath and glaring down at the monster as it trembled and convulsed... but then slowly looked up, a twisted grin spreading over the beast's face as it hissed: “We are... too many. We are too much for you to kill... you don't have enough hate. You don't have rage. Your darkness only makes our darkness stronger... pathetic little princeling... and that is why no matter how you defeat us, no matter whether or not you drive us back down into the sea of souls... we will return. We are Legion. I am Many!”

Blueblood looked silently down at the writhing, living darkness, and then he silently reached up and touched his waist as he closed his eyes, bowing his head forwards. No, he couldn't kill darkness with darkness... he couldn't drown hate and anger with more hatred, more anger, more despair. All he could do was...

Blue looked over his shoulder at Sleipnir, who smiled faintly from where he was laying against the wall, covered in bruises and rot, battered spiritually as much as physically. He saw everything in the stallion's eyes: how he had fought for a moment in anger, and even if it had broken Legion's shell... it had done nothing to solve the real problem. Hacking limbs off the tree of evil made it look smaller, weakened it for a time... but then the roots would go deeper, and it would grow back stronger.

The unicorn silently slipped his hoof up, knocking away a loose metal plate before he slipped his hoof into the hidden pocket. He pulled out the amethyst gemstone, feeling how it pulsed with warmth, and love, and happiness... with all the good memories his father had shared.

Legion leaned back, then suddenly sneered, hissing: “Go ahead. Do your magic to me. Try to bind me... so many of us won't fit in such a tiny gemstone! You might as well give us your vessel, Blueblood, but we begin to doubt you will be stallion enough to handle our power...”

“No. You'd rot me from the inside out... like I'm sure you would everything else, Legion.” Blueblood replied quietly as he allowed the amethyst to dangle by its iron chain... and then he smiled briefly before he gently took the stone into one hoof, then spun the chain several times around his hoof as he looked calmly down at Legion. “But you're wrong about one thing.

“I don't want to kill you. And I refuse to give in to my hatred of you.” Blueblood said softly, and his horn glowed, his hoof lighting up with radiant magic as Legion flinched back. “I'm not going to stop you because of anger, or prejudice, or pride. I'm not going to stop you because you're... everything that hurt me, because of how badly you've hurt the people I care for, because... because you are a monster. You are a monster... but I still would have given you a chance, Legion. That is what Sleipnir taught me honor and mercy are: you give everyone a chance.”

Legion laughed loudly at this, but he seemed uneasy as he shifted backwards, looking warily at Blueblood's fist before the unicorn stepped fearlessly forwards. Immediately, Legion reached up a claw and seized into Blue's armor... but Blueblood's didn't move even as he felt his shoulder burn with pain. No, it was muted now, numb, more of an annoyance than anything else as Blue kept his mind clear and his eyes focused, thinking only of what he'd been taught by Sleipnir, by his father... by Cerulea.

Legion stared up with disbelief at the lack of reaction or effect, and Blueblood looked silently back down at the monster before he rose his hoof and said quietly: “I have to stop you, not to avenge... but to protect the people I love.”

Blueblood's hoof slammed down across Legion's face, and the charge of magic and memories blasted through the iron chain and into Legion's dark spirit, the monster crashing down onto his back and nearly tearing free from the weapon pinning him... before his eyes widened in horror as he reached up and grasped his own face. White cracks pulsed through his cheek... and these spread slowly further as Legion screamed, his eyes widening in horror before the dark spirit began to slowly but steadily decompose, shaking his head wildly in disbelief as he clutched at himself and shrieked: “N-No! Get it out of me! We... we are Many! We are... these feelings... these m-memories...”

Legion spasmed on the ground, then yanked himself loose from the golden sword, crawling backwards as Blueblood looked with pity at the monstrosity. At this dark shade made up of a thousand evil thoughts and nightmares, as it tried helplessly to combat the depth of love, and devotion, and loyalty, and honor that was now spreading through its system... “H-Help us! Save us, vessel!”

“I did.” Blueblood said softly, and Legion looked up with a snarl before he lunged forwards... and Blueblood didn't lash out, didn't attack, but instead caught the dark creature as it began to fall, the monster trembling as Blue said quietly: “I am not afraid of the hatred of the Many, when I have the love of One to always fall back on.”

Legion trembled, and then Blue smiled faintly before he whispered: “Let go.”

The dark spirit stared weakly as memories and emotions surged through its spirit, purifying its corruption, soothing the torments that powered it, quelling the anger and hatred that drove it... and then it slowly closed its eyes before bowing its head forwards and exhaling quietly.

Golden light faded, and spirit-smoke became ashes that sifted down through Blueblood's limbs as he sat back, breathing quietly before he looked silently down at the gemstone in his hoof. Then he closed his eyes, clutching it against his breast as he murmured: “What do you think, Sleipnir?”

“I think thou art wiser and stronger than I have ever given thee credit for, Blueblood. I think thou art my equal now, in honor and mercy both.” Sleipnir smiled faintly as he strode up beside the ivory unicorn, nodding to him briefly before he reached up and silently touched his back. “And I think this world will be in good hooves with thee.”

Blueblood only smiled faintly, looking up before he simply nodded once, and the two sat together in the ruins of the courtyard, closing their eyes and feeling the presence of each other and the warmth of nature flowing all around them, knowing in their hearts that they had faced the worst this world had to offer... and weathered that storm, together.

Epilogue: A Lifetime Of Adventure

Epilogue: A Lifetime Of Adventure
~BlackRoseRaven

The portal didn't work.

Almost everyone had recovered from their ordeal: the princesses would probably still be aching for years to come from the dark magic, but they had healed. Even Celestia had healed... although now she had a few scars of her own across her body. But even those could be fixed in time, with a little patience, effort, and magic.

Blueblood had been strangely disappointed that Sleipnir hadn't been able to go home, but the earth pony had taken it with his usual gaiety and pride when it had done nothing but spark a little. He had laughed, smiled, said that they were just lucky it hadn't exploded, and then decreed that he would take a few weeks to research and recover, and then he and Blue would be off on another adventure across Equestria.

Celestia had been sad to see him leave... but Blueblood had promised to be back. And it was a promise he intended to keep, too. But there was so much he wanted to see, so much he wanted to do... and the road called to him. Nature called to him, and he wanted to be out there, doing good for everypony. And he wanted to be beside his brother, Sleipnir: he still had a lot to learn, after all, and Sleipnir wasn't the kind of stallion who could stand being alone for very long.

They had been traveling for three years now, having all sorts of adventures. They had traveled through the Murkwood, which had been quite murky but had also been full of monstrous beasts called wargs and giant spiders and all kinds of hideous things. And that included the elves they had come across one day, who had been beautiful outside, but arrogant and ruthless... and then very, very miserable after Sleipnir had cheerfully outflanked, outrun, and outfought all of them with one hoof tied behind his back. Literally, since the elves had ambushed and tried to kidnap them.

After Murkwood, they had ended up scaling a mountain and run into a giant. Sleipnir had beaten the giant at hoof-wrestling, and then the giant had gotten angry and chased them out of his house and halfway down the mountain before Blueblood had finally lost his temper and stabbed him in the foot when he'd tried to step on them, sending it hobbling away in tears. Afterwards, Sleipnir had chastised the unicorn for almost half an hour before he'd gotten distracted by some butterflies.

They had visited the Oracle and discovered that she was a fraud; they had rescued a fortune teller from a carnival of slaves after finding out she was the real deal. Sleipnir had played his first game of croquet and nearly killed the Duke of Trottingham, and Blueblood had punched a dragon in the face for the first time, and kept the tooth he'd knocked out as a prize. He had hollowed it out and now used it as a drinking horn, which made Sleipnir jealous because it could hold more than a liter of ale.

And of course, between the two of them, they drank every bar and tavern they come across dry of ale, and sometimes whisky. Blueblood learned drinking songs, and Sleipnir learned all about wines and champagnes. And no stallion – hell, no army of stallions – could out-drink, out-eat, or out-belch the two. Not that Blue was very proud of the last or anything, of course.

They adventured and they wandered: they always put their business aside to help out ponies in need, whether they were lowly peasant children or the highest of monarchs. They laughed, they loved, they had fun, and they fought... but never in anger, never with hate in their hearts, always to protect and always to defend.

Somehow, at some point, they had heard about some magic wishing ball that could grant any wish you wanted. The two had decided to hunt it down, and found out a dragon had stolen it from the old temple where it had originally been kept.

They had made their way to the dragon's aerie, and Sleipnir had politely asked the dragon if they could please have the ball back. The dragon had made the mistake of trying to swallow Sleipnir whole... and now the fangless lizard was whimpering in the corner, staring with terror at the two ponies as they poked and prodded the plain glass orb he had hurriedly turned over to them after Sleipnir had quite literally punched his teeth out.

“I don't think it works.” Blueblood said flatly, and Sleipnir huffed before he took it and shook it firmly, making the unicorn wince. “Sleipnir! That's how you broke that last artifact, you idiot!”

“I did not break it! It slipped!” Sleipnir retorted, jerking the orb away from Blueblood when he reached for it... and then the glass ball fell out of his hooves and hit the ground, shattering into pieces. All that was left were a few shards and a blue dust that wafted up and over Sleipnir as Blueblood stared in horror and the enormous earth pony slowly turned beet red.

“Well, 'tis... a silly thing, anyway!” Sleipnir complained, and then he lamely brushed at the dust before adding: “Besides, why would a wish work when a portal does not? Why art thou so sure that all I shall have to say one day is, 'I wish to go home,' and-”

The powder covering Sleipnir glowed brightly, cutting his words off, and then there was a loud pop before Sleipnir simply vanished, leaving Blueblood staring with disbelief at the space where the earth pony had been a moment before.

Blue couldn't believe it as he felt a twist of wild emotion run through him, his heart catching, his stomach clenching, his throat going dry. Sleipnir was gone. Sleipnir was gone. After everything they had been through, everything that had happened, Sleipnir had made a wish, and poof, he was just gone. He was gone...

Blue looked down for a moment, reaching up and silently touching the tattoo he'd gotten of Yggdrasil along one foreleg, the symbol that Sleipnir seemed to revere most... and then, slowly, the stallion found himself starting to smile in spite of everything. That big idiot had broken that stupid artifact and then made his damned dumb wish, and... and...

The unicorn looked up, and then he began to laugh: quietly at first, but soon in earnest, shaking his head before he grinned at the ceiling and shouted: “Sleipnir! You idiot, you never fixed my carriage! You ignorant little peasant, do you really think I'm going to just let you run off like that without even a goodbye?”

Blueblood laughed, then he reached down and swept up the broken fragments of orb and as much of the remaining dust as he could, putting it into his sidepack before he spun suddenly on his heel and pointed at the dragon in the corner, which yelped and leaned away. “Can you fly to Canterlot?”

The dragon looked dumbfounded by this, then it nodded hesitantly before Blueblood reached back into his pack with a wink and pulled out a diamond the size of his hoof. The dragon's eyes bulged, and Blueblood easily tossed this to the beast, saying mildly: “And there'll be enough of these to make you fat and happy for the rest of your life if you fly me there, my friend. Do we have a deal?”

The dragon looked dumbly down at the gemstone, and then he nodded violently, and Blueblood smiled warmly. Good: he couldn't wait to take these things to Jerry Rig, and maybe get Auros to come visit from the Sanctuary of the Lost out past Rancher's Ridge.

He was eager to find out of this 'Looking Glass World' was half as exciting as his big brother made it sound, after all.

Sleipnir wasn't sure what had happened, but he knew he was falling from the night sky. And he knew immediately where he was, as he gazed back and forth with awe before he laughed loudly as he saw the village coming towards him-

No, wait. He was falling. That meant he was going towards it, and that meant-

Sleipnir crashed into the ground with enough force to shake all of Ponyville and bury himself deep in the earth. For a few moments, all he could do was lay there, dazed... but Mother Nature squeezed him gently, told him to get up, and helped him slowly raise his head, the stallion blinking dumbly before he smiled brightly at the sight of the dull-pink pony standing nearby and only staring at him from beneath the waterfall of mane that spilled over one eye.

“Oh, phoenix! Thou art a glorious sight after... well, I suppose it has been quite some time, but bah, I have never been any good with time. Did I miss anything?” Sleipnir asked with honest curiosity, gazing warmly across at his wife.

“Goddammit!” the mare shouted, and then she kicked a large rock into his face, which made him flinch and knocked some of the soil and debris free of his head... but that was about the reaction he had expected from her, anyway.

She grumbled under her breath as her icy blue irises glared up at the sky, but he saw more than a scowl in her beautiful, red-rimmed eyes. So fearlessly, he did as he'd always done, yanking himself out of the hole in the ground and walking over to gently kiss her forehead before he smiled down at her radiantly: his phoenix Pinkamena, the love of his life, the soulmate who wore upon the left side of her chest a tattoo that gorgeously paired his. And what better promise could he have asked from a mare he didn't deserve anyway than that?

Finally, she sighed, but gave a smile with an honest hint of happiness in it as she replied: “Not much. I'll tell you about it on the way home.”

Sleipnir smiled back at her and nodded, and they turned to start down the road together, to live happily ever after...

And then the mare halted and sniffed the air, before her eyes narrowed dangerously as she glared over at him, asking moodily: “Do I smell demon blood, Sleipnir?”

Sleipnir grinned weakly... and a moment later, the mare was chasing him down the road, her yelling waking up the few ponies that hadn't already been startled out of sleep by Sleipnir crashing face-first into the earth, the stallion yelping as he dodged back and forth to try and avoid the occasional rock or mailbox or whatever else she could rip out of the ground to fling at him.

But still, it brought him warmth and happiness to be here at home, and there was nowhere he'd rather be as he looked over his shoulder with joy, and never fear, and for all her thorns his phoenix chased him with such ferocity because she loved him so dearly and deeply.

Oh yes, this was the world for him: home with a mare who loved him so much she was threatening to break his legs so he'd never be able to leave again, in a world that sang with wild nature and friendly chaos, as his heart thudded with the pride, the happiness, the sheer warmth he felt in the air all around him. Here was his adventure, here was his joy... and he only hoped that one day, he'd be able to find a way to bring his worthy new brother here to meet the rest of his wonderful family.

Either way, though, he knew that their hearts would never be far apart: because even if all the worlds separated them, they would eternally remain brothers... and Sleipnir was sure that one day they would meet again.We only fail when we defeat ourselves;

We only despair when we refuse to look for joy;

We only stay down when we refuse to get back up.

May 4th, 2014 – July 7th, 2014

Author's Note

Thank you everyone, for reading. For even looking.
I know it got a little fast near the end. Originally the Blueblood/Legion fight was meant to be much longer, and I know I could have detailed more of the journey back, but I just couldn't fit it all together properly.
I'm pretty burnt out, but it does a lot for me to see that people have enjoyed this story so much. It was nice to write something more lighthearted, and I think Sleipnir has a lot to kind of teach all of us, really. I'm still working on getting things back together, but... I'm hoping to be back and writing more soon.
Lastly, for those who weren't aware, this story takes place during the events of Glory Be, the final story in my Blooming Moon Chronicles/99 Worlds Saga. This story was designed to be readable apart from that, though, and I hope it was, even if I know I left a few questions and a few loose ends. But I like to think this story was about the journey, most of all.
That's all for now, but rest assured, there'll be more stories. There's always more stories, sick as I know some of you are getting of me by now. Thank you again, to each and every one of you. It means more to me than I can begin to express to be able to share these stories with all of you.

~BlackRoseRaven

Preamble: Midnight In Valhalla

Preamble: Midnight In Valhalla
~BlackRoseRaven

He had never experienced a fight like this before: he'd battled countless monsters over the faces of countless worlds, and none of those battles came close to comparing to the desperation, the devastation, the sheer raw thrill of this one.

The enemy had warped once-proud Valhalla with his powers, and his ancestral home now lay in shambles, a wrecked and myopic ruin. They had been forced to fight their way through hordes of monsters to get to this point, but they had finally cornered this elusive monster, this false god. But even if this monster conjured evil shades and used powers that bent and warped reality itself around them, this wicked godling was beginning to quake and buckle before them.

Because who could stand in front of such a set of mighty warriors? He was a warrior of Asgard and Midgard both, and he fought alongside a Valkyrie and her Clockwork husband, a Lich, and a demon... and the very last, he admired most of them all. Not merely because she was his wife, but because she fought with the fury of a thousand suns and had honor enough to match... even if she always tried to hide it beneath her cocky grin, her callous attitude.

And there! As he pinned one of the conjurations, the demon leapt forwards, with such grace even as she lashes out with such raw power, striking their foe, sending him reeling back! The Lich suppresses the other vile shade, while the Valkyrie and Clockwork warrior slip in to add their own strikes, driving their foe all the way back to his damned and accursed throne!

He smiles, raising his head, proud of his friends... no, his family. That is what they are, what they shall always be to him. He shall stand and fight beside them forever, and nothing shall ever drive them apart: they will conquer this foe, take back what is rightfully theirs, and then celebrate with-

“Goodbye.”

A pulse, and a single word, hissed by the monster. And too late, he feels himself swept up in currents of energy; too late, he feels the power wrapping around him. And before he can resist, he's simply gone, thrown to the winds by the powers of the monster and sent flying across the countless worlds.

Part of him knows that his love, his phoenix, has suffered the same fate: he cries out in anguish for her, and for his sister Valkyrie. Yet he knows that even with him and his wife exiled to an unknown world, his family will still finish the fight. His family will-

And then, he begins to fall.