In Service of the Dread Father

by Wandering Axioms

Rating: teen
Tags: Comedy, Cutie Mark Crusaders, Princess Celestia, Crossover, Main 6, Princess Luna, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Dark, Sad, Other
Length: 11588

Shadowmere finds himself in the world of Equestria

A new resident has arrived in Equestria. A stallion that calls himself Shadowmere has made Ponyville his home, but he is not your typical gentlecolt. The younger foals are terrified of him, and the older ponies are suspicious of him. Princess Celestia is willing to give this odd creature a chance to live amongst her subjects, but even her majesty has a limit on patience.

Published 2012-04-23 17:34:01 UTC
Last updated 2012-05-30 16:10:46 UTC

Prologue

For millennia I’ve served the Dread Father, Sithis.  Taking the form of a stallion to serve as a method of transportation for the Listener of the Brotherhood, I usually go by the name Shadowmere; though it is not my actual name (I have none in fact), it will suffice.

Fairly recently I was called to serve the newest Listener: Aleric Raynier; a Breton, fairly young, talked very little.  It was less than a week after the successful assassination of Emperor Titus Mede II; the Listener and I were on our way to Markarth to work out the details with a new client.  At the time, both the Listener and myself believed it to be simply another contract; he would meet with the client, work out the details, gold would be exchanged, and the target would then be eliminated.

It was on our way to the ancient Dwemer city however, that we had the misfortune to stumble into none other than a Forsworn camp.  These miserable little encampments dotted the wilderness of the Reach: as the countryside around Markarth is called.

Rather than turning around, however, Listener Raynier decided to attack the camp and wipe it off the face of Skyrim.  First mistake.  As we stood on top of a hill overlooking a camp, I could’ve sworn that I heard Aleric mutter something about wanting to increase his illusion skill.  Really?  I thought.  You already have invisibility, the only useful illusion spell.  Of course, I could not speak, and my opinions went unheard.

This was very unlike the Listener; he was always more...practical.  Rather than sneaking into the camp and slitting their throats as they slept one by one, the Listener dismounted, pulled out Mehrunes’ Razor and charged in.  Second mistake.

I decided to charge in with him, and most of the less armored barbarians fell within the first few seconds of the fight.  Aleric summoned a flame atronach (which he nicknamed Sam for some odd reason) and we continued cutting down one lowlife after another.

When we had nearly cleared out the camp, my animal senses already heard that familiar roar in the distant skies.  With the remaining Forsworn on the run, I nudged into the Listener to get his attention.  At first he didn’t understand until I looked up to the skies.

“What is it?”  He asked.  He must have heard the roaring by then.  “Ugh, by Sithis, another damned dragon.”  If it was another regular dragon, then there would be no real threat, and the Listener would obtain another soul to unlock the secrets of a new shout.  The two of us continued scanning the mountains around the camp in hopes of sighting the beast.  It was within moments when we both saw the gold scaled beast fly above the mountaintops, circling us like a vulture.

“By the gods,” Aleric sighed.  “An elder dragon!”  The coloration did indeed indicate such.  Immediately, he pulled out Chillrend, a powerful enchanted sword that he acquired in a job in the Thieves’ Guild.  The dragon proceeded to get closer and closer with each circle, until it was almost directly above us; looking down on us with menacing fiery orange eyes.

Aleric looked up and shouted one of his most powerful shouts: Dragonrend.  “JOOR ZAH FRUL!!”  The point of Dragonrend is to force a dragon in mid flight to land.  Unfortunately, half the time, the damnable thing doesn’t work; this was one of those times.  It did succeed in enraging the dragon even further.  So much that the monster spiraled down towards us, breathing fire all the way.  I quickly dashed to my right, while Aleric took this opportunity and grabbed onto the dragon’s wing.

Never before had I heard the Listener (or any mortal being for that matter) scream like that.  The Breton was pulled up into the air like a child’s toy; amazingly, he held his grip on the membrane of the dragon’s right wing, the beast trying desperately to shake him off.  It was at this point that I followed the dragon as fast as my limbs would go; all the way up one of the taller mountain peaks of this forsaken canyon.

I managed to get a good look at the elder dragon with the Listener still clinging onto the wing’s membrane.  Aleric must have plunged his blade into the flesh, as the dragon roared in obvious pain.  It suddenly turned to face my direction; it couldn’t have been more than a few meters from flying into me when I noticed it was starting to turn.

A very brief second of relief came over me.  That was when its other wing collided with me, sending me far off the peak of the mountain and towards the ground.  It would have been humorous had it not resulted in my demise.

“SHADOWMERE!!” I hear the Listener cry out in genuine dismay.  As I began the plummet towards the ground, I think to myself.  Another death in the service of another imbecile Listener.  However, I thought about the boy that became Listener; he was not an imbecile, but he did make an unusually rash decision.  Why would Father wish for such a ludicrous death of mine?  Does he require my presence in the Void?  Perhaps a-

My thoughts were interrupted with me making contact with the rocky ground.

A loud crack.  Everything went dark.

“So, Twilight,” the small dragon, Spike said to the purple unicorn.  “What do you plan on dressing up as for Nightmare Night?”

Twilight Sparkle sat at her study desk, contemplating on the options that she listed on a small piece of parchment.  “Hmm, I’m not really sure yet.”

“Isn’t Dash going as a Wonderbolt again this year?”  Spike asked.

“Yeah...” Twilight sighed at the thought of her friend’s obsession with the team of athletes.  “There’s something wrong with that filly.”  She mutters under her breath.

“Uh...Twilight,” Spike said suddenly.  The unicorn turned to her assistant.

“Is something wrong, Spike?”

“I...ah, think I feel a letter coming.”  Twilight sighed as the little dragon belched out those familiar green flames.  Grabbing the scroll with her magic, Twilight noticed the royal insignia on the seal.

Should I’ve expected it from any other pony?  She asked herself.  Undoing the seal, she proceeded to read it.

Dear Twilight Sparkle,

    Please be aware that Ponyville may be receiving a new resident.  He should be arriving in the next day or so, and while he may seem eccentric, I truly believe that he deserves a chance to fit into our community.  Be patient with him, as he is new to Equestria in general.

Sincerely, Princess Celestia.

Twilight’s ears perked up.  “A new pony coming to Ponyville?”  She felt a grin crease her face.

“Eccentric, huh?”  Spike said, causing the lavender unicorn to jump.  “The Princess is being kinda cryptic in this letter, isn’t she?”

“It’s not like she hasn’t been before,” Twilight said standing up.  “But I wonder what she means by ‘new to Equestria’?”

I felt the cool grass beneath my hooves, and a faint breeze combing my mane.  I was still in equine form.  Obviously, as my eyes opened, I noticed that I was not in the Void as per usual whenever I died in the mortal realm.  I scanned around for a few brief moments when I realize the odd truth.

I was not in Skyrim anymore.  The climate felt far too warm, and I was evidently in a forest of some kind; not in the canyons of the Reach.  Why would Father want me here?  I think to myself.  Was I in one of the other provinces of Tamriel?

This notion was quickly defeated when I noticed the fairly odd nature of this place.  It didn’t seem...realistic.  It seemed almost as if it were a dream; a child’s dream at that.  It was fairly colorful...too colorful; I despised it.

I looked towards the sky and noticed that it was daytime; early evening, judging by the position of the sun, slowly setting into the western horizon.  Immediately I set out from the clearing in which I awoke, as a feeling came upon me that I was being watched.  Possibly a nocturnal predator hoping to find an easy catch.

Quickly I made my way through the forest in the direction of the sun, hoping to reach its end.  Whatever it was that was pursuing me, it was fairly damned persistent.  Every so often, I would dive into the brush that dotted the forest floor.  The feeling of being watched would subside, I’d leave my hiding spot, and continue through the wood until the feeling returned.

For the better part of the evening, this cycle continued until the point I reached another clearing.  I turned around and planted my hooves into the dirt, ready to face my stalker head on.  Worry had receded well over an hour ago; now the only real feeling I had was frustration.  I panned my gaze across the thick trees in front of me.

“There’s no point in hiding,” I hear myself say in an angered tone.  My attention was caught: I had just spoken with my...voice?  I ask myself.  In the mortal world, I had always taken the form of a horse; obviously this rendered me unable to communicate vocally, and had to resort to body language.  I was not in the mortal world then, but I was not in the Void either.  Was I perhaps thrown into one of the Daedric realms of Oblivion?  Perhaps, but it certainly didn’t look like any of the realms that Sithis or the Night Mother had described to me.

A snap of twigs and low growling brought my attention back to the forest; the glowing pair of eyes hiding between the trees to be specific.  The hateful red orbs rivaled my own in fact.  The beast revealed itself and with a roar, began charging towards me.

Strange creature: body of a lion, bat-like wings, a scorpion’s tail; a manticore?  What I remember hearing of these mythological creatures didn’t include them having wings however.  From what I knew, they didn’t exist in Tamriel, or on Nirn for that matter.  But there was no time to really think; the beast looked rather hungry.

I quickly darted to my left, just barely missing getting swiped by one of its huge paws.  I stood tall and gave a defiant stare.  Angered, the manticore turned to me and let out a guttural roar, and raised its stinger.

It was unknown if it contained a venom of some sort, but I would be content not to find out; I jumped back a few feet as the barb of the appendage pierced the soil.  The beast already was becoming frustrated, probably thinking that something that was so small in its eyes would give it such trouble.

My options ran through my mind as the manticore continued to clumsily swing its paws; me dodging each one with ease.  I knew however, that I could not keep this up forever, and something so much larger than me would be near impossible to bring to its knees without help.

As much as it irritated me, I knew I had to escape from the monster’s reach somehow.  I cleared some distance between the manticore and me and looked around for any possible cave that was just large enough for me to squeeze into.  Sithis must have been gracing me with his cold smile at that moment as I saw a small grotto jutting out of the clearing.

I spitefully smiled at the manticore.  It clearly noticed the grotto, as its wings lifted it into flight when I made a dash for the opening.  I forced my way into the hole, not any more than two feet wide and make my way to the back of the cave.  I heard the manticore growling at the sight that its prey had escaped as its paw dug into the cavern in a desperate attempt to catch me.

I could still feel it circling the entrance of the cave, however.  While it was one of the most senseless animals I had encountered since mud crabs, I had to admire its persistence.  Realizing that it wouldn’t be leaving anytime soon, I sigh and place myself on the floor of the grotto, trying to get some rest.

I still had many questions about where I was and what had happened to me...but those questions could stand to wait until tomorrow.

Being Watched

I had a dream last night, though I can scarcely remember it now.  I mainly just remember a feminine voice speaking softly to me, in a calm, almost motherly tone.  I awoke for a brief moment to notice it was still dark, and I was too weary to check if the manticore was still outside, let alone venture out into the forest.  I decided to wait until morning.

Setting out from the cave the following morning after having noticed that the manticore had left, I began to search the woods for any signs of civilization.  While going through the woods however, I noticed for the first time that my equine form felt...smaller?  I can’t really think of any other way to describe it.

After about half an hour of straight walking, I meet the edge of the forest, and I can see a dirt path that leads to what appears to be a town of sorts, though I have never seen a settlement so...defined before.  I looked around to see if the coast is clear and make my way closer to the town, trying to keep as low as possible; understandably, the sight of a pitch black horse with glowing blood red eyes would alarm the locals to a certain degree.

But then I chuckle and think to myself; I might as well try to have some fun while I’m here.

I make my way through one shrouded alley to the next, making mental notes on everything I see. Despite being an ethereal being and therefore possessing no digestive system, what I saw nearly made me vomit.

Before me, I saw three pastel colored equines standing by what appeared to be...a bakery?  And they appeared to be speaking with each other.  Their colors made my eyes want to bleed.  One had a snow colored coat and a purple mane and tail that were apparently well groomed.  Odd thing was that it had a horn, thus making it a unicorn.

Second one was of a cyan color and was hovering above the other two with wings of the same color; a pegasus!  Her mane was of six shades in a rainbow color; I gagged at the sight.

But the last was the absolute worst: a normal (by that I only mean no wings or horn) horse with pink fur and a pink mane.  Pink.  I. Despise. Pink.  This one was continuously hopping in place as if it had eaten one too many sweet rolls.

I was tempted to edge my way closer to try to listen in on what they were conversing about, but I was immediately deterred when the pink one stopped hopping suddenly and gazed in my direction.  After a brief period of the other two speaking to her, an open smile as wide as the Sea of Ghosts suddenly creased across her face and she let out a high pitched squeal.

I can’t remember the last time I ran that fast.

“Pinkie, what are you staring at?”  The pegasus named Rainbow Dash asked as she landed next to her friend.  No answer.

“Pinkie?”  The white unicorn Rarity asked.  “Is there something wrong?”  Pinkie Pie’s only response was a high pitched squeal of joy, startling both of her companions and attracting the attention of a few passing ponies.  She then proceeded to hop around her friends in a circle while giggling like a school filly.

“Pinkie!”  Dash yelled.  “What is it!?  What are you so excited about!?”

“New pony!!”  The hyperactive filly yelled with happiness.  “New pony!  I saw him!  He was in the alley right over there!”  With a hoof, she pointed over to a darkened space in between two businesses.

“Uh, Pinkie Pie,” Dash said as she looked towards the alley.  “I don’t see anypony there...”

“He ran away, silly filly!”  The pink pony laughed and resumed her hopping.

“Ran away?”  Rarity asked.  “Now why would anypony do that?”

“He was really strange looking too!”  Pinkie started hopping in place in front of her friends now. “It was reeeeaaaally easy to spot him in the dark because he had bright, glowing red eyes!  Oh!  You both know what this means, right?”

“Lemme guess,” Dash groaned.  “We’re gonna prepare a party for him?”

“Of course, silly!  Everypony gets a Welcome to Ponyville party; Pinkie style!”  The pink pony gleefully began hopping in circles around her friends again as both Dash and Rarity sighed.

A decent morning of exploration of this place.  Listening in on conversations, I learned that the name of the town is Ponyville, as unbelievably ridiculous as it sounds.  I’ve also learned that the nation (or maybe it refers to the world, or just a continent) is Equestria, and that it is ruled by a “Princess Celestia” and “Princess Luna” concurrently.  I’ve also heard them referred to as if they were deities, such as “By the gods” being replaced with “By Celestia.”

I’ve been sure to study what appear to be unicorn and pegasus subspecies, the latter of which are capable of ample flight maneuvering.  I’ve noticed a great deal of them were apparently “moving” the clouds from one location to another, but for what reason I can only guess at.

The former, unicorns, are able to wield powerful magic with their horns, but it doesn’t seem to be of any of the traditional schools of magic that are classified in Tamriel.  Mostly I’ve just seem simple levitation of small objects.  The horn would glow a color that matched the unicorn’s coat, and a similar aura would surround said object.

Unfortunately, I have already been spotted by one of them, as I have noted earlier.  A rather shameful exposition put on by a servant of Sithis, one would think.  No pursuit took place and I managed to retreat to my old dwelling in the forest, but I must be more cautious from here on out.

I’ve gone exploring again in the early evening, this time going around the settlement known as Ponyville.  Traversing the area around the town, I’ve noticed a small cottage on the northern edge, housing a single female pegasus, and a rather large amount of domesticated animals.  This pegasus has a pink mane (which lead to my assumption of it being female) and a soft, yellowish coat.  She mainly stayed on the ground, occasionally hovering above one portion of her farm.  I could hear her speaking, but she was so quiet that I couldn’t understand a word she was saying.

My next area of exploration was a farm, or more like an orchard to be precise, as apples seemed to be the primary agricultural crop being grown.  I saw two more equines here: an orange colored one with a blonde mane and tail (this one was wearing an odd looking hat) and a red one that was at least twice the size of the other one.  I assumed the red one to be a male based on the size and that it had a much deeper voice.

Another oddity I’ve noticed while traveling between these two locations is that there appears to be a large mass of clouds on the horizon.  Even stranger still is the fact that they seem to be...organized in some fashion.

Night is falling, and I’ve decided to turn in at the cave until morning.

Second day.

The same dream as last night, though I could understand it a little more.  I was standing on what almost felt like a cloud, the sun was rising across the horizon, and I remember that motherly voice speaking to me again.  So far, I’ve failed to piece together what it means.

This morning, I continued my surveillance of the town.  Nothing really new today, unfortunately.  I did however see what looked like a short, bipedal lizard like creature.  It was also breathing a green fire from time to time; an infant dragon perhaps?  Not unheard of, but this is the first time I’ve ever seen one.

Other than that, nothing really interesting.  I returned to the cave by afternoon with little new information.

No sign of pursuit from the pink equine.

Early evening of the second day.

I’m back at Ponyville tonight, determined to find out something new about the lifeforms that apparently dominate this odd world.  I stood outside what looked like a tower almost, fairly posh looking, splashed with different shades of purple and lavender.  I sat on my hunches by a mound of garbage, listening to a young female voice speaking (possibly to herself?) something about a mirror.

“Such a shame,” she said to herself.  “This was one of my favorite mirrors; I guess I’ll just have to go out tomorrow and buy a new one.”  I heard a heavy sigh of disappointment as I looked up to see a circular object plummeting towards me.  I dodge without making a sound as the mirror crashes onto the soil, loosening some more fragments of glass.

Examining the mirror, I notice that it is edged with gold and various gemstones decorate the back.  Turning it over, I see my reflection for the first time since entering this world.  What I saw horrified me.

My appearance had changed: despite my coat being pitch black, it had somehow become more defined, more...colorful.  It’s as if a child had taken colored ink and drawn me on a piece of parchment.  I was smaller, about the size of one of the ponies.  My eyes still retained that ominous glow, but it appeared completely unthreatening because of my other features.

I took the broken mirror with my teeth, and retreated to the edge of the woods.

Twilight had been spending the past minute trying to calm Pinkie Pie down.  She had been hopping around her library in excitement, throwing streamers around and hanging balloons one the walls.  “But, Twilight,” the pink pony said while zipping from one side of the room to the other.  “There’s a new pony here in town!  And I absolutely need to throw him a party!  Everypony is invited!  Come on, help me prepare, we need some cake, games, music, drinks,”

“PINKIE!!”  Twilight exclaimed to get her friend’s attention.

“Yes?”  Pinkie asked calmly as she came to Twilight’s side, ready to listen attentively.

“Gosh, can’t you take your mind off of parties for one second,” Twilight shook her head.  But in all honesty, that’s why she liked Pinkie so much.  “You said there was a new pony, right?”  Pinkie nodded excitedly.  “I got a letter from Princess Celestia two days ago about a pony’s coming arrival in town, and she also said to be patient with him and that he might seem eccentric.”  She rolled her eyes.  “Whatever she means by that.”

“Oh, eccentric?  I know what that means!  I think...”  Pinkie placed a hoof on her chin in thought.

“Ugh, it means unconventional; a little on the strange side.”

“Ohhhhhh,” Pinkie replied.  Twilight felt herself smile.

“I wonder,” Twilight said, putting a hoof to her chin.  “The princess said that he was also new to Equestria; I didn’t even know that ponies lived outside of Equestria before...”

I had to know for sure.  I rested in my cave dwelling in the evening, deep in what the ponies refer to as the Everfree forest, my reflection in the shattered mirror gazing back at me.  I had indeed turned into one of them...my coat is still as black as night, but that familiar pastel style had covered me.

This is something I couldn’t even begin to understand.  There is really only one idea that would explain my sudden appearance in this world: the Dread Father had abandoned me.  It had happened to other servants of Sithis before, such as with one of the former Listeners whom nearly led the Dark Brotherhood to destruction.  When he was apprehended, he was thrown into the dimension of Coldharbour, the realm of the Daedric Prince, Molag Bal.

I gently touch the broken mirror with a hoof.  How could the Dread Father abandon me like this?  What have I done to have offended?

I feel a thousand more questions pile up in my mind.  I sigh and sit back against the wall of the cave; I don’t have many answers, and the fatigue that is suddenly creeping upon me is not helping.  I feel my eyelids close.

One question in particular bothers me the most:

I am the one observing these ponies; so why can I not shake this feeling that I am the one being watched?

An Essence of Fear

Fresh out of ideas...again.  Just another day for the Cutie Mark Crusaders.  The three of them sat in their clubhouse, pondering on any more bright schemes to earn their cutie marks.

“Do you guys have anything?”  The orange pegasus Scootaloo asked her friends.  The unicorn Sweetie Belle tapped a hoof to her chin and sighed.

“Nothing...”  She huffed as she slid her notepad to the side.

“What about you, Apple Bloom?”  Scootaloo turned to the red maned filly who was looking out the window towards the darkness of Everfree forest.  “Apple Bloom?”  Scootaloo tried to get her

friend’s attention.

“Oh,” the filly giggled.  “Sorry Scootaloo, I was sorta zonin’ out for a second.”  Scootaloo gave Apple Bloom an odd look and shook her head.  “I was thinkin’ about the new pony coming to town that Pinkie Pie was talkin’ about.”

“Wait,” Scootaloo said.  “There’s a new pony in town?”

“Duh, Scoot,” Sweetie Belle said.  “Twilight received a letter from Princess Celestia like two days ago.”  She cleared her throat and began to speak in a regal voice, trying to imitate the princess.  “Dear Twilight Sparkle, there’s a new pony coming to Ponyville, he might seem like a total weirdo, but please be patient with him.”

“Yeah, everypony in town knows about it by now.”  Apple Bloom said.  “Pinkie went around town yesterday handin’ out invitations for his welcome party.”

“What!?”  Scootaloo hopped in surprise.  “Why doesn’t anypony ever tell me about these kinds of things!?”

“Did Pinkie get an invitation to the new pony?”  Sweetie Belle asked.

“I don’t think so,” Apple Bloom said.

“Hey, don’t you guys ignore me!”  Scootaloo yelled in dismay.

“He didn’t?”  Sweetie Belle asked stepping beside Apple Bloom.  “Maybe we could look for him in the forest and give him his invitation personally!”

Apple Bloom brought a hoof to her chin.  “You guys aren’t thinking...we could get our marks by delivering messages?”

“We could be like, delivery foals!”  Scootaloo said trying to get into the conversation again.  “Sorta like that one pegasus; what’s her name?”

“You mean Derpy?”  Apple Bloom asked; Scootaloo nodded eagerly.  “I dunno; her cutie mark is just a bunch of bubbles, do ya really want somethin’ like that on your flank for the rest of your life?”

“Not all cutie marks are the same, Apple Bloom,” Scootaloo explained.  “There’s another mailmare named Raindrop, and her cutie mark is; surprise, three raindrops!”  Apple Bloom thought for a bit.  “C’mon, girls!”  Scootaloo came between them and put a hoof on each of their shoulders.  “Who’s up for an awesome night of crusading?”  Sweetie Belle smiled in concurrence.  Apple Bloom gave a weak, nervous smile.

That evening, a loud cheer roared out of the club house: “CUTIE MARK CRUSADERS DELIVERY FOALS! YAY!!!”

“Excuse me, Applejack?”  Rarity knocked on Applejack’s front door, trying to get the orange earth pony’s attention.  A few moments of silence followed by the sound of a door unlocking was her response.

The door opened, revealing a very tired looking Applejack, her mane was tangled.  She brought a hoof to her mouth and let out an labored yawn.  “Rarity?  It’s kind of late, dontcha think?  It’s been a long day of harvestin’ and I really need to get some sleep...as soon as Apple Bloom gets home; speaking of which, I haven’t seen her since this afternoon...”  She put a hoof to her chin in concern.

“That’s what I came here for!”  Rarity hoarsely whispered.  “Sweetie Belle hasn’t come home yet, either!  I haven’t seen her or her friends since this morning!”  She paused for a moment and gasped.  “You don’t think they could’ve gotten themselves into trouble, do you?”

Applejack yawned again and wiped the tiredness out of her eyes with a hoof.  “I dunno...”  A hint of worry found its way into her voice.  “They could just be at their clubhouse and could’ve lost track of time, or something.”

“Nope, I already checked there,” a loud voice above said, startling both of them.  Applejack looked up and frowned.

“Rainbow Dash, how long have you been eavesdroppin’ on us!?”  The cyan pegasus gently floated from the roof of the house down to the ground.

“I just got here!”  The pegasus scoffed.  “I overheard that you guys were talking about-”

“Aha, so you were eavesdropping on us!”  Applejack accused.

Rainbow Dash tensed up.  “I was saying that I already checked out their clubhouse, and none of them are there!” She lifted herself above her friends.  “If you ask me, I’d say they’ve gone off to do more of the crusading that they do.”

“Where?”  Rarity asked, anxious to find her sister.

“Well, last I saw them, it was earlier today, when Pinkie Pie was telling them about the arrival of somepony who was new.  She even told them that he was living somewhere in the forest.”  She brought a hoof to her face.  “And I guess they got the idea in their heads to go looking for him...”

“This is just great...”  Applejack commented.  “Apple Bloom knows better than to run off into that place this late in the evenin’.  Girls,” Applejack sighed.  “We’d best start lookin’ for them.”

“Applejack, dear,” Rarity said.  “Do you think we should tell the others?”

Applejack waved a hoof.  “Nah, I think we can catch up to ‘em fast enough, especially since we have Rainbow with us.”  The cyan colored pegasus felt herself swell up with pride.

“Yeeeaaah,” she blushed.  “I bet I can find those foals in ten seconds flat!  Don’t you guys worry!”  With that, Rainbow flew off into the direction of the forest.  Applejack didn’t even bother to stop her.

Rarity and Applejack exchanged looks; Applejack had a smile, Rarity had a concerned frown.  “I’m sure they’re alright, sugarcube,” Applejack placed a hoof on her friend’s shoulder as they followed Dash into the Everfree forest.

I felt myself resting on a very soft surface; something that felt like freshly baked bread...or  maybe even a cloud?  My eyes open slowly, to nearly be blinded by the rising sun over a horizon of other clouds.  I recognized immediately where I was.

I was having that same dream again.

I stood up immediately, to hear the calm, motherly voice speak to me; however, this time I could make out a few of the words that she was speaking: Seek...Redemption...Peace...Always there...  The voice ceased at this moment and a miasma of darkness enveloped the rising sun.  This fog proceeded to seep towards the ground below the clouds I was resting on.  I looked down to see the same town of Ponyville as well as other, larger cities, and an enormous castle jutting out of a mountain.  The darkness consumed all of these things, as the sky turned from a peaceful blue into a blood stained red color.  The shadowy vapor then proceeded towards me.

I felt the inky blackness consume me, and I felt as though I couldn’t breath.

I awoke with a gasp to find myself still in the darkness of night (slightly before midnight to be precise.)  “Damn it all...” I mutter as I sense a familiar presence approach.

Three foals wandered the darkness of the Everfree forest that night.  “Hey, guys,” a frightened Apple Bloom spoke up.  “I’m not so sure that this was a great idea...”  She gazed around at the various vegetation, their limbs shrouded in darkness made them look like menacing creatures out of a nightmare.

“Quit being such a chicken, Apple Bloom,” The orange pegasus Scootaloo said.

Sweetie Belle giggled.  “Look who’s talking...”  Scootaloo puffed up in anger and was about to yell at her friend when the sound of twigs snapping caught all their attention.

Apple Bloom let out a small “eep!” as the three fillies crowded together at the base of a nearby tree.

“W-what was that!?”  Sweetie Belle stuttered while holding on to her friends.

“I-I dunno,” Scootaloo whispered.  “But whatever it is, it c-can’t be as bad as a,” she gulped.  “Cockatrice...”  All three of them remembered the beast with the head of a chicken and the body of a snake that could turn a living creature to stone.

It was at this moment that all three foals locked eyes with two beady red orbs in the buses on the other side of the dirt path.

“Can ya see anything from up there, Rainbow?”  Applejack asked the pegasus as she came back into view.

“Not yet, girls,” she frowned.  “But if we keep following their hoofmarks, I think we’ll find ‘em soon enough!”  She said with confidence.

“Yes...” Rarity said, worried for her little sister.  “Well, we best keep-” her sentence was interrupted by what sounded like the screaming of several young foals, followed by a deep, guttural roar.

The three mares exchanged short glances, before they made a panicked dash in the direction of the screaming, expecting the worst.  They all recognized the roaring animal as well.

Manticore is the word that ran through their minds.

I recognized the roaring was the same as that of the manticore I had encountered two nights ago, but the screaming sounded like young children; more than one by the sound of it.  I was tempted to allow the manticore alone to feast, thus satisfying its hunger for the night, and it would leave me alone.

But I felt something drive me to take action...Was it maybe guilt or sympathy?  I wouldn’t know, for it’s been a very long time since I have felt these emotions (for as far as my memory went, I may have never felt them before.)  For the moment, it’s just another feeling that I simply can’t describe...

I lift myself to my feet and dart from my cave dwelling in search of the source of the screaming, with my ears as my guide.  I duck into a group of bushes by a dirt path.  I see the same manticore that attacked me the first night I came to this place.

My eyes are then drawn to the three screaming fillies huddled at the base of a dead tree.  Maybe no more than seven, eight, maybe nine years old?  One is a pure white unicorn with a purple and pink mane and bright green eyes, wide with fear.

The second one (I could’ve sworn it was a chicken at first glance?) was an orange colored pegasus with a purple mane, but judging by the size of her wings, she probably couldn’t fly yet.  Her eyes were a pale lavendar color, also afraid for her life.

The third one was a regular “Earth pony” as I have heard them be called.  Her coat was a pale yellowish color and she had a bold, curly, red mane with a bow in it.  (I wouldn’t have guessed that these ponies accessorized.)  Her orange eyes closed, pushing tears out of them and I could hear a faint whimper coming out of her.

For as long as I can remember, I’ve have been taught this one basic term of the Dark Brotherhood.

“What is life’s greatest illusion?”  The black door asked.

I smiled and respond.  “Innocence, my brother.”

That one teaching was absolutely shattered by the sight of these three fillies staring death in the face.  I hated to admit it to myself, but that is how they appeared: they were innocent.  Listen to what you’re saying to yourself!  My mind scolded me.  You are a servant of the Dread Father, Sithis!

I shake my head to try and silence the voice; that is when I hear one of the filly’s cry out: “Rainbow Dash, Applejack, help us!!!”

The moments that followed seemed like a blur to the three mares.  Applejack jumped in between the hungry manticore and the three young foals, shouting.  “Get away from my sister!!”

The beast was taken aback for a moment by her sudden appearance, but quickly regained composure, absolutely not willing to let a simple pony dissuade it from its dinner.

As the manticore approached, a bright ball of cyan suddenly struck it in the face, knocking it back a few feet.

“Yeah, you big, dumb cat!  Back off!”  The pegasus yelled as she landed at Applejack’s side.  the manticore roared in frustration as Rarity slowly stepped in beside them, right in front of her sister.

“S-stay away from us, monster!”  Her voice quivered, trying to sound as brave as possible.  Her horn glowed a mystical white, ready to fling any nearby objects with her magic.  “W-we’re not a-afraid of y-you!”

The fillies clinged on to the hind legs of their older sisters (or role model in Scootaloo’s case) thankful that rescue has arrived.

The manticore only huffed in anger as it pressed its forelegs into the ground, ready to charge.  “Apple Bloom, you and the girls get behind the trees,” Applejack instructed.  The fillies hesitantly obeyed.

“B-be careful, Sis,” Apple Bloom said as more tears escaped.  Applejack couldn’t respond as the manticore charged towards them.

Rarity and Rainbow Dash dodged to their left and right respectively.  The manticore was greeted by a buck to the face, courtesy of Applejack.  The beast backed up slightly, and that is when Rarity used her magic to fling a large rock at it, striking its left hind leg.  Normally her magic wasn’t as powerful as her friend, Twilight, but considering the fact that her little sister was in danger, this gave her much needed strength.

Rainbow Dash swooped in with all of her strength and rammed into the back of the manticore’s neck as it turned to face Rarity.  It bellowed out in frustration and anger, swiping one massive paw around, catching Rainbow Dash with it, sending her to the ground as she yelped in pain.

“Dash!!”  Rarity yelled out as she searched around frantically for another large, blunt object to hurl at the beast.  She found the perfect rock, but was interrupted by the manticore tackling her to the ground, its eyes full of hate and rage.

“GET OFF OF HER!!!”  A bezerk Applejack screamed as she ran in to buck the monster again It was clearly learning, as Applejack was sent back into the tree the fillies were hiding behind when the manticore gave her a buck from its own, powerful hind legs.

Applejack wasn’t a medical genius, but she could tell that at least one of her ribs had been broken.  She opened her eyes and looked to the side to see her little sister gazing back to her, tears streaking down her face freely now.  “A-Apple Bloom...” she hoarsely whispered, trying her best to ignore the pain that had taken over her ribcage.  “Run...all of you, get out of here...”

The filly looked at her sister as if she was just told to balance on a rubber ball with one hoof while juggling torches.  It felt like an eternity before she answered with a rapid shaking of her head.  “No way, AJ!”  She sobbed.  “I-I’m not leavin’ you here!”

“I didn’t*pant*say I was*pant*giving y’all a choice...”  She barely had the strength to stand.  “I’m sorry I had to make you do this, Apple Bloom,” a tear streaked down the older sister’s face.  She looked over to see the manticore was approaching her.  “There’s no time for debate, sis,” she said without taking her eyes off the beast.  “Now RUN!!!”

Without further argument, the filly with her two friends ran back down the dirt path.  Applejack was determined to at least hold the beast off, by herself if she must.  She closed her eyes, pushing out a few final tears.  I’m so sorry, Apple Bloom, please don’t blame yourself for this.  Big Mac, Granny Smith...everypony...I love you...

She opened her eyes, expecting the manticore to rend her to shreds.  Imagine her surprise when she saw a pitch black stallion with piercing red eyes emerge from the bushes and attack with all of his strength.

I had to intervene.

These brave mares fought to protect the innocent, an admirable trait, but I still couldn’t understand what compelled me to take action.  I attacked the manticore, specifically with my teeth; on the wings.

The membrane tasted rather leathery, but it was soon overcome by a familiar copper taste.  While an ordinary horse’s teeth may not be constructed to rip flesh, I am no ordinary horse.

The manticore roared in surprise and pain as it writhed back and forth, trying to shake me off.  A large amount of the membrane stayed clenched in my teeth as I was flung back towards the injured horse with the odd hat; I landed not more than maybe ten feet from her.  The manticore glared at me as if it had daggers in place of eyes.

“It must remember me...” I say spitting out the flesh.  I hear the pony next to me gag in disgust.  Now that it was grounded, it raised its stinger, when a large boulder collided into its side, pushing it into a nearby tree.

“I’m not d-done yet...” the white unicorn said in a defiant tone.

The rainbow mane pegasus landed beside the orange one, giving me a suspicious look.  I however had my eye on the injured one.

“You there,” I say.  She looks up at me with hope in her eyes.  “What’s your name?”  She looks at me incredulously.

“My name!?  Can’t it wait until we deal with this thing!?”  All three of them looked mystified as I laughed softly.

“Perhaps,”  I said.  “I was only going to tell you of a plan.”  Her eyes widen.

“Well?”  The pegasus asked anxiously.

“Can you perform a distraction?”  I asked.

The unicorn laughs nervously.  “Oh trust me, my dear colt: Rainbow Dash here is one of the biggest distractions in Equestria.”

Oddly enough, I find myself laughing at this, despite the protests of the pegasus.  “Good, I only need the three of you to keep it distracted long enough for me to get behind it and deliver a killing blow.”  Those last two words seemed to faze the three ponies, almost as if they didn’t want to kill the manticore!  Why wouldn’t they?  It had nearly killed them, and their younger kind!  Despite this, they all nod in agreement.

The one named Rainbow Dash,  lifted into flight, and came at the manticore by one side, while the unicorn, Rarity used her magic and pulled a branch off of a nearby tree and approached the manticore’s other side.

The orange one, Applejack, despite her obvious injuries, charged straight to its front, adrenaline coursing through her.

As the three of them unleashed their attacks all at once, and the manticore flailed about, giving me a small opportunity to get on its back and go for the neck.  Rainbow Dash surprisingly manages to keep its stinger at bay by rapidly dodging to her left and right while quickly jabbing it with her hooves as if she were a fighter; it was actually quite comical.

I manage to summon enough strength to leap onto the manticore’s back and hold on to its neck; it was bleeding slightly from Rainbow Dash’s previous attack.

“Just hold him for a little more!”  I shout as I sink my blood stained teeth into the back nape of the beast.  First I feel only fur.  Then skin.  Then veins...blood...muscle...bone.  Its flailing about had started to weaken.

After a few moments of struggle, I clamped my teeth down as hard as possible, blood spraying onto my face.  My efforts were rewarded with a satisfying snap!  It was clear that I had severed its spine, and Rainbow no longer had to hold down its tail.

I leap off of its back after its roaring had been quieted down to a dull moaning.  I could tell that the three ponies were staring at me.

Applejack had never seen any sort of sheer ferociousness like this before.  She couldn’t help but feel sorry for the manticore; she had, after all, watched animals be put down before, but that was usually due to a contraction of the rabies virus.

Still, she was thankful to this stallion for very well saving her life and the lives of her friends.  Speaking of which, he looked up at the three of them; blood caked in his coat and face, which had an expression of satisfaction on it.

Rarity looked as though she were about to faint at the sight.  Even Rainbow Dash had to fight to keep down her bile.

He trotted proudly past them and nodded in their direction.  He didn’t say any words to them.  He was about to return to the brush of the forest, when he was suddenly stopped by something, something fast and orange.

“Hey, wait up!”  Scootaloo shouted as she zipped up with her two filly friends to the feet of the tall, dark colored colt.  “That was so awesome!!”

“Yeah!”  The Sweetie Belle concurred. “You should’ve seen the way you and my sis showed that manticore who’s the top pony!”

“Oh come on, Sweetie Belle!”  Scootaloo laughed.  “It was obvious that Rainbow Dash helped him the most by holding back the manticore’s stinger!”

“Oh yeah?  And you didn’t see Rarity holding its jaw closed with her magic?”  As the two fillies looked as though they were about to break out in argument, not even noticing that the pitch black pony had gone by them, Apple Bloom came up to his side.

“Hey, mister...” she shyly spoke up.  The stallion stopped and glared down at her.  She shrunk back a little bit.  “Um, I just wanted to thank ya for helpin’ my older sis and her friends.”

The stallion nodded and spoke to her for the first time.  “They probably could’ve dealt with it.”  He said flatly, as he trotted back into the thick forest.  His voice had an odd sound to it; almost ghostly.

“Hey, w-where are ya goin’?”  Apple Bloom held a hoof out, but was stopped by a familiar orange hoof shielding her.

“Somethin’ ain’t right with that pony...”  she heard her sister say to herself.  “I saw some real darkness in those eyes of his...”

If a member of the Brotherhood had watched what I’ve just done, I could kiss my respect, my loyalty, not to mention what little is left of my sanity farewell.

After washing the blood off of my face in a nearby river, I rest back into my cave.  With my old stalker now deceased, I could focus on learning more about this world.  I learned a few names tonight at least.

Applejack: the orange pony with an odd hat.  She has a faint accent that I don’t recognize, and she also had a powerful kick with her hind legs.  The young filly, Apple Bloom was apparently her younger sibling.

The pegasus, Rainbow Dash, was a loud, boisterous, obnoxious type.  I could tell that from the first few words that she uttered.  Oddly enough, her mane looked...naturally colored.  She was very fast in flight.  The younger pegasus, Scootaloo (by Sithis, these names!) didn’t look anything like her, so she probably wasn’t related.

The last one, Rarity, had a surprisingly Bretonic accent.  Her magic was rather useful against the manticore.  Sweetie Belle, the younger unicorn, was clearly a relative, based on how similar they looked.

Something about Rarity’s voice however, seemed...familiar.  My attention was drawn to the broken mirror I had retrieved, still laying there on the cave floor.  My red eyes’ piercing gaze staring back at me.

The younger fillies seemed genuinely thankful to me...their older counterparts however...I saw an essence that was all too familiar in their eyes: an essence of fear.

Author’s Note:  Sorry about the long wait for this chapter, but with finals coming up in school and other projects, I’ve been rather tied up recently.

I’ll try my best to get a new chapter up weekly, but I’m not making any promises.  It'll likely be a while before I finish this story, but like I said, I'll try and stay with it.

Hopefully by the summer months, I’ll have more time to work on this.

Western_Archer

Quite An Invitation

I can’t believe she had pursued me all the way to my cave.  The mare known as Pinkie Pie must be a master when it comes to stealth and assassination.  I couldn’t even once pinpoint her exact location.  What made it even more painful was how she seemed to treat it like a game.  Her childish laughter shall haunt my memories...

I stood by the entrance of my cave, ready to defend myself from any threat she may pose.  I knew she was out there somewhere...somewhere.

“HI THERE!!”  To say that the sudden loud noise behind me made me jump would be an understatement.  As embarrassing as it is, a small yelp escaped my throat.  I spin around to see the same bright pink pony whom spotted me a few days ago...how long had she been stalking me?

That smile she wore...

I continually try to shake myself out of shock in how she got the drop on me, meanwhile she bounces all over the place and goes on and on and on about Sithis knows what...

“You’re not half bad at hide and seek!  Of course you’re not quite as good as me; I’m the best in Ponyville you know!  I saw you in Ponyville a few days ago and I wanted to say “Hi!” but you ran away before I got the chance so I thought “Oh, he must be really shy, like Fluttershy!” Have you met her?  She’s the kindest pony I know, and I know a lot of ponies!”

Night Mother, I beg your mercy...I had to make it stop.  As she was zipping by me, I stick a hoof out and manage to stop her.  “Are you on Skooma or something?”  I hiss.  “Get to your point already!”

This makes her giggle, which infuriates me further.  It’s obvious she presented no threat now.  “Oooh, what’s Skooma?  Is it a type of candy?  A soda?  *Gasp* A cake!?  Can I have one?”

“NO!”  I yell.  “Skooma is one of the last things you need!”

She giggles again.  “Anyways, I’m Pinkie Pie, but you can call me Pinkie if you want!  What’s your name?”

Do I really want to give her my name?  “Shadowmere...” I sigh.  How many times would I have to go through this routine?  “So anyways, is there a coherent reason you came out here to see me, or is this just more damned pleasantries?”  My bitterness doesn’t throw her off at all.

She takes in a sharp breath.  I immediately regret asking that question.

She breaks out into one of the most annoying musical numbers I’ve ever heard.

This is your singing telegram, I hope it finds you well!

You’re invited to a party cause we think you’re really swell!

You’re very new to town so help us celebrate!

The cake will be delicious, the festivities first-rate!

There will be games and dancing, Bob for apples, cut-a-rug!

And when the party’s over we’ll gather ‘round for a group hug!

No need to bring a gift, being there will be enough!

Parties mean having fun with friends, not getting lots of stuff!

It won’t be the same without you so we hope that you say yes!

So please, oh please RSVP and come and be our guest!

I could’ve sworn I heard a soft *squee* as she smiled after the song finished.  I simply stood there, trying to take in what had just occurred in front of me to the best of my ability.  Once the initial shock had worn off, I mustered a simple two letter answer.

“No...”

Said two letters apparently caused her appearance to change dramatically.  With a loud deflation sound, her hair fell flat to the sides of her head.  Her fur became a slightly duller pink and her ears drooped.

“But why?”  She whined.  “Everypony in town will be there!  We’ll have singing and dancing and games, and cupcakes!”

I stopped and thought for a moment.  “Every...pony, you say?”

She nods her head, anxiousness crowding her face.

I think to myself.  If each resident would be at this social gathering, it would at least save me the trouble of having to introduce myself over and over again to every single new pony I meet.  Still...I’m not one for socialization.

“Perhaps...”  I find myself saying.  That word causes her hair to “inflate” back to its original curly state as she let out a loud cheer.  She then proceeded to bounce around while giggling like a child.  I thought that would get her to calm down...Sithis was I wrong.

“You will show up?  Really!?  Oh that’s just super-awesome-fantastically-wonderful-extra amazing!”

“I said ‘maybe,’ Pinkie,” I explain.  “Not ‘yes,’ maybe.”  This doesn’t throw off her happiness at all.  I sigh as she explains where and when the gathering would take place.

“It’s at Applejack’s barn on Sweet Apple Acres, tomorrow at five; can’t wait to see you there!  Bye!”

She then simply vanished in a cloud of...confetti?  I sigh in relief at finally having been removed of the burden.  Sweet Apple Acres: that was the farm where I saw Applejack working.  I shouldn’t have too much trouble finding it.

As I lie down, trying to get some semblance of rest, my mind races with an unbelievable amount of thoughts.  I think of my time here in Equestria.  I think of my sudden death back in Skyrim, my...transformation into a pony, those three little foals in I have saved in the wood, meeting Twilight Sparkle, the unicorn and her friends, the conversation I’ve had with her and Fluttershy on these “cutie marks...”  And of course, this trail of memories lead me to the oddest thing I’ve seen in a long time...Pinkie Pie.  A hyperactive, pink, stealthy, pony that stalked me for Sithis knows how long.  All just to give me an invitation to this party of hers.

I rest my head awkwardly on one of the small boulders resting on the cave floor.  I whisper to myself as I wait for tommorrow.  “Quite an invitation...”

Authors Note:

I'd personally like to thank Heavy Weapons Guy for his positive feedback, motivation, and pretty much, just being awesome in general.

Heavy, this Sandvich is for you

Western_Archer

Introductions Are In Order

Ponyville hospital:

Twilight and Fluttershy stood by Applejack’s bed.  Rarity and Rainbow Dash already explained what had happened the previous night; the Crusaders, the manticore, and the mysterious colt who had saved them.

Nurse Redheart explained that AJ’s ribs weren’t broken, just bruised, but it would be best that she take it easy for a few days.  “You sure gave us a scare, AJ,” Twilight laughed.

Applejack waved a hoof and smiled.  “It’s no worry, sugarcube.  I just feel kinda bad for not properly thankin’ that pony for helping us...”  She shivered at the thought of what he did to the manticore.  “I never even got his name.”

Twilight looked down at the floor as she remembered the graphic details of AJ’s account of the black stallion fighting the beast.  Fluttershy felt tears about to well up at the thought of the poor manticore, but she realized that Applejack may not be in this hospital bed were it not for the colt’s actions.

“Um, do you think that we should...maybe go out to the forest and thank him?”  The timid pegasus asked.

“That’s actually a great idea, Fluttershy!”  Twilight exclaimed.

“You girls go on ahead,” Applejack smiled.  “I’ll stay here and rest for a bit more; the nurse said I could be back home by the afternoon.”

“Sure thing, AJ!”  Twilight and Fluttershy bade goodbye to their Earth pony friend and left her to rest.

Third day.

It was expected that the ponies would try to search me out.  So, I decided to make it easier for them, and sit out by the edge of the forest.  I lazily overlooked the town of Ponyville, patiently waiting for them to find me.

Sure enough, I turned my head to see a lavender colored unicorn with a purple colored mane approaching me.  A small smile creased her face.  “Hello!”  She happily greeted me.  Her smile lowered slightly, seeing my blank expression.  She remained silent, waiting for me to acknowledge her.  I nodded in her direction, and apparently she took this as an invitation to come closer.

“My friend, Fluttershy and I just wanted to thank you for helping our friend Applejack!  So...thanks!”  The smile returned to her face.

I was confused about who was Fluttershy; this pony came alone.  “I’m sorry...” I say.  “You and who?”

She looks at me confused.  “Me and Fluttershy!”  She pointed a hoof to her right; there was nothing there.  She examined my still confused face.  Looking to where she was pointing, she gasped in surprise.  “Fluttershy?”  She asked looking to her left and then behind her. She faced me and groaned as she brought a hoof to her face.  “She must’ve gotten scared and run off...”

“At any rate,” I say standing up, which startles the unicorn.  “You’re welcome; but it’s not like they couldn’t have taken the manticore by themselves.”  I turn to walk away.

“Wait!”  I hear her call after me.  I must’ve looked as though I was about to snap, as her ears drooped to the sides of her head.  “M-my name is Twilight Sparkle, may I at least have yours?”

I shake my head in frustration and continue walking.  After a brief moment, I turn and call back to her.  “Shadowmere...”

She looked up.  “I-I’m sorry?”

“You asked for my name, right?  Well, there you have it.”  I turn around to walk away.  I hear her repeat my name several times.

That one name still echoed in her mind: “Shadowmere.”  It certainly did fit.  That colt’s blood red eyes, while very intimidating, made him almost painfully obvious in an entirely green environment.

“He must have been the pony that Princess Celestia was talking about in her letter,” Twilight said to herself as she entered her tree home.  “He was certainly eccentric, but if he saved AJ and the others, then he couldn’t be that bad...right?”  She gazed up towards the dark clouds gathering above Ponyville.  Seems the weather team had a storm scheduled for the afternoon.

She gazed back towards the direction of the forest.  “Does he even have proper shelter?”  She thinks to herself right when she feels a droplet of water make contact with the top of her mane.  She sighed as she trotted into her library, right when the light rain turned into a downpour.

Late afternoon: cave dwelling.

I actually always enjoyed the rain; it always added a sense of...drama.  I reminisce on the days of earlier Listeners, during the golden age of the Dark Brotherhood.

I remember one Argonian Listener by the name of Scar-Tail and I were one stormy evening, chasing some Imperial nobleman through the streets of Chorrol.  The nobleman actually had the insolence to try and bribe the Listener; but of course, no amount of gold stays the hand of the Listener.  Sithis demands blood, and blood must be paid.

The rain was pouring that night much like today.  Scar-Tail and I pursued the Imperial through the northern district of the city, he made any turn he could to try and escape us.  Scar-Tail had to leave me behind as he chased the Imperial through one of the back alleys.  I could still hear what was happening  however, and from what I knew of the city’s layout, that alley would lead the two of them right into the back door of...an orphanage.  I’m not certain how the fire started so quickly, or how many of the children got out, but the entire building was burned to the ground.  Scar-Tail assured that it was an accident.  At any rate, the Imperial (along with several orphaned children) now inhabit a shallow grave, marked by the burned out skeleton of an orphanage.

I find myself laughing almost hysterically amidst the fond memories, decades old.  Afternoon gives way to evening; oddly I decide to turn in early.

Memories; less pleasant, flood my dreams.

Fourth day.

I awoke early this morning.  I set out immediately for Ponyville; mainly wishing to learn as much as possible about these ponies, but part of me also demanded that I should meet Applejack, the one who was injured, and at least exchange pleasantries.

It was on the dirt path however that I ran into Twilight Sparkle; the unicorn I had encountered the day before.  She greeted me with the same warm smile.  “Oh, hello...Shadowmere was it?”

I nod.

She gazes around nervously trying to think of something to say.  “Soooo...” she smiles awkwardly.  “Uh, do you have somewhere to stay?  You didn’t just sleep out here in the rain last night, did you?”

I grunt.  “A cave in the Everfree forest sufficed.”

I heard her gasp.  “But, the forest is dangerous!  Didn’t you learn from the manticore the other night?”

“Didn’t you learn from your friend that I can handle myself?”  I shot back.  She recoiled.

“Well, there’s no need to be so rude...”

“Please,” I scoff.  “Where I come from, I’m considered polite.”

“Well, where do you come from?”  She inquires.

I was taken slightly off guard by this question.  What could I say?  Not the Void, or that I was an ethereal being.  I blurt out the first thing that comes to mind.  “A land named Tamriel.”

She looks at me with sudden interest.  “I’ve never heard of that place before...care to tell anything about it?”

I groan.  “Later, alright?”

A period of silence follows.  “So, would you like to meet some of the other ponies around town?”

I again wanted to say no; but I consider it.  “Very well, lead the way.”  After all, introductions are in order.

First we came to what was apparently the hospital.  Twilight told me that Applejack would be getting out later that afternoon.  Luck would have it however,  as the nurse and Twilight were arguing, the nurse demanding to know who I was for ‘safety reasons,’ the orange pony, Applejack trotted proudly into the reception center, sporting white bandages around her torso and the same odd looking hat she was wearing when I met her.

She stopped at the sight of me.  That familiar essence of fear returned to her eyes.  I cast a confused stare at her.  Twilight broke from her conversation with the nurse to speak with her.  “Oh, AJ!  I didn’t think they’d let you out this early!”  She exclaims with a wide, closed eye smile.

Applejack shook herself out of her staring contest with me.  “Oh...uh, hey there Twilight,” she nervously laughs, obviously trying to avoid eye contact with me for some reason.

“AJ, this is Shadowmere, he’s the one who helped you and the others out the other night.”  Twilight explained, a hint of disappointment in her voice at her friend’s bashfulness.

“Oh, that’s right!”  Applejack looks back at me and sheepishly smiled.  I nod to her in response. This seems to calm her down somewhat.  “So, uh, howdy there, partner, I’m Applejack...sorry for not recognizing ya at first.”  She paused, possibly waiting for me to respond.  When I remained silent, she laughed nervously and extended a hoof as if offering a handshake...or hoofshake rather.

I forced a smile and accepted the friendly gesture.  This seemed to calm her down.  “It’s a pleasure,” I hear myself say.

She smiled back.  “Likewise, partner!  I never got to thank you properly for saving my hide, and those of my friends and sister.”  I felt my smile die down as we stopped shaking.

“You’re welcome,”  I reply simply.

“Not much of a talker, huh?”  She laughed and waved a hoof after I raised an eyebrow at this question.  “That’s alright, our own Pinkie Pie is enough of a chatterbox.”  I nod and turn to Twilight.

“I was going to introduce him to the others as well,” Twilight said.

“That’s alright,”  Applejack said.  “I wanted to get back to the farm; Granny Smith and Big Mac must be worried sick.”

“Sure thing, AJ, just take it easy on that injury of yours...”

Our next introduction is the Rainbow mane pegasus; appropriately named Rainbow Dash.  On the way to her house, I asked Twilight  about the large mass of clouds on the horizon, and she replied by saying that it was the city of Cloudsdale.

The name fits I suppose, but a city made of clouds?  This world becomes more and more the stuff of lucid dreams with every passing moment.  She also explains how only pegasi can walk on clouds and that the reason for moving and dispersing clouds is for “weather control...”  I have no comment on that...

Apparently, the cyan pegasus lived away from Cloudsdale in her own cloud mansion.  The way the clouds seemed to have been sculpted out reminded me of the old Ayleid ruins I’ve encountered in Cyrodiil...odd.

While I was taking in the architecture, Twilight had called to her obnoxious pegasus friend.  The next thing I knew, that blue blur was hovering above us, looking down on me with an anxious smile.

“Rainbow, this is Shadowmere,” Twilight introduced.  “He’s the pony who helped you girls out with the manticore the other night.”

Rainbow Dash landed in front of me and extended a hoof.  “I thought I recognized ya,” she said with a smug smile.  I went to return the gesture like I did with Applejack, but Rainbow suddenly brought her hoof to her face, and with a disgusting hocking noise, spat right into her hoof and extended her hoof back to me.

Twilight laughed as she must’ve noticed the look on my face.  I was disgusted by this pegasus’ sheer insolence, I felt angry, confused; I wanted to strike her.  I wanted to grab her, shake her, and scream in her face: “Do you know who you’re dealing with you impudent little worm!?  I am a servant of the Dread Father Sithis!”

Of course, they probably have no clue who the Dread Father is...She apparently fails to see the anger in my eyes, as she still had that smug little smirk on her face.

To my further surprise, I feel myself doing the same vulgar thing she did with my hoof.  I spat in it, extend it, and press it into hers.  I barely suppressed a shudder as both of our saliva mixed as our hooves met.  I wanted to strike myself for what I just did...Rainbow Dash went on about being the fastest flier in Equestria, something about “Wonderbolts,” or something along those lines...she didn't even thank me for helping her the other night.  When Twilight and I departed, I still felt more surprised by my reception of Rainbow’s childish act than the act itself...

Twilight explained that our next stop was the Carousel Boutique, a clothing store that was owned by a unicorn by the name of Rarity.  It was the same tower from which I had recovered the broken mirror...

I recognize Rarity as the snow white colored unicorn with the purple mane I had seen on my first morning here in Equestria (odd, I find the name easier to say now.)  She greeted us with a formal bow, and invited us inside.  I have to admit, the garments she had produced were rather admirable, and I’m not even that into clothing.

“Rarity, this is Shadowmere,”

“Ah, of course darling,” Rarity replied.  Her Bretonic accent reminded me so much of Listener Raynier...she approached me with a smile.  “Good afternoon to you, my dear colt.  I must thank you for the night you assisted me and my friends in saving our younger siblings.”

I found it easier to smile to her.  “It was no trouble,” I say to her.  “It seems you have quite a thing for fashion?”  I ask gazing around at the garments on pony mannequins.

“Indeed I do; I’m the best fashionista in Ponyville as someponies say.  Some say I’m the best in Equestria,” she blushed.  “But I wouldn’t go that far.”

Shaking myself out of the trance that her voice had caught me in, I tell her a few details about myself, mostly just what little I told Twilight.

Twilight and I bade farewell to Rarity after a few more moments of idle conversation, mainly because she had more orders to fill out for the evening; we left her to her work.

I wonder if I should return the mirror?

I stood outside a familiar bakery where I was first spotted by the pink pony.  According to Twilight, she was the one she wanted to introduce me to.  Pinkie Pie, her name was.  I refuse to comment on that name.

Apparently, she wasn’t at said bakery, which was unusual for her; at least that’s what Twilight said.  She decides to introduce me to Fluttershy instead; the one who refused to accompany Twilight to find me.

The sun was beginning to set when we reached the cottage on the northern edge of Ponyville.  Apparently the yellow pegasus that lived here was Fluttershy.  The cottage seemed to blend in with the nature around it.

Twilight knocked on the front door, and after a moment of silence, it creaked open slightly, revealing two bright, turquoise colored eyes.  “Oh, h-hello there Twilight, sorry for not coming out, but, um...I don’t know how to introduce myself to...um, what’s his name again?”

“Shadowmere,” Twilight replied with a sad expression.  “Oh, Fluttershy, please come out!  He’s not dangerous...he’s a little grumpy if you catch him at a bad time...” she looked back at me.  “But, he’s really not that bad!”

The pegasus sighed and opened the door.  “If you say so, Twilight.  But I really don’t know how to even--”  Fluttershy emitted a high pitched “eep!” when we made eye contact.  She made an attempt to retreat back into her abode, only to be stopped by Twilight pulling the door shut with her levitation, causing Fluttershy to slam head first into it.  While initially I thought it was funny, I soon felt empathy for the poor thing.

Wait...empathy?

“Uh, hello Fluttershy,” I say to the timid pegasus.  “My name is Shadowmere...it seems you’re very into animal keeping?”  I inquire looking around at the various small animals scattered about the garden.  One small rabbit in particular was giving me this hateful look.  I returned the stare, tenfold, causing the damn thing to retreat into the bushes.

I turn my attention back to Fluttershy.  “Oh yes, I take it upon myself to care for all the little animals in town,” she says to me.  She seems more comfortable talking about a familiar subject.  “What about you, S-Shadowmere?”  She asks suddenly.

I feel my ears perk up.

“Would you like to share with us what you do?  And where is your cutie mark?”

That second question caught me severely off guard.  “Cutie what?”  I ask.

“Good question, Fluttershy,” Twilight says as I sense her examining both of my...flanks.  “Say, Shadowmere, you don’t have your cutie mark yet...how old are you?”

I gulp at this question.  Well what’s the average age for a pony to get this...cutie mark?  For that matter how old was I anyways?  Not even I knew the true answer for this.  If this truly was unusual for a pony who was as old as I looked...

“I, uh...don’t know...” I shamefully utter.

Twilight cocks her head while Fluttershy looks on with a sudden sadness.

“You don’t know?  But how can that be?”

“Oh, you poor thing, this must be so embarrassing for you!”  It’s at this point I notice what they’re referring to: the odd markings on their flanks.  They explain that they represented their special talent: like Fluttershy cared for animals, and her cutie mark was that of three butterflies or Twilight was a magic student, and her mark was that of several pointed stars.

Apparently, being my age (around 18 or 19 as they described it) and not having a cutie mark is a subject for extreme ridicule here in Equestria.

I would still be thinking about what they told me now, as I make my way back to my cave dwelling, were it not for the unknown pink creature that was restlessly pursuing me...for pink, she hides herself really well.