Confession of a Soul Mage

Chapters

Chappie 2
Chappie 3
Chappie 4
Chappie 5
Chappie 6
Chappie 7
Chappie 8
Chappie 9
Chappie 10
Chappie 11
Chappie 12
Chappie 13
Prologue
Chappie 1-- The Start of it All

Chappie 2

Ghosts.

My first encounter with them was when I was still young, naïve and still in the magic school, when I visited the town for gold dusts to carve runes, enchanting every stuffs I could. Then I heard a crying voice in the dark alleyway. I walked into it, only to stare at a floating figure, her hands draped over her eyes, crying and sobbing.

“It’s so cold, please help me…”

The voice sent chills through my spine and a pang, the all-too-familiar old pang, pity. I wanted to help her, and she said she was cold? Then I would help her to be warm. And with that, I walked away from the alley, buying a bag of golden dusts and quickly into my dorm.

I took a stray robe. One of my many, it only took hours, carving the robe like a psychopath working on his ‘art’, and it only took a day and a night, and it was done. I don the robe, and quickly walked into the dark alley whence I met her.

If I had Nero back then, I wouldn’t probably do this. It was, honestly, a stupid idea.

And when I saw her, crying and sobbing the same lines over and over. “Hey,” I began softly, touching her back, and it felt… well, physical. Elated, would be the best description of my feelings. How could I not? I just created new runes. That, however, quickly shattered as the ghost turned around, and let loose an earth shattering screech.

Terrified, I ran away, not giving a second glance. Since that time, I’ve ignored ghosts and shed my first layer of innocence, the hero complex quickly forgotten.

Second encounter wasn’t much different. It was before I stole and learned Soul magic. I ran into a man of a ghost, a bloodied ethereal axe on his hand, and a perpetual sneer on his face. Without thought, I quickly threw a fireball, and ran. Presumably, said fireball only phased through the ghost.

The third was the same, as well as the fourth, and fifth, and then, it was the sixth, when I was on the run, and already learned Soul magic. I quickly threw a Soul fire at him, and he quickly burned into oblivion. And the rests of them weren’t that special. It lost its flair in my tenth encounter with one of them.

Needless to say, I don’t have the best opinion about ghosts.

And yet, here I was, sitting on a podium with a small filly ghost named Ruby in my lap, taking in the heat that ghosts usually don’t feel. Probably a new perspective is needed, I mused. Scratching the back of her ears, eliciting a purr of bliss from her.

She glanced up at me, her bright yellow eyes dimmed slightly as she fidgeted under her hoof, ergo, on my lap. “A-are you going to leave?”

I frowned. That’s right, I was getting attached by the little ghost. Looking around, my eyes caught the pile of bones, an idea quickly formed as a grin replaced my frown. “I will,” her eyes dimmed until it wasn’t bright anymore, “but, you can go with me if you want.” I added with an amused tone.

Her eyes from dim yellow turned into bright again in surprise, “What?! But—“

“You don’t think I’m just a normal human aren’t you?” I shook my head in amusement, I arched an eyebrow at her, “Well?”

“Yes! Please, I would!”

The happiness in her voice was so thick that I was tempted to just hug the life (or whatever ghosts use) out of her, instead, I chuckled, perhaps an extra companion would be okay, and besides, she did say she’s good at looking for things. A good tracker if I ever met one.

Lifting her from my lap, I noticed Nero looking at me with amusement from the corner from my eyes. I shook my head; she’s going to exercise sooner than later. I took a small bone from the pile, small enough to fit on my palm.

I eyed it for a while, looking for any splinters. Seeing none, I reached down my bag for a knife, slashed my palm, eliciting a gasp from the filly. I turned to her, a smirk on my face. “Calm down, Ruby. I may be a soul mage, but they didn’t call me for a runic prodigy for nothing.”

I put a finger across my bloodied palm, swiping my now bloodied finger across the bone. “Now, I’m going to make something special,” I cleaned the blood with my robe, cauterizing it with a small fire. Before grabbing the knife with my right hand while the bone interlocked between the fingers of my left, showing the smudged blood on its gray surface, “this,” pointing the bone with my knife, “will be your anchor,” I began carving small ancient words on the smudged blood, concentrating to not mess it up, lest something bad will happen. “It does help with the fact that I’m also a soul mage, so it adds understanding about the nature of these runes,” slowly, one by one, tiny intricate runes were etched across the smudged bone. “And finally,” I gave the runes a look, satisfied with it, I put the knife away, and began feeding the bone with my mana, the blood glowed a bright red, while the runes a bright blue. “This is done.” I nodded at my newest creation, giving a grin as I looked over it.

I turned to Ruby, giving her the sight of the bone, her head cocked in confusion. I rolled my eyes. Children, I mused. “Wait.” I took out a strand of necklace-rope from my bag, tied it with the bone, and wore it over my neck. “Now, wherever I go, you would follow. You could wander, but you couldn’t go far, except others held this necklace.”

Her mouth opened in an ‘o’, showing her comprehension. I chuckled before I stopped, berating myself for forgetting something important. “Right, my name is Psyche, you could call me that.”

She nodded, seemingly remembered that I hadn’t give her my name, she giggled, “What a weird name.”

I sighed, “Children, always doesn’t understand the meanings of name—“

“Cain!”

My head snapped to the source of the sound. My familiar stared at me with white eyes filled with panic, she gestured to the window whence she had took the chance to perch on. I quickly walked over, Ruby floating above me.

“What is it?” looking through the window, it was already dark… huh, guess time do pass. “And just call me Psyche, I rather like the name.”

“Whatever,” she hissed, “just look at that!”

I squinted my eyes, “Is that…” a gasp came from Ruby, but I ignored it for the sake of seeing the creatures under the dark… “Undead…”

I leaned back; a hand slowly draped my face, “Yes. It is indeed a group of undead, or zombies, whatevs. Why am I surprised? I shouldn’t be surprised.” I chuckled grimly, a note of resignation on my voice. I sighed, pulling my bag of souls and a white glove from my bag. I frowned. It was somewhat depressing, it felt like everytime things were good, there would be something happening… it’s like the gods were playing with me.

I strode to the door, blue eyes calm as I stared at the door. I wore my white glove; the runes glowed slightly as I did so. Taking a deep breath, I vaguely heard Ruby whimpering.

“Ruby, we’re going to be fine.” I assured her, because I be damned if I get killed by a low class zombies, when I fought a higher-class one… damn thing nearly zombified me.

“Just don’t let them touch you!” She warned, voice filled with fear and dread.

“Oh,” I smirked, pushing the door open, my familiar by the side of my leg, “they won’t be touching me anytime soon…” and I don’t feel like being touched, especially by undead, or by anything, in fact.

I walked outside. Seven undead ponies grouped around me as I stood, their dead red eyes glaring at me, their charred dark flesh, oddly, didn’t stench. I mentally shrugged, probably a good thing too.

“Give up, Psyche, you’ve known too much…” the one in the middle spoke, his voice gritty, somewhat reminding me one of the few night when I needed to clear my mind. Killing vampires, and undead. Especially vampires. “You could be with us, just stay here, and besides, we have you surrounded…”

I smirked, “You would think that wouldn’t you?” I chuckled, my gloved hand reaching down for a soul, and mentally praying that whatever I would do will succeed. “You know, I hate people like you, reminded me too much of Imperials,” I held the soul by my side, vaguely noticing that it was a soul of a thief. “Chasing, murdering, fucking, killing, shitting, and stealing just for the sake of their fun and God,” I squeezed the Soul, it squirmed under my hold as I poured mana into it, shaping the soul into something… else. I cracked my neck, a smile on my face as the Soul changed into something I hoped. “No… I’m not trapped with you…” I held the black, almost ethereal, dagger in my right hand, switching the handle, “You’re trapped with me.”

I quickly ran. And jumped over them, leaving the confused, my familiar by my side, and Ruby looking at me strangely. “What did you do?” She asked

“Oh you’ll see.” I snapped my right finger, and an explosion could be heard from far away, whence the zombies stood. I frowned, “Unstable.” I shrugged; I guess that’s a good try than nothing.

“You killed them!”

“Yes, yes I did, and it would be us or them. And I prefer us than them.”

“But-“

I stopped, blue eyes quickly caught her bright yellow eyes as she floated just right above me, I quickly held my arms and pulled her down. “Ruby, it’s either us or them, and if they caught us, they would kill me and Nero and turned us into undead, and I don’t plan to be like that. They’re already dead to begin with, I just did them a favor…” She was nearly crying at this point, I sighed, eyes softened as I regarded Ruby, “look, we don’t have much time… we’ll talk about this later.”

I quickly ran again, with Nero in toll and Ruby floating above me. I grimaced; I didn’t want to do the… talk. Especially when she’s still a child, I mentally chuckled, oh well; I’ll cross that bridge later. I stared straight, a few zombies crawling out from the bushes. I jumped one of them, and side stepped as another one was about to hit me.

An ice ball, a liquid condensed ball of ice formed onto my left hand and threw it at the third zombie, quickly freezing it as liquid ice made the zombie into undead flavored popsicle, and fell into pieces of broken ice.

I barely noticed Ruby’s look of horror just in the corner of my eyes. I grunted. We’re going to have a long talk soon if she wanted to go with me… I shook my head, staring ahead just as the town came in sight.

“We’re almost out,” I said, grunting as another zombie suddenly appeared from the side, I quickly rolled, blasting the zombie with a fire ball, and ran again.

I mentally chuckled, if I was any mage, I would probably die right there. Warding is overrated anyway, and who needs them when you can dodge and roll your way out? Certainly not me, only fat and ugly people use warding, like the old magic defense professor, died of a heart attack. Pigs, that’s what they are, and it’s not totally because I sucked at them.

Reaching the town, I jumped one zombie who was standing straight at me, rolled to the ground and threw a fireball to the zombie before running again. The sky was, oddly, red, for some reason. I didn’t question it though; I blamed the gods and the forest for their love of dramatics.

I turned around the corner, not wasting any breath to stop. My heart pumped faster as my lungs tried to convert the residue with air. Still, I didn’t was time, I could rest after I was out of this undead-filled town.

A fast one ran to me, and I quickly sent a spike of ice to its leg, comically tripping it to the ground as its flesh scrapped on the road, leaving dirty black… thing. Stomping my head on its head, producing a squishy sound, I ran again. Dodging zombies, jumping, and casting ice and fire spells on the occasion to kill the few of them.

It was when I reached the gate that I stopped. Wheezing and panting painfully, as my eyes looked behind, where several zombies were chasing me. Taking a big gulp of air, I ran again. Sweat drenched my robe as I rolled under a sweep from a zombie. Mana began to diminish as small spells were casted, and eyes were blurry from the pumping blood on my heart.

I took one soul, converted it into another dagger and threw it backward, resulting another explosion. Unstable it may be, but it would still be good considering the situation. I would think that if I touch those flesh, something bad will happen. And if the panic in Ruby’s eyes meant anything, then yes, it would.

“C-Cain--!”

I glanced down, Nero was gasping for air as she ran alongside me, I grunted, “You really need to exercise more!” I shouted, stopping a moment to look behind me.

“Behind you!”

I immediately rolled to the side, and from where I stood, was another zombie, its hooves marking the ground as it growled at me.

“We will be friends…”

I scowled, “Nay.” And for badass points, spears of ice began to form in sky behind me, “I don’t do undead.” And with a flick of my wrist, the spears impaled the zombie. I took a moment to burn the zombie before jogging lightly, since there were no zombies in sight.

We-no, I, since Nero is a lazy adorable bastard who decided to perch on my shoulder- jogged in silence, no undead coming our way, no growling nor were there danger… yet.

I stopped when we reach a good spot, after far away from the cursed town. Was it not for the fact that there’s a filly, even if it’s a ghost, and that my robe wasn’t correctly enchanted. I would rather not risk it.

I took a moment of surprise when I saw Ruby floating above me, fidgeting nervously as I leaned against a tree, breathing slowly as I tried to calm my nerves and heart. Her eyes were not bright yellow anymore, but instead there’s a pupil in there, almost golden, as well. I shrugged, the town was more to a curse to the filly, and she couldn’t even pass on. Whoever cursed the damn place definitely didn’t think about the small filly.

“P-Psy-Psyche,” The silence was broken by Ruby, she stared at me almost fearfully.

I sighed, I guessed I should try to do the talk then… I patted my lap, and she slowly descended into my lap, almost fearfully and sat there.

“Listen, Ruby, about out there…” I sighed again, I didn’t want… no, I didn’t expect to be doing this. It was supposed to be a normal job, with a high payment. Not… this. “You know that I would die if I didn’t do anything, and I would rather me than them. They were already dead, and they tried to kill me and Nero,” said familiar purred warmly as she nuzzled me, “and where I came from, you don’t simply let others kill you.”

I didn’t know if I did good, but the voice in the back of my head, said, No, I messed up.

I sighed, and propped her up, her golden eyes looking at me, there were no fear in them, but worry. “Look, Ruby, I don’t know how to say this, but it’s the way of life… pun unintended, and well… you know…” I finished lamely, hearing Nero slapping her face with her paw.

She stared at me, “Just… promise me one thing…”

I chuckled mirthlessly, “Now you’re asking promises?” I shook my head, a small smile bloomed on her face, I nodded, “As long its within reason.”

She nodded, and tried to stare at me sternly, only succeeding in making her more adorable, “Just don’t use… violence, and let me… follow you.” Her face softened as she said the second sentence.

I just chuckled, “That’s two things,” I said, chuckling again as she pouted at me, “and, yes, you could follow me.”

She grinned, struggling from my hold and quickly hugged me, “Thank you!” She shouted, giggling, as she nuzzled me, careful not to hit Nero. “You’re warm…” She mumbled before falling asleep.

I cocked an eyebrow, I didn’t know ghosts can fall asleep, I mentally shrugged, the more you knew, I guessed.

“… Daddy.”

I went stiff, wide eyes, staring at Nero, who had the same expression.

“Aw, prairie shit.”

Author's Note

So, I decided to forgo the novelistic style because I'm lazy like that. Anyway, please comment.

Oh, if someone would volunteer as an Editor or a proofreader... I would be happy.

Next chapter will more longer than usual... something I've been trying to make.

Oh, please do comment... did I already said that?

Chappie 3

Exhaustion.

The bane of all existence. Where your body feels like a wall of brick, and every step is a chore. Where a single second of exertion is enough to make you doze off, and where using magic would, most definitely, cripple you, or worse, kill you.

That is what I was feeling. And it seemed normal, considering what happened last night. Running around like a headless chicken, albeit an intelligent headless chicken. Mana exhaustion from using too much magic, especially the soul manipulating kind. Considering that it was highly unstable… I was lucky it didn’t explode on me. Then there’s the fact that I didn’t sleep for fear that predators would prey on me while I sleep.

Did I say I hate forests?

It didn’t help that I was limping in the forest, and it was either my luck or the forest deciding that I had enough, that there weren’t any predators attacking me. Considering my luck, I’m betting on the latter. I was tempted to drink a mana potion, but as tempting as it was, I only have one left. I still could cast a few precise fireballs or iceballs, if necessary...probably. And I wasn’t sure if I could run without slipping on the dirt.

The worried eyes from Nero and Ruby didn’t escape me, and thankfully, Nero was kind enough to get off of me and started walking beside me. At least it would burn some of her fat.

Breakfast was good enough of a boost… for two hours. It was also tempting to just lean against a tree and sleep. But common sense said, no, that’s stupid.

Shaking my head to dust away the incoming wave of tiredness, I stared ahead, only to find an endless sea of trees, bushes, flowers, and other greens. I held back another yawn as a patch of blue flowers caught my eye, tempting me to sleep on them. Shaking my head, I ignored my internal battle and continued onward. I’ve been in much worse situations and I’ll be damned if I passed out in this damned forest.

“Maybe we should rest,” Ruby suggested for the umpteenth time, and I could feel Nero agreeing through our mental link.

I shook my head, “No,” I said, almost numbly. It was touching that someone I just met would suggest that to me, albeit I did save her from a fate worse than death. “I can still walk…” I yawned, “until we get into an inn or so…”

It was a tempting offer, really. But the situation didn’t allow it, and I don’t trust this damned forest.

A warm bed set up on a wooden floor, a soft mattress lay on the wooden structure, and pillows settled on them…

I shook my head again. I really needed to stop thinking about… bed. It’s detrimental in my own situation, considering I was still walking and my only helpers are a cat and a cursed, child ghost.

Looking ahead once more, I stopped. Blinking rapidly and rubbing my eyes to make sure that I wasn’t dreaming nor was I hallucinating.

A grin broke onto my face. There, a few yards away, was a motherfucking light, or rather, the end of the forest. I pointed at it, almost shakily, “We’re going to get the fuck out of this forest! We’re going to get the fuck out of this forest!” I shouted, borderline manic. Each step became faster as I approached the damn end of the forest.

“We will survive!” I shouted again as I was only a few feet away, and the fast walk became a sprint. “I will survive and I won’t ever go into this fucking forest again!” I shouted again, uncaring of the worried look I got from Nero and Ruby as they followed me.

I laughed when I finally reached the end, and by proxy, outside. The sun shone warmly on the blue sky, and I let out a sigh of happiness. My feet lost their strength and I dropped to my knees, splaying my arms open like a fanatic of nature who was welcoming his god. And promptly dropped face first on the soft green grass.

The last thing I heard was the panicked shout of Ruby, and the feeling of frustration mixed with worry in the back of my head, courtesy of a certain black familiar. Before unconsciousness took me faster than the mate of a vampire kidnapped me after I killed said vampire.

(*)(*)(*)

I was woken up from my fitful, and well deserved rest by the increasingly annoying beeping sound over my comfy… bed? I quickly opened my eyes, expecting something. That something wasn’t what I was expecting when that something was a pair of floating bright yellow orbs.

I also noted the slight pressure on my stomach moved up until I could get a view of my familiar’s head looking at me with an annoyed and slightly concerned look. It was then that I remembered how I… took my rest, and that the pair of floating orbs were Ruby’s eyes.

“In my defense,” I said, looking faux-offended by their looks, “I hate forests… especially a living sentient forest of doom.”

Nero rolled her eyes, affirming that yes, I was alright. “Yes, you’re magically, physically, and mentally exhausted. It’s a miracle you didn’t pass out…” she then looked at me, a small fear entered her golden-slitted eyes, “Don’t do that again.”

I smiled wryly, “Yes, yes.” then I rolled my eyes, “Though, I thought I was the one who should do the ordering.”

She huffed, turning back her abode, namely on my stomach, just after she flicked her tail across my face. And the familiar pressure came back as she snuggled herself closer to my stomach, and ergo, my already tattered robe.

I briefly frowned. I’m going to need to buy a new one…

“Yes, yes you do,” Nero snorted through our mental link, “it’s getting uncomfortable.”

I rolled my eyes in good humor and lay my hand onto her head, scratching the back of her ears as she snuggled closer to my hand.

Looking back to my newest companion, who was staring at the whole conversation with a look that said, ‘What just happened?’

“I just talked to her. Nothing really life changing.” Yet. God knows when she’ll have her next heat week; last time, she had raped a random male cat, (thankfully healthy) out of nowhere and then spent the next day crying to me, about how awful of a familiar and a cat she was. It’s a good thing that the male cat was enjoying it.

Ruby’s head snapped to me as she broke from her stupor, staring at me strangely. “How-“

“It’s written on your face.”

She scrunched her face, adorably so, I might add. “But-“

“Seriously, it’s really easy to read you ponies’ emotions. And I’m a soul magus, it’s practically in the job description, so don’t ask it.” That, and last nights manipulation was a success, albeit unstable, so I also need more control over it it.

She sighed and hung her head dejectedly. “Fine.” She groaned out.

She squawked in surprise as I wrapped my hand around her weightless body and hugged the fuck out of her. “God, you’re soft.” And strangely warm if you ignore the passing chill every now and then. “Relax, Ruby. You may be older than I am, but you’re still a kid. So it’s okay if you don’t know about many things.”

She struggled uselessly under her confinement, before sagging in defeat. “I don’t even know what you’re talking about.”

I patted her head and chuckled, “Silly Ruby. Of course you don’t know, you’re still young; albeit older than me young.”

She groaned but stayed within her confinement like the warmth addict she is.

It was then that I noticed the room I was in. I really didn’t care that much, since my familiar was napping rather comfortably on my stomach, so that means wherever I was, it was safe. The room I was in, in short, was white. At least the ceiling and the floor was. The walls were covered with green wallpapers with pictures of various flowers on it. There was also the distinct scent of alcohol in the room.

So either I was kidnapped into some madman’s (or stallion, or mare… whatever) lab and ready to be dissected and kept as a sex slave. Or I was found by a nice pony, and taken to a hospital of some sort. Looking at how comfortable Ruby and Nero were, I put ten coins to the latter.

Unfortunately, or fortunately, it was by that time that the door opened, revealing a pony with a clean white coat and pink mane tied in a bun. On her head was a nurse cap with a picture of a medical cross, with tiny little hearts on each corner. It was also the same picture on her mark.

She promptly dropped the clipboard in her mouth as she went slack-jawed. Staring at me in all my glory, hugging an invisible ghost with a black cat on my stomach, who opened her right eye at the visitor before closing them again, huffing.

We looked at each other in silence, and in that time, Ruby struggled to escape from her confinement, much to my amusement. Finally I let her escape as I stopped furiously hugging the shit out of the air, and lay my hands to my side.

“Well then,” I said, “are you going to stand there forever?”

Miss White Nurse, as per her new nickname, shook her head and closed her jaw and SOMEHOW flipped the clipboard she dropped onto her hoof before holding it with her mouth. She walked in, closed the door, and stood by the side of my newest bed.

She spat the clipboard back to her right fore-hoof, somehow managing to balance it, and somehow managed not to leave any spit from her mouth. She read it for a while before looking back at me.

“Well, Mister…”

“Psyche, just call me Psyche,” I answered, pausing, “Goddess of Soul.”

For the second time of the day, the nurse went slack-jawed, though the clipboard was still balanced on her hoof. It’s either these ponies have sticky hooves, or they’re just that balanced. Of course, there’s the simple answer being: magic. Like how a vampire could breed when they, by all rights, were already dead. Of course, when I asked one vampire girl who kidnapped me, she just answered it with, “Magic.” All the while staring at me like a clueless idiot.

“Only in name of course,” I added, chuckling, and by the look I got from her, she wasn’t amused.

“Very funny.” She grumbled, before clearing he throat, “Well, Mr. Psyche, we found you by the edge of the Everfree forest. You’re lucky your cat,” she nodded to Nero who was still napping, “searched for help, and you’re lucky that said help was, Ms. Fluttershy.” She paused, giving me a look. “Anyway, you’re fine, not that we know, since we don’t even know what you are-“

“Human.”

She cocked an eyebrow, “Pardon?”

I rolled my eyes, sighing, “You know, little old me, a human, otherwise known as Homo Sapien if you want it fancy.” Like most upper-living mages, like my high-expectant-abusive father who gave me a 1001 pages book about magic history for my birthday rather than other toys that normal kids (even mages) would get. Bashing bullies with it was fun, though.

“Oh.” She then shook her head, “Anyway, you’re good to go. When you’re ready you can call for me by pressing this button,” she pointed at the red round button on the nightstand, a picture of a nurse cap on it. Lying next to the button was my brown shoulder bag, leaning against the wall, and something brown sticking out from it.

I nodded, deciding to see my bag later after the nurse was out, and then I remembered something. “Wait, can I stay here for a day? I’ll pay you…” I trailed off as the nurse’s blue eyes narrowed at me.

“Mr. Psyche, this is a hospital, a place for sick ponies… or you, in this case, to get treated, and since you’re healthy, you can’t stay here, unless you have a good reason.” She said sternly, then she smiled pleasantly at me “Now, I will get out of your mane, so that you can get ready, and call me when you’re ready to get out.”

She walked to the door, stopping herself as she reached the threshold and turned back to me, her smile still there. “Oh, my name’s Nurse Redheart, by the way.” Then she was out, closing the door shut as she did so.

I blinked, and then turned to Ruby, “Man, you ponies are weird.”

Ignoring her shout of indignation, I poked my napping familiar, waking her as she glared at me, “What?”

“Get up, I need to get out of the bed.” she followed my instruction, if grumbling a bit as she jumped to the floor with the flexibility of a cat. Sitting up, I turned to the side, letting my legs fall to the cold floor. I noticed my shoes were inches away from my feet.

Shrugging, I stood up and stretched my body, eliciting pops and cracks from my bones. That done, I grabbed my bag and sat down to the bed again, “So, how long was I asleep?”

“A day,” Nero answered as she jumped from the floor onto my lap, “And you’re still tired…” she pointed out.

I shrugged, could be worse. Picking up the object that was poking out of my bag, it was a book. Remembering the book I got from my ex-client, I pondered if I could go back, but considering my fate thus far, it was unlikely. “Thank you by the way,” I said, smiling slightly as I softly rubbed her back, eliciting purrs of contentment, “Told you, you weren’t useless.”

“So what’s that book?” Ruby asked from my back, her head on my shoulder as she watched the book in my free hand.

“I got it from my ex-client before I got here, before I reached that gate.” I turned the book around, so its front could face me. Then I paused. There’s something different about the book from before, it now has a title.

‘Human Guide to Equestria, and the Lands Around It.’

My eye twitched. There in front of me, in my hand, was a guidebook for humans to this ‘Equestria’ which was probably where these ponies live. And I got this guidebook from that man.

Gods. There are reasons why I hate gods, good reasons too. They’re a bunch of immortals, divided by regions, staying in another plane, having absolute control for certain things. Cupid, who controls the very aspect love, and what entails it, then Zeus, he who controls the sky. Of course, when you’re immortals, you get easily bored. That’s when they would pick a random unlucky guy to play with. It’s basically the curse of the gods.

There was a reason why I ran east, to the land of rising sun. Not only that the Imperials were basically banned there, it’s also because their gods aren’t dicks who pick random guys for their own amusement. I had heard from wanderers that the gods in the east converse with their worshippers. So it was great.

And it didn’t take a genius to know why I was here, in a possibly foreign land, or an entirely different dimension full of new races.

I was cursed.

It wasn’t a job went wrong that led me here. No. I was tricked, possibly by a servant of a god, or some mischievous spirit that decided I would be the best sacrifice for the gods.

The thought that a random spirit did it for the laugh crossed my mind once, but I quickly shook it. What kind of spirit would do that?

I was on the verge of ripping the book to shreds, screaming and shouting profanities to the gods who were, possibly, watching and giggling like a bitch. I wanted to just go back to the forest, and burn it down for the sake of relieving my stress. Heck, the thought of burning this hospital crossed my mind once.

Instead, I took a good deep breath, extinguishing my rage-fueled stupor. There’s a child in here, albeit a ghost, but a child nonetheless. There’s also the fact that I don’t want to be viewed as dangerous by these ponies.

God knows I don’t need everyone chasing me again.

Snapping to attention, I noticed Nero was staring at me awake in confusion. Sighing once more, I put up a mirthless smile and turned the book so that she could see it. Her eyes widened as she read the title, no question that she was connecting the dots already. After all, you don’t become the familiar of a mage without learning what the mage learned.

In the end, she just sighed in resignation. “I… see.” She said, slumping in defeat.

“What’s wrong?” Ruby asked from behind me, oblivious of my newly accursed affliction. “Isn’t that a good thing? You have a guidebook!”

I coughed in my hand, “Yes, yes it is.” I said, calming the chaotic turmoil within me and my mind, courtesy of Nero. Standing up, I stretched my body, groaning as my tired bones popped and cracked. Giving my neck another turn, I turned to Ruby, “Maybe we should find an inn first… let’s just hope they accept gold.” I muttered the last part.

Slinging my bag over my shoulder, I put my book in and pressed the red button, and then I waited.

It didn’t take long as the door was swung open by Nurse Redheart, smiling in all her naked glory. Do these ponies even have clothes? I mused silently.

“Well, then Mr. Psyche, let’s go.” Redheart beckoned, walking away. I just nodded and followed her.

We walked silently through the hall. It was quiet, and peaceful, though there’s that distinct artificial scent waving around the building. The only sound was the clip-clop of my guide, and the occasional stare I got from the ponies around.

She stopped when we arrived in some sort of a lounge, walking behind a large desk, opposite of the exit door. She rifled through papers as I rested my arms on the desk, yawning quietly.

“Just fill the paper,” she said, sliding a piece of paper and a quill to me. Shrugging, I scanned the paper, and began to fill them. Leaving some of them blank, because I can, and using Psyche instead of my real name.

I gave the quill and the paper back to the nurse after I was done. Taking it, she stared at it for a moment before nodding her head with a smile. “Good, now you’re good to go.”

I gave her a tired smile in return. “Okay, but before I go, are there any inns in here?” I asked.

She gave her chin a few thoughtful taps, the epitome of adorableness I should say, and then said, “Well, there’s only one inn in the town since we rarely have any visitors. A different matter if you’re searching for a hotel. Just walk straight to the left and then turn right, you’ll find the inn… I think it’s called Marinn,” she shrugged, “Never been there, actually.”

I gave her a nod, “Well, it’s all I could ask for. Thank you Nurse Redheart.”

She grinned, “Always happy to help.” And with that, I walked through the door. Ignoring the weird looks I got from the ponies.

I blinked as the sun’s blindingly bright light struck me without mercy, looking up; I guessed it was around noon. Looking around the buildings, I followed the directions the kind mare gave me. The town reminded me of small farmer town I had once visited in my running from the bounty hunters, mages, and Imperials, except this one was more colorful, moreso with ponies strewn about, staring at me strangely.

It was also where I first had a coitus with an undead, the slave of a vampire that I had just killed.

She was just an unfortunate maiden in the wrong place at the wrong time. Caught the eyes of a vampire, whence she was forcefully turned. She found it appropriate that pleasure was the perfect gift for me. In the end, I killed her, per her request- no. It wasn’t a request, she was begging for it. She begged me to kill her, to end her suffering, and curse. She was scared. And in the end, I gave her a quick painless death, a blade to the heart as she slept.

She was cursed to be a vampire, and just like her, I’m cursed to be the play-toy of the gods.

“HEY-“

I snapped back to reality, in front of me was the most heinous creature I had seen. It was pink, full of pink. Before my mind could register it as harmless, my body reacted with a neck-chop. The pink menace went slack like a puppet cut of its strings.

I took a deep breath, eyes wide as I tried to lessen the beating of my heart. I stared at the pink menace; it was a pony with a curly mane. Gulping another breath of air, I looked around. Only to see ponies of all kinds staring at me, wide eyes full of shock and fear.

Taking another gulp of air, I cleared my throat, pointing my index finger to the unconscious pony. “She’s okay.” I said, ignoring Nero’s face-paw and her fastened breathings, as well as Ruby’s.

Then, with a scream of terror from one pony in the crowd, all hell broke loose.

(*)(*)(*)

“So you’re saying that she was suddenly shouting in front of your face and then you ‘instinctively’ attacked her, or in your word, ‘defended’ yourself?” The pony in front of me asked for the umpteenth time, his face set into a scowl.

I just dug my face deeper into my hands and groaned. The abusive husband in my head came back with vengeance as he evolved into a gay vampire who continuously giving me bad touches around my head.

“Yes, Max Grill. For the umpteenth time I’ve said this. I defended myself because she suddenly shouted in front of my face.”

My ever so loyal familiar had decided to take a nap from this bullshit on the table. The dimmed lantern, of some sort, only provided a little light. The stallion in front of me, an equivalent of a guard, named Max Grill, frowned.

“Yeah, that seems unlikely. So you knock her out because she suddenly shouted in front of you? And I’m supposed to believe you?” He raised an eyebrow with his never changing scowl.

Ruby floated around me lazily, staring emptily at the ceiling. It had been fucking two hours of the pony in front of me questioning me repeatedly and accusing me as a criminal more than once. Needless, to say, it was getting annoying. I was on the verge of just freezing the stallion, sleep, then unfreeze him after I was fully rested. After I cut his tongue out that is.

Instead, I groaned again, “Yes, Max Grill. You’re supposed to be fucking believe me because I’m telling the fucking truth, damnit.”

He glared at me, “You’re not helping yourself, Human, or whatever you’re really called.”

I threw my arms up, “Oh, for fuck’s sake!” I shouted, my glare drilling holes into his head “Can’t you just bring that pink pony here and ask her yourself!?”

He slammed his hoof on the table, leaning forward in a way that made him intimidating... in his head, “For what? So you could injure her more? So knocking her out wasn’t enough, was it? You want more? What kind of a sick creature are you?” He sneered.

By the gods, this pony is stupider than a fucking gay sparkling vampire.

“First,” I said through my gritted teeth, “a neck-chop isn’t painful. Yes, you’ll get a sore neck later, but that’s just it. Second, I’m fucking tired of this shit. I’ve just gotten out of the fucking hospital after exhausting myself in that damnable forest. So gods help me, if you don’t fucking let me out, I will burn you.” I growled.

He smirked, “So threatening me, eh? You’re not helping yourself, ‘Human’.” he spat the last word like a poison.

I sighed, trying to find another way to get me a fucking nap, because you don’t fucking get out of a sentient forest, and recover after a day of rest! And I haven’t fucking eaten anything!

“How about this, officer,” I offered, straining myself from literally grilling him inside out very slowly. “How about you keep me in one of your cells, then let me sleep and rest. And then we can continue talking tomorrow.”

“So you can think more excuses? No.”

“Oh, just let us go already!” Ruby screamed in frustration, throwing her arms up.

Unfortunately, it was only me and Nero who were able to hear it.

It was then that I heard the door swing open behind me. I didn’t bother to turn around. My mind tired from all of this bullshit, the fact that I was recently cursed into the play toy of gods didn’t help either.

Max Grill’s face contorted into an expression of surprise and shock, and promptly he jumped from the chair he had been sitting on and promptly bowed. “P-Princess Celestia!” He stammered, “What are you doing here, if you don’t mind me asking, your majesty?”

Idly, I noticed Ruby doing the same. I guess the princess is the ruler in here.

“Stand up, Max Grill,” I heard the newly arrived say, it sounded like a mother. A proper caring mother, that truly loves her children. Briefly I noted the pony did so. “I’m just here to take our guest here.”

His eyes widened comically at her statement, “But, your majesty—“He never got the chance to finish his sentence as he was cut off by the newly arrived.

“It’s okay my little pony. I can take care of myself.”

The stallion tentatively nodded, “O-okay your majesty. Please be careful, he’s dangerous.” He warned his ruler. Were I in the mood, I would’ve snorted.

“It’s okay my little pony, and could you wait outside please? I think I need to talk with our guest here.”

The stallion nodded and swiftly exited the door, though I could feel a quick glare to the back of my head before he’s completely gone.

It was at this time that I turned around, focusing on my— probably— savior. She-- if I hadn’t gone deaf-- was a winged unicorn, her height was almost as tall as me, probably only a few inches shorter than me. Her pure white coat seemed to be radiating warm light in the dimmed room. Her long pastel-colored mane floated in the non-existent wind, covering her left eye. Purple eyes stared at me with small curiosity, and there were plenty of wisdom, earned by experience hidden behind said curiosity. Briefly, I took a quick glance to her ass, finding a picture of sun.

For a second, I thought she was a god, but quickly dismissed it. A god doesn’t walk among the mortals. Immortals, maybe. But never mortals. She’s probably just an immortal, and a ruler to boot if I wasn’t deaf and blind at Max Grill’s way of greeting to her.

Her golden shod hooves clinked against the stone floor as she walked closer to me. Scanning, identifying, and measuring me. Finally, her eyes fell onto my bag, where she almost halted before staring back to my face.

“Hello,” she greeted me, a genial smile on her face, “Nice to meet you, I’m Princess Celestia, co-ruler of Equestria.”

I blinked tiredly, “Does this mean I can rest?”

She blinked, almost owlishly, caught off guard by my question. Good, at least I still got it. Then she chuckled, “Yes, I suppose so,” the relief in me was squashed like a bug when a mischiveous smirk appeared on her face, ”after a few questions, of course.”

I groaned.

Chappie 4

Rulers.

After so long avoiding those damned people, after so long of ignoring those people, in the end I’d ended up in some sort of interrogation room, a metal chair under my ass, and the ruler of Equestria (somehow) sitting across me with the patience of an unconscious man with only a metal table dividing us.

A part of me asked if this was the first part of the gods’ way to make my life a living hell.

Of course, looking at my past, it’s only a matter of time before I’d be meeting with a ruler of some sort under some sort of convoluted situation, trying to use me as a disposable pawn to be betrayed after I was deemed a loose end or just plain useless, either by giving me to a group of those Imperial hunters, or the Tower’s inquisitors.

But I had an inkling that this ruler—Celestia, as she called herself— won’t be doing that to me anytime soon, and if the literal power eradiating from her was any clue, she won’t have any problem turning me into naught but a stain on the floor, and so far, I was still breathing.

So there’s hope yet.

“So, you didn’t assault her as the report says?” Celestia asked me, after a few minutes of peace and quiet.

I sighed, nodding as I rested my head on my hands. “Yes, Princess Celestia,” I answered her question absentmindedly, as my mind kept on swimming in the ocean I named‘my problems’ which had been growing and growing for the past 24 hours.

Thankfully, Celestia the co-ruler of Equestria, didn’t notice it. Or she just didn’t have fucks to give freely.

In the end though, my mind kept focusing on my newly given curse as the same question kept on repeating itself within the few minutes of silence. How do I break the curse?

In the end, I just couldn’t find a damn way to break the curse, to do anything so that I won’t be the gods’ plaything, a source of entertainment for them. I couldn’t just bore them, nor do anything that would prove as ‘boring’ because they’re gods, they could just send some kind of monstrosities for me to fight so that I could entertain them the old fashioned way.

Or worse, they could threaten me to do something entertaining in cruel ways, such as… killing my familiar.

This is why I hate gods. This is why I hate those fucking twats who hide themselves in another plane to just play with mortals.

“—okay?”

I snapped back to reality, “What?” I asked dumbly, trying to will away my exhaustion for a moment. Staring across from the table, Celestia was frowning with concern, as well as Ruby who was floating right above the ruler of Equestria with a look of reverence in her eyes.

Nero though, she was very awake from her peaceful sleep. Her eyes wide in a startled manner, before she promptly relaxed and jumped onto my shoulder, nuzzling my neck.

“It’s okay master, it’s going to be okay…” she whispered, and I couldn’t help but to quirk a smile and scratch her ears, eliciting a purr of delight from her.

It was a lie, of course. It’s not going to be fine. Call me pessimist, but nothing has ever been okay in my past experience. When the Imperials, bounty hunters, and mages alike won't be chasing me, it would be trouble with the undead. And when it’s not undead, it would be creatures suddenly attacking me out of nowhere, like that giant mouse with a penis on its back.

In hindsight, I should’ve seen this curse coming.

But it was the thought that mattered. And that as long as my familiar is with me, I could endure everything. And I will certainly break this curse.

After all, isn’t magic created from the very nature of defiance itself? It’s the force that’s created for the purpose of defying nature and gods themselves, given to Cain by the god of chaos, Genesis himself. So that instead of making humans, elves and other sentient creatures to bow down to the gods, we could defy them for our own choices. It’s one of the many reasons why Chaos was hated, and then the gods escaped to another realm to hide, because they can’t simply herd mortals like sheep anymore.

Except the Imperials of course, but they only obey one god, but of course other gods could play as that god. So that’s a moot point.

Shaking those thoughts away for later, I turned to Celestia who was still looking at me with concern. And I just gave a nod and a smile, though the gesture was directed to the filly ghost behind me who breathed a relieved sigh.

But she didn’t know that.

Celestia cleared her throat, and smiled. “Well, in that case, you should be okay to go out,” I raised an eyebrow in askance, “Pinkie Pie, the one you knocked out, was fine. I’d talked to her before this, and she said it was her fault for surprising you.”

And suddenly, the temperature of the room seemed to rise as her purple eyes narrowed at me. Gone was her motherly nature as it was changed into the face of a ruler, the same face that I’m familiar with, except this time it was a hundredfold stronger than what I had experience with.

“Do you have any intention of harming my subjects?” She asked with an edge in her voice that promised pain and doom if I answered wrongly.

In the midst of the heat, I could feel Nero straightened on my shoulder, her fur standing as she glared at Celestia, ready to jump at her should I say so.

Not that I would if I had too.

In the end, I silently gulped and offered a confident smile. “I wouldn’t dare too,” I said, not giving her any sign of fear. I had seen much, much worse than her. Nothing but him could elicit fear from me, “Except in an act of self-defense.” I added.

And with that, the temperature in the room went back to normal, and her ‘ruler’ face was now replaced with the motherly expression. I could also feel Nero relaxed as she returned to her previous position, though she still kept that wary expression on Celestia.

Ruby, ignorant of the previous conversation just floated idly. Couldn’t blame her though, being a ghost probably made her… insensitive to a lot of things. And being a child, albeit an ancient child, probably didn’t help either for her mentality.

Celestia smiled, as if she hadn’t threatened me a few moments ago, “Good, I would hate to do something unpleasant to you,” Nero snorted in reply, which was lost to the princess, then she frowned as if remembering something, then her eyes widened slightly, “Oh where are my manners? I haven’t asked your name, have I?”

I chuckled well naturedly, as well as if I hadn’t been threatened a few moments ago, or maybe it was my exhaustion addled mind. “My name’s Psyche,” I answered, before nodding to Nero “this is Nero, my familiar.”

“Familiar?”

I held down a grimace. What kind of backwater land have the gods cursed me into for their own amusement? In the end, I just sighed. “Familiar, assistant, helper, friend,” then I smiled as I scratched Nero’s ear softly, “family and life companion. They’re basically the partner of all kind of mages,” I explained, sighing as memories resurfaced as I remembered the time I took our master-familiar relationship to the next level just after I learned soul magic, taking a tiny part of her soul into me and vice-versa, allowing us to be, quite literally, inseparable.

She nodded, closing her eyes and smiling softly as if remembering a fond memory, “Reminds me of my Philomena.”

“Philomena?”

She nodded, opening her eyes that contained that faraway look, “She’s a phoenix—” I blinked in befuddlement. “—I found her when she and I were still young, I saved her from… some young dragons,” the ruler said bitterly at the last word, “then she started to follow me.”

I nodded, briefly considering if it’s rude to ask for some phoenix feathers for my runes before I decided not to. Then I cocked my head, “Where’s she then?”

“She’s in my castle, in Canterlot,” then she giggled, “probably playing with my guards.”

I frowned, brows furrowing. That’s just wrong. “Shouldn’t a familiar be with its partner?” I asked. Maybe it’s just me, but it seems wrong to just leave your familiar alone. That’s the most important rule about familiars. You shouldn’t leave your familiar alone.

“Whatever do you mean?” She asked back, her eyes cocked.

“I mean,” I started, brows furrowing deeper, “familiars, in a mage’s sense, are life companions”—even dark wizards trust their familiars—“You shouldn’t leave them alone, at least not when you’re far away from them.” because, at times, familiars also need their own privacy.

She looked thoughtful for a moment, “Maybe. If she wanted to, I suppose.” She said, before nodding, “Well, I guess I should ask her to come if she wants to.” And just like that, our conversation ended as she stood up, “Now, I think that’s enough for today.” she said, looking at me with those large purple eyes before she walked to the exit door. She halted before she reached the door, and turned back to me.

“I forgot to ask your name, didn’t I?”

I chuckled, “Call me Psyche.”

She smiled again, “Well, Psyche, I suppose I’ll meet you again sooner or later.” Before she opened the door and left, letting the door shut as she did so.

“Ready?” Nero asked as she stood and stretched her body.

I just shook my head tiredly, “Wait for a minute,” I yawned, “still tired.”

She chuckled, and Ruby looked at me curiously. “I don’t even know what you guys are talking about,” she commented, “and this is boring!”

I thought about it for a moment. I couldn’t just let Ruby stay like this. Perhaps it was just that fatherly sense I got from raising Nero, but a child, even if she’s a ghost, shouldn’t be living her afterlife like this. Floating, and following me. Being ignored by everyone but me and Nero, staring at the horrors that I and Nero will soon find, and then an idea struck me as I grinned.

But sleep first.

I stood up with a barely restrained exhaustion as I waddled my way to the door, with Nero on my shoulder and Ruby in tow. Leaving the room, I tiredly walked to the exit door of the small building, ignoring the glare I got from a certain blue pony named Max Grill.

I took a deep breath as I exited the accursed building, or station as the sign on the front said. Looking up to the sky, the sun had decided to set to the horizon, slowly making way for the moon, casting a red and orange hue across the sky.

With another barely restrained, exhausted sigh. I walked away from the building, and hopefully, with my blind luck I would stumble upon an inn. Ignoring the fearful gaze I got from the paranoid ponies.

“I don’t think ponies used to be this paranoid…” I heard Ruby grumble, before she sighed, “Things changed, I guess…”

I nodded. Briefly the thought of Ruby needing some sort of socializing with people other than me crossed my mind, and I listed it into ‘Things to ponder later’ within my mind, just before the ‘Read the goddamn book’ as it was in the first place.

I sighed once more, my hand running through the rat’s nest I called my hair. “They better accept gold.”

-()-()-()-

It was two hours of stumbling, trudging, limping, and walking through turns and blocks later, and with the help of my piteously small amount of luck, that I finally reached my purposed destination, mainly, an inn.

“Finally,” I sighed, my mind swayed back and forth as it tried to gain stability. Nero was kind enough to drop from my shoulder and walk like any cat would, “We’re here.”

The sun had already set, replaced by the moon. Oddly enough, the moon was bigger than it’s supposed to be, I quickly blamed the fact that I was in a different world. As it was, the moon was beautiful. Its lunar light illuminated the empty street I was in. Whence the town was bustling with ponies in the afternoon, it was now empty, and almost calming.

Sounds of raucous shouting and conversation could be heard from the inn, Sleepy Eyes, it’s called; a rather creepy name in my opinion, like a certain monster that only consists of an eye and a batwing, that would stare you to death, literally.

The building itself looked like any generic inn should, following the tradition of every inn’s establishments, majorly created from bricks. Unlit windows set on the second story, what I would assume as the room’s window. Scents of alcohol, music, lights, and old wood leaked through the gaps and cracks of the building.

Stepping to the entry with my familiar and Ruby behind my tail, I opened it. And almost instantaneously, the crowd went quiet and still as an erected penis. Or, in this case, penisses.

Many of them watched me warily, like I was some kind of a creature ready to wreak havoc, some of them with outright fear, looking ready to just dash out of the building.

Scanning the room, I spotted what I thought to be the inn keeper, a blue coated unicorn stallion with a gray mane wearing a weird black suit covering his torso, standing behind the bar. He glanced at me with a smile before returning to… what he was doing before.

Mentally shrugging, I walked to the bar, nodding at him as he looked up at me. Not really in the mood for drinking or talking, I just cut to the chase, “How much’s a room?”

He eyed me, then my familiar who had jumped onto the counter and back to me, “10 bits per night should cover it,” he said.

I mentally groaned, “You accept gold?”

His eyes widened slightly, “G-gold?” he gaped, before shaking his head, regaining his lost composure, “I mean, sure. Gold is more than… enough.”

I rolled my eyes; apparently gold is much more… rare than its normal currency. All the more reason to read that accursed book, I quickly took 5 gold coins from my pouch and put it on the counter. Watching in amusement as the unicorn gaped at the coins in front of him.

His horn, much to my surprise, glowed a blue hue before a key ring appeared from under the counter, and dropped it in front of me. “Two weeks.”

I raised an eyebrow, “What?”

“That,” he pointed at the gold coins in front of his eyes, “is worth two weeks in here, complete with breakfast. Just go to room 101, that’s the biggest room in here.” He made a shooing motion with his fore hoof.

I just nodded, picked up my keys and tiredly walked upstairs. The moment I was gone, the suppressing silence caused by my appearance were broken immediately as conversations started loudly.

Ruby huffed, crossing both of her fore hoofs as she muttered something along the line of, ‘Stupid rude ponies.”.

The moment I found the door, the number 101 etched on the board, I quickly opened it with my key and swung it open. The room was dark, though I could make out the large queen sized bed in the middle of the room, two nightstands on each side, a wardrobe on the left side of the room, and a small bathroom in the corner.

All in all, it was good enough. Swinging the door closed, and locking it, I rushed to the side of the bed and dropped my bags to the floor. The sight of the sleep inducing cotton made my body heavier than an obese man on a morning run, and I promptly dropped myself on the bed. And my familiar soon followed by jumping onto my belly and like a habit done thousands of times, she snuggled into my body.

Smiling slightly, I looked at Ruby. She looked at me unsurely, not knowing what to do. I rolled my eyes and nodded.

Sje grinned brightly and dropped next to me, snuggling to me like a proper warmth slut, and slipped to unconsciouness.

I soon followed her.

-()-()-()-

But of course, even sleep couldn't be that simple for me.

It wasn’t long before I was pulled away, or rather pulled into. I blinked as I found myself conscious, and blinked again as I realized where I was.

The wind blew softly in front of me, glades of glass-composed trees spread its way through infinity and far in the infinity, and far above the trees loomed the crimson sky, the impending doom of madness, waiting patiently to strike and elude me with its madness.

It was my sanity, trees of emotions, and red skies of my doom.

Then I turned, musty scent of old maple woods invaded my nose. Bookshelves after bookshelves arranged in a way reminded me of my old academy’s library. But amidst the familiar scents of books, inks, and woods; a hidden scent was there, only a hint, but enough to make the strongest person to gag and vomit their lunch, followed by their breakfast, and yesternight's dinner.

It was my memories, books recounting of my pasts, hidden books of memories so dark, it would only bring regrets than anything else.

I bit back a shudder, already dreading where I was.

Then I looked up and I couldn’t help but to smile. Black starry skies blinked back at me as warm, peaceful and calming winds blew into my head, bringing the scent of the all so familiar Nero. The only anchor keeping me from being drowned into the madness within me.

It was my connection with Nero, a small part of her soul within me, and vice-versa.

It was my mindscape, and I was in the middle of it. I sighed, falling back as a chair formed behind me. My mind, was, practically an ordered cluster fuck, especially so with the red skies of doom, looming and ready to pounce in the moment of weakness, to blind me with madness.

I shuddered, holding out a hand, and a cup of tea formed its way. I sipped- cherry blossom, I noted- taking a sigh and planting the cup on a glass floating in the air.

Leaning back, I stared at the stars above- my only anchor from madness- and sighed.

“Just show yourself, whatever you are. And explain.”

In reply, an angelic, yet somehow demonic laughter boomed in the mindscape—Oh bells, this is creepy!—and I cringed, and cringed again as the foreign golden petals appeared in front of me, swirling like a retarded dog chasing its tail.

The petals thinned, floating away to my glade—which I immediately burned—and revealing, what I would say, the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen in the three lands I’d visited. Unlike any prostitutes, sluts, and maiden I’d ever the pleasure to meet with.

Her long crimson hair reached down to her waist, her green eyes stared at me with various emotions—Curiosity, amusement, arousal?—with a smile that completely betrayed said emotions. Her face was the perfection of every perfections; no birth-mark, no scar, no flaws, but only soft and tight, peach-colored skin.

And her body, oh her body, it would make the strongest men, of the dedicated Imperials, and even women would be enraptured. Her mounds and vagina covered by the thin sheet, a blouse.

Fortunately, I wasn’t like every man.

I sneered, not hiding my disgust over how, oh how unnatural this was. A person suddenly appeared in your mindscape! It’s definitely not normal. And only idiots would think so.

“Who and what are you?” I asked, voice dripping with venom.

If anything, it seemed to amuse her even more if her giggle was any sign, “Oh?” She asked, feigning curiosity as she reached in front of the floating piece of glass, and promptly sat down on the suddenly formed red lush queen chair. “You want to know who I am?”

I twitched in annoyance, forcing my will, and smirked as the queen chair turned into a wooden chair, ignoring the fact that the entity in front of me, that could possibly traumatize me for life, by involving blood, genitals, and plenty of bad touches.

The emotions in her eyes flickered, and it was gone as quick as it showed, but I noticed that flicker. Annoyance. And I inwardly patted myself on the back for a good job well done.

She leaned forward, arms folded on the glass as she smiled coyly, revealing a generous amounts of cleavage. “Well, for beginning, you’ve been stealing my name,” my eyes widened slightly in surprise. Shit. “Oh, yes,” she grinned viciously, “I’m Psyche, Goddess of souls.”

It was then that I realized my life was going to be much, much shittier than I’d expected.

“What do you want?” I asked curiously, caution thrown to the proverbial window.

“You’re… unique,” she answered, leaning back to her chair, “You’re a soul mage that’s not bent on,”—she rolled her eyes—“world domination, and actually a capable one, if not very creative, and at least you’re not running around mad, and taking every beings’ soul.” Then she glanced at the looming red blood sky, “Yet.” she added, before continuing, “And that,” she pointed at the sky, “is impressive for a mortal, even if you had a help.”

I cocked an eyebrow, briefly pondering when I could go back to a peaceful sleep. “What do you want then?”

“Impatient, aren’t you,” she chided slyly, “You’re a soul mage, the only competent one, I’m the goddess of soul. You’re interesting, and even more so with your current predicament… I think you got the idea.”

My eye twitched, my life had gone shittier, and shittier the more seconds since that gate. This is why I didn’t involve myself with the gods. It doesn’t and never worth it.

She clapped her hands, “Well then, it’s very nice to meet you, Psyche the second. I hope you don’t mind me staying here,” she paused; her smile suddenly gained an edge, “tell anyone, then I’ll mutilate your soul. And anchor.”

I growled a deep guttural growl. "Don't you dare."

Her malicious smile widened more than I thought possible. “I won’t if you won’t.”

And with that, she snapped her finger, laughing gleefully as I faded into further unconsciousness.

Sometimes, the small angsty part of myself wonder if picking up soul magic was worth the problem or not.

Author's Note

Sorry for the late update, I got tests and my editor have some RL problem, still have to thank my editor macoman1 for helping me.

Please help: It has come to my concern that, yada yada yada yada, my editor is unresponsive, and I hope as Mr. 24601 in front of the statue of Christ, that he's alive and well, so if someone would be willing, patient, and not an illiterate, please help be my editor.

I'll pay you with my virtual body.

Chappie 5

Frustration.

It was of that word, as I sat under my work desk, gnawing on the hilt carving knife, staring at the long sword lying in front of me, described my mental state perfectly so.

Arrays of runes etched on the blade, glimmering under the dim yellow light, with every each of them granting the sword its own personality, power. And all of them stared mockingly back at me. Unfinished, and possibly, will stay so. It was maddening. All of the needed runes were there, but it couldn’t work. Like the last 20 swords, but at least this one wasn’t going to explode.

“I want a special blade,” the overly rich knight had smugly demanded, “I want a strong sword that could cut metal like butter, freeze water in touch and shock every flesh it met. Can you do that?”

I hesitated, tapping my work desk, before saying, “Alright, give me 10 days, and I’ll work it out.” The smug bastard nodded, leaving my shop/house a little smugger than before, before I followed out to the local blacksmith after a few minutes of consideration.

It was a ridiculous demand, to be honest, almost impossible. But it was a challenge, and like a woman in need of a scratch in her proverbial sensitive organ, I was in need of a good challenge. Yet now, as I stared at the mocking piece of blade in front of me, I pondered if I just made a mistake.

The problem was, wasn’t the runes, nor was it the blade itself. It was simple, yet complicated at the same time. They just couldn’t work together.

Because while in practice; wind, lightning, and ice work well, so does fire and ice, thus it was moot. I could, simply just etch the runes, but they won’t work together. They will override each other’s element, which in turn, will turn the wielder in a sad pile of flesh.

It’s like cooking, except you’re more prone to lose some important bits of your body.

I sighed, dropping my carving knife onto the table and lifting the mug of coffee beside the blade, sipping in the hot, sweet nectar of the gods. I let my eyes wander into my soft red velvet couch, sitting against the wall. On it was the all familiar black lump, sleeping fitfully, and oblivious of my current problem.

Not that I would blame her. After all, she’d done her job, in which moral supports was one of them, something which I sorely needed these past days, what with the guards breathing behind our- highborn mages alike- neck after the assassination of Duke Asmadeis of Morganna- City of Knowledge! City of Magic!- And his family, a tragedy the struck deeply to the hearts of fellow nobles and commoners alike.

If anyone would give a single fuck about them, that is. True, politics in-between families always got complicated, and dangerous, but never that it got this bloody. Or at least, not this publicly, thus accusations were thrown between families, while the nobles were looking for a chance, for what, I don’t know. Didn’t help that the captain of the guard was a prick, however loyal he is to the law and/or his job.

If I had to guess, he’ll die of an unfortunate ‘accident’ in field about a week or so.

A knock on the door interrupted my wandering thoughts. I closed my eyes, gently placing the mug onto the door and hoped, whoever it was in the other side of the door would take a hint and go away to their merry way.

No such luck, however, as the knocks grew more rapid. Tiredly, I glanced at the clock, 9 P.M. Groaning, I pushed myself from my chair, grabbing my magic staff- in case there would be some vengeful midgets- I walked to the front of the door, and with a click the door swung open.

There, in front of me stood, a girl probably still in her teens. Her chestnut hair-the same of mine- was tied in a ponytail and her peachy skin covered in the normal brown academy robe, ruffled in a few part. Lily. Before I could even say her name in surprise, her blue eyes-anxious, tired, joy- quickly fixed at mine, “Can I stay here tonight?”

I cocked an eyebrow at her, watching that adorable smile of hers, before shrugging. I sidestepped away from the threshold, “Come in.”

()__()__()__()

Pain.

That morning I learned, that conversing with a being that could squish my soul through my head, then forced into a deeper slumber, coupled with my mental exhaustion, was not a good recipe for a good night sleep.

It was, however, the best cocktail that the abusive husband in my head ever drunk, as he and his midget friends pounded mynot-so-virgin head repeatedly with a ten foot cock like a man about to sell his soul to some kind of a dark god.

Grimacing, I opened my eyes, unthankfully greeted by the optimist big ball of gas and fire as it shone brightly through the uncovered large window. I winced, closing my eyes immediately whilst my mouth let out an uncontrollable pained groan.

Soon enough, the pain slowly receded as the abusive husband’s slowly trickled away until it was only him, dry humping the wall in his own sad little loneliness. I cracked my eyes open; only this time, I was met with a pair of yellow concerned-looking eyes floating just few inches above my face.

“Are you okay?” Ruby spoke, her voice soft like a flaccid cock.

“I don’t think so…” I mumbled, which came out more like a gurgle, what with the head-ache.

She didn’t seem to understand either, before her eyes caught something by my right ear, and widened considerably, which was impressive, considering her already large eyes.

She gasped, “You’re bleeding!” pointing with her small hoof to my apparently bleeding ear.

I dragged my hand to the bleeding ear, touching it with my index and middle finger, and then lifted it over my face. Looking at the red substance, confirming that yes, I was bleeding. “So that’s why…”

“Are you going to be okay?” asked the worried ghost.

“Yeah,” I waved off her concern, poking the still sleeping Nero on my belly. She must be really tired, the still not-dead part of me commented. “I’m still breathing and thinking, so that means I’m fine. Not going to die out of aneurysm anytime soon”- especially with the gods playing with me-”and I’d probably die in the most ironic way, anyway.” If rumors of the gods’ sick humor is to be trusted.

“Stop, I’m awake!” Nero hissed, batting my intrusive finger as golden eyes narrowing at me, before she did the cat equivalent of a gasp as she caught my ears.

“Red, orange, small,” I groaned, looking at the beige ceiling.

I could feel Nero nod, before she jumped from my belly onto the floor, ruffling through my bottomless bag before she hopped to the bed, two small vials clinking together on her teeth as she somehow managed to hold it, before offering it to me.

I gave a smile, before pulling both corks and drank both health potion and the painkiller.

Relief washed through me as the pain was numbed, and whatever damage by my ear was healed. I sighed in relief, “By the gods, I needed that. Thanks, Nero, Ruby.”

Her feline face hovered above me, her golden eyes narrowed in suspicion. “Why did that happen?”

I swung my legs to the side of the bed, giving her a crooked grin. “Nothing you need to know.”, before standing up from my bed, stretching myself, popping my tired bones.

Nero was not amused, though she didn’t question it anymore. At least she got the message. Ruby just looked at me curiously, before shrugging. I grabbed my bag, slinging it over my shoulder, heading to the bathroom-which was thankfully, not so different- and giving my ear a quick cleaning.

I popped my back out from the bathroom, “How about breakfast?”

Nero grumbled, hopping to my shoulder. I just chuckled, opening the door to the hall before heading downstairs, with Ruby floating beside me, frowning sadly, possibly because she couldn’t eat or taste food. Another idea added to my secret project.

The common room was empty when we entered. Well, not completely, if you count the blue innkeeper, but there weren’t any patrons in there. The innkeeper smiled as he spotted me, “Good mornin’, lad. How’s your sleep?”

I shrugged, sitting on the stool. “Good enough,” If you count the massive bitch of a headache that came after.

He nodded happily, “Good. Would be bad for my reputation if it’s not,”

I hummed idly. “What’s there for breakfast?” I asked.

“We got eggs, milk, cheese, fruits,” he shrugged, “well, that kind of stuff.”

“We?”

He looked at me flatly, “What, did you think I managed this place by my lone?” he shook his head, “’Course not, my brother helped me build the inn, though he’s usually the one who cooks.”

I shrugged, “Well, tell him that I’d like an egg sandwich, and two glasses of milk, then.”

He nodded, trotting to the backdoor, which I guessed was where the kitchen. As he left, I pulled the godsdamned guidebook out of my bag. Admiring its leather bound before opening the first page, and read it.

About time you’re reading this.

I sighed silently, massaging the bridge of my nose, before flipping to another page, as Ruby hovered around me and Nero sitting by her haunches on the desk, watching me silently, with an almost bored look in her golden eyes.

Soon enough, the sound of trotting soon came to a close. I lowered the, possibly the most helpful, book and watched the grinning blue stallion arrived from the backdoor. A tray with two plates, and three glasses balanced on his back.

He paused, looking at Nero strangely before shrugging as he used his magic- as the book informed me- to levitate a plate and two glasses in front of me and the other in front of him.

I closed the book, slipping it into my bag and went back to the food in front of me. I smirked as Nero stared at the sandwich longingly. Grabbing it, I carefully tore it into two, putting the other half to the plate as I bit down the other.

Nero bit into the sandwich, purring in delight at the prospect of real food. The strange look that the innkeeper gave went unnoticed except me. He shook his head, and continued eating his… flower sandwich?

“You know,” The innkeeper started after a while, taking another bite of the sandwich, “you never tell me your name, or your kind, even.”

I blinked. “Right, forgot about that. Just call me Psyche.”

“Right, I’m Warm Bed. My brother’s Soft Hay. Never heard of your kind before,”

I took a gulp of milk.”I’d be surprised”-and interrogate you-“if you had.” Then I took another gulp of the fresh white and warm, creamy thick milk. “I have to ask though. What is it with yesterday?”

He sighed. “Well, that pink pony you hit? Yeah, that’s Pinkie Pie. Everypony around here like her, and she’s also a national hero… and well…” he shrugged, looking uncomfortable like a man being touched in various places. “And besides, I thought she was going to get it sooner or later, anyway. Really, jumping on ponies’ face isn’t safe.”

Race lacks of common sense… like dwarves, only worse. I mentally sighed, while smiling on the outside. “Do you know where the boutique and library in this town?”

“You could go to Rarity’s Carrousel boutique just by the park, which really, is the only boutique in town. The library is near the center of town, just go right and straight, you’ll get there. The librarian’s name is Twilight Sparkle, young pretty unicorn.”

I tapped my chin, taking the last bite of the sandwich, a curious thought cross my mind. “Why do you ponies need a boutique anyway?”

“Well…” he shrugged, looking sheepish, “I honestly don’t understand myself. I think it has something to do with showing status or some ponyfeather about Canterlot’s tradition. Though sometimes, it’s for uniforms, like the Winter Wrap-up.”

“You could use it to improve sex.” I suggested, hiding my grin behind the glass of milk.

He sputtered. “That—no –I mean—!” scowling at me, he pushed the empty plate away, “now I’m losing my appetite.”

I chuckled. “But you’re already finished anyway.” I glanced at Nero, her plate clean and glass empty—somehow. And so is she. “Well, I’ve got to go now,” I stood up, walking to the door as the satisfied Nero followed. I paused as I neared the front door, “Also leave the bill on my tab. “, I called, before leaving the inn.

Straight into a white cobbled road, whence heads quickly darted at me like a gigantic cock in an orgy as my feet touched the road. The ponies quickly parted away, giving me a wide berth and murmuring with each other, as they stared at me cautiously, as if I was some child molester ready to pounce at foals and rape them in public. Which, considering they’re naked anyways, was pretty stupid.

Ruby was giving them the stink eyes, not really impressive considering she’s essentially unseen by the ponies. I quickly snatched her, complying with the sudden urge to hug her, not unlike a pre-teen girl would to a teddy bear; vaguely reminding me of Lily.

She let out a panicked “eep”, and upon realizing her predicament, struggling like a choking dog. It was a losing battle as she just let out a sigh and slumped, leaning the back of her head to my chest like the warmth addict she was.

Of course, suddenly hugging an invisible air didn’t bode well with the ponies watching me as they let out a gasp, one of them pointing his hoof to me like I was the avatar of a dark god. One of them, a brown stallion with a back-slicked black mane, narrowed his eyes at me. Curious.

Then they began whispering, not-so-silently, I might add. “He’s insane!” one of them hissed. “He’s going to kill us all!” another added. Or even, “He’s Nightmare incarnate!” then, “He’s going to violate us!”

Oh, how I love a close-knitted community, just like that one time whence I killed a corrupt mayor—upon request, of course—and the resident of the town would make their own stories once the news spread, from how it was a jealous mistress, to communing with dark gods.

There weren’t even any mention about the strange robed visitor.

Ruby bristled, attempting to escape my arms in order to, most likely, cutely snarl at them. Not that it would work mind you. In the end, she put up the most adorable scowl, which really, was more of a pout.

“They’re being a jerk,” she mumbled, “why are they being a jerk?”

I shrugged. “Well, for one, I just knocked one of Equestria’s, shockingly, national hero.” I snorted in disgust, “This country is seriously lacking in the Hero department. Heck, even the Imperials were much better.” Granted most of them were the, ‘we-will-kill-you-because-the-priest-said-so!’, ‘burn-all-heretics!’ or even, ‘bend-over-or-we’ll-force-you-to!’ kind of people. Not the sanest bunch, but then again Jack the Ripper wasn’t exactly sane either, and he got a special day made for him.

“I don’t think Equestria has a… Hero department,” she paused for a moment, “I think.”

I scoffed, turning left at a random turn. “Next thing I know, there’s no brothel in Equestria…”Where all the information lay.

Inwardly, I could feel Nero face-pawing on my shoulder, before shaking her head. “You’re insufferable.”

Ruby screwed her face cutely. “What’s a brothel?”

“Nothing you should know yet.”

She pouted.

I stopped walking as I found myself looking at a particular building. Absent mindedly, I noted that there weren’t any background ponies. The two-story building-more like a mini tower- were painted in fancy pink, blue and white, all in fancy design and a large sign on the front, appearing to be the pony equivalent of a mannequin and two large windows for the first story.

All in all, it looked like something that my-breeding tool of a- mother would like.

“20 gold coins that’s the Carousel boutique.”

()__()__()__()

She slumped on the couch; a relieved smile marred her lips as she petted my familiar. A familiar long green creature slithered from her sleeve, curling around Nero’s midsection snuggly. Nagini, the snake that was my sister’s familiar.

She giggled at their act of familiarity. Before leaning back to the couch, letting out a relieved sigh, and looked at me. “What are you doing?” She inquired after a moment of silence.

I gave a crooked grin. “My job. My turn, why are you here?”

She gave a mock-hurt look, as she crossed her arms. “Can’t a sister visit her dearest brother?”

“Jaime?”

She deflated, scowling, as she probably thought of her hated brother. “Jaime.” She confirmed, distaste apparent by her voice. “He’s being a jerk, more than ever. He accused you for being a weakling, a sad excuse for a mage of Redfield, a failure just because you took runes instead of elementals,” and then, like a woman in PMS, her scowl turned into a wide grin. “And I slapped him for that.”

I shook my head, probably a tad more amused than I should. “Which is why you’re here.” she nodded, “Lily, as much as I would like to kill Jaime in cold blood,” she perked up at that, “ which I won’t,” she instantly deflated, “there’s a reason why I don't want to be a lord, and it helps that father favors Jaime more than me.”

More like he despised me enough to prefer Jaime to be my better. Granted, I did destroy his workshop which contained years of research and experiments, while he fucked my slutty mother silly- which may as well how Jaime came to be- and he would’ve disowned me if the act of doing so wouldn’t sully the Redfield’s name.

Not that he didn't already sully the name himself.

She sighed. “You should still be a lord, you know. Lord Cain sounds better than Lord Jaime.” she spat his name with such venom, a strong resemblance of her familiar, before shaking her head. “What are you working on anyway?” she not so subtly changed the subject.

I sighed, staring at the accursed blade. “Working on an impossible request,” I said as I took my carving knife, tapping the flat edge onto the runes etched on the blade, “said he wanted a blade that could have three elements at once.”

She scrunched her face adorably, leaning back, “Can’t you just,” she twirled he hand in vague motion, “layer them?”

I blinked, staring at her curiously. “What do you mean?” I prodded inquisitively.

She clicked her mouth before sighing. “Sometimes I forget that you’re not an elementalist.” She shook her head, “I guess, I should explain it to you,” she took out her choice of focus- a wand, 9 inches of pure maple wood with fairy’s blood as a core, and heavily enchanted, courtesy of mine- and straightened herself like a professor on a lecturing podium. “Usually when an elementalist want to combine their elements, for example water, fire and lightning,” at this, she twirled her wand, muttering an incantation before 3 small orbs of energy began to form into existence, floating inches apart from each other with their respective color; blue, red and green.

“We don’t just simply mix them, see, that would result in various disasters, like self-decapitation. But we, how do I say it, stack them,” she said, face screwing in concentration as the 3 orbs began to move closer until it touched, and in a fluid-like movement, it fused into one orb, or more like a round container, and inside was the 3 previous elements, with their colors respectively. It’s…“Like how oil reacts with water, except we’re the one that make them, well… seperate.” She explained, dismissing the energy ball with her flick of wand, and tucking it back into her robe before leaning back on the couch.

I blinked, and then blinked again; opening my mouth before I closed them with a click, a grin made its way to my face. “You’re,” I breathed, staring at the goddess incarnate sitting on my couch. “You’re a bloody genius!” I exclaimed, and not-so-madly cackled. “By the gods, I could’ve just asked you, and I won’t be doing this shit!” I made a swiping gesture at the blade on the desk then to the pile of broken blades on the floor to my desk’s side.

She smiled proudly, puffing her chest. “Of course, I am. What do you take me for?”

I shook my head, smiling. “You’re a lifesaver, you know that?” I leaned back, groaning as I stretched my arms. “How should I repay you for this, huh? You just saved my reps from going bad, after all. I think that deserves something.”

She smiled, stroking her chin contemplatively before looking at me straight in the eyes. “Sleep with me.”

I blinked. “Lily,” I said slowly and carefully, like one would to a mad mage on the verge of doing public harassments. “I’m completely aware that there are rumors about me out there, but surely you don’t take them very seriously to prove them, right? And do you even know what incest means?”

“Of course I know,” she growled, glaring at me as if I just asked something asinine, though there were small red spots on her cheeks. “And when I said, ‘Sleep with me’, I mean I sleep on your lap, just like how I used to.” She added the last part half in nostalgia and half in embarrassment.

I blinked again, before smiling. “Ah. I thought you were going to force me to cross that dangerous line,” I ignored her glare, glancing at the clock, 11 P.M. “Sure, I’m tired anyway.” I said, before standing up from my chair.

She shooed our poor sleeping familiars, making Nero to roll her eyes as she jumped from the couch to the desk and to my padded chair, with poor Nagini still curled on her midsection. I chuckled, sitting on the spot that used to be our familiars’.

She untied her hair, letting it fall before she let her head fall onto my lap, swinging her legs sideways and for once, I was glad I bought a large couch. “I miss this, you know.” She sighed, snapping her fingers, causing the light to dim into nothingness.

I chuckled softly, stroking her hair softly— not far from how a caring mother would— as she closed her eyes, enjoying the rare show of affection. Mayhap that’s the reason why she wanted to do this, alternating her need of motherly affection into a brotherly one. After all, having a smiling brainless, idiot of a mother who prefer to stick up her ass to the air for the incoming train than caring her spawns would do that for you, it also didn’t help that her fifth birthday gift from mother was an honest to gods, purple dildo.

Again, there’s a reason why I thought my mother was less a mother and more of a breeding tool.

“You really should be a lord, you know. That way, I don’t need to visit you for this...” she murmured, before yawning. “Father couldn’t do anything about it, since he’s losing power. And you’re so much more smarter than that feather brained idiot, anyways.”

I shook my head ruefully, smiling wryly. “Well, I don’t want to die early because of politics. Jaime could do that for me.”

She giggled. "I suppose he could." There was a brief moment of silence, before she opened her eyes, and stared at me. "You've changed, you know," she started softly. "Ever since you returned from the Frontline... You seemed colder, more distant..."

I raised an eyebrow. "Is that why you've been avoiding me?"

"Y-Yes," she stammered, looking away from my eyes, and for some reason reminded me of Nero when I caught her from falling over a building. "I thought you would be different, you know? I was scared..." She smiled sadly. "I suppose I shouldn't."

I shrugged, ruffling her hair softly. "Well, you can't blame yourself. You don't return from The Frontline without being unscatched," Not that she knew what entails with participating the Frontline. "But look at the bright side. At least I learned few things from there."

"Like what?" She asked curiously.

Assasination, killing, subterfuge, espionage, spying, torturing, brainwashing and many other inhuman things that she shouldn't, and will not know. There's no need in showing how much his brother had changed, and what kind of change it had done to me.

"Fighting, and sleeping?"

Her cheeks brightened furiously as she slapped my chest, before burying her head into said chest. "I hate you." She mumbled, no doubt pouting.

I laughed, leaning down and kissed her head. "Well, you did ask," I pointed out, then a great idea popped into my mind. "How about we go shopping for tomorrow? It's a long time we haven't done that."

She looked up from her new pillow. "Tomorrow's school." She stated dejectedly.

"Bah," I scoffed, shaking my head. "Don't worry about it. I'll do something about it."

She quirked an eyebrow, looking at me with her infamous curiousity. "How?"

I winked. "Secret."

She pouted, before digging her head back to my chest. "I'm going to sleep." She grumbily muttered.

Carressing her hair softly, I closed my eyes, and let myself drift into the realm of the dark, where confusion revolves, nightmares laughed, and madness stared at you with its mad eyes. I smiled. "Good night."

The scent of her hair, a sweet lavender, lingered in my nose as I fell to unconsciousness.

-()-=_=-()=-_-=()-=_=-()-

The bells atop of the entry clinked as I stepped into Carousel Boutique through its weird door, wherein it was divided into two. As if on cue, an alabaster unicorn with a carefully styled purple mane that probably took hours to set, and 3 diamonds as her cutie mark, stood in front of me, head held high, eyes closed, and smiling in a pleased manner.

“Welcome to Carousel Boutique,” she elegantly- as elegant as a multicolored midget pony could- greeted. “Where everything is chic and magnify-” it was at that moment that she- unfortunately- opened her eyes, froze as her eyes caught me, a tall biped twice her height with a black cat on his shoulder, whilst hugging an invisible air.

All in all, I looked like a deranged creature ready to hump the liquid out of the white unicorn as I stared right into the her blue eyes, which if I had to guess, belongs to Rarity. Not counting the possibility of a twin sister, and/or an impostor, that is.

We stared at each other in awkward silence, while the ethereal lump under my arms squirmed in discomfort.

Until she clicked her dirty gaping mouth shut, before clearing her throat daintily, smiling nervously at me. “So, you must be the visitor I heard from Pinkie Pie,” she paused, fidgeting nervously before gulping, “so, can I help you?”

I nodded. “Yes you can, I heard from the locals that you’re the seamstress in here,” and only. I paused, before cocking an eyebrow at her, “you do accept request right?”

She blinked, before smiling, all sign of nervousness gone. “Of course, I do.” She said, moving to the inside of the boutique, where she led me to a large podium. “What kind of clothes do you want, hmm?” she chewed her lips, observing me like an experiment object. “To be honest, I’ve never worked with a biped, before. This would be a good experience for me if I want to open my market to… other bipeds.”

I blinked at the sudden change of mood. Women, they’re always the same. Before shrugging and releasing Ruby from my capture. “Actually,” I began, digging to my bag, “I already know what I want; I just need you to measure my height and stuffs.” Finally I pulled a piece of neatly folded paper from bag, before offering it to her.

“Well, let me look at it first, darling,” she said, before the piece of paper in my hand floated to her in blue aura, opening itself as she looked at it. “This is…” she scrunched her face, before looking back at me, “are you sure you want this?”

I rolled my eyes.”Yes. Yes, I do.”

She sighed exaggeratedly, before shaking her head. “Oh well,” she smiled ruefully, as if remembering something, “got to be professional, yes?”

My right eye twitched ever so slowly at her veiled insult, whether it was on purpose or not. She levitated few measurement tapes to, duh, measure me. Now with the awkwardness gone, I could look around the boutique.

There were around five podiums -counting mines- and each of them was covered with curtains with three mirrors if it’s like mine. Mannequins littered the area; the wall was painted with pink, and various motifs and a stair on the back.

To be honest, it looked like a mini brothel minus the whores.

“You know,” Rarity idly commented, using a tape to measure my left arm. “You never introduced yourself, though it seems you already know mine. Quite unfair, don’t you think?”

“Just call me Psyche,” I answered, lifting my other arm to be measured. “Named after the goddess of souls of where I came from, Camelot.”

“Goddess?” she amusedly asked, before shaking her head. “Well, for decorum reasons, my name is Rarity, the owner of this beautiful boutique.”

I smiled wryly. “You don’t say?” I teased.

“I do say.” She returned, smiling as she did so before gently dropping the tape on a dresser, “Done.”

“So how long will it take?” I asked, stepping off from the podium.

She hummed, tapping her chin in thought. “Well, considering the surprisingly low demands this week, what with the Nightmare Night coming along, I would say just about two days.”

“That’s surprisingly quick.” I remarked, idly glancing at Nero who was talking to a white Persian cat.

“Yes, well, it’s not every day you get a non-pony customer.”

I hummed in agreement, remembering the time whence I almost got raped by a small village of demi-humans for being exotic. “Say, do you know where the library is?”

She blinked. “The library? Well, it’s in the centre of the town,” she paused, “Do say hello to Twilight from me if you’re going there, would you?”

“Eh, sure,” I shrugged, “friend of yours?”

She nodded proudly. “My best friend, in fact.” We stopped just as we reached the exit. “Well, then. I suppose I should say goodbye. To be honest, I wasn’t expecting you to be…” she trailed off, hesitation on her face.

“Civil?” She blushed slightly in shame, or maybe in embarrassment? Damn pony facials. “Don’t worry though, I get that a lot.” By inquisitors, executors, and bounty hunters or just people who want to kill me.

That said, I departed from the boutique and took a random right turn, not giving Rarity time to say anything. “Well, that went better than I thought.” I stated. Honestly expecting to see Guard Break-- or was it Break Guard?—to suddenly jump in and arrest me under a wrongful accusation.

“And that cat of hers is especially rude,” Nero commented in distaste. “Said I smelled like trash,” she sniffed haughtily, “the toms would strongly disagree compared to that waste of fat.”

I chuckled, before I stopped suddenly as I came in to a pitiful bout of realization. “Gods, we are both sex addicts,” Before shaking my head. “And there are only quadrupeds in this place.”

I sighed sadly, snatching Ruby back to my arms, unlike last time, she didn’t struggle. Also, unlike last time, I rubbed her head, and the back of her ears, eliciting sighs of bliss as she slumped backwards to my chest whilst Nero kept glancing at Ruby in jealousy.

_()_()_()_()_

A tree.

I stood there, frozen in amazement as I stared at the almost impossible entity in front of me, and doubtlessly not gaping. The Golden Oak-as per its sign- library, as it was, was not a normal library where stupid teenagers would usually hang out and do a silent orgy while the wrinkly librarian would secretly masturbate while reading a rather kinky erotica that involves horses, mud and piss. No, instead, the library was an honest to gods, tree.

And not a simple tree either, no, because that would just be too simple. It’s a fucking living and breathing tree, and a literal tree house to boot, complete with green leaves, bird nests, a balcony on the second floor and few windows.

Absently, I noted Ruby was staring at the tree, like a whore would to a particularly overly large cock, meaning the tree wasn’t anything normal in here either.

Magic, would be the common explanations for various mysterious happenings, which after several mysterious things, is true. But to say magic is responsible for every single mysterious thing would be like saying the Imperials’ mysterious, strange and deadly mini hand-cannon were created with the help of magic.

Which was as stupid as saying those jealous magic haters wouldn’t burn every mage they found on a stake after torturing and/or raped -depends on the captor’s preferences, really- them into a broken mindless flesh.

Briefly, I thanked Mr. Richard’s -bless his sick twisted soul- mad inventions for saving me times after times in that hellhole, otherwise known as Mages’ End and Kingdom of Purity respectively by mages and Imperials. I still consider it a miracle that I hadn’t lost a single fleshy part of me whilst in there.

Questions after questions crossed my mind, however only one was prominent: How is it still alive? Because, let’s be honest, the tree was furnished beyond its original self, yet it still stood strong. Were I be a druid (A.K.A. Tree fucker) I would’ve thought the tree was suffering.

But I digress. There’s only one viable way to find out. I held out my hand, touching the bark with my palm, and I looked. And there it was; a warm sensation-like-current familiar to the feeling of bathing in mutilated bodies of Executors and Inquisitors. Powerful, addicting, maddening, flowing, and did I already say addicting? It was a Ley line- no, Ley lines!

I blinked, pulling my hand from the addicting, and possibly, maddening source of power. “Oh,” I shook my head, “that was-”maddening, staggering, uncomfortable? “-a doozy.”

“Let’s,” Nero breathed, her eyes crossed before she shook her head. “Let’s never do that again.”

“Aye,” I agreed, “unless something, as it always will, force us to. Which I hope is never, which as hopeless as me singing The Song of Merlin in the shower, at least whatever it is won’t be inquisitors, executors or bounty hunters.” I blinked once more, shaking my head. “That was weird.”

“Uh,” Ruby said, looking at us-- mostly me-- in befuddlement. “What just happened?”

I moved back, separating us from the library. “Ruby, I just looked at pools of pure mana,” I told her, and upon her adorably confused look, I elaborated. “They’re called Ley lines, and what I just did is the equivalent of staring at the yellow big ball of energy there,” I pointed up at the sun, “for 24 hours. But instead of blindness, I could go mad.”

She gasped, eyes widening in shock. “But you’re not…”

I scoffed. “Of course not. If I am, I would be naked right now, dry humping every object I see, or choking the nearest living thing to me-“Nero”-to death while screaming about flying meat bicycle or some psycho bullshit,” I paused, sauntering to the library’s door. “Now, let’s stop talking about my inevitable fate and get some information about this place.”

“Wait, what do—“

I swung the door open, stepped in and closed it. Effectively cutting her.

I blinked, looking into the dark room, before I narrowed my eyes in suspicion. An ambush. I tensed my body as I readied a spell to throw at the first thing I see. A part of me made a small mental note to buy few daggers after this.

There’s plenty of them, in here. Nero warily warned, eyes sharp as her claws held tightly to my shoulder.

Then, suddenly, like a thunder striking down an unfortunate homeless person, the previously dark room was filled with light, that was soon followed ponies of various colors and sizes jumped from tables, chairs and boxes.

“SURPRISE!”

I threw a fireball at the first thing caught my sight.

It was pink.

Author's Note

This chapter is pretty much self edit, and there probably will be typos in there somewhere. Doubtful, but the last time I felt doubtful, my uncle choked on his food and died. So, yeah.

Chappie 6

Cold.

It was that feeling that I felt as I laid my elbows to the metal table, that, and the utter indignation of being wrongfully mischarged for acting in self defense. A part of me wondered if breaking the laws in this godsdamned backwater world would be worth it or not.

I quickly put down that idea like a rabid dog, because just like my mother’s sagging tits, it’s not going to be worth it, what with the immortal ruler, and the anti-magic handcuffs (hoofcuffs?) on my arms.

That and my left leg felt like it had been crushed by a pregnant ogre.

“I can’t believe this is happening,” Ruby muttered, drifting by in the air, all the while glaring adorably at me. “I can’t believe you threw a fireball at her!”

I scoffed, waving an arm as I read an interesting part of the damned tour book that for no reason the authorities hadn’t taken, again. “Ruby, what I did was a self defense, and what they did was technically an assault. I mean, how would I know the pink monster was going to make a party for me? And besides, I don’t like party, especially when the last time ended with me almost being raped by a village of demi-humans.” Or how I almost got raped by a group of vengeful mid-wife midg- gnomes.

I ignored her best goldfish expression and Nero’s amused snort as I focused on the more interesting part of the book, more specifically about the Villains of Equestria, namely Discord.

It briefly told his history, how he had ruled Equestria (and possibly the world) into his little plaything, that age was called the Discordian era. Then he was imprisoned by the two sisters with the artifact(s) called the elements of Harmony into a stone, he stayed like that for a thousand years, before he was unleashed because three fillies were fighting in front of said prison and wrecked chaos to the world.

It was in the last passage that I narrowed my eyes: “Currently imprisoned by the new Elements of Harmony in the Canterlot’s garden. Bullshit.” And I got my newest destination to check after Rarity’s done my request.

I ignored the scary name similarity between Canterlot and Camelot, because Canterlot is a city, and Camelot is a kingdom. Camelot’s the land in which Demi-humans, Humans, elves, mages, and non-mages could live in peace. As long as the elves could keep their fucking face covered with chains and metal.

It’s not a perfect kingdom, true, but it’s better than being raped, tortured, impaled, stoned, and crucified for showing a simple sign of having magic. Better humans and demi-humans than those elves scum.

Nero tilted her head cutely from my lap. “What is it?”

“We just got our newest destination. Canterlot.”

“Why’s that name similar-“

I cut her off from trying to suggest such offensive thing. “Canterlot’s a city of shitty horse pun, while Camelot’s a kingdom of equality, there’s no similarity between them, Nero.”

She rolled her golden eyes. “Sure. Whatever you say, master.”

Suddenly, the door banged open, and in walked a very angry Max Grill. His olive brown coat was bruised on the side, a patch of bandage on his right eye, and his left front hoof was covered with bandage. He limped to the chair, glaring at me with deadly intensity that it reminded me of my brother’s vengeful girlfriend after I traded her to the Inquisitors—Imperial’s hunters— for my life.

I smirked, slipping the book into my bag, and gave a smile wave. “Hello, Max Grill. How’s your leg doing?”

His glare doubled as he took a sit on the chair, careful not to use his right front hoof. “How about yours?” he growled.

I shrugged nonchalantly. “Fractured,” that got a vindictive smirk out of him, “nothing a few alignments and a potion can’t heal.”

The smirk vanished immediately, before he suddenly sagged a little. “You just assaulted—“

“Self-defense.”

He glared at me. “You just assaulted an important figure of Equestria, the first because she ‘surprised’ you and the second because she ‘surprised’ you, again.” His leaned forward, eyes narrowed, and there was a hint of something, in his eyes. “You are threading a thin line, here, human. Tell me a good reason why I shouldn’t just lock you in jail, right now?”

I frowned, leaning back, looking unimpressed at the guard’s attempt to intimidate me. “I stand by my case. It was still an act of self defense,” I said in a dry tone, before I leaned forward. “Because I didn't start the whole thing. The pink devil did. She jumped onto my face like a headcrab, and the next day she attempted to do a surprise party to the aggressive foreigner. I'd think that she's the one who deserves to be in here."

He stayed quiet, eyes trying to bore holes into my head. “Did you know?” I idly said, after a moment a silence. “In Camelot, my homeland, she would be in jail by now. Heck, the fact that she jumped onto my face counted as an assault, wherein the punishment depends on the victim. Meaning," I licked my lips in that creepy rapistic way. "I could do anything to her."

It was at this point that his brown coat somehow turned into a sick green, “You’re sick.” He growled before he rushed out of the room.

I tilted my head to the surprisingly pale looking floating ghost by my side. “Something’s wrong?”

She jumped in surprise. “N-No, of course not, why would there be?” she stammered, giggling nervously, before she budged in under my stare. She fidgeted nervously with her hooves, “I-Is it that bad? Your home, I mean.”

I chuckled at her words, and she was split between confused and offended. “Home?” I shook my head, “It's not my home, anymore. But to answer your question, no, it’s not that bad as it sounds. Oh, it still has its negatives mind you, but I couldn’t ask for any better. Perhaps it’s because I was sent into the front line, but I'm proud of my country.” Even if they’d betrayed me first. I shook my head,”Gods, I’m still in my twenties. I should be drinking whiskey right now. Not talking about my homeland like a scarred war veteran.”

“Technically, you are a war veteran.” Nero not-so-helpfully pointed.

I rolled my eyes in response. "Tomato, toe-mah-toe."

The door slowly opened, and in walked a very concerned Celestia. It wasn’t the kind of concern that a brother would show when his sister was defiled and impregnated, but more of a concern that a person would show when his friend was giggling like crazy.

Her horn lit up in a golden light before it dimmed. “Are you fine?” The question was a tentative one as she approached where Max sat earlier, not bothering taking a sit. The chair would probably break first under those fat flanks.

“I'm as fine as my father's attempt to kill me.”

She looked at me confusedly. "So that means-"

"I'm okay."

She chuckled a bit at that- much to my surprise- before her eyes went serious, looking at the empty space next to me, which coincidentally where Ruby was before she perched onto my head. “Who are you talking to?”

I felt Ruby flinched on my head. “A ghost.”

Her eyes widened, “A ghost?” before it narrowed at me, making Ruby flinched harder. “Are you sure you are fine?”

“She’s harmless.”

“That’s what they usually say when a ghost haunted them.”

“They?”

“The possessed,” There was a real concern in her eyes as she shuddered slightly, surprisingly. “At first they would say it’s harmless, but it will slowly eat their souls, but they would still say it’s harmless, until it’s too late.” She shook her head sadly.

Ruby was now trembling at the intensity of Celestia’s eyes. “Please,” I rolled my eyes and scoffed. “I would know if I’m possessed, or haunted. You can see her, if you want to.” I took off my bone necklace as carefully as a man could with handcuffs on their hands, and offered it to the Immortal in front of me. “Wear it.”

She took it with her golden magic, scrutinizing the necklace before she raised an eyebrow at me. “Is this?”

“Yes, it’s bone. Her bone,”I said, putting a calming hand to Ruby’s trembling back. “Just wear it, and get this done with.”

She narrowed her eyes to the invisible air between my hand and head, before she wore it to her neck. Her eyes went cross-eyed for a second before it focused back into the ghost on my head; they widened slightly in… recognition? Before they softened. “I see…”

She smiled at Ruby. “Hello, what’s your name?” She asked in that motherly tone she had used yesterday.

“Ruby.” She meekly answered.

There was a glint in her eyes— Recognition? Guilt? — Before it was gone as quickly as it showed, a new mystery, mayhap? Whatever it was, it was something in which I had to solve, sooner or later, especially when it involves my companion.

She nodded, taking off the bone necklace with her golden magic and gave it to me. I wore it over my neck, and gave Ruby a double pat to the back.

“You’re much calmer than I thought you would be,” I idly commented, stroking Nero’s back.

She raised a delicate eyebrow, “What do you mean?”

I suspected that she knew well what I meant, but I just shrugged. “Well, considering I did do harm to your subject. I thought you would do something harmful to me in return.”

She shook her head in what I thought an amused manner. “Even though I do love my ponies, exceptionally so, that I would do anything for them, I’m still a fair ruler. I know which is right and wrong, and even though you’ve harmed one of mine, you’re not fully of fault,” she paused for moment of hesitation. “And Pinkie Pie’s not heavily wounded, just a burned patch, while Max Grill knew the hazard of his occupation.”

The message was clear: Even if I try to be fair, I’m still going to hunt you if you do too much.

I hesitated for a moment. There’s something I could do to help the Pink menace, even if I was not of fault, there’s a benefit in helping Equestria’s national hero, but in doing so, I would waste a single red potion. It wasn’t much, but a single potion could save my life in the future, and I had only six left; three small, two medium, and one large.

“Does that mean I could leave now?” In the end, it was my greed and self preservation that won the fight.

“Yes, you could. But I want to ask you,” I raised an eyebrow, “I want to invite you in Canterlot.”

Well, ain’t that convenient? It was tempting, but I got something to do in here first. “Sorry, Celestia,” she raised an eyebrow at that. “But I have something to do in here. There’s picking my new apparel, can’t wear this crappy one,”— and I’d die with it—“and there’s visiting the library.” Plus some stuffs.

She nodded. “Understandable I suppose, I could send you a carriage for the day after tomorrow in the evening. Where are you staying?” Her horn glowed for a moment, and with a click, my handcuffs were unlocked.

I dropped them to the metal table with full of hate. That got a small smile from the immortal in front of me.

“Sleepy Eyes Inn. Can’t be hard to look, it’s the only one in here.” I slowly stood up, giving Nero time to jump onto my shoulder, favoring my right leg as I limped to the door. I paused, looking back to Celestia. I gave her a smile. “I hope we’ll meet in a better circumstance, next time.”

I opened the door, not waiting for her reply, and ignored the concerned eyes when they fell to my fractured legs.

Max Grill was outside the door, sitting on the bench, his previously sick coat turned back to brown. He glared at me with all the hate my ex-girlfriend’s could muster after I broke his dad’s nose. “You won’t get free next time, Human.”

I stared at him, and his glare faltered. "Don't play in the field of blood, Max Grill." I said coldly, getiing a shiver and a weak glare from him.

I limped to the exit door, getting glares from the guards/officers inside. I ignored them, obviously. I looked up when I stepped outside. The sun had set, and the crescent moon was already in the sky. ”What a waste of time.”

Warm Bed gave me the cold stare once I arrived at the inn. I ignored him, limping to my room, dropped my bag, and slept off, ignoring my fractured leg. I was going to fix that in the morning.

()_()_()_()

Whimper.

It was that painful whimper, a whimper that had succeeded in becoming my first nightmare, in the middle of dawn that woke me up. I snapped my eyes open as Lily writhed on top of my lap. “Lily?” I warily asked.

“Shit, shit, shit. Who did this, Lily?”

She whimpered in response. I cursed, laying her carefully to my bed, before I searched into my nightstand. “It’s going to be okay, Lily, nothing a universal antidote can’t slow, and then we’ll go to the hospital.” I assured her, more to me than her.

I pulled out a green vial. Antidote, bingo. I quickly went to her side, giving her a big smile. “You’re going to be fine.” I slipped my hand behind her head, pulling the cork with my teeth, and slowly tilted the vial into her mouth, letting the liquid dripped into her mouth.

To my horror, her throat suddenly bulged as it drank the antidote, she gurgled, vomiting out the antidote. “No, no, no, NO! Dammit!”

Tears turned into blood as it streamed down to her cheeks, blood began to leak from her ears, blood poured from her nose, and blood began to force its way through her pores. She let out a choked scream, and that was what broke the camel’s back.

I let the power of Ice took control my vein as I set my lap under her head. “Lily?” I asked calmly, perhaps a bit too calmly. “Who did this to you? Is it anyone in your class like Jericho? He’s that little psychopath you like to talk about, right? Is it him?”

She gave me a gurgled mix of whimper and choking as an answer. I gritted my teeth, staring calmly to her windows of soul before I closed mine.

“Okay, Lily, it’s going to be alright.” I said, my right hand reached to my belt, wherein my emergency dagger was hidden. I aimed them just right on her neck, angling it slightly upward as it targeted the brainstem, per my short time in the military training. “It’s going to be over soon. Just think about happy things.”

I plunged the blade deep, deep enough to sever the brainstem as with the jugular and the carotid. I choked a sob, my left hand gently stroking her head as I stared at her lifeless eyes. “See?” I strained a smile, a tear fell down to her face. “You’re fine. It’s over now.” I said, chuckling slightly, releasing my bloody right hand from the dagger’s handle, before I took a shuddering breath. “It’s not fair, you know? I should be the one who died first, not you. Heck, you shouldn’t even be dead for another twenty years… you’re still fucking thirteen for gods’ sake, you should be playing like other thirteen years old do, not visiting your goddamn brother.”

My left hand fell over her eyes, closing them for the last time as I let the control of Ice to fade, and at that, something which therein lay within my soul, something dangerous within every mages, something that had made the Gods running, Chaos to crow, Harmony to scream, and Madness to joy.

I felt anger.

Not even my father and brother's plot to kill me by sending me to the frontline even did this much, not even my mother's disgusting act to get me to her bed had done this much, and not even my girlfriend's madness of trying to made me her love slave even made me felt like this.

Mayhap, it was because she’s the only human that I’d truly cared for, that I’d spent almost my whole life taking care of her. I remembered the time when she was naught but a scared little girl, where she would go into my room while our parents fucked each other like rabbits and Jaime was sleeping like a piece of shit.

Then she’d asked me for a bed time story, and I’d chuckled once more, dropping my book as I retold how Camelot was built while I gently stroked her hair as she slowly drifted to unconsciousness with an innocent smile on her face.

That was perhaps how she had begun taking the habit of visiting my room at night, asking me for other bedtime stories while she would sleep on my lap. Heck, I’d even argue I was more of her parent than the supposed biological ones.

There’s an irony in it. That the last time she did this turned out to be her last sleep as well.

A meow from the side made me turn my head to the noise. I frowned; dangling on Nero’s neck was Nagini, dead by the contract between the Mage and the Familiar.

For one to take a Familiar, their lives are bonded and bounded together. For if the Mage, handler of the contract is to die, then the Familiar, creature gifted of sapience, will die as well. If a Familiar is to die, then the Mage, handler of the contract, will lose a part of their power.

Nero walked to my side, letting out another meow as she nuzzled it. There’s a mourning tone in it as she stared at the dangling viper. I gave her a sad smile, grabbing the viper before I draped her onto Lily’s chest.

We took a moment of silence for the respect of my dear sister, as I hummed the song she wanted to be sung when she died, “Song of Merlin”.

As it was, I wasn’t given such privilege because the moment I was about to over, there was banging and shouting on the front door. I gritted my teeth, slowly standing up, giving Lily a final smile before I walked to the door, grabbing my staff in the way with Nero following my tail.

I didn’t get the chance to open the door before it was forcefully busted open as guards, a squad of them, barged inside to my house with Jaime following them from behind.

The spider’s mask of determination slipped a smirk as he passed my surprised self.

“By Gods, she’s dead!” Shouted one horrified guard, a recruit, if his horrified voice was any sign.

I turned around; facing Jaime’s another mask, frozen shock, before it quickly changed into righteous rage.”You killed her! You killed my sister!”

I stood there, feeling slightly numb. There it was, standing in front of me, the killer of Lily, just within my staff. But I couldn’t, not because I don’t want to, but simply because the amount of guards in the house would probably killed me before I reached to him.

And if that barest of smirk was any sign, he knew it as well.

I let the power of ice took control again as I calmly gazed at his eyes as the guards were about to capture me with their swords, personal wands, and anti-magic handcuffs. “Don’t threaten a runesmith in his house.” I tapped my staff to the wooden floor.

Thousands upon thousands of runes, carved for five years glowed brightly across the walls, floors and even the ceilings. All of them froze, paralyzed in place, and the Spider’s eyes widened.

I couldn’t do anything yet. Mayhap, if he’s alone I could kill him right there, but there were guards around me, and a simple touch would make them move. So I turned around and ran outside.

I quickly turned to a corner the moment I was open in the street, I slinked into a particular dark alley. I needed help to kill Jaime. I can’t kill him without a help, especially when there will be guards guarding the mansion.

I was in need of a help that will help me, regardless of my current false status. I needed a strong ally, to help me assassinate— No, to make the Spider understood the very meaning of hell.

I was going to ask the most fearest warlock in town for an attempted assassination.

()_()_()_()

“This is going to painful,” I muttered out as I sat on the bed, looking at my wollen fractured leg. “In hindsight, not immediately healing my leg after I got here wasn’t the best of idea.”

I took a roll of bandage from my bag, and immediately began bandaging my leg with a tight knot. I hissed at the pain. I quickly took a drink of the medium-sized health potion, before I sagged to the bed, letting the blessed liquid to do its work.

I looked at the ceiling for a while, rubbing Nero’s belly as it was splayed atop my chest, eliciting her to purr in pleasure. “All of my coins say that Warm Bed is going to kick us today.”

Ruby looked down from her ceiling-gazing, before looking back up. “If his face from yesternight was any sign,” she said, and I got the feeling that she was rolling her eyes. “No doubt he would.”

I blinked; a random bright idea suddenly entered my mind. “You know, Ruby. If we’re going to get poor, we could gamble. It’s going to be easy, what with you being able to look at other players’ card.”

She frowned. “Isn’t that cheating, though? And I don’t think Princess Celestia will be happy if she found out that you were not only gambling, but also cheating especially by abusing this little ghost filly.”

Briefly, I reminisced the last time I gambled. It was when I was captured by a crazy psychopath, who forced me to play dice. Get double number, I’m free, get else, he’d cut a piece of mine until I was naught but a sad pile of torso. I got a double one on the first try, and set me free. Albeit, in a grudging manner.

I blinked, hoisting myself to my feet as the potion finished its work. “You know what, you’re right. Gambling is bad, and besides, I don’t think I have enough luck to survive it.”

Nero jumped immediately from being a mass of cute and purr, into just a mass of cute as she perched onto my shoulder.

Ruby watched inquisitively as I checked my previously fractured leg, and upon feeling no wrong in it, I loosened the bandage, rolled it and put it back to my bag before I went to the main room.

There was a stifling silence not unlike the time I caught my ex-girlfriend masturbating to my sister, as I entered the main room, with the only pony, Warm Bed, standing behind the desk, keeping a cool stare at me.

Definitely gonna get kicked. The moment I walked to the desk, his horn glowed and five coins—the same I had used to pay him— floated and dropped onto the desk with that clanging sound when metal humped wood.

“I want you to leave.” He said gruffly, “Now.”

I gave myself a pat to the back for my perfect divination. I gave him a grin as I swiped the coins and walked outside.

A part of me whispered to give the Innkeeper a single coin for the stay and breakfast, while another part argued that, no, he gave us all of the coins. If he wanted profit, he could’ve just given me four coins back.

The other part fell silent.

The sun was glaring when I stepped outside; unimportant ponies that had wandered by paused to glare at me before returning to what every unimportant pony do.

The ghost by my shoulder threw her forelegs up, glaring at the sky cutely. “Great. Now where do we stay?”

I walked down the road, planning to check if Rarity wasn’t such a professional. “Well, looks like we’re going to see whether or not ponies have a policy against resting in public. Doubt it, but I’ve been wrong before.”

A sigh came from the ghost. “So we’re going to sleep on parks?”

“Hey,” I said, mildly offended, as I easily ignored the glares from various background ponies. “It’s better than sleeping on the road. There’s that one time when a homeless guy accidentally got his body crushed by a passing chariot.”

She gave me a horrified look. “What?” she asked, wide eyes staring in shock.

“Yeah,” I said, nodding to myself as I recalled that particular job. “I was doing my job that time, told to kill one of the noble inside, something about the noble laughing at my client’s joke.”

“What about the homeless guy?”

I shrugged. “Eh. He’s dead thereafter, got his ribs broken, lungs impaled, and his heart explode, somehow. Funny thing is, he was a spy from the Imperial, but he got kicked from the place he was going to stay for trying to fuck the keeper’s daughter.”

She gulped, looking a tad pale for a ghost. “How did you know that much?” She tentatively asked.

I chuckled, before blinking as I spotted the Carousel Boutique. I gave my legs a mental pat on the butt. ”I was the coach.”

“Oh.”

I entered the brothel-ly looking boutique. The bells clinked against each other, and as if on cue, Rarity skidded to my view. “Welcome to Carousel Boutique, where everything is— Oh, it’s you.”

There was a quite strange, unfitting tone in her voice, something akin to disappointment that made me raised an eyebrow, and even Ruby seemed to notice it as she slightly narrowed her eyes.

“Please, follow me.”

I shrugged as she led me to a table, the kind of table wherein noblewomen would group up together and gossip how bad each other’s husband was at bad.

“Tea?” She offered with a smile, a teapot floated beside her covered in… green aura.

Inwardly, I was questioning the intelligence of the not-Rarity smiling in front of me. I smiled sweetly. “Yes, I would like a tea.”

Check the house. I mentally commanded my familiar.

She looked at me, then at Not-Rarity, before nodding and jumped away from my lap and looked around the boutique.

Not-Rarity’s eyes flickered to Nero in worry. “Is she going to be okay? I don’t want her causing a mess.” She asked worriedly, pouring tea from teapot to my teacup.

I grinned, mayhap a tad more predatory. “No worries, Rarity. She’s trained,” I lifted my teacup, tilting it to my lips and made a sipping sound before placing it back to the table. “Besides, I want to talk about my request.”

She looked confused, tilting her head. “Pardon, but which request was it? There have been so many requests this past week.”

Yep, definitely not Rarity, even my ghost companion decided that a hoof to her face was the best description upon the Not-Rarity stupidity. I would do the same, but that would mean I have to beat the snot out of Not-Rarity too early.

Slowly, I stood up from my chair, walking to her side. She flinched at the movement, but didn’t do much.”Is there anything wrong, human?”

My eye twitched, sighing as I mentally questioned her intelligence once more, before my hands snapped out to her neck and slammed her back to the table.

In instant her whole body was covered with green flame, passing harmlessly at my hands, and as the flame vanished, the not-Rarity transformed into a new creature. It was shaped like a pony, with black carapace, dragonfly-like wings, some kind of green shell on its back, Swiss cheese of legs, and blue pupiless eyes.

Its blue eyes stared at me wide in shock and fear as she quivered under my calm gaze.

“Who are you, what are you, why are you here and where is Rarity?”

It gave me a silent treatment as it struggled under my grip; fortunately, I wasn’t raised as a gentleman so I got to punch it twice on the muzzle; effectively breaking its nose as it bleed a green liquid and her, whimpering in pain at my not-so-gentle treatment.

“Answer me.” I growled out, tightening my grip on its neck. “Now.”

“M-my name’s Spectre, I-I’m a Changeling,” She –according to her voice—stammered, before taking a huge gulp of air. “I-I was sent here by Q-Queen Chrysalis to keep a-an eye on the-the human, a-and th pony is in the basement! Please don’t kill me!”

I gave her a vicious smile as I stared straight at her eyes. “I would ask other things like who is Chrysalis, but when I found a spy, I would torture the information out of him,” her eyes widened in panic as she desperately struggled under my choke. “Unfortunately, Celestia wouldn’t be too happy with it.” There was a glimmer of hope in her eyes as her struggle lessened in effort. “Fortunately, I could just kill you.”

Her eyes widened again in panic. “I’ll be your spy!” She blurted out.

I blinked, staring at her curiously. “You’ll be my spy?” She nodded quickly, “Why would you be my spy?”

“I was planning to go rogue when Chrysalis sent me here. She was planning to kill me by sending me here!” tears began to leak from the corners’ of her eyes. “Please, I don’t want to die.”

It didn’t look like she was lying, as she closed her eyes crying and repeating “Don’t kill me” in that pitiful, squeaky, tone.

I released my hold against her. She blinked looking at me, watery eyes full of hope, too much hope. “Wait for me in the park, we’ll talk there.” She blinked again, before nodding quickly. “If you’re not there, I’m going to tell on Celestia.”

She halted when she neared the door, before looking back at me, giving me a strange smile. “I won’t.” She promised, before she changed into some unimportant pony and left the building.

I turned around, straightening my ruffled robe. “Right, let’s save the captured princess, shall we?”

Ruby just gave me that shocked expression whenever I did something she didn’t expect to do. I huffed, walking to where Nero was calling me, just what did expect of me, anyway? A barbarian? Preposterous! Just when did I do something barbarous?

Soon enough, we found Rarity, fortunately, unconscious with her bitchy- as Nero described her- cat. I just carried her up, with some effort— these ponies are heavy— and dropped her off in her room, and left the building while mentally explaining what just happened to Nero.

()_()_()

Richard, or more commonly known as, Mr. Richard is, without a doubt, the most dangerous person in Meredith, with the Addams taking the most scariest house, and with a good reason too.

In fact, he was so dangerous that even his blatant display of Necromancy in public didn’t send him to jail, mad bin, or torture. There was one stupid guard, a new recruit from other city who tried to reprimand him. Tried being the keyword, as he was immediately turned inside-out the moment he walked to Mr. Richard.

The only good thing about him was that despite of his common display of violence— He killed small kittens and families daily, for fun!—he wasn’t trying for world domination, because if he did, Camelot and the Imperials would’ve been fallen by now.

And I was going to ask him for help.

His house, set on the outskirt of the city, was actually a normal house that you would expect from a normal newlywed couple, or one that a rich pedophiliac hermit would build on his personal island with a dainty paved road reaching down to the main street. And it made it even scarier.

The thousands of gravestones surrounding it didn’t help either.

I gulped as I began questioning my current deteriorating sanity whether or not I wanted revenge or suicide, or volunteering into a painful magical experiment in which would cost me all of my skin. Even Nero was trembling on my shoulder, her claws piercing my robe as she tightened her grip on me.

“Well,” I finally said, looking at the normal-looking residence of the most feared warlock ever. “The worst thing that can happen, he’ll make us into his eternal subservient servant.”

Nero gave me a glare, and an annoyed meow. I shrugged, walking on the paved road into the, both literally and figuratively, house of doom.

I knocked on the door, ignoring the ominous growling from the cemetery. The door was soon opened, and stiffed as the man I was going to ask for help stood in front of me.

His deathly pale skin was obscured by his black cowl, facemask, long robe, gloves and bracers, though there’s a streak of red on his cowl. The only thing visible was his glowing yellow eyes, his deathly pale skin, and two green scars across the left part of his forehead.

He’s also the same man that had people fearing for their lives for two centuries and counting.

“Hello, Mr. Richard—“

I let out a— I assure you— manly yelp as he gripped my wrist and pulled me into his house before slamming the door close.

All thoughts were gone as I was treated to the sight of his house. Potions of various colors were laid on tables, almost cluttering against each other, and a large black cauldron stood before it, a suspicious green bubbly concoction in it, but that wasn’t what caught my eyes, no. The one that did was the books, illegal books, lined up upon various shelves.

It was then that Mr. Richard lived his name as the worse psychopath, as he ripped my right arm.

We both, Nero and I, screamed, yowled in Nero’s case, in shock, terror and pain as I stared at my bloodied stump. “You ripped my fucking arm! And it’s my fucking right arm!”

He scoffed and rolled his eyes. Scoffed and rolled his eyes! Before throwing my right arm! Aside like it was some sort of a defected baby orc. “Big deal, you took too long awning my house, you’re not even in the torture chamber yet!” he threw his arms exasperatedly.

I ignored the fact that he was going to take me to his torture chamber, or that he had one, and instead glaring holes at him.

He rolled his eyes again. “Oh, please. I could take your heart and you’ll be still alive.” To prove his point, he suddenly pierced my chest, and pulled my still fucking beating heart.

I shrieked, staring at the gaping hole on my chest before at my beating heart at his hand. I think Nero was unconscious at that point. “What the fuck!?” I shrieked again, pushing my body to the wall.

He examined my heart like it was a fucking fruit, rotating it around. “Hm.” He let out a thoughtful hum, while placing in left hand to his chin in a thinker position. “Strong, and has a good potential. You’ll be a great mage, I know that already. If I didn’t, I would’ve thrown let my zombies to eat you.”

If I wasn’t losing a plenty of blood and that I was staring at my beating heart, I would’ve been flattered that I was being complimented by the most feared mage of the city. As it was, I could only slowly breathe in and out, leaning against the wall as my liquid life was drizzling like cum in a wild orgy gone wrong.

It was only when I was slipping between unconsciousness and consciousness that he noticed my situation. He let out a scoff, before flicking my heart, somehow returning it to my chest while also healing my chest. Then he picked my floppy arm, and miraculously connecting it to my bleeding stump.

Then he stood in front of me, his hands both on his side, his head slightly tilted to the side. “Sometimes I forget that other people are easy to kill.”

Unfortunately, by some cruel machinations of fate or gods, I didn’t pass out. “Are… you going to help me?”

His head snapped from whatever morbid thoughts running in his head as he looked at me. “Oh, you’re not passed out?” he shrugged in a ‘oh, well’ manner. “Hmm. Suppose I could help you. Revenge on your brother, is it?” Suddenly, there was a curious gleam in his eyes. “Although, I do have to wonder if you’re using your sister as your reason to have revenge against him.”

I narrowed my eyes at him, forgoing the fact that the being in front of me could kill me at any moment. “I loved my sister.”

He waved his hand dismissively. “I didn’t say you don’t love her, quite the opposite really, granted, it’s not enough for you to sacrifice your life to her, it’s enough to kill anyone at her request. Though are your only reason of having revenge on him is just because he poisoned your sister?”

I hesitated, briefly recalling all of the dirty acts that my brother had done to save his skin. One of them was coercing my idiot father into applying me, without my knowledge, to the army and immediately assigned into the frontline right after I was out of training.”… Alright, maybe I have many reasons to make his life a living hell. But this one was the one that broke the camel’s back.”

He made a raspy chuckle at my answer. “I always like you, Redfield dorks. Did you know how your house is called Redfield?” he didn’t wait for my answer, not that I knew that answer. ”The House of Redfield came from an old house simply called the Field. One day, the three sons of the 4th generations fought for being the heir of the Field. Talks devolved into arguing, to shouting, and soon they became a civil war.

“The three were separated into three factions and with their own supporters and soldiers. The youngest one fought methodically, using strategy, and his faction became the Copperfield. The second, his army fought courageously, despite the fact that he was losing, and his faction was known as the Greenfield.” Then, his voice took on a nostalgic tone, a sadistic gleam on his eyes. “Then there’s the oldest, my favorite one, he and his army slaughtered the others. The youngest’ tactics were useless against when one of his captain was captured, tortured, raped and broken into becoming the eldest’s own spy. The second’s courage and bravery was pitiful when his army was effortlessly crushed with the forces of the elements. In fact, he was so strong, that the second and youngest made an alliance, though in the end, they failed when your ancestor ambushed them in a meeting.

“The only reason there’s a Copperfield and a Greenfield today was simply because your ancestor spared them out of spite, thus born the House of Redfield.”

I blinked as the sudden history lesson of my house ended with a dreamy sigh, and I didn’t know whether or not I should be proud at my family’s history or disgusted, though in the end, I decided it was the former.

Mr. Richard snapped from his disturbingly dreamy look. “In fact, the civil war was so bloody that even I’d remembered it. So yes, I’ll help you on having revenge over your brother. I always like the Redfield, bloody bunch all of you.”

Then he backslapped me to the face so hard, that I immediately passed out with a broken jaw.

()_()_()

“So, why do want to betray you queen?” I asked after a brief bout of silence, crossing my legs as I stared at the disguised changeling beside me as we sat on a bench.

There was indecision on her face, before she sighed. “To be short and simple: Queen Chrysalis in an incompetent ruler,” she said in a neutral expression, and a mix of distaste that would do well in a cocktail. “She’s… different from her predecessors, and not in a good way, either. She’s simply too prideful; she wants us to dominate, to rule and to fight.” She shook her head with a scowl that could possibly break her vagina. “But we’re not built for any of those. We’re built for subterfuge, to spy, or even for assassination. When our first Queen ruled us, she made an alliance with the Gryphon. When she passed, the 2nd broke those alliance and we worked alone by secretly gathering love. That method was used until the 19th queen. Chrysalis is the 20th.

“The Elders had tried to persuade her from changing it,” Her face turned grim. “They were executed for treason. And it just got worse from there. She immediately stopped sending changelings to gather emotions in secret and instead making us invade small villages in Griffonia, making us their enemy,” then she paused, looking beyond exasperated, and half scared. “She’s also making an army, and considering that she’s probably the stupidest Queen, she’s going to doom us all.”

Simply put, Chrysalis is a ruler with too much ambition, and too less self preservation.

“Why can’t you all changelings assassinate her if your race hates her that much?”

She scowled. “She wants us, a spy and an infiltrator, to train for an open combat without a combat specialist, I’m not going to be if all we can do is to head butt enemies if we’re in combat. And we can’t assassinate her. We would if we can.”

“Why?” I prodded, storing the first part being a proof of the stupid Chrysalis.

“Because we simply can’t, even if we want to; it’s in our nature to follow the queen… however reckless the commands are, unless she broke the rule, but we doubt that she’s that reckless.”

I narrowed my eyes, peeking at her soul through her windows of soul, confirming whether or not this will be worth it. She fidgeted uncomfortably at my stare, until I stopped. “Why are you sent for a suicide mission?”

She winced, her mouth twitched into a smile of distaste. “It’s because I’m special, more of a defect, really. You see, we communicate through the Hive mind. They’re connected through the Queen—”

"But you're not."

She nodded, smiling wryly. “Fortunately, it’s quite a boon for us right now. She can’t read every mind of her subject, fortunately, because if she could, half of our race will probably be executed. But she could sense our emotions. She couldn’t sense mine, thus I was a liability. And what better way to kill your weak spot than sending her to the violent-rumored human?”

I rolled my eyes. “I’m rarely violent; I just like using psychical confrontation, they’re more efficient, but how can I trust you?”

She sighed tiredly, looking at the blue sky. “I expected this conversation, really, only idiots trust a changeling.” she grimaced, looking rather constipated. “You could bind my soul to prove my loyalty. I could teach you how to do it.”

I raised an eyebrow. Soul binding wasn’t the most pleasant ritual out there. Not only that the risk is high, but sometimes, the result ends with the victim being turned inside-out while still alive. I shrugged. “Fine, but you don’t have to teach me. I already know how to do it.”

She looked at me in shock, before shaking her head, a little smile on her face. “I don’t know whether to be horrified that you know such magic, or scared that you know soul magic.”

“Both. I also don’t do well with betrayal, they usually ends up broken.” I answered coldly and she shivered at that.”And I have a plan.” I added.

She blinked, her ears perked up. “I’m listening.”

“It’s simple, really. After we finished our ritual, you’ll go back to your hive, and give the queen false information about me. After that, you try being on her good side, and you send me information through the soul binding contract, and when the time is right, I could kill your queen.”

She made a thoughtful hum, before she smiled at me. A genuine smile filled with hope and relieve that would make every whore to wail in their tears instead of using their mouth. “It’s not perfect, but we can work it out later. If this plan works, our race will be in debt to you, Human. We’ll separate for now, and meet again in here at dusk, and then we’ll search for a cave.”

I nodded, before offering her a hand for the sake of courtesy. She looked confused at the offer before smiling, and shook it.

I stood up, looking around the park that was oddly devoid of ponies before shrugging—none of my concern— and walked away. The rumbling in my stomach made me stop for a moment and remember that I hadn’t eaten anything this morning, thus I headed to the market place while reading the rest of the guide book.

It was oddly devoid of ponies when I arrived to the market place, lines of stands, from vegetables to flowers were still there except for the seller. I furrowed my eyebrow, swiveling around as I walked to an apple stand.

Idly, I bit one of the red apples while grabbing a few of them into my bag. I waited, looking for an ambush, but upon seeing none, I just shrugged and ate my apple like the thieving bastard I was.

It was surprisingly good, juicy, crunchy, and sweet with the perfect amount of sour. It reminded of that farmer in Meredith, who sadly died after inserting his penis into some eldritch abomination. His family maybe full of inbreeding, but it’s the good kind of inbreeding.

I walked through the stands, occasionally grabbing the free food. Carrots, apples, and such. Ruby kept giving me a disappointed and frustrated stare as I put a batch of cherry into my bag.

“Just how much can you fit in there?” She asked; her tone full of disbelief.

I chuckled, munching a sweet carrot while Nero nibbled on a pear. “More than you think,” I cryptically answered, patting my bag. “The only good thing about today is we have a month worth of supply.” I paused, before adding, “For free.”

My ears perked when there were plenty sounds of clopping down the road, signifying the return of ponies, from gods’ knows where. “Well, time for us to leave.” I quickened my pace, ditching the marketplace. I heard a scream from behind me, about how their carrots were mostly gone.

I chuckled, biting the carrot in my hand. “Old habit dies hard.”

“You’re stealing.” Ruby deadpanned.

I scoffed, rolling my eyes. “Stealing is such a weak word. I call it robbing.”

She looked like she wanted to pull her mane off. “That’s even worse!”

“I’ve heard it both ways.”

In the end, she groaned and just threw her forelegs up. “I give up.”

I just hummed in response, throwing Nero’s leftover pear to the side as I just wandered, taking in the scenic view of Ponyville.

I didn’t know how long I was frolicking around like a stupid dirty whore, but by the time I looked up, the sun was settling down. “Well. Let’s meet our spy, shall we?”

Author's Note

My first chapter that over-reached 5k! Huzzah!

Alas, if some part is a bit crappy, please state it below this box. Because, I'm really want to improve, guys! Don't you feel pity on me?

(Yes, I'm willing to go that low for comments. It's the food for my writhing ego.)

Chappie 7

Red.

It was the same question that I’d asked years ago that kept sodomizing itself to the front of my mind resiliently like a dirty elf as the circles around me began to glow an eerie red light: Why is it always red?

I remembered the first time I asked the same question, when I was doing my first dark ritual. It had me ponder, because the color red seemed to be purposely created by the Elder gods as the personification of everything dark and blood.

The color was utterly discriminated, that everything that involves red—sans fire, of course— would either be avoided by the general mass, or under inspection of doing dark magic, or illegal stuffs.

I would imagine if Red is a child, she would be that kid in school that everyone avoids because her skin is red, her teeth are as sharp as sharks and that he came from a family of— wrongly accused— murderers, and rapists, and her only friend would be black, the kid that always got beaten by many kinds of sticks, and lived under the bridge.

Case in point, the Redfield; granted, mine has a real dark history, and even though our reputations would occasionally change from fear, to disgust, to a laughingstock, and back to fear; we’re still generally avoided by other families, especially by the Greenfield and Copperfield.

For obvious reasons, though it was recently ignited when my father attempted rape to the former Lord of Greenfield’s sister when he was young.

Again, the Redfield, my family, is famous because of our… small regard for moral, or the lack of it. Unfortunately, this makes my family into the black goat of the families, and considering that we weren’t as fearful as we used to (Read: Stupid brother and sexual addicted father).

I concentrated back to the red circles; it would be troublesome if Specter became a fine mashed changeling on the cave ground.

Checking the glowing red circles around me for the last time, I turned to give a nod to the nervous and apprehensive changeling behind me. Understandable, since she was going to chain her soul to a complete stranger, just because he offered help to off your, admittedly, dumb and incompetent ruler.

Only idiots wouldn’t if they’re in her place, and only the mentally challenged would even agree to do this in the first place. Granted, she’s desperate, and me not doing her any bodily harm was probably enough to earn that trust.

Not to say it’s justified, and sadly, only Mr. Richard could pull it off with it being completely justified. I doubt he had a soul to begin with. I won’t doubt that he would somehow trick the caster to trap his own soul.

She gave a shaky nod in return, and taking a deep breath, she stepped into the circle with a shudder and with no little hesitation she raised her right foreleg to me.

I grabbed it, rolling my eyes inwardly as she flinched, before I took out my trusty and absurdly sharp carving knife from my bag of holding—expensively and delicately crafted from a dragon fang—before I unsheathed it.

“Hear me and be witness, Spirits of Souls, as by the blood of this fool shall this one be punished,” Specter winced as the knife slit through her chitin; thick green blood poured out, splashing onto the circles. “Specter of the Changeling, by your decision, will and mind; your soul is forfeited.”

The circles briefly shone brightly as they seeped hungrily the green liquid, before they returned to its original glow.

“And by my blood, I shall be this one’s keeper,” my left palm met the edge of the knife, before I made a slice motion; red liquid splashed onto the circle. “I, Cain of the house Redfield—“I made note to explain Ruby later—“hereby, will take my role of this one’s soul, and keep it until I see it fit.”

The circles brightened, almost blindingly before it returned to their original glow. I watched as specter screamed in pain as she fell onto the ground, her hooves clutching her throat, trying to breathe and scream at the same time, if the choking sound she made was any idea.

I idly stood there, fighting down the urge to tap my boot as I waited the soul to be extracted.

Soon enough, Specter stopped screaming and choking as a small white orb, about the size of a golf ball, came out of her chest, leaving white misty trail as it float about in front of me. I sheathed my knife, before I raised my right arm towards the ball with open palm.

It flew in like a good whore. Specter gasped as red ethereal chains sprouted from my palm, constricting the tiny ball of soul as it sunk down into my palm.

I let out a tiny slight of grimace. Always hates that part of the ritual.

“Done,” I said, wiping my palm to my robe. Looking down, I saw Specter giving me a glare at me. “What?” I asked.

“You never said it was going to be fucking hurt!” She growled out, wincing as she uselessly tried to climb onto her hooves.

And you’re an idiot to even agree doing this in the first place. I silently added.

She grunted as her hooves strained under her weight, before she fell again with a squeak. “Ow. I just never thought it was going to take my soul!” She wailed, placing her holey hoof over her face. “I thought it was going to chain my soul, not this!” She foolishly banged the ground with her wounded hoof, flinching and sobbed even further.

I rolled my eyes. “Oh, don’t be a child, it’s not like I’m going to abuse your soul. And chaining your soul is much more painful.” I huffed, before I walked to the side of the cave, ignoring Specter’s breakdown and sudden realization that she had just sold her soul to a total stranger. Granted, it’s to help her race to survive from their incompetent queen.

It’s not like I’m going to abuse the shit out of her soul. I needed favors, not grudges. That said, I pulled out a pillow and a blanket from my bag.

Ruby gaped at me, looking at me while all the while glancing at the pillow and blanket in my hand, before I set them up on the cave’s ground.

Aww, Ruby’s learning. I pulled out a clean roll of bandage from this morning, rolling it around my bleeding palm. “Large enough,” I replied, cutting the tail of the bandage, before tying it into a knot. “It’s called the Bag of Holding, usually used y couriers across the lands. I bought it from an accidentally crippled courier.”

“And who’s Cain?”

I sighed, lying down to the makeshift bed. “It’s my real name. What? You didn’t think Psyche is my real name, did you?” I shook my head in disbelief at her hesitant nod. “Regardless, I was planning to tell you my real name, anyway. Take it as a token of trust.”

She blinked, and again. There’s another question in her eyes, but she didn’t voice it. “Thank you.” She said meekly, before floating a bit closer to me.

I just shrugged, chuckling as my familiar snuggled onto my belly, ignoring the sudden increase of volume from the wailing changeling, lamenting something about “I just sold my soul to a madman!”

I huffed, I prefer insane than mad. Wake me up if the changeling is going to do anything stupid, okay Nero? I requested through our mental link. I’m too savvy to not consider the possibility.

The faux-sleeping cat made a mental snort. If you don’t want her to do something stupid, then give her a roll of bandage for her wound. She paused, before mentally chuckled. Of course, you’d want her to do something stupid. Of course, master.

“Shut the hell up!” I shouted over the cave, causing the wailing and sobbing changeling to squeak and settled to muttering and sobbing instead. Better.

I scratched the back of Nero’s ears, eliciting purrs of delight from her. I chuckled, closing my eyes, and let the dream realm pulled me down to the land of unconsciousness.

()_()_()

Bang.

My spine straight as I screamed. My cat yowled in surprise and immediately clutching my robe from her slumber, the warlock beside me screamed in delight and the horde of undead around me screamed until their heads exploded.

Wait, what?

My scream trailed off as I gazed the horde of headless undead around me with disgust, and horror. “What the fuck?” I breathed out, before I stared at the still scream— singing warlock beside me. “What the fuck!?” I repeated much louder.

He ignored my eloquent response as he sung a high pitched note that would make every opera singers to faint out of jealousy, or the wet feeling on their crotch.

I looked around, noting that I was in some sort of a large, dark room with a dangling lamp on top of me. To my horror, as my eyes caught the metal ‘bed’ I was sitting, it was fully decorated with caked blood, and a set of manacles on each corners.

A dungeon.

I gulped, my mind whirling in a very fast-paced erotic motion as I tried to remember what in gods’ name just happened, and once the few past hours registered into my mind, my head snapped to the warlock beside me, who was still singing like a very disturbed opera singer.

Well, at least I wasn’t raped. That’s a good thing. I’d like to keep my anal virginity to my death, thank you very much.

My eyes caught upon the small surgery table next to him, or to be more exact, the book sitting on it. Curiously, I reached for the book, before my reaching arm was suddenly bended into an impossible angle.

My eyes widened, staring at the broken arm. I screamed in pain, and Nero did that same, clutching onto my robe tighter than I thought she could.

“YOU BROKE MY—“

An index finger touched my lips, cutting me off immediately, as his high pitched singing reached into a crescendo that would make the previously unconscious opera singers’ crotch to shake out of their will.

Then he coughed, his other hand thumped his chest repeatedly, producing a hacking quality. He cleared his throat after his coughing fit ended. “Long time since I did that,” he mumbled, before turning to me. “You’re awake.” There’s a clear surprise in his head.

I swiped his invading hand away, before pointing at my wrongly angled hand. “Please tell me you can heal this?” I did not, and I repeat, did not plead.

“Oh?” Mr. Richard glanced at my broken arm; he considered it for a moment, before shrugging. “Oh sure,” his hand grabbed my arm, and I flinched slightly as he bent it back to normal. “Necromancy is best magic.” He offhandedly said, and grabbed the book on the table. “Catch.”

He chucked the heavy, countless paged, leather bound and probably priceless, book at me. Oh, did I mention heavy?

My hands reached to the book, but much to my dismay, I wholly underestimate its weight and Mr. Richard’s strength as it hit my reaching hands with a sick crunch. I stared in disbelief as the book fell to the ground with a heavy thump, before I turned to my broken arms.

I let the power of Ice took control of my veins as my disbelief and pained stare turned icy cold. I looked up to the warlock who was looking quite exasperated.

“Oh, fine.” He rolled his eyes, before he grabbed my bent arms, and pulled them back to its normal angle. “There. You’ve got to be more careful, you know. I know you’re a Redfield and all, but I can’t heal you every time you broke your arms.”

Despite the power of Ice taking over, I couldn’t quite suppress the twitch on my eye. “Thank you.” I said in monotone. I pointed at the fallen book. “What is that?”

He bent down, picking it up with ease and held it up to my face, it read: “Beginner’s guide to: Soul magic.”

I gaped, letting the power of Ice diminish as I stared in disbelief. “S-Soul magic?” I stuttered, looking at it like a child to an early birthday prizes. I knew it was illegal, banned, but fuck that! Even if I wasn’t in this ‘The-country-that-I-had-served-for-two-years-in-a-suicide-mission-wanted-to-screw-me-because-always-trust-the-sleazy-brother!’ situation, I would probably learn it if I had the chance.

Imagine the thing I could do with it! I could imbue weapons with phenomenal beasts’ soul, further strengthening the weapons that I have enchanted with runes! Imagine the effectiveness! The fame! The customers! The possibilities! The dead Imperials and elves!

Shame, if I could, I would use it to further advancing my kingdom’s weaponry, armory, and everything military related. For free! Everything is better than those Imperials (and elves) scum!

The warlock nodded. “Yup, I always thought Soul magic would fit a Redfield. I remembered using it to eat a monk’s soul.”

Stunned, I grabbed the book from his grip, with more strength this time; a vicious grin bloomed on my face as I stared at it. “I’m going to learn Soul Magic?”

“Yes, and hopefully it’ll take a week or so. After that, we’ll invade your brother’s mansion. I’ll kill the guards, and you do whatever you see fit. I do hope you will do something interesting to him.” He paused for a moment, before adding, “Preferably brutal.”

I let out a large grin. “Oh, it will. Believe it.” If I had the rights, I would probably rub my hands together and cackled like a madman. Sadly, I don’t, so I didn’t.

He waved his hand in an amused manner. “No problem. It’s always fun watching a Redfield killing his family. It’s like watching history repeating itself in 3D.”

I looked up from observing the book. “And what happened to the Redfield who killed his family?” I asked confusedly, cocking my eyebrow. “And what’s 3D?” I added after an afterthought.

“Oh, he was tortured and raped by the Imperials in an expedition, a year or so after he became the head of the House and impregnated his lover.” He explained off-handedly, ignoring my last question. “Don’t think much about it. It’s not like you’re going to visit the Imperials anytime soon.”

Oh, if only he knew…

()_()_()

Wake up, master! Nero shouted through our mental link, and I had to force down a flinch because of her shout. Being mentally shouted while asleep is like being penetrated while still sleeping. Thankfully, that’s a metaphor, and the penetration happened to the head.

“Psych? The Changeling is walking here…” Ruby whispered with a hint of nervousness in her voice.

I didn’t move, keeping my breathing even as I heard the ground crunched under Specter’s hooves as she moved closer to my side.

Her movement paused for a moment, a whining sound escaped from her throat, before she clamped it down forcefully, and moved once more to my side, or to be more specific, to my bag.

“Psych, wake up!”

I ignored Ruby’s panicked shout, as I turned myself to the side, facing my where I placed my bag. I could imagine Specter’s horrified and ‘oh-my-gods-I’m-going-die’ face as she suddenly stopped her movement.

I heard her audible gulp. “Cain? Are you awake?”

I rolled my eyes inwardly, but I didn’t give her a respond.

“Psych!” Ruby shouted once again, her voice grew more panicked as

Specter breathed a sigh of relief, and I had to question her capabilities in spying. Not much, I guessed, considering that her Queen sent her to a suicide mission, and that she’s a defect that could betray said queen if she wanted to.

Thankfully, she didn’t need to be smart.

Once more specter moved in closer, and finally stopped as she was about an inch away from my bag. Her holey hoof reached into the bag, but before she could pull out anything— I doubt she could, considering the lack of opposable thumbs— my hand shot out and grabbed her by the hoof.

Ruby gasped, and Specter shrieked, trying to pull her hoof from my grip, much to no avail. I hid the smirk that forced into my face as I cracked my eyes, and instead faked fury as I glared at her.

I ignored Ruby’s rather impressive performance at glaring. It probably beats Max Glare’s one, and probably also Diana’s, my brother’s protective girlfriend, that I had traded for my life and probably died of rape.

Typical Imperials are typical.

“What are you doing?” I growled, hiding my glee as she struggled desperately. “Or to be more specific, what were you going to do?”

She stared at me, not quite meeting my eyes, with wide blue eyes full of terror. “N-Nothing.” Specter weakly defended herself.

I glared, sneering at her, before nodding my head to her still stuck and struggling hoof. “Nothing? Don’t play with me, you thieving bastard.”

“Said the robber to the thief.” Ruby and Nero both deadpanned. Nero looked surprised for a moment, before shrugging.

Her lips trembled, and her eyes quivered in tears. “P-Please, I-I wasn’t g-going to do anything bad!” She stuttered, looking about in the edge of having a break down and cry her miseries out.

I cocked an eyebrow. “And, what, pray tell, were you going to do, exactly?”

Squirming under my glare, she dropped to her haunches, and gave up pulling her invading hoof away. “This!” She cried, tears fell streaked down to her cheeks as she showed me her other hoof. “It’s painful. I just want a bandage to stop it from going bad.” She sobbed, hiccupping all the while.

I stared her in the eyes. In the last several hours, I’d figured out plenty of things about the changeling in front of me. She’s uneducated in the arts of spying and stealth,—probably raised as a civilian—but she’s smart, and would be smarter if she could try. She cares for her whole race’s survival. She’s a coward, the good one. And she’s honest. I could look at it in her eyes.

Well, at least, she’s honest to me so far. I wouldn’t put it aside that she would lie or trick me the moment she got her soul back.

Regardless, she’s the perfect pawn, but no, I wouldn’t treat her as a pawn, or any chess piece for any matter. For one, most people—some does, easier to take commands than give them— doesn’t like to be played as a chess piece, and for two, I suck at chess. No, I’ll treat her as a comrade instead, a brother-in-arms, or in Frontline’s saying, arms-in-secrecy.

I was going to invest on her potential.

I looked down from her eyes to her hoof, inwardly patting my back as she sagged in relief, before I frowned when I looked at her wound.

There were cracks on her chitinous hoof, dried green liquid stuck in between them, but the worst part was the center of it all, or to be more specific, where I slit her a few hours back.

Green-yellowish goop oozed out from the rather enlarged wound, filling the air with a scent not unlike a bag of rotten fruit, mashed with a decomposing body.

On the corner of my eyes, I noticed Nero wrinkling her nose in disgust before jumping to my pillow, and breathed on it instead.

To be honest, I was rather surprised that she hadn’t catch a fever, or something from her festering wound.

“Buh-wha?” Was her rather eloquent and graceful response.

“Yeah,” I nodded, ignoring her reaction as I sat next to her. “You could’ve and should’ve waked me up. Hell, I’m surprised you’re not having a fever, but I’d wager you would if you were a bit late.”

She did a rather impressive impression of a goldfish as I pulled her hoof to my lap, and uncorked the cheap vodka. Finally, she clamped her mouth shut, and almost in a daze, answered, “Changeling’s body immunity is more resilient than most—GAH!”

She yelped in pain as I poured a generous amount of alcohol, tears leaked from her closed eyes. “Oh, don’t be a little bitch; it’s just a little sting.” I said, ripping a small cut of the bandage to wipe the pus, and the alcohol away, much to her whimpering.

“It hurts…” she whined.

“Like I said…” I rolled the bandage around her hoof, covering the cracks and the wound, before ripping it off the tail and tied it together. “Done.”

She opened her eyes, looking at her bandaged hoof with something akin to relief. “Thank you.” Specter murmured.

“No problem.” I responded, corking the half-empty vodka bottle and put the left-over bandage and the bottle back into the bag. “That said, I’m going to need you learn a few things.”

Her ears perked up at that, immediately looking up at me with a newfound curiosity. “Learn what?”

“Spying in general,” I answered her. “I don’t think you have much training in it, yes?”

She grimaced, and settled with a nod.

I shrugged. “That would explain a lot of things,” and proved me that I wasn’t rusty. I reached into my bag, reaching deeper, or at least, I think it’s deeper. I can’t really explain how the Bag of Holding works, even if it was mass-produced.

Hence, why it was highly expensive, and the only ones who got freebie are couriers. Couriers, who would walk to the other side of the world, fight gods, defy the law, kill legendary beasts, rule over warlords, make their own empire, and somehow survives a shot to the head. Just to send a love letter to a random redhead.

Mad bunch, all of them.

Finally, I pulled out a book. It’s probably not better than the Frontline’s training, but it’s going to do for Specter. I gave it to her. “There, that should cover all things needed for you to actually be a good spy.”

She… balanced the book with her hoof, and read the title aloud. “How to be a good spy, written by… spy?”

I nodded. “Just learn it on your way back to your home.” I climbed up to my feet, and made my way to the mouth of the cave, with my companions in toll, with the exception of Nero who hopped onto my shoulder the moment I stood.

I peeked outside, and to my slight surprise, the moon had returned to the horizon, and had been replaced by the big ball of energy, lovingly named the sun.

“Right,” I said, turning around to meet Specter’s eyes. “I suppose it’s your time to go back to your hive, and when you meet your queen, tell her this…”

()_()_()

The sun shone from its height, illuminating the quaint little Ponyville as I walked down the road. The birds were flying in circles in the sky, occasionally letting out happy chirps. A random brown dog crossed my path, and I had to force down the urge to kick it away.

Now, all it needed was the cold glare I would receive from the ponies. Except there wasn’t. Or any pony for a matter of fact.

I watched the roads carefully, from every alleys, nooks and crannies of Ponyville with cautious eyes. Ruby fidgeted uncomfortably as she stared at the empty flower stand, before looking away, and Nero kept sniffing the air nervously.

“I can’t smell any of them.” Nero had whispered to me, before going back sniffing, despite its futility.

Ruby’s head swiveled around the empty stands, before looking at me with a nervous look. “What is going on in here? Where is everypony?”

“Question of the year.” I answered her, taking a peek at the next alley, and what I saw made me blink.

A familiar pink pony stood in the dark alley, but there were something different about her now. Her hair, instead of being the very definition of Mr. Richard’s torture object, was straight down, obscuring her face as her head hung low, and her vibrant pink color was now dull.

Pinkie Pie, or I would later find out, Pinkamena Diane Pie.

We watched in silence at the pink lump and in instant, and something in my mind clicked. Empty, creepy town? Check. The only one left is probably mad? Check. In a dark alley? Fucking check.

Yeah. Nope.

I slowly backed away from the pink menace, and much to my dismay, she took a step forward. I did another step backward, and she did another forward. I stepped backward again, and she did the same thing.

“You will go to my party.” She murmured, somehow making it sounded dark.

I glanced behind me, before looking back to the pink menace, I waved my arm, casting a quick spell, and hundreds of sharp icicles formed before darting to her. “No!” I shouted, booking the fuck out from the alley, into the road, and took a hard left.

I really didn’t expect that to stop her, well, here’s hoping that Celestia had already sent someone to pick me away.

“YOU WILL GO TO MY PARTY, CAIN REDFIELD! YOU WILL, AND YOU WILL LIKE IT!”

Holy Hells. My eyes widened, before I gave a glance back. The pink menace’s face was set into a scowl her dull blue bloodshot eyes glared at me with a mix of desperation and… madness? “Holy balls of the seventh, did she just—“

I didn’t get the chance to finish my sentence as new weight smashed my back, and I grunted, stumbling forward and hit the ground with not too little bruises and hopefully a few cracked ribs.

Nero yowled, and Ruby let out a panicked scream.

I gasped for air, tilted my head to my back, and much to my nonexistent surprise, the pink menace was lying there, her body pinning my own to the ground.

Her mouth stretched into a twisted grin as she leaned into my ears. “I caught you, and you will go to my party, and you will like it. And if you don’t, then I will make another, and if you don’t like it again, I will make another one. Until you like it.” She whispered creepily, and I was expecting her to lick my ears to make it creepier.

Thankfully, she didn’t.

I stared blankly at her, before closing my eyes, accepting my fate all the while cursing every god I knew. “Of course I will go to your party.”

In response to my answer, her straight mane inflated into an eldritch abomination for every hairdresser and her color had somehow, brightened back into a vibrant pink.

She jumped off my back. “AWESOME!” She cheered loudly, looking at me with a genuine large grin, before she reached into her hair, and somehow pulled a letter from it. “Here,” she said cheerfully, putting the piece of paper into my hand. “Now, I’m going to prepare your party, goodbye!”

And she was gone in a pink blur, leaving dusts all over the

I climbed onto my feet slowly, wincing as my ribs decided to be a pain, and stared at the paper: “Sugarcube Corner, and you better be there, mister! Or I’ll chase you again.” it said, with a smiley face on the end.

I looked up at the sun, raising my hand, and slowly lifted my middle finger. “Fuck. You.” I lowered my hand, and walked down a random road, trusting my feet to lead the way.

“What just happened?”

I sighed, and twisted my neck, giving that much satisfied sounding crack. “I don’t know, Ruby. I just don’t know, but whatever it is, I’m blaming Celestia.”

She screwed her face for a moment, before pointing out, “But weren’t you the one who chose today?”

Nero giggled under her paws. “She just got you.”

I rolled my eyes, kicking a random puppy that just happened to trot by. “Ruby, I’m a selfish person, and I’m blaming Celestia just like other gods.” I said, ignoring her aghast expression as she stared the whimpering puppy on the ground.

She pointed at the dirty puppy. “Why did you do that?!” She shouted, both in anger and panic.

“It’s a dog. They’re all the spawn of demons, hiding under the disguise of a harmless animal, and kill you when you let your guard off.” I scoffed, and with my feet, I rolled the dying puppy to the side of a nearby trashcan.

“It’s just a puppy!” She protested angrily, slamming her little hood on the air.

“Ruby, dogs are like elves. Say you spare a baby elf, and it would end up being a traitorous scum. Dogs are the same, except stupider.” I explained calmly, like I usually would to Lily. “I wouldn’t even be surprised if there’s a dog-themed race in this world, and their common activity is to enslave other ponies.”

“I don’t believe you,” She pouted, looking away from me. “Puppies are good, and cute. They’re supposed to be cuddled, and they are not the spawn of devils.”

“You’ll see.”

I took a left at a random road, passing the most outrageous designed building, a literal gingerbread house. Thankfully, there’s not a pedophilic and cannibalistic witch living in it, or at least, I didn’t there was. If there was, I would kill her, and then burn the town to ashes for housing a sick person.

Regardless of whether they knew they hid a sick witch, or not.

“Uh, Psyche?” Ruby called.

I looked at her. “What?”

She pointed at the gingerbread house. “I think that’s the Sugarcube Corner?” She said hesitantly, almost tentatively.

I stopped, before turning around and stared at the ginger house. “Are you sure, Ruby?”

“No. I’m pretty sure my Cutie mark is not about looking for things, it’s about burning ants with a magnifying glass.” She deadpanned.

I sighed, glaring at my legs. “Dammit legs, why did you betray me?” I muttered, before very, very slowly moved back to the house. I put up the best fake smile I could as I remembered Pinkie’s word.

“Until you like it.”

“Alright,” I murmured, straightening my almost destroyed robe. “Put a smile, and wave, just like Captain Corpus taught you.”

I pushed the door open.

Expectedly, the room was as black as my heart, before something clicked and the light brightened the whole room. A large banner hung on the middle of the room. Welcome to Ponyville, and I’m sorry for being rude party!

Rude? More like being Mr. Richard-y as fuck.

The familiar pink pony jumped from her cover, opening both of her fore-hooves in a welcome gesture as she, with more balance than an elf, stood in the middle of the room. “SURPRISE!” She cheered loudly.

Oh, there were other ponies too, but they were glaring at me with that usual hate that Jaime once had used before he poisoned my sister. Oh, and before I made use of my Frontline’s training.

An awkward silence hung in the air, as Pinkie’s chest puffed up and down, a random pink balloon popped into a sad sagging rubber, and she finally dropped to all four.

A random, unimportant pony in the background coughed, and as if on cue, all of them awkwardly exploded into a half-hearted applause as they stomped their hooves on the floor.

Then they stopped, hanging another awkward silence to the rope, before another pony coughed, and the crowd exploded into a loud. “SURPRISE!”

Oblivious, Pinkie somehow grabbed my hand, and dragged me someplace else. “Oh, I’m so happy that you came. I thought I have to chase you all around ponyville! Oh, I’m going to introduce to my best friends, and then to all of the ponies in here! I heard Time Turner is trying to speak with you, oh, and did you see how Lyra looked at you!? You’re going to like this party!”

She took a huge gulp of air, burning my wish that she would die of forgetting to breathe. Then again, that would probably a bad idea as other ponies would accuse me of homicide, and try to execute me.

I completely ignored the emphasis when she said, like.

Regardless, I kept my Frontline’s quality happy grin on my face. “Sure thing, Pinkie, I’d be happy to meet your friends and the others!” I cheerfully said.

Ruby stared at me as if I had just said I would be happy to meet Pinkie’s friends, which I, had unfortunately, did. Poor Nero shuddered noticeable on my shoulder.

I hate it when you use that tone. She commented, before shuddering slightly. It’s creepy.

“Oh. You’re going to love this party!” Pinkie shouted, snapping me out of my inner world.

Pinkie dragged me to a group of five ponies, one of them being Rarity, and one… green purple gecko thingy. All of them stared at me with different emotion. The purple one stared at me with a mix curiosity and distrust, Rarity with a… dreamy expression?

The rainbow Pegasus glared at me with distrust, while the hat-wearing one narrowed her green eyes with suspicion, and the butter Pegasus hid behind orange’s back, staring at me fearfully.

And the green purple gecko thingy? It just stood shakily in front of Rarity’s, glaring at me for some reason, as if trying to protect her.

Momentarily, I pondered if burning the whole building down to ashes would be worth Celestia’s rage, alas, like trying to resurrect my dead sister, or turning into a life of raidin’ and rapin’, it’s not.

Pinkie, with a strength I shouldn’t be surprised anymore—At least this one doesn’t rip my arm—pulled me in front of her purple friend. “Psyche, meet Twilight Sparkle. She’s Princess Celestia’ protégé and my most magical best friend!” Pinkie leaned up to my ears. “And she tastes like grapes.” She whispered silently, before giggling.

I ignored her last word, and raised an eyebrow at her title. She looked like she wanted to say something, but before she could; Pinkie pulled me away to Rarity, whose expression changed from a dreamy into a grimace when she looked at my robe and into a gasp as she spotted my bandaged hand.

“My dear!” Her dirty hoof shot out to her mouth. “Are you alright? You look like you have been stomped by an Ursa. Just what happened to you?”

Self-inflicted-damage, weakly enchanted robe, dark ritual, sleeping in a cave, Nero’s very sharp claws, and a few cracked ribs courtesy of the pink abomination, I shrugged. “Eh, accidents happen.”

Out in the corner of my peripheral, I noticed the Stetson-wearing pony’s glare doubled. I shrugged it off, as Rarity gave me a sympathized nod. “Yes—“

Pinkie pulled me again, much to Rarity’s surprise, and this time, I was in front of the glaring rainbow Pegasus. “And this is Rainbow Dash—I call her Dashie— she’s the best, coolest, awesomest, and spectacular-est flyer in Ponyville!”

Rainbow Dash preened under Pinkie’s praise. “Yeah, I’m the best flyer in town.” Then she noticed who I was, and glared at me again. “Not that you need to know.”

“I’m sure I’m not.”

What the hell did I do? I was just defending myself from a Mr. Richard-ish creature by burning it, and gave it a nice, perfect side neck-chop. Ah, people these days can’t appreciate a good biology lesson, and those that did, would always try to pull my pants off, and forced their way to me.

Once again, a verily bored Cain was pulled away from the fuming Rainbow, and I stood in front of a glaring orange, Stetson-wearing pony—that reminded me slightly of that one kid that tried to suck his brother’s penis before I killed them both— and a butter colored Pegasus with a pink mane hiding behind Orange.

Pinkie’s hoof pointed at the orange mare. “This is Applejack, Ponyville’s perpetrator of Sweet Apple Acres, and she loves apple. And this,” She pointed at the mare behind Applejack. “Is Fluttershy, the kindest and best animal caretakers of Ponyville!”

I tilted my head to the glaring Applejack. “Nice to meet you,” I turned to the mare behind her. “And you too.”

“I’m sure.” Applejack answered coldly, much to the surprise of everyone’s faces, if their bulging eyes were any signs.

“Applejack!” Twilight admonished.

“I’m sorry, Twi, but he’s a liar, and I ain’t goinna force myself to be nice and whatnot with somepony that wouldn’t be honest to us.” Applejack retorted, trying to glare a hole out of my head.

“Applejack, darling!” Rarity gasped, her hooves flew to her mouth again. “I doubt that Psyche—It’s Psyche right?—is really lying,” she turned her head to me, “Right?”

“Of course not,” I said, lying through my smile, as I stared at Applejack’s eyes. “Why would I lie?”

The mare merely flared her nose. “Buck this!” She shouted, stomping away to a random table on the corner and sat on them.

The five ponies looked at each other in worry, glanced at me before glancing at Applejack, and in unspoken agreement, all of them, except Rarity went to her table.

Rarity looked up at me with an apologetic smile. “I’m sorry, dear. Perhaps Applejack is a little bit tired when somepony stole her apples yesterday,” She said, narrowing her eyes. “I do hope that pony will get captured soon.”

Ruby gave a stink eye, and I professionally ignored it. “No, it’s alright. Though, I have to ask if my robe is done yet.”

“Oh!” she smiled, almost giddily. “Yes, of course it’s done, and I would say it’s perfect! In fact,” her horn glowed in blue aura and a gift box hidden under a random table—Talk about convenient— floated in front of me. “It’s right here.”

I let my eye twitched inwardly, before taking the package from her magical grip and put it into my bag. A heavy enchantment will be applied for later. “Thank you, Rarity.” I opened my coin pouch, glancing up at her. “How much is it?”

She waved her white hoof daintily. “No need, dear. I think the experience is an enough payment for me.”

I shrugged, placing the coin pouch back to my belt. “If you say so.”

Cue awkward silence.

She cleared her throat, looking to the group of friends behind her, before smiling at me. “I should go there.” She excused herself, walking to the table in which her friends were sitting, talking with that Applejack.

I turned around, looking over the crowd of ponies, before I settled with sitting on an empty table. I hummed a little tune, about a bored mage visiting a party in which the mage decided to burn the party to the ground because his mother told him to do so.

Sadly, I couldn’t do that.

I leaned to the table. Reaching inside of my bag, I pulled out a large bottle of whiskey. I sighed silkily, uncorking the alcoholic beverage, and lifted the lips of the bottle to mine.

I took a huge gulp, letting the burning liquid flow through my throat as I watched over the crowd. Most of them ignored my existence as they talked, whispered, and gossiped about my existence. I took a small gulp of the whiskey again.

There were few ones, surprisingly, who outright glared at me, looking as if I didn’t belong, and I should either suck their cocks, bend over and let their large cocks pierced my virginal anus, or kick me over my ass.

Then there’s the rare one, unsurprisingly only four of them in the sea of horse cocks, and horse vaginas. One of them was a sea foam green unicorn, who had that sultry look as she stared at my fingers, and there’s a brown coated stallion with a spiky mane and an hourglass mark on his rear, looking at me curiously with suspicion.

Oh, he’s walking to me.

I took another gulp of the alcohol, finally feeling it buzzing through my blood as the stallion weaved through the sea of ponies until he reached over my table.

We stared at each other’s eyes. I, for one, was quite impressed at the age in his eyes. A mix of Celestia’s and Mr. Richard’s, except less Mr. Richard-y.

“Master?” He finally broke the staring contest in a serious manner.

I blinked, looking at my bottle of alcohol, then at the incredulous Nero, to the confused Ruby, to my bone necklace, then to the stallion. I shrugged, taking three large huge gulps of alcohol, lifted up my necklace and put it over Nero’s neck.

It’s time to broaden up my preferences, it seemed.

I gave the stallion sultry grin, hooking my arm over his neck. “Not in public, dearie. You could call me that all night in the bed.” I whispered huskily, leading him upstairs.

His eyes widened in… surprise? “What? No!” He tried to struggle away from me.

I grinned, giving his ear a nip, and his struggle died away as he let out a half-moan. “Oh, don’t worry, dearie. I could play a good master.”

I opened a random door as I reached upstairs. A bedroom, it seemed. Perfect. I threw him down on to the bed, falling on his back; I locked the door for safety reasons, before I turned to the splayed stallion on the bed, his ears laid on the back of his head.

His horrified eyes met my hungry ones.

And the night was filled with his happy moans.

()_()_()

“So, what’s the plan, young Cain?”

Three months. It took three months that I’d gotten the gist and how to use Soul magic. Sure, maybe my skill wasn’t and won’t beat a master of soul magic—if there’s any, since most of them are probably dead— but I had at least gotten down on how to take souls, and use said souls.

“I’m going to disguise myself into the mansion, while you distract the guards by killing them?”

“Ah, yes,” The warlock beside my nodded wistfully. “You’re going to use your Frontline skills, yes?”

I blinked, looking at him with wide eyes. “You know?”

He scoffed. “Of course I know. The better question is, what don’t I know? Regardless, it was fun watching your team go with it. Especially when the elf had an ‘accident’, hate crime at its best.”

I sighed, looking back at the large gate from behind the bushes. “Captain Korpus encouraged it, and beside, elves’ scum doesn’t have the right to live when they crossed us. Now, back to the mission?”

“Right,” he coughed his hand, before he stood up from the bush. Guards standing, and guarding the mansion stared in fright as the caught the sight of a certain warlock. “RICHARD WARLOCK!” screaming his war cry, the warlock ran out, causing mayhem amongst the running, and suicidal guards.

Meanwhile, I sneaked silently to the side, avoiding the fight in the middle, and the front of the mansion. There are a few benefits of invading your own house, knowing the secret entrance being one of them.

Unsurprisingly, I found a guard crouching in the bushes as I entered a secret hole in the wall. The blade on his grip shook visibly from the screams of pain caused by Mr. Richard.

Bingo.

I pulled out my wand, and unaware of my presence, I crawled silently to him, and I tapped his back. He froze, before he stiffly turned his head to look behind him. He got an icicle gouged into his eye instead, and fell down to the ground, his face frozen in eternal shock.

I looked at Nero who sat on my shoulder. “You go watch. If there’s anyone coming, just yowl. Got it?”

She let a meow, before jumping away to the edge of the thick bushes.

It took a moment, but before long, I wore the guard’s outfit. A guard’s helm covered my head, convenient on fooling the guards. I sheathed my newly acquired sword, before blowing a small whistle.

Nero jumped from the bushes, and I crouched down in front of her. “Listen girl, I’m going inside the mansion, but you can’t go with me. It’s too dangerous, so I want you to wait on the City’s gate. If I succeed, I’ll meet you there, but if I’m not,” I let out a sad smile. “Well, you’ll know.”

She let out a meow, nuzzling my thigh, and I gave my familiar a scratch to the back her ears, before I stood up.

“Be careful, Nero.”

She replied with a determine meow, before jumping over the bushes, where hopefully she’d wait on the City’s gate

“Great,” I ruffled my outfit, and set a panicked expression on my face, before I ran in fake fear to the mansion and banged the large double door. “Open the door! Quick!”

The door quickly swung open, revealing a dimmed foyer. A double stair, with red carpets settled on the front, and a few paintings and expensive tapestries planted on the wall.

Two guards looked at me in surprise. “What’s wrong, boy?” the older man on the left gruffly asked.

“We—“I took a panicked breath.”We’re under attack!”

“What?!” The other guard, a slightly younger man, shouted in anger. “Is it that sister killer, Cain?”

“No.” I shook my head, my expression the very impersonation of fear.”No. It’s worse. It’s that Warlock, Richard! He’s a attacking us!”

Hook, line, and sinker; just like that, the two guards bore the same expression of mine. “That Richard?” The older man muttered in fear. “Come on in, boy.”

We entered the foyer; the other guard quickly closed the door with a slam and locked it, before leaning fearfully on the door. “I-I heard he could split a man with his bare hands,” he muttered shakily, tears leaked from his eyes. “My neighbor’s wife went missing, and he found her skinned on the road, still alive, and screaming. Oh gods, that could be us!”

“Calm yourself, boy! We must call reinforcements!” The older man commanded, trying to mask his fear with bravado. To no avail.

“We’ll be sending them to their death, if we did!” I argued, fake tears of fear leaked from my eyes before I wiped them off with my sleeve. “I was going to propose to my girlfriend, dammit!” I shouted. “I thought this was going to be an easy job. Guarding a man from his disgusting brother! And now I’m going to die!”

The slightly younger guard stood up from the door, his hand gripped to something in his belt. He looked at the older man and me. “I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry. I know this is something cowardly, but please, I don’t want to die by that mad man. If you do survive, please tell my wife I love her.”

Before we—well, before the older man— could do anything, the guard pulled out a dagger from his belt and stabbed it to his neck. He gurgled for a moment, before he fell down to the floor. Dead.

“No…” The older man whispered, staring at the corpse with shock. “By the gods—“

I whipped out my wand, and an icicle went through his neck, cutting him of his words and killed him soundlessly as he dropped to the floor with a thump. Dead as well.

I crouched down next to the suicide man, and pulled out the dagger from his neck, wiping the blood away with the tail end of his outfit, and slipped them in behind my belt.

Looking around, I climbed up the stairs, and took a left. If I was to guess, then the Spider would probably in father’s office. He’s always there since father was in his death bed, and he’s going to be there since father had died two months ago.

Soon enough, I found another large double door as I took another turn. Four guards, two of them mages, stood alert as they spotted me.

“What’s wrong, guard?” The armored mage, a female, asked.

I gulped a heavy amount of air, staring fearfully at the fours, as I slightly changed my pitch voice. “We’re attacked by the Richard Warlock!” I shouted, leaning tiredly against the wall.

Four of them stared at me in shock, and that shock turned to fear. “Are you sure, boy?” The large bearded guard, a Zweihander hung on his back, asked worriedly.

I nodded, sliding to the floor as I ‘remembered’ something horrifying. “He-he, that monster, killed my partner with a snap!” I shook, pulling my knees close to my body. “She was a nice girl too, heard that she was going to meet her visiting parents tomorrow.” I choked a fake sob.

“W-what happened to the door’s guard?” The other mage asked, his hand covered his hooded face. “Shouldn’t they be the ones who informed this news?”

“Marcus!” His partner, the other guard, shouted. “I don’t think—“

“Dead.” I answered, staring emptily at the wall opposite of me. “They killed themselves when they heard about the Warlock attacking us,” I sobbed, laying my head to my knees. “The swordsman pulled a dagger and stabbed his throat, while the other used ice magic to pierce his own neck.”

“Oh.”

“Great.” The large man muttered, leaning tiredly against the wall. “What do we do now?”

“We,” The female mage started, staring at her partner and the others with fiery determination. “We kill him. We’re not going to give up, dammit!” she stomped her foot to the floor. “We’re handpicked by the General for things like this. We may die in his sick hands, and it won’t be a quick death, but we are here for this kind of thing! Sure, he could do stuffs we couldn’t do in our entire life, but if we work together, then maybe, maybe we could kill that sick bastard!”

“Aye, indeed you’re my partner,” the large man said, chuckling. “Albeit a fiery one, but wherever you go, I’ll follow.”

The female mage stared at her partner in appreciation. “Thanks.” Then she turned to the other two. “What about you guys?”

The two looked at each other, before the mage, Marcus, shrugged. “This is stupid,” he sighed, staring blankly at his palm. “Regardless, we’re going to die if we stay here. I’d say trying to kill Richard the Warlock would be a fitting end for me.” He clamped his arm, thumping his chest. “It would be perfect.”

The other guard shrugged, hooking his arm over his partner. “Marcus and I have been friends ever since we were young. If he’s going to die fighting an impossible enemy, then I’m going to help him the best I can.” He grinned, patting the sword on his side.

The fiery mage nodded, before she turned at me. “And what about you, guard?”

I let out a shuddering breath, and looked at her green eyes. “Sorry,” I replied, before I pulled out a dagger from my belt. “I think I’m going to go out with a coward’s way.”

Her green eyes showed pity, before she looked away. “I pray the spirits guide you to a fitting afterlife.” She murmured, and left the hall with her large partner in toll.

The other two looked at me with pity, and some… anger as I stared blankly at them, before they walked away. “Good luck!” I shouted.

I waited until the steps were gone before I stood up from the wall, stretching my neck, causing a nice sound of cracks. “Idiots.” I muttered, shaking my head amusedly.

I stood before the large doors; my father’s office room. If I remembered, the room was heavily enchanted with one way soundproof. They could hear from inside, but they couldn’t from outside.

That meant I couldn’t use a disguise anymore, unless my brother was either sleeping or had a brain damage, sadly, it was neither. I shrugged. Well, it was fun while it lasted.

I pushed the large door open with ease, something that my great-grand-grandfather’s thought of doing after his back almost broke from opening the damned door.

The walls were covered with bookcases, books of all types—mostly smut— stored in each one of them. The floor was carpeted with our namesake, red velvet, and in the middle of it all was a long desk, filled with random junks. And on the desk was the Spider.

“Guard, what are you doing here?” he asked, tilting his face bored, though there’s a sliver of fear in those hazel eyes. “I thought you were going to kill yourself.”

“I-I’m sorry, My Lord,” I apologized; letting the power of ice took control of my emotion. “It’s just that I want to kill you.”

His eyes widened as he looked at my face. Truly looked at my face, and recognition flashed through them, and being actually smart, he whipped out his wand, and casted a quick fire ball at me.

I rolled out of the way; the sound of something exploded indicated that the door was no more, before I quickly stood up, whipping up and aimed my wand to him. “Why Jaime, is that how you treated your very angry and pissed off brother? Is this how you treated my sister?” I growled as I stomped closer to him, shooting an accurate ice bolt to his wand, sending it careening to the floor.

His terrified face grew triumphant and I had to roll away just for in case. Luckily it wasn’t a trap or something. No. Instead, the Spider pulled out something under his desk.

Intricately carved wooden stock, golden glint, and a black end of the barrel, pointed at me. A gun, or more precisely, an antique Flintlock pistol, used more as a collection, but still dangerous nonetheless.

That is, counting if it’s not in the hand of mages.

I retracted everything about my brother not being a total retard, because apparently he is. It was explained in the academy’s military class! Granted, the teacher only stressed that A) Imperial’s weapons are dangerous, and B) if you’re at the end point of the barrel, either have a fast mouth or a fast hand, or have your head blown up.

Of course, the teacher told us about what happened when a mage used an Imperial’s weapon, if only for once in the whole three years of basic military training.

Then again, he had never stood face to face to a real pistol, wielded by a cold blooded Imperial’s psychopath.

Taking in the sudden boon in stride, I widened my eyes in fake fear, as I took a step back. “H-How?” I stuttered, whilst inwardly laughing like a certain insane Warlock.

If I had thought he couldn’t be smugger, then I was wrong. His grin could probably make Mr. Richard to kill him with his piss and filled his body with shits and cocks. “Why, brother? Have you lost your own pitiful courage?” He let out a small shrug. “But I suppose I could tell you about this… pistol. Disgusting, I know, but dangerous nonetheless. Do you believe that father actually bought this from the black market? He hid it behind the case over there,” He nodded his head to the bookcase on his left. “Told me not to use it when I showed it to him, nonsense, I say.”

Well, at least that explained how he got the damn thing. “This is stupidity!” I shouted, generously pouring a plenty dose of fear all over it. “You’d be punished for treason of this!”

“Oh?” He raised an eyebrow, the pistol clicked as his finger cocked it. “I wonder who they would believe. A man that ‘killed’ his sister, and listed to a suicide squad of criminals, or the one that ‘cared’ for his sister and the current head of the Redfield?”

Oh, if only he knew that the Frontline wasn’t just some bullshit squad of criminals, if he just only knew, and right there, he would’ve realized that he had royally fucked up.

Because really, even if I died, the kingdom would rather believe a former loyalist spy than a mother fucking Imperial’s weapon using ass fucking sister killing piece of shit.

Regardless, he didn’t know any of that shit. He wasn’t that important in the military politic, not even father. Heck, I doubted the Military even trusted me when I was—forcefully— enlisted to the supposed suicide squad comprised of criminals.

I was, after all, still a Redfield.

Poor Lily, she didn’t even fit in the whole Redfield’s behavior. If I had the choice, I would probably make her into the first woman in ages to lord over a house, and she’d make a damn fine Lord.

No such luck, of course.

“Any last word, brother?”

I gave him an icy glare. “You’re a fool.”

“No!” he snarled, his grip on the pistol tightened. “You are.”

With that, he pulled the trigger, and the pull of his trigger, his arm blew up. Chunks and bits of raw flesh splashed all over the room, his blood painted the whole room with our namesake. All the while, the fool screamed in pain, flailing around like a dancing black midget.

It’s ingenious, really, manufacturing your own brand of weapon to be unusable by your enemies, or at least every magical being; which meant pretty much everyone, except for people who aren’t born of being a mage.

Of course, our person that’s not a mage could use it, but then again, they preferred on using swords. And besides, using or having an Imperial’s weapon pretty much meant treason, and the punishment of treason is worse than the punishment of raping an orphan.

The fool slipped his blood, falling down to the floor as he kept on screaming and flailing like a ten years old kid having an anal for his first time.

I whistled a jaunty tune as I bouncily walked next to him. His face covered in his own blood and the stumped arm kept pouring blood like an orgy gone wrong. Can’t have that. Pulling out my wand, I blasted his stump with a fire ball, cauterizing and cooking his arm.

If I thought he couldn’t scream more like a bitch, I was wrong. I kicked his side hard, spitting on his chest. “Don’t be a little bitch.” I smirked, looking at his hyperventilating body. “Ah, this would be more ironic if your name is Abel,” I looked over at the desk. “Now, where’s that little spider?”

“No!” He shouted, flailing in both pain and fear. Pain of having his arm roasted, and fear of feeling and watching his familiar about to die. “Don’t.”

I opened the desk’s drawer, and true to my prediction, the little shit was there. Its fangs chattered angrily as it stood on its hind legs, trying to intimidate me.

Briefly, I tried to recall the damned thing’s name. Failing that, I simply blasted the disgusting Arachnida to ashes.

“NO!” The fool, bitch, soon-to-be-eunuch, and cripple, cried in anger. “Why did you do that?!”

I snapped to him, giving him a glare. “Did you ask yourself when you poisoned our—No,” I shook my head in disgust. “My sister, not yours. Did you think about her looks of pain when you fucking poisoned her?”

The little fool didn’t say anything, glaring at me as if he’s going to be able to do something.

I stomped my foot on top of his chest, causing him to gasp as I pressed it down. “I want to kill, I want to so, so kill you right now. Just a little push and you’re dead.” I pulled my foot away from his chest. “But no, I won’t do that, because I did kill her, technically. Instead, I’m going to make your life a living hell.”

I unsheathed my sword, and without giving any warning, I swung the sword down, right at the thigh. He screamed as the blade almost cut through the bone. I gave it another swing, and his left leg was severed from his body.

Not waiting for him to die of blood loss, I pulled out my wand and blasted the damn stump with fire, and the fool roared in pain. I relished in it. I did the same thing with his other leg and remaining arm.

Hack, cut, and burn. Rinse and repeat.

I swiped a hand through my sweating forehead, sheathing the sword as I looked at the screaming, crying and begging and pleading bitch with a smile. “Now,” I next to his lower… torso, and pulled out a dagger from my belt. “Time for the finale.”

The soon-to-be eunuch stared at the dagger with horror, before he closed his eyes and began whimpering once more. “Please,” he sobbed, another stream of tears flowed down to his cheeks. “Just-just kill me already.”

I ignored his empty blabbering, pulling what’s left of his lower wear, revealing his definitely-not standing cock. Damn, I thought he was a sick bastard who takes pleasure upon pain.

Shrugging, and ignoring the asshole’s more panicked attempt to stop me, I grabbed the tip of his cock and lifted it to the air; my dagger’s sharp edge met the bottom of his penis.

“Please…”

With a swift motion of my dagger, and his cock came off from his body; depraving my brother of having a child and continuing the Redfield’s line, or having sex in general—Well, he could turn his body into a sex toy that those sick men in Sodom and Gomorrah usually enjoys.

The bitch screamed once again, something that was uniquely mixed with despair, and pain. Pulling out my wand, I burned the stumped tip of his cock, along with his testicles.

I stood up, groaning as I stretched my back.”Great,” I threw the piece of floppy sausage to the fool’s face, and slipped my dagger back to my belt. “Enjoy your life, brother.”

With a smile, I swaggered to the hall, ignoring the roar and curse from my useless, crippled, and damned brother. I walked down the stairs, opened the double door, and blinked in surprise. Well, not surprise, more like impressed.

Bodies, dead guards’ bodies strewn around on the courtyard, most of them headless, skinned, burned, froze, and even bisected messily. A single man in cowl stood in the middle of it all, waving happily at me. On his right hand was a head, a female one, and as I got closer, I noted the green eyes.

Ah, it's that idiot.

Lying beside his feet was a large skinned corpse, a Zweihänder in its dead hand, just like the partner of the dead girl. “I suppose you’ve done well, hmm?” Mr. Richard inquired, looking at my blood covered clothe before nodding approvingly. “Done like a true Redfield."

I shrugged. “Thanks, I guess, for your…” I looked around the corpse filled courtyard. I wouldn’t be surprised if this was going to be written in a history book. “Help.”

He waved the head on his right arm in dismissal. “The pleasure’s all mine. And this girl is funny.”

I chuckled. “I agree.” I looked at the horizon, the sun was rising. I looked back to Mr. Richard, who was admiring the head as he played with its muscles. “Well, I think it’s a goodbye. I hope I will never meet you again.”

I walked away from him, and to the gate, but before I could, Mr. Richard called to me. “Cain!” He had shouted. I turned around. “Catch!” The insane warlock threw five green-glowing balls—at the size of a bottle-cap— at me.

Dread filled my vein, and driving on instinct alone, I dashed and grabbed the five balls before it fell to the ground. I whipped my head, glaring at the damned, powerful and insane Warlock.

“Nice catch! Keep it. You’ll need it soon.”

I grumbled, looking at the five glowing green balls with dread as I walked to the gate, before I pocketed the damn thing, and rushed to the city gate.

I found her curled up in a ball on the city’s wall. She perked up the moment she caught me, and jumped to my leg, nuzzling it as if I would vanish if she stopped doing so.

I smiled, picking her up in a cradle, patting her head lovingly. “I know,” I said, chuckling. “I miss you too.”

Our moment was broken, however, when a guard screamed “Halt!” behind my back. Then I suddenly remembered what my outfit was covered with.

I ran to the city gate, and away from the city.

I blamed everything on living with Mr. Richard in three months.

Author's Note

Edit: I ain't gonna use Import Gdoc evah. Fuck that shit.

Chappie 8

Headache.

Pain, unbelievable pain, as the abusive husband in my head returned from his momentary existential crisis, before he went ‘fuck-it-all’ and invited his friends of gay sparkling vampires to rape his transvestite wife, that is my head, whilst the husband beat the abused wife’s face repeatedly with his ten inch cock, all the while screaming, “How do you like that, you whore?!”

I groaned, grimacing as I cracked open an eye—thank the gods, these ponies had invented curtains— expecting to see a slumbering Time Turner. Instead, there was only a small piece of note whence Time Turner had slept before.

Thanks for the night—TT, it read.

Swinging my legs to the side of the bed, I was suddenly aware of the dryness in my throat as the husband in my head decided to force-feed his ten inch cock, and never ending spurting thick cum into the wife’s throat.

Tiredly, I glanced at the pink nightstand, blinking as I found a glass of—presumably—clean water. I took the glass with my slightly cum caked palm, and gulped it greedily, absently thanking Time Turner’s foresight.

I placed the glass back onto the nightstand, letting out a relieved sigh as I stared blankly at the ceiling.

I just fucked a male horse.

I sighed again, this one in tiredness, raising myself from the cum-covered bed, and walked to the bathroom, undressing myself and took a quick shower.

That done, I used the clean part of my robe to dry myself, before walking back to the room, took my bag, and reached down for Rarity’s gift; a gift, because she didn’t want me to pay for it, nor did she ask me for a favor.

I was pretty sure gifting is done for the purpose of getting a favor, but she didn’t, thus, I suspected that she’s not that savvy, despite being a Unicorn, and by the general rule of this world, a mage.

The guys working in the Research and Development department back in Camelot would probably volunteer in getting tortured by Imperials if they could get their hands on this kind of Unicorn. But then again, the Safety department would probably murder those researchers before they could, in order to prevent another Demi war.

Oh, and raising the ire of a demi-god-immortal ain’t exactly desirable. Unless if they frame it to the Imperial. That would be great!

I ripped apart the gift wrapping. There were three pieces of the set in which I requested to Rarity, stacked upon each other. The first that caught my eyes was the main piece of the set.

It’s a brown sleek long robe with a hoodie hanging on its back as I pulled it up on the air, its long sleeves completely covering my rune-carved arms. A small picture sewed on its right chest, the symbol of the Redfield; a blood stained tree, and red buttons hanging on its front. Nothing really special, really. Well, not yet, anyway.

I put it aside carefully on the nightstand—cum is bad for your clothes—and grabbed the second piece, a pair of, well, brown and slightly red trousers. Again, like the previous piece, it’s nothing really special, as was the next clothing, a simple white T-Shirt, put under the long robe.

But I was going to make them special.

Happy with Rarity’s tailoring skill; I nodded in satisfaction, and don all of them, with a spare boxer I always kept. I moved around it. It was flexible, and light, probably could use a rune to increase its durability.

Now all I need is a dozen of daggers, souls, throwing knives, and a pair of sunglasses.

Putting back into the back of my mind, I slung my bag over my shoulder, and wore my only leather boots, before heading to the door.

And straight into a pissed Nero; glaring at me with her golden iris from the ground, before with an impressive jump, she reached to my face and unleashed her hellish claws onto my poor, poor face.

Stinging claw marks sang in delight as I covered my face with a palm, giving my angry familiar a stare through my fingers. “I’m sorry?”

You better be! She hissed, stomping the floor cutely. You left us alone in the godsdamned party to fuck a stallion. The least you could do is to leave me some catnip!

“What were you doing in there, anyway?” An irritated Ruby chimed in, giving me a nasty stare. Not that she knew she was chiming in, of course.

I shrugged. “Sex,” I answered, grabbing a pissed Nero into a loving cradle as I scratched her calming spot; her soft belly. She squeaked in protest, but I ignored it, and it slowly turned to senseless purring.

According to Nero, after we traded a little part of our souls, she had told me that the experience of belly rubbing was like “Having the ultimate orgasm, without the sexual part… I promise.” The last part was a bit redundant, in my opinion, but it’s a good thing to learn that you could actually non-sexually molest your familiar.

Ruby went cross eyed as I walked downstairs. “Isn’t that something that could only happen to a mare and a stallion? How is sex possible with stallion and a stallion?” Her frown turned constipated as she tried to solve the mystery of ‘gay sex’.

A small part of my mind suggested that telling an old ghost with the mind of twelve years old isn’t a smart idea. I ignored it. Kids had to learn.

I blinked when I reached downstairs. It was clean. Very clean. Spotless, in fact. As if there wasn’t any some sort of a boring party from last night. It was fairly empty, except for the four ponies, three Pegasus and one mad pony, sitting on a table in the corner of the room.

Three of them wore a golden armor, their helmets placed on the table as they listened to the pink devil blabber some shit, all the while drinking something. Weird thing was, all of them had the same coat color of pure white.

Either they’re triplets, or have an enchanted armor—of which I was going to inspect, if I was right—, or a byproduct of inbreeding.

Regardless, I’d suspected they were Celestia’s late escorts to… Canterlot. I confirmed that they were indeed Celestia’s late escorts when they froze after Pinkie pointed a hoof at me, and exclaimed. “Good morning, Psychie!”

A pet name? Great, and what will she do later? Asked me to fuck her raw in her heat? Rape me in public? Kidnap me and forced me to be her mindless sex slave for life? Regardless, she was smiling, as usual, but there’s a dark line under her eyes.

Which led me to guessing that her room was where I had my last night tryst, though she seemed quite happy about it; I guessed that it because I was happy to fill my sex-need, while using her bedroom, which by proxy, made her party good.

What a weird pony.

“You’re from Celestia, right?” I gruffly asked, pulling a chair from another table and sat on it.

One of the guards, a stallion, bristled. “I recommend you infer Princess Celestia with her proper title, ape,” he hissed. The other guard put a calming hand over his shoulder.

“I’m sorry,” the guard apologized, smiling a tad forced. “Though I do want you to refer our ruler with her proper title, please,”

I waved my hand dismissively; the third guard stayed quiet, though there was a small amount of mirth in his eyes as he watched his compatriots, and Pinkie? She winked at me; subtly pointing at the mug-of-something that I was sure wasn’t there before. I blinked, before shaking my head, taking a sip at the drink, a nice Sakura tea.

I promised myself to solve the mystery that is Pinkie Pie, counting that I was going to visit Ponyville again.

“Let’s introduce ourselves, then,” I offered, faking a friendly smile. “My name’s Psyche.”

“My name’s Sun Strike, though my friends usually calls me SS,” The third one, Sun Strike answered, before nodding two the second one. “That’s Night Wing, ironic, I know, considering what we’re guards of,” he ignored Night Wing’s glare— ah, this one is going to die a gory death, it seems— before turning to the first guard.

He immediately snickered.

The first one—presumably had a bad mother, uncreative mother, or a slutty mother who didn’t plan on having him, and tried to throw him out—grit his teeth, glaring at Sun Strike. “… Sunflower,” he growled out, and being the little bitch with the bitchy name he was, angrily stood up from his stool. “I’ll wait outside.” He stomped to the exit.

I looked down, blinking once again as aside from the half-empty tea, a platter stacked with eggs was now beside it. I turned up to see Pinkie winking at me before walking back to the pantry, where she will play with her little cupcakes.

Night Wing glared at Sun Strike as I put a pleasure-ridden Nero onto the table, she flopped on her belly. Nudging her onto the plate of eggs, I grabbed one piece and bit the white part. “You better watch your mouth, Private Sun!” Night Wing said through his glare.

Sunny scoffed, shooting Nighty an incredulous look. “We’re all still privates, Night. You are, as I am and Sunflower. Heck, let’s face it; we’re all probably going to be privates in our whole lives.”

Nero finally stopped having a non-sexual orgasm and started nibbling the egg on the platter, though not without letting out purrs in between bite.

Ruby, meanwhile, acted like a street orphan bent on the road of world domination after watching other people could eat good food while he couldn’t, because he didn’t understand the importance of a job and that being a beggar is not a job, and that selling your body always works.

Especially when you sell yourself to the should-be-tortured-and-killed groups of old men who like it young, raw, soft, and squealing like a newborn pig.

I took another sip of my tea, before offering to Nero, who licked on it gratefully. “Whole lives, really?” I asked curiously, raising a skeptical brow.

Strike grumpily nodded, glaring at the poor table. “We, the Solar Guards, don’t get to do anything. It doesn’t help when there’s nothing to do in Canterlot except standing still like a statue, and…” He paused, sighing as he looked at me. “Look, it’s not like we don’t like serving under Princess Celestia’s benevolent command, but it’s just… the reason why I—I don’t know about Night Wing— joined the Guards was because I believed I would and could protect Equestria, and Princess Celestia from danger,” At this he scoffed, “but how can we protect something that can protect itself?”

I tilted my head, opening my mouth before closing them again. “What about other places then?”

He blinked, looking surprised. “What?”

“Well, Canterlot is the capital city of Equestria, and not only that, it’s also already protected by two Immortals, which I might add, are overkill.” I cocked my head, raising another skeptical eyebrow. “Aren’t there any place that needs more protecting?”

The two looked at each other, looking complicative, before Night Wing finally said, “Well, there’s Detrot, but—”

“Well then,” I stood up from my chair, taking a last gulp of the tea, and plucked Nero off the table carefully. “You know what to do. Let’s not make the one that could steal my virginal anus and turn me to ashes, to wait, shall we?”

I walked to the door, brushing the shocked and green pair of the golden wearing, whorish, and probably useless, armor. Oh, and Ruby; though she was more disgusted than shocked.

()_()_()

The plains of green grasses sparkled like a gay vampire against the sun, patches of blues and reds signified the plains’ variety. As we flew by those, the view of the capital city of Equestria, Canterlot, came unbidden, which was the same thing I had seen since two hours of flying or so.

“Foal Mountains,” Night Wing, sitting against me, pointed at the mountains beside the landslide-prone Canterlot.

“Why is it called Foal Mountains?” I idly inquired my temporary guide, stroking the head of the napping familiar on my lap.

He pressed a hoof to his chin. “If I remembered right, I think it’s where the Unification takes place, I think. I suppose it fits, as that’s where Equestria was found to begin with. I think.”

“You ‘think’ about the founding of your country?” if the law of Universe was broken, liquid incredulity would’ve spurted out like cum from my throat, covering the offending pony with my cum-vomit.

How could one say ‘I think’ about the founding of your country? That’s almost like saying “I think my mother is a whore” when she’s being raped in front of you by old moldy men while your father is fucking with your mother’s little sister in the background.

“Hey!” he hastily defended, a fierce blush formed on his cheeks. Ugh. “It’s not like the story of how Equestria was found is elaborate to begin with!”

I raised an eyebrow. “Well?”

He scrunched his face, looking at me in confusion. “Well what?”

I sighed slowly as my palm covered the entirety of my face, slowly dragging them down to my chin. “What’s the story, Night Wing?”

He narrowed his eyes. “I don’t know what that was, but—“

“Just answer the damn question, would you? We’re nearing Canterlot, and I want every information that I could gather, regardless whether or not I could look for them in a story book,”

He huffed, looking at the green plains from the carriage, completely ignoring the snicker coming from Sun Strike. “The story of the three Tribes, it’s called. Long time ago, the three tribes; Earth Ponies, Pegasi, and Unicorns, didn’t live in peace. The Earth Ponies are forced to labor, growing crops because of their innate magic. The Pegasi would live in the clouds and Unicorns in their castles. One winter, the Windigoes, spirits that feed on hatred were attracted by the amount of hatred and animosity caused between the three tribes,” he paused, taking a huge gulp of air before continuing. “Anyway, the disruptive thing about the Windigoes is that, in return of hate, they would cause everything around them to freeze, causing a long stormy winter at the time.

“Said winter caused the crops to freeze and die, while the tree sides’ food stocks diminished every each month. The Pegasi couldn’t do anything to control the weather, and the Unicorns were hopeless as well. After a meeting between the tribes involving about the current crisis, the leaders of the respective tribes decided to go on an expedition with their respective right-hoof stallions, without telling the others of course.”

He glanced at the nearing Canterlot before continuing once again. “Anyway, long story short, the three of the leaders found the same land, the soon-to-be Equestria, and predictably fought over it. More specifically,” he nodded to the Foal Mountains. “In there, and attracting the Windigoes in result. It was only thanks to their assistants, that they decided to work together, in which caused the Windigoes to vanish. Thus how Equestria was founded.” He finished, taking a last huge gulp of air.

I frowned, looking thoughtfully at the mountains. The word bullshit came first to my mind. There’s no way it’s that simple. That’s more of a fairy tale than a real founding. Granted, it was a brief explanation, but still. Was it really that simple?

Camelot was founded by the righteous Pendragon family, through many battles of faith and blood, by Uther Pendragon, who ruled for years to come. He was soon followed by the Victorious Arthur Pendragon, wielder of the Sword of Promised Victory, Excalibur, and with the help of his loyal mage, managed to expand Camelot into one of the largest Kingdom in the West and protected those living within it in Just.

True. If one would to be asked how Camelot was found, it would be still be filled with romances, overly exaggerated events like Lancelot's Betrayal, and whatnot. Still, it would be no further the truth. Lancelot did betray King Arthur by sleeping with his wife, and Merlin was a famous gigolo who had impregnated half of Camelot's capital city, Avalon, with his seeds.

Maybe I was seeing at the wrong picture? Mayhap it was less of a fairy tale, and more of overly dramatized history?

Regardless, I could still smell the lie from miles away. Perhaps it was just me being overly paranoid, but I had no doubt there's a hidden story in the story. And so far, I only three beings alive that would know about the truth.

Discord, Celestia, and Luna.

And like any mystery that came into my view; I would uncover them. Seek the truth. Maybe there's an immortal from that age that knew how it goes. Nonetheless, I needed my curiosity be sated. A mystery was created for the sole purpose to be solved, after all.

Of course, I would’ve to be subtle about it.

Before long, the carriage we were in arrived at Canterlot, soaring past through the marble-carved building and roads. Soon we entered past the Canterlot’s castle, landing with a small bump on the green courtyard. In the corner of my peripheral, I noted a pony standing on the side.

“Well,” Night Wing started, puffing his chest as he stepped out of the carriage. “Welcome to Canterlot, Psyche.”

I rolled my eyes, placing Nero in my cradle; I stepped out of the carriage. “Unless there’s a brothel in the Canterlot, then I won’t feel welcomed,”

Night Wing’s eyes widened as saucers, staring at me with utter befuddlement as his cheeks grew a pair of blushes. “What?”

I sighed, looking at him in pity. “Please tell me you’re not a virgin,” a snicker from the background made me look up, more specifically from Sun Strike. I sighed again, before looking back to Wingy.”How old are you again?”

“I don’t think it’s time to ask inappropriate things from the poor private, Mr. Psyche,”

Turning to the source of the new voice, it was a stallion, a Unicorn with a light gray coat, a slicked coal-black mane, and a brown pair of pupils. He wore a suit, something akin to the male-equivalent of that newly sexy good blooming fetish back in Terra. On both his flanks was a picture of a circular metal tray, with a glass of champagne on it.

“Nonetheless,” he continued, approaching with a certain calmness, and grace. “If you must insist, the largest brothel in the Canterlot is in the Lunar Street, but the most expensive one would be in the Pink Street. Both of them could be in the suburban area of the city, but where are my manners,” he bowed his head slightly. “Hay Due at your service, and I will be working as your guide for your entire stay in Canterlot; pleasure to meet you, Mr. Psyche.”

I blinked, staring at him. How long was it since someone called me with a respectful prefix? I shook my head. “Well then, I suppose we’re going to meet Celestia?”

He nodded. “Very astute of you, Mr. Psyche, but unfortunately she’s quite busy with her Day Court. However, she had told me to bring you to her at once,” he turned to the three guards behind me. “Thank you, gentlestallions for bringing him here,” And back to me. “Please, follow me.”

I shrugged, following him as he led us inside of the castle, and predictably into the hall of boredom, decorated with tapestries, potted plants in the corners, and stained glasses with pictures that looked oddly similar.

“They’re the bearers of the Elements of Harmony,” Hay Due explained after a moment of silence, noticing my staring at the painted glasses. “Each of the six mares represented the six elements of harmony itself: Honesty, Kindness, Laughter, Generosity, Loyalty, and Magic. They had saved Equestria a couple of times,”

He stopped suddenly, and pointed at a particular stained glass. A picture of a dark-blue Alicorn, wearing a pair of regalia with its eyes closed in a circle of purple light. From whence the purple beams came, were six miniatures of a familiar looking ponies.

“That’s the first thing that the Elements did after being blessed with said elements. Cleansed Princess Luna from the Nightmare’s corruption, or I believe it to be a corruption, preventing the corrupted Princess Luna to bring eternal night.”

I raised an intrigued brow at the butler. “You believe it to be a corruption?”

For the first time since our short meeting, he looked slightly uncomfortable, before coughing his hoof. “It’s just simply a simple theory. I believe that the Nightmare itself came from somewhere, and somehow, I believe that it’s not completely rid from this world.”

Not giving anymore explanation about his realistic theory, he stepped in front of another glass. This time, instead of a dark blue alicorn, it’s a chimera.

Well, no. Calling it a chimera would insult the plenty varieties of other sick, disgusting chimeras in the world. Head of a goat, horns of an antler, and twisted unicorn. Serpentine body, paw of a lion, claw of an eagle, wings of a bat and bird. Hoof of a buffalo, and feet of a lizard, with a tail of a dragon.

I’d imagined if I saw the real version of the creature, instead of a simple picture, I would easily take guess of what it represented.

My temporary guide made a face. “This is one is where the bearers sealed Discord, spirit of chaos and disharmony back into his prison stone. This is probably the biggest achievement of the bearers, in my opinion, to seal a spirit of chaos, one that could defeat the Princesses so easily.”

I made a humming voice, stealing a glance at the gray pony. “You seemed oddly knowledgeable for a butler, you know,” I off-handedly commented.

He nodded. “Yes. And I should. You don’t live almost your entire life working in this castle without hearing plenty pieces of information. Regardless, I think we spend enough times as it is.”

Half-surprised that he didn’t deny that he knew too much, I just shrugged, and followed behind him as he walked again, leading me to gods know where.

“This is so cool…” Ruby breathed behind me, startling me slightly. It’s the first time she spoke since this morning. “I never knew the Canterlot’s castle would be this large,” she looked around with wide child-like eyes, floating around like a ghost, passing through walls, before popping out with a giggle and glee.

“Wheeee!”

I shook my head amusedly. “Careful there, Ruby. You don’t want to get lost, now do you?”

“I can’t get lost!” she retorted, ignoring my useless advice as she passed into an oaken door.

Hay Due glanced over his shoulder, looking at me with confusion, before shrugging and turning back to leading to where Celestia is. Instantly, Ruby pulled out from the oaken door. Her face somehow green with sickness as she floated about to my shoulder, shuddering ever so slightly.

I raised a curious eyebrow.

She shuddered again. “I think I understand of Gay sex works.”

I widened my eyes, looking at the brown oaken door Ruby just entered, before snorting and turned to follow Hay Due again. “Good, that means you’re growing, and getting smarter.”

She let out a whimper. “If growing is like this, then I don’t want to grow,”

Ignoring her plea, I looked down to my adorably still napping Nero. “Hey, wake up,” I said, shaking my arms slightly.

In response, she grumbled, and batted my shaking arm. “Shut up, and let me sleep,”

My eye twitched, before I sighed. “You’re getting fat, you know? You’re going to be like that Opal cat from the boutique,”

She twitched, cracking her eyes open and glared at me with the ferocity of a cute eldritch abomination. “Fine,” she grumbled, struggling under my cradle, settling herself up until she was hanging vertically, her head facing Hay Due’s buttcheeks. “I’m awake. Happy?”

I frowned, raising her up until my chin settled on her head. “I was hoping that you would get off, and burn that fat. But I suppose this is fine, as well. Beside, who needs a fit familiar when you could have a fluffier, cute, and more dependable one?”

She nuzzled my face, chuckling as she did so. “But aren’t you that fit familiar, o master?” she cheekily retorted my rhetorical question, earning a snort and soft bop to the head with my chin.

“What do you think is going to happen?” I whispered curiously. I knew what was going to happen, but a part of me, took caution in the air. Besides, it’s good to have others’ opinions on things. That’s the purpose of having a familiar: To keep one from falling to madness, and to keep one from being narrow-minded.

She looked up at me, before shrugging and went back looking at Hay’s cheeks. “I think we’re going to talk with Celestia, and then she would give us a mission or something to prove whether or not we’re not some Imperials traitoric bastards?” She paused, looking at me in confirmation.

I nodded, lifting her up to my shoulder, much to her disappointment. It was the same thing I had said before, whence I encountered the second ruler in my life. Gerald Harandine, an emperor of some tiny unimportant kingdom out in between of Camelot and Imperial.

Promised to hide me from the various hunters of my life, and then hired me—more like threatened me—to do plenty of dirty jobs. In the end, he sold me to the Imperials, and at the same time, Camelot. It’s a good thing I killed his family, beforehand, brothers and sisters as well as his sons and wives.

The only good Imperial conspirator is a dead Imperials conspirator. Granted he’s not dead, but I’m pretty sure I destroyed pretty much the entirety of his life.

“Or maybe she just wants a talk,” Nero added, after a brief moment of feet and hooves pattering the porcelain floor.

“In which, if it’s the case of the former, you will—“

“I will be with you.” Nero cut me off, glaring at me with those impressive golden slits. A hint of hurt crossed them before it was gone.

I sighed, biting my lips as in thought. Truth was, I was fine with taking Nero into the possibly dangerous quest from Celestia, but there were too many random variables in the way. There’s the spirit of chaos on the prowl, probably watching me right now. Then there’s that feeling telling me that taking Nero would be a bad idea and that leaving her alone may as well be a bad idea.

“Fine,” I conceded, sighing as I gave my familiar a small smile.

She blinked, before giving my cheek a lick, and nuzzling my neck. “Thank you,”

Conveniently, it was only moments after we finished our conversation before we arrived at a large wooden double door, a painting of the sun and the moon on each side of the doors, decorated with intrinsic embellishment and carving.

Hay Due turned to me. “We’re here,” he said calmly, before pushing the large door slowly. The door opened, nary with a sound.

The room we were led was apparently something akin to the King’s throne room. Something in which I was hoping I had the chance of visiting once I had the enough money for travel, before the fool poisoned my sister.

The things I would do to just meet the King.

Stained glass adorned across the wall, with few pillars holding the roof, the white marble floor reflecting the room’s checker-painted ceiling. And in the middle of the room was a long red carpet, trailing to the main entry from the throne itself.

There, sitting by her haunches on the excessively large golden throne was the one and only Celestia, a warm smile on her face. A few guards stood on the side, their eyes flicked at me, before returning to their vigilant stance. I assumed that Celestia had told them about me.

Hay Due stepped from my side to the red carpet, and bowed deeply, before returning to his graceful self. “Your Majesty, I’ve escorted your guest,”

She smiled, rising from her throne, and nodded at the butler. “Thank you, Hay Due. You could stay for now, or perhaps you want to visit your sister?”

“Ah,” Hay Due smiled, giving Celestia a quick bow. “I probably should do that. I haven’t even picked her birthday gift. Thank you, your Majesty,”

She shook her head softly. “You’re welcome. I’ll send for you when I need you,”

He nodded, before trotting back to the door to my back. “Best of luck, Mr. Psyche,” he whispered as he passed myself, leaving the room.

I mentally raised my eyebrow. Should I take that as warning that Celestia would do something nefarious to me, or is it just a simple plain ‘Good luck’? Despite myself, I calmly stood to the middle of the room, watching as Celestia looked at the guard beside her.

“Tell the ponies outside. The court is adjourned and you’re all dismissed,” she said; a brief note of relief in her voice. The guards gave the princess a salute before they all walked to the previous back door, while one of them trotted out through.

Once the room was devoid of life but I, Nero, and Celestia—Ruby doesn’t count, since she’s dead—, she turned at me, giving me that smile; the smile that my biological mother would never give me. “Pleased to meet you again, Psyche. I see you’ve put up a new look,”

I waved my arm dismissively. “Yes, yes. I have a couple of guesses why I’m here, but since I don’t want to embarrass myself, so let’s cut to the chase, tear the hymen, burn the core, snap the neck, and all that jazz,”

The tips of her smile twitched ever so slightly in an amused manner. “Are such morbid metaphors a common thing within your kind?”

“Yes. But I’m not here to talk about that, am I?”

She shook her head. “No, of course not, just my own curiosity; can’t get enough information for a race you would possibly erase from the Earth if I found them harmful, right? But, please do follow me; I think it’s better to talk in a more private room,”

I quirked a mental smile as she walked to another exit, leading me to another long boring hallway, a place where people wait and wait until their deaths cometh. A place where the Mad ones gather and laughed as they kill and fuck—literally and figuratively— mortals just with their whims; where if a maid was to be raped, the men would surround her with their cocks standing vigilant as their hands forced the maid to satisfy their wildest of desires as tears of humiliation, pain and revenge poured out of the maid’s windows of soul.

No such things happened, sadly. Then again, I highly doubt there’s much crime happening in Canterlot, considering that the High Ruler of Ponydom is just a few minute walk from your neighborhood, or a few hours if you’re from other cities. The only exception I could think of was the ones faraway from Canterlot.

Soon enough, we stopped in front of a another intricately designed door with Celestia’s ass tattoo shamelessly strapped on the door, shamelessly shoving Celestia’s already large ass to whoever had the chance of being used as her sex relief.

I got the feeling that Hay Due is her sex reliever.

Regardless, Celestia opened her chamber door with a glow of her horn, before we entered into said chamber. Simplistic came first to mind as I observed her room; a few paintings of the sun and moon here and there on the wall, an ornate desk with a stack of papers, and in the middle of it all was an overly large king-sized bed.

“Nice room,” I commented.

She chuckled, walking to the side of her bed. “Thank you,” she sat down on the bed, patting the empty spot beside her invitingly.

I shrugged, sitting on said spot, ignoring the utter awkwardness it created with our close proximities. “So, why am I here, then?” other than confirming Discord’s imprisonment.

She shifted slightly in her bed, her face turned serious like the burning sunlight as she stared at me. “I want you to go to Martrosa,”

“You want to hire me of my service?”

She stood up from her bed, making me question why she was sitting on it from the first place, before turning to face me, her face grim. “Yes. I was planning to go there, solve the problem, so to speak, but I hadn’t had any time. I would have sent my guards,” she grimaced. “But I doubt they would do well. Then you came… well,” she shrugged.

I tilted my head, a twitch on the corner of my mouth. “And what seems to be the problem?”

She sighed tiredly as she shook her head. “I don’t know, but that’s why I’m sending you there. There’s something happening in there, the city suddenly isolated itself from the world. When we tried to send a group of my guards… they were never heard of again,”

I stood up from my bed, straightening my new set of clothes. “And if I accept, what will I get?”

“Ah,” the grim expression of hers cracked a bit into a crooked grin. “A mercenary at heart, aren’t you? Or maybe you’re an assassin? You reminded me of the time of old, where chaos and strife ran rampant. Where my sister and I had to mow through abominations just to survive,” she shook her head slightly, banishing her wandering thought, returning to her serious facade. “Regardless, if you do succeed, I will grant you an Equestrian citizenship, and more riches than you needed,”

I thought around it for a moment. That is, if there’s anything to consider about. If I accept it, then I would probably lose my life in a gory cruel death, or I will gain Celestia’s gratitude, and getting something like that from an immortal is priceless.

Of course, there’s the chance that she would stab my back.

I smiled, more out of habit than something real. “Well then, you’re in luck. That said, can I visit your garden?”

There was a relieved smile on her face, before it was quickly replaced with a curious rising eyebrow. “Oh? Why do you want to go to my garden?”

“I heard it’s one of the most beautiful places in here,” I lied through my teeth. “And since I’m here, why not?”

She chuckled. “Fine, just come here,” she said, and I did so, standing just beside her. Her horn glowed golden, and like my brother’s famous quick-shot, a blinding flash engulfed us.

I staggered to the ground, blinking the tears back as sweet vision returned back. I looked at where I was. I was in a garden, The Canterlot garden to be precise. I turned to the smirking immortal beside me; the son bastard of abusive husband began to follow his father’s footsteps and began hitting my head with his hand.

In the corner of my eyes, I noticed Nero was on the ground, groaning as she tried her best not to puke her breakfast.

I calmed myself, closing my eyes as I stood back onto the ground. Instinctively, I plucked the motion-sick Nero into my cradle. Ruby wasn’t anywhere near me. Opening my eyes, I stared at Celestia. Don’t hit her, don’t slap her. Smile, smile.

I took a deep breath before giving a Frontline quality smile at her. “Please don’t do that again, would you? I’d prefer not to hit you, and turn myself into a pancake,”

The sun immortal in front of me frowned, tilting her head curiously. “Is it really that uncomfortable?”

I nodded, looking away from the immortal, and into the jungle. Where is it? “Yes, yes it is.” Well hello, nurse! I skipped ahead of her, nearing to the statue of—presumably—Discord. His face was the very epitome of an innocent civilian—accidentally, or purposely— killed in the midst of a battlefield.

I touched its body, giving it a small tap with my hand. Hollow. Nothing was in there, no Spirit of Chaos and no Discord. It was either the Elements failed upon sealing Discord, or he had somehow escaped. Regardless, it confirmed my guess and theory.

I let my hand fell back to my side, turning around to meet Celestia’s narrowed gaze. “Now,” I started with perfect fake cheer. “Where’s the nearest brothel, and when will I go?”

Celestia blinked.

()_()_()

Merry Night, it read as I stared at the gigantic sign, plastered across the brothel’s building. Four ponies dressed in what I thought was a provocative outfit danced along the line of the building. They had blinked, and stopped once when they caught sight of me, before continuing back to dancing. The sun was beginning to sink when we arrived here.

Hay Due stood beside me. His face the very epitome of calmness as he stared the dancing whores with utter calm. Ruby floated just above me, staring at the whores with an uneasy look. A random thought crossed my mind, saying that it probably won’t be a bad idea going in with her.

I did the same thing when a random thought told me not to kill someone. I squashed it mercilessly.

Nero just perched on my shoulder, leaning her body onto my head as she stared at the building with sleepy eyes of boredom. “Do you know who’s in charge?” I asked my temporary guide.

He nodded. “Merry Night,” he simply answered my question.

Right. I think I was getting the idea that Equestria isn’t that smart on naming things. That or they’re secretly a mad species of Xenophiles that should be burned to the ground along with its babies, organs and Organs.

I gazed at the sky again. The sun was beginning to sink, and the moon to rise, marking the start of the Night life. I shrugged, looking at the ever so calm Hay Due. “Lead the way,”

He did just that, taking lead as we entered the brothel. We stood in a lobby of some sort, a desk in the middle of the room, and two hallways on the side leading to where the party starts. Prostitutes wearing skimpy outfit strewn about in the lobby, before all of them froze as their eyes caught my presence, and then they looked at the butler beside me before shrugging and went back to their business.

Huh.

“Hay Due!” One of the prostitutes exclaimed, a Thestral if I was correct. A creature of the night, assumed to be one of the few pony sub-species, a species founded and nurtured by the Princess of the Moon, Luna. Said thestral preceded to glomp the fuck out of Hay.

“Day Hue,” he said in reply, his voice muffled by Hue’s strangling glomp.

“Oh! Why are you here? Are you going to visit me? Oh, did you know that it’s okay for a non-blood related siblings to have an intimate relationship? Is that why you’re here?” She squee’d in excitement.

The thestral, Day Hue, was a mare with a blue-gray coat, and a cobalt blue mane, tied in a ponytail. Her bright blue-slit eyes burned in glee—or is it arousal? — As she hugged the living fecal matter of my temporary guide.

I figured when his face was gone from gray to odd blue, it was about time to intervene Day Hue’s odd method of killing her own brother, and proceeded to pull the thestral away from my guide. A part of my mind assumed that if she was accidentally kill her brother, she would probably preserve the body, lock it in the closet and use it for her eternal sex relief.

Hay Due took that moment to take a breath, his face returning back to its original as he gave me a nod of thanks, before turning back to his sister. “My job. Yes, no, yes and no.” He answered, before smiling as he hugged her sister back. “Happy birthday,”

“Hey,” Day Hue giggled embarrassedly, returning the hug, and after a moment, pulled away. “So,” she purred, turning to me with a sultry smile and half-lidded eyes. “How can I help you, Master?”

Out of the corner of my eyes, I noticed Ruby blushing and Hay Due slapping his own face. In any other time, I would probably pay her for a night, regardless if she’s my guide’s sister, however... “I want to meet Merry Night?”

She froze. Well, no. All of the literal cocksuckers in the room froze as they all stared at me with that Deer-on-chariot expression. The merry and sexy air in the air turned stiff, like an erected cock, except this time, the cock was targeted into mine anus.

She shifted uncomfortably under my stare. “Uh, do you have any appointment with the boss—“She shook her head lightly. “Actually, never mind. I’ll just bring you there and leave to have a very intimate talk with my brother.”

We followed as she walked to the door behind the desk. The crowd all-over we dispersed back to their work as they prepared for the start of the day. Few naked ones walked back to one of the hallways, probably picking up their designated outfit.

Upon reaching the door, Day leaned down and began whispering a string of inaudible words. I turned to my butler, raising an eyebrow.

He shrugged. “I’m sorry, sir, but I’m not privy about my sister’s work. Nor is she about mine,” he smiled softly as Day leaned back as the door emitted a clicking sound, like a ticking clockwork. “But I do care about her, regardless of her... occupation and expressive desire of having foals with me.”

I chuckled, patting his head. “I’m sure about that. Big brothers have to take care of their little sisters, and all that, right?”

There was a final click from the door, before it opened by itself, leading into a staircase to what I guessed to be the second level of the brothel. Day let out a sigh of relief, before beckoning us to follow her as she climbed up.

“Anything I should know about Merry Heart?” I asked as we climbed up the stairs, Hay by my side and Hue leading us. “Like what she likes or what are her preferences?”

Day bit the bottom of her lips, looking completely adorable as she did so. “Well, she’s a bit temperamental, brash, and loud, and alcoholic, and has a gambling addiction, and loud, and likes to play with whips, and uh,” she looked over her shoulder, a sheepish expression on her face. “I probably said too much, but she’s still a good pony,”

“Ah,” I wondered if the perpetrator of this business would accept my offer. There’s a possibility of a no. After all, it seemed to me that Equestria wasn’t the kind of country that needs any protections, or someone to do their dirty deeds. “What about your brother, then?”

I heard a sigh beside me as Day smile dreamily. “I love him. He’s not actually my blood-related brother you know?” She closed her eyes as her smile turned into something nostalgic. “We were orphans, you see, and Hay Due was already out of the orphanage when he hit twenty. We were close, and I thought we wouldn’t see each other again. The next day, he went back with a cutie mark and a bag of bits. Next thing I knew, he adopted me,”

“Wouldn’t that mean he’s your father?” I raised my brow in askance. Is there an option to adopt someone as a brother? Equestria law isn’t exactly clear, not that I ever read it anyway. I wouldn’t be surprised if having sex in public is an okay. I would abuse said law if it exist.

She made a humming noise. “Technically,” she smirked, glancing at Hay. “But big bro loves it when I call him that. He even insisted on calling him with the Neighponese equivalent of big bro, before I could have his foals.”

Hay rolled his eyes, a soft smile on his face. “Our age difference isn’t that big,” he answered simply for my question.

Ruby suddenly flew up to my face, floating an inch away from hitting my face. I stopped. Her face gray face flushed in red as her breath paced. “Uhm, Cain? Can I look around the place? You know, I think growing up is alright,”

I opened my mouth, but before I got any say about it, she quickly phased through the walls, shouting a loud ‘Thank you!’ as she did so. I shut my mouth. “Huh. It seems Ruby has found her identity,” I noted, and my familiar snorted softly.

Day looked at me strangely. “Um, who?”

Before I could answer, Hay put a hoof over her shoulder, shaking his as he did so.

Day furrowed her brows, before she simply shrugged and returned to climbing over the stairs. Soon enough, we reached the end of the stairs, a door with a sign hanging on it. “Merry’s office,” it read.

Hesitantly, and with an audible gulp, Day knocked on the door in a way that would make abandoned puppies in the dark alleyways to squeal as a sick-and-should-be-purged man proceeded to serve them as a biological masturbator or as a source of protein for the homeless.

Contrary to popular belief, dog meat is actually good. Tasty even; there’s that unique chewy and soft texture in it. That is if you could bear the scorn, disgust and occasional beatings from your dog-fucking society.

There was a crashing noise from inside, followed by a slurred groan. “Who’s there?” the mare inside questioned, her voice slurred with a lilting accent, reminding me of that small kingdom west of Camelot.

Day cringed, before clearing her throat. “A guest, ma’am,” she answered softly, but loud enough to be heard.

A slapping noise followed by a thump was her response. “Ugh, it’s not Roadie, right? If it’s him tell him to buck off and never come back or I’ll sic your brother on him!”

A look of discomfort crossed said brother’s face, before it was gone as he cleared his throat. “It’s not Roadie, Ms. Night. He’s still in the hospital after last week,”

“And this one is different, wants to talk business with you, ma’am,” Day chimed in, surprisingly uncomfortable for a girl that expressed her want of incest publicly if her fidgeting was any sign.

Silence came from inside, before the door before us were covered in a soft pink aura. “Why don’t you say so? Come on in!” with a click from the door, the wooden entry jarred open, revealing the glory of Merry’s office to my eyes.

The room was a mess.

Bottles and cans of various alcohols strewn about the floor, some of the bottles a shatter by gravity, or thrown as an improvised projectile, and on the green wallpapered walls hung whips of many kinds, from barbed to the one with the tentacle-like shaft.

In the middle of the room was a long desk, a stack of papers on top of it, and a stack of bottles on the side of the desk. Behind said desk was the most comfortable looking armchair ever, with Merry Night sitting on it, almost half her body swallowed by the plush of the armchair.

She was a unicorn with a pink coating, and gray mane. Her flanks were obscured by the armchair, and her pair of cheeks was dominated with red blushes; a bottle of indiscernible alcohol floating by her side, outlined by her pink magical aura.

The scent of vomit and alcohol hit our noses second, and Nero was forced to hop off of my shoulder and ran downstairs. Both ponies looked about to just waste their lunches.

She pointed her pink hoof at me. “Why in Celestia’s name s’there a furless Diamond dog standing in me office?”

I grinned fakefully cheerful, striding to the chair in front of the desk silently relishing in that scent of nostalgia—despair and loneliness— before I sat on said chair. “I’m a human,” I offered my hand to her. “Nice to meet you Merry Night, I’m Psyche, and the two behind me could go away now,”

There was a whooshing behind me, followed by the door closing with a click.

Merry glared at me, rolling her eyes. “Right, Humandy Diamondy. So, what do you want, dog?”

I resisted the urge to smack the mare’s head as I placed may elbows on the desk, ignoring that sticky feeling I felt. “I need a helping ha- hoof for something,”

She raised an eyebrow, leering at me. “Helping hoof? If you want a hoofjob, then you’re asking the wrong mare here, doggy. Then again, I suppose clawjobs aren’t that fun, eh?”

“No, not that kind of helping hoof. I doubt yours are better than the one downstairs,” I denied as I eyed at one particular blue bottle on the corner of the desk. “No. I want information.”

She narrowed her eyes, taking a chug of her floating bottle, before settling it back on the desk. “Information, eh? What kind of information you looking for ‘ere, doggy? I don’t take kindly of helping you slavers’ cunt.”

I blinked. “Slavers?” I tilted my head, an incredulous expression on my face, Diamond dog, a canine themed race with a common tendency of slaving others. For a brief moment, I actually considered whether or not I should pursue Divinity.

I crushed said thought mercilessly.

“Yes, slavers,” she blinked this time. “Wait, you don’t know about that?” then she proceeded to look at me with pity. “I don’t know whether or not I should laugh or get you a free pass with one of my own,”

I sighed. “I’m not a diamond dog,”

“Oh, you poor puppy, there’s no need to deny yourself. I’m sure those cruel dogs can kiss their own asses, and you could just work here,”

I stared at her incredulously before I sighed. “Just look at my face, would you?”

She did. Her eyes narrowed at mine face, the red blushes on her cheeks fading slightly in concentration as she leaned forward. “Oh.” She leaned back on her armchair in realization. “Yeah, you’re not a diamond dog. Too smooth and civilized looking,”

“Good,” I nodded. “Now, does that mean you won’t have any problem in me asking for information, right?”

She licked her lips in thought, before shrugging. “Depends on how far you’re willing to get it. But I suppose you have your own offer?”

I nodded, and as I opened my mouth to confirm her question, I stopped. No, stuck would be a more appropriate word as I couldn’t move my whole body. The air behind Merry distorted and blurred as a woman came into existence.

The same red crimson hair, the same vibrant green eyes, flaring in twisted emotions—amusement, arousal, and attraction— with the same voluptuous body and perfect smooth hands. Psyche, the real name-bearer, the goddess of souls, and technically my main supposed God, along with my other supposed gods.

Slowly, she raised her index finger up to her lips, a cruel smile of various arousal followed by. “Not yet,” she whispered.

Absently, I noted the warm leaking sensation from my ears, nose and mouth, accompanied by the terrified screams of the whore in front of me, followed by an opening slam from the door whence I came from, before I was drowned back into the deepest depth of my mind, wherein I be forced to talk with a certain parasite.

Not for the first time, I cursed the day I took Mr. Richard’s offer for granted.

()_()_()

I opened my eyes, gazing at the area surrounding me with a frown. My same old mindscape. Still, I found my target quick enough, considering that she sat on a red armchair in front of me, a cruel smile on her red delicious lips.

I sat down on a quickly conjured armchair, staring at her eyes with a cold stare. Not quite showing my swelling rage, but enough to send the message.

The goddess in front of me may be able to twist my souls and turn myself into a twisted eldritch abomination bent on killing, destroying, and drinking orphan tears, but I’d stared down worse abominations. I’d insulted Mr. Richard, and I had stared in the depths of madness itself.

Finally, after a long silence of staring, her eyes grew annoyed as she clicked her tongue. “What an insolent serf, incapable of greeting his own mistress,”

“Just what in seventh hells do you want?”

She huffed. “Your mind bore me,” she simply said, looking the forest of books behind me with disdain. “Too much violence, war, and sex and too less art,” she paused, looking thoughtful for a moment before adding, “Well, your sex story is indeed entertaining, but it’d gotten old since yesterday. There’s no passion in it. Only pleasure and a sad addiction that simply needs to rot and die,”

“So I’m here because you’re simply bored.” I deadpanned.

She scoffed. “Well, of course I am. I’m sure tomorrow is going to be fun, no doubt, there will probably be houses burning, but I’m not a patient goddess, and I’m growing bored of your endeavor. Who needs buying information when you can burn it out of them? And I doubt there was any information you need to look at yet,”

“Because a certain sun Immortal will turn me to ashes if I threaten her ponies, and I would rather be prepared.” I replied flatly, my hand reaching up to my face, slowly sliding to my chin. “What now?”

“Well,” she shrugged. “You can wake up now. I think they already moved you to a hospital... no, an infirmary room, it seems,”

I arched my eyebrow. “They?”

“The golden guards, and your little companions,”

I sighed, raising my face to the looming red sky above the forest of glasses with a dry look before closing my eyes. “Fuck you, Psyche.”

And opened my eyes once more.

Two pair of eyes, one golden and another yellow widened as I did so, and immediately, Nero and Ruby proceeded to glomp the life out of me. Ethereal tears stained my robe as Ruby began to weep silently, muttering something about ‘I thought you were gone!’ and, ‘I was scared’ or ‘I don’t want to go back’.

Clearly, Ruby will need a lesson or two in Biology.

“You have a lot to explain, Master,” Nero hissed from my neck, despite her nuzzling said neck.

I winced. “No,” I answered—whispered—. “I won’t.”

“I see.” Nero stayed quiet after that, understanding coursing through our link as she continuously nuzzled my neck softly with a soft purr.

There was a lull of silence as I made a circle motion on the ghost filly’s back, calming her until she stopped weeping, though she was still somehow gripping onto my robe fiercely, making it nigh impossible to pull her away unless I wanted a new robe to request of Rarity.

Slowly, I stood up from my bed. My precious bag of holding placed upon the top of a small table beside my bed, untouched and unsullied. I stripped down my robe, making it pass through Ruby’s phasing body, and pulled my box of my sewing kit, taking a sit on the floor before beginning to work on my robe.

In instant, I noticed that Ruby was still clinging onto my body, despite no ghost-touch robe, and then I realized that I hadn’t enchanted my robe yet.

Huh.

Shrugging that off as convenient, I began to sew over runes and symbols under and over my robe. Runes sewed and intertwined, mixed and piled, over and before. All of them enhancing my robe with protection, and by proxy, me. Stanst was sewed next gar followed by another lines of runes, granting protection from stabby people, before they were intertwined and partied with another arrays of protection runes, further strengthening the protection.

It was therapeutic in a way; gentle motion, crafting a symbol of power, before crafting another beside of it, or on top of it, enhancing the runes’ original purpose or even creating a new usage of said runes.

Briefly, I noted Ruby peeking at my arts in curiosity and awe.

The wonders of Runes, the most underrated, but nonetheless beautiful arts there is in the world. To craft a nigh invisible armor out of a simple robe, creating explosives from a coin of silver or even grant one’s person to cast magic without a focus.

Granted, it’ll leave you sick and dying for weeks, but it was well worth the pain, considering the pain also involves enduring the fear of having your arms explode and the agony of self-mutilation.

A knock from the door disturbed me of my peaceful ritual, almost pricking my finger with the needle. I let out an annoyed sigh. “Who is it?”

A shuffle beyond the door answered my question. “Tis Luna,” the one beyond the door answered with a strange, olden archaic accent. “Can I come to thine room?”

I looked at my robe, an array of runes halfway done, a minor protection against lightning, intertwined with another completed array of runes, protection against fire, before my eyes trailed to another large blank spot in the middle of the robe, wherein the three layers shield will come to play.

I looked back to the door. “No.”

Silence came from the other side of the door, a shuffle, and a trailing hoofsteps through the long hallways of doom.

I went back to my robe. Next will be my trousers. One can’t be too careful, after all.

Author's Note

This chappie consists of my first, ever written, Self Inserts. If you can't figure it out, it's the Hay and Day sibling.

Chappie 9

Breakfast.

It was in that point in life, wherein everything just tried to simply fuck you over, that you began to appreciate the little things in life. Namely, having breakfast, to fulfill that strange hunger you only feel in the morning. The one that makes you want to strangle and grill a puppy.

That aside, I thankfully didn’t wake with a headache or pain of any sort, how grand was that! If I didn’t know any better, I would’ve thought I’m immune to any suicide-inducing headache by now!

Hay Due, my favorite and temporarily-loyal butler stepped by my side, leading me to where I shall eat that glorious breakfast. “What’s there for breakfast?” I drawled.

He shrugged that elegant looking shrug, which actually was not. “I don’t know, sir. I’m a butler, not a chef, but I’d guess today would be either waffle, or pancake,”

At that, Nero, my slightly obese, yet not-obese familiar perked up like a woman receiving her daily intake of Heroine. “There’s waffle?”

I rolled my eyes, petting my shoulder-riding familiar. “Calm down, Nero,”

She jumped, her face tilted to mine with that intensity I’d rarely see in my familiar. “But waffle!”

“Yes, I know, and there’s pancake as well,” I gave the startled Hay Due a look, and he continued to straightened his suit. “It’s a rather well known fact that Pancakes and Waffles give the consumer the power to go through the morning, regardless of how unhealthy, and diabetic it is,”

She grumbled in response, slumping her body back to my shoulder. “It’s not like I’m going to eat dozens of them,” she muttered. “It’s not like I’m that fat,”

I chuckled in response, and somehow chuckling makes me feel old. “You will if you’re doing less walking, and more shoulder-riding,”

She batted her paw at my face playfully. “And you can’t do anything about it,”

I smiled, rubbing that spot behind her ear like a very hungry slut. “I could, but I wouldn’t.” I admitted. “You’re a cat, after all, not a dog,”

“Still, waffle...” she whined.

I sighed, the smile on my face twitched a bit. “Yes, Nero, you’ll get you waffle,”

Ruby, I noted, looked utterly confused and slightly miffed like an ignored puppy as she glared at me, or rather, pout at me. “What were you talking about?”

I blinked, petting her head reflexively. “About breakfast. Why?”

“Oh.” She looked awkward at that, looking away from my raised brow. “Nothing,” she shrugged awkwardly, not shying away from my superior head-rubbing.

Idly, I thought I must be looking like the elder god himself decided to shove his ass up to Hay Due’s face. Hand stretched out, rubbing the empty space in front of me like some sort of a delusional lunatic after talking to his cat. Surprisingly, or unsurprisingly, he didn’t bat an eye at it, and continued to lead me to, hopefully, the dining room.

Our awkward silent-walk was broken by the one and only butler. “How are you, sir?” He asked, a flash of worry made it known to the world.

“I’m fine,” I drawled simply.

“Are you sure, sir?” He hesitantly inquired. “You were bleeding from your orifices yesterday. Made the madam and my sister to worry,”

I raised an eyebrow at him. “You’re not?”

He shrugged flippantly. “It’s in the job requirement,” he answered dryly, ending the conversation he himself began.

Well, not cryptically, since his answer was pretty clear by itself, and only a dick-brained idiot would think otherwise.

It didn’t take long before I was in the dining room. I looked around. Celestia, and who I thought as Luna, a blue alicorn with night-like mane, and a crescent moon on her flanks.

Celestia gave me that familiar smile of hers as my eyes caught hers, while Luna gave me a tired look, and slightly... nervous, before looking away and stared at her empty plate.

“How was your night, Psyche?” Celestia asked as I walked my way to the sit across the princesses.

I shrugged, taking a sit across her. “It’s alright,” Nero hopped up to the large table from my shoulder, resting comfortably on it all the while keeping her sharp eyes on me. “There’s a weird dream, but it’s fine nonetheless.”

Celestia quirked an eyebrow, while Luna, for some reason unknown, began to smile nervously, and by the slight twitch of Celestia’s ear, it seemed that she noticed it as well.

“R-really?” The not-mute Luna stuttered out. “What didst thou dream of?”

Ruby, apparently, decided pick the part of a clingy sis—companion as she kept on hugging me all the night and presumably the rest of the day as well. Her ethereal and small body twisted, and turned until she was hugging me snuggly once more, her head turned slightly showing a slightly pouty glare as she regarded the two princesses, or to be more exact, at Celestia.

Not that the princess knew.

“It was fun,” I answered truthfully, shrugging my shoulders. It’s a nice change from having the same boring nightmares, of how I would drown into the sea of blood, of madness, where my deepest of desire consumed myself until I break, die, or achieved it; regardless of the things I would do.

It starts to get repetitive having the same dreams over and over again all the while hoping the next time would be different.

Insanity, really, is such a weird concept.

The moon princess eyes flashed in confusion, before it was quickly vanished as her smile grew relieved. “We see,”

Celestia’s ear twitched in response. “Yes, that’s good to hear,” she nodded her head in agreement.

I hummed in agreement, and as if on cue, the door on the side of the room opened as servants-wearing-uniform pouring into the room, balancing trays of food by their backs. With the agility and flexibility of a trained sex slave, they began to set up the trays onto the table, shoving me with the view of their plump asscheeks.

I swore one of the maids gave me a flushed look.

Both of the princesses smiled at the servants, giving them a nod of thanks as they marched out of the room.

A movement from Nero caught my attention as her eyes darted to one particular plate: Roasted fish, carp to be exact, and by the look of it, cooked with only a small sprinkle of salt—not the most talented cook, it seemed. I looked up at Celestia with a raised eyebrow, who only nodded at my look.

“It’s usually served for the Gryphon’s ambassador,” she answered with a shrug. “And sometimes to feed the little ones in the garden, like cats for example. Or you, for another matter,” she added as an afterthought.

I snorted, pulling the plate from the centre of the table—ignoring the odd disappointed look from Luna— and pushed in to Nero. She needed it more than I do, after all. She looked at me for a moment, giving me that questioning look, in which I replied with another look. My familiar shrugged, and began to dig in with much gusto.

I in return, took an empty plate, and filled it with three fresh-looking carrot, beans, two oranges, three slices of bread, and a glass of milk—which I had no doubt was produced by forcefully lactating some innocent, and definitely sentient, calves, cows, or goats. Not the fanciest, but filling and nutritious enough to last for the day.

Or the next, and the next after the next day, and to the next day after the day after the next, then I’ll probably keel over and die of starvation. That is, if the dehydration won’t get me first.

The early meal proceeded with silence, accompanied by the clinking of table tools, while Nero ate her food slowly, relishing the taste of the only delicious food that we would have in the next few days. The clinging ghost shifted once more, looking at the food above the table with futile craving, and jealousy as she looked up at Celestia, eating her bunch of pancakes.

Luna was the first to finish her food, giving us a tired smile before she hurriedly exited the dining room.

Celestia was the first to break the silence as she put down her utensils. “Did you do something with Luna?” she asked with a not-so-hidden accusing tone under it.

I raised my sexy brow at her, taking a bite out of my last—sweet, crunchy, and juicy—carrot. “Unless she could go into my head and erased my memories, or rape me whilst I was asleep, then no, I didn’t do anything harmful to her,”

In response, she raised a single brow, before shrugging, taking another bite at her pancake. “I’ll ask Luna later then,” she said after swallowing her pancake. “That said, my royal guards will fly you to Martrossa later this day,” she looked uncomfortable for a moment, like swallowing bitter cum. “Unfortunately, they won’t be able to fly you right into the town, so we’ll be dropping you near the town,”

Ruby’s glare at the mention of Martrossa changed into a full-blown scowl as she informed the last information, before she twisted and dug herself into my chest.

Cute. I commented inwardly, dreading the path of Companion she was walking into. I sighed, before I chomped at the sweet round carrot. “When?” I asked.

“Anytime you’re ready, really,” she simply answered with a shrug. “Though it would be better if you’ll go after you’re done eating,”

I looked at my plate, one unpeeled orange left. I took it and put in inside my bag along with the other food I’ve pillaged from Ponyville. I stood from my chair, looking at Celestia dryly, my carrot held between my index and middle finger. “Well then, what are we waiting for, princess?”

After all, I still need to find the spirit of Chaos that which had condemned into this tree hugger and horse fucker heaven.

()_()_()

“Do we really have to do this?” My overly-clingy companion whined.

Once more, we were sitting in a flying carriage. The midday sun was blazing fiercely, and I thanked whoever it was to have the foresight to put a cover on the carriage. It was weird, I admit, to fly in the sky. Definitely not something you would experience every day, unless if you have a gryphon as a familiar. Or your friends have a gryphon as a familiar.

Thankfully, I have none. Friends and people who have a gryphon, I mean. Lest one of them would’ve already sic me with it for the heinous thing I’d been framed over; like how I was accused for raping John’s—some unimportant asshole— sister, Jane—another unimportant bitch—, where I just simply slapped her for being a bitch, and a dog lover.

The nerves of some people!

Though it was still amusing how confident he was when he challenged me to a duel and his look of terror when I decided to beat his catalyst-hand for 49 times until it was dead with my long, hard staff. It helped that it furthered the reputation the Redfield as a cruel and ruthless family, despite of what Lily had said.

I shook my head, pulling myself out of my reverie. Why was I doing that?

Ruby stared at me worriedly. “Um, Psyche? Are you alright?”

“I’m fine,” I simply told her, back rubbing my catnapping familiar. “And as you your previous question: Yes, Ruby, I believe I must do this. You don’t simply refuse a job offer from the monarch of a kingdom,”

She threw her hooves out, reminding me of a comedian on stage before an anvil turned him into red paste. “But you’re going to get yourself in danger!”

I rolled my eyes exasperatedly. Bad enough I got a clingy companion. What’s next? An overly attached companion? “Ruby,” I said calmly. “I’ve been in this dangerous business long before I met you. I doubt this one is going to be much different from my previous jobs. Besides, I already knew this job is going to get messy anyway,”

After all, a monarch doesn’t hire a mercenary for a simple fetch quest.

She glared at me. “Then if you—“

“Because, Ruby,” I cut her off, holding the need to sigh condescendingly. “I don’t like to delay the inevitable like a sick puppy looking at a random stranger, only to receive a boot to the side, or a large phallus object to the rump,”

She looked genuinely disturbed at that, shutting her mouth immediately as she scrunched her nose cutely, before opening it again—

“Is everything alright, sir?” The solar guards flying carriage shouted out.

“Everything’s alright, boys,” I shouted back, internally rolling my eyes as Ruby gave me a pout of defeat. ”How long are we from landing?” I asked to the guards after a moment of silence.

“Five minutes, sir!” the incompetent guard answered. “You can see Martrossa from here,”

I craned my neck to the small window, and true to the guard’s word, there it was, standing over the horizon, a small town, only slightly smaller than Ponyville, was Martrossa. And it looked like as if everyone had decided to say fuck-it-all and pushed their asses up to their beds, and made a sweet, sweet incestuous love like a proper family should.

In other words, the small town, Martrossa was a completely and utterly dead town. Granted, it was more alive than my mother’s eyes, but dead nonetheless.

In the middle the town, standing tall like a proudly erected phallus object in a cock festival, was a clock tower that would fit right in my hometown, unlike a pathetic orphan into a family of four. Forebodingly, or perhaps, more curiously, the hands of the clock were stuck at the time of 11:59.

Daemons came first to mind. Creatures of the Dark, born within the depth of the Undeworld with only a purpose to destroy everything in their lines of sight, and bidding their own times in their own time in the Underworld. They’re volatile creatures who will torture anyone around it to either further its rather obscure goal, or simply for the fun of it.

They also have a sense of theatrics, and apparently, their flesh is a common delicacy amongst Demon hunters alike. Something about it being rich in energy, nutrients, proteins, and has that tasty unique texture. And I wholly agree with them.

Soon enough, a few minutes or so, our carriage finally landed on the soft green field, far from the dead town, but close enough that we didn’t have to camp for a night. Plucking Nero from my lap, I stepped out of the carriage, and onto the sweet green ground.

I turned to the guards, giving them a nod, which they replied back like a good little boy and a salute later from the incompetent guards, they flapped their wings and flew back to Canterlot. I stared at the point of the Clock tower of Martrossa over the horizon for a moment, before I sighed and continued on my not-so sojourn to the dead city.

As I made my way to Martrossa, I put Nero over my shoulder, in which she draped her body on it like the lazy cat she was. Thankfully, the walk was silent, what with Ruby fidgeting in the air, squirming and scratching her hooves in discomfort. Of course then, she would rather destroy the momentary peace.

“I don’t think this is a good idea, Psyche,” she voiced her unimportant opinion. “I have a bad feeling about the town.” She added for the sake of redundancy.

I rolled my eyes mentally. “Well, that’s understandable, Ruby. But I’m not going to back off from a job. Never have and never will.” My mouth answered, keeping a lid over my bucket of warm and thick sarcasm. “Besides, you should expect something to go wrong when said job is given by the high monarch of a rich kingdom. And you should get used to it, since I don’t think Celestia will leave me be just after this job.”

She struggled for a moment, before her eyes set dead onto me. “Well, she can’t just do that!” she rebuked, throwing her hooves to the air. “You’re a thinking being, and I doubt Princess Celestia is that cruel.”

I gave her a flat look.”Ruby, she’s a pony ruler. A pony ruler rules over ponies. I’m not a pony, and nor am I am Equestria citizen. Why the hell do you think am I doing this?”

She opened her mouth, before closing them, staring at me with a deadpan expression. “That’s rhetoric,”

I sighed exasperatedly. “Yes, it is. No need to point it out,”

Silence reigned once more in our little circle as I was getting closer to Martrossa. “But what if you die?” she blurted out suddenly.

I chuckled, crinkling my brows in amusement. “Then I’ll die, Ruby. Nero will die with me as well, to gods know where, and you’ll either be stuck with my corpse, or back to whence you’ve come from.” She looked scared at that, the poor dear. “Not that you need to worry about it, since I won’t be dying anytime soon.”

Her mouth worked uselessly after that, doing the perfect impression of a goldfish, before she clamped it down with a shut, her eyes looking scared. “Please don’t die.” She whispered, voice shaking.

I rolled my eyes, and I think Nero did the same as well. “I won’t. Not until I’m back to my home world, at least. I heard suicide bombing is the trend nowadays, despite the thin string of peace between Camelot and the Imperials...”

I shrugged, and Nero looked at me with alarm. “You... won’t, right?” she asked slowly.

Snorting, I shook my head. “Of course not, Nero, I’d rather make people do the bombing,”

She sighed at that, giving me an exasperated look, of which I simply rolled my head.

My walk came to a stop as I stood in front of Martrossa’s gate. Curiously, a broken carriage lay on the ground few feet away from me, just inside the gate. That was probably the carriage the Celestia’s Solar Guards came here with. No doubt they were dead as a baby on a crossroad by now.

I stepped into the gate, staring at the interior of the town. It was as it was from the outside. Dead as a dead puppy after it received a knife to the side. Run-down buildings that looked like it had been left uncared for years, barely capable of standing up. Four skeletons of dead ponies lay by the side of the carriage, wearing golden armor suit.

“Psyche,” the ghost filly tapped on my shoulder. “What is that?” her voice was shaky, her hoof trembling as it pointed at something.

Following her hoof, I found myself staring into the blank eyes of a frowning skeleton, a child pony skeleton to be precise. It stared at me, jaws rattling like a trembling preteen girl after being fucked in the orifices by the corner of that dubious dark alley.

I stared back, lifting my hand as a ball of fire formed by the palm, runes glowing under my sleeve. I pushed more mana into it, and the fireball burned brighter.

In response, it stared at me, head tilting in a faint confusion, before it shook; bones rattling as it did so, before it slowly turned its body, heading to the barely standing house behind it. It moved to the house, paused as it reached at the wooden stairs, staring at me that made me think it was telling me to follow it, before entering decrepit house.

I shared a look with Nero, with her shaking her head, and with me shrugging. She sagged, sighing as she jumped off of my shoulder, and on the ground. Ruby stared at us in utter confusion, which I ignored as I sauntered into the house, following the walking skeleton.

It was a normal house, by the pony level, two stories tall, three windows on the front, staring at me like a pedophiliac priest. Entering the house, I ignored that itchy feeling and the smell of rotten flesh. The main room was separated into three parts, two of them leading to the either side of the room, while the third led us upstairs.

Nero sniffed around, gagging and shuddering in disgust before her head pointed to the stairs. “It’s up.” She said, hopping up to the stairs as I followed her, carefully leaning away from the rotted railings.

It led us to a dusty corridor of some sort. The lack of light from outside making it slightly harder to navigate, though I could see four wooden doors lining up on the walls, each of them had a weird marking.

Nero sniffed about the second story, leading me to the second door, where on the door was a mark of an old open book. I looked at her with an eyebrow, which she replied with a nod.

Shrugging, I easily pushed the door open; the sound of rusty squeaking filled the house, before it was fully opened. The sight within it elicited a gasp from the filly ghost floating on my shoulder.

Skeletons of various sizes piled in the middle of the room, skulls stacked against each other forming some sort of a twisted white pyramid, all of them staring at me, jaws baring open, forming the perfect tools for those skull fetishistic dickless assholes. On the top of the bone pyramid was a certain familiar skeleton, of a young skeletons, splayed like of a pig being raped after cooked, only instead of a mouth full of wrinkly grey cocks, it was an old, almost rotten textbook.

Large icicles formed on my left palm as I calmly moved closer to the skull pyramid; Ruby’s eyes widened in fear and surprise, while Nero slapped her face with her cute paw in exasperation. It was a trap, of course. Everybody who had ‘adventured’ for years should know that, and if they don’t, then they deserve getting their crotch bitten off of their roots.

And besides, ‘adventurers’ are bound to grow a tendency for taking things, albeit mine tendency had been dying down lately—though I had no doubt it will grow again—, and everybody knows old books are the best source of information, stories, and indescribable kinds of power.

Swiftly, my right hand moved to the textbook, swiping it from the mouth and plopped it to my satchel. Not taking any chances, my left hand slammed down to the skull, crushing it into pieces, followed by a desecration of the dead, courtesy of my leg kicking the works of the dead before me into ruins of cluster fucks.

Turning around, I walked quickly to the door, plucking Nero and plopping her to my shoulder. “Let’s go!” I shouted, quickening my pace as I ran downstairs.

Ruby followed behind me, a quick glance showed her wide fearful eyes as she glanced back. “Psyche, what they hay is wrong?!”

“Language!” I scolded, not that I knew what she meant, but I was pretty sure it was a foul one. My hand touched the handle of the door—wait, door? I blinked. “Shit.” I turned around from the door, and to Ruby’s pair of yellow confused and fearful eyes. “A trap,” I elaborated. “There wasn’t a door before. So let’s not open it.”

I didn’t wait for her response as I glanced at the other two rooms of the house, ignoring the rumbling coming from upstairs or the squeak elicited from Ruby. Taking a guess, I took the right doorway.

It was a kitchen, a dinner room to be precise. A long rectangular table lay in the middle of the room, dusty porcelain plates placed accordingly, with silverwears on the sides. Sitting on the left side of the table was another skeleton, wearing some kind of a business suit, eyes staring blankly ahead to the misplaced and dead grandfather clock.

Then the head creaked like an old pussy, moving until it met my eyes. I shot an ice ball straight to its head, shattering it to pieces of fragments. I looked around the room, looking for something to escape the damned house—bingo.

I moved to the kitchen part of the room, a curtained window planted on the wall, placed in a way so that the wife could see the outside while men raped her. The rumbling from behind became louder as it neared to me.

“Please... save me...”

Not taking in any chances, I opened the curtain, ready to jump out like a professional rapist. Only to find the outside was different. Ponies of all kinds walked about, bright smiles all over their faces as they walked by the house. Birds were chirping in the bright blue sky, and bunnies fucking like there’s no tomorrow by the side of the large tree.

I blinked, and blinked once more I felt something swept over me, and a certain lack of weight. “Nero?” I whispered quietly, eyes wide as I found nothing on my shoulder.

Or rather, my furry shoulder.

I blinked, before my body suddenly wobbled and fell to the ground like a drunken father, a headache coursed through my head as it thumped against the floor. Groaning, I rolled to my back, blinking blearily as I stared at the white hooves, carved with runes, pointing the... cleaner ceiling then at the hooves on my lower part.

Shakily, as I gulped, my... hoof moved my head, and somehow it was capable of feeling my face. And the discovery I made wasn’t pleasant at all.

I was a unicorn, if the sharp phallus object standing straight on my forehead my any sign, and apparently, I had a red hair—mane. My eye twitched, and a sigh of relief escaped my mouth as I found myself still clothed in my heavily runed robe, and my trusty satchel still on my body.

Only there wasn’t Nero.

It was a strange and wholly uneasy feeling to be without a familiar always by your side. For mages, they’re like that best friends from birth, the only one in the world that will do best for you. The only one who wouldn’t betray you, and even if you raped thousands of innocents, they’ll always be loyal to you.

It’s like that friend who will stay always with you through every situation, even if you’re that unwanted child in the family, the one who always comes late at school with bruises all over his face. They’re like that friend who will keep your secret to their death, who will still stick to you even though you killed his families.

They’re mages second pair of eyes, they’re the reminder of their sanity, and they’re that only thing that will make every mage to sacrifice everything to save them. To be without a familiar is like having your reproduction organ being ripped from the roots, or having half of you to be forcefully torn apart.

Quite literally, in my case.

I clenched my jaws, body shaking in cold rage at those who dared to take her away from me. I rolled to my belly, my hooves shaking as I tried to stand on four. I promptly fell to my side with a thud; a lance of pain fucked me right in the in the cranium as it thumped against the floor harshly.

Groaning quietly, I tried to stand, slowly and carefully this time. My forelegs wobbled as it lifted up my upper torso, soon followed by my hindlegs. I waited for a moment, staring at my legs with utter seriousness as I tried to move them slowly. I pictured how Hay Due, Celestia, Day Hue, or every other pony, walk, and slowly applied them to me.

It worked, to some degree. I was still wobbling right and left like a late drunk father. Four of my legs moved a tad wonky as I moved to the exit of the new-looking kitchen. The house was odd. It’d changed into something much cleaner, newer... or mayhap older.

A shriek of terror caught me surprised; my head snapped to the stairs, immediately causing my legs to be a tad of a bitch, and made me fell. I stared widely at the figure onto of the stairs; a young pony, a filly to be exact, just by the age of Ruby’s.

She stared at me with her bright green eyes, like a turtle about to be crushed under a carriage; her little blue coated body shook in a way not unlike that little girl who took the wrong turn at the alley. Slowly, she raised her tiny hoof up at me as I gave her a glare.

“Don’t.” I said.

She didn’t listen to me. “PAPA, HELP!”

The effect was instantaneous, as a door upstairs slammed open, followed by fast trotting sound, before finally a bright green Pegasus stallion with a mark of an empty paper on the flanks came to view behind the filly, brown eyes open in surprise. “Melly, what’s wrong?” he asked, staring at the little filly who will find herself soon orphaned, before following her pointing hoof to me.

His eyes narrowed, pulling the frozen ‘Melly’ behind him as he growled at me, “Who are you?”

I calmly—as calmly as I could get— stood up from the floor. “No one important,” I smiled fakely, nodding at the green Pegasus. “Now, excuse me, I shall go back to minding my own business. I assure you, I haven’t stolen anything.”

I turned around, ignoring the surprised look boring at the back of my head as I calmly strutted to the exit door, a rhythmic tapping onto the floor as I reached the front door, my hoof—

I blinked. It was a door knob, a round door knob. I stared at my fingerless hoof for a moment, before back at the doorknob. I sighed, fucking dirty idiotic ponies. Why the hell do they use doorknobs when they don’t have fucking fingers? Sneering in disgust, I used my teeth to twist the damned knob, ignoring the metallic taste as the door clicked open.

Looking back over my shoulder, I gave the confused stallion a nod, before giving the peeking filly a wink that made her eeped and hid back behind his father’s back.

Not giving them any time to respond, I exited the house—

And into a horde of angry looking ponies, pitchforks raised up to the dark moonless sky, lit only by torches, floated by someone’s magical grasp—it’s night already?— all of them glaring at me, a few of them snarling, and fewer spat on the poor soil.

I blinked, looking back at the house behind me, only to find it gone. I blinked once more, turning back to the horde of pissed ponies.

“You dare invade us without permission, steal from us, and proceed to leave without permission?” A mare strutted forward, sunset colored fur set in contrast with her pink glaring eyes; absently, I noted the lack of cutie mark on her flanks. “How dare you, you creature!” she spat, eyes positively brimming with hatred as she stomped forward to me. “You must be from the fake goddess. Yes, you are the fitting kind, aren’t you?” she stared at my impassive blue eyes, my previous surprise already leaking out like a menstruating girl. “What did she promise? Power? Freedom? Or maybe she offered you her body,” she let out, what I thought she thought as a cruel smile.

She turned, giving me her back, and that perfect view of her butt. “So what do you think we should do to him, ponies? To the Desecrator, and the one sent by the self-proclaimed goddess?”

“BURN HIM! BURN HIM! BURN HIM!” The crowd chanted collectively, the ground thumping as the clapped their hooves to the ground.

I rolled my eyes, moving silently to her, and struck her by the neck with my hard hoof. There was a satisfyingly loud snapping sound echoing in the street as the horde of ponies shut their mouths up, all of them staring in horror.

“What?” I asked, staring at them with a raised brow. “Burning people is alright, but when I killed your cult master, it’s not?”

The silent ponies glared at me, as we stared at each other, before one of them had the bright idea to scream, “KILL THE TAINT!”

I cursed, turning around, thankful that the house was now an empty spot, passing the house and into another street as the ponies behind me galloped to me, faster than me as they quickly caught up to me.

I flinched slightly as a pitchfork flew straight to my back, thankfully deflected by my runic robe. Not giving them any chance, I ran towards the closest house nearest to me. I glanced over my shoulder, immediately turning to the road, and galloped like a little bitch chased by a horde of horny male dogs.

Something sharp grazed my left hind leg, of which I ignored as I reached to the door. Turning the knob with my mouth, before I entered at slammed it close, my back leaning on the door as I breathed heavily. “Fucking horse body,”

I looked around the house. A relatively short stairs leading to the second floor, and another entry on the room leading to, what I guessed to be either the kitchen, or blood orgy.

Silently, I crawled under the stairs, my back leaning against the wall as I took a breath, a fitting string of words to describe over the cluster fuck I experienced in the last few quick minutes escaped my lips, “What the fuck just happened?”

Nobody answered that, unfortunately. Thus I turned to my satchel, my hoof feeling in the infinite space, before I, somehow, pulled the newest addition to my satchel.

“A thousand gold says this will give me a clue about what the hell is happening. And where I need to get Nero back.”

Author's Note

Sorry if this is a bit rushed. I'm a little bit sick, when I was writing it. And I tend to rush when I'm sick.

Chappie 10

Mystery.

It was that small nagging feeling I usually get from watching my father going out with unfamiliar women and got back home drizzled in cum and stank with alcohol. That poking feeling when I would hear the occasional scratching from the Redfield’s mansion’s bathrooms. And that rush of solving a deadly puzzle, a dangerously, deadly puzzle.

I didn’t know where it stemmed from, really. It had seemed to be just there from... the beginning of my life. To seek for the truth, to rip apart that shell with meticulous and sharp wits, to see inside of that mysterious shell, and the feeling of ecstasy as I looked at inside of the shell.

Anybody who knew of me, and weren’t dead, probably also knew what I’d dreamt of, before I realized my Rune Talent. Still, even though I no longer seek to be a detective anymore—Father screwed that dream before I realized my talent, anyways—, to be the one who seeks the truth, it still stayed as an obsession and an admittedly unhealthy one at that.

I still couldn’t forget that mistake I had done as a Frontline unit. Seeking some Imperial scum’s hidden dungeon, hoping for loots, gold or some important documents I could take, only to instead see a hundred of dirty, naked, disgusting elves. It was so horrendous to my eyes that it was almost worth my defiled eyes once I burned down the mansion down to crisp.

Thankfully, Captain Corpus was an understanding superior once I’d explained my part of the story. He gave me a sympathetic pat to the back, a pouch of bronze coins, before sending me to my merry way after telling me to continue my job like a proper Agent.

It was the same feeling I was feeling as I stared at the textbook balanced on my white hoof. Even though I knew the grim situation I was in, I still couldn’t keep the thrilled grin away from my lips. Sure, Nero was more important, but she wasn’t an obsession, and never will be. This, however, was.

I placed the book carefully on the floor as I leaned against the wall under the stairs. It was dark, but not dark enough that I couldn’t see words on the cover of the book. ‘Red Field’s Diary!’ it was written. And I ignored the eerie coincidence with her name.

Just a coincidence. I assured myself.

With great concentration, I tried to flip the cover. Tried, being the keyword, as it was bloody hard to use these bloody hooves. Only thirty minutes was I changed to a pony, and I was already missing my old body, my opposable thumbs, and my dickless forehead, and my sheath-less cock. It was only after the tenth tries or so, that I finally succeeded in turning the damned cover.

July 3rd

Dear Diary,

Today the school break is over, and I have to go to school again. I don’t want to, but Daddy said I must. I hate being in school, Ticking Clock is always being mean to me! He always mocks Daddy just because he worked for his father, telling me that Daddy is stupid and poor. He’s mean! And I don’t like him one bit. And Ms. Carol isn’t even trying to stop him.

I turned the paper again, clicking my tongue silently as the next was pretty much the same thing. A little girl’s brooding tool, about how she hated this Ticking Clock, followed by she loves his Daddy, and how she wanted to be with him forever. So I turned the paper yet again, skipping most of the unimportant part after a quick scan, until I stopped as I found a pretty interesting one.

July 10th

Dear Diary,

Today Daddy brought me fishing! I know it’s a bit weird, since we don’t eat meat, and when I asked, Daddy said we’re going to free them after we caught them, something about the thrill of fishing fish. It was supposed to be school day but Ms. Carol apparently called in sick, and there weren’t anypony could substitute her.

Good for her.

Coincidentally, Daddy took a day off from Mr. Clockwork’s Workshop, and we ended up fishing in the nearby lake. We caught plenty of fishes! Large ones and small ones, but we quickly freed them afterwards. Oh, and I caught a pretty shell from my fishing pole. Daddy said that shouldn’t be possible, but I took it anyway. It was very pretty with rainbow colors.

I quirked my pony-eyebrow, a pretty weird experience as my ears flicked reflexively with my brows. “That shell could be a medium for a demon,” I muttered silently, shuddering in discomfort as I heard no reply from my dearest familiar. “Right. Let’s get this done with.”

I turned over the page to a new one.

July 11th

Dear Diary,

The shell spoke! Well, not exactly, but it did sing though, something about wishes and stuffs! The voice is so beautiful, and it made me almost asleep. When I told Daddy about it, he just gave me a smile. I don’t think he believed me. But whatever! I’ll just listen to the shell’s singing.

I nodded resolutely. Definitely a daemon or it could just be some random magical instrument. Doubtful, considering what the hell was happening a few minutes ago. So, with that conviction, I flipped another page.

July 15th

Dear Diary,

I’m so, so sorry for not writing in the last four days... it’s just that I’ve been listening to the shell, and it... it told me that it could grant any wish I could imagine. Anything! I could wish for money, I could wish for Clock not being a meanie, or I could even wish to be with Daddy forever!

Anything I could think of. Anything. I could wish for! It even told me that I could get Mommy back!

I... I don’t know what to do with it.

July 20th

Dear Diary,

I’m sorry again for not writing, but the shell... it told me plenty of things. It said it could make everybody happy! It said it could do anything! And it kept saying the same thing on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on.

It won’t shut up! It won’t shut up! When I told it to shut up, it would instead ask me what my wish is. When I told it to wait, it asked what my wish is! It won’t shut up! Please make it shut up! Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please Please. MAKE IT SHUT UP!

Daddy... Daddy’s leaving again for work. He said I didn’t need to go to school today...

I narrowed my eyes at the page. On the white paper, there were a few red spots on it. I sniffed on it, hoping that my Equine sense would work. And thankfully, it did.

It was, predictably, blood.

Well, whatever the daemon was doing, it was working effectively.

I turned to another page, skimmed and flipped again, all of them filled with the same words; of her begging for the shell to stop singing. To stop asking the same thing and not a few of them contained some splotches of blood. One interesting one had a large hooflike splotch of blood.

Until I stopped to the more interesting page.

July 30th

Dear Diary,

Today Daddy took me to the hospital. My hoof is burning in pain, and my gum is torn apart, said the doctor. But it didn’t stop the shell from singing! I tried to throw it away, back to the pond, to the incinerator, but it always came back! I tried to crush it with hammer, but it doesn’t work.

It kept on asking the same question over and over again. When I’m asleep, when I’m napping, when I’m writing, when I’m eating, when I’m playing, when I’m with Daddy, when I’m with Doctor Heart, when I’m in school, when I’m taking a pee, when I’m washing myself, when I’m standing atop of the clock tower, when I’m everywhere.

Please... make it stop.

August 4th

Today I did a bad thing. It was a mistake, even Ms. Carol said so. Even Daddy said so! I swear, it’s just an accident. I didn’t push Clock to the ground. I didn’t punch him in the face. I didn’t kick him in the body. I didn’t crush his neck. I. Didn’t. Kill. Him.

It was the Shell. It’s always the Shell. It told me to do it. Yes! It’s the Shell. Always is and always will. Because it won’t stop singing, Clock is now not breathing. Because it won’t stop asking, Clockwork is now crying. Because it won’t stop singing, Clock is now six deep feet underground. Because it won’t keep asking, Daddy is now fired by Clockwork.

Yes, it’s all the Shell’s fault. Not mine. Not ever.

What was the question, again?

August 10th

Daddy didn’t come home today. I don’t where he was going, but he never came back. I waited until it is night, but he never came back. Why won’t he come back? Is it because of the Shell? Is it because it won’t stop singing? It is, isn’t it? It’s always the Shell’s fault. Everything is its fault.

Daddy didn’t come back, tonight.

August 15th

He never came back. Daddy left me, and now everypony is looking at me funny. All of them staring at me like I was a monster. When I went to school, they kept on staring. When I was on the Clock tower, they were all staring at me. When I was in house, they were still staring at me.

They’re everywhere. Wherever I hide, they will always be there. They will be staring at me like I’m some kind of a freak. They won’t come to me, but their eyes are everywhere. Everywhere, and anywhere. And it won’t stop singing.

August 25th

I have decided to take my wish. I want it to stop. I want everything to stop. I want everything gone. I want them all gone. I want Daddy gone. I want Clock Work’s gone. I want everything gone. I want everything to die. I want Ms. Carol to stay dead. I want Doctor Heart to stay dead. I want Salt Lick to die. I want Clock to die. I want the town to die. I want Martrossa die.

I wish for Martrossa to die.

And it ended from there. Beyond that page were blank white pages, nothing more, nothing less. With practiced movement, turned to the final page, because there’s always something in the final page, be it some sort of puzzle, or just random nonsense.

Except there was nothing on the last page.

Silently, I closed the diary, putting it inside my bag as I pondered about on the Diary. In the positive note, now I knew how Martrossa turned into this complicated hell hole, or at least the basic understanding of it. I still didn’t get how wishing everyone to die would end up like this.

But I could imagine what happened next. The girl wished came true, and Martrossa ‘died’ and after a few days without communication, it caught the eyes of the ever watchful Celestia. She then sent a group of her soldiers to investigate, except they never returned.

I had no doubt it grated slightly on Celestia’s mind. Then I appeared, and it seemed to be too coincidental. So she decided to ‘test’ me by throwing me to the city of the dead, which led me here, a pony with a cock on my forehead.

It’s funny how all this began because of a simple child, instead of some maddened adult.

On the not-so-positive note, I still didn’t know how to get the fuck out of this weird fuckhole. I sighed, massaging the ridge of my nose with my hoof. How that worked, I will never know.

I let out another sigh. There won’t be anything done as well if I stay in this place. Standing up, I was slightly grateful that it came easier than before. That would be helpful in running away from some gangbanging orgy.

I peeked from under the stairs, and seeing nothing within the dark, I tiptoed silently,—as silently as I could with hooves, which was as loud as my Mother being happily fucked by another man—but of course, the moment that I’d reached the door, a clicking sound resounded behind me.

A very familiar clicking sound.

“Don’t move.” It was a female voice, and by her tone, she was trying to be intimidating. If, you know, she was intimidating to begin with. “Slowly turn around. And no funny business.”

Slowly—but faster than I usually do, because I’m a rebel— I turned around, a fireball ready to be thrown if I had to.

She was standing on the top of the stairs, a unicorn if her pink glowing horn and the familiar looking object floating—a blunderbuss, by the small trumpet at the end of the muzzle— and aiming at me was any idea. Unfortunately, I couldn’t make out any detail out of that. For some odd reason, the world is okay that I could read slightly in the dark, but I couldn’t recognize a pony’s face a few feet away from me.

“Name yourself.” She growled out, a throaty ‘intimidating’ quality in her voice, that only made her sound like a woman being deepthroated by the local rapist.

I glanced at the blunderbuss, before shrugging. “Psyche,” I answered simply, tilting my head slightly.

She narrowed her pink eyes—or was it magenta?— at my equine face, before it travelled to my body. Suddenly, her eyes widened in shock. “You’re a stranger...” she whispered, her tone broken in desperate hope, and in disbelief. “But that’s impossible. Except...” she trailed her pink eyes— definitely pink—quivered, tears threatening to break from her eyes. “Dear Celestia... Please tell me you’re from the Princess,”

It didn’t take a genius to understand what she meant, and I nodded at her.

“Oh Celestia...” she muttered, a shaky smile suddenly found its way to her face as she lowered her blunderbuss. “W-Well come up here, then!”

I shrugged, relaxing my muscle and released the spell in the tip of my hoof as I trotted to the stairs, climbing carefully as not to trip myself in this damned hooves. She eyed me weirdly as I wobbled slightly, before she shrugged, her hopeful smile never changing as I reached to the top.

She was a pine-green coated mare with a braided dark-grey mane and roughly cut tail, I noted as I stood next to her, her large pink eyes regarding at me hopefully, before she suddenly frowned. “Wait, you’re just by yourself?”

I gave her a crooked smile, absently noting that her blunderbuss was lifted slightly to my hooves. “Not about an hour ago,”

The blunderbuss lowered once more, and the mare in front of me gulped audibly. “Oh.” There was an uncomfortable silence—for her— before she shook her head and walked into the left corridor of the floor, and without any words from her, I followed behind.

“Festive Carol,” she said silently. “That’s my name. But you can call me Carol,”

I blinked at her name, glancing at my bag, before a mental chuckle rang in my mind. Well, isn’t that a coincidence. “What happened here?” I asked.

She stopped for a moment, hesitating, before she continued again, and shrugged her shoulder. “I don’t know,” she whispered; her voice hollow and haunted. “It happened all suddenly in one afternoon.” She paused, taking a shaky breath, before continuing, “I was just minding my own business, teaching the foals in my class when suddenly the world shook, and everything changed. Most of the foals died, turned to skeletons, but there were few that were still alive. I took them outside...”

She stopped suddenly, exhaling a deep breath as I heard a choked sobbing coming from her. “And there were many skeletons, all of them dead. I brought them back to the school, but suddenly, there were no skeletons anymore. There were foals, grinning happily at me, giving me a cheerful welcome...” she let out a mirthless chuckle. “But it was all a lie.” She looked back at me, tears freely pouring from her eyes. “I don’t know exactly what happened, but everything changed. Every time I and my foals moved, things change, and they would attack us. Sometimes they won’t, but they would, soon enough. Sometimes we would find others who are real, but they would turn against us.”

She turned, continuing to walk in what I noted as a very long corridor. “You’re not alone, then?” I asked dryly.

A chuckle came from her. “No, I’m not alone.” She answered. “Though I have no doubt I will soon, or maybe it would be the foals. Last time, we met group of guards from Canterlot. They were here to help us, but in the end, they were gone. I don’t know where they are now,”

“They’re dead,” I provided her the answer, briefly remembering the skeletons by the gate of Martrossa. “Saw their skeletons when I came here,”

There was a momentary silence as we walked in silence. “I see,” she said, stopping once more, this time in front of a wooden door. “Well, here we are.”

Her hoof reached out, rapping on the door. “Merry, it’s me, open the door,” she whispered softly.

“Carol?” A child’s voice, a filly to be more specific, said beyond the door, soon followed by a closing soft clattering sound.

There was a clicking sound as the filly unlocked the lock, followed by the door creaking open, before stopping halfway.

In the corner of my eyes, I noticed Carol smiling in something akin to pride as she leaned forward to the creak. “Yes, it’s me, Merry,”

There was a happy gasp, before the door opened fully, revealing a small Pegasus filly standing over the door. She had a soft blue fur, and a blue mane and tail with stripes of white in the middle. Curiously, a patch of bandage was placed over her left eye. The edge of a slash wound could be seen around the edge.

“Merry!” she whispered happily, her wings fluttered about as she jumped to hug Carol, who responded back with a chuckle. “You’re back.” She mumbled in the scruff of her neck.

Carol chuckled, entering the room, of which I followed inside.

The room, just like the world beyond, was dark. I could make out silhouettes of items around the room; a small bed, a dresser, a nightstand, a desk, and a three breathing lumps under the blanket of the bed. I turned to the hugging pair next to me, before I shrugged, and shut the door close, and turned the key around with my teeth.

Carol shot me a grateful look, whispering soft soothing words to Merry. Merry nodded, jumping down from Carol’s neck, before an ‘eep’ escaped from her lips escape her lips as her right eye caught me.

“Don’t mind me, Child, I will do no harm,” I said softly, offering the Frontline’s graded warm smile—taught to be used to calm down children, except for Imperial’s or Elf’s—, patting her head softly with me hoof.

She ducked her head slightly, giving me a small nod, before glancing at Carol, who gave her a reassuring nod, before turning back to me. “My name is Merry Hearth, and it’s very nice to meet you, Mister...”

“Just call me Psyche, Child,” I answered her, my voice softened. There was an old saying back in Camelot, more of an unwritten rule, really.

‘The next generations are our future’ it says, told by King Arthur himself. It told us to care about the young generations; to watch, and guide them to the right road, where they’ll prosper, and live a fitting life. Because in the end of the day, the old will die, and the young will lead.

It was slightly sad to see a child staring at me with that haunted look. They’re too soon. Early bloomers like her won’t be a good tool for the future, too much traumas and too much sadness. I shook my head softly, releasing my hoof over her head.

She nodded, giving me a small smile. “Psyche,” she said, tasting the word, before she glanced at Carol again, who gave another nod. Merry smiled widely, trotting away and slowly climbed up to the small bed, careful as not to wake the others. She made herself comfy, digging into the blanket, sharing warmth with the fellow foals.

I turned to Carol, who was staring at the four lumps with a sad look. “She’s still seven years old, you know? And she just lost her eye a week ago, or at least I thought it was a week, anyway.” she said, her voice quiet and trembling, and though she didn’t say so, I had no doubt that she was mostly talking to herself. “She was such a cheerful filly before all of this, singing and grinning, trying to fill the class with her brand of cheeriness,” a ghost of a smile crossed her face. “I would usually get annoyed by her. Too much shouting for my own opinion, but now I missed that bright smile of her...”

She shook her head, giving me an apologetic smile as her glowing horn died down; the blunderbuss carefully placed next to her, before it lit up again and two small pillows were pulled from under the bed. “I’m sorry. It’s easy getting caught in moments nowadays,”

I gave her an ‘understanding’ smile, taking the floating pillow with my teeth, and laying them down on the floor, where I plopped my ass. “It’s alright, I understand.”

She plopped her own plump ass down to her own pillow, giving me a raised eyebrow. “Do you, now?” there was a slight spite in her voice as she said that.

I tilted my head slightly at that. Do I?The answer would be a Yes. I’d watched my teammates died, raped, shot, and tortured. Heck, I did that torture. But understand? No, I’d never delved myself much into it. Once they’re dead, then they’re dead. If they’re dead for the sake of Camelot, then their name will be etched in history. If they’re dead for the opposite reason, then their name will be sullied, spat at, and scorned upon.

Even when Lily died on my hands, I never dwelled much onto it. Dwelling on things like that would only drag you down, crippling you down until you’re on your knees, sucking every cock shoved to your face. Oh, I was angry, that much I was sure. I’d felt that cold rage when I saw my brother’s smug face, when I saw those elves underground, and when I saw those fat Imperial fucks.

But do I understand?

I let a wry smile found its place on my face as I shrugged lightly. “Fair point,”

“It’s fine.”

Uncomfortable silence blanketed the two of us as I made myself comfortable on the cushion. Carol squirmed, fidgeting as she looked anywhere except me.

That silence was broken as she let out a sigh. “So,” she started, looking defeated for some reason. “Tell me about yourself.”

She blinked, then again, both in confusion, before she snorted; amusement rolling in her eyes as she said, “Well, you’re the only stallion in the room, and I could do a quickie,” she glanced at the four lumps on the bed. “But, well, I don’t think they need any more traumatizing,”

I chuckled. “I’m sure they don’t, though I prided myself capable of giving a good time anytime you want to,” I gave her a wink, of which she responded with a light blush and a small laugh.

I nodded. “Absolutely. I have people waiting for me in the other side of the gate,” I answered her desperate question, staring at the dark ceiling for a moment before back to Carol. “And besides, I think I know how to get out of here,”

“Yep,” I told her, popping the ‘P’ in it, before I rummaged through my bag of holding. “And I think you should read this first, since I also need your help with doing it.”

What with her knowing her ways in the town, she should know where to found the demon resides. I had a few a guesses, and hopefully that would work. That said, I wasn’t exactly sure if killing the demon would release us, but it was the only thing I could do to escape.

I pulled out the Diary from my bag; slightly bothered by the ease I used the hoof and the impossibility of grabbing the Diary from my bag with a flat hoof. Carol stared at it with a raised eyebrow, then at me. I gave her a crooked smile. “You’ll love this one,” I said, before handing it to her.

She took it with her telekinetic grasp, twisting it around in the air as she stared as it curiously, only to widen in surprise her eyes stopped at the front cover. She looked up at me, eyes wide in shock, fear, and slight rage.

“Just read it,” I nodded to the book. “You’ll understand.”

Her stare bored into my dick-head, before back at the floating book, and after what looked like a quick decision-making time, she opened the Diary, and began to read it.

There were plenty of ways to describe the changing emotions showed on her face as she flipped by chapter to chapter. Like a surprise orgy sex in a dark alley, comprising of a prepubescent girl and one-hundred-and-eight old sweaty man, first came surprise. Surprise turned to shock, then that shock turned to pain—or guilt?— as she winced slightly, then it came to pity, and pity quickly changed to shock once more, then guilt again, and as she flipped closer to the end of the book, the tremble in her body became more and more apparent.

It was amusing, in a way. Like watching an old grandma trying to masturbate with her dry fingers, only to fail, and calling two handsome whores to fuck her silly, before the two were suddenly arrested when the grandma died of a heart attack as she shot her final climax.

She let out a loud gasp, and I deducted that she was probably at the end of the diary, eyes wide in mixed emotions. Shock, guilt, fear, hatred—whether it was for herself, or for Red Field, left to be known—, pity, and rage. It finally settled to sadness as her body shook, enveloping the book with her hooves as she hugged it to her chest.

Sobs escaped from the furry bundle in front of me. “It’s my entire fault...” I could hear her silently muttered repeatedly, choking on her sobs as I could make out tears falling to the floor. “I should’ve been a better teacher, I should’ve had listened to her, I should’ve stopped her, I should’ve...“she trailed off, leaving the sentence to end as she cried to herself.

In the back of my mind, I pondered how much truth was worth in her words. After all, even though she thought herself as being guilty, Red Field was still the one guilty. Granted, she was a filly, and not only that, also rendered into madness.

The fact that she didn’t fall into the demon’s word immediately and even managed to struggle from her madness for more than a month spoke plenty of her resilience.

Still, that didn’t change the fact that she wished for the death of Martrossa. And instead of killing all Martrossa in instant, they’re trapped in some sort of Limbo, left wandering until their slow death would reach them like a bad case of PTSD. Or STDs, it’s always the STDs that plucked the Frontline’s most. But on the bright side, they’re perfect to spread diseases to the dirty Imperials.

Still, the situation I currently was in was ironic in away, considering the name of who caused it. Karma works in a strange way.

In the back, I could see the four lumps on the bed moved to the edge of the blanket; probably awakened by the mare’s breakdown. Four head of various colors popped out from the blanket, one of them being a sleepy looking Merry, who tried to get rid of her sleep by rubbing her face.

The other three; a unicorn colt with dark chestnut brown coat with a short almond brown mane, another was unicorn filly with lavender coat and an uncared long cerise mane, and finally there was a dark orange coat Earth—unless there’s a wing under the blanket— colt with a green, streaked with red crimson mane.

They all blinked sleepily, before freezing—except for Merry— like a pedophile cornered in a dark alley by a pedovest as their colorful eyes spotted me. A particularly loud sob turned their attentions away to Carol, and quick as a lightning, they all—this time including Merry— turned to me, giving me the most unintimidating glare.

I gave them a small shrug. “Not me,” I mouthed.

They gave me a dubious look, clearly they didn’t believe me. But another sob, which reminded me of a girl after being raped, from the curled Carol in front of me, caught their attentions once more.

They turned to each other, and as if in silent agreement, nodded in unison. Quietly, they removed the blanket away from their bodies, and carefully climbed down from the edge of the bed one by one.

Walking silently, the four of them huddled to both sides of Carol. Two on her left, while other two in her right, sandwiching Carol into the saddest sandwich ever. The mare flinched at the sudden touch, peeked at the four foals, and I could see a smile managed to find its way onto her lips despite her continued sobbing.

“Oh, children,” she whispered, followed by a hiccup as she dropped the book to the ground and spread her hooves, lifting the four of them into one big group hug. “I’m so, so sorry,”

The four of them looked in confusion, but nevertheless returned Carol’s hug. “It’s alright, Ms. Carol,” brownie said, the words muffled by Carol’s fur, even though he looked utterly lost.

The three other nodded in agreement, and Carol’s chuckled, tightening her hooves around the foals. “Thank you...” she whispered back, a grateful smile on her face.

I watched them quietly, ignoring the fact that they ignored me, and silently swiped the diary from the ground, and threw them back into my bag.

The children let out a collective yawn, spreading the virus to Carol as she let out yawn as well. She let out a chuckle, “Heh, I think it’s time to sleep. Tomorrow’s going to be an important day,” she gave me a glance, letting out an exaggerated grunt as she stood up from the floor, placing the sleepy children onto her back.

Moving next to the bed, she placed the foals one by one back to the bed, giving each of them a small peck on the forehead, and horn, in case of brownie and lavender. “Good night, children,”

She turned around, and was about to move back to the cushion before she stopped, and looked back. Orange was biting her tail, giving her a pleading look. “Will you sleep with us today, Ms. Carol?”

I saw the conflicted look on her face. Part touched, and guilty. She stared at orange, before back at me. I gave her a shrug of 'why not' and she relented as she gave a small tired smile back to Orange. "Sure, Tangerine, why not?"

As she said that, the four foals broke into a grin, and I could practically their mental cheers as Carol climbed the bed; the foals scooted over to give her space. The moment she was in, the foals made their move and embraced their teacher.

She let out a small laugh, returning their embrace back. And soon they were asleep.

I let out a sigh, giving the blunderbuss on the floor a look of disdain, the bloody thing is an Imperial's weapon by the look of it. Granted, it's antique, old and slightly worn, but that still begged the question of where she got it. I stared at the peaceful looking ponies on the bed, before shrugging. "Resting time, I suppose," I muttered.

Glancing at the cushion in front of me, I grabbed it with both of my hoof, and placed it next to me. Like a birthing ogre, I let my head fall to the cushion; a peculiarly sweet smell of Carol's sweat wafted into my head as I took a deep breath, before I shifted my body around, until I was staring at the dark black ceiling.

There were still a plenty of mysteries in this damned place. I was tempted to sneak out and inspect the house. The house was larger on the inside than the outside, so surely there would be plenty of loots spreaded around in secrecy. I threw that decision down like I would to baby elf as I glanced at the sleeping ponies.

"Or I should take watch," I muttered, shaking my head slightly as I lifted my head. It was more of a sense of duty than anything else. Besides, I wore the mask of a guard already, in the basis of being sent by Celestia to protect. So that made it less of a sense of duty, and more of to the principality of things.

Nodding at my reason, I silently dragged my body, and the two pillows to the wall, leaning my back on it as I kept my eyes peeled open.

Author's Note

So, here's Chapter 10. I am really, really in need of a pre-reader. PM me if you want to volunteer.

Chappie 11

Souls.

Three years ago, when Mr. Richard offered me—gave me the chance— to learn Soul Magic, I had never thought much about it, beyond the fact that it will greatly improve my Rune Mastery. And for what it’s worth, it did. But I never thought much about the implication of it—aside from being hunted and branded as a Warlock, of course—, the importance of learning Soul Magic itself.

Even now, as I raised my hoof in front of me, staring beautiful wispy and weak ball-like soul on top of it, I still hadn’t known a thing about it. Well, not exactly a thing, but I definitely didn’t know the real importance of Soul Magic. Of why it was created beyond the fact that it could be used as sealing, almost, every living being.

They are, however, still a peculiar thing. The soul’s fog-like tail—it definitely looked like one—danced and swished to the left and right, the end of it waving up and down like the mating dance of every Demi-human. In the center of the soul, only pure foggy white existed, and as it floated only centimeters away from my hoof, I felt nothing but a small chill that would usually accompanied by ghosts.

One would’ve thought, by the purity of the soul in front of me, it came from the soul of a Virgin, or a child, even. And one wouldn’t have thought it was the soul of a rapist, murderer, and child abuser with a history of public indecencies--flashing penis to children playing in a park. That’s why souls are peculiar; unless you’ve messed with it, chances are, it’s all going to be the same; wispy, grayish white, and fog-like. Except for elves, they don’t have souls.

As it was, I was beginning to feel the soul trying to weakly penetrate itself into my hoof, trying its damndest to pierce my body and rape my half and a quarter souls. In response, I flared a small amount of Mana into the soul, keeping it stock still as I suffocated the thing with my magic, cowing it down like a husband would to his less-than-subservient wife.

There was a movement from the bed caught my eyes, and I reflexively pushed a burst of Mana into the soul, extinguishing it like a candle’s flame, erasing it from the existence, and into the depths of Oblivion.

I glanced up, and I was welcomed by the sleepy face of Carol. There was a moment of silence as we stared at each other as she tried to regain some sort of sense into her sleep-addled mind.

“You’re not asleep?” She finally asked, her tone tired as a yawn soon escaped her mouth.

I shook my head. “No, I’m keeping watch,” I gave her an amused look. “A guard can’t hardly rest, especially when I’m—“adopting a mask”—guarding a tired mare and four foals, while they’re asleep,”

She gave me a look that probably said, ‘Are you serious?’, before shaking her head in exasperation. “Please, I’m hardly a weak mare, and even though it hurts my heart, the foals aren’t that helpless themselves,”

I smirked, only a small tug that probably went unnoticed in the dark. “I didn’t say that you’re weak,” I nodded to the blunderbuss, placed right where her cushion used to be. “I don’t know what that is—”I definitely know what that is”—, but I’m sure that’s dangerous. I’m just saying that you’re tired, and the foals are sleeping.”

She let out a sigh after a moment, conceding to my point, before she suddenly snorted. “Well, you still need to rest,” she said, and before I could open my mouth, she beat me to it, “And beside, this is a safe place. There won’t be any need of ‘defending’ as long as we’re here.”

Of course then, like the bitch Fate was, a particularly large stomp, or something akin to a large stepping sound rang from outside, echoing and shaking the room slightly.

Immediately, the four foals jumped in surprise and completely awake as they stood alert on their bed, panic and fear on their faces, though curiously, they didn’t seem vocal about it. I let out a sigh, giving a look to a wide-eyed Carol; her jaws moved uselessly as no sound came out.

“That’s,” she finally said, her voice shook in trepidation. “That’s not possible...”

I snorted, shooting the mare an exasperated look as I stood up from my spot. “Well,” I said softly, working the kinks out of my legs as I stretched a bit. “Everything is quite possible when you like to think of it as not,” I gave a final sigh as I headed to the door.

“Wait!” Carol shouted behind me, and I stopped, just a few inches away from the door. I heard a clopping sound from behind that I guessed as her standing up from her bed. “Where do you think you’re going?”

I rolled my eyes at her stupid question, before I looked over my shoulder—or whatever it was called—, Carol was staring at me with disbelief, and not so hidden terror as another stomp came closer to us. “I’m doing my job.” I sighed in exasperation, shaking my head slightly. “I don’t think I need to explain why, do I? We’d be dead by then,”

“B-But you’re going to die out there!” she exclaimed, her face looking like a mid-wife in an Imperial-invaded village. “Do you know the things that came from here? You should know. You’ve seen your friends died, and are you really that suicidal? It’s better that we stay here, hope that whatever out there would leave us be.”

The foals, I noted, were fidgeting uncomfortably on their feet. Their eyes darting from us, and to the door, and suddenly widened as another stomp sounded once more and closer to where we were in.

I gave her a tired look, which was more pronounced by the small bags around my eyes. “Look Carol, if I don’t go out there, you and the foals are definitely going to die a painful death as either into some abomination’s sex toys, or food,”

She bit her lips, wincing slightly in disgust as I mentioned ‘sex toys’, before she hung her head. “We’re doomed either way, anyway,” she muttered, probably meant neither for me nor the foals to hear. Shaking her head, she looked up at me, new resolution in her eyes. “Then I’ll be—“

It didn’t need a smart to figure out what she was going to say, so naturally I cut her off, “No.” Besides I would rather fight monsters alone or at least with competent fighters. Not some civilian with Imperial’s dirty weapons. “You should stay here, keep the foals safe if I die,” which was as likely as my father to ever stopping to fuck his on-duty bodyguards, or like a sick child sodomizing a dead pigeon.

I could see the hesitation in Carol’s eyes as her eyes switched between me and the foals. It was a bit funny, in my own sick twisted amusement. To think that she would fight along a self-proclaimed guard in a life or death situation, than with her loved ones.

Finally, and thankfully, she sighed, “Oh, fine.” her horn lit up and the blunderbuss floated alongside her as she took a sit on the bed, quickly hugged by the terrified foals. She let out a tiny chuckle, nuzzling the foals, all the while keeping the point of her blunderbuss aimed to the door, and by proxy, me.

I sighed, popping my flexible neck as the creature outside made its existence known with a closing stomp. I made a small mental note to ask where she got the weapon as I twisted the doorknobs with my jaws, and swiftly passed through it, clicking it shut with a pull of my jaws.

Calmly, I turned to the left, to where I had thought the creature of the dark was coming from. Another closer stomp confirmed my suspicion, and I waited, my eyes already adapted by the darkness of the long, haunting corridor as they stared at the ink space.

There was another stomp, and I could feel the sound of movements coming from the dark. I took a deep breath, the mutilated scars of my legs glowed blue as I pushed mana into it, ready to manipulate the mana within into something else.

It was unfortunate—and quite shitty— that I was an equine, a body that, though I adapted well, I couldn’t still move normally as I would as a human. Still, I was going to make do with everything I had; like with the mini, if blunt, stabbing tool and weird biological catalyst—of which I didn’t dare using because strange magic is dangerous— on my forehead.

Another stomp sounded, and either it was close or strong enough, I felt the ground under me reverberate. It was apparently the former as the darkness within the deep end moved, squirmed and writhed as it separated itself from the endless shadow of the corridor until it came to sight.

Its elongated pure black body, reminded me of a worm, glistened in its own liquid. Its tail, a large black hand that looked like a gorillas’ fist slammed down on the ground as it stopped just before me. Trailing from its slick black skin, to its head was a white blank mask, three holes representing the eyes, and mouth. The thing’s meaty forked tongue rolled from its mouth-hole, swaying right and left like my drunken father.

All in all, the abomination freak before me looked like an experiment gone wrong, wherein it was the combination of a worm, snake, and a black gorilla.

Its empty black eyes gazed at me, as if looking for something. Suddenly, its mask rippled like a shook jar-filled cum, shaping itself unnaturally like a woman after being married, before it settled into something familiar.

To be specific, it was the smirking face of Jaime Redfield the Fool, with the added bonus of that swaying dick from its mouth.

I gave the ugly thing a snort. “If you’re intending to make me hesitate trying to kill you, you’re failing like that face’s sex life,”

Its head cocked to the side, the smug grin on the Fool’s face widened, and the tongue twirled around like the tongue of a whore. I had thought then, that standing there, facing the repugnant face of the Fool was the worst thing I’ll be seeing anytime soon. I was wrong.

“Well, Brother,” the thing spoke, its familiar, and out of place, smug voice grating into my ears like a vampire that just won’t die. “Is that how you treat your brother?”

I gave it a flat stare. “No. Usually I ignored him.” A small smirk crept onto my face. “Until recently, three years or so, I mutilated him, killed his familiar and left him alive; a cripple, a eunuch, and a failure for life.”

Though regardless of the state and reasons why I left the Fool alive, I still couldn’t help but to see it as a mistake. The Redfield’s entire reputation, burned to ashes by a broken shell of an incompetent Lord. That’s not counting the bounty hunters, or the mercenaries he kept on sending me like a lovesick teenager.

The thing moved—slithered— closer, disregarding my words as it lunged at me, the smug face of the fool was all I saw before I rolled to the side. Grunting as my side became the victim of the Wall. Quickly, I climbed to hooves, and turned around.

Only to receive the black open palm of the thing’s fist, slamming me back to the wall. I grunted once again, choking on my spit as it grabbed me and slammed me again to the wall, again, and then again. It was only because of the runes all over my robe that I only received a major bruise on my side, and probably a few broken ribs somewhere in there.

Gritting my teeth, I forced my head to the side, and chomped the hand’s thumb hard; disgusting, and bitter blood splattered into my mouth.

The thing yelped in pain, releasing me from its grip. Ignoring the pain, I stood to my hooves, and spat out the bad blood out of my mouth—black blood, definitely not a demon. Glaring at the thing, I relished for a moment at the snarl appearing on its face.

“What’s wrong? Baby wants a booboo?”

With a snarl, the thing’s tongue shot out at me. And before I knew it, it was already around my neck. I cursed, choking as the thing dragged me closer. An immediate plan formed into my mind as I let an icicle flew from my hoof, and through the meaty tongue.

It screamed as black blood spurted out of the hole. Dropping me unceremoniously to my ass, I quickly stood up, and bit down the tongue before it could return.

If I didn’t know it couldn’t scream before, I did now. Because it shrieked like a bitch, and better yet, it was using the fool’s voice. And despite the revolting taste of the blood, and the fact that it was pouring out of my mouth like a mind-rape’s victim, or the wriggling tongue inside my mouth, I couldn’t help but to relish on its pain as I tugged at the tongue.

The thing flailed harder as I bit down harder, yanking it away in hope I would release it. “No! No! Take it off, take it off!” it screamed, which honestly, was more like, “Ogh! Ogh! Hake ik hauf, hake ip auf!”

Of course, I didn’t do it. I raised my glowing hoof, pushing the mana out, transforming it into my favorite element: Ice. Blades of ice sprouted from the bottom of my hoof, its edge ready to cut the tongue off before suddenly a large hand found itself wrapped around my barrel.

I widened my eyes, but before the hand could pull me away, I bit down the tongue hard. It was tough, and I still couldn’t cut it with my teeth, but I wasn’t going to let it go anytime soon.

I could see the look of relief from its face vanished as it realized what I was going to do. But before he could say anything, the hand around my barrel pulled me up off the ground, and twirled me around, only to face another snake-worm-gorilla thingy.

This time, it was the face of Rebecca, or was it Betty? Whoever it was that used to be the fool’s obsessive girlfriend, before I sold her body to the Imperial.

There was a snapping sound as the tongue between my teeth went slack. I heard choking noise from behind me, and saw the widened eyes of Mandy. There was a pouring noise of something thick, before something dropped with a wet schlop behind me.

I spat the dead tongue out of my jaws, spitting away the black blood to Jenny’s face. It blinked, turning away from the blood scene behind, and back to me, its eyes glaring in anger.

It slammed with to the ground, and again, and again. In the midst of the pain, I pondered the definition of insanity. One particular slam, unfortunately, hit my horn to the ground; warm liquid poured out from orifices as I let out a choked groan. I was slammed once more, and I knew there were more than one internal bleeding happening inside of me as a gobble of blood forced its way out of me. Another slam, and a couple or ribs were shattered from its sternum, wrecking pain all over my face as I contemplated the amount of health potion I would need to drink.

It was only because of my overly-protected defensive robe that I was probably still alive, and shaped as a blood-bathed, bruised, wounded, and very much alive pony instead of becoming a red mush of flesh.

Then it stopped, raising my bent up body up to its face. It blinked in befuddlement as I opened my eyes, blood leaking from both of them as I glowered at its face, spitting blood over its face. I had no doubt it was utterly confused on how I was still alive.

“You’re alive...” the thing whispered in disbelief. “How...”

I spat a glob of blood to its face. I could still feel my hooves. That was good. I could still feel that mana beneath my hooves’ skins. That was better.

I cocked my free hoof backward, spear of ice jutted from its flat, and like a cheap elf whore, I gave the thing a one of a kind eyejob.

The thing screamed in pain, its hand chucking me to the ground like a broken toy, before it clutched its blackened face of Meredith; thick black sauce spurting uncontrollably from its right eye like a fountain. Not giving the thing the chance of reprieve—lest I found myself slammed again like a disgusting ginger candy—, I charged, more like limped, towards its belly.

The mini dagger of my head proved to be effective as a spear— no doubt coincidentally sharpened by its painful chipping— as it gored deep into its black as sin skin. The thing gasped in pain, before screaming once more as I swung the serrated part of my horn downwards.

Ink blood sprayed all over my body as I pulled the horn away, and stepped away from the rain of blood, grunting in pain as I put too much weight to my bent leg. The thing gurgled, ink blood pooling to the small crater caused by its bout of berserk, before it fell backwards with a loud thump. Its face crushed its own hand.

I heaved a sigh of relief, groaning in agony as pain coursed through my body, spitting another gobble of blood as I limped to the wall, letting my side to lean on them. I gazed at the dead creature for a moment. “Alas, Jennifer, I hardly knew ye.” I muttered, my bloodied and bruised hoof reaching inside my trusty bag, searching for the largest healing potion.

Then I remembered that I would need the bones to be mended first, before I could heal them. I shuddered; gods know if I didn’t mend them. Grunting, I leaned away from the wall, and stood on three hooves; my left hindleg rose slightly as not to aggravate it.

Carefully, as not to slip by the pools of blood, I limped my way to the door. Grunting for each step it took, before I finally reached my destination. Leaning down carefully, I twisted the knob with my mouth, and pushing it open.

There were collective gasps as I stumbled in, swinging the door shut, before I leaned backwards to it. Carol and the four foals were there, staring at me with their jaws agape in horror.

“Didn’t your parents tell you it’s rude to stare at people?” I rasped softly, raising an eyebrow.

Carol blinked her horn dying as she put the blunderbuss to the bed, before she rushed to my side. Concern apparent in her eyes as she eyed my entire body, before it finally settled to my dickhead. “What happened to you?” she gasped in horror.

I winced as her hoof touched my horn, immense pain coursing through my head as I gave her a glare. She pulled her hoof away, sheepish and guilty. “Slammed,” I hissed, clenching my eyes shut. Even my eyes were stinging like a salt over wound. “And not in a good way, either,”

The mare beside me stayed quiet, her hastening breathing reached over my newly-sensitive ears as she repeatedly muttered, “What do I do, what do I do?”

I miss Nero and her cute snark. I demurely thought, before I reached inside my bag, and pulled a roll of bandage. “Wrap it around my barrel and leg,” I said to her, handing the bandage to her. “And take the rest for Merry,” I added for an afterthought. Unlike my limited amount of potions, I still got a few rolls in my bag. I remembered buying a dozens of those two years ago, in some copper shop. The merchant was unreasonably stingy when I bargained the price down from five coppers per roll, into a measly one copper per roll.

Gently, and swiftly at the same time, I could feel the balanced bandage being taken away from my hoof, and to her magical grip. “Thank you,” I heard her mutter under her breath, before I was being mare-handled by her rather invasive show of telekinetic magic.

I had to hold back a curse as I leaned slightly forward, letting her to wrap the bandage all around my barrel. “Tighter,” I grunted, wincing in pain as she did so. I heard creaking from inside myself, and I noticed my makeshift medic had stopped working, a shocked squeaking sound coming from her. “Well, tie it up, then.” I gritted through my teeth.

“Sorry,” was her hastened reply as I felt the bandages around my barrel were tied, followed by a ripping sound. “It’s just that I’m not sure it’s supposed to be sounding like that,” she muttered shakily, her telekinetic aura covered my broken hoof before the grip stiffened. “Uh, what do I do with this?”

I hissed under my breath. “Just pull it until you could see the bone’s set straight, then roll the bandage around it, and make it secure. Got it?”

“Got it.” She quickly answered, and I had to shout in pain as I felt my broken leg being pulled. “Sorry!” she shouted, before suddenly she let out a loud squeak. “Oh Celestia, it’s bleeding!”

“What?” I croaked, cracking my eyes open to my broken leg, and there it was. A piece of my skin torn apart, where a broken off pearl white bones could be seen spurting out fresh red blood from its marrow. “You tore the skin.” I breathed, clenching my eyes tight in mild pain as it throbbed. “How the hell did you tore my skin?!”

“I don’t bucking know! I’m a teacher, not a nurse. I’m good with foals, not a sick stallion who is about to die, alright!?”

I forced a sigh out of my system. “Just realign the damn bone, and roll the bandage around it. Make sure it’s tight.”

I felt her aura wrapped around me once more time. “Get ready,” she said, a deep breath coming from her lips, before I heard a loud snap from my leg. A cry of pain shot through my throat as I felt my broken leg being ‘realigned’.

Ignoring my pain of cries, as she should be, Carol quickly rolled the bandage all over my broken leg until it was secure; letting out a pained gasp as she tightened the bandage, before followed by a rip from the bandage.

“Done.” The mare gasped, stepping away from me. “I’m never doing that again.” I heard her mutter under her breath.

“Shame,” I told her, opening my eyes as my hoof reached into my trusty bag, before it returned with a large bottle of red potion. Or at least, the largest I had. Brushing off Carol’s inquisitive look, I pulled the cork out with my teeth, and drank it all the way.

The effect was immediate as I felt the red, cherry-flavored, liquid burned through my throat and my body. For the uninitiated, one may think they were drinking the wrong kind of drink. They were wrong, and plenty of them ended up having more limbs than needed in unnecessary places for drinking too much of it, under the pretense that they thought they were drinking the correct potion.

I remembered the small lecture my old, and probably dead, Alchemy professor had told us about of Health Potion works. Contrary to popular and uneducated belief, Magical Health Potions do not heal you magically. It does, however, magically accelerates your metabolism, and by proxy, healing.

Which was why I had a sudden bout of hungriness; sluggishly, my fine, and slightly bruised, hoof reached into my trusty bag, and pulled out the batch of bounties I had liberated the days before. Carrots, apples, and such; unfortunately, I had no opposable thumbs so I forewent taking that can of beans.

It was only moments after setting the batch of foods out to the hardwood floor that I noticed the sudden silence enveloping the room. Looking up, I was greeted by the frozen, wide eyed faces of the room’s occupants, staring at the batch of various fruits and vegetables like they were foods provided by the self-entitled gods themselves.

Shrugging, I took some apples, carrots, and other vegetables into my lap, before I shoved the batch of foods to Carol with my good leg. “Here,” I offered, my throat burning from the potion, snapping out Carol and the other foals from their sick cibophilia daydreams.

“How...” She whispered as I took a bite out of the crunchy and sweet carrot, a look of confusion on her face. “That’s not possible. The bag’s too small for that...”

“Magic,” I drawled, resisting the urge to condescendingly wave my carrot at her as I took a large bite out of said carrot. “And learn your priorities, the foals are starving,” I chided her, ignoring her slight glare. Which they were, by the predatory looks—that would make every predator to bow in shame— they were giving at the pile of foods.

Her mouth opened and closed repeatedly, before she glanced at the foals behind her, and clicked it shut. “Fine,” she sighed, floating the batch of foods with her magic. “We won’t probably need this much anyway,” she noted, dropping them on the bed, next to the foals. “Thank you anyways.”

I shrugged, munching on another carrot. “Welcome,” I said as they ate the foods without proper manner, just like the little horses they are. It made me smile, in a way. I heard feeding orphans always bring great tidings, if I remembered correctly from the Frontline’s training and indoctrination camp.

It brought fond memories from my mind. How Captain Corpus would give me and my fellow teammates on how to kill Imperials. Or the painful physical training we would be given for every morning. How they would pit us against each other. How our familiars would commute with each others, arguing who’s the best master. And let’s not forget the extreme indoctrinations that they would put us every 24/7 for a year.

Sighing fondly at the memory, I took a bit of my apple, feeling myself growing full as my wounds healed and the burns inside me fading ever so slowly. Gingerly, I pressed a hoof over my barrel. The pain was still there, probably still bruised, but it wasn’t broken anymore. Lifting my bandaged leg, I pushed it against the floor, feeling the shot of dull pain, but there wasn’t anything broken anymore.

I took that information with a sigh of relief. I had a doubt that it wasn’t going to work as I had hoped it would be. The bones protruding out to the wrong way, or deformed beyond belief by the not-so-perfect first aid.

Slowly, and ignoring the collective gasps from Carol and the foals, I climbed up to my four hooves.

“Wait, what they hay are you doing?!”

I ignored her, my breathings tightened slightly, and my previously broken hoof wouldn’t touch the ground without the occasional shock of pain. I let out a groan, hanging my head slightly. “Well, I suppose everything can’t be perfect.” I muttered.

“Wait,” I looked up to see Carol’s closing body, her eyes once more wide in disbelief. “You’re healed... but, how?”

I offered her a crooked smile. “Magic can do a lot of things Carol,” I told her condescendingly, wincing as my imperfect hoof touched the floor. “Well, obviously not perfect healing. But then, I suppose that’s something I’d risked.”

She glanced back at the foals, missing my tone. Merry in particular, was looking at me rather hopefully. Carol looked back at me. “Can you?” the message was clear by the look.

I shook my head as I limped around the floor, trying to get used to my new limp. “No. Unless you still have her eye, but even so—“I need it more”—it won’t work, anyway.” I answered, waving a hoof dismissively at Merry.

She hung her head down; ears flopped back as she stared at the bed sheet demurely. “Oh.”

There was a bout of awkward silence as I limped around the room, ignoring the depressed mood in the air like the oblivious little cunt I was as I focused on my little sojourn. In the background, I heard Carol slowly walked her way back to the bed, giving Merry a deep hug, turned into a group hug as the other foals wrapped their petite bodies around her. I could even hear them sob as I circled the room for the tenth times.

What is it about these ponies that make them so goddamn emotional? I made a small mental note to ask that to Celestia or Hay Due the moment I was done leaving this place.

It was about the thirtieth circling that I finally stopped doing it. I wasn’t going to be running perfectly, but at least I won’t be tripping over some stupid pebble. Still, there was an uncomfortable silence as I stood there in boredom, and I wasn’t talking about the huddling ponies on the bed.

There’s something that I was missing. It was important, I knew, but I can’t put a finger in it. It was like that dark dreary time when I and my teammate were captured during mission, that moment when I was forced to torture my teammate to see if I was an enemy or not. I licked my dry lips, and recapped in my mind the hours since my arrival in this weird limbo.

Then it came to me: Psyche. Ever since I was forcefully plunged deep into this limbo, the beautiful and egotistical goddess never made herself known to me. I didn’t even feel her presence in my head. I bit my lips. Not only that, what was the two abominations’ purpose? Obviously, Carol and the foals had been here for a long time, and they were never attacked by those abominations.

I glanced at the ponies on the bed, then at the door. A chilling feeling touched my spine, and that was the only warning I needed as I turned around to the ponies in bed. Only to feel the urge to curse the gods as Carol and the foals turned to a familiar black liquid.

It flowed smoothly through the satin sheet, just like a river of blood, dripping from the edge of the bed and to the hardwood floor, forming into a small puddle of black ink. The puddle trembled in place, somehow managing to cause a creaking sound on the floor, and just like a steaming kettle, it let out an ear-piercing shriek.

And that was all the warning I needed as the runes on my hoof crackled to life, throwing a ball of blazing fire to the bed, setting a fire upon the black puddle, before I turned around. Hearing it shriek in horrible pain as I exited, and slammed the door close.

I skidded to the left, ignoring that small fact that the hall was spotless of any blood. There were ear-piercing shrieks behind me as I ran into the darkness. There were sounds of familiar thumping, only if the last one I heard only one, this time I was sure there were more than two.

They were getting closer, I was sure. The limp on my leg made sure of that, and I narrowly missed something being thrown at my hooves, leaving a loud scream from the floor that made me hasten my pace, cursing my luck as I took a turn left at the end of the corridor.

There it was, the stairs where I met ‘Carol’, where ‘Carol’ threatened me to follow ‘her’. I grimaced as my limping leg accidently kicked the stairs as I carefully climbed down the stairs. Of course, halfway by, I noticed the lack of thumping.

And the next thing I knew, a large hand wrapped its fingers around my—thankfully healed—barrel and this time, the front hooves as well; lifting me off the ground, and turned me around.

The sweetest and innocent smiling face of ‘Carol’ greeted me. “Going away soon, Psyche?” She saccharinely asked, tilting its repulsive head in askance. “I thought you’re going to help us,” it then twisted its head backwards to the shadow. “Right kids?”

Out of the shadow, three familiar snakelike figures appeared, wearing the faces of a familiar three foals; all of them grinning like they were going to experience their first sex.

“Yes, Mrs. Carol,” the three things chorused, giggling excitedly in that bubbly and squeaky voices of theirs. “This is going to be our first time.”

I asked the first thing came to mind. “Wait, you’re married?” I asked, cocking my brows, because fuck priorities.

The thing before me blinked. “Well yes,” she answered with a hint of cruelty in her tone thing as her meaty tongue reached to my face. “Going to be, anyway. I’m going to make you mine.”

“I apologize,” I didn’t apologize at all. “But I’m a bachelor for life.” Without further ado, I swung my head down, biting on the fingers around me.

The thing shrieked in pain as I was sent careening downstairs. Bruises were collected and gathered as I fell on the stairs, bouncing and rolling up and down as I felt the world around me a blur. I felt immense pain as my horn hit one particular step, hearing it cracked as blood leaked once more from my orifices.

The world went a full stop as I hit the end of the stairs with my back on the floor. Tilting my head up, I found a furious ‘Carol’ glaring at me, and three ‘foals’ screaming as they rushed to the stairs.

Not to be beaten, I crawled up to four— three hooves, limping my way in pain to the door. The stairs behind me creaked as I heard the wail of the ‘foals’ got closer to me. I hastened my steps, completely ignoring the pain as I rushed to the door.

I opened the damn thing with my mouth, and quickly slammed it close as I exited the house, narrowly missing the ‘foals’ as I felt the door let out a loud budging noise, before it stopped. I let out a sigh of relief, groaning in pain as I leaned to the door.

Gingerly, I let my hoof traveled to my forehead, only to found the mini dagger gone, and instead there was a messy and spiky stump on there. I winced as pain coursed through my head, threatening my mind to explode into a messy stain of gore.

Quickly, I dropped my hoof to the ground; gritting my teeth in pain as I felt bruises all around me throbbing like a pen of tortured bitches that just won't shut up. My breathings were cut short as I tried to take a deep breath, coughing and spluttering blood all over my hoof.

“Looks like you won’t be using magic anytime soon,"

Ah.

Weakly, I raised my head up, looking straight up to the short sword pointed at under my neck. Trailing along the metallic blade, I saw a quite familiar blue filly, if not older, with an eyepatch over her left eye, and a scowl that looked like it was stuck on her face for far too long than it should be. I saw a small sliver of sympathy and pity as we stared at each other in silence, with me letting out occasional ragged breaths while she would occasionally let her eye travel across my beaten and bloodied equine body.

Never had I thought before this time, that I'd survive from dying from the pity of other.

But I did, anyway, and she hesistantly lowered her blade away from my neck. "Let's get you to safety," she muttered as she slipped into my personal space, and somehow lifted me up to her back. With a grunt, she turned around and walked me to who knows where--a slaughterhouse, maybe?--. "Kindness is a rarity in here."

Author's Note

I need a bloody criticism here. Talk to me, readers! I'm begging you!

Chappie 12

Safe.

Over the twenty-five years of my self-destructive bachelor life, I had learned one sure thing in life from when I was six: There’s no such thing as safe. Friends and/or allies could betray you; contraception spells aren’t fully fool-proof, and even in places like home, things like accidents, or a male member of your family penetrating your vaginas or buttholes whilst you sleep could happen.

Safe, for lack of better words, is a very relative term for me.

I felt safe when I’m with Nero, I felt safe when I’m in control of my—sex—life, and I felt safe when fellow Frontline agents covered my back. Felt, however, does not mean safe. Nero won’t be by my side 24/7, gods and other figures could take control of my life at any moment, and a fellow Frontline agent could simply slit my throat because I had fucked up, will fuck up, or secretly fucked an elf.

Still, as I was lugged on top of Merry Hearth, staring in my half-consciousness at the depressingly dark and twisted street, I couldn’t help but to hope to reach this ‘safe’ place. Pain embedded itself into my body like the face of my sister to my mind, moments before I plunged my dagger into her brainstem and the lack of Nero’s presence didn’t help.

Suddenly, I could feel my makeshift transport stopped to take a breath, panting in a controlled manner as she leaned to a concrete wall. “Celestia, you’re heavy,” she complained quietly.

I shifted slightly on her back, stopping immediately as I felt pain’s ugly and rotten cock shoved into my nerve system. “Put me down,” I groaned out hoarsely.

“Hmm?” Merry turned her head to me. “You sure? You look like a hydra decided to make you its chew toy,” there wasn’t much concern in her voice, only mild curiosity and a sprinkle of indifference. It was somewhat comfortable for me, in a morbid way.

I grunted in affirmative; ignoring the slight headache it caused me. “I’ll lean to you. That’d make this easier,”

She did a little shrug, before she shrugged my body off her back; unceremoniously dropping my battered body to the ground. I let out a small groan of pain, wincing as my broken leg hit the ground. Slowly I climbed back up to my three hooves; two as I hooked my left front hoof to Merry’s neck, leaning against her small body. “Lead the way,” I said tiredly.

She flinched a bit as my hoof finished hooking around her neck, giving a grunt before we returned back on the road, with me slightly leaning against her as I limped beside her. I noted slightly that she actually slowed her steps for me. How nice of her.

For the first time, as Merry guided me somewhere, I took note of my surroundings. We were walking on a typical suspicious and empty street; unlit lantern-posts rowed to a line on the sides of the road, large decrepit and tall bricked—industrial looking— buildings stood by the sides, their broken windows staring at us like a priest’s face as he undid his belt. I found it slightly disconcerting that the street shouldn’t be here, or rather, couldn’t be here as its size is impossible to fit into the small town of Martrossa.

Before this, I had a guess of what happened to the town and the townies, but what I was seeing cemented the whole idea.

Still, I couldn’t help but to fully confirm it. “Where are we?” After all, I had been wrong before; just like how I had been wrong that trees weren’t supposed to be fuckable before I accidentally stumbled upon an elf passionately fucking—and kissing— a tree in an open forest all the while shoving in-and-out a polished wooden staff into his ass.

The filly did a light shrug. “I dunno,” she muttered, staring at the far horizon of the street. “It’s just suddenly here when it—”her eye did a small twitch“—happened, and I found it on accident. It’s safe as long as you’re quiet.”

I hummed quietly at her expected answer, and as if on cue, one of the decrepit buildings’ windows suddenly dimly flickered alive, before it quickly died off. I could just barely make out a shadow of a dark pony-like creature, before it vanished within the dark itself.

“Don’t stare at it too long,” My young guide warned quietly, her body shivering for a moment. “Or they’ll follow your back.”

I turned my eyes away from the windows, and to my guide’s. “Did they ever do that to you?” I asked quietly, more out of my tiredness than curiosity.

Perhaps it was my tired blue eyes, or maybe it was the question, but regardless of the reason, she immediately looked away from my eyes, and back to the road. “Not me...” I heard her mutter softly, before she shook her head after a moment. “Let’s just move on.”

The conversation died like a forgotten doll under a pile of new toys from thereon as the makeshift cane guided me to this ‘Safe’ place. The dry pattering of our hooves were the only companion of the unnatural silence accompanying us, keeping me away from the waves of tiredness and ache that tried to forcefully seduce me to submission into the sweet temptation of rest as I would occasionally nod my head off and on.

Once in a while, I would see through the corner of my eyes the glaring windows flickering on and off, followed with the usual animated shadow of some pony-like figure behind those windows. I found it slightly worrying that as the further we went on the dark and bleak street, the windows would shake and rattle violently, and within each of those shakes, Merry’s pace would increase.

Suddenly, Merry skidded to a halt, before quickly turning into one of the dark alley on the left of the street, almost throwing me off her side, before she hooked a leg over my neck and pulled me with her. She exhaled a tired pant as she unhooked leg, resting her side to the concrete wall of another old decrepit building. “We’re here,” she gasped, drinking gulps of air. “And you’re heavy.”

I let out a small snort. “You’re the one who’s too small,” I muttered as I tried not to distribute too much weight on her, ignoring the glare that was sent and letting my eyes travel inside the dark alley— an impossibly large alleyway.

The walls were covered with drawings and etchings of some sort; colorful ponies, stars and symbols of moons and suns cluttered the grey wall. Further along, I saw a small dirty shack in the corner of the alley, appearing like it was about to kill itself just with a nudge on the right place, what with the rotted-looking woods. On the door was a curious thing, a fading obscure symbol painted on it; a dried green circle with the moon and the sun standing side by side inside of it, and on the edge of the circle, was a foreign and unrecognizable sentences of runic words that made my blood thrumming with the hunger of knowledge.

I shook my head slightly. Not the time. And turned to my recovering guide. “That the safe place you’re talking about?”

She let out a grunt of confirmation, before she moved from the wall, pulling me to the shack. Faintly, in the dark, I could see a rather fond smile playing in her lips. “The one and only safe place in here,”

The hinges creaked like a wailing banshee as she pushed it open with a push of her muzzle. Just like the rest of the places I had visited in this goddamned place, the claustrophobic room was as dark and small as a slime’s nether region. My eyes, thankfully adjusted to this angst-designed plane, were only able to discern an extinguished oil lantern on the middle of the room, with scents of old wood and a worrying amount of musky sweat traveled into my nose.

Ignoring the stabbing scent, Merry carefully laid me down to the wooden floor. “Wait a sec,” she said, before walking to the center of the room, and lifted the lantern with her left wing. I squinted my eyes as her muzzle reached inside her saddlebag, pulling out a larger-than-normal matchbox, and with a dexterity I would never gain, she opened it and pulled out a larger-than-normal matchstick, and somehow managed to ignite it with a flick to her other wing, and lit up the lantern.

Dimly, the lantern’s fire gloomily illuminated the claustrophobic room. I could make out a small rolled up bed in the far side of the room, three balls of yarn beside it, and a collection of familiar—Tangerine, Festive Carol, and two other foals— pony dolls. There was also another strange symbol covered the whole ceiling, like the same one I had seen on the door.

I closed my eyes as I caught the mysterious runes. A part of me, the Mage part, forever hungry and seeking for knowledge and power, wanted to investigate it, learn it, dissect it, and find whether or not I could use it. Another part of me, however, knew that that would be stupid. There was a reason why the words, ‘Don’t play with unknown magic’, were enforced by the kingdom, after all. And even though Rune magic is within my mastery, I knew it wasn’t exactly the time.

In a rare bout of control, and with the help of Merry’s pulling my bruised and battered body to hooves, I chose the latter. “Let’s get you to rest,” she muttered, and I spotted the rolled bed already unrolled within the safe distance of the lantern.

I shook my head. “No.” I said to her.

She stopped suddenly from dragging me to the bed. “What?”

“You go sleep there,” I weakly pointed at the bed. “Just put me there next to the wall. I’ll rest there.”

She adorably furrowed her brows in confusion. “But you’re—“

“No buts.” I quickly cut her off. “Just put me there,” I pointed at the wall opposite of where she had placed her rolled bed.

By the look of her eye, she was about to argue. Which was slightly touching, really, if not for the gods know what had happened on the bed; especially when I could smell the thick musky scent emanating out from the damn bed. And from the dolls, I noted with dread as I took another sniff.

However, something changed in her eye, and a blush found its way to her cheeks as I saw her sniff the air. “Okay.” She squeaked, a stark change from her previous cold demeanor, the blush on her face doubled as she hurriedly rushed, and carefully leaned me to the wall I had pointed before.

There was an uncomfortable silence as she moved away from me, scuttling to the other side of the room—where the bed was placed. Fidgeting and squirming in place, she undid the straps and saddlebag over her back, clinking loudly as they hit the floor. Immediately, she took the sheathed sword away—she’s smart, at least— from the mess with her teeth and grabbed the dolls with her wing, before stepping onto the musky bed.

Putting the sword next to the thin bed, she made her own self comfortable on it, hugging the dolls like a wizard would to his staff, and positioning herself in such a way that her eye was staring at mine, and mine staring at hers as I tried to ignore the faint blush that formed on her cheeks as she sniffed at the air.

Thankfully, I was still the champion of staring contest as she closed her lone eye. “My name’s Merry Hearth,” she suddenly introduced herself. There was something in her voice that made me curious—and somewhat suspicious of something.

“Call me Psyche,” I responded, before wincing as a sudden shot of pain came from my forehead and to the corners of my body, like a horny snake-woman in mating season, but with less pleasure and with more pain. My vision blurred momentarily, and I pushed down the sudden urge to puke as I leaned the back of my head to the wall with a gentle thud and closed my eyes.

Whether Merry noticed my pain or not was up to the jury as she shot me another question, “You’re from the outside, right?” There was that certain giddiness in her voice that reminded me a lot of the fake Festive’s response after I told her I was sent from Celestia.

I was about to nod for her answer, before I paused, and reconsidered. Perhaps. I let out a small after a small pause ‘Hmm’ which could be translated into a ‘Yes’, and answered, “Princess Celestia sent me here to here.”

“What!?” There was a loud thud as I imagined Merry jumping to her hooves, followed by a closing rapid, yet as loud thuds, until I could feel her head inches away from mine, her short warm breaths reaching to my muzzle. “You’re one of the Royal Guard?”

Gingerly, I cracked an eye open, and I saw her face leveled at me, her blue eye, a thing filled with a new hope born out of the cage of despair, shone brightly upon me. Morbidly, I thought of how easy it would be to just kill her right then and there. Put my hoof under her chin, something that would probably look like a friendly gesture, and slid a spike of ice through her head.

I blinked, quickly burning that thought right away, and I realized in an internally mild panic, that I needed Nero right now. Except I couldn’t. Not with my current condition. Weakly, I nodded to Merry’s eager question, letting out a grunt of affirmation.

If I had thought—of which I hadn’t— that Merry couldn’t look more hopeful or happier, I would’ve been unsurprisingly surprised. Her grin quivered and stretched to a point that would make the Pink Devil of Ponyville nod in approval as she put her front legs on the wall beside my head, and her muzzle practically pressed against mine; there were also tears, I noticed, forming on the corner of her eyes.

Briefly, I pondered whether the Royal Guards were actually capable enough that they would deserve this much reputation and I was underestimating them, or that they’re automatically thought as so because they’re basically Celestia’s metaphorical hooves, regardless of whether they’re capable or not. Until I saw them in the field, I tend to opt for the latter possibility.

“T-then you know how to get out, r-right?” She stuttered, voice quivering in desperate hope.

I thought about that for a short moment. “I think.” I answered her truthfully.

“W-well then,” she exclaimed happily, pushing herself away from the wall and turning around to her equipments. “What are we waiting for?!”

I shot my head forward before she could move too far; biting onto her tail and forcefully pulled her back. She yelped and jumped in surprise, “Hey, what’s the big idea?!”

I spat her tail away, ignoring her scowl as she turned to me. “We rest first.” I growled out, spitting strands of hair out of my mouth.

“B-but we’re—“There was a loud growling sound from her stomach, cutting her words like a sharp blade. She froze for a moment, before stiffly looked down with a blush. “I was going to look for food before I found you.” I heard her grumble as her legs buckled to the floor.

I sighed, leaning my head back to the wall as I rummaged blindly through my bag. “You’re lucky I packed food,” I told her—forgoing the fact that I stole said food— and my savior’s ears perked up almost immediately.

I didn’t know how much foods I took from that empty market, but I pulled enough for the little mare. Two carrots and a green pear rolled on the wooden floor towards Merry, stopping as it hit her nose softly.

Looking up from the floor, I saw her eyes widened—and somehow glimmered— as it caught view of the foods. And just like an Orc after forty days of fasting, she devoured the food mercilessly—and messily—, more merciless than Festive’s and the foals’ reaction after I gave them the food.

In the back of my mind, I pondered if the group of shapeshifters would act their hungerness like that, then what about Merry?

I shook those thoughts away. Sympathy and empathy were more of Lily’s thing—and other normal people, I suppose.

It didn’t take long before the food were chomped and flushed into the deep bowels of Merry’s belly, where biology will take its course. The little mare herself—sitting on her haunches— looked happy with herself; closed eye and a satisfied grin, her face was the very definition of bliss as she let out a sigh of relief.

“Stuffed yourself enough?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.

She nodded. “Yup.”

I smiled—more like smirked— and nodded to myself. “Good. Now how about we get some rest?”

Almost immediately, all hints of bliss and satisfaction vanished from her face as she snapped her head to me, a scowl on her face as her good eye narrowed at me. “No. We’re going now!”

I sighed and rolled my eyes. “I could barely move myself.” I pointed out, waving my good hoof to my body.

“But I—“

“I also won’t tell you how to escape from this hellhole,” I cut her off, giving a smirk as she faltered immediately.

A stink eye was sent to me, softened as it coursed to my suck-ass equine body. “Fine.” She groaned, huffing as she turned back to her bed, making herself comfortable with her scented dolls. “But we’re getting out of here after I wake up, okay?”

I was about to point out that I would certainly not recover that fast. But what was the point? Time was the essence, after all. So I kept my mouth shut, and let the one-eyed mare slipped into her slumber, leaving me alone, able to do nasty stuffs to her little, soft and warm body.

I clenched my eyes shut, and burned that thought away like a mage on a stake. Letting out a silent huff as I reached into my bag once again, this time a medium-sized vial of red liquid was balanced on my hoof. How my hooves could do that, I wouldn’t know.

I hesitated as I stared at the rippling red liquid. I was quickly losing a lot of potions in the last few days I was in this godsdamned world; quicker than I would normally do. Letting out a sigh, and making a mental note to try to remember the recipe of making a health potion, I plucked the cork with my jaws, spat it out, and let the liquid flow down into my gullets.

Placing the vial on the floor, and leaned my head to the wall as the potion did its work. I took a quick glance at the small, breathing, and snoring body across of the room, before I closed my eyes, and let Lady Sleep pull me into her ample bosoms.

()_()_()

It was Merry’s loud whimpering that woke me up in my sleep. It wasn’t the nightmare involving me fucking the bleeding, screaming, struggling, and decaying corpse of Lily, forcing the dead-eyed Nagini into her throat and leaning down to cover her body with my saliva. Nor was it the changing scene of me laughing and laughing like a madman in a field of red, tearing the still, but alive, body of Nero with my bare hands. It was, instead, the whimpering of a child that pulled me out of that nightmare. And I was thankful for it.

I cracked my eyes open, briefly noting my fur matted in sweat. I could see her on the bed thanks to the still alight lantern oil. Her face screwed in pained and terrified expression as she tossed about, crying and whimpering from the nightmare haunting her mind, her small dolls strewn far away from the bed; a thick scent of her drenched fur wafted into my nose, and for a brief moment, I heard Lily’s fearful whimper from far ago, when I was still a teenager, and when she was still alive.

I shook my head, and Merry’s whimper took over Lily’s haunting whimper. Letting out a soft sigh, I pushed myself off the ground. The limp was still there, burning and flaring every time I pressed it the wrong way, but at least I didn’t feel like having two cocks jammed into my head.

I paused as I stood on three hooves, leaning my side against the wall as I gazed at the tossing filly. Perhaps it was because she reminded me so of little Lily, or perhaps I was still tired and wanted to sleep, but in the end, I slowly limped my way to her, careful as not to touch the floor with my limb, and stepped over the ball of straps, belts and saddlebag.

As I stood over her side, I could see the tears leaking from her eye, her ears splayed back as she settled on her back, her wings and legs twitched suddenly, as if they tried to move. I stood there for a moment, pondering on what I was going to do, before I carefully settled on my haunches.

My hoof settled on her head, and her limbs twitched collectively. I sighed, a lullaby long-unsung found its way into my throat as I hummed it along, my hoof brushing soothingly along her soft mane. I closed my eyes, and a smile flowed into my facade. There was something nostalgic and relaxing of doing this.

Soon enough, I could feel Merry calming, her whimper fading into silence and her heart pace slowed considerably. Opening my eyes, there was a smile on her face, something that looked so brittle for someone young as her. She shifted on her bed, and I almost jumped when I found her hooves curled around mine, using it as an improvised pillow.

I blinked, before snorting silently in amusement. Shaking my head, I let out a sigh, before continuing on humming that oh-so-nostalgic lullaby. I tilted my head upwards, and I blinked again. There was that mysterious runes. It was strange, something I had never seen before. It wasn’t blocky or smooth, like the normal runes I was taught, nor was it cursive like that ones from the east or choppy like the ancient runes. It was... something of a mix. I couldn’t even understand what that single, circular yet somehow blocky rune meant. Nor why the sun-like rune was there for.

I memorized the runes into my memory as detailed as my mind could do. Every curve, every stroke, every line, every shape, I memorized them. Were I had my hands, I would’ve probably simply draw it on a piece of paper, but as it was, something outside my power—a demon, to be precise— once again conspired against my hunger for knowledge.

Something warm and wet dropped onto my captured hoof. Looking down, I found drool leaking from the corner of Merry’s mouth, her smile widened slightly for whatever dream she had. I sighed in annoyance, pushing the urge to pinch my nose, since I would probably just hurt myself with my hoof.

And the night passed on like that. The silence, occasionally broken by Merry’s incomprehensible mumblings, was my only companion as I settled myself into a more comfortable position, gently laying my other hoof over Merry’s mane, brushing it just like the way I had used to with Lily’s. Somewhere in the night, I let my eyes close, and let myself return into Lady Sleep’s sweet embrace.

None of the nightmares welcomed me.

()_()_()

‘Morning’, as it was—a rather relative term in this Limbo—, came to me with the sudden jerking movement of something on my almost-dead and numb hoof. I opened my eyes, staring at the rotten looking ceiling; for some reason, I felt warm covering all over my body, and seeing to my right, I quickly knew why it was so.

Merry’s lone blue eye, wide as an Orc’s gaping asshole, stared at my undamaged eyes; face only inches away from mine. Her tiny legs, fore and hind, were all over my barrel, her warm and rapidly beating chest pressed against mine, effectively turning me into her personal living body pillow. A part of me, stuck in the past, briefly mused that my current predicament was quite similar on how Lily had cuddled me up like her doll.

Red flowed onto Merry’s cheeks, so much so in fact, I was worried she would burst her head off and sprayed me with her blood. Carefully, I leaned my neck away from her, for I knew the danger of a volatile teenager, especially when it’s female. I gave her an easy smile, my free hoof reaching to her nearest hoof—the one frozen on my side.

Upon the touch, her eyes snapped back to focus. She let out a loud, embarrassed squeak as she quickly disentangled herself from me, jumping away across the room with the help of her wings. “W-what did you do to me!?” She stammered angrily, her eye widened as she paused; it flickered to the blade left nearby the crumpled bed.

I looked at her dryly, the smile on my face slipping slightly now that I wasn’t in a close contact with a volatile, hormonal, female teenager. “I should be the one asking you,” I pointed out, before yawning as I shifted my hooves until I was sitting on my haunches, facing at the angry teenager. “And for your information, you were having a nightmare. I only did what was proper,”

She flared her nose angrily. “And that’s using my body as your body pillow?!”

I sighed; my hoof went up to pinch my nose, paused, and quickly put it down as I remembered I had hooves now. I didn’t want to inflict myself with injury without a good reason. Gods know I had more than enough.

“If I remember correctly, you were the one who used me as a body pillow.” I told her in a bemused manner. “And no, I didn’t use you as my body pillow. Perhaps if you’re older,”

She glared at me in an adorable pouty way that would melt people’s heart. And rape her in a dark alley until she’s dead for a certain group of people that should be killed over and over. Letting out a huff, Merry planted her rumps on the floor, and mumbled something incomprehensible.

“I’m sorry?”

“I said ‘thank you’,” she elaborated, barely passing a mumble, but it was heard. I raised an eyebrow, something that made her to seemingly sigh, “I didn’t wake up feeling horrible, covered in sweat. And last night, I didn’t feel a nightmare.” She paused.”Or at least, it wasn’t as long and horrible as it usually is. That’s why I want to thank you. And I’m also sorry for overreacting.” She added that last part as an afterthought.

I shrugged my shoulders at her answer. “It’s fine.” I stood up to my hooves, and limped to her side.

Her eye flickered to my limping leg. “Is your leg going to be fine?” There was a worried—and dare I say fearful— tone in her voice as she asked.

I pondered about that as I sat beside her. There was a possibility that I was going to have a limp, unless there’s a magic potion in Equestria that could magically mend bones, or a mage that could something similar. After all, there’s a chance that the potion I had drunk the last night had somehow became the cause of the limp, worsening it by fixing it the wrong way.

Of course, that was only considering that I wouldn’t be turned to human after I escaped this place—and killed the demon, along the way. Which I doubt it wouldn’t happen; I’d like to believe that the only reason why I was a pony was because of the place I was in, or the one running behind it. Then again, there’s a chance —a rather big one— that the limp would still be there even after I was turned back into a human. After all, I still had my scars on my white fur hidden under my robe.

I sighed; hoof rummaging into my bag, before I produced a few veggies and fruits for breakfast. “Hopefully,” I answered her after a pause, taking a bite of the still fresh apple.

She shot me a worried look, her wings fluttered nervously, before using her left one to pick up the carrot from the floor, and munched on it in that kind of silence, that was comfortable, yet at the same time, not. That kind of feeling when a person stumbled upon a woman being fucked by a group of men in a dark alley, but instead of helping or joining, that person decided to simply enjoy the view.

“So what are we going to do?” Merry decided to break the silence, glancing at me as I swallowed the apple’s core and took a carrot from the floor.

I took a bite of the carrot, chewing the crunchy carrot before swallowing it. “Do you know a filly named Red Field?”

Her face screwed. “Everpony in here knows, no,” she shook her head sadly, “knew about her. ‘The town’s broken foal’, I think she was called since... what happened to Ticking Clock.” She released a sigh, looking at me with something between guilt and anger—self anger, perhaps. “I don’t know much about her.”

Briefly, I mused at Red Field’s title, ‘Broken Foal’. It couldn’t be any more farther than the truth, and perhaps it’s a bit too much fitting for someone with a name like hers.

“Why are you asking about her, anyway?”

I shrugged. For a brief moment, I thought of simply giving her a look of Red Field’s tragic diary. For a brief moment, I thought of simply let the sleeping dogs die. No point to sully little Red Field’s name. Then I realized that I was too lazy to make up an excuse and pulled Red Field’s diary off my bag, before tossing it to Merry.

Her eye widened considerably as it fell to the book’s cover; the one with the ‘Red Field’s Diary!’ written on top of it.”Is this...” she picked up the dusty book, examining its cover, before opening it.

There were plenty of words that could be used to describe the myriads of emotions on her face as she flipped page after page. The same thing that had happened with Not-Carol when I let her read Red Field’s diary. First it was a small bitter smile, almost guilty-like, and then it turned upside-down into a smile, her face paled in aghast, and on some occasion, a silent gasp of horror would be elicited from her as she went further by the book.

She almost stopped reading the reading, closing her eyes, tears visible from the edge of her eye. She had looked at me, her mouth quivering as she mouthed a silent question. “Why?”

And she would’ve quitted if I didn’t nod my head to the book on her hooves. “Read it.” I had said, perhaps a bit sternly than I had supposed to mean.

Silently, she continued to read the diary. There was something different between her reaction and Not-Carol’s. Not the reaction itself, but the way they reacted. Not-Carol seemed to be more artificial now that I watched Merry’s face. I pondered, if only briefly, that I was getting rusty in studying people’s faces, and quickly dismissed that idea.

Then as Merry reached to the last page, all of that emotion vanished. That guilt, that fear, that sadness, and that sympathy. Gone. Her face was blank, the pale on her fur worsened, and I saw rage growing in her eye.

The book sailed to the other side of the room as the girl threw it, letting out a loud smacking sound as it slapped the wall. Her lips contorted to a snarl, and the tears, previously produced out of guilt, turned into spiteful anger as she slammed the floor with her hoof. “Why?!” She shouted angrily, her hoof slammed the floor again. “Why!?” she punched the floor again, “Why!?” again, “Why!?” and again, “Why!?” and again; each hit quicker and harder with her repetitions of ‘Why’s’.

And just like a woman peaking into her climax, she released a loud pained cry. “Why!?” Her hoof slammed down to the floor, already marred with cracks by Merry’s abusive hoof, and this time, her hoof stayed on the ground.

There was only silence as her rage bled away from her, accompanied only by her heavy breathing. All that changed as she sobbed, her boy shook as tears dropped from her eye, her teeth gritted in frustration. “Why?” She repeated pitifully.

I sighed, my hoof reaching over to her body and I pulled her into a hug. “It’s all right. Just cry it all out,” I said, making calming circular motions on her back. “It’s all right.”

“It-it’s just unfair,” came her muffled reply.”J-just because that happened to her, it doesn’t justify her wish!” Her sobs went louder as she pressed herself into my shoulder. “Why would she wish that?”

The answer was simpler than what she had probably cooked up in her mind. Red Field was a strong girl, stronger than what the people gave her credits. But in the end, she was still only a child facing something that any people shouldn’t. And a child is easier to break than most people.

My other hoof reached to her scalp, massaging and brushing her mane to calm her down. “Most of the times, Merry, when ponies are pushed to the corner, they’ll do irrational things to save themselves.” Even if, in the end, it didn’t save Red Field.

A hiccup escaped her, and the silence remained there to stay with Merry continuing to use my fur as her personal handkerchief.

Finally, after what felt like an hour, which probably was, Merry pulled her face away from my fur. Her eyes puffed up red, her cheeks wet from her own tears, and my shoulder wet from Merry’s snots and tears.

“You’re done?”

She looked up from my shoulder and up to me, a weak sheepish smile on her face. “Sorry,” she looked down to her thighs, her voice dry and cracking from all the shouting she did as she continued, “And thank you for that. I needed it.”

“No worries.” I assured her, climbing carefully up to my hooves. I sighed. “But now, since you don’t know where Red Field’s house is, do you have any idea how to get there?”

She chewed her lips as she gazed at Red Field’s diary. “Well, I think I have an idea,” she turned her eye to me. “Where did you find the diary?”

“In her house,” I answered immediately. “I think.” At her incredulous look, I simply shrugged. “I just found in it some random house near the town’s gate.” I paused for a moment, remembering the filly I saw afterwards, before I shook my head. “But now that I think about it, it’s not Red Field’s house, what with the filly—“’Melly”—I saw afterwards.”

She gave me an annoyed glare with her one eye. “You’re not very good at your job, aren’t you?”

I shrugged. “Better than those two dead guards,”

She flinched at the mention of the skeletonized guards, looking away from me and took a deep shuddering breath. “Anyway,” she said, standing up to her hooves, looking at me again. “Like I told you before, I don’t know much about Red Field, but I know about Clockwork. Everypony in this town do and almost everypony in this town worked for him. Even my dad.” She blinked, taking a deep breath, before continuing, “Point is,” she pointed at the diary, “the diary said that Red Field’s father worked for Clockwork as well,”

I nodded at her plan, a smile forming on my face, already understanding where her line of thought went. “So we could visit Clockwork’s Workshop, and look for the information about Red Field’s dad, which would definitely tell us Red Field’s home address.” Merry’s smile was bright as she nodded in agreement. “And you know where Clockwork’s workshop is, right?”

“I do,” she acknowledged. “It’s in the town’s famous clocktower.”

My mind did a sudden screeching halt as I froze in my spot. I inhaled a deep amount of air, and exhaled them slowly through my barred teeth. “It can’t possibly be any easier, now can it?”

Merry stepped beside me. “What’s wrong?” Her face showed worry as she asked.

Aside from going into what could possibly the most dangerous place in here? “Nothing.” I replied, shaking my head with slight resignation. “Just go gather your equipments first.”

She walked to her pile of equipments, giving a shrug as she did so, mounting her saddlebag over her bag, locking the leather-looking-straps over her, and her short sword secured on her side. She extinguished the oil lamp before she walked to me, already waiting for her by the door, since really, I only needed my bag.

I leaned forward, and with my jaws, swung the door open. I stepped to the side of the door, allowing Merry passage. “Guide the way,”

She gave me a weird look, and as realization dawned on her, she let out a weak embarrassed chuckle, passing door’s threshold. I stepped into outside, closing the door behind me, and followed Merry’s tail as she guided me into what could be my deathbed.

Wait.

I stopped suddenly, my head shot up at the dark bleak skies. Darker, I noted, than the last time I saw them. I heard Merry’s hooves stopping, a question from her as she approached me. I looked to the left, then to the right. The walls were still there, and we were still in the same dark alley.

Merry was in front of me, worried questions reflected by her lone eye. An unpleasant chill ran to my bone.

I stared back at her, my blue eyes narrowed in suspicion. “How do you know where the clock tower from here?”

Merry took a step back, and I took step forward. Her eye, I noticed, were wide with terror. “What are you?” No, that was the wrong question. My mind was running a mile per second. Something was very wrong with Merry. Everything had been wrong since I had been forced into this Limbo of some sort. But the one that was very wrong to me was in front of me.

I looked back, and the shack I had used for last night was gone. Instead, there was only an empty spot of earth, and nothing else.

Then the question came suddenly to me, and my eyes widened in dread. I stared back at Merry’s terrified eye.

“Are you even real?”

Chappie 13

The mind.

It was one of those complicated thing in the world. It was one of the things that many researchers work together—even with Elves— to gather the pieces of puzzles, and put it together. And I had no small doubt that the gods themselves were as clueless as mortals.

And I’m as clueless as the next person. I’m not a researcher, after all. I’m a runesmith with a rather vast knowledge on how to kill other people. I’m also a Soul Mage, if a barely qualified one. Still, I knew some knowledge about the mind. Any mage worth their salt should. Any mage who wants to defend their minds from invasive probing and forceful takeovers would.

I know that the mind is a great complicated thing. How could it not? It’s where you store your memories, where your emotions come from, and help to decide whether or not that wound on your stomach is fatal. The mind, however, is also a great horrible traitorous thing. It could let others takeover you, let others freely read and take your memories, and tricking you into believing that the hallucination dragging you is your sister, and definitely not a hallucination.

As I glared at the shaking Merry, her back pressed to the dirty doodled wall of the alley, and eye brimming with shades of fear. Looking back, I should’ve noticed sooner. She was too much like Lily. True, she wasn’t human, but I could see a part of Lily in her eye; a soft-hearted but confident little spitfire.

In other word, in this dark, grim, and impossibly nonsensically chaotic place, plus just like how I first met Festive Slug and her merry little band of little shape-shifting slugs, it all seemed too fucking convenient.

A deep growl escaped my throat as I stepped— stomped—forward. “Are you real?” I hissed, stressing the last word with a slam of my fine hoof to the paved ground.

The ‘filly’ flinched, almost jumped, in surprise. I took a small note of her sheathed sword as her head shook like a southerner visiting the north. “I-I don’t know,” she answered, her tone desperate as she stared warily at me.

I thought about her answer for a short moment. She seemed honest. But then again, at that point, the line between an honest answer and a lie was blurred and nothing really mattered. I just needed my godsdamned answer.

With that, I took another stomp forward. “Who are you?” I growled, pressing the urge to beat her senseless so that I could take the information out of her the easy way. But then, she may just be a figment of my imagination, so that was a moot. Not that it mattered.

If I had thought she couldn’t look even more pitiful, then I was wrong. The shakings of her body increased, she pressed her body to the wall, and shrank as small as possible under my glare. “I-I-I don’t know!” She stuttered, shouted; tone growing more and more desperate. “I don’t know!”

I ignored her answer, and took another advance to her. Belatedly, I noted she was just within the edge of my hoof reach. “What are you?!” I asked once more, feeling a bit more like a broken record than I’d like.

In an act of complete desperation, her head moved quickly to the hilt of her sword. A loud smacking sound echoed the walls as my hoof told her why that’s a bad idea. Red hoofmark—definitely a bruised— marred her face as her neck snapped to the side, thin line of blood tricked down from her split lips as she turned to face me, her good eye looking elsewhere but mine as she tried to choke down the sobs.

“Answer me,” I regarded her coldly. Was it a morally good idea to interrogate-slash-intimidate what possibly or may not possibly be a figment of my maddened mind with the personality of my long-dead sister, mind and body of a child, or both? Perhaps not, but then again, nothing I had done ever was. “Or I will repeatedly force your face to befriend that friendly wall behind you, take your soul, defile it, and slowly burn it to oblivion.” At the very least, when I was done with this place, I could blame it on the madness rearing its pus-filled, shit-covered rotten cock up into my rectum.

She cringed, sniffling pitifully. “I-I don’t—“she clenched her eye shut, flinching away from me”—know.” She paused, expecting something. When that something didn’t come, she continued, “I’m just Merry Hearth, but I’m not. I’m not Merry Hearth, but I am Merry Hearth...” she trailed off, taking a shuddering breath. “I don’t know what I am. I just want to help.” She added the last part with a small voice, and I only heard it because of my proximity with her.

My breath hitched on my throat, the blood in my vein warmed as my hoof fell to the ground with a crunch. She flinched at that, but opened her eye just a peek still. That was good, I thought. I hadn’t gone mad, yet. Did I trust her answer too easy? Considering my previous experience and fallacy with the ink-work monsters, absolutely. But I was grasping at strings, for something to prove that I wasn’t going to go screaming and making out with that nice grey wall.

I met her eyes, muscles relaxing but ready to strike. “Why?” in a way, I already knew the answer. But as the old saying goes, ‘I’ve been wrong, before.’

She blinked. “W-what?” She shook her head, pausing to steady her breath and shaking the tremble in her voice. “B-because it was the right thing to do? Because it’s something that Merry Hearth would do. And because...” she trailed off, her eye glossed over, staring at the empty air behind me.

I raised an eyebrow, glancing back, finding only empty space and the grey wall painted with doodles. I turned to Merry.

She shook her head suddenly, giving me a careful look. “... I just want to help.”

I looked at her eye hard. Perhaps harder than I had done with people I had met before, something that I thought I should do more, given how I had been lied more in a day here than in a year. There wasn’t any dishonesty in her eye, nor tone. “I... see,” I sighed, looking up at the black sky, before back to the filly, giving me a strange look. “Lead the way to the Clock Tower, then.” I nodded at her, stepping back to let her free.

She blinked, then again, giving me a look over. “Just right that?”

“Yep.” I answered truthfully, and we stared at each other’s eyes—eye, in her case— in uncomfortable silence.

After what felt like hours, she finally fidgeted and broke off the stare to the side. “What are we doing then?”

“Are you deaf, girl?” I asked, perhaps more biting than I had meant, considering her flinch. I sighed. “Just— let’s go to the Clock Tower. You do know the road...” I trailed off, noticing her nervous fidgeting at the mention of the Clock Tower. “Right?”

She shrugged uncomfortably, looking elsewhere but me. “I have a vague clue,”

I sighed harder, staring up at the black sky; all it needed was a rain, and it would be the perfect day—or night. “And when I thought things would be better,” I lamented bitterly, turning around and limped towards the alley’s exit, the pitter patter of hooves behind me told me that Merry was following. “We’ll try our luck, then.”

“Very encouraging,” I heard her mutter behind me.

The street was as I remembered it as I took a turn left. Lampposts standing on the either side of the road, illuminating the dark place with flickering lights. Dead buildings glared at us condemningly, a few flickering lights on their windows marked by the shadowy silhouette of the not-ponies.

I had probably come here from right, but at this point, I didn’t care. If I hit a dead end, then that meant it’s time to open another house, and hope that I would be facing a simple house, and not the maw of some twisted creature.

“P-Psyche?” The Merry-yet-not-Merry behind me called out, her hooves pattering hurriedly until she was next to me, a contrast of her yesterday attitude as she kept glancing at my hooves—my limping hoof, to be precise— awkwardly. “Do you need help?”

I snorted, watching over the windows and grey buildings. It was getting colder, I noticed. “I don’t know whether or not you’re trying to be sincerely mocking, or mockingly sincere,”

She winced. “I didn’t mean that... I just... want to help. If—” she looked away from me”—you don’t want me to, then I’ll...” she trailed off.

I sighed. “Just... keep a watch. We’re treading in a zone of danger, here.”

There was lull of very much needed silence as we continued onwards. Our hooves clacking against the paved road, and the filly beside me hesitantly closed the distance between ourselves until our fur met each other. I raised an eyebrow, but shrugged. Let kids be kids.

I shuddered suddenly as I felt the air around me becoming colder. My breaths were visible as I let fire ran its course into my vein, warming me up to an accepted degree. I looked beside, noting with a frown as I saw her walking normally, almost looking like she didn’t realize the air around her.

“It’s cold.” I stated, staring at the filly for a reaction.

And a reaction I got. As if a switch was turned, her eye widened in horror, cold visible carbon dioxide visible from her muzzle. “Oh, drat,” I heard her mutter under her breath. I glanced to back to the road, feeling that familiar dread as I watched the road darken into pitch black, “Um, Psyche, I think we should run. Like, now.”

Before I could ask further on her, laughter, manic laughter boomed behind me. My eyes widened, glancing back, I saw rows after rows of twisted pony-like creatures laughing and marching at us. Their eyes were large and wide—more than normal ponies should— with visible veins threatening to pop behind them, jaws unnaturally unhinged and stretched into a wide smile, revealing rows after rows of sharp teeth, and the gaping abyss leaking with coppery sludge staring at us.

“Run!”

I couldn’t remember whether it was me or Merry who said it. But the moment it rang in the air, my legs pumped, fires flared within my veins as I galloped forward, ignoring the pain on my barely-alive hoof, before quickly falling into its grave as I bit a scream, a loud crack coming from it.

Merry was there by my side, here eye wide in horror as it stared at my dead hoof, before she turned back to the road. I could hear her mutter ‘Not again’ repeatedly under her breath.

I gritted my teeth, the road was the same. I felt some bout of cold dread as I realized we were probably trudging through an endless looping loop. It was possible. It may just be possible that the street itself was a trap for the horde behind me.

I risked a glance back. They were singing the cruel music of madness, laughter rang throughout the air as their mouths shook in that unnatural way, the coppery goop in their mouths trembling as they fell to the ground.

I gulped, and for a brief moment, I considered throwing Merry behind for them. And I would’ve done it. I should have done it. She’s not even the real Merry, and for all I knew, she wasn’t even alive. My life was more important than hers. There was still Ruby needing to be fixed, and Nero still waiting—

No. I crushed the voice immediately, gritting my teeth as I turned forward. That was the madness speaking, and I drew the line when it was the madness speaking. Endless road ahead; I tried to look for an alley to hide, but no such luck there, as always. I considered opening one of the building, but I pushed those aside, I doubted inside would even be safe.

I tried to look for solutions as my breath turned ragged. A flash of something hit me, and I grimaced as I skidded to a halt. Merry looked shocked, but I ignored it as I quickly turned around, facing the laughing horde.

Scowling, my hoof quickly reached into my bag. As quick as I could, I pulled another bag from it, a smaller bag, a bag filled of doom. A bag filled of souls. And I forced my magic into the bag, reaching towards the dozens of murderers, rapists, vampires, and monsters of the Dark, and I twisted them.

If I could understand souls, I would have probably heard screams of pain, screeches of agony, whimpers for reprieve, and cries for it to end from my bag. What I was doing, if it was discovered back home, would be considered as the worst crime ever done in five decades, condemned into the worst unusually cruel punishment in the Rule Book. What I was doing, if the gods were to see it—excepting the mad ones— would make them sneer at me, and curse me thrice over if they hadn’t.

Still, as I forcefully pushed the souls together, fusing them with my all of my magic, I didn’t care. The only thing in my mind was my magic, and the approaching horde in front of me. I broke the already broken souls again and again until they forgot their sense of self. The monsters were getting close, only a twenty meters from me, and threw the bag at them.

I stumbled back, my skin pale as I felt like I had been sucked by dozens of ugly-as-fuck succubus. It was only the small hoof holding me that kept me from tripping—and probably will never get up. I staggered for a moment, giving the pale Merry a thankful look—why does she look horrified?—, turned around and galloped away, Merry hurriedly following behind.

“What did you do!?”

I ignored her as I concentrated my focus on the world. Already, I could feel the abused wife beginning to weep as the abusive husband caressed the woman’s hair in a rare show of sobriety and kindness, trying to lull me into sleep with sweet words. Such effort would’ve been appreciated were it not for the horde of monsters trampling the ground behind me.

My pace became less of a gallop and more of a drunk trying to run as I felt the loss of my mana slapped me like a rotten cock from my previous stunt. And it would’ve been gone to waste if I let that soothing feeling to viciously drown me into Sleep’s ample bosoms. My eyes swam around the rows of building as I tried to find a spot to hide. Or something.

There! I could see a conveniently placed alley a couple buildings ahead. I glanced behind me, and it may be just my magically exhausted mind, but were they slowing? I viciously shook my head, immediately regretting it as I felt my abusive husband suddenly whipped his cock into the almost-sleeping wife’s loose vagina.

Small blessing, I suppose, as it kept me slightly more awake.

As soon as the alley was within my range, I immediately threw myself into it. A feminine yelp was all I could hear as I felt hard surface hitting my head—or maybe it was my head hitting the hard surface. Buzzing sound rang into my ears as I felt my body hit the paved side road. My head, especially the fore part, felt like it was lodged with the back part of a hammer, and slowly pulling chunks of my flesh, before replacing it with a miner drill and slowly tried to force its way into my brain.

I groaned, tears of pain leaking from my eyes. I tried to move my limbs, to no avail. Opening my eyes gave more result as I found myself staring at Merry’s pale face. I saw her mouth flapping like an overused vagina, the laughter of the twisted creatures became nothing more than white noise as I tried to move my neck, stopping and flinching as I felt it crack. Immense pain immediately seared it with its cum.

“Ouch,” the word slurred out of my mouth, not unlike a mother enjoying things she shouldn’t. “That’s not good.”

Suddenly, I felt hot white light radiated over my side, before washing my body with its painful burn. The ground shook wildly, the screams of hundreds pierced through my concussed daze was the only clue of what had happened. I closed my eyes immediately, relishing in it, before opening them, only to see the sickened face of Merry staring at what was left of the horde.

She stared at me, mouthed something, before gulping. She stepped out of my view, and for a few minutes, I had thought she had abandoned me, left me for other things to feast on me. Then I felt something tug on my hoof, and I was dragged away to somewhere, my back scraping against the ground.

The last thing I saw before I fell to unconsciousness was the calm black sky, somehow managed to sneer at me.

()_()_()

Moving, dragging, and scrapping. I didn’t know how long it lasted, but something was moving me through the scruff of my hood. The black sky was like a moving picture as my eyes opened, rare prickles of star that I had noticed now seemed glared back at me like I was the vilest being alive. My back hurt as it was dragged through the gravel road; the only thing keeping my back filled with cuts and wounds was the outfit that I had enchanted with various protection runes.

I tried to move my neck. Tried, being the keyword as I felt something restricting it from ever moving. My hoof went to the thing restricting my neck, feeling the hard and rough surface. I sighed, wincing as I felt my broken hoof stumbled to the ground; at least I wasn’t going to die anytime soon. I dropped my hoof and let it being dragged by whoever was dragging me.

Suddenly, whoever dragged me halted, and carefully lay me to the hard cold ground. The sweaty, pale, and concerned face of Merry Hearth entered my view. “You’re awake.” I bit the inside of my lips from retorting her statement. At least she had the modesty to look sheepish. “Right, that was stupid. So,” she bit her lips, staring at her hoof. “Are you feeling alright?”

What have you done? Rang clear in my mind. I tried to voice it, only to produce something akin to a grunt and a throaty noise. I clammed my mouth shut, then opened it again to say something. My lips moved, and tongue twirled, but not a single word came out. With dread, I realized, I couldn’t speak.

I closed my eyes, inhaled a deep amount of air, and thought of something positive. I was alive, if broken. That was something. I opened my eyes again, and grunted angrily—hey, I could grunt. Hurray—, glaring at the girl with the fiercest of glares I could give while being crippled.

Flinching, the girl glanced at me. “I don’t know,” she took a breath. “I really don’t know.”

A lie. Finally, a lie I could see. I glared at her, stamping my hoof to the gravel road as I growled a throaty growl. One that, as loathe as I admit it, won’t be far from a mutt defending its position and rear.

She flinched again, this time looking away from me. “I… did something,” she answered, her voice faint that I won’t probably heard her if she wasn’t so close to me.

She wasn’t lying, but I didn’t want obscure truth. I wanted the truth truth. So I growled once more, and that growl turned into a snarl as my lips peeled back--

And Merry flinched back, her hooves raised to protect her from the never-coming attack. “Please don’t hurt me!”

I stopped, my heart beating a mile per second as the snarl was replaced by a frown. I looked at my hooves, at hers, then I sighed. I grunted softly, and moments later Merry dropped her hooves to the ground, staring at anywhere but me.

“I couldn’t tell you what I did,” she mumbled, her tone almost fearful sounding. “I just… I just saw you were dying, and I-I tried to save you. So I did something so that you won’t die, but it wasn’t free. It took your speech, and…” she gulped, her eyes trailing to my head. My forehead I belatedly realized. “And y-your horn.” Immediately, she closed her eyes.

Slowly, I touched my forehead, flinching as pain shot out upon contact. But there was no horn there. Not even a stump; just a smooth surface of blood-caked white fur. I dropped my hoof, sighed. It’s not like I was using it anyway.

There were a lot of questions swirling in my head. From what had happened since I passed out, how long had I passed out, what happened to those creatures, how did Merry know what Equivalent Exchange, how did she do said magic in the first place. Is it even real magic?

Alas, I couldn’t ask those thanks to my muteness. So I simply sighed, staring at the black sky.

“You’re not angry?”

I was. I was angry. I was angry by how messed up my situation became. I was angry how Nero wasn’t with me. I was angry how I wasn’t in my original body. I was angry that I became a cripple that needed the help of a filly to move around. I was angry that there’s a demon plunging a town of innocents into this fucked up dimension.

I was angry of a lot of things. But there was nothing I could do. So I simply sighed, and used what movement I could gather on my broken and restrained neck to shake my head.

I heard Merry stepped away from my view as I stared at the black sky once more. The ground scrapped by me again as Merry bit down the scruff of my hood, and dragged me. The still black sky turned into a moving picture of blind blackness.

Quietly, almost inaudible to my ears, I heard Merry whispered a word under her breath. “Thank you...”

I grunted softly, regardless it was meant to be heard or not. After a moment, I realized something crucial, and I grunted questioningly.

“I don’t know,” she answered honestly, her voice muffled by my hood. “I’m hoping to find a safe place.”

I scoffed, before grunting again.

I heard her sigh. “I know. But I can hope, right? It’s better than doing nothing.” She replied demurely.

I hummed in agreement, before grunting, pointing at one of the building.

“No.” Her answer was curt, a reminder of the first time I met her. “It’s too dangerous, and...” she trailed off, and I could imagine her looking up at the same black sky as she slowed down. “You were so close to death, you know?” her voice was faint, quiet. “You were bleeding a lot from your head, and I saw your soul slowly slipping out of you. It was terrifying. I don’t want to see that anymore.”

If I could speak, I’d probably told her not to knock it off, and not to be stupid and also how the hell she was able to see my soul slipping. As it was, I merely sighed, and hummed a flat tone.

“I know,” she said. “I know it’s impossible. But I still want to believe that it’s possible. My... teacher used to tell me, ‘You should never stop hoping’, and I think I won’t.”

Aside from the occasional clacking of her hooves, and the scrapping sound of my back against the road, silence reigned between us. There we were, a filly that may not be a filly, and a man cursed out of his luck. If there was a joke of that, I wouldn’t be surprised.

“You should rest,” Merry’s muffled voice broke the silence. “I’ll wake you up when it’s safe.”

I looked to my right side, watching the grey identical buildings went by as I was dragged along. There was part of me that wanted to stay awake, for what, I don’t know. Yet, the small part of me, hidden in the back of my head told me that I should just sleep.

And I was tired. Already, I could feel my eyelids weighing down, gently pushing me into sleep. I yawned, staring back at the black sky, and the back of my eyelids as I closed them, drifting to sleep for the much needed rest.

()_()_()

I was standing between the line separating two parts of my mind. Furrowing my brows, I turned to the left; the rows of wooden bookshelves stood there like an army of stoic men. Turning to my left, I felt my skin pale when I saw the blood red tainted sky. It was moving. Oh, it was slow, slower than a humping slug, but it was moving. And as I looked up, I realized what had caused it moving, and for the first time in many years, I felt fear.

There was nothing holding it at bay.

Hypothesis of what happened swirled like a hurricane in my mind. Each of them worse than the previous and with each of them, questions came for answers I didn’t have— didn’t want to have. It was terrifying. I had once thought that ever since I took a look into those cursed green eyes, that they would be the only thing that would instill fear in me.

I was wrong. I imagine, if I wasn’t in so much fear, I would’ve felt sick from my own admittance. It felt like the spiritual equivalent of getting a kick into the crotch, and a slap with a wooden cane to the cheeks, followed by a shove of thousand needles into my urethra.

The sound of feet slamming the marble floor snapped me from the awful feeling I felt as I jumped around. And straight into staring the angry countenance of the goddess of soul; the question: Could this go any worse? Went quickly answered as the angry goddess threw her hands out toward me at the empty air, and I was flung backwards.

My back slammed onto the brick wall sprouted from the ground, knocking the air out off my lungs, and would probably break my bones if I wasn’t in my mind. The thought of how the brick wall came to be in the first place was indeed a horrifying thought.

In a blink, the enraged goddess was suddenly standing in front of me; her hands went around my neck, choking me as it tightened. Despite my current predicament, I couldn’t help but notice the slightly haggard look on her face, the small bags under her eyes, and the snarl as she peeled back her lips. At that moment, I wouldn’t be surprised if her hair became a tongue of fire.

“How dare you,” she grounded out, her voice was fire. And I could only choke on my spit as I clenched my hands around her wrists, a wasteful effort to escape her tightening grip. “How dare you defile my arts, to pervert them, to make a sick travesty of them? How fucking dare you!” As her eyes met mine, I only saw thundering fire in them. “I have let you too loose on handling my arts, mortal. I have tolerated you when you played around too much with my arts. I have watched you twist my arts, dirtying them with every hand you get around them. I have let you play with powers beyond yours, powers that never meant to be in your hands.” She pulled my head, before slamming it back to the brick wall. The mind was the only thing that was keeping me alive. “But today, Cain, your action today took the cake—“

“It was my only choice—“

“Don’t you dare use that on me!” she roared, slamming my head to the brick wall once more. “I don’t fucking care even if it’s the last thing you’ll ever do. What you did, what you have done,” she closed her head towards mine, her eyes held so much fire, I felt the world around me burn. “I should’ve killed you. Almost did.” She hissed. “Be thankful of that creature of yours.”

Her hands loosened suddenly, and I fell to the ground, gasping and heaving for air--that I didn’t need-- as I rubbed my own neck. Comfort, I admit, was rising up in my priority charts quicker than a virgin would cum.

She leaned down, her head staring down at my face. “But I won’t.” She turned around. “You are in luck, Cain. You are lucky that you are an important pawn in a game bigger than your head could ever handle,” she glanced sharply at me. “But do not think I will let you be unpunished,” she then pointed at the sky above the crystal trees.

I felt my skin paled as I saw what she was pointing. The world felt like it had stopped in time as I stared in horror at the slowly, but faster, encroaching red tainted sky high above. I was half aware of Psyche saying something, but it went past my ears as I leaned back to the brick wall.

“Tick tock, Cain, your time is running out.”

As the world around me slowly fade, starting out of the Library, to the Crystal Meadow. The last thing I saw as the goddess turned around was her vindictive and cruel smirk.

()_()_()

I shot up with a gasp, ignoring the shooting stab of pain from my neck. My fur drenched in sweat, and my heart was drumming through my ears as I quickly looked around for Merry. I was in a dark room, as dark as any others. On my left, I could see the dim silhouette of a queen bed, with nightstands beside it. On the opposite, I saw an old wooden dresser, and an equally old wardrobe standing inches away from it.

A warm and slightly fuzzy touch to my right hoof nearly made me jump. I looked to my side, seeing Merry lying there, asleep. Her face, though slightly hidden by the dark, was visibly haggard; perhaps more so than the red haired goddess. Either way, I wouldn’t be surprised if she immediately collapsed the moment we entered the room.

Psyche’s words reminded me of my predicament, and my hooves when around her shoulders and shook her awake. The girl woke up immediately, exhaling a deep breath and her eye wide as she stared at me. “Psyche?” She asked, perhaps a bit too sleepily. I shook her harder to get rid of that remaining sleep off her. “W-what?”—I shook harder—“Stop it, I’m awake! What do you want?!” She shouted, her tone tired and frustrated.

I did, and I grunted loudly. Time was running out, and I gestured at my broken, dead, and limb hoof, then at the cast on my neck—how she got the cast, I had no idea— and made a crossing gesture with my fore-hooves. I hoped she understood what I meant.

Her eyes bulged wide. “W-what?” my eye twitched in annoyance, and I shook her again. “Stop it!” She shouted angrily, putting both hooves to mine as I stopped. “I get what you mean!” she inhaled a deep breath. “But why?” she shook her head angrily. “Never mind that, how?”

For a moment, I pondered whether I shook her too hard, before I grunted angrily, and pointed at my forehead, where once a place for a stub of broken horn, now a clean if caked white fur. Then I gestured my hoof towards the chest. Inaccurate, but it was where people generally believe the soul is placed.

She squinted her eyes, and it didn’t take long for her small brain to compute what I meant. Once she did, she looked like she had been slapped to the face. “W-what? Why? I can’t just do that!”

Growling angrily, I slammed my hoof to the hardwood floor. She flinched, but the hooves on her shoulder kept her from moving. I then made crossing gesture with my hooves, and as I created a ticking noise on my throat, I made use of my hooves unnatural flexibility and made my left hoof move like a ticking clock.

“No time...” she scrunched up her nose. “No time for—“My hooves went to her shoulder, and this time, she immediately shut her mouth. “Equivalent Exchange is not free!” she immediately shouted.

So it’s called Equivalent Exchange, I mused at the fitting name.

Rolling my eyes, I tapped my left eye, and then I tapped at my right ear. It was going to bite me in the ass, I was sure, but it was better than the consequences of doing nothing. To wait for my inevitable doom, uncertain of what’s happening to the world outside. To let the demon take more innocent victims that doesn’t deserve such fate.

Her fur paled visibly, an impressive feat, considering the lack of light. “Y-you want me to—“

I grunted loudly, giving her a nod.

“B-but— That—“

I cut her off with a grunt and a slam to the floor.

She looked at me, then at my eyes. Not a moment later, she closed hers, and it took minutes—or maybe it was seconds— before she opened her eyes. There was determination in them, mixed with a large amount of nervousness and fear. She gulped. “Fine,” she took a shuddering breath. “Just... lie down, and make yourself comfortable. I’ll do the rest.”

Since I couldn’t exactly move without help, I simply did as she had told, and laid myself on the spot. Staring at the wooden ceiling, I gave the girl a nod as she came to view from my side.

“Are you sure?”

I grunted in reply, albeit a bit impatiently. Time was ticking, after all. For all I know, I only had thirty seconds before I went mad. Or perhaps I already was mad by denying myself of being mad. Who knows?

The girl put her hoof to my chest, pressuring it slightly. It felt oddly comfortable, reminding me of that familiar pressure when Nero decided to use my chest as her bed. I felt more, than saw, a dim glow coming from her hoof.

“This is going to be painful.”

And oh by the gods, it was.

Author's Note

Thanks to Cookiechip for pre-reading this chapter.

Prologue

“Are you sure this is wise?” I heard from my familiar, Nero, for the umpteenth times, tone filled with worry.

I turned to her, raising an eyebrow. “No?” I answered, shrugging. I assumed she was sighing, as she pulled her paw to her face and slowly dragging it down. “I mean, what do you want me to do? We’re broke, and I would prefer sleeping in a comfy bed, thank you!”

“You don’t just simply accept a damn request out of nowhere and follow it!” she snarled. I sighed in response. Couldn’t really blame her, really. Her words were the truth, it was stupid to come here. But we were as poor as a beggar!

Looking at the message, then at the door in front of us, I turned to her once again. “Well, we’re already here, aren’t we? Oh come one don’t give that look—“ I was cut off as she sneezed, “Did—did you just sneezed?” I asked, trying to hold my laughter.

Instead, as a response, she grumbled, as far as any cat could. “Well, it’s not like we’re in the north, aren’t we?” I could taste her sarcasm from far away, then she sighed, “You’re so much innocent back then…” she muttered the last part, though I caught it easily, considering she was perched on my shoulder.

I rolled my eyes, “And you’re smaller back then,” I shrugged; ignoring the glare I got “let’s just hope this job would be reasonably easy, though I doubt it would.” I nodded to myself and pushing the door. My tail-coat billowed as I did so. My familiar and I sighed as the warm air washed over us.

The bar was as normal as it could. The bartender stood behind the bar, few stools were set in front of them, then there were tables and chairs, most of which filled with people drinking their selected drinks, and chatting amiably.

My familiar chose to jump on my head and splayed herself when I pulled my hood back, her head perched on mine. I sighed, a sardonic smile on my face. “This is so much easier back then.”

She merely huffed and dug her head more into my hair and sniffed slightly. A muffled “Everything was so much easier back then…” was what I got.

I sighed as I scanned for my soon-to-be employer, which wasn’t hard, considering said employer was waving at me with a crazed grin while sitting on one of the table. He has white hair and beard, slightly tanned skin and...

I almost flinched when I saw those red eyes. I swore, if I didn’t know any better, I would think he’s a vampire and burned the whole building if I had to. But alas, he was not to be. Vampire’s eyes are… red but dead. This one was alive.

Nero seemed to notice my trouble as she licked my forehead. I chuckled at that, and soon approached my weird soon-to-be employer and gently sat on the chair opposite him. Don’t want to disturb the cat on my head now, would I?

Though that was proven to be wasteful as she decided to jump from my head and lay on my lap, I grumbled at that. I swore I saw a smirk when I did so and heard her blew raspberries from our telepathic connection.

Leaning back and unconsciously scratching the back of the ear of Nero, as she purred slightly, I turned to my soon-to-be employer, who merely raised an amused eyebrow at what happened.

“Is that your familiar?” He asked tone curious, “Aren’t cats rare for a familiar?”

Nero and I snorted, though hers was rather muffled, “Please, that’s just stereotypes people make. Cats are for female mages they said. I swear, when they saw I had a cat as a familiar, they thought I was a cross dresser.” Fucking sexist, I added silently. Nero nodded her head in agreement, something that the employer didn’t see.

He waved his hand in dismissal. “Please, I don’t mean to be rude, it’s just a friend mage of mind told me that, cats are useless.”

I didn’t know what he was playing, but I don’t like it, though I curbed that feeling to just burn the man in front of me. I could feel Nero bristled at that comment, and added a little strength onto my hand so Nero wouldn’t jump out in order to scratch the fuck out of our employer. Instead, I just smiled, a fake smile, but a smile nonetheless.

What a dick, she instead said through our link, and a cunt.

“So what’s the job?” I asked, mentally agreeing at her jab. I briefly considered just bailing out and searching for other odd-jobs, though I hold it down just so I could, at least, know the reward and the job.

Who knows, maybe it’s just search and destroy, or even assassination. I mentally shrugged.

He nodded; his hands dwindled together, not unlike an evil dark wizard would do if he’s contemplating on his next evil plans. “Ah, yes. You see, for the past few months, there had been a few strange creatures creeping out from the Everfree forest, right beside our village, and I just want you to—“

“Investigate where these strange creatures are coming from?” I cut off, raising an eyebrow, contemplating as he nodded. My free hand crept to my chin, and turned to my employer, “What’s the pay?”

If I thought his grin couldn’t get any wider, well, I was wrong. He rummaged his bag and pulled a pouch of gold and… a book?

“A spell book I got from a passing wanderer,” he answered as he noticed my raised eyebrow. A morbid thought crossed to as to what
happened to said passing wanderer, Nero agreed through our connection. “I don’t know much about it.” He shrugged. I got the distinctive suspicion that he’s lying. Grabbing the pouch for the payments… my jaw almost, almost, hanged open. Though my eyes were wide enough to unhide my surprise, I dropped the pouch onto my table then grabbed the spell book, seeing for any traps before dropping it back on the table.

“These are front payment.” He added

My jaw dropped, though I quickly recovered. Approximately a hundred of gold coins, any thought? I mentally asked, Nero almost jumped from surprise at the amount of the gold.

Are you sure? she asked as she calmed down, her incredulousness were thick as a root. I nodded. That—that’s enough for a year’s travel! she mentally shouted happily, and I winced at that, before looking back to my creepily grinning employer and nodded, a grin of my own on my face, and I could feel Nero doing the same.

“Deal.”

I dropped my bag on the nightstand and quickly plopped myself onto the bed. “Good god…” I sighed in pleasure at the comfort of the soft bed. I grunted slightly when Nero hopped and plopped herself onto my stomach. We lay there in a comfortable silence.

“What do you think about our employer, and our job?” I asked idly, breaking the silence.

She did a cat equivalent of shrug, as I scratched the back of her ear, purring as I did so. “I don’t like him, and I don’t trust him, heck, we didn’t even know his name, but the job?” I could feel her raised an eyebrow, “I would say it would worth it, and the payment we got today is worth enough to sail through the sea and there would still be enough money for supplies.”

I hummed in agreement, settling myself in a more comfortable position as my familiar curled closer to my body and let out a deep purring sigh. Chuckling, I turned off the bed lamp on the night stand.

“Good night, Nero.” I said, closing my eyes.

“Good night, master.”

And soon, the darkness embraced me.

()_()_()

The next morning found us walking our way to the, apparently, according to the villagers, famous Everfree forest. When we asked about why it was famous to begin with, they all answered with varied replies. “The forest is evil! Full of demons I say!” “I don’t know, I just don’t like it. We rarely go there.” Then there’s the ominous one, “People who usually goes there never went back.” And all that jazz.

And honestly? We didn’t care. Well, we do care to a certain degree. Me, to get the job done and go buy a ticket, or two if those sailors would count a familiar as a person, to east, and Nero, who were just protective, though I couldn’t stop her from doing so, that would be a hypocrite of me.

Still, then we reached the entrance to the forest, we understood what the villagers meant.

Nero shivered on my shoulder, and I felt unnerved by the sight. On normal eyes, it just felt like a dark and ominous forest. But for those who actually learn magic could see what was wrong with it; the forest was literally alive! Not alive as in living trees, but alive as in, well, sentient alive.

We looked at each other, silently asking the same question, ‘Are we really going in there?’ I took a shuddering breath, while Nero just curled on my shoulder, somehow not falling.

We got our bearings moments later as we traded a determinate look, and as a grin crept to my face, I couldn’t help but to say, “Well then, to the forest of doom we go.”

And so we walked into the living forest.

()_()_()

Disappointing, would be my first thought about the forest as we trudged in for an hour. My body tensed, ready to cast a spell in seconds, while Nero was about ready to jump from my shoulder to safety. Truthfully, I expected there to be dozens of monsters ready to attack us the moment I stepped into the foreboding forest, not that I’m not grateful, mind, but still.

It’s not the scariest place I’ve encountered, but it’s there.

Relaxing a little bit, I looked up. The sky were covered by the thick canopies, and looking back on the trees, I couldn’t help but to chuckle slightly, raising an eyebrow from my black familiar.

“Look at these faces,” I muttered, nodding towards few trees who had funnily carved face on it. Seriously, only cowards would think this is scary, and I’m a Mage.

“And you don’t know where we’re going,” she hissed rather vehemently and sarcastic, putting a hole in my heart, “We’re just following where the forest is leading us! We won’t even know it’s a trap.”

I shook my head, and shrugged. “Well, yes, I don’t know where we’re going,” that earned a snort from her, “hey, it’s not like I could just say ‘Fuck you tree.’ And burn the entire forest down. And being lost in a sentient forest isn’t a good idea either.” Even though we were already lost, but that’s a moot point.

“Well we’re still lost.” She half grumbled and half pouted. Were it not for the inappropriate place, I would hug for her adorableness.

Alas, it was not to be.

I sighed, “It’s not like I know where to go, and except if a creature would suddenly jumps in to eat us for their breakfast,” I glanced at the sky, “or lunch, I don’t know, we won’t do anything either.”

It was then, that fate, or the forest, decided to play its card, and that I should keep my mouth shut at times, as a loud thunderous roar came from a nearby bushes.

I snapped, facing the bush for anything that will come out of it, hands ready to throw spells as the runes on my arms began to glow. Nero took her cue to hop off and wait until I’m finished with my soon to be first kill of the day.

A blur of orange and red was my signal for me to roll to side. The earth rumbled a bit as the creature slammed on where what used to be where I stood. I quickly recovered, a quick mental cast created a ball of fire in both hands. I stared at the creature in front of me warily. And blinked.

The creature in front of me was, without no doubt, a manticore. It got the batwings, the scorpion tail, the lion’s body, but I can’t, for the love of my life, think that that’s not a manticore supposed to be. I killed a couple manticore in the past. Rare beasts they are.

It was like comparing a child’s drawing to a master’s painting.

My musings were cut short as the beast roared, and about to pounce at me and possibly maul me to death were it not for the two fireballs that I launched.

It (a He, after an unnecessary image) rolled on the ground, roaring—or snarling—in pain as it tried to extinguish the flame that caught on his red mane and fur. I didn’t give it a chance to recover though, no, that would be idiotic. Trying to wait for an opponent to recover, I mean.

Casting another fireball, prompting for the runes on my arm to glow once more, I launched it on where things, like fire, or anything for a matter of fact, should be launched at.

The effect was as expected. The beast roared more in agony as its balls were burned alive by fire and rolled faster, I’d admit that there’s a dark humor in it. Shaking that thought away, I pulled my dagger, walked closer to it and promptly stabbed him in the neck, ending its suffering.

As the light in its eyes began to dim, I pondered if I should take its soul for future usage or just leave it be, a quick moment later, I decided to leave it be. I already got enough souls to burn a city with a living fire, and modifying souls are exhausting as fucking mothers in a brothel, not that I have, just a metaphor. In the back of my mind, I could sense Nero gagging at the unnecessary image through our link.

I sighed again, it was too late anyway. The eyes were already dead, the souls were probably already collected by Death or by the forest.

I’d wager on the latter.

Sheathing the dagger, I walked away and stretched the kinks from the tension. My familiar was already back onto my shoulder via jumping.

“Well that was anticlimactic,” She commented as I walked deeper, or at least I thought I was.

I nodded, had to agree with her, “Yes, it was, and you didn’t do anything,”—thankfully—“not that I mind anyway,” I added quickly, no point in angering my only companion would it?

We walked in a comfortable silence after that, comfortable enough in a living and, probably, sentient forest. And as we did so, I couldn’t shake that feeling that something bad, or strange would happen. At times I would trust that feeling, but we’re already in it, so there’s no point backing out already, I thought.

“Stop.”

Tons of trusts made me stop immediately, slightly tense, “What’s wrong?”

“Look at that.” She pointed at a nearby, and strangely shaking bush.

“Huh.” I blinked, “How did I not notice that?”

“Because you think too much?” Was her immediate and snarky answer.

I shrugged, and stared at the shaking bush, waiting for something and, probably, dangerous creature. Then a chicken head popped out.

And for the third time of day, I was stupefied.

It just stood there, looking at us like a dumb chicken, except it has red beaded eyes.

I closed my eyes in exasperation, rubbing the bridge of my nose with my leftie while throwing another fireball with my rightie.

Because, nothing is harmless in a living, creepy, sentient forest.

My guess was correct as the ‘chicken’ flailed in pain as the fire burned the chicken. It jumped, revealing a shockingly long snake tail. It flailed and trying, and failing, to extinguish the fire that touched its white part, until it dropped dead.

And once again, I sighed, “I think I shouldn’t have taken the job…” there was a touch of irritation and resignation in my voice.

“Agreed.”

Thus I walked deeper again, trying to erase the memory of that horrid creature. Seriously? A chicken and a snake tail! What kind of monster would create that!?

“We will not speak of this again.”

“Absolutely.”

“This never happens.”

“Just shut up.”

“Sure thing.”

()_()_()

It wasn’t until a few, dreadful hours of walking in a living sentient forest, that could kill us if it wanted to, which justifies my slightly tense muscle, and boring, dark scene, when we saw some sort of a clearing. First thought?

A trap.

Alas, we didn’t care much… well I don’t know about Nero, but I sure didn’t. Though I made sure to walk silently and slowly, slow enough for me not to cause any loud noises.

To say we were surprised would be an understatement of my 7 years of youth. There in the clearing, where the sun shone above, in the middle of it was a door. A giant double door. It wasn’t far from where we stood, probably few meters. It was dark as ebony, runes etched in intricate design and style, and there’s that power coming from it. Powerful energy.

But no, that wasn’t only it, because my life is full of monsters, beasts, fucking imperialists and bandits and since it seemed that my luck was becoming from bad to worse, plus that Lady fate is a bitch. There slept a Cerberus, the three headed, overly-sized, magic resistant, racistly-black, bitch or cur, or both.

A morbid part of me thought how a Cerberus would mate.

Shuddering and quickly locking those thoughts away, I absentmindedly decided to get drinks after this but before that, I began to focus my next worry.

Nero.

She was shaking, understandably, her claws retracted and pierced through my robe, I could feel blood trickling from her sharp claws. She was clinging my shoulder like a life-boat, and I couldn’t help but to wince.

It was, essentially, my fault. I should’ve known that leaving your own familiar alone is fucking stupid. Also another good reason why I kick puppies and dogs for giggles.

I placed a hand on her, petting her as I crouched and went back a few feet away from the clearing. I cooed a few soothing words as she slowly calm down. “You okay?” I asked quietly.

“No, fuck no, we shouldn’t take this job, we shouldn’t even enter this fucking forest!” she hissed, golden eyes wide, and body frigid as she still clung at my shoulder, her breathings fast like a rabbit in mating season, “We should get out. We can’t kill a fucking Cerberus!”

“Calm down…” I cooed, and after a few deep breaths, she did so. “Good,” I nodded, slowly taking her off with both hands, from my shoulder. It was beginning to hurt from her sharp claws, the blood was still trickling. I put her down on the ground as she her posture relaxed. “Now, we won’t get out—“her breath hitched at that, she almost went to another panic attack—“Stop,” I silently hissed, “we couldn’t get out from this forest. Just calm down, I know a way to kill it,” not really sure about it, but there’s a possibility, “How about you go climb that tree there,” I nodded at a nearby tree, “and hide until I’m done.” I stood up from my crouch.

She shuddered as she took a deep breath, and looked up at me with those big, adorable golden and black slitted eyes. “Be careful.” She said, a tone of worry and fear, before she jumped away and climbed at the tree I pointed.

I too, took a deep breath and say a silent prayer before I walked into the clearing. Plans forming to kill the beast, “The Souls knows I need that.” My right hand slipped into my pouch, pulling out a white leather glove.

I stared at it for a moment, the intricate dark red runes etched on its fore, before putting it on by my right hand. I slipped the gloved hand into the pouch again, this time pulling out a rather light and strong shoulder bag. I slung them over my shoulder, and walked into the clearing, the damned Cerberus still sleeping.

A sense of Déjà vu struck me. The familiar accursed scene, the sense of danger, the wave of fear, and the all familiar taste as Death loomed over my shoulder. I gulped.

It was the all-not-so-unfamiliar Life or Death situation.

Souls, these jobs will be the death of me.

And I really need to retire, get a woman, and probably start a family, maybe after I reached the eastland. If I survived that is.

I pulled two daggers from its sheaths, both ready in hands. “Wake up bitches!” I screamed, more high pitched than usual. The eyes of the Cerberus snapped open, unfocused. I didn’t give it a chance though. I quickly stabbed the fucker’s middle head’s eyes with my daggers. Hopefully blinding it.

It howled in pain as I did so, both of its forepaw covering the middle head’s eyes, while the other heads were growling at me. I immediately ran, lucky me, since the right head snapped it jaws to where I stood moments ago.

I quickly turned to dogs again after some distances, and pulled something from my shoulder bag with my gloved hand. The familiar feeling of ethereal object touched engulfed my gloved hand. If I didn’t wear my glove, the things inside would probably tried to possess my body.

I pulled one of them randomly; it felt solid under my glove. Its white wispy trails flown in the wind as the core were held in my hand. It was ethereal, yet very solid.

Another reasons I used glove.

Just a soul of a bandit, nothing really impressive. I idly pondered when I would have the time to try shaping the soul into its physical manipulation.

A fire ball quickly formed on my left hand, just right after the runes on my arm glew, and without further ado, I merged both of components into one, destroying the very existence of said poor bandit into who knows where. In turn, in my left hand was now a bigger fireball, what used to be orange turned into blood red, the tip of the flames licking, threatening to burn anything in its way.

I quickly launched it at the dogs.

The crimson flame was immediately swatted by its right paw, though it hissed when it touched. So that’s a plus. I quickly rolled away ran around it when it was about to pounce at me, a considerably fast pounce for a large beast. Though I guess it’s just the magic in the creature.

Unluckily for me, I didn’t get so far as the beast suddenly swiped its claws onto my body, throwing me a few feet away. I immediately stood, gritting my teeth, trying not to scream, also blessing the enchantments I got for my robe.

I pulled another soul and formed another fireball, combining it into a crimson flame, and rolled into the beast when it was right in front of and about to slam me with its paws, into its blind spot, the middle head.

The flame grew bigger and hotter, almost blistering on my palm, as I feed it with my mana. As I did so, I ran under its belly. And with much more mana, ice began to form, covering the crimson flame. So cold that it froze the flame itself, and burned my very hand, and formed into a sharp spear.

Another trait of the Crimson flame, it was nigh in-extinguishable and solid.

The three heads howled in pain as I forced my frozen arm into its, considerably, soft skin until it was deep enough for the fire to go in. I quickly dispelled the ice around my wrist and quickly rolled twice under its belly, and away from the snarling and pained dogs.

I didn’t get far enough as a paw slammed me sideway just right after I recovered from the roll, throwing like a ragdoll and sliding like a penguin on the ground.

Seriously, the only thing that was keeping me alive was the enchantments of my robe.

I rolled to my back, heaving and panting, trying to get the air in and ignoring the pain I got from, probably, many broken ribs, only to find two pairs of angry eyes and three snarling mouths. Saliva flying into my face as they did so.

I really, really despise dogs.

The middle head, apparently thirsting for revenge, got closer as it opened its mouth, uncovering sharp teeth and stinky breath, ready to chop my leg to waist with its snap.

Then the stomach rumbled. I released the breath I didn’t know I held, and smirked. The dogs stopped from chopping my legs to waist as it looked at each other in confusion while the middle head whined in pain.

“Taste the fire, bitches.”

I quickly and carefully, crawled away from the now whimpering bitches. Trying my best not to injure my already broken ribs as I did so, and leaned against the nearest tree, and tried to breath carefully, gritting my teeth in pain on every breath I took.

I watched with a smug expression as the Cerberus whimpered even more, curling itself into a ball, and rocking its own body. Trying and, failing, to ease the pain.

It hacked and coughed, blood sprayed at every time they did so. Chances are, their innards were already cooked and burned. How they’re still alive was a mystery itself, probably magic. And then, it stopped, still standing. Their bowels opened in fiery flame, letting all those jelly-like innards to drop, not unlike the process of excretion. Then, just like that, the dogs dropped onto the ground by its side, few inches from its own innards.

The still burning fire petered out as I snapped my fingers. And without further ado, I , painfully, lifted my gloved hand, and tried to absorb the soul into my hand. Moments later, the familiar weight of a soul landed on my hand. I smirked. And quickly stored it into my bag of souls.

Probably this one would be good for my practice.

Now that it was dead, I looked at my body, and grimaced when the wave of pain washed me. I would bet 20 gold coins that my ribs were all either cracked or broken. Breathing was hard, so there’s possible lung damage. I looked at my legs, one of them bent awkwardly, and then I looked to my left hand, where it was still blue. A quick slow fire spell quickly recovered its color. Though, all in all, it was better than I expected.

Not to count the magic exhaustion that is.

Looking at what was left of my robe; I couldn’t help but to smile, “Well, I was about to buy a new one anyway.” I croaked.

Nero made its existence known by licking my left hand, “You need help?”

I nodded, “Blue and red, medium.”

She quickly when to my potion pouch, pulling it opens with her paw, and reaching in with her head, she pulled out a red liquid vial and dropped it to the ground before doing the same thing, but this time’s a blue liquid vial and dropping it as well.

I nodded, “Thanks.” I took the two vials, pulled out the corks and drank it, grimacing at the taste. It’s not horrible, per say, but it’s not good either. When I greedily drank the vials one by one, I noticed that Nero was eyeing me, like almost worried, like when she was just a kitten.

Once the vials were empty, I chucked it at the Cerberus’s corpse hitting with a thud.

I grimaced when the potion took effect. I could never get used to it when the bones and fleshes were fixing itself. The bones moved under my skin into its proper places, and the flesh re-knitting the wounds.

“I’ll need to eat a lot of meat after this.” I grumbled.

Looking at Nero, she immediately hugged me, hug as in, jumping to me and put her forepaws around my neck, though she failed when doing so since her paws weren’t long enough, I used my arms from keeping her from falling, chuckling as I did so. The fuzzy warm fur was a welcomed addition.

We sat in a comfortable silence at that, waiting for the potions to work its way through completely, and Nero nuzzling my neck, after her forepaws got tired.

“Sorry.”

I grabbed her in front of me, pulling her out of her nuzzling. I quirked an eyebrow, “What?”

She fidgeted under my stare, or maybe it’s my hold, the sagged in resignation. “Sorry, I couldn’t help. Sorry, I’m useless. Sorry, I couldn’t do anything!” She almost wailed at the end.

I sighed. Not this again… pulling her in for another hug, I said, “You are not useless, Nero. You are plenty of useful, and you helped me plenty much by just being my familiar,” I said softly, before chuckling, “hell, I would think I’d fall into madness if you’re not with me, so please don’t call yourself useless.”

She sagged at that, sobbing slightly. I mentally sighed; I guess familiars also need its master as well, and vice versa. I smiled wryly at that.

“And we’re going to drink so much after this.”

Noticing that my body was healed, and my mana restored. I carefully stood up, and Nero immediately jumped from hands into my shoulder. Her earlier mood already forgotten, perhaps the prospect of getting catnips were that great for her. I took off my white glove and my shoulder bag into my slightly bigger bag.

Working out the kinks of my body, I walked to the big black door. Tracing my hand on it, suddenly the black door glowed brightly, the runes started moving. Nero’s claws clutched tightly on my shoulder and what was left of my robe, I couldn’t even move from my place, as if rooted…

“… Fuck.”

Then darkness embraced me.

There was a time, a time where I asked myself, where did I go wrong? Or maybe when did I go wrong? Probably the moment when I stole and learned Soul magic, or maybe the time that I got into an imperial territory, or possibly the time when I left my familiar alone to get attacked by dogs, though that’s beside the point because of the waves and waves of headache that was hitting me like an abusive husband would to his wife, and then his daughter because the husband is a dick like that.

I am seriously considering retiring, hopefully in a place where the Imperials won’t be there, doubtful, but still...

My face contorted in a grimace as the abusive husband in my head began to get violent again. I forcefully opened my eyes, staring at the ceiling, light brown ceiling, waiting for something to happen, stuffs like, I don’t know, a dagger through my throat, when it didn’t happen I looked at my side, where I felt something fuzzy and warm. And smiled when it was Nero, it’s kind of sad that the most trustable people I have were a cat, an intelligent cat.

Not that I’m complaining, of course.

I gently lifted her onto my stomach, where she snuggled closer. That never got old, and probably won’t. Looking at the ceiling again, I slowly blinked. Where am I?

I closed my eyes, trying to recollect the last memory I had, forcing my way through the metaphorical abusive husband with a middle finger. Then I opened my eyes.

I sighed. “Shouldn’t have touched that,”

“Touch what?” the voice of the all-so-familiar and welcomed familiar, sleepily asked.

I gently scratched her ears, sighing, “Remember that door?”

“Oh.”

“Yeah, I honestly don’t know why I’m not surprised anymore. Probably because Lady Fate and luck fucking loves to conspire against me.”

“Who?”

I almost jumped at the voice, reaching to my dagger, before realizing that I forgot to pick up said daggers from the Cerberus’s eyes, though Nero definitely jumped by the voice, immediately darted at the source.

I followed her line of sight, before immediately gaping at the source of the sound.

It was… without a doubt, a horse… no, smaller… pony? He- if my hearings were correct- had a white grey fur, spike-y black mane and tail. His overlargely large blue eyes almost covering his entire face, and somehow, it fits.

As quick as a flame of a candle being snuffed, I quickly got over my shock. I sighed, covering my face with my hands, ignoring the strange or curious look from the… stallion, I guessed. I idly noticed that my robe’s still tattered, so it’s not a dream. I really, really shouldn’t be surprised. And once more, the abusive husband came back with a vengeance.

Uncovering my eyes, I pulled Nero closer into my chest, and stared at the stallion with an impassive look, “Just talking with my cat.”

“Oh,” Though from the look on his eyes, he didn’t understand me at all. I guess, not all mages really need to converse with their familiars, fucking bums I call them. Still, that strange look of curiosity was still there. We stared at each other, with him nervously fidgeting under my impassive stare, until he decided to break the silence. “What are you?”

“I’m a Human.”

“Oh.” That may as well as be his new catchphrase, “I’ve never seen your kind before… I guess the outside is changing…” he muttered the last part, and talk about being cryptic.

I sighed, “What’s your name?”

“Oh right!” his nervous, almost strange demeanor changed quickly as a new cheery one took place, “I’m Greyhoof, the local party stallion!” What? ”and you’re in Sunny town!”

Somehow, I got the feeling it wasn’t going to be sunny anytime soon.

Author's Note

So, I decided to write something new, because Writer's block, and perhaps a lost of interest, of my previous fanfic. I just hope that this is good enough, since I don't have any editor. In fact, I edited the whole thing, so it's not perfect.

Chappie 1-- The Start of it All

I walked, following the grey pony, half-listening and half-inspecting the… town, and I’m using the term ‘town’ loosely. There was barely any villager in it. A few of those that I’ve seen are nondescript multicolored ponies. On my shoulder, perched my familiar, taking in all the wonders, if there’s any.

For a town of multicolored ponies, it was fairly boring.

Though I managed to sense that small malicious aura around the village, it didn’t seem to be harmful… hopefully. Doubtful, considering recent events, but hey, a mage could hope right?

I briefly glanced at my apparel, I sighed. It was like any standard robe for mage. Brown, with hood, cotton, and comfortable, but that wasn’t my concern though. It was… not enchanted. I mentally fidgeted at that. It felt unsafe. It wouldn’t protect me much. A stab to the heart was enough to end my life.

The fact that I’m failure at warding or any defensive magic didn’t help either.

Sensing my distress, Nero leaned her head to the side of my head, nuzzling me. It wasn’t much, but at least the warmth helped me a little. I took a note into my head to enchant my robe later after this.

“… and here we are! At the gate of our nice town, and here’s my best friends!”

I snapped to attention. His hoof pointed at a group of ponies, smiling at me. It was almost creepy in some sense. In response, they waved at me and Greyhoof. He walked to the group, I followed. He then began pointing at the first pony.

“This is Three Leaf,” She smiled, waving at me merrily. She has green coat and a mossy green mane.

“Hello.”

I just nodded. Something about this town’s just felt uncomfortable for some reason, and Nero seemed to agree if her fidgeting was any sign.

Greyhoof pointed at another pony, this one have a brown coat with an orange mane. “This is Gladstone,”

“Hi.” He said curtly, and again, I just nodded.

Greyhoof moved to another pony, or ponies in this case, they were hugging, or at least, very close. “And this is Roneo and Starlet,” The former have a bright yellow coat and a blue mane while the latter has a white coat and an orange mane. “They’re our newest couple!” he suddenly exclaimed, earning blushes from the couple.

“Hi…” The male one greeted, holding her fore hoof slightly as his neck were nuzzled by the female one.

It felt wrong for some reason. Heck, the entire place was wrong for some reason. Few townies, while there were houses here and there. A knot dug its way into my stomach.

“Hey,” I snapped to attention to my familiar, “you okay?”

“Yeah, sure.”

Translation: No, I’m not.

She just nodded in understanding. It took me a while to realize that during my ‘thinking’, the others were staring at me, expecting something. Now they’re just looking at me strangely.

“…what?”

They just shook their heads and shrugged, before Greyhoof suddenly said, “Well, what’s your name? You haven’t introduce yourself.” he chimed in, suddenly right on by my side. I held the urge to just burn his tail.

Returning to the problem in present, they wanted my name, eh? I don’t trust them and probably never would. Perhaps a new name… I shrugged, while mentally smirking, “Name’s Psyche.” I nodded curtly. An old moniker of mine, now though, it was Blood fire, Soul eater, Oblivion, Soul stealer, Doom, and ironically, the Reaper. The imperials and bounty hunters were really desperate to give me names, the scarier the better, and even though I have many spells in my artillery, they chose the most common one.

True, it was my favorite, but still…

I blamed those names from stupid, racist, and genocidal Imperials. If I could, I would kill them all. I shook that thought away. Looking around, only to see none other than Greyhoof, wherever the others went was unknown.

“Oh, we’re going to have fun! We’re going to make a party for you! You can wander off now, but be back at sunset,” He walked away, before turning back, I swore I could see red in his eyes, even for a brief moment. Perhaps a discussion with Nero will be of importance. “And don’t go deep into the forest in the back of the town, its dangerous!” He shouted, before walking away.

A warning, eh? I turned away, looking the deeper part of the town. You don’t simply warn a curious mage, and I would like to get rid of these knots in my stomach as soon as possible. And my guts told me to go to the forest.

So I walked into the deeper part of the town, hand reaching down to grab a simple breakfast—

“Hey…” a voice whispered, I narrowed my eyes, looking for the source, and thankfully, Nero helped with just that. Pointing at a nondescript wooden house, or specifically at the barred wooden window. “Please, come here!” the voice – a she – half whispered, half hissed and a small tone of pleading in them.

I noted the worried look Nero had. And walked closer to the house, or more specifically the barred window; I glanced down, surprised. Seeing another pony, a female, so… a mare? I looked inside… she was locked?

Huh.

Her forelegs grabbed the pillars of the bar, “I don’t know what you are, but you must go, run from this town! Please, you don’t belong here.” She whispered, tone filled with pleading, and tears began to from in the corner of her eye.

I turned, ignoring the surprised look from her, and walked away. Completely ignoring the warning and delved deeper into the town. My curiosity got the best of me. And besides, mystery are meant to be solved, not the opposite.

As I walked, I listed my curiosity as another aspect in myself that would be the death of me, and reached a canned beef from my bag, warming it with a quick fire spell, opened it, and ate it with Nero almost absent-mindedly, pondering my poor fate so far. The fact that, I somehow in a village of a, possibly, new race didn’t bother me as much as it should.

The fact that they didn’t want to kill me helped too.

I stopped to a halt, throwing the can away, because fuck tree-huggers and stared at the other end of the town, a forest.

Nero groaned and I sighed.

“It’s official. I hate forests.”

"Don't we all?". I shrugged, walking into the forest. Mysteries are mystery after all. Considering the panicked look of the red maned mare; it wasn’t a small mystery too. And I just hoped it would be worth it.

I turned left, ignoring the withering trees and the red eyes beyond the trees, and looked at my robe again. I sighed, “I’m seriously considering enchanting all of my apparels after this is done… hopefully alive too, and also practicing my soul magic,” I flexed my arms, groaning as it popped, “I’m not even a master yet.”

I looked straight at me, and quickly halted. “That was quik than I thought it would be,”

“Well, there was a road for some reason,” Nero said, adding an eye roll.

I shrugged, not too concerned, “Well, the sooner my curiosity is fulfilled the better.”

In front of me was… a building, it was probably used to be the town hall. Now that I thought about it, there wasn’t any town hall in the town. The old woods were dark, already rotting to the point of almost crumbling. The windows full dusts, cracks were common on the woods and a well right by my side.

I shrugged, and walked to door, grabbing the… doorknob? I furrowed my eyebrows... how do these ponies use doorknobs? Waving away the question, I turned it around, and sighed. Locked. Of course.

I reached into my bag and pulled out my lock pick kit from it, opening it and quickly unlocking the door. A click later, it was unlocked. Thanking the decision to pick the skill for robbing houses. I opened it. The hinge creaked like a woman screaming just right after her hymen was broke, and let myself in the town hall.

I closed my eyes, coughing the dusts away, the same gesture that was copied by my adorable familiar, before opening my eyes… and quickly closed it again. I sighed. “Are you going to hurt me?”

“… N-n-no, Are you?”

My eyes snapped open at the young high-pitched voice, causing the yellow orbs to jump away from me, that was accompanied by a squeak of surprise. I closed the door, staring at the, almost, transparent and terrified, figure in front of me.

Her, if my ears were right, forelegs covered her eyes, as if afraid that I was going to do something. I ignored the guilty feeling in my stomach at the quivering pony ghost, and asked, “Are you going to hurt me, or her?” nodding to the Nero who sat perched on my shoulder, her sharp golden irises glaring at the floating figure.

The ghost’s forelegs quickly snapped away from her eyes, revealing bright yellow orbs called eyes. She was small, smaller than the ones from earlier. A foal. A filly to be precise.

“What?! No!” She answered, sounding surprised at my implication.

“Well, that’s new, a ghost that doesn’t want to hurt me,” I looked at Nero, eyes crinkling with amusement, “at least that’s a plus right?”

“Yes, indeed it is.”

I ignored the strange look I got from the ghost, and stared at her, “So what’s your name?”

“What?” was her smart answer.

“Name, you know, like John, Black, Shit, Fuckface, Dickface, Fuck-me-please-I-want-your-cock?”

“Oh…” She scratched her hooves in, a nervous tick if I ever saw one; “Ruby…” her answer was so small that I had to strain to hear it right. That done, I took sight of the room; I noticed that it was almost vacant, a podium right in the side of the room, a pile of bones on it. A few windows covered dusts, and a cabinet in the corner of the room.

I walked to the podium, looking at the bones with morbid curiosity. It certainly wasn’t human, in fact, it was probably a pony. I turned to the fidgeting ghost, “That yours?”

“Y-Yes?”

I frowned, a podium with bones on top of it. It didn’t take long to figure out what happened in here. I sighed, sitting on the podium, right next to the old dried bones. I patted the floor just next to my side whilst looking to the ghost.

She nodded tentatively and floated next to me, all the while taking interests at the totally not sexy rotten wall, and took a sit, which was still floating right above her bones, by my side.

“So, what’s the story?” I asked, after few minutes of silence. By that time, Nero had jumped from my shoulder onto my lap. My hand petting her comfortingly, absent-mindedly noting that she needed to perch on my shoulder less and start walking by her own or that fat won’t go away.

She fidgeted a little at the question, before finally slumping in resignation… “It was because of… this,” she pointed the mark on her butt, a magnifier glass, “Long time ago, I didn’t remember how long, there’s this plague you know, called the Cutie Pox…” I almost snorted but immediately held it. Her voice was solemn, filled with sadness, her eyes dimmed slightly, “I don’t remember how it happened, but it was caused when our Cutie mark would be added every time, and then we’re forced to do things our cutie marks said do,”

“What’s a ‘Cutie’ mark?” It was hard just not to laugh at the name, but the situation wasn’t fit for such thing, so I curbed it down.

She looked at me strangely before shrugging, “It’s our talent you see, things you do best, mine a magnifier glass, I’m good at looking things,” She took a deep breath, “anyway, we took shelter in here, deep within the Everfree forest,” I felt my eyes widened for a second before it returned to its original size. Of course, why not? Same goddamn forest, sure explain why I hate this particular forest, “It was fine...” I could sense she was holding her own feeling, straining her voice, “until this,” pointing at her mark, “happened. I was good at finding things, ponies thought it was the pox… and they—they-“ Her eyes clenched shut, tears on the edges of those eyes as she sobbed and hiccupped.

I, unconsciously, and slowly curled my arm around her, surprising myself when it touched, giving my robe a strange look before my eyes widened in realization.

Memories of young, stupid me came unbidden, using my prodigial rune abilities and knowledge so that I could touch ghosts, thinking that it would be a good idea. It wasn’t, and soon replicated the same runes onto this robe. It was the same base with my glove.

She quickly leant to my arm, using it to cover her crying eyes. My eyes softened. Another victim of ignorance, the same with the Imperials and mages, where the Imperials would chase any mages down and burn them on stakes because they’re just demon spawns, who deserved to be killed and also because the ability of mages insults their ‘One and only’ God.

Her sobbing quickly become a cry as she leant harder onto my arm. My other arm reached for her back, calming her down, and guiding her onto my lap. My familiar thankfully understood and leapt of from my lap. My other arm petting her calmly.

I waited until she was done exhausting her emotion. She was young, too young; probably she still couldn’t read perfectly. I chuckled at that thought; I sounded old, even though I was still in my twenties.

“Do you want to hear a joke?” I said light-heartedly, I felt her nod under on my arms. “A mage, a familiar and a ghost walked into a bar…”

Author's Note

Please comment, and tell me if there are flaws (which there would be) or things you don't like.