Five minute Fables Fabricated Freelyby ValorousspectreChaptersFaze's FollyConvince MeMidlightEater of DeathFaze's FollyLoyalty. Generosity. Kindness. Honesty. Laughter. Magic. The six pieces that made up some of the strongest magicks in all of Equus. Power that belonged to the Diarchy that was Equestria, and extended to their allies in Draconus, Tauria and Griffa. A power that so many covet. Each piece requires a host, a pony that symbolises everything that piece means. Laughter, a light hearted pony with the natural predisposition to laugh, and make others laugh along with them. Loyalty, the embodiment of the word itself, loyal to their other hosts, friends, family, and everything they meet, and befriend. Kindness. A pony with the power to forgive even the worst of villains, and tame even the mightiest beasts with naught but words, and their own inborn love for all things. Honesty. A pony so honest, they would rather by blunt and hurt their friends for the better, than hold back and leave them wondering of their failings. Generosity, a pony with the natural urge to give without limit, and never expect anything in return, wanting only the best for others even at their own expense. And Magic. A power so truly mysterious, there were few who understood it, and even fewer who could comprehend its potentially awesome power. For hundreds of years, the Diarchs of Equestria, Luna and Celestia, had maintained power of an equal share of these pieces of power, leaving them as almost unbeatable, superpowers of Equus. But almost a century ago, the Elements had been turned against one another and, briefly, Celestia had ripped her sister’s three away to muster up enough power to send her sister into a millennium long banishment. As a result, the elements showed their strength, and the brought up the question that, perhaps, they were sentient in and of themselves. They abandoned Celestia, leaving her without their power, and leaving her sickly and weak for almost a year. Despite this weakness, she still held off the Dragon’s raids and pushed them back, establishing a hesitant peace with the aggressive reptiles. For Faze, The elements were foolish legends. He’d read about them extensively, but never found proof of their existence. It was soon after this his town was erased from existence, and he was the only one who remembered it. Ever since, he’d searched. Searched for a way to bring back his town, his people. Even trying to petition the solar Monarch to help him. But, despite his convincing argument, the young unicorn had walked away, his soul crushed and heart broken. So, he’d decided to make his own way. Years of research, thousands of bits spent on books, maps and provisions, and he’d finally found it. No less here, in Equestria, right under their very noses. The source. The source of magic in Equus. A hole in the ground in the most beautiful of places. The land of Thestrals crossed less than ten miles south, and the forests around this place was some of the most beautiful terrain in Equestria and considered a national park, and thus untouchable in terms of farming or harvesting. Now Faze knew why. “Day thirty-seven, one fifty-six pm. The well has not yet opened, but I have another idea. It’s dangerous. I might find myself giving into exhaustion before I can complete it, but if I can pull this off, the source should allow me to channel magic infinitely, which should be enough to bring my town back, reversing time if I have to. I will figure out what happened. And I will fix it. Even if I have to freeze time for more. Faze out.” Maroon coated, and blonde maned, Faze’s power was second to none, or so he liked to think. His magical power had served him well in his young life, and now it would serve him best. It would open the source, the well of magic, and allow him to channel this power to save his people. With a deep breath, he exhaled slowly, closing his eyes. This cave was big, and the natural luminescence coming from the well itself was enough to light up the darkness to visible levels, and Faze’s horn lit up, his magic shining the same colour as his mane and tail. The blonde coloured magic enveloped his horn, and weaved lazily through the air. His eyes remained closed, and he finally latched onto one of the tendrils of magic streaming through the air from the well. And made contact. His magic ran down the tendril, and slipped through the cracks of the well. He was already sweating, and with a burst of magic, he opened the well. And all hell broke loose. The well burst open, six arms busting upwards and streams of rainbow mana flooding out of the hole. In a vicious twist, it latched onto the first thing it could, and flooded it. It found Faze, and it flooded his very soul. He screamed, eyes shooting open as they blazed white. His mind was overwhelmed with power that wasn’t his, power he never should have possessed. And in a moment, his whole world turned white. Time froze, and became irrelevant. Power was all consuming, all knowing, and his mind went blank, and the world went blank. And then darkness. “Wake up Faze.” His eyes, blazing with magic, opened. The world was not his own. Galaxies spun in the distance, the universe on display for him to see. And before him, with eyes like his own, was a mare. Power radiated off of her like sickening waves of heat, and when he tried to counter them with his own, he found he fell woefully short. “Where…?” “You are in my domain, little pony. Your arrogance has led you here.” Faze’s mind felt fuzzy, but he frowned at the accusation anyway. “My arrogance? I have not been arrogant, only determined. I must restore my town.” The mare’s eyes, framed by thick lashes and a nebulous coat, narrowed. “Ye who have attempted to control me, to force me to submission! This is your arrogance, knave.” Faze stared for a moment, then, in his head, it clicked. “You… you’re magic.” The mare huffed, her flowing mane full of galaxies, more even than the universe contained around him. “I am the element of Magic. My power was meant for you to borrow, but never to be yours.” “The element… Wait, like Elements of harmony Magic?” “Yes Faze. You were meant as my host, should disaster strike the world. But, instead of seeking your birthright, you have endeavoured to control me, to use me as a tool to restore a town wiped from the face of existence. Manipulation of time is messing with a fundamental, and only we eternals are truly able to do so.” “But… with the source…” “You think to control my power?” she asked archly, “You? One lowly unicorn? Don’t make me laugh. My power is infinite! My power is eternal! I gift all races with my power, and still have more than enough left over to create universes! Do not think to control my power!” She drew herself up, and wings spread from her back, the feathers taking solid form and colour, a deep purple. “Faze, son of none and born of nowhere. You have insulted and abused my gifts to you, and shown a disrespect of all I hold dear.” Faze found himself afraid, his heartbeat accelerating, his mouth dry, and eyes widening. “For these sins, I hereby leaven this punishment upon thee. Thou shalt obtain the power you wished for, but you shall not age. Thou shalt become as one of us, immortal, unchanging, and eternal. However, Thy magic shalt never be used to thine benefit, and thou shalt never have true control.” She leaned towards him, her eyes spitting magic and turning dark, wreathed in purple mist. “Never again shalt thou know relief from hunger, from pain, from thirst. Thou wilt live in agony, as penance for your arrogance.” Faze would have cried, had he ducts to cry with. Agony was ripping through his brain, but he couldn’t cry out. He found himself frozen as he felt his corporeal form tearing itself apart fibre by fibre, atom by atom. “But know this! Knowledge is power, and we admire your achievements. Therefore, shouldst thou eventually understand thine sins, and learn the lesson we force upon thee, thou shalt have flesh once more, to live among the souls of mortals, and know peace.” Her horn, previously unseen, burst with rainbow magic and it struck his own, forcing power beyond reckoning into his essence. And finally, as she spoke, he screamed. “Your form… debases.” The cave exploded as time itself began anew, the well that housed the source sealing itself once more as an agonised screech burst from within and the pony known as Faze became as nothing, his flesh bubbling and melting away as his power was amplified thousands of times over. His eyes melted away, searing into his flesh which soon bubbled and vaporised soon after. All that was left was maroon and black energy, power so dense it coalesced into a floating blob of something, and fell to the ground. It was unknown how long he laid in this form, screaming in agony without a voice to express it, and writhing in pain without form to move with. Some say it was hundreds of years, other say only decades. But slowly, very slowly, his form began to change, and he took the appearance of a pony once more, horn and all. However, his features no longer existed. Black and maroon energy made up his flesh, his bones, his soul, and his eyes burned a soulless red. Every step he took was agony, and finally, he shrieked his pain to the heavens, cursing magic, the very power he sought, that turned him into the creature he now was. Some say he stalks the world to this day, lost and without purpose. Others say he transcended mortality, and became as Magic itself. Others still believe he searches for the answers to his lessons even now. What is known of this myth, is that he’s said to be the strongest magical creature in equus, with all the raw power of magic itself at his command. But, it’s all just an old pony’s tale. Faze is not real, just as Nightmare Moon is naught but a fairy tale. Convince Me“Ah ain’t stayin’ Sugar, Ah can’t do this no more. Ah don’t belong here, it’s too frou-frou an’ so-phis-ti-cate-ed fer a farmer like me.” Canterlot is a great place, and the city is beautiful and all that. The restaurants are nice, the food is great, the rooms were spotless, and for AJ, Octavia lived there, which was the only reason she’d given it even a thought. But Applejack was a pony of the open air, fields and good hard work. Getting dressed up for dinners, parties and concerts weren’t her style. And she didn’t like any of it, not a second. Well, except for Octavia’s performances, and she was sure to let the cellist know frequently how much she enjoyed her music. Things had been tense between the odd couple since Octavia had convinced her to spend some time in her home, in Canterlot. Octavia had many, many friends. Or, so she called them. Unfortunately, these self same friends often spoke ill behind the mare’s back, and AJ heard most of it, and some of it was even concerning her. She’d gotten into trouble for starting a row with a particularly uppity pony that played piano, and a worse one with some sort of brass horn instrument player. Of course, actual physical contact was out of the question until one stallion had the stupidity to actually slap Applejack and, seconds away before retaliating herself, Octavia had done it for her, slapping the stallion so hard he’d fell and had a red welt on his cheek. They’d been thrown out after that. Of course, there were a few AJ did like that were a bit more city than she’d normally allow. Fancy Pants and Fleur de lis were two of them. They’d treated Applejack and Octavia with outstanding courtesy and had proven quite a challenge, even for Octavia, in a game of chess. Fleur had narrowly defeated Octavia, and Applejack (Who wasn’t a very good chess player) had been trounced by Fancy, to his great delight since he claimed he could never win against Fleur and even accused Aj of going easy on him Applejack, with not much of a head for strategy, denied the false accusation heatedly, only stopping once everypony started laughing as Fancy told her it was all just a joke. That night had been quite successful, and the pair had walked away in high spirits. This was not one such day. Applejack had attended a concert, of which Octavia was a part of. It had been alright, and this time she’d been backstage. Everything was going perfectly until one of the staff had tried to get her out of the offstage area, claiming she couldn’t be there. Even showing her offstage pass had done nothing, instead making him ask where she’d stolen it. Naturally, this had riled up Applejack. However, before she could meet with Octavia, she'd met another 'friend' of hers, but this one claiming she was seeing Octavia behind Aj's back and that had set her off. She’d left just as Octavia had taken her bow and left the stage. AJ was already at the train station by the time Octavia had arrived, panting and out of breath with a heavy case on her back, mane tangled from running and tail and flanks lathered with sweat. Well, it wasn’t exactly a short distance from the auditorium to the station. “Come now Applejack,” Octavia said breathlessly, trying to appease her, “You’re not going to let them drive you away are you?” “This time, Ah think Ah will,” Came AJ’s stubborn reply and Octavia sighed. This was going to be a long discussion. “Come on Jacky,” The grey cellist said softly, approaching Applejack and slinging a hoof over her back, “You’ve never let yourself be defeated before. I know you heard some of the things that my colleagues say behind my back,” “Oh Ah heard ‘em alright,” Muttered Applejack. Octavia continued, ignoring the angry mutter. “And I appreciate your defending me. It was sweet, and it was one of the nicest things anypony has ever done for me since I started my music career.” She paused, letting that sink in. Her strong Canterlot socialite type accent was one of the few things Applejack put up with because she made it sound good. Most times, a ‘city’ accent would annoy Applejack, but Octavia’s voice was lilting and easily described as musical. “But they’re just trying to drive you away Jacky,” She removed the hoof from AJ’s back when Applejack glared at her. "An' what about bein' told yer gone and seein' somepony else behind mah back?" This took Octavia by surprise and she stammered, spluttering as her mind tried to comprehend this outrageous lie. Octavia and Applejack did fight, and often, but over little things. It might have gotten a bit out of hoof a time or two, but they'd always made up, and Octavia hadn't even dreamed or begun to think about cheating or leaving. It was too much... fun? Perhaps that wasn't the right word. “They’re trying to drive you away from them, from their buildings, from Canterlot… and they’re trying to drive you away from me! I know we fight, and yes I suppose we argue a lot too, but that's what happens when ponies like us collide! We'll bicker now and then because of our differences, and then make up because of what we love about each other, that's how a relationship works! We're still working out the kinks in our little bond, so yes, we're bound to fight, but Celestia help me Applejack, if you ever accuse me of cheating again I'll... I'll... I'll take your hat and tear it in two!” AJ took a wary step back, her eyes glancing to her hat as Octavia continued undaunted. "I was raised as a lady, and I plan fully on being such! A lady always tells the truth, and they never stoop to something so low and so pathetic as that! If I wanted out of our relationship, you know damn well that I would have said so! I wouldn't go galivanting around with some tart or harlot like some stallions out there, I would walk up to you and say 'Applejack, it's over, leave my house!'. I'd help you pack your bags, pay for your train ticket and wave to you as you left even! But cheating!? It's unthinkable! Unethical! Unladylike, like a piece of that rubbish dubstep music that Vinyl likes so much." AJ couldn't help but suppress laughter at that. It was no secret that Octavia loathed the music Vinyl Scratch created, and it was reciprocated one hundred percent. But they both respected each other as musicians, and Vinyl at least saw Octavia as a friend, so it was an interesting relationship between the pair. "Do we have an understanding Applejack of Sweet. Apple. Acres?" During some point in the speech or the run there, Octavia’s mane had fallen a little over her face, a few strands here and there. Applejack was quiet for a while before freeing one of her hooves to brush the strands from her left side up past her cheek and over her ear, then the same with the right side. “Sugarcube, it ain’t that Ah want to leave ya here, specially not with them. They ain’t yer friends, an’ they certainly ain’t mine. But bein’ accused of stealin’ mah pass just… and then bein' told ya weren't bein' faithful did me in. Ah guess Ah just hate lyin', and I guess I think that's the worst kind of lie. It hit hard's all, and Ah guess Ah did do ya and inj... think untruly of ya for a while.” Octavia nodded once, leaning forward a little and closing the distance made between them a little with a step, hoping Applejack would return the gesture. She did not. “I know what you mean dear, I really do. But it’s a complex game. It’s what the elitists of Canterlot do in their spare time to keep them from being too bored. It’s a cruel and uncompromising game of taunts, threats and gossip. It’s dangerous, and trust me when I say nopony plays it better than Princess Celestia.” Applejack chuckled at that, smiling a little. “Well, Ah guess she’d have lots of practice. I just… I just don’t want to see them ponies bein’ cruel to ya no more. It hurts me too Tay…” She tactfully dropped the previous subject of 'cheating', her pride wounded by her marred judgement. She'd apologise to her later. For a long while, the pair simply sat, Octavia trying to catch AJ’s eye, AJ almost catching her eye a few times but looking away before she did. Tavi knew AJ was working up the courage to turn away, to leave Octavia at the station if she had to, and she only had a few minutes to come up with something to get her to stay. Suddenly she smiled and placed a hoof upon one orange cheek. “Jacky, do you remember when we first met? Almost what was it, three months ago? Just after the Royal wedding, yes?” Applejack smiled and nodded, gently tapping her head against Octavia’s momentarily. “Yeah, Ah remember. Like it was almost yesterday. Don’t think there was a more interestin’ start to a relationship in Ponyville before.” Octavia’s smile grew and she nodded her head quickly. “Yes! That’s true. If I remember correctly, I’d been ridiculed out of Canterlot, yes? I’d come down to Ponyville to bunk with an old… acquaintance living in Ponyville.” “Vinyl Scratch,” AJ said, nodding, “That rings true.” Octavia made a face and nodded sourly. “Yes, Miss Scratch was somepony I met at school in Trottingham. She constantly pulled my mane and tail, poked me and silly things like that. But she thought me as a friend, and offered me a place to stay, so I took it. If I remember, she left me to my own devices whilst she went to visit Miss Pinkamina and I found my way to your farm. If I remember correctly, you were squashing grapes at the time.” AJ nodded again, smiling still. “Yeah, Ah was makin’ some grape juice. Ya didn’t approve of mah usin’ mah hooves, an’ Applebloom thought ya were stupid. I believe she said you were being stupid an’ told ya to go away, yes?” Tavi laughed and nodded once more. “Yes, that sounds fairly accurate. I think I had an argument with you before I left,” AJ shook her head this time. “No, ya argued with AB, then Ah jumped in, told Applebloom to go home and ya started on me then. Ah believe ‘hick’, ‘inbred’ and ‘savage’ came up a time or two, along with ‘filthy’ and uh.. ‘un-hy’.. ‘un-hy’..” “Unhygienic?” Giggled Octavia with a wink. Applejack nodded in agreement. “Yeah, that’s right. Ah thought you were the most stuck up and annoyin’ pony Ah’d ever met, and Ah told ya so. I remember that.” Octavia giggled again, her cheeks flushing a little. “That’s right. Stuck up, annoying, frou-frou, silly and city pony came up multiple times. Do we count that as a first fight? Or would it have to be later, when we were actually dating?” It was Aj’s turn to giggle this time and another smile graced her face. “It can be if ya want it to be sugarcube, it was a interestin' fight. It was pretty funny now that ya think of it huh? Ain’t the most graceful way t’ start a relationship was it?” Octavia nodded in agreement, a titter of laughter escaping through her nose. “Perhaps not, but it did work did it not? Not what I expected, but you’re not like the ponies here. You’re honest, kind and most of all, you don’t play the cruel games they do.” One of Tavi’s hooves moved from AJ’s hooves and stroked her cheek affectionately. “I don’t want to lose you because of ponies like them being too arrogant and stuffy to accept you. I only wanted to show you the wonders of the city, like you did with the country and me.” She smiled and tugged gently on Aj’s cheek, trying to get her a little closer, and was delighted when she did react by moving forward a little, touching her nose to Octavia’s. She still didn't looke entirely convinced though. “I don’t expect you to leave your farm and your family, I couldn’t ask you, and I won’t ever put you in a position that makes you choose between the two.” A pair of grey hooves draped around Aj’s neck as Octavia dropped her final, last ditch line. “Stay with me, just one more night here, then we can go home. Home to your family, your family and mine now. Stay here with me for one more night, and share the wonders of the Canterlot night with me for just one more night, and we can leave in the morning. I promise. No more Canterlot, no more lying ‘friends’… just you, me and the beautiful countryside.” For a long time, there was silence between the two as AJ processed the request and eventually, the farmer smiled and kissed the tip of her fillyfriend’s nose. No more city, no more lies, no more backstabbing, pathetic ponies looking for any reason to spoil the relationship they have together except Applebloom occasionally trying to get her sister back all to herself, no more insults or teasing except from Rarity that she'd ended up with some Canterlot high born. Just her, Octavia, the farm and the wide, beautiful countryside. In exchange for one night. “Ah think I can do one more night with ya in the city Sug’, so long as you show me these wonders yer talkin’ about~” Octavia smiled happily and returned the kiss enthusiastically. “Well, we can start with dinner at home, a glass of wine for me and cider for you~” AJ nodded her approval. “Sounds good so far sugarcube~” “And follow that with a film, your pick of anything I have.” “Anything?” “Anything~” Tavi reassured the country mare, nuzzling her nose gently, although she felt she might regret that offer at some point, “Then afterwards some dessert. Fresh Strawberries with cream and icing sugar followed by some hot chocolate in the later hours of the night…” Octavia’s hooves slid down AJ’s back before separating and slipping their way down her sides to her flanks. “And then we kiss, and the bed beckons us to a night of blissful and loving embraces that we can indulge in. Embraces that only we share, and that the city and all her occupants would be jealous of,” the grey mare crooned, pulling Applejack a little closer to her by way of her flanks. “How does that sound my love?” Applejack’s cheeks were flaming red, and her eyes half closed, struggling not to interrupt her musical lover in her explanation, trying very, very hard not to press her lips to the oh-so tantalisingly sweet lips of Octavia’s. Octavia noticed this and her smile was devious as she teased the orange pony. “Will you stay one last night in the Royal city with me, oblivious to the world?” It’s all Applejack can do to nod, finally agreeing to Octavia’s request. The musician smiled and finally acquiesced and gave Applejack what she wanted, kissing her lightly and nuzzling her cheek. “Excellent! Then what are we waiting for darling? Dinner at my place~” Tavi giggled and pulled at AJ, encouraging her to move. But before she could pull the much stronger mare along, Aj pulled off her hat, the old stetson scuffed and nicked here and there from age and wear, and instead pulled Octavia closer. In a rare show of affection and trust, Aj settled the hat over Octavia's head and smiled as the grey earth mare blushed. Guided by Tavi, Applejack followed her into the ancient and royal city of Canterlot, watched by the clerk at the ticket booth, who sighed. “Why does nothing like that ever happen to me?” He asked wistfully, watching the pair leave the platform. MidlightPrincess Luna’s House guard. A relatively new branch of the guard, and filled mostly with the few Thestral ponies to come out of hiding. There were only two regiments at the moment, both of nine ponies. Eight grunts and a sergeant, who spends most of their time in their office, making sure ‘everything runs smoothly’. In Velveteen’s case, she thought it was too cushy for her. Velveteen liked her job, she liked standing guard. it made her feel important, and needed. That said, she also knew that in the many, many years of service, very few times had the House Guard actually protected their charge, rather than the other way around. She didn’t let that deter her though. This was a dream come true. And at Guard level 2, she felt pretty good about herself. She did try to make sure to mess up now and then, to keep her current ranking so she didn’t go up any further though. Any higher than Level 1 and she was elegible to become Sergeant, and she didn’t want that. It was cold, that night. Not that it wasn’t expected. It was mid winter, coming up on the Winter Solstice, when the night was longest. She stood at attention outside her charge’s door, always remembering the golden rules of the House Guard. No motion. No emotion. Not a sound. Standing stock still for twelve or so hours was difficult, but it came with damn good pay. Technically, they were putting their lives on the line for their Princess, and there was no higher honor in Velveteen’s books, and it seemed that the Princess’ believed such faith and loyalty was to be rewarded with decent pay too. It was useful. What she hadn’t yet gotten used to was the shared accommodation with her Thestral siblings. Luna had made it clear that she wanted her Thestral charges treated with respect, and had laid down a decree that all within the Guard were honorary siblings. This was already an unspoken law in Celestia’s House Guard, and Velveteen had thought it’d be easy enough in this one. Oh boy was she wrong. Thestrals didn’t consume the same as their distant cousins, surviving off of the high protein diet involved in consuming the blood of living beings. One of them had explained the reasoning to her with great delight. He told her they were cursed, and that their physiology had adapted to help them survive. Their inner magic, other than allowing them to perform strange rites of empowerment by the light of the moon (She saw these as silly superstitions) provided them with most of what they needed, but their curse forced them to adapt to a life of a vampiric sway, to take in the haemoglobin everything required to live. It was a frightening concept, and she’d asked him if they fed on ponies. He must have seen the fear on her face, for he laughed and had draped a gentle wing over her shoulders, telling her that it didn’t happen without consent. He’d then made her blush brightly by telling her he wouldn’t mind showing her if she’d wanted. Needless to say, she hadn’t spoken to him since. These eating habits had unnerved all of the pony volunteers, few though there were, and most of them were officers. She had tried to let it not get to her, but it had unnerved her nonetheless. Now she had to keep herself in control along with her ‘partner’. All guards were assigned a partner, and hers was a charming Thestral, who seemed as nervous about her at first as she was about him. He’d assured her he’d not bite her, in the night or otherwise. She’d thanked him, and he’d smiled a little. Guard partners slept in the same room in the barracks. Separate beds of course. It promoted camaraderie and teamwork. Supposedly. It didn’t work all the time but, mostly it did. It did in Celestia’s house guard anyway. After a brief look, she sighed, and rolled her shoulders. Under her heavy, padded armour and cloth undershirt, Velveteen was proud of her body. She was, like the other guards, very well built. Slim and hard, Velveteen did not live up to her name. Not in softness of skin at least. Not really. Her muscles were hard, toned with years of training, covered in a velvety coat of navy blue. She was also rather proud of her deep purple mane and matching tail. They had a streak of ash through them both. What didn’t impress her was her need to bind her chest. The House guard’s armour wasn’t made for those of a more busty constitution. Her guard partner knew this. In fact, he’d helped her bind it before. She didn’t do it tightly, and the pair had been awkwardly silent the whole time, but he’d told her he’d appreciated the trust that move took. She’d giggled nervously, and told him it was more a matter of necessity, and he’d chuckled awkwardly as well. That was in the first week. It’d been a few months now, and whilst there was a lot of issues between the Thestrals and Ponies, with Ponies usually backing down from the larger force of Thestrals. Her and her partner, on the other hand… “Velveteen.” She straightened up instinctively, her arms behind her back, hooves shoulder width apart. She felt her wings straightening at her back. The familiar, smooth voice chuckled and she felt a tap on her shoulder plates. “Chill out, it’s me.” Velveteen almost smiled. But no, she was still on duty. “You’re early sir,” She said stiffly. “I am,” He replied coolly, “I had nothing to do, and thought it’d be a good idea to swing by.” The rustle of his wings against his armour was different to hers. Her feathers were light, where the leather of his wings had a velvety coat of tiny furs on it, but was still leathery, and thus rubbed harder. He was her Thestral partner, and she was used to this sort of behaviour. “If you’re going to stand here and chat,” She whispered under her breath, “Stand at attention. Stop making me look bad.” “I thought that’s what you did?” He asked, looking a little hurt, “Made sure you didn’t get a promotion? I mean, you’re due for a citation this month, aren’t you? Like clockwork.” He was right, She was due a citation to keep her rank… But no, this was too much. “Minor citation,” She whispered back, “This goes a bit beyond that. Besides, I thought you were going for Sergeant?” He paused, assumed stance and ignored her question. For some reason, this annoyed her a little. “You have half an hour before I relieve you completely,” He whispered, “Why not treat it like a debriefing?” She felt her eye twitch, and she sighed, letting her shoulders and wings slump. it did feel good to let her muscles relax… “Fine,” She muttered, turned to face him at ease now, “All’s quiet. No disturbances. Even the maids don’t come through this wing of the castle if they can help it, why would anypony else?” “Why indeed,” he asked rhetorically, “I don’t know. I suppose they’re still afraid.” “More likely your kind scare them away,” She responded without thinking. Her eyes widened and she went to correct her mistake, but he held up a hand. She continued anyway, “Hunter, I didn’t mean-” “I know,” He interrupted, “But you’re right.” Hunter’s Moon, or Hunter for short, was strong and charming. Once the pair of them had overcome the biggest hurdle, of Velveteen’s fear of Thestral’s fangs and wings. and their eyes, the pair had fast made friends. Well, comrades. Velveteen wouldn’t call them ‘friends’. Hunter liked to hang out at the local Guard bar, the Wind Shear. They didn’t yet serve Typical Thestral beverages or foods, but they weren’t against them. The owner was a vet, and when he couldn’t serve anymore, he opened the bar. It started welcoming the guard, and now it was almost exclusive. Velveteen, on the other hand, prefers to train in her spare time. The gym in the lower levels of the barracks area of this wing of the castle was useful for that reason. She saw his time in the bar as time wasting. That isn’t to say she didn’t have friends, she just worked as hard as she could to be as prepared as she could for any contingency. She had to admit though, he had a sort of exotic beauty to him. He had a strong jawline, and his fangs flashed a little whenever he smiled. His eyes were yellow, and glowed a little in the moonlight. It was his night vision that did that. His coat was similar to hers, but darker, and his mane, matching his tail, was sky blue. It spiked down his face when he wasn’t in uniform. Another contrast to hers, which waterfalled down her shoulders and back in beautiful waves of darkness. Add to that the exoticism of his wings, and it added a very attractive picture. “I’m still sorry sir…” “Forget it. It’s fine. You and me, we’ve got a good thing going between us. Don’t worry, I know you don’t mean to be thoughtless. We all do it. Doesn’t mean we lose any vigilance.” “No sir.” “You know you don’t have to call me sir, right?” “Actually, I do sir,” She replied, “You’re a House Guard First class, I’m second class, You are a higher rank than me.” Hunter didn’t reply, stiff mouthed. “It’s the rules… sir,” She said softly. He nodded. “I know. Sometimes I wish it wasn’t. But what am I saying, your debrief is over.” Hunter squared up, matching her stance. “You’re relieved soldier,” He intoned. Velveteen nodded. “Yes, sir,” She saluted smartly, which he then reciprocated, turned, and walked away, still retaining the guards rigid discipline. She’d seen some guards walk away like it didn’t matter, but it did. Only once she’d exited his sight, did she sigh and remove her helmet, shaking her long hair free. An unspoken rule among the guardsponies, when the helmet came off, so did the job. She tucked it under her arm, and walked normally. A sway came to her hips that was characteristic with most mares. It wasn’t noticeable really unless you were looking for it, but it was there. It was a cold night indeed. A breeze through an open window made her shiver a little, even through the padding of her armour. She wanted her warm bed. The palace halls, once so creepy in the darkness, were easy to navigate now. She knew them by heart. And the way to her quarters was second nature. The wooden door slammed home behind her and she sighed again. It was hard, trying not to make such a fool of herself. Such an amateur mistake, that faux pas. “Luna damn me,” She mumbled softly, “For being such a right fool.” Eater of DeathI live in a house of blood. My graveyard is cool, most of the year. The graves are silent, to most. Seven hundred graves per quadrant, twenty-one hundred graves all up. I maintain them. All of them. And I try to keep my people's home's hospitable, comfortable. I am their keeper, their undertaker, their maid, their medium. The living do not understand, for the most part. There are a few ponies that have a gift, to see, or interact with the spirits of the dead. But none of them can do what I can do. There is a child. He's crying, disturbing the peace of my graveyard. I watch for a while. He's crying still, crying for loss. Crying out for his mother. I can see her spirit, hovering peacefully over her grave. I only tended it a few hours ago. It's pristine. Save for the tears, adding their salt to the soil. The poor soul is grieving. It's understandable. She cannot reach out, cannot talk to her son. I can't hear what she's saying, I'm too far away. The little ones are always so hard to watch. Innocence plucked right out of them, like a raven plucking the eye from a corpse. The poor child. I imagine I must look intimidating upon my approach. My cloak is shabby and torn at the edges, and my pack has shovels and a pick held in place under it. My wings are in a bad need of cleaning, and preening, I suppose. I don't use them enough for that to be an issue. The spirit has seen me now. Her voice is faint, like a wind sweeping by my ears. He looks scared of me. "I will not harm you," I tell him as gently as I can, "I wish to help you." He asks me how. Teary eyed and sniffling, he demands to know how. "I can help you speak with your mother. Just this once. Then, I'm afraid she must leave. She doesn't belong here, in this world, anymore." There's hope in the spirit's eyes, and the boy sniffles, and blurts out a 'yes please'. A well mannered boy. I look to the spirit of his mother. Her soul, though fading, is beautiful. Pure. I hold out my hoof to her and she looks startled. But, she places hers in mine. I can feel her essence as we make the necessary connection. I was right. Her soul is pure. She did not deserve to die. She was a fine mother indeed. "My boy." The words flow out of my mouth, but they are not my own. It is not my voice either, but that of his mother. "Mummy?" These moment always wrench at my heartstrings. Very little does anymore, but these moments did. "I'm sorry... I didn't want to leave you." He was crying again now. This wasn't my conversation. I tuned myself out. This has the effect of giving the spirit more control, makes it easier for them, uses less of their energy, whatever they have left. They spoke for a few minutes. I felt something pulling at the connection. It was becoming tenuous. Mentally, I warned the spirit she only had a short time left. "I love you baby... I'll see you again one day. And I'll always be watching over you. Take care of your father?" "I... I will mummy... I love you" "Goodbye..." She lifted her hoof from mine. The connection is severed. She gave me a look of profound respect, and heartfelt thanks, and she ascended. She would be another star in the great night sky, watching her beloved son. The colt sniffled again, and I looked down at him. "I'm sorry for your loss," I told him softly, "She loves you very much. And her death will never diminish that. And she'll never leave you. She'll always be..." I tapped his chest gently, roughly where his heart is located. "Right here." He sniffled again, then put his hooves around my leg, and hugged me tightly. I patted his head softly, a wave of affection washing through my being. Feeling the parent's love always left affections for the little ones. "Hey! Get away from my son!" I sigh. Another misunderstanding. Another reason to dislike Ponies. I pull away from the colt as his father arrives, seething. "I don't need you filling his head with your charlatanism!" He snapped at me. I suppose I shouldn't blame him. His wife had just died after all. But for some reason, their actions were always the same. I narrowed my eyes at him. "Regardless," I replied coldly, "Of what you believe. I have done what I can to comfort your son. Perhaps you should take lessons from him in manners." And I walked away. There was no point in becoming angry. They never understood. They couldn't understand. My people weren't the living. Never had been. The living had locked me away, hidden me from the world and tried to 'cure' me. Only the dead accepted me. Only the dead kept me company. I returned to the shack I lived in, in the grounds of my cemetery. The light as I open the door hits the many gifts I've received over my tenure here, all from grateful foals of various ages. I shrug off my pack. My work, for the day at least, is done. I move to the next quadrant tomorrow, fixing and cleaning up whatever is needed. The dead that linger thank me for it. The ones I hold within me approve of it. I live in a house of Blood, and I keep company without the living. I am the Condor, Eater of Death.
Faze's FollyLoyalty. Generosity. Kindness. Honesty. Laughter. Magic. The six pieces that made up some of the strongest magicks in all of Equus. Power that belonged to the Diarchy that was Equestria, and extended to their allies in Draconus, Tauria and Griffa. A power that so many covet. Each piece requires a host, a pony that symbolises everything that piece means. Laughter, a light hearted pony with the natural predisposition to laugh, and make others laugh along with them. Loyalty, the embodiment of the word itself, loyal to their other hosts, friends, family, and everything they meet, and befriend. Kindness. A pony with the power to forgive even the worst of villains, and tame even the mightiest beasts with naught but words, and their own inborn love for all things. Honesty. A pony so honest, they would rather by blunt and hurt their friends for the better, than hold back and leave them wondering of their failings. Generosity, a pony with the natural urge to give without limit, and never expect anything in return, wanting only the best for others even at their own expense. And Magic. A power so truly mysterious, there were few who understood it, and even fewer who could comprehend its potentially awesome power. For hundreds of years, the Diarchs of Equestria, Luna and Celestia, had maintained power of an equal share of these pieces of power, leaving them as almost unbeatable, superpowers of Equus. But almost a century ago, the Elements had been turned against one another and, briefly, Celestia had ripped her sister’s three away to muster up enough power to send her sister into a millennium long banishment. As a result, the elements showed their strength, and the brought up the question that, perhaps, they were sentient in and of themselves. They abandoned Celestia, leaving her without their power, and leaving her sickly and weak for almost a year. Despite this weakness, she still held off the Dragon’s raids and pushed them back, establishing a hesitant peace with the aggressive reptiles. For Faze, The elements were foolish legends. He’d read about them extensively, but never found proof of their existence. It was soon after this his town was erased from existence, and he was the only one who remembered it. Ever since, he’d searched. Searched for a way to bring back his town, his people. Even trying to petition the solar Monarch to help him. But, despite his convincing argument, the young unicorn had walked away, his soul crushed and heart broken. So, he’d decided to make his own way. Years of research, thousands of bits spent on books, maps and provisions, and he’d finally found it. No less here, in Equestria, right under their very noses. The source. The source of magic in Equus. A hole in the ground in the most beautiful of places. The land of Thestrals crossed less than ten miles south, and the forests around this place was some of the most beautiful terrain in Equestria and considered a national park, and thus untouchable in terms of farming or harvesting. Now Faze knew why. “Day thirty-seven, one fifty-six pm. The well has not yet opened, but I have another idea. It’s dangerous. I might find myself giving into exhaustion before I can complete it, but if I can pull this off, the source should allow me to channel magic infinitely, which should be enough to bring my town back, reversing time if I have to. I will figure out what happened. And I will fix it. Even if I have to freeze time for more. Faze out.” Maroon coated, and blonde maned, Faze’s power was second to none, or so he liked to think. His magical power had served him well in his young life, and now it would serve him best. It would open the source, the well of magic, and allow him to channel this power to save his people. With a deep breath, he exhaled slowly, closing his eyes. This cave was big, and the natural luminescence coming from the well itself was enough to light up the darkness to visible levels, and Faze’s horn lit up, his magic shining the same colour as his mane and tail. The blonde coloured magic enveloped his horn, and weaved lazily through the air. His eyes remained closed, and he finally latched onto one of the tendrils of magic streaming through the air from the well. And made contact. His magic ran down the tendril, and slipped through the cracks of the well. He was already sweating, and with a burst of magic, he opened the well. And all hell broke loose. The well burst open, six arms busting upwards and streams of rainbow mana flooding out of the hole. In a vicious twist, it latched onto the first thing it could, and flooded it. It found Faze, and it flooded his very soul. He screamed, eyes shooting open as they blazed white. His mind was overwhelmed with power that wasn’t his, power he never should have possessed. And in a moment, his whole world turned white. Time froze, and became irrelevant. Power was all consuming, all knowing, and his mind went blank, and the world went blank. And then darkness. “Wake up Faze.” His eyes, blazing with magic, opened. The world was not his own. Galaxies spun in the distance, the universe on display for him to see. And before him, with eyes like his own, was a mare. Power radiated off of her like sickening waves of heat, and when he tried to counter them with his own, he found he fell woefully short. “Where…?” “You are in my domain, little pony. Your arrogance has led you here.” Faze’s mind felt fuzzy, but he frowned at the accusation anyway. “My arrogance? I have not been arrogant, only determined. I must restore my town.” The mare’s eyes, framed by thick lashes and a nebulous coat, narrowed. “Ye who have attempted to control me, to force me to submission! This is your arrogance, knave.” Faze stared for a moment, then, in his head, it clicked. “You… you’re magic.” The mare huffed, her flowing mane full of galaxies, more even than the universe contained around him. “I am the element of Magic. My power was meant for you to borrow, but never to be yours.” “The element… Wait, like Elements of harmony Magic?” “Yes Faze. You were meant as my host, should disaster strike the world. But, instead of seeking your birthright, you have endeavoured to control me, to use me as a tool to restore a town wiped from the face of existence. Manipulation of time is messing with a fundamental, and only we eternals are truly able to do so.” “But… with the source…” “You think to control my power?” she asked archly, “You? One lowly unicorn? Don’t make me laugh. My power is infinite! My power is eternal! I gift all races with my power, and still have more than enough left over to create universes! Do not think to control my power!” She drew herself up, and wings spread from her back, the feathers taking solid form and colour, a deep purple. “Faze, son of none and born of nowhere. You have insulted and abused my gifts to you, and shown a disrespect of all I hold dear.” Faze found himself afraid, his heartbeat accelerating, his mouth dry, and eyes widening. “For these sins, I hereby leaven this punishment upon thee. Thou shalt obtain the power you wished for, but you shall not age. Thou shalt become as one of us, immortal, unchanging, and eternal. However, Thy magic shalt never be used to thine benefit, and thou shalt never have true control.” She leaned towards him, her eyes spitting magic and turning dark, wreathed in purple mist. “Never again shalt thou know relief from hunger, from pain, from thirst. Thou wilt live in agony, as penance for your arrogance.” Faze would have cried, had he ducts to cry with. Agony was ripping through his brain, but he couldn’t cry out. He found himself frozen as he felt his corporeal form tearing itself apart fibre by fibre, atom by atom. “But know this! Knowledge is power, and we admire your achievements. Therefore, shouldst thou eventually understand thine sins, and learn the lesson we force upon thee, thou shalt have flesh once more, to live among the souls of mortals, and know peace.” Her horn, previously unseen, burst with rainbow magic and it struck his own, forcing power beyond reckoning into his essence. And finally, as she spoke, he screamed. “Your form… debases.” The cave exploded as time itself began anew, the well that housed the source sealing itself once more as an agonised screech burst from within and the pony known as Faze became as nothing, his flesh bubbling and melting away as his power was amplified thousands of times over. His eyes melted away, searing into his flesh which soon bubbled and vaporised soon after. All that was left was maroon and black energy, power so dense it coalesced into a floating blob of something, and fell to the ground. It was unknown how long he laid in this form, screaming in agony without a voice to express it, and writhing in pain without form to move with. Some say it was hundreds of years, other say only decades. But slowly, very slowly, his form began to change, and he took the appearance of a pony once more, horn and all. However, his features no longer existed. Black and maroon energy made up his flesh, his bones, his soul, and his eyes burned a soulless red. Every step he took was agony, and finally, he shrieked his pain to the heavens, cursing magic, the very power he sought, that turned him into the creature he now was. Some say he stalks the world to this day, lost and without purpose. Others say he transcended mortality, and became as Magic itself. Others still believe he searches for the answers to his lessons even now. What is known of this myth, is that he’s said to be the strongest magical creature in equus, with all the raw power of magic itself at his command. But, it’s all just an old pony’s tale. Faze is not real, just as Nightmare Moon is naught but a fairy tale.
Convince Me“Ah ain’t stayin’ Sugar, Ah can’t do this no more. Ah don’t belong here, it’s too frou-frou an’ so-phis-ti-cate-ed fer a farmer like me.” Canterlot is a great place, and the city is beautiful and all that. The restaurants are nice, the food is great, the rooms were spotless, and for AJ, Octavia lived there, which was the only reason she’d given it even a thought. But Applejack was a pony of the open air, fields and good hard work. Getting dressed up for dinners, parties and concerts weren’t her style. And she didn’t like any of it, not a second. Well, except for Octavia’s performances, and she was sure to let the cellist know frequently how much she enjoyed her music. Things had been tense between the odd couple since Octavia had convinced her to spend some time in her home, in Canterlot. Octavia had many, many friends. Or, so she called them. Unfortunately, these self same friends often spoke ill behind the mare’s back, and AJ heard most of it, and some of it was even concerning her. She’d gotten into trouble for starting a row with a particularly uppity pony that played piano, and a worse one with some sort of brass horn instrument player. Of course, actual physical contact was out of the question until one stallion had the stupidity to actually slap Applejack and, seconds away before retaliating herself, Octavia had done it for her, slapping the stallion so hard he’d fell and had a red welt on his cheek. They’d been thrown out after that. Of course, there were a few AJ did like that were a bit more city than she’d normally allow. Fancy Pants and Fleur de lis were two of them. They’d treated Applejack and Octavia with outstanding courtesy and had proven quite a challenge, even for Octavia, in a game of chess. Fleur had narrowly defeated Octavia, and Applejack (Who wasn’t a very good chess player) had been trounced by Fancy, to his great delight since he claimed he could never win against Fleur and even accused Aj of going easy on him Applejack, with not much of a head for strategy, denied the false accusation heatedly, only stopping once everypony started laughing as Fancy told her it was all just a joke. That night had been quite successful, and the pair had walked away in high spirits. This was not one such day. Applejack had attended a concert, of which Octavia was a part of. It had been alright, and this time she’d been backstage. Everything was going perfectly until one of the staff had tried to get her out of the offstage area, claiming she couldn’t be there. Even showing her offstage pass had done nothing, instead making him ask where she’d stolen it. Naturally, this had riled up Applejack. However, before she could meet with Octavia, she'd met another 'friend' of hers, but this one claiming she was seeing Octavia behind Aj's back and that had set her off. She’d left just as Octavia had taken her bow and left the stage. AJ was already at the train station by the time Octavia had arrived, panting and out of breath with a heavy case on her back, mane tangled from running and tail and flanks lathered with sweat. Well, it wasn’t exactly a short distance from the auditorium to the station. “Come now Applejack,” Octavia said breathlessly, trying to appease her, “You’re not going to let them drive you away are you?” “This time, Ah think Ah will,” Came AJ’s stubborn reply and Octavia sighed. This was going to be a long discussion. “Come on Jacky,” The grey cellist said softly, approaching Applejack and slinging a hoof over her back, “You’ve never let yourself be defeated before. I know you heard some of the things that my colleagues say behind my back,” “Oh Ah heard ‘em alright,” Muttered Applejack. Octavia continued, ignoring the angry mutter. “And I appreciate your defending me. It was sweet, and it was one of the nicest things anypony has ever done for me since I started my music career.” She paused, letting that sink in. Her strong Canterlot socialite type accent was one of the few things Applejack put up with because she made it sound good. Most times, a ‘city’ accent would annoy Applejack, but Octavia’s voice was lilting and easily described as musical. “But they’re just trying to drive you away Jacky,” She removed the hoof from AJ’s back when Applejack glared at her. "An' what about bein' told yer gone and seein' somepony else behind mah back?" This took Octavia by surprise and she stammered, spluttering as her mind tried to comprehend this outrageous lie. Octavia and Applejack did fight, and often, but over little things. It might have gotten a bit out of hoof a time or two, but they'd always made up, and Octavia hadn't even dreamed or begun to think about cheating or leaving. It was too much... fun? Perhaps that wasn't the right word. “They’re trying to drive you away from them, from their buildings, from Canterlot… and they’re trying to drive you away from me! I know we fight, and yes I suppose we argue a lot too, but that's what happens when ponies like us collide! We'll bicker now and then because of our differences, and then make up because of what we love about each other, that's how a relationship works! We're still working out the kinks in our little bond, so yes, we're bound to fight, but Celestia help me Applejack, if you ever accuse me of cheating again I'll... I'll... I'll take your hat and tear it in two!” AJ took a wary step back, her eyes glancing to her hat as Octavia continued undaunted. "I was raised as a lady, and I plan fully on being such! A lady always tells the truth, and they never stoop to something so low and so pathetic as that! If I wanted out of our relationship, you know damn well that I would have said so! I wouldn't go galivanting around with some tart or harlot like some stallions out there, I would walk up to you and say 'Applejack, it's over, leave my house!'. I'd help you pack your bags, pay for your train ticket and wave to you as you left even! But cheating!? It's unthinkable! Unethical! Unladylike, like a piece of that rubbish dubstep music that Vinyl likes so much." AJ couldn't help but suppress laughter at that. It was no secret that Octavia loathed the music Vinyl Scratch created, and it was reciprocated one hundred percent. But they both respected each other as musicians, and Vinyl at least saw Octavia as a friend, so it was an interesting relationship between the pair. "Do we have an understanding Applejack of Sweet. Apple. Acres?" During some point in the speech or the run there, Octavia’s mane had fallen a little over her face, a few strands here and there. Applejack was quiet for a while before freeing one of her hooves to brush the strands from her left side up past her cheek and over her ear, then the same with the right side. “Sugarcube, it ain’t that Ah want to leave ya here, specially not with them. They ain’t yer friends, an’ they certainly ain’t mine. But bein’ accused of stealin’ mah pass just… and then bein' told ya weren't bein' faithful did me in. Ah guess Ah just hate lyin', and I guess I think that's the worst kind of lie. It hit hard's all, and Ah guess Ah did do ya and inj... think untruly of ya for a while.” Octavia nodded once, leaning forward a little and closing the distance made between them a little with a step, hoping Applejack would return the gesture. She did not. “I know what you mean dear, I really do. But it’s a complex game. It’s what the elitists of Canterlot do in their spare time to keep them from being too bored. It’s a cruel and uncompromising game of taunts, threats and gossip. It’s dangerous, and trust me when I say nopony plays it better than Princess Celestia.” Applejack chuckled at that, smiling a little. “Well, Ah guess she’d have lots of practice. I just… I just don’t want to see them ponies bein’ cruel to ya no more. It hurts me too Tay…” She tactfully dropped the previous subject of 'cheating', her pride wounded by her marred judgement. She'd apologise to her later. For a long while, the pair simply sat, Octavia trying to catch AJ’s eye, AJ almost catching her eye a few times but looking away before she did. Tavi knew AJ was working up the courage to turn away, to leave Octavia at the station if she had to, and she only had a few minutes to come up with something to get her to stay. Suddenly she smiled and placed a hoof upon one orange cheek. “Jacky, do you remember when we first met? Almost what was it, three months ago? Just after the Royal wedding, yes?” Applejack smiled and nodded, gently tapping her head against Octavia’s momentarily. “Yeah, Ah remember. Like it was almost yesterday. Don’t think there was a more interestin’ start to a relationship in Ponyville before.” Octavia’s smile grew and she nodded her head quickly. “Yes! That’s true. If I remember correctly, I’d been ridiculed out of Canterlot, yes? I’d come down to Ponyville to bunk with an old… acquaintance living in Ponyville.” “Vinyl Scratch,” AJ said, nodding, “That rings true.” Octavia made a face and nodded sourly. “Yes, Miss Scratch was somepony I met at school in Trottingham. She constantly pulled my mane and tail, poked me and silly things like that. But she thought me as a friend, and offered me a place to stay, so I took it. If I remember, she left me to my own devices whilst she went to visit Miss Pinkamina and I found my way to your farm. If I remember correctly, you were squashing grapes at the time.” AJ nodded again, smiling still. “Yeah, Ah was makin’ some grape juice. Ya didn’t approve of mah usin’ mah hooves, an’ Applebloom thought ya were stupid. I believe she said you were being stupid an’ told ya to go away, yes?” Tavi laughed and nodded once more. “Yes, that sounds fairly accurate. I think I had an argument with you before I left,” AJ shook her head this time. “No, ya argued with AB, then Ah jumped in, told Applebloom to go home and ya started on me then. Ah believe ‘hick’, ‘inbred’ and ‘savage’ came up a time or two, along with ‘filthy’ and uh.. ‘un-hy’.. ‘un-hy’..” “Unhygienic?” Giggled Octavia with a wink. Applejack nodded in agreement. “Yeah, that’s right. Ah thought you were the most stuck up and annoyin’ pony Ah’d ever met, and Ah told ya so. I remember that.” Octavia giggled again, her cheeks flushing a little. “That’s right. Stuck up, annoying, frou-frou, silly and city pony came up multiple times. Do we count that as a first fight? Or would it have to be later, when we were actually dating?” It was Aj’s turn to giggle this time and another smile graced her face. “It can be if ya want it to be sugarcube, it was a interestin' fight. It was pretty funny now that ya think of it huh? Ain’t the most graceful way t’ start a relationship was it?” Octavia nodded in agreement, a titter of laughter escaping through her nose. “Perhaps not, but it did work did it not? Not what I expected, but you’re not like the ponies here. You’re honest, kind and most of all, you don’t play the cruel games they do.” One of Tavi’s hooves moved from AJ’s hooves and stroked her cheek affectionately. “I don’t want to lose you because of ponies like them being too arrogant and stuffy to accept you. I only wanted to show you the wonders of the city, like you did with the country and me.” She smiled and tugged gently on Aj’s cheek, trying to get her a little closer, and was delighted when she did react by moving forward a little, touching her nose to Octavia’s. She still didn't looke entirely convinced though. “I don’t expect you to leave your farm and your family, I couldn’t ask you, and I won’t ever put you in a position that makes you choose between the two.” A pair of grey hooves draped around Aj’s neck as Octavia dropped her final, last ditch line. “Stay with me, just one more night here, then we can go home. Home to your family, your family and mine now. Stay here with me for one more night, and share the wonders of the Canterlot night with me for just one more night, and we can leave in the morning. I promise. No more Canterlot, no more lying ‘friends’… just you, me and the beautiful countryside.” For a long time, there was silence between the two as AJ processed the request and eventually, the farmer smiled and kissed the tip of her fillyfriend’s nose. No more city, no more lies, no more backstabbing, pathetic ponies looking for any reason to spoil the relationship they have together except Applebloom occasionally trying to get her sister back all to herself, no more insults or teasing except from Rarity that she'd ended up with some Canterlot high born. Just her, Octavia, the farm and the wide, beautiful countryside. In exchange for one night. “Ah think I can do one more night with ya in the city Sug’, so long as you show me these wonders yer talkin’ about~” Octavia smiled happily and returned the kiss enthusiastically. “Well, we can start with dinner at home, a glass of wine for me and cider for you~” AJ nodded her approval. “Sounds good so far sugarcube~” “And follow that with a film, your pick of anything I have.” “Anything?” “Anything~” Tavi reassured the country mare, nuzzling her nose gently, although she felt she might regret that offer at some point, “Then afterwards some dessert. Fresh Strawberries with cream and icing sugar followed by some hot chocolate in the later hours of the night…” Octavia’s hooves slid down AJ’s back before separating and slipping their way down her sides to her flanks. “And then we kiss, and the bed beckons us to a night of blissful and loving embraces that we can indulge in. Embraces that only we share, and that the city and all her occupants would be jealous of,” the grey mare crooned, pulling Applejack a little closer to her by way of her flanks. “How does that sound my love?” Applejack’s cheeks were flaming red, and her eyes half closed, struggling not to interrupt her musical lover in her explanation, trying very, very hard not to press her lips to the oh-so tantalisingly sweet lips of Octavia’s. Octavia noticed this and her smile was devious as she teased the orange pony. “Will you stay one last night in the Royal city with me, oblivious to the world?” It’s all Applejack can do to nod, finally agreeing to Octavia’s request. The musician smiled and finally acquiesced and gave Applejack what she wanted, kissing her lightly and nuzzling her cheek. “Excellent! Then what are we waiting for darling? Dinner at my place~” Tavi giggled and pulled at AJ, encouraging her to move. But before she could pull the much stronger mare along, Aj pulled off her hat, the old stetson scuffed and nicked here and there from age and wear, and instead pulled Octavia closer. In a rare show of affection and trust, Aj settled the hat over Octavia's head and smiled as the grey earth mare blushed. Guided by Tavi, Applejack followed her into the ancient and royal city of Canterlot, watched by the clerk at the ticket booth, who sighed. “Why does nothing like that ever happen to me?” He asked wistfully, watching the pair leave the platform.
MidlightPrincess Luna’s House guard. A relatively new branch of the guard, and filled mostly with the few Thestral ponies to come out of hiding. There were only two regiments at the moment, both of nine ponies. Eight grunts and a sergeant, who spends most of their time in their office, making sure ‘everything runs smoothly’. In Velveteen’s case, she thought it was too cushy for her. Velveteen liked her job, she liked standing guard. it made her feel important, and needed. That said, she also knew that in the many, many years of service, very few times had the House Guard actually protected their charge, rather than the other way around. She didn’t let that deter her though. This was a dream come true. And at Guard level 2, she felt pretty good about herself. She did try to make sure to mess up now and then, to keep her current ranking so she didn’t go up any further though. Any higher than Level 1 and she was elegible to become Sergeant, and she didn’t want that. It was cold, that night. Not that it wasn’t expected. It was mid winter, coming up on the Winter Solstice, when the night was longest. She stood at attention outside her charge’s door, always remembering the golden rules of the House Guard. No motion. No emotion. Not a sound. Standing stock still for twelve or so hours was difficult, but it came with damn good pay. Technically, they were putting their lives on the line for their Princess, and there was no higher honor in Velveteen’s books, and it seemed that the Princess’ believed such faith and loyalty was to be rewarded with decent pay too. It was useful. What she hadn’t yet gotten used to was the shared accommodation with her Thestral siblings. Luna had made it clear that she wanted her Thestral charges treated with respect, and had laid down a decree that all within the Guard were honorary siblings. This was already an unspoken law in Celestia’s House Guard, and Velveteen had thought it’d be easy enough in this one. Oh boy was she wrong. Thestrals didn’t consume the same as their distant cousins, surviving off of the high protein diet involved in consuming the blood of living beings. One of them had explained the reasoning to her with great delight. He told her they were cursed, and that their physiology had adapted to help them survive. Their inner magic, other than allowing them to perform strange rites of empowerment by the light of the moon (She saw these as silly superstitions) provided them with most of what they needed, but their curse forced them to adapt to a life of a vampiric sway, to take in the haemoglobin everything required to live. It was a frightening concept, and she’d asked him if they fed on ponies. He must have seen the fear on her face, for he laughed and had draped a gentle wing over her shoulders, telling her that it didn’t happen without consent. He’d then made her blush brightly by telling her he wouldn’t mind showing her if she’d wanted. Needless to say, she hadn’t spoken to him since. These eating habits had unnerved all of the pony volunteers, few though there were, and most of them were officers. She had tried to let it not get to her, but it had unnerved her nonetheless. Now she had to keep herself in control along with her ‘partner’. All guards were assigned a partner, and hers was a charming Thestral, who seemed as nervous about her at first as she was about him. He’d assured her he’d not bite her, in the night or otherwise. She’d thanked him, and he’d smiled a little. Guard partners slept in the same room in the barracks. Separate beds of course. It promoted camaraderie and teamwork. Supposedly. It didn’t work all the time but, mostly it did. It did in Celestia’s house guard anyway. After a brief look, she sighed, and rolled her shoulders. Under her heavy, padded armour and cloth undershirt, Velveteen was proud of her body. She was, like the other guards, very well built. Slim and hard, Velveteen did not live up to her name. Not in softness of skin at least. Not really. Her muscles were hard, toned with years of training, covered in a velvety coat of navy blue. She was also rather proud of her deep purple mane and matching tail. They had a streak of ash through them both. What didn’t impress her was her need to bind her chest. The House guard’s armour wasn’t made for those of a more busty constitution. Her guard partner knew this. In fact, he’d helped her bind it before. She didn’t do it tightly, and the pair had been awkwardly silent the whole time, but he’d told her he’d appreciated the trust that move took. She’d giggled nervously, and told him it was more a matter of necessity, and he’d chuckled awkwardly as well. That was in the first week. It’d been a few months now, and whilst there was a lot of issues between the Thestrals and Ponies, with Ponies usually backing down from the larger force of Thestrals. Her and her partner, on the other hand… “Velveteen.” She straightened up instinctively, her arms behind her back, hooves shoulder width apart. She felt her wings straightening at her back. The familiar, smooth voice chuckled and she felt a tap on her shoulder plates. “Chill out, it’s me.” Velveteen almost smiled. But no, she was still on duty. “You’re early sir,” She said stiffly. “I am,” He replied coolly, “I had nothing to do, and thought it’d be a good idea to swing by.” The rustle of his wings against his armour was different to hers. Her feathers were light, where the leather of his wings had a velvety coat of tiny furs on it, but was still leathery, and thus rubbed harder. He was her Thestral partner, and she was used to this sort of behaviour. “If you’re going to stand here and chat,” She whispered under her breath, “Stand at attention. Stop making me look bad.” “I thought that’s what you did?” He asked, looking a little hurt, “Made sure you didn’t get a promotion? I mean, you’re due for a citation this month, aren’t you? Like clockwork.” He was right, She was due a citation to keep her rank… But no, this was too much. “Minor citation,” She whispered back, “This goes a bit beyond that. Besides, I thought you were going for Sergeant?” He paused, assumed stance and ignored her question. For some reason, this annoyed her a little. “You have half an hour before I relieve you completely,” He whispered, “Why not treat it like a debriefing?” She felt her eye twitch, and she sighed, letting her shoulders and wings slump. it did feel good to let her muscles relax… “Fine,” She muttered, turned to face him at ease now, “All’s quiet. No disturbances. Even the maids don’t come through this wing of the castle if they can help it, why would anypony else?” “Why indeed,” he asked rhetorically, “I don’t know. I suppose they’re still afraid.” “More likely your kind scare them away,” She responded without thinking. Her eyes widened and she went to correct her mistake, but he held up a hand. She continued anyway, “Hunter, I didn’t mean-” “I know,” He interrupted, “But you’re right.” Hunter’s Moon, or Hunter for short, was strong and charming. Once the pair of them had overcome the biggest hurdle, of Velveteen’s fear of Thestral’s fangs and wings. and their eyes, the pair had fast made friends. Well, comrades. Velveteen wouldn’t call them ‘friends’. Hunter liked to hang out at the local Guard bar, the Wind Shear. They didn’t yet serve Typical Thestral beverages or foods, but they weren’t against them. The owner was a vet, and when he couldn’t serve anymore, he opened the bar. It started welcoming the guard, and now it was almost exclusive. Velveteen, on the other hand, prefers to train in her spare time. The gym in the lower levels of the barracks area of this wing of the castle was useful for that reason. She saw his time in the bar as time wasting. That isn’t to say she didn’t have friends, she just worked as hard as she could to be as prepared as she could for any contingency. She had to admit though, he had a sort of exotic beauty to him. He had a strong jawline, and his fangs flashed a little whenever he smiled. His eyes were yellow, and glowed a little in the moonlight. It was his night vision that did that. His coat was similar to hers, but darker, and his mane, matching his tail, was sky blue. It spiked down his face when he wasn’t in uniform. Another contrast to hers, which waterfalled down her shoulders and back in beautiful waves of darkness. Add to that the exoticism of his wings, and it added a very attractive picture. “I’m still sorry sir…” “Forget it. It’s fine. You and me, we’ve got a good thing going between us. Don’t worry, I know you don’t mean to be thoughtless. We all do it. Doesn’t mean we lose any vigilance.” “No sir.” “You know you don’t have to call me sir, right?” “Actually, I do sir,” She replied, “You’re a House Guard First class, I’m second class, You are a higher rank than me.” Hunter didn’t reply, stiff mouthed. “It’s the rules… sir,” She said softly. He nodded. “I know. Sometimes I wish it wasn’t. But what am I saying, your debrief is over.” Hunter squared up, matching her stance. “You’re relieved soldier,” He intoned. Velveteen nodded. “Yes, sir,” She saluted smartly, which he then reciprocated, turned, and walked away, still retaining the guards rigid discipline. She’d seen some guards walk away like it didn’t matter, but it did. Only once she’d exited his sight, did she sigh and remove her helmet, shaking her long hair free. An unspoken rule among the guardsponies, when the helmet came off, so did the job. She tucked it under her arm, and walked normally. A sway came to her hips that was characteristic with most mares. It wasn’t noticeable really unless you were looking for it, but it was there. It was a cold night indeed. A breeze through an open window made her shiver a little, even through the padding of her armour. She wanted her warm bed. The palace halls, once so creepy in the darkness, were easy to navigate now. She knew them by heart. And the way to her quarters was second nature. The wooden door slammed home behind her and she sighed again. It was hard, trying not to make such a fool of herself. Such an amateur mistake, that faux pas. “Luna damn me,” She mumbled softly, “For being such a right fool.”
Eater of DeathI live in a house of blood. My graveyard is cool, most of the year. The graves are silent, to most. Seven hundred graves per quadrant, twenty-one hundred graves all up. I maintain them. All of them. And I try to keep my people's home's hospitable, comfortable. I am their keeper, their undertaker, their maid, their medium. The living do not understand, for the most part. There are a few ponies that have a gift, to see, or interact with the spirits of the dead. But none of them can do what I can do. There is a child. He's crying, disturbing the peace of my graveyard. I watch for a while. He's crying still, crying for loss. Crying out for his mother. I can see her spirit, hovering peacefully over her grave. I only tended it a few hours ago. It's pristine. Save for the tears, adding their salt to the soil. The poor soul is grieving. It's understandable. She cannot reach out, cannot talk to her son. I can't hear what she's saying, I'm too far away. The little ones are always so hard to watch. Innocence plucked right out of them, like a raven plucking the eye from a corpse. The poor child. I imagine I must look intimidating upon my approach. My cloak is shabby and torn at the edges, and my pack has shovels and a pick held in place under it. My wings are in a bad need of cleaning, and preening, I suppose. I don't use them enough for that to be an issue. The spirit has seen me now. Her voice is faint, like a wind sweeping by my ears. He looks scared of me. "I will not harm you," I tell him as gently as I can, "I wish to help you." He asks me how. Teary eyed and sniffling, he demands to know how. "I can help you speak with your mother. Just this once. Then, I'm afraid she must leave. She doesn't belong here, in this world, anymore." There's hope in the spirit's eyes, and the boy sniffles, and blurts out a 'yes please'. A well mannered boy. I look to the spirit of his mother. Her soul, though fading, is beautiful. Pure. I hold out my hoof to her and she looks startled. But, she places hers in mine. I can feel her essence as we make the necessary connection. I was right. Her soul is pure. She did not deserve to die. She was a fine mother indeed. "My boy." The words flow out of my mouth, but they are not my own. It is not my voice either, but that of his mother. "Mummy?" These moment always wrench at my heartstrings. Very little does anymore, but these moments did. "I'm sorry... I didn't want to leave you." He was crying again now. This wasn't my conversation. I tuned myself out. This has the effect of giving the spirit more control, makes it easier for them, uses less of their energy, whatever they have left. They spoke for a few minutes. I felt something pulling at the connection. It was becoming tenuous. Mentally, I warned the spirit she only had a short time left. "I love you baby... I'll see you again one day. And I'll always be watching over you. Take care of your father?" "I... I will mummy... I love you" "Goodbye..." She lifted her hoof from mine. The connection is severed. She gave me a look of profound respect, and heartfelt thanks, and she ascended. She would be another star in the great night sky, watching her beloved son. The colt sniffled again, and I looked down at him. "I'm sorry for your loss," I told him softly, "She loves you very much. And her death will never diminish that. And she'll never leave you. She'll always be..." I tapped his chest gently, roughly where his heart is located. "Right here." He sniffled again, then put his hooves around my leg, and hugged me tightly. I patted his head softly, a wave of affection washing through my being. Feeling the parent's love always left affections for the little ones. "Hey! Get away from my son!" I sigh. Another misunderstanding. Another reason to dislike Ponies. I pull away from the colt as his father arrives, seething. "I don't need you filling his head with your charlatanism!" He snapped at me. I suppose I shouldn't blame him. His wife had just died after all. But for some reason, their actions were always the same. I narrowed my eyes at him. "Regardless," I replied coldly, "Of what you believe. I have done what I can to comfort your son. Perhaps you should take lessons from him in manners." And I walked away. There was no point in becoming angry. They never understood. They couldn't understand. My people weren't the living. Never had been. The living had locked me away, hidden me from the world and tried to 'cure' me. Only the dead accepted me. Only the dead kept me company. I returned to the shack I lived in, in the grounds of my cemetery. The light as I open the door hits the many gifts I've received over my tenure here, all from grateful foals of various ages. I shrug off my pack. My work, for the day at least, is done. I move to the next quadrant tomorrow, fixing and cleaning up whatever is needed. The dead that linger thank me for it. The ones I hold within me approve of it. I live in a house of Blood, and I keep company without the living. I am the Condor, Eater of Death.
