Chapters Agony.
As Daniel attempted to open his eyes, he let out a small groan. His head felt like it'd been assaulted with a metal bat, and his body was sore in places he didn't even think were possible. "Urgh....note to self: all-nighters are unhealthy."
While he lay there, he heard a small chuckle and had the sensation of someone joining him on the bed. Since he'd just woken up, the chuckle and movement really didn't register to him. From what he could remember, none of his friends were able to come visit him at his apartment and there weren't any girls who he knew that would actually be that close to him.
A curious, but husky and VERY feminine voice murmured right next to him, "An 'all-nighter'? This sounds most interesting...although most could not handle staying up throughout the night in its entirety."
At that moment, his eyes shot open and his entire body froze. A girl. In the bed. With HIM. Daniel tried his best not to freak out and resisted the urge to turn over and see exactly who was with him, while trying to go over what happened the night before. He knew for a fact that he was alone for the majority of the evening, and had spent most of it playing games or staring out the window at the night sky. It was close to three in the morning when he started to get tired and headed off to bed. Thankfully, he had no work or anything important to do that day so he could sleep in. The last thing he remembered as he flopped on the bed was looking at the window and wondering why it still looked like it was the middle of the night.
Trying to keep himself calm and focused, he slowly started to take in his surroundings...unfortunately, the more he looked, the more nervous he got. All thoughts of calming down left when it finally occurred to him that he wasn't in his room anymore. It was decorated like it belonged to some type of royalty. When he attempted to rub his eyes with his hands, two blue-grey hooves were there instead.
No. No, no, nonononono. This is NOT possible. Fancy room? Pony hooves? This is must be a figment of my imagination...
Slowly turning over, he found himself face-to-face (or muzzle-to-muzzle), with a dark blue unicorn that was looking at him with amusement and concern in her sapphire eyes. "Good morning to you too."
Daniel's mind shut down at that very moment she spoke. He knew what he was seeing and hearing, but the rational part of him was screaming that it was impossible. The amount of stories he read of this happening to humans were endless, but they were only for enjoyment. Now, he was right in the middle of one of those situations? There was only one thing he could say to keep himself from freaking out right there and then.
"Goodnight."
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Daniel had always been a quiet child. Not quiet as in being shy or indifferent...just quiet. Unlike other kids his age, he would often sit back and observe others before doing something himself. He showed an insightfulness and maturity beyond his age, but it often left him in awkward situations. When he was in fourth grade, his teacher had asked him what he wanted to be when he grew up. Looking the teacher right in the eye, he replied "Something that will make me enough money to live comfortably." This lead to one of many parent-teacher conferences and a confused little boy. He did what he was told and answered honestly based on what he knew, so why would his teachers look at him with such fear? Eventually he understood that his knowledge at such a young age terrified all of the adults around him. The only way he could change that was to pretend like he was like all the other children.
It took time, but eventually, most forgot that he was different than other kids around him. They saw him as a very quiet, but polite child that was no different than all the others. The other children, however, knew that he wasn't like them. He played, smiled and did the same things that they did, but instinctively they knew better. So while they played and treated him like they would treat their friends, Daniel was mostly left alone. He was fine with that.
As he grew up, he struggled with others to understand the world around him and even made a few friends in the process. They all knew that he wasn't exactly like them, and often had a better concept of the things around them, but respected him for it. In turn, he knew that they all could function in society as 'normal' people and could do things he couldn't. It was an odd friendship, but somehow it worked. Daniel could learn what it meant to be socially accepted and they could learn how to efficiently deal with the 'real world'
One of his biggest problems, was his lack of interest. He would go out with his friends to see a movie, or do some other activity only to become easily bored. What they did for 'fun' seemed pointless to him, and a waste of time. There were a few exceptions to this. Music, art and games could grab his attention, even if it was momentarily. Daniel found each of these things to be a way that people expressed their creativity, and he could appreciate that.
That is how, at the young age of twenty three, he found himself to be not only a video game tester, but a game designer as well. It was the perfect job for him, because not only could he freely point out flaws, he could also feel the love and effort that someone put into it.
He reasoned that by doing this, he would feel more 'normal' but he knew deep down, that it was just an excuse to look away from the truth: he would never really fit in.
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Luna sat up from the bed and looked at the blue-grey Pegasus that lay next to her with his eyes clenched shut. It seemed like he was taking the situation rather well, considering that he was waking up in her bed of all places. It was an odd situation to say the least. She had just finished her nightly rounds and was about to return to her room when she stumbled upon him. Literally. Once it was clear the Pegasus would not wake up, she had carried her to her room and kept watch over him until he did wake up. Giving a small sigh, she tucked her legs under her and patiently waited for the look of fear, followed by a full-out panic.
Minutes later, she frowned and shifted uncomfortably. The Pegasus hadn't uttered a single word, much less moved from when he had told her "Goodnight". It was unsettling to say the least. I can handle screaming and denial...but this? 'Tis unnatural she thought to herself.
"...I have some questions. Yes or no answers are fine."
If she hadn't been paying attention, she might've missed the whisper that came from the Pegasus. He hadn't moved at all, much less give any indication that he was acknowledging her, but he was speaking. "As you wish. Ask."
".....Am I in Equestria?"
"Yes."
"I'm a pony?"
"...yes. A Pegasus to be exact."
"You're Princess Luna?"
The first two questions slightly surprised her, but when he asked who she was, a look of pure disbelief crossed her face. A pony who didn't know who she was? That was impossible. She had suspected that something was wrong when she first found him for two reasons: he was a grown stallion without a cutie mark and his sleep seemed magically induced. The fact that he asked where he was and who she was concerned Luna, but that was a problem that could be addressed later.
"I am she."
".....Stallion?"
This question was spoken slowly and with a slight tone of fear of it. Why he would be so afraid to ask about his gender confused Luna even more, but she pushed the question away, deciding that was another thing that she would address later.
"Of course. I have no reason why you would think otherwise."
The Pegasus let out a small sigh of relief before opening his eyes. They were a dark grey and seemed eons older than the pony who had them, almost as if they had seen and understood many things beyond his years. As if they held a deep sadness but acceptance of the knowledge that they held. It was a look that Luna was familiar with because when she looked into a mirror, that is what she saw in herself.
As he struggled to sit up and slowly started to test his legs and wings, Luna watched him and waited for the inevitable question. She just hoped that he would be as calm as he was now when she gave her answer. "So...why exactly am I here? I'm sure that I didn't wander into your bed by accident. I don't even belong here at all."
Luna winced and eased her way out of the bed. His voice was blunt and hard; it had the air of someone who was used to being in an uncomfortable situations and being forced to deal with it. After careful consideration of how to respond, she took a few steps back to give him space, in case he actually did lash out.
"I was making my rounds when I found you lying on the castle walkways. Nothing would wake you, so I carried you here until you awoke on your own. How you got there, I do not know."
A long period of silence followed, with the Pegasus's face going through different expressions: disbelief, confusion, irritation then finally, a grim acceptance. Since they were the only two in the room, Luna could clearly hear what he muttered under his breath.
"Well buck me ."
Author's Note
I've had this story idea sitting around for awhile, but wasn't too sure how to do it. I honestly have NO clue what I'm going to write, I'll just try and let it flow naturally. First time attempting this, but comments and suggestions would be appreciated! Oh, and possibly someone reading drafts of this would be nice as well. Can't always make up a good story!
Unknown to Luna or Daniel, they were being watched. In the far-off corner of her room, a Draconequus sat chuckling merrily to himself. Oh Discord, you have done it again! I get to have my fun watching this human squirm AND I'm helping Luna make a new friend! Being good does have its benefits! Making sure that he was still hidden, he sat back to watch what would happen next.
Daniel was still struggling to get used to his new pony body but at the same time, he was also trying to think of what to do.
Alright. I know I'm in Equestria. Why? Don't know. Not in the worse-case scenario though...so that's a plus he thought to himself. Once he had flexed his wings a few times and gave his legs a test stretch, he eased himself out of the bed with a small grunt.
Standing on four hooves was disorienting to say the least, but he would figure it out. From what it sounded like, he was already a Pegasus when he was found on the castle grounds. It would be easier, not to mention safer, for him to play along like he was one. The last thing he wanted was Princess Celestia using her magic to find out if he was a threat or not. Taking a few unsteady steps, he turned to find the princess of the night staring at him intently.
Luna had watched as the Pegasus re-oriented himself...or at least that's what it looked like. The questions that he'd asked her when first waking up still bothered her greatly. The way he had asked wasn't like somepony who was trying to remember how they had arrived in her room, but like he genuinely did not know where he was, or who he was. Frowning, she thought back to when she had tried to peek into his dreams when putting him into her bed, only to find them empty. She had assumed that the spell he was under had affected his sleep but now, she was not as sure.
"What is your name pony?"
Daniel blinked a few times before realizing that Luna was addressing him. His entire body stiffened and his mind went into overdrive, trying to come up with an acceptable name. He knew from memory that most ponies had their names connected to their personality, but what would be a convincing one to give? The look Luna gave him didn't make it easier either.
".....F-Frost."
"Frost?" Luna tilted her head and gave the Pegasus a once-over as she repeated the name to herself. It was an odd name, but she was in no position to judge. After all, her sister's student was named Twilight Sparkle and she had heard of stranger names when she was much younger. Giving a small nod, she sat down and yawned. "You are fortunate that I had found you when I did. Had anypony else done so...well it would not be pleasant."
Daniel gave a small gulp and nodded slowly as he processed the new information. 'Frost' was just a spur-of-the-moment name, but it seemed to have worked well enough. When Luna had stared at him, he could fully take her in: both mane and tail flowing and shining as if it were space itself, along with her wings and horn. Not to mention how TALL she was. In the cartoon, she seemed small compared to her sister, but up close? All of that, plus the look she gave him, almost made him bolt for the nearest place to hide and never come out.
The pair stood there awkwardly: a princess who was unsure of what to say next and a Pegasus who was thinking of as many ways as possible to escape with his life. After a long stretch of silence, the Pegasus gave a small cough and poked at the floor before speaking up.
"Um. Thank you...Princess Luna. For helping me. You're probably tired, so I'll get going..."
As he attempted to make his way to the door, he felt like he was being lifted and found himself looking directly into Luna's eyes once more. "I think not Frost. It seems as if you do not remember much, so we shall see my sister. She knows more about fixing these things than I."
To Luna's surprise, Frost's eyes widened and he began to struggle violently within her magical grip. It was almost as if he were terrified of seeing Celestia, though she didn't understand why. A Pegasus who was perfectly fine with being around her, yet didn't want to see her sister? This brought even more questions to her mind. What she heard next confirmed her suspicions.
"No! I-I mean I'm more than capable of figuring things out...no offense Princess Luna. I don't need any help."
Luna frowned and gave another small yawn as she tried to figure things out. He obviously didn't want to see Celestia and just wanted to leave as soon as possible. Normally, she would let him go without second thought so she could sleep, but if there was something wrong with him and there were problems later on, she'd never hear the end of it. Looking out the window, she checked the height of the sun before giving a small smile.
"I know somepony who can fix this."
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Twilight was sitting at her desk with books piled around her; some open, some with bookmarks, and others that had sheets of notes stuck between the pages. Growling in frustration, she closed another book and put it to the side before rubbing her eyes.
"SPIKE! GET IN HERE, I NEED YOU!"
Spike, on the other hand, had just crawled back into his bed to get another few minutes of sleep. Twilight had woke him up at the crack of dawn, talking about something along the lines of 'the multiverse theory' or something like that. He was honestly too tired to care, and it didn't help that she had screamed for him just when he had started to drift off.
Twilight took a deep breath and was about to scream for Spike once more when a dark blue flash appeared right in front of her desk. When her eyes re-adjusted, her jaw dropped in surprise: Princess Luna was standing there with a Pegasus within her magic, who looked like he wanted to get away as soon as possible.
"P-princess Luna. I...wasn't expecting you. Is there something you needed?"
"Good Morning Twilight. You can relax, 'tis an informal visit. However, I am in need of your assistance."
Twilight relaxed and smiled with a small nod. "Of course. I'm guessing it has to do with that Pegasus? Why're you holding him anyway? He looks freaked out. And he has no cutie mark? Hmmm..." She moved away from her books and up to the Pegasus in question with curiosity in her eyes. He, on the other hand, attempted to struggle and look at anywhere but Twilight.
"Yes. I found him last evening, within the castle grounds no less. He was within deep sleep and when he awoke, he was unsure of where he was-much less who I was."
That instantly got Twilight's attention. Somepony who didn't recognize Princess Luna? That was weird, even with everything she'd ever been through. "May I Luna?" Luna nodded and let the Pegasus go, who yelped in surprise and fell on his muzzle. Giving a small giggle, she slowly approached him and held a hoof out to help him up. "Hello there, my name is Twilight Sparkle and I'd like to help you out."
The blue-grey Pegasus stared at her for a long moment before shaking his head and getting up. Looking away, he said "No thank you. I'm perfectly fine. I appreciate the sentiment." She pulled away with a hurt look and glanced at the floor. For somepony that didn't know much, he was incredibly blunt. Hearing another yelp, she looked up to see him rubbing his head while Luna gave him an angry glare.
"I apologize Twilight. It seems that whatever happened to him affected his manners as well." Luna shot the Pegasus another angry look before continuing. "I know this is a lot to ask this early in the day, but I would like you to keep an eye on him for the time being. I need to rest for later today and this evening. For some reason he fears seeing Celestia.....so the only one I could think of was you. I understand if you cannot, or do not want to."
Twilight looked at the Pegasus once more as he sat on the floor, his face devoid of emotion. His words from earlier still hurt, but at the same time...something about him reminded her or Luna when they had first met. Painfully awkward and incredibly blunt with words, it took time for the princess to warm up to an Equestria she was completely new to. Plus, Twilight was the princess of friendship. It was her duty to try and help every pony she could. Giving a small smile, she nodded and said, "Of course Luna! I'll do everything I can to help."
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Hours after Luna had left, Twilight was completely fed up. As much as she had tried to be polite and find out more about the Pegasus, he wasn't giving her an inch. He wouldn't give her any straightforward answers; if she asked if he remembered how to fly, he'd just shrug and mutter "I guess". She was sorely tempted to drag him to Celestia herself and ask her to use some spell to help fix his problem, whatever it was. Biting back the urge to face-hoof herself, she took a deep breath and attempted to sound like she didn't want to kick him in the face. "Could you at least...tell me your name? Please?"
He looked up with a slightly confused expression and opened his mouth-only to close it just as fast. After a long pause, he nodded and finally gave her the first straight-forward answer since arriving in Ponyville.
"Frost. Just.......Frost."
Twilight raised one eyebrow in surprise at his obvious desire to only be called by that name, but she was just too happy that he gave an actual answer. "Well then, Mr. Frost, as much as I'd...love to talk some more, I have things to do. Make yourself comfortable." Without waiting for a response, she walked out the room, intent on getting some food. As soon as she was out of sight, Frost collapsed on the floor, burying his muzzle as deep into his front legs as possible.
Even though he had been 'sleeping' a few hours ago, he still felt exhausted and annoyed. Sure, Luna had the best intentions in mind...and so did Twilight, but he was in no condition to be badgered by questions. Looking back on it, he could've been nicer. She was only trying to help. Feeling unusually depressed, he forced himself back to his hooves and started to look around for something he could write with. When he finally found a pencil and a clean sheet to write on, Frost attempted to pick up writing utensil with his hooves. Once he finally figured out that the only way to write was by using his mouth, he attempted to write a note as neatly as possible. After he looked over the note, he spat the pencil out and tried picking the note up with his hooves. Surprised that he could, he placed it on Twilight's desk (muttering under his breath about pony hooves not making any sense at all), and stepped out of the room. The note, although very sloppy, read:
Ms. Twilight Sparkle
I would like to thank and apologize to you for dealing with me this morning. I was a complete ass wasn't exactly...polite as I should've been. I realize that Luna Princess Luna asked you to help me out, and I truly appreciate it. I just need some time to straighten out some things in my head. Don't look for me I'll be fine, so don't worry about my disappearance.
Frost
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Meanwhile, In Canterlot, Luna was attempting to sleep for the third time that morning. Her sister had given her a day off from court, saying that she could handle things for the day. Usually, Luna would take that as an excuse to sleep in, but somehow, she just wasn't in the mood for it. She'd eaten her favorite sweets, had a long bath and even closed all the curtains in her room. Did it help? Not one bit.
Her mind kept returning to the stallion that she'd left at Twilight's castle...or rather, new home. She still couldn't get over the fact that there was a large crystal castle in the middle of Ponyville, although she had seen some stranger things over her lifetime. The stallion, however, was something she'd never encountered before. In some ways, she felt like she could understand why he acted the way he did towards Twilight, but that still didn't excuse how rude it sounded. If anything, she was more curious than before about getting to know this 'Frost'. Grumbling, she kicked her covers off and started to prepare herself to leave for Ponyville once more. Hopefully, he hadn't annoyed Twilight to the point that she snapped at him. The thought of that happening made her chuckle and look forward to seeing the both of them again.
Author's Note
Sorry for taking so long with this chapter! Thought I'd make it up by putting as much as I could into it...though now I wonder if it was TOO much. Surprised really that some people actually like this, but I'll try to keep this up. Since holidays are coming up, I'll have more time for this...and as always, comments and suggestions are always welcome.
P.S. Do you think I should have the Mane 6 hunt him down, or Luna?
Daniel...or as he now called himself, Frost, gave a quiet sigh as he finally stepped out of Twilight's home. It had taken time for him to figure out exactly where the front door was (he'd gotten lost in the maze of hallways), not to mention that he wanted to get out without bumping into Twilight or Spike. He actually hadn't seen her assistant the entire time, but it was better to be safe than sorry. What he wanted - rather, what he needed - was to get away from everypony and get comfortable with his new body.
Urgh, everypony? Really? I'm going native....though I doubt I'm getting home anytime soon. I need to leave town so...
His body and thought process froze when he noticed a mare making her way down the street. A pink, curly-haired, giggling and bouncing mare at that. He'd been so focused on his problems, that he forgot the one pony that would cause nothing but trouble if they met. Every part of him was screaming one thing: RUN. NOW. Without hesitation, Frost turned and bolted in the opposite direction, praying to what or whoever dropped him into Equestria that she would leave him alone. Unfortunately, all that praying was useless; within moments, she was bouncing next to him, as if he weren't running at all.
"HI! MynameisPinkiePieandit'sreallynicetomeetyou!YoumustbenewbecauseI'veneverseenyouherebefore,oohhhyoudon'thaveacutiemark,that'sreallysadbutit'sokbecauseIcanthrowyouaparty!EveryponyLOVESparties,sowhat'syourname?"
Frost let out a yelp of fear and put on even more speed, unintentionally letting out his wings and flapping them in a panic. Before he completely knew what had happened, he was in the air, leaving Pinkie standing there with a stunned expression. As he flew off (in an incredibly unstable manner while howling in terror), she gave a small shiver and pouted. "That wasn't very nice, blasting me with all that cold air......but then again...Twilight did tell me that I sometimes scare others when I do that." Her mane slowly began to deflate before poofing back up. "Idea! I'll give him a super-yummy 'sorry for scaring you' cupcake when I see him next time!" Giggling, she began to bounce her way to Sugarcube Corner when she paused again in thought. "Hmm...maybe a few icepacks too. He'll need it."
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Frost, on the other hoof, was screaming and desperately trying to figure out how he ended up in the air. One moment, he was on the ground running from Pinkie as fast as possible, and now he was in the air flapping like crazy and trying to figure out how to land without killing himself. The rational part of him was noting how his wings reacted when he shifted and trying to understand how to manipulate them into something steady, while the irrational part kept telling him to panic and hope for the best. As he continued to panic, he began to dip and head straight for the cloud. He noticed, but it didn't really register until both his irrational and rational parts screamed out CLOUD! Unable to react in time, Frost flew face-first into the cloud and bounced against its surface a few times before coming to a complete stop.
"Blurgh. Gotta......get better....control of these things."
He slowly sat up, wiped away bits of cloud from his muzzle and closed his wings before slowly struggling to sit up. When it occurred to him that he was in fact, sitting on a cloud, he nearly began to panic again. No! Breathe.....in.....out......you will look at this like the rational human....or pony you are. After a few deep breaths, he gingerly poked the cloud beneath him before letting out a small chuckle. That's right, he thought. Pegasus. That means I can walk on clouds. Suppose this'll work for now. As he slowly got himself comfortable, he looked over the edge of the cloud to see Ponyville not too far off from where he was.
"Well, I made it out of town in one piece...and nopony knows that I'm here."
That out of the way, his mind slowly turned to figuring out how he had gotten there in the first place. He could instantly cross off the royal sisters from his list for two reasons: Celestia hadn't gone after him as soon as he woke up, and Luna seemed to believe that he really was a pony. Giving a small shiver in discomfort, his mind turned to the only other three options. Option one: Twilight botched up a spell and somehow got him dragged here, accidentally turning him into a pony in the process. Option two: Discord. Sure, he was 'reformed', but it wouldn't be unusual for him to pull a stunt like this. Option three: well....he was just very unlucky and happened to fall into Equestria, on his own. He hoped it was option one or two so that there was a small possibility of going home but if it was the third...well, chances were, he would be stuck. As he kept thinking, exhaustion finally set in and set him to sleep, twitching fitfully and quietly muttering.
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-Inside of Twilight's Home-
Twilight gave a content sigh as she made her way back to the study. She'd finally got Spike to wake up and make them breakfast, even though he complained about her always waking him up way too early. While they ate, she explained to him what had happened between herself and Luna a few hours earlier before realizing that the Pegasus was probably hungry as well. Making an extra plate, she magically carried it with her as Spike tagged along.
"So...what's his name again?"
"Frost. He's a...little rude, but maybe some food will help. After all, he did wake up in Princess Luna's bed."
"WHAT?! Really?! Jeez....that's some luck he's got."
"Yes, yes it is Spike. Thank you for making breakfast, by the way."
Twilight brought Spike close to her and gave his cheek an affectionate nuzzle, making the Dragon blush and squirm. "Cut it out Twi! I'm getting a little too big for that." She chuckled and let him go as they kept going down the hall. It was true; he had started getting slightly bigger. It was only a few months ago that she'd gotten the castle and not too soon after getting used to it, Spike started to grow. Now, he was the same height as her, but slightly slimmer that what he was before. Breaking herself out of her thoughts, she opened the door with a smile, ready to try speaking with Frost again.
"Sorry about earlier, I brought some.....break...fast..."
Disbelief crossed her features when she realized that he had vanished. Concerned, she put the plate down and began to try and think of what could've happened. "Mabye Luna came back for him...or he needed to go to the bathroom...?"
"Uh...Twi? There's a note for you."
She snapped out of her trance and took the note from Spike, who had a worried expression on his face. After re-reading the note four times, she carefully put it down and gave him a small smile. "Spike, where did you find this note?"
Spike's eyes grew wide and he slowly began to back away as he recognized what would be coming next. "Um...on your desk. Twi? Are you alright?" He already knew the answer, but he wanted to try and calm her down before things took a turn for the worst.
"Hmm? Yes Spike, I'm perfectly fine. Can you do me a favor though? I need you to write a note to Princess Luna and explain that.....I needed to....have a chat with Frost for awhile. I'll get the girls to help me. Thanks!" Without waiting, a purple flash went off and she was gone.
Sighing, Spike went to the desk and quickly scribbled the note to Luna, before letting loose a puff of fire and watching it take off. He'd mastered sending letters to different ponies as he got older, so he knew she would get it. What worried him, was how soon she would arrive in Ponyville. Before Twilight had left, she had a look that he'd come to know and fear: a very small smile, accompanied by a small tick under her left eye and a slowly fraying mane. Whoever that stallion was, Spike hoped he could fly fast. Very, very fast.
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-Back in Canterlot-
Luna had just finished brushing her mane and making sure her regalia was in place when a small scroll materialized in front of her. Confused, she opened it up and skimmed it before crumpling it up in front of her. Resisting the urge to scream out in frustration, she ground her teeth together and turned to head to the balcony, when she heard a snickering behind her.
"Oh, it seems like somepony's upset. Would you like some ice cream to cheer up moonie?"
She spun on the spot and glared at the smirking God of Chaos, who was sitting mid-air holding a tub of chocolate ice cream. "What?" He asked. "The last time I called you LuLu, you nearly impaled me with your horn. Not a very good way of showing friendship hmm?" Fluttering his mis-matched eyes at her innocently, he grabbed a spoon from nowhere and took a huge scoop of the dessert.
"What does thou want Discord?!"
"Whoa, there, so hostile. I suppose that note had to do with your new bed buddy?"
"Bed bu-! How...DARE YOU! HOW DOES THOU KNOWEST OF HIM?!"
Wincing, Discord let go of the tub of ice cream and plugged his ears. "Easy there! I'll tell you, but would you please refrain from the Canterlot Scream? Half the city can hear you like that..."
Blushing, Luna cleared her throat and gave a small indignant sniff before talking once more. "Apologies. We....I did not mean to use such volume. He is, however, NOT my bed buddy. How do you know of him?"
Pouting, he uncorked his ears and did a lazy spin in the air before responding. "Well, I felt a weird magical energy coming from here last night, and it didn't belong to anypony I knew. Had to check it out. So? What does the letter say?"
Luna rolled her eyes before explaining to him. "It seems that...Frost...has gone out for a walk. Without telling Twilight directly. And now, she is out to find him."
Discord winced at the last comment but kept his face mostly expressionless. It seems that the human is smart...stay away from Celestia or anything to do with her, while he gets himself acquainted with his new body. Not bad...though I do feel a bit bad about Twilight hunting him down. Glancing at Luna, he gave a small shiver, noticing how angry she looked. Make that Twilight AND Luna. Clearing his throat, he looked at her and gave the best puppy eyes he could manage. "May I come along?"
Luna gave a small snort and nodded before making her way to the balcony and taking off. Discord paused for a moment before following behind, making sure not to get too close. Good luck to you Frost, you have two very angry mares hunting you down.
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-Outskirts of Ponyville-
Frost jerked awake and shivered violently before looking around in worry. "It feels like someone walked over my grave.....twice......Mabye I should find a better place to hide for now..."
Author's Note
So...yeah. I WAS gonna make this longer, but I wanted to flesh out my ideas more. Dunno. Oh! I'll also post a blog or two to let ya'll know the update progress. So um...yep. Comments and suggestions welcome as always.
-Ponyville-
Twilight was scowling and muttering things under her breath that would've made Celestia herself cringe as she made her way to Sugarcube corner. Before she could even step up to the front door and knock, it swung open and out bounced Pinkie Pie with a big grin.
"Heya Twilight! You alright? It looks like you want to beat somepony. By the way, it wouldn't happen to be a new Pegasus in town, would it?"
Twilight blinked a few times in surprise as she processed what Pinkie had said to her before speaking very slowly. "I am looking for somepony....he's blue-grey...you've seen him?"
"Yeparooni! I tried getting his name but he took off before I could. Seems like he's really, really bad at flying. Kinda like you were when you first got wings! We gonna find him?"
Twilight twitched in annoyance before sighing and chalking it up as another 'Pinkie-Pie Moment'. "Yes Pinkie. We're going to go find him, but I need to find the others first. So let's.." Her words died on her lips as Pinkie stood aside and pointed at Applejack, Rarity, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy sitting inside the bakery with tired, but bored expressions.
"I kinda figured since it seemed like he had just left your house. Plus, I need to give him a cupcake! And some ice."
Twilight just sighed again, but gave a small smile and hugged Pinkie before stepping inside. "Thanks Pinkie. This makes things a lot easier." As she sat down with the rest of the girls, they all looked at her expectantly, waiting to hear what she had to say. "Alright girls, I need your help. I had somepony that Princess Luna wanted me to look after, but he left without saying anything. All he left was a note."
Three of the four mares sitting scowled while the fourth looked slightly confused. "A...note?" Fluttershy hesitantly asked. "W-why would he do that...instead of telling you? If you don't mind me asking..."
Rarity huffed and fluffed her mane before speaking up. "I must agree with dear Fluttershy. No true gentlecolt would leave a note for a lady. It is simply uncouth!"
"Ah can't I'm sayin this but....ah agree with Rarity. Ain't right ta leave jus a note. It's rude." Applejack sighed and adjusted her hat before continuing. "When we find 'im, he's gonna get one heck of a woopin'."
Rainbow Dash got of her chair and trotted over to Twilight before giving her a quick hug. "Don't worry Twi, we're gonna get him for doing this. No stupid Pegasus leaves a friend of mine like that! I'll check every cloud if I have to!"
All the girls nodded, made their way to Twilight and gave her a hug. Each of them were thinking of different ways to help, but had the same goal in mind: catch the Pegasus who ditched their friend.
"Thanks girls. I really appreciate it. Just as a heads up, he's a bit...jumpy. So that means no beating him senseless ," Twilight looked at Rainbow Dash and Applejack as she emphasized that, since they would be the two who would do something like that. "You can, however, rough him up a bit if that's what it takes. Besides, I have a few choice words to tell him." She gave a small smirk before pulling away from the hug and clearing her throat. "He's blue-grey and doesn't have a cutie mark. If anything, he'll probably be wandering around somewhere or hiding so.........let's go catch a Pegasus!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
-Twilight's Home-
Spike was worried. He figured that since Twilight had left, she would have cooled off a little bit, but what would the others say? Fluttershy would probably try and be kind to Frost if she caught him....but the others? Giving a small shudder, he picked up a few more books off the study floor and started to put them away when a loud boom echoed throughout the castle. Worried, and slightly annoyed, Spike ran to the source of the sound, ready to give the offender a piece of his mind. When the dust cleared, all those thoughts went out of his mind and the fear he had felt minutes before returned with vengeance. Princess Luna stood before him, snorting and looking like she was ready to rip everything before her apart.
"WHERE IS THE FOAL CALLED FROST?! HE SHALL BE PUNISHED FOR HIS CRIMES!"
Spike winced and dug his claws into the ground so he wouldn't go flying into a wall. Sure Luna had used her Canterlot Voice before and it was just loud, but this time, it had enough force behind it to actually move things. Once he was sure he could properly stand (and could actually hear), Spike cleared his throat and spoke. "Um...Princess Luna? Twi's actually looking for him right now...she went to look with the girls."
Luna focused her glare on Spike, making him shrink before she gave a small sigh. Turning her eyes from him, she looked around her, taking in the interior of the castle for the first time. She had been here once or twice before, but not long enough to really appreciate the design. When she felt that she had calmed down enough, she turned her gaze back to the dragon, with a more relaxed expression.
"We.....I thank thou Spike. 'Twas rude to take my frustrations out on thou. Apologies."
"I'll say moonie! Look at the poor guy, you nearly made him pass out from the glare you gave!"
Luna rolled her eyes while Spike frowned; he was sure he knew who that voice belonged to, but who was it? When the owner popped up in front of him, he let out a small groan of irritation: of course it had to be Discord. The dragon hadn't seen much of the god since the Tirek situation, so all thoughts of him had gone out the window.
"What's wrong? All I did was point out the obvious. By the way, do you have anything to eat? It took some energy to keep up with the princess here." Discord snickered and lay back on a checkered couch as he looked around the room. "Good to see this place hasn't changed...though you might want to get someone to fix that hole in the roof, hmm?"
Luna looked up at the roof and blushed heavily before her horn glowed in preparation for a spell. With a small flash, the hole was repaired and she looked at Spike once more, but with a sheepish expression. "Apologies once more Spike. I lost myself within fury...I hope thou will forgive me."
"Nah, don't worry about it Luna. You want something to eat too? Might be awhile before Twilight comes back."
"Thank you. We would like a glass of water, nothing more."
Spike nodded and turned his eye to Discord with some irritation but tried to be polite as possible. "We have stuff to eat, but what do you want? Please keep it sensible: I don't need to drive Twi crazier with some mess just because you were hungry."
Discord sat up and stroked his beard in thought before nodding and making a surprisingly simple request. "Some apples if you don't mind. Just one or two is fine." When both Spike and Luna gave him a surprised look, he gave a small pout and blew a raspberry at them. "I can ask for simple things too. I don't always need things chaotic."
Spike just shrugged and went off to the kitchen to get what they asked while the princess and the god sat in the room. Dunno why he's here Spike thought to himself. Things are gonna be interesting when Twi gets back though...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
-Ponyville-
Frost was trotting through the streets, making sure to keep an eye out for any of the Elements of Harmony, especially Twilight. He wasn't sure if she had told the other girls about him, but it was better to be safe than sorry. That, and it would be difficult in getting away when he didn't even know how to fly properly. When he found a better place to hide, he could practice flight, but his main focus was getting through town unnoticed. That was the worst part: since he was new, it would be almost impossible to sneak around, and what made it worse was Pinkie Pie. He didn't mind getting to know her, but it would have to be on his own terms. The way she appeared out of nowhere was downright creepy .
"Alright, where would be a good place to hide? Can't be obvious.....and there's no way I'm going in the Everfree...."
He began to get so lost in his thoughts that he nearly missed the sound of something moving through the air at a near-impossible speed. Without thinking twice, Frost jumped to the side and felt a blast of air go past him. When he finally looked where he would've been, his eyes widened and his ears went flat in fear: Rainbow Dash stood there giving him a look that could make anypony tremble.
"You . You're that bucking stallion that ditched Twilight earlier?"
"Uh...not really. I left a note and.."
"And nothing! You left Twilight without telling her! Now, be a good little punching bag and let me drag you back to her house..."
".............eep."
Frost turned and ran as fast as he could, making sure to weave in and out of the crowd as much as possible. That look she gave him...it was like a cat getting ready to pounce on a mouse. He didn't like that feeling one bit. When he finally ran out of breath, he slipped into an alleyway and prayed that she missed where he went. Hearing Dash scream out, "I'm gonna catch you eventually, you bucking jerk! Quit hiding!" made him feel slightly better. Right as he was about to make his way out the other end of the alley, his fur raised and a primal fear was urging him to flee. Turning his head very slowly, he saw a pony in a cowboy hat, with a rope and a cool, but determined expression.
"You that stallion who ditched Twi?" She asked in a country drawl.
Frost could only gulp and attempt to back out of the alley carefully as possible while keeping her in his sights.
"Well, since you ain't sayin' a thing, guess that means ya admit it. Now, Twi said we can rough you up if we need to, but ah think you're a smart fella. Just come with me an' we can put this behind us. Then again, been awhile since ah got to use mah rope. Your choice."
He looked at the rope and he had no doubt that as soon as she started to throw it, he would be sunk. Glancing around himself, his eyes rested on a trash can, giving him a desperate idea. "Sorry about this..." he muttered. Before she could respond, he put himself behind it and bucked the can as hard as he could towards her. Not wanting to waste any time, he ran out the alley and heard Applejack swearing and trying to get around the mess.
"Get back here ya varmit! Ah swear, when ah get mah hooves on yah..."
Before long, Frost found himself panting and hiding in the bushes at some park. As he tried to regain his breath, he quickly went over who he had met and escaped from so far. Let's see...Dash nearly ran me over from the air, Applejack was this close to hogtying me, haven't seen Pinkie since my first 'flight'.....so that leaves Sparkle, Rarity and Fluttershy. No way am I running into Twilight, she'll turn me inside out. Rarity, she hates ponies who aren't gentlecolts so... Giving an involuntary shudder, he peeked out of the bushes and looked around to make sure the coast was clear. As he stepped out and began to pull out bits and pieces of bush and garbage from his fur, he heard a small squeak. Deciding to ignore it, he continued to clean himself before he heard the sound of hooves coming up to him.
"U-um....I'm really sorry for this....please don't be mad..."
Mad? Mad for what? I....wait. That voice.....Fluttershy? As he began to look up, his mind processed a new thought, only this one was slower, and too late. She said sorry....wait! Fluttershy?! The stare! Don't Look! As soon as his grey eyes locked with her aquamarine eyes, he knew he was doomed. His entire body froze and he could do nothing but simply sit and look at her. Within minutes, he heard hooves headed in his direction followed by the shouts of joy at his capture. Even though he couldn't move an inch, Frost knew that the other Elements of Harmony were standing right behind him and ready to attack him the moment he attempted an escape.
"We caught youuuuu. Now to make sure you won't escape...."
Twilight's voice was calm and pleasant, but every hair on his body stood on end as she spoke. Frost was scared before by Luna, and frightened by Applejack, but the way Twilight was acting downright terrified him. When he felt her magic grip and hold him in place, he was turned to look at her, face-to-face.
A howl of pure agony erupted from the park and every stallion that heard it that day instinctively winced and sat down. It was a sound they all knew too well, and from the pitch of the howl, the hit was direct and on point.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
-Twilight's Home-
Spike, Discord and Luna were sitting around when the howl reached their ears. While both Discord and Spike looked at each other in horror, Luna frowned in confusion.
"What was that howl? It sounded male in origin but...'tis unusual for a male to scream in such a pitch. Does thou know why it was so Spike?"
Spike glanced at Luna before shaking his head very slowly. "Luna...it's.......you should just wait for the girls to come back. It's better if you see for yourself."
Just as Luna began to protest, voices carried into the room that the three were sitting in. "Twilight darling, even though he was a ruffian, don't you think you may have acted a bit....dramatically ?" Rarity said.
Rainbow Dash spoke up a moment after, with a mixture of sympathy and fear in her voice. "Yea Twi, I mean sure he was kinda a jerk, but seriously? That...that was just...cruel."
Twilight gave a small snort and explained in a tired and annoyed tone. "Look, how many times do you want me to say sorry? I was angry and lashed out. Besides, he'll live. I hit him where he would feel the most pain, but would do the least damage." There was an ackward pause after she spoke before she gave a groan of frustration. "I can't always rely on magic, so I have to have a pratical way of defending myself! Pinkie gave him ice, so he'll survive."
Applejack chose that moment to speak up in an ackward voice. " Twi, it ain't about that. Yah bucked him....there . Ain't just painful, but embarissin'. Probably scarred the poor fella for life..."
"Oh, so now you feel sorry for him?! Ugh!" Twilight stormed into the room, carrying the Pegasus into the room, before roughly dumping him into the room without really realizing who sat in there. Frost on the other hoof, was clutching a pack of ice and curled up into the fetal position on the floor. Whimpering, he slowly dragged himself into a corner far from the princess of friendship and stayed put, pain and fear clear in his features.
Luna looked at Frost, where he had the ice, then at Twilight before connecting the dots. A look of pure horror crossed her face while Discord and Spike slowly made their way to where the Pegasus was hiding, in an attempt to help him out.
"Twilight Sparkle...have you done what we think thou has done?"
Twilight whirled from where she sat, ready to yell at who spoke before realizing just exactly she was just about to yell at. Her eyes shrunk to pinpricks and her mane started to fray almost instantly. "Eheh....P-Princess Luna. N-nice to see you. Um, can you clarify what you meant? I'm not to.....sure what you're implying." She looked to her friends, hoping they would help her out, but every single one of them were looking anywhere but where she sat with Luna.
"Do not try and play games with me Twilight. You shall answer yes or no. Has thou injured Frost in.....in his manhood?"
Twilight twitched slightly and tried to think of some excuse before sighing in defeat. "Yes Princess Luna. I...I did. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have lost my temper like that."
Luna nodded and glanced over to Frost, who was being helped into a comfortable sitting position by Discord and Spike. "It is not I that you have to apologize to Twilight. I think thou should wait to do as such...he is still in fear of you. For now, rest. It has been a long day for all." Turning her gaze to the other Elements of Harmony, she cleared her throat and continued. "You should all get your rest, for we all have much to discuss the next evening. Discord, I trust you will be returning with me?"
Surprisingly, the god of chaos shook his head. "I think not Luna. As much as I would love to bother you and your sister...this one needs someone to look after him. Besides, I don't need any sleep."
Luna paused and nodded slowly as she digested this information. Discord seems interested in this pony...even more so than any other pony before him. I should keep an eye on this one she thought. "Very well. I will speak to you all to tomorrow evening. Rest well all of you." With a blue flash of light, she left them all in an awkward silence.
After some mumbled and strained goodbyes and goodnights, each went their own way before Discord and Frost were left alone in the room. Frost had taken off the ice when Luna had started to scold Twilight, but was still in too much pain to actually move. As he lay there in a fitful sleep, Discord created a bed beneath Frost's body and sat in a chair right next to him.
"I'm sorry Frost...I wish there was more I could do to help you along...I wish I didn't even have to do this at all...but I must. For now...all I can do is watch...and tell you I am sorry.."
For the rest of the night, there was nothing but an old, and very tired god, watching over a pony who would have to deal with the hand that fate had given him.
Author's Note
Whoooo....crazy chapter. Frost got hunted and put down hard , and Discord seems like he's got ALOT on his plate. Could there be more going on in the background? Hoepfully this was a good stopping point. As always, comments and suggestions are always welcome!
-Canterlot-
Princess Luna was bored.
Even though she had finally gotten enough ponies comfortable enough to visit her during Night Court, all they did was complain about small things. One was whining about the moonlight being too bright, while another went on and on to explain why she should make sure that "nightclubs were quieter". The worse part of the entire night was when a group of astronomers came running in to scold her about a few stars being out of place. A few stars compared to the millions that she had to place every night, and they had the nerve to complain? Had it been like it was before, she could've simply thrown they out of the palace without a care in the world. However, her sister was blunt: everypony must have their turn to voice complaints, no matter how trivial it may be. That was how things worked now.
Looking out the window, she noted the position of the moon and gave a small smile: it was time to close the court for the night. Clearing her throat, Luna tried her best to give a kind, and understanding expression, similar to the one that Celestia had seemed to master over their thousand-year separation.
"My...dear...astronomers. We must continue this discussion another night. There are other duties to attend that must be seen to."
When the entire group went silent, their faces ranged from shock, to outright furious. Before they could voice their protests, Luna held up her hoof and continued to speak while giving her night guard a brief nod.
"Truly, speaking of the stars is important, and to show our sincerity, we give to thee charts of old: times when the stars were drawn in different positions and shapes."
A pair of guards held out a small cluster of scrolls to the astronomers, while another group of them started to usher the dumbfounded ponies away. When she was sure they were far enough, she gave a loud sigh and slumped in her throne. Finally, time to myself she thought. Her mind started to wander to Frost, whom she had left in the care of Discord. Although she had been hesitant to do so, there was something in the old god's face that made him seem...genuinely concerned for the Pegasus. Then again, both of them were male and could relate to one another in terms of pain.
"....I may be reading too deeply into this..."
Shaking her head, Luna took a deep breath and cast a spell that she had done for ages; one that would allow her to do her favorite, and sometimes most difficult part of ruling the night: walking within dreams.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
-Twilight's Home-
Frost woke up with a yawn and stretched his arms.
Wait a minute...arms? When the hell did I get my arms back?
As his eyes adjusted, a more disturbing sight greeted him: buildings from when he was still on Earth were mixed in with the homes he had briefly seen in Ponyville. The worst part of it was when he saw some of them fused together in an unnatural way.
"I'm Human again....everything around me looks like it went to hell and there isn't a single living thing in sight. Either I'm in a dream, or I just missed Armageddon."
"Good, so you do know this is a dream. Makes things easier, a sarcastic voice quipped from behind.
Turning and putting himself in a fighting stance, Frost saw the ponified version of himself sitting there with a bored expression. The two stared at each other for a moment before the pony spoke up once more.
"Ya done trying to act tough?"
The human shrugged and sat down without a word, though his eyes were demanding answers about what this was all about.
"Good. Don't have much time to speak, so I'll give you the short version. After, you can ask questions with whatever time we've got left." Once he was sure the human understood, he continued from where he'd paused. "I'm your Pegasus instincts. I shouldn't be able to do this, but since you've still got your human soul in this body, I can do this. Sometimes. Don't ask why, I dunno either. Everything you wanna know about being a pony I've got, so don't fight me all the time, got it? I can take care of flight, pickin' things up and all the basic stuff. Socially, you're on your own. I know as much as you do. Now, questions?"
Frost hesitated for a moment before asking his first question. "How do I know when you're kicking in?"
"Small itch in the noggin. You'll get used to it."
"How often will I see you?"
"Rarely. Depends on how bad you screw up. Or how often you need me I guess."
"Last one...everyone in this place is always this emotional?"
The pony shifted uncomfortably before responding in an uneasy tone. "Well...kinda. Not as much as when it's around you. Should get that checked out." Cocking his head, he seemed to zone out before looking back to the human. "Looks like it's time. Good luck, and for the love of Celestia, stay the buck away from that purple one. Everything about her screams 'crazy mare'."
Frost snickered and gave the pony a small punch as he shot back, "No shit. Didn't need you to tell me that!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Opening his eyes once more, he found himself staring into two mismatched eyes: one gold and the other blood-red. Without saying a word, he slowly moved himself to the edge of the bed, (how he even got into a bed was a problem for later) making sure to keep his eyes locked with the ones staring at him. Without warning, the bed beneath him vanished, and he fell to the ground with his face hitting the crystal floor before anything else.
"I swear, this is becoming a habit...."
By the time he had re-oriented himself, a mismatched creature was floating before him, laughing to the point where its head flew off. While the head continued to laugh hysterically, the body attempted to locate its lost appendage. Frost eyed the head wearily before making his way to the body and nudging it towards the head.
"T-thanks for that....I haven't had a laugh like that in millennia !"
"Wonderful. So I'm guessing that you're....Discord?"
Discord stopped laughing and eyed the Pegasus before giving a short bow, followed by him taking off a top hat. "Indeed I am. Seems like you're starting to get your...memory...back."
Frost flinched and prepared to assault him with questions, only to be interrupted by the abrupt appearance of Princess Luna. Startled, he backed up and sat down without a word. Luna glanced at him, then back to the god of chaos, who shrugged and gave an innocent smile. Sighing, Luna turned her attention back to the Pegasus and cleared her throat.
"Has thou slept well Frost? I trust you were not disturbed in your sleep."
"...yea. I'm alright. Um, sorry for....running off. Just keep me away from Twilight please?"
Luna's jaw nearly dropped in shock. Yesterday, he was cold and rude, and now he was acting like a complete gentlecolt! Perhaps 'tis the result of the events before... she thought. When she finally returned her attention back to Frost, she realized that he was waiting for her response. The desperate expression on his face made her feel bad for him and at the same time, scold herself for momentarily tuning him out.
"We shall do what we can. She will have to make her amends, so thou must deal with her when the time comes."
He opened his mouth to protest, but when he saw the serious expression she was giving him, he knew it was useless to try and fight against the decision. Giving a small nod, he stood back up and stretched his wings before his stomach started to growl. Both Luna and Discord snickered, while he frowned and tried to pretend like nothing had happened.
"Since I will be indisposed until the later afternoon, Discord will be taking charge of you. Unless you would like to take your chances staying here and bumping into Twilight Sparkle?"
"Nope! Staying with Discord sounds good to me!"
The smile on Discord's face grew, followed by him clapping his hands. "Alright then! One trip around Ponyville, coming right up! Catch you later Moonie!" Without warning, he snapped his fingers, leaving Luna to stand in the room alone.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
-Ponyville-
When the duo re-appeared in front of the town hall, Frost ran over to a small cluster of bushes and threw up food he didn't even knew he had in his stomach.
"Looks like somepony isn't used to teleporting. I swear, it seems like you ponies have the weakest stomachs."
Frost looked up and glared at Discord before bending back over the bushes to let loose the rest of what food was in his stomach. Once he was sure that he was done, he slowly made his way back to the god and gave him the best evil eye he could.
"Can we just go somewhere please? Far from the crazy princess' castle sounds really good right now."
Discord shrugged and started floating off in a random direction, leaving Frost to follow behind him. As they made their way down the streets, the god pointed out different places and ponies, who were friendly, if not curious. After all, It wasn't every day that they saw a new face in town being accompanied by a reformed villain.
"There's the jeweler's, the market is further down that way, and over there is the post office. By the way, do you feel like joining me for abit? I have somepony important to meet with in a few minutes."
"Sure, why not? I don't have anything to do...plus it's better for me to get to know the locals anyway."
Discord simply smirked before leading him further from the town. As they went down the road, Frost noticed that they seemed to get closer to a large forest; the closer they got, the more nervous he became. Just looking at it from a distance gave him a bad feeling and it wasn't helping that they were getting so near to it.
"That's the Everfree forest, right? Why the buck are we going near that place?"
"My dear friend Fluttershy lives near the forest. If you don't like it, tough break kid. Besides, I'm sure you knew where were headed when you saw the forest, right?"
Frost snorted angrily and got ready to knock him over when Discord grinned and called out with a wave.
"Yoo-hoo, Fluttershy! I'm here to help with your vegetable garden!"
Looking away from what he realized would be a constant source of irritation, Frost looked into the distance and spotted a pink-maned, buttercream Pegasus tending plants. Growling and muttering curses under his breath, he slowed down and whispered, "I swear, we're gonna talk before the end of today. You know something and I want the answers!"
When they finally approached the Pegasus, she was smiling, until she spotted Frost. Squeaking in fear, she instantly hid behind Discord and stayed there behind him as she avoided getting close to the other Pegasus. Frost's eyes softened and he backed away from her before sitting down and waiting for her to calm down.
"D-discord, why didn't you tell me you had company?....If you don't mind me asking, that is..."
"I'm sorry Fluttershy, I just thought here would be a good place for him to stay until we meet up with Luna. I understand if you want us to go though," he replied in an even and polite tone.
"It's not that...it's just....well...he might be...upset with me...eek!" She hid her face behind her mane once more when she noticed Frost trying to look at her. Another few minutes passed before she would even peek from behind it once more.
Frost cleared his throat before speaking in a soft tone, hoping that she wouldn't be terrified of him and let him get closer to her without running off. "I'm not really upset with you. You didn't really seem like you wanted to hurt me. Plus, you apologized. That's better than what everypony else had done." He gave a gentle smile and slowly stood up before taking a few steps towards her. "I'd like to get to know you better. Is that alright?"
Fluttershy stared at him cautiously before a small smile spread across her face. "I-I would like that very much..." she whispered.
He smiled back and extended one hoof towards her as to make things easier for her. "My name is Frost. I hope we become good friends.... Ms. Fluttershy." Once she giggled and blushed, he was able to give a wry smile. She's easily the nicest out of them. Hopefully I can stay with her...plus there's animals around. Shouldn't be all that bad.
"Um...I was actually about to take a break. Would you like to...join me Frost? You don't have to.." She glanced at him timidly, buy with a slightly hopeful expression.
Urghhh! Oh sweet Celestia, that look should be a CRIME! Why the HAY am I feeling so emotional?! Frost nodded and chuckled softly. "Of course. With that expression, who could say no?"
Author's Note
Thought he should get a SMALL break before being thrown back into nonsense again. By the way, would it be cool for me to stick in a villain even though they aren't tagged? Oh, also, the next time I put out a chapter, it'll be three back-to-back. Comments and suggestions as always!
-Fluttershy's Cottage-
The atmosphere inside the cottage was painfully awkward. It wasn't because of the animals; they were perfectly fine and as noisy as ever. No, what made everything so strained was the lack of conversation between Discord, Fluttershy and Frost. As soon as the trio had stepped inside and sat down, the two males had instantly made it clear how they felt towards each other. Frost was staring down Discord, as if the glare he was giving would cause the god to reveal knowledge that nopony else had known. The god, however, made sure to look everywhere but where the Pegasus sat in total mockery and defiance of the glare. Poor Fluttershy was stuck between the two; she couldn't decide if she should make friendly conversation with Frost or tell Discord to stop playing whatever prank was happening. What broke the three-way stalemate was the arrival of her pet Angel bunny.
Angel had been waiting for Fluttershy to feed him for some time since she had stepped inside with the other two males. He'd tried to be patient, but each passing minute made him more and more frustrated. Before long, he was thumping his foot on the floor in irritation, expecting her to get up and give him the salad that was way overdue. Fed up, he hopped over to where she sat, climbed up on the couch and tugged on her mane to get attention. Fluttershy squeaked in surprise and glanced down to the bunny, who was pointing at his stomach with a scowl across his features.
"O-oh! A-angel! I'm sorry, you're probably hungry, right? I'll go fix your food right now."
She got up and made her way to the kitchen, secretly glad that she didn't have to choose between Frost or Discord that time. If it had gone on for any longer, there was a very good chance there would be a shouting match between the two, and would end with her having to choose a side. Just the thought of that happening made her shiver. As she began to relax and prepare Angel's lunch, she started to hum. Halfway through the salad-making, she peered out of the kitchen and asked, "Would the two of you like some tea? If that's alright.."
Both of the boys turned their heads towards her, smiled and replied, "Yes please," in perfect union. When they realized what happened, the smiles re-formed into scowls and the staring contest resumed.
After a long period of staring. Frost seemed to deflate and glanced out the window, as if he had slightly aged in those few moments. Turning his eyes back to Discord, he attempted to speak before letting out a loud sigh. Discord, on the other hand, knew what that sigh meant. That sigh, was the sigh of somepony realizing that they would not win, not matter what would happen.
"You won't," said Frost, "tell me a single thing. I get that much. Can you at least tell me why?"
Discord frowned and looked at the cottage's ceiling, as if he were looking for some sign. His expression twisted into a grimace before giving a short nod. Clearing his throat, he looked at the pegasus with a serious expression.
"I...well, I can't. I mean I can explain everything right now, but what you would understand from it would have some....serious consequences, to say the least. Even I'm not allowed to mess around with this one. What I can tell you for a fact , is that I didn't bring you here as a joke. You were meant to come here, courtesy of..."
At that point, the chaos god seemed to literally choke on his words, as if they were refusing to come out. His eyes bugged out, and his complexion took on different colors as he attempted to breathe. Clenching at his throat, a small white flag appeared next to him and waved in the air furiously. As soon as he was able to breathe again, he started to mutter curses under his breath.
"I said too much. Point is, you're important. That's all."
Before Frost could protest, Fluttershy stepped back into the living room, balancing a tray of tea in one of her front hooves with what he assumed to be a pot of honey on her wings. Smiling sheepishly, she placed the tea and the pot on the table in the middle of them and stepped away.
"Sorry for taking so long. I hope I didn't interrupt anything important..."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
-Twilight's Home-
Twilight was freaking out.
It seemed that it had become more of a daily occurrence after she officially became a princess. Depending on the situation, she would freak out a little and just pace, or act like the world was going to end. At that moment, her mindset was of a pony who knew they were about to die.
"Ohhhhhh! I'm so done for. This is bad, very bad. Luna's probably telling Celestia what I did right now! She's gonna banish me to the SUN! Nononono, too easy. I'll get launched into space...for...many...many...years..."
The longer she thought about the possible punishments Luna would deliver in Celestia's name, the more she panicked. She hadn't gotten a full night's rest, and she had kept Spike up with her as well. He was leaning against the wall and drinking from an over-sized mug of coffee to keep himself alert, while she ran around the room like a madmare. Her mane was a complete mess, bags were under her blood-shot eyes and her entire body twitched from time to time. Spike himself wasn't fairing any better; his eyes were just as weary as hers, but held complete irritation.
"Twi. I'm gonna be as blunt as possible. SHUT UP."
Shocked, the lavender alicorn froze in place and stared at the dragon as if she had just noticed he was there. Seeing that he'd gotten her attention, he continued to speak. "Sure, you royally bucked up. You seriously need to slow down and think about this though. I'm sure that Luna didn't say anything, 'cause she was too tired and was the one who found Frost. It's her business, not Princess Celestia's. Besides, she probably knew you'd do this to yourself and it's punishment enough from her. I know I can't deal with it. So please go get some rest. I've already done the chores and put up a 'do-not-disturb' notice on the front door. You'll need need the rest for later...I sure as hay will."
Not waiting for a response, he walked out the room and made his way down the hall, intent on getting as much sleep as possible. It wasn't everyday that he could actually sleep in, and it was for a good reason too. Twilight on the other hand, was slowly recovering from Spike's miniature speech. Thinking about his words, she realized that she'd blown things out of proportion once more, but that didn't excuse the language he used.
"Note to self: punish Spike later for foul language." He did help her calm down, but it was HER home and she wasn't about to let him off with cursing so easily.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
-Fluttershy's Cottage-
The tension between the Draconequus and the pegasus had finally died down and they were enjoying their tea. Rather, Frost tried to enjoy his tea, while Discord was eating the tea platter very loudly. Fluttershy herself, was giggling slightly at the sight and relieved that the two wouldn't rip each other apart.
"U-um, Frost? Since you don't remember much, where are you going to stay?"
When the question was asked, he started sputtering and wheezing in surprise. He'd thought of the problem himself, but what he hadn't expected was Fluttershy of all ponies to ask him such a thing. Shifting a few times in his seat, Frost tried to think of the best way to respond to her question.
"Well...I was gonna sleep on random clouds for now. I mean, I'm still trying to get the hang of my wings again...so when I do, I can get a job. That's pretty..."
Before he could finish, the words died in his throat. She was giving him the most horrified and pitying expression he'd ever seen in his life. "Oh, you poor thing.." she whimpered. Without warning, she launched herself at him and began to rub her muzzle against his cheek in an effort to comfort him. "I can't let that happen. You'll get sick. I'll make sure that you have a place to stay if Princess Luna doesn't give you one." As she continued to nuzzle him, his face steadily became red and his wings started to rise.
"R-right. Thanks Fluttershy, I appreciate it. Can you um, let me go please? Little bit awkward." As he spoke, he kept his eyes off of her and tried to think about anything but how soft and warm she was.....and the way she smelled...
She looked up at him, confused, before noticing his blush and how close they were to each other. Giving off a small "eep!", she pulled herself away and dashed to the kitchen in embarrassment. "S-sorry!" Her voice came from the kitchen even though she refused to let herself be seen. Discord watched the entire exchange with an amused smirk.
Frost himself, gave a small sigh and shook his head as his heartbeat slowed down. "It's fine Fluttershy. I appreciate the sentiment though." Glancing out the window, he realized how late it was becoming and stretched himself to get ready to walk once more. Getting off the couch, he walked over to the kitchen door and called out, "I think it's time for us to go. Didn't princess Luna say she'd come in the evening?"
It took a moment or two, but she peeked out the kitchen and looked through the living room window. Letting out a small gasp of surprise, she went back into the kitchen, only to come back out carrying multiple bowls of food and began to set them out. After repeating this two more times, she looked around and gave a satisfied nod. "Angel," she called out. "The food is out for all of you and you're in charge until I get back."
As she stepped out the door, with Discord and Frost following not too far behind, the bunny gave a small salute and started to march around the house as if he were a guard. With Flutershy far ahead of the two boys, Discord took the opportunity to flick Frost's snout with one of his talons. Quietly hissing in pain, he turned to glare at the Draconequus who gave a small smile. The god then leaned in and said, "Bit of magic to help with your dreams. Wouldn't want Luna seeing the human side of you, now would we?"
-Canterlot Castle-
Princess Celestia, one of the two royal sisters and goddess of the sun, was having another long and annoying day. Those who'd just started to work in the castle and saw her 'performing' her duties, by listening to everyday ponies during day court wouldn't notice. She looked and acted the same as ever: that ever-kind smile, followed by small sounds of sympathy and understanding towards the plight of the pony she was addressing. The ponies who'd been there for longer, knew for a fact that she was only keeping up appearances and couldn't care less about what was being said.
The ponies she was tuning out at the moment, were none other than Jet Set and Upper Crust; one of the most disliked pair out of all the nobles in Canterlot. As Rarity once bluntly put: "Prince Blueblood is the embodiment of perfection compared to those two." It was widely known that Rarity DESPISED Blueblood, so for her to make a statement like that was a shock to the Canterlot elite. Of course, nothing was said to them about this comment...at least not directly. Which brought the two of them to Celestia in the first place, among other trivial things.
"And that is why, your majesty, we need you to do this as soon as possible," whined Jet Set. "We cannot live in such a small home."
Celestia gave a small smile and glanced out the window from the corner of her eye. Thank Faust, I can put them off until tomorrow, she thought to herself. Clearing her throat, she stood up and spoke in a slow and clear manner. "I understand your concerns, and I will have my advisors look over the land as soon as possible. After all, we must make sure that the land you want is safe and able to be used, correct?"
The two ponies smiled for a brief moment before realizing what exactly she had said. Before either of them could start to complain, they were interrupted by a loud set of thumps. The pair of guards that stood by the throne room doors hit the tiles with their spears once more before speaking out. "This brings the day court to an end. Any other complaints will be heard tomorrow morning."
With that, the two ponies were ushered out 'politely' by the pair of guards leaving the princess alone in the hall. Only when she was sure that they were out of hearing range did she let out an exhausted sigh. Looking out the window once more, her thoughts drifted to her sister Luna. Even though it seemed like she had been doing well on her own, Celestia couldn't help but worry for her younger sister. With all the duties that each had, there hadn't been a moment for the two of them to spend time with one another.
"I should have a day where it can be just the two of us," she mused. With that thought in mind, she left the throne room to lower the sun and hopefully, mention the idea to her sister.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
-Ponyville-
As the trio continued to walk, Frost tried to put his thoughts in order. He knew for a fact that he would have to be careful about what he said, especially if he wanted to keep up the pretense of losing his memories. Not only that, but he'd have to find some kind of job. The question was, what could he do? No way was he going to ask if he could work with any of the elements...except Fluttershy. Then again, he hadn't tried any manual labor in this body, so perhaps he could be a repair pony? Shaking his head, he glanced up to find both Discord and Fluttershy looking at him expectantly. "What? Something wrong?"
Looking around, he realized that they were outside Twilight's castle and his ears folded back. "Ah. So we're here."
Fluttershy frowned and made her way over to Frost. "U-um, I know you're still mad at everypony else....but could you maybe give them a chance? Please?"
He stood there and stared at her for a long moment before turning his sights towards the now-setting sun. Fluttershy began to quietly whimper from his lack of response, when a sigh filled the air. "Fine. I'll give them a CHANCE. Nothing more, nothing less."
"That's all I could ask for," she replied with a small smile. With her thoughts spoken, she made her way towards the doors and opened them without hesitation. As soon as she slipped inside, Frost faced Discord and cleared his throat.
"Listen, about that dream-magic thing...does that apply only when I'm asleep? I don't need anypony diggin' in my mind and start blabbing."
Discord merely raised one eyebrow, picked the pony up and began to head inside. "Who do you take me for, hmm? When I'm serious, I can be VERY thorough with my magic. Trust me, nopony but me will know. Now, off to face your doom!" Whistling a merry tune, he made his way inside before dropping Frost on the floor.
Frost himself, grumbled before getting up and looking around. Unfortunately, he'd been dropped right in the middle of what was probably a conversation between the rest of the Mane 6, Spike and Princess Luna.
"Ah, so thou has arrived. Good. Now we can start this meeting," Luna said. After getting nods and sounds of agreement, she continued. "We have called all of you here to discuss the fate....rather, what would happen with the pony known as Frost. As it stands, I cannot care for him, due to my own duties. Which of you would be willing to shelter him until he can stand upon his own hooves?"
Before any of the others could speak up, the Pegasus in question cleared his throat and raised a hoof in protest. "Sorry, but I want a say too. I appreciate the concern, but I AM my own pony."
Luna raised an eyebrow in surprise before giving him a curt nod and waving her own hoof for him to continue.
"If there was a pony that I would stay with, it'd have to be Ms. Fluttershy." The mare in question blushed and hid behind her mane when the attention was diverted towards her.
"Now, wait a darn minute," Applejack grumbled. "Are ya sayin mah home ain't good enough for ya?"
Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash and Twilight began to clamor as well with their own complaints before he stomped hoof on the ground.
"Really," Frost hissed, "you want to know exactly why I chose her out of all of you? I'll be more than happy to explain, and in DETAIL."
When Applejack heard how cold his voice was, she couldn't help but take a step back. Mabye ah stepped on a sore spot just then... Before she could apologize, he continued speaking, making sure to stop in front each pony as he made his points.
"Let's start with you, Applejack. You hunted me down like a wild animal and tried tying me up like one too. That was beyond humiliating; it was downright degrading . Rainbow Dash, you could've seriously injured me. I'm sure that at the speed and angle you were flying, I could've broken bones, not including, my wings . Pinkie Pie....well she wasn't all that bad. I just don't think I could handle that much energy. No offense."
Pinkie simply giggled and shook her head. "No problem-o Frosty!"
Twilight snorted and stepped up to Frost with a glare. "Alright, we get it, there were horrible things done to you. Why can't we just say sorry and move on?" At that, it felt like the room's temperature dropped and everypony looked at the pegasus warily. He looked like he had lost all emotion and stared into the air before slowly turning towards Twilight.
"Of course. We can't forget the ringleader herself, can we?" As he spoke, he sat there with a disturbing amount of calm. "I wouldn't be as upset with them if they hadn't followed your orders so blindly. The only exceptions to that would be Fluttershy and Pinkie. I can't say Rarity for sure, but I have an idea that whatever it was she was gonna do, wouldn't be pleasant."
At that, he glanced over to the fashionista, as if he were daring her to object; she simply coughed and looked away, as if she were hoping not to be in the spotlight.
Satisfied with her lack of response, he turned his attention back to Twilight, who began to look slightly nervous. "Now, the pony who I have the biggest issue with here, is you Twilight Sparkle. Not only did you go overboard because of a simple note, but you were exceedingly violent in catching me. As a point of reference for all of you mares, it's the equivalent of either having your wings violently broken, your entire body in so much pain that you can't move, or having a magical backlash. Multiplied by one hundred at the least. If you don't believe me, ask any stallion how much it hurts, and I promise they'll react badly."
Once he was done ranting, all of the mares were either wincing from imagining the sheer agony he had gone through, or looking ashamed. Twilight, on the other hand, looked completely crushed by the revelation and Spike was completely silent: at that point there was nothing he could say to fix the situation. Luna frowned and made her way over to Frost with the intent of scolding him. Before she could say anything, he sighed, loosened himself up and spoke. "Look, you wanted the truth, I told you it. I won't sugarcoat it: I don't trust her. It'll be some time before I even consider it; the only exceptions are Pinkie and Fluttershy. If you'll excuse me, I'm going to get some air."
As he walked out, the room was completely silent. When he was out of earshot, both Fluttershy and Luna let out a sigh. "It seems I have made a grave error in my judgement," Luna said. "I apologize for putting you in such a situation, especially you Twilight." At that, the young alicorn shook herself out of her mood and gave a wry smile.
"No, it's fine. Better he get it all out now than later, where things would be worse. I need...some time to think though. I'll see everypony later on." With that, she slowly stepped out of the room and Spike followed behind not a moment or two after.
After a long period of silence, Fluttershy cleared her throat and spoke up. "W-well, I guess I'll take him in for now. I'll see you later girls." Each of them muttered in agreement and made their way out, leaving Discord and Luna alone.
"Well, that didn't turn out like I thought it would," he muttered. Discord then sighed and stretched, letting random sounds echo in place of the sound of bones popping. "So then Luna, I'm off. I just needed to make sure that he had someplace to stay."
Luna instantly turned her attention to Discord; the few times he actually said her name, was when he was being serious. "Off? Where to? I know for a fact that thou never use my name, except in the most dire of circumstance."
"True," he replied. "I need to go visit....Her." His entire body shivered when he said 'Her', as if even mentioning the being was dangerous in itself. Luna on the other hoof, stiffened in shock before nodding.
"Understood. Best of luck to you then."
Author's Note
I'm BAACKKKKK! Been some time since I wrote. Hopefully, I'll be updating once a week. As always, comments, suggestions and idea for upcoming chapters are welcome!
