Nix: Identity

CHAPTER THREE: INTRIGUE

A few days after the reunion, I decided to visit some old haunts.

I decided to go through Everfree Forest for a bit, feeling suddenly nostalgic about it. The walk also presented an opportunity for me to think and throw my thoughts around. Twilight had decided to join me, bringing along a satchel so as to bring back several samples of the Forests’ plant life. This was also a great time to visit an old friend and ask for some help.

As we walked, I took note of how little the forest had changed in my absence. It was still the gloomy, melancholy forest that I had come to know, filled with various herbs and plant life that could be beneficial or detrimental. I picked up one such plant—a luneshine, I was told by Twilight—and twirled it in my fingers, taking note of its beauty. Its petals were a pale white with a hint of blue in them, reflecting the color of the moon. The petals were spread out at the bottom of the stem, gathering at the top in a cluster in a reverse cone shape. In the center was the pale yellow stigma, with several anthers of a lighter shade of yellow around it. The stem was a dark green that was cold and smooth to the touch. A few drops of water still remained on its stem, indicating a recent downfall.

“What are you thinking about, Jared?” Twilight asked, seeing my look of concentration.

“Oh, nothing much,” I answered, looking up from the flower. I held the flower in the air with my telekinesis, and walked around it, still observing. “Remarkable, isn’t it?” I said aloud.

“What’s remarkable?”

“I may not understand beauty from a logical perspective, but even I know when I’m in its presence. Such as now.” I spun the flower a few times. “Life certainly has an extravagant way of showing off its most sublime points, don’t you think? The pristine petals around the bulb, reflecting what little light is here; the stem, still wet with dew, glistening brilliantly.” I looked at Twilight. “What do you think? Does beauty affect an organism’s survival? Or was beauty placed in our minds so that we may appreciate the finer things?”

Twilight walked around the floating flower, carefully taking note of its appearance. “I suppose from a logical perspective, one could assume that appearance is a key component in the survival of species. It may explain why animals don’t all randomly mate.”

I nodded. “Yes, sexual selection. Choosing a mate based on attraction.”

“At the same time, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. What we perceive as beautiful naturally appeals to us.” She looked at me, and there was a sudden sadness in her eyes. “Or maybe beautiful things remind us to appreciate what we have left, because like all things, beauty fades with time.”

I smiled at her. “Beauty does fade with time; at least, for one object of beauty. But life; life itself is the most beautiful thing in all of Creation, is it not? It’s not just a bunch of elements joining together to form an organism capable of reproducing itself. Life is an art that we all must learn to appreciate. And even in the longest passages of time, life goes on, never ending.”

“But what happens when a life passes away? What happens to that beauty?”

“It never truly leaves this plane of existence. It lives on, in our memories, our minds, our hearts, and our souls.”

I gently pinched the flower from the air with my forefinger and thumb, giving it one last look. Then, with a gentle smile, I handed it to Twilight. She gazed at me for a second; there was something in her eyes that showed her fighting something.

“I’m not asking you to let go of life,” I gently said. “I’m asking you to appreciate it.”

She nodded and, after much consideration, took the luneshine and placed it in her satchel.

We continued walking, quietly conversing about the various flowers and herbs that could be found in the Everfree Forest. After some time, we reached a familiar hut located in the middle of the woods. It was built out of an ancient oak tree’s trunk, only slightly under the Forest’s canopy. It was twisted in shape, irregular in appearance, afflicted with age. To the ordinary onlooker it might have been quite the foreboding sight, to see such an enigma in an enigmatic forest. For Twilight and me, it was a comforting feature.

I walked up to the door and knocked in it three times. A few moments later, it opened with a creak, and there stood a zebra with blue eyes and a neck adorned with gold rings. Her forelegs and ears also had the same accessory attached.

“Zecora,” I greeted warmly, holding out a hand to shake.

She took it politely. “Jared! You have returned; no doubt to here, for something you yearned.”

I was used to the zebra’s rhyming antics, so I didn’t start when she had said her verse. I simply nodded. “Yes, and it’s quite an urgent manner.” She nodded and allowed us inside. Twilight greeted her warmly, and Zecora reciprocated the tone.

Inside lay a huge cauldron in the center, above a fire pit. A greenish liquid boiled inside of it; probably one of Zecora’s many brews. Tiki masks and other ornaments adorned the house, reminding me of African huts from my universe. Several potions and elixirs were placed on shelves at the side of the room.

The zebra, since she was comfortable in our presence, dropped the rhyming tone. Her voice sounded ancient and wise, a sage among ponies. “What seems to be the problem, young Jared?”

I chuckled. “Not so young anymore, Zecora. I’m seventeen.”

“Seventeen! Ah! A most impressive age, where the young stallion begins to find his true path.” She didn’t seem upset at all, and for that I was grateful; I had had my share of grief, and I didn’t need to see anymore.

I proceeded to tell the zebra of how I got here, starting all the way back with the appearance of the portal. When I was finished, she placed her hoof on her chin, closing her eyes as she thought this over.

“I presume you came here when other options had been exhausted?” she asked.

I nodded. “I’ve gone over every book in Twilight’s library, looking for instances in which random portals have turned up. I’ve even looked at all the books in Celestia’s library.” I shook my head. “There’s nothing in them. Nothing regarding yellow portals, at least, or maniacal laughter, or forces stronger than forces between universes…” I sighed. “I want to investigate this matter thoroughly. Though I cannot determine if there is a threat…”

“It’s his duty as the Guardian to make sure that this doesn’t turn into something much worse,” finished Twilight.

Zecora nodded slowly. “Very well, my friend. What can I do, to help achieve your end?”

“Since I could not find anything that might have magically created the portal, that leaves me with two options: either something mystical could have created the portal, or something much worse.”

“I see. So you want to use some of my potions in hopes of recreating the portal?”

“Not just potions. Everything you have in store, whether that be chemicals, mysticism, anything.”

“...all right. I’ll gather my things.”

“Thank you, Zecora. It means a lot.”

She waved my gratitude away. “Nonsense. You’re the Guardian; it’s the least I can do.”

She turned and started rummaging through the shelves. A few moments later she returned with several flasks, powders, and a few artifacts. She signaled to follow her outside, and we did.

After several minutes of mixing, swirling, combining, breathing, utilizing, and much, much frustration, I finally came to a conclusion.

“Looks like I was wrong,” I muttered as the last of a yellow potion was used in a mixture with a green powder. We had used everything that we could have, and nothing had come out of it. Not even a slight vibration, nor an influx of dark energy, emerged.

I shook my head. “Well...that can’t be good.”

Zecora looked down. “I am sorry, Jared.”

I looked at her. “Don’t be. It’s not your fault. You’ve helped a lot, actually.” I pointed to the fading gas from the previous mixture. “Now I can narrow down the search quite a lot.” I managed a smile. “At least I’ll be dealing with something I’m comfortable with.”

Zecora looked up. “And what is that?”

“The unknown.”

That got a smile out of her, and her calm demeanor returned. She invited us for a bit of lunch in her hut, which we politely accepted.

Afterwards, when the dishes were cleared and we were resting comfortably, I looked outside the window of the hut. The afternoon sun was setting, and the sky was turning a lighter shade of orange. I stood up and walked over to the window to get a better look.

Then I saw it.

It was barely visible to the naked eye, as it was so far away, but it was definitely there. A faint light, periodically flickering on and off, in the distance, standing in what appeared to be a large spire. It was a bright light, most likely meant for being seen over large distances.

“Twilight?” I asked. “Do you happen to know what’s at the edge of the Everfree Forest?”

Twilight looked up. “Er...just the Castle of the Two Sisters. Why?”

“Can you tell me a bit about the castle?”

“Um...well, it’s also called the Castle of the Royal Pony Sisters. Princess Celestia and Princess Luna used to live there, actually.”

“The Princesses?”

“Yes, they lived there a thousand years ago.” She gave me a questioning look. “Is something wrong?”

“Maybe,” I muttered. “If they’re gone...who’s that?”

She walked over to the window and looked at what I was looking at. She gasped. “How?”

“I’m not sure—” I started, but was then cut off by something very unexpected.

BOOM!

Twilight and I were thrown back by some sort of force, strong enough to be felt throughout the entire forest. As we fell, all the windows and glass vials shattered under the immense force. We clasped our hands to our heads, reeling in agony, as the force filled the hut and forest with what sounded like absolute hell.

Eventually it finally subsided, much to our relief.

“Ngh!” Twilight grunted, standing up. “What the heck was that?!”

I rushed over to the now shattered window, peering outside. I saw a faint streak rush by, but I couldn’t tell the color. It cut through the forest faster than the speed of sound, going towards the Castle.

“It’s heading for the light!” I shouted. I didn’t hesitate; I dove out of the window, and took off at the speed of sound for the Castle, ignoring Twilight and Zecora’s protestations to wait.

I cautiously entered the Castle, all my senses tingling with warning. I had never been here before, so I was sure to be vigilant to the end. It was clear that whatever had been light signaling from the top had been signaling whatever force that had blown by us and disrupted our tranquility.

As the doors shut behind me, inky blackness filled the building, the dimming sun totally cut off from the inside. I pulled a small flashlight out from under my jacket, and pressed it on. It cast a pale glow that somehow mirrored the castle’s atmosphere all too well.

I walked heel first so as to move silently, my eyes darting around, looking for the source of the boom. A few cobwebs reflected the flashlight, their silky connections complex and intricate. Arches hung overhead, supported by columns of various lengths and patterns. A few banners with the Sister Princesses, tattered and ripped, hung on the walls. They were dusty and covered to the brim with cobwebs as well.

I heard something. Quickly I turned off the flashlight and ducked around a large, dark column, blending in perfectly. Something moved past me, breathing heavily. It was murmuring something, but I didn’t understand what it was saying.

I didn’t move, didn’t so much as breathe, as the figure moved by. Once it was in the center of the entrance room, I craned my neck to take a look at it. It was covered in a dark hood that flowed down its body. It was large, almost as large as the Princesses. While the shroud covered most of its face, I could tell that its muzzle was a dark black. It picked up one of the banners, muttered something, and instantly the banner caught on fire. It burnt down to nothing but ash, and the figure seemed to nod contendly.

It can use magic, I realized. I still remained silent, watching out of the corner of my eye.

The figure suddenly stopped murmuring and turned to face my column. I quickly ducked my head back behind it. Had I been caught?

The figure spoke some words and all of a sudden I felt immense heat rocket towards me. It was a fireball, a large one, and it swirled around the column like a serpent, threatening to engulf me. I nearly gasped aloud when a spark touched me; it burned like hell, searing my skin. The fireball circled around, as if it were looking for something. The figure muttered some more, and the fireball suddenly charged at the column length.

I instinctively jumped and rolled to the side, revealing myself to the figure. It hissed and turned, waving an arm, controlling the fireball still. The figure ran towards a wall. I couldn’t go after it with the fireball still trying to burn me.

As the fireball roared towards me, I raised an arm and fired a small Chaos Beam at it, intending to disrupt its path. The Beam did its job, the fireball splitting in half, and I accelerated, running around it. As I sped up to the speed of sound, I began sucking the oxygen from the room, and the fireball began to diminish. I ran faster and faster until I reached my speed limit, and finally the ball diminished completely. I slowed, dragging my heels, trying to catch my breath. I heard the sound of something swinging, and I turned, hands up to catch a flying object…

Only to be met with silence.

I walked towards the wall I had seen the figure run to, trying to figure out where it went. I looked it up and down. It was solidly built out of grey stone, cemented together. It was covered with dust and cobwebs, much like the banners in the Castle.

I leaned the side of my head on it and tapped lightly. I heard the sound echo on the other side. It’s hollow, I realized. But how do I move it?

I looked at the the far right corner of the wall. It was faint, but something gleamed slightly. I pulled out my flashlight, turned it on, and pointed it at the corner. There was a rusty, golden, small hinge, worn with age.

Of course, I thought. A revolving stone door.

I stepped back slightly, then accelerated to just under Mach 1, ramming my body against the left side of the wall. It swung, creaking against the sudden force, shaking the entire foundation of the castle. I grunted as it reached its full turn, stumbling through the opening. I glanced up and saw the figure making its way up the stairs. It saw me, and sped up.

“Hey!” I shouted, getting to my feet and running to it. “Get back here!”

It didn’t respond, accelerating so fast up the stairs that it was gone in an instant. I summoned some Chaos energy and accelerated just as fast, going up the stairs like it was nothing.

We ran all the way to the top, not stopping for anything. There were a few broken sets of stairs that we had to leap over, and several traps leaped out at us, trying to cut off our heads. The figure jumped over them while I had to duck and roll to avoid the ones it missed.

It suddenly turned and threw something at me, and then darkness clouded my vision. Some sort of smoke, I realized. I slowed, then spun rapidly in place, generating wind to drive the smoke away. As the smoke dissipated, I slowed down, coming to a stop in a crouched position. I looked up, and saw the figure duck into a room at the top of the staircase, not giving me a second look, thinking I was still reeling from the smoke.

Knowing this, I silently made my way up the staircase, careful not to make any more noise. I cautiously approached the room, concealed in shadow.

There was someone else talking with the figure. This one I could understand.

“Where have you been?” the newcomer asked angrily, in a feminine voice. “I’ve been waiting all day!”

The figure murmured something back.

“What! You were busy frolicking?!”

The figure seemed to chuckle, then said something darkly.

“You’ve been followed? Why didn’t you stop him?!”

Then the figure pointed to where I was.

“He’s here?!” the female screeched. Something glowed white, and suddenly light engulfed the whole room, revealing my position.

I squinted in the harsh light. Though it was glaring, I could just make out their forms. The tall dark one was still there, and next to him was a smaller creature; a unicorn, judging how the light emanated from something on her head.

“Well, well, well,” the female said as she looked at me. “What have we here? A rat, a canary?”

“Actually, I’m human,” I responded snarkily.

The female narrowed her eyes. “I don’t know what you’re doing here, human, but I assure you that you’re in for a world of pain if you try anything.”

I didn’t say anything, one arm covering my eyes in the light. Behind my back I slipped a small shuriken-like object down my arm into my hand.

“Well?” the female sneered. “Aren’t you going to say something?”

In response, I whipped my arm around, throwing the shuriken-like object at them. It was in the shape of a bat. I had coated its wings with some powder that, when thrown at the right velocity, would explode. I dove to the side, landing in front of the windows overlooking the rest of the Forest.

“What the—” the female began, only to be engulfed in an explosion.

I calmly stood, and waited for the smoke to clear. My eyes widened in shock when it cleared.

A green shield covered the two, completely blocking the explosion. No one could have reacted that fast! I thought. The larger creature had a hoof out, and I saw a faint green emanating from its head. A unicorn?

The shield disappeared, and I stood in shock.

The large figure smirked, pointing the hoof at me. It finally spoke something I could understand.

“Now...you die,” it said in a masculine voice.

Fire roared from his horn and rocketed towards me. It was a much larger fireball than the one he had conjured back on the first floor, and much faster. I didn’t have time to dodge as it struck me square in the chest, burning my body. It shot me back, into the windows, shattering them. I was pushed through the air, arms and legs out in front of me.

The fireball died away, returning to its summoner, and suddenly I was falling. I looked up, and saw the masculine figure glaring at me, teeth bared. I thought I heard someone desperately call my name, but it didn’t matter. Everything went black.