Separation

Chapters

Canterlot Bound Part One
Canterlot Bound Part Two
Canterlot Bound Part Three
Canterlot Bound Part Four
Canterlot Bound Part Five

Canterlot Bound Part One

“The One has become Five. No longer bound by a single mortal coil, it’ll be up to Equis’ denizens or Richards to destroy them. Let us pray that they do not fail, or this world will never see true serenity.”

I sat alone in my Station, the darkness being replaced by an inverted-colors version of outer space. Beautiful falls short of being an accurate description as meteors whizzed past other stars in the distance. Planets of many hues and colors dotted the horizon and all around me, some with rings made of stardust or other chunks of space rubble.

“White sky with black stars... who would have thought it could look so pleasing?” Smiling a bit in minor reverie, I turned my attention back to the Station Glass. The art itself contained five draconic head busts, separated by rectangular column dividers. One of these heads did not have scales, but from left to right, the scale colors of each head bust were thus: green, silver, crimson, skip the bone one, and then my face - dark-blue.

Each picture had our heads in different positions. The green one - Sylvan Awrenos - had his face scrunched up in a bemused manner with his head coming in from the left. His vertical rectangle glowed a sickly lime-green color, which seemed to move idly like fog.

Silas’s silver-scaled bust was looking forwards, his mouth curved up in a slight smirk. His backdrop was multiple playing cards and poker chips, his mane piercing through many card faces in a vibrant display of elegance. He’s keeping that smug personality of his too potent. Those same playing cards provided his moving backdrop as well.

Lezara looked too angry to put in words accurately. She was a head of brightly-burning crimson scales, and dark-orange flames danced around her and took on forms of skulls. Her mouth was opened up in a ferocious roar, her face exuding nothing less of pure hatred. The orange flames provided her slightly-shifting backdrop.

I continued to let my gaze wander about the faces I’ve seen. “What the hell does this mean? Now it’s just our five heads; last time, it was all about me. I’m not sure what my Station is trying to tell me here. Damn, it’s been two weeks now.”

Scratching the side of my head, I turned my attention to Lucius’s depiction. The bone head belonging to the creepiest of the Four Dragons was resting on top of a tombstone’s patch of raised earth. A night sky completes the backdrop, and there’s even a constellation of a minotaur in the stars.

My head was the final one, and it was currently sharing a space with Sunset and Donna. Sunset had her horn flared a brilliant light-blue, her eyes closed almost as if in concentration. Donna - unsurprisingly - looked fearful as she huddled underneath my girlfriend. I was the biggest portion, hefting Devotion over my right shoulder as my mane surrounded all three of us in its brilliant sky-blue silk-like beauty. My face was one of...

“Huh.... guess they got it right. I’m not too sure about any of this.” There was little doubt in my mind that my face right now was matching the look on the face of my bust. “I need to know more about these four: Silas, Lucius, Sylvan, and Lezara. Who were they? What are their plans?... why were they the ones representing my emotions?” Too many questions presented themselves to me - same as always - as I turned around and headed for the circling orbs at the edge of my Station.

“Something doesn’t add up, and it’s going to bug me until I figure it out. I hate being left in the dark. No more Hearth’s Fire, and no more Four Dragons. The cost? Blowback, Precision, Dennis, and The Fester; doesn’t really sound like an even exchange to me...” Grumbling, I stepped up to the spinning black orbs with a stoic face.

“The Consciousness Transport; something Io decided to give me. I did think on some possible advantages to it, but I really couldn’t think of anything else.” Scratching the side of my head in deep thought, I continued to stare at the slow-swirling orbs. “Apparently, I can will myself to sleep at anytime now; useful, seeing as how there are some nights were going to sleep just isn’t on my to-do list.”

Lifting my claw ever so slowly up to the swirling orbs, I felt the cold presence of magic at work. The chilling sensation pressed up against my palm like cold air from an air conditioner, and worked its way up the inside of my arm to my shoulder. A shaky sigh left my mouth, a strong feeling of unsurety tingling up and down my spine. “.... I’ll never get used to that.” Shaking my head slowly with a smirk and chuckle, I grabbed one of the orbs and squeezed.

Just like Io promised, I was sucker-blasted through the conjured-space of my Station very quickly, my ears whistling shrilly as planet after planet whizzed by on both sides of my body. My ears flopped around, making me wince when they decided to whip me in the face a couple of times. Nevertheless, I eventually ended up in complete darkness, devoid of any light source.

I was unaware of anything, really. In this small span of constant quiet, one could honestly lose themselves to the serenity of solitude. Squinting, I tried to see past the darkness, before blinking my eyes open.

A ceiling fan was the first object my eyes settled upon. “.... Ah, I’m in Sunset’s house still.” Sitting up, I gave a stretch and a yawn as I scratched at the side of my head. “.... Mmmmm.... good stretch...” Lowering my arms while enduring that strange weightless sensation one gets after stretching grandly, I set my gaze about my girlfriend’s room with a soft smile. The first place my eyes gravitated to was her side of the bed.

My left side was devoid of beautiful mare, and that made me a little suspicious of what she’s doing right now. “... Sunset can’t cook, so there goes that idea. Did she skip off into town?” For some odd reason, my body sent a sensation to my ears, making them twitch; this twitch seemed to quicken my thinking just a tad as I eliminated possible stopping points that my girl would visit on her way through town. “But that’s only if she went into town.”

I wiggled my toes while giving another yawn, not really committing to the idea of getting out of bed yet. “Speaking of toes...” My eyes looked down the length of the bed, and then onto the couch I had carried in from Sunset’s living room so that I could lay down fully. “So glad I did that. It sucked waking up with jelly-legs.” Swinging my legs around, I placed my feet onto the ground and pushed myself up onto them. The cold sensation of putting one’s feet on the ground - the same one that made me lament waking up without socks on in the morning for school while I was human - was now even more noticeable thanks to my warmer body temp.

“Breakfast... laps around the cabin... look for Sunset. Then from there, I have these choices: Jack’s House, Town Square, or the Tipsy Clover.” Nodding at the sound list I had formulated mentally, my day started by making headway out of Sunset’s room and to the kitchen. “Can’t believe she allowed me to sleep in her bed wearing my clothes again; she must’ve been tired after tango night at the Tipsy Clover.”

No movement filled the house aside from mine, leaving me as captive to an eerie silence. “Winter’s settling in quicker than I thought. The last of the leaves are starting to drift off the branches...” Peeking out one of the windows, my eyes came to rest upon the sight of grey skies and almost-barren oaks. The wildflower garden in front of Sunset’s cabin had shedded its colors, the plants all gone off into the cycle of nature until they’re able to return next spring or summer.

“It looks ridiculously cold. I wonder if Sunset’s wearing her scarf and keeping herself warm like she should.” Peeling my gaze away from the window, I moved on towards the kitchen to prepare myself a lovely little breakfast to start the day off. “Busy busy busy, can’t say I’m not. Hell, bees are probably jealous of how busy I am.” My steps were quick and efficient as I pirouetted about my girlfriend’s kitchen; setting a pan on the stove and turning it on while making my way back over to the fridge.

Opening the white treasure box, I couldn’t keep a frown off my face when I realized just how empty it was. There was no food, and there was nothing to drink. “.... Dammit, Sunset; that’s what you’re probably doing right now, getting groceries.” Shaking my head with a roll of my eyes, I gently pushed the fridge door closed and went back over to the stove in order to turn off the eye. Placing the pan in the sink, I turned and made tracks for the front door, reaching it in about five paces due to my new height.

“Good thing she had this cabin of able to accommodate minotaurs... It’d be rough moving about in an eight foot tall home with my new body size.” I gave a slight grumble as I stepped outside into the cold of winter, sucking my teeth minutely at the slight displeasure of a stinging gust of wind. “Note to self: Get a scarf as soon as possible. I forgot how much winter sucks.”

Tucking my claws into my jacket’s bottom pockets for more warmth, I headed out in the direction of Stonehaven. “It’s kinda too cold for laps right now, but I’ll do some when my body adjusts to being outside. Right now, it’s like I’m stepping on daggers with each footfall.” Breathing out a small plume of flame for momentary facial warmth, I hurried on with my pace.

Stonehaven could be seen on the horizon as I cleared the short trek through the barren forest; minotaurs still milling about in the streets and having regular commerce. I gave a smirk at that. “Tough bulls and cows, these lot. I wonder if I’ll find my girl in that sea of dairy animals...” Entering town made a couple of those winter-dressed minotaurs look my way. Some of them gave me thumbs-up through mitts or with bare hands, while others nodded my way and offered grand smiles.

“I guess saving people gets you some respect among the locals.... I didn’t really do anything major, though.” I returned a particularly bright smile from a child licking a candy cane with one of my own, before walking ahead again. My face slowly went back into one of disappointment. “I was just the figurehead to everything; the face of the operation. I honestly didn’t do anything.... just because I wanted to be with my girlfriend and escape, I caused the deaths of many people.”

I sucked my teeth, a frown breaking out now. “What kind of respectable being does that? I’m.... I’m honestly no better than those disgusting Alpha Brothers, putting my needs in front of everyone else’s like that. From the time I went into Granite Podium, it was all about escaping and reuniting with Sunset no matter the cost.” Stopping in the middle of the road, my head lowered seemingly of its own volition as I sighed deeply. “... For fuck’s sake. The more things change, the more I stay a waste of life.”

A pity party; that is the only acceptable description of what was going on in my head right now. It was a pity party that had me reevaluating all my choices while inside that Mega Warren. My awareness of the surroundings blurred itself into nonexistence as I continued to drive myself deeper into self-loathing with every second.

“It’s like I learned nothing from my time on Earth. Hell, I even moved out of my old man’s place and lived at the mafia headquarters; there wasn’t any rules other than passing high school, and it was heaven. I could do whatever I wanted and fear not the repercussions because of my second family watching my back.... the power was so intoxicating.”

I grimaced there, Milly’s lifeless and eyeless body flashing into my thoughts. “Do I even deserve what I have now? Second chances shouldn’t be given to men seeking salvation from their sins; the world would be cleaner if they all just disappear-”

A sudden shifting of my body to the right made me hop on my left foot a bit. Once I regained my balance, I looked at the source to my sudden imbalance quizzically. My confused visage sent Sunset into a fit of giggles as I stared at her.

“You were so lost, I decided to bump you back to reality. If I were to leave you in a white room all day long, you could probably entertain yourself with daydreaming alone, Silas.” Smirking smugly, Sunset levitated about ten grocery bags off the ground and towards me. “Be a dear while you’re still unawares and carry these for me, okay?”

“.... Wait.... what’s going on?” Subconsciously, I had already grasped the bags in my right claw; on the inside, however, I was still mightily confused by the sheer speed of these events unfolding after being lost in thought for a while. “.... She conned me into carrying her shopping bags again. Goddammit.” Frowning at her after realizing what she had done finally, Sunset decided to return my frown with a raised eyebrow.

“Strike while the iron is hot, no?” With that, she turned around and started walking off towards Town Square. Grumbling, I followed afterwards. And it was during our leisurely stroll that I noticed her apparel had changed. She was currently wearing light-blue and white boots that went up to her ‘knees’ for each hoof, and a matching scarf.

“Stylish. I like how she went for her eye-color composition as a whole.” Humming along to a song playing in my head, I watched as Sunset eventually steered us towards Town Square; that large circle of land that.... currently had many stalls in place. The smells of food, smoke, and... steel?.... wafted out from this farmer’s market-like setup. “... What the hell’s all this about?”

Sunset made sure no one was directly in front of her first, before turning her head slightly to the left for me to hear her better as she talked. “It’s the annual Winter Gathering. It’s a time of celebration for the minotaurs of Bullivia, where they retell stories of their ancestors and the feats they accomplished over piping-hot sweets and soups.”

“... Shouldn’t we get these groceries home first?” I began to mentally question Sunset’s ability to formulate a sound strategy right then and there.

“And miss out on Mable’s carrot soup? You must have lost all sense in that skull of yours.” She entered the thicket of bovines, making me purse my lips in slight annoyance. Even so, I followed after while looking at the many earthen wares being sold or traded off by vendors. Button-eyed bull calf and heifer calf dolls wearing traditional clothing seemed to garner the most attention from shoppers, and the cow running the booth looked very happy to be receiving business.

“I don’t want the food to spoil, is all,” I responded after giving a sigh, turning my head in the direction of uproarious laughter near us. A chuckle left my lips at the spectacle of two minotaurs passing out from drinking their asses off. “... Stonehaven is rowdy around this time of the year, right? I mean, two bulls just passed out from some sort of drinking contest.”

When Sunset didn’t give a response, I turned my head back around. No light-blue eyes, boots, or scarf; no red and yellow chic mane that could wow even the prissiest of hair dressers. “.... What the hell? I turned my head away for just a second!”

Turning around in place, I swung my head to and fro. “Something that small and blindingly-colorful has no business being able to sneak off like that.” Among this sea of black, white, brown, gold, and grey; I couldn’t find my girlfriend worth anything, and it was only serving to get colder.

“Well.... Goddammit! I’m gonna have to start asking around.” Tucking my free left claw into my pocket, I started walking through the minotaurs. I questioned many, and all of them gave me short nods and pointing of their fingers. By the time I had followed all of their instructions, the Tipsy Clover loomed right in front of me. Not only that, but I had to keep a blush off my face as I proceeded forwards.

“Today.... today’s gonna be interesting.” My eyes stayed on the women just outside the club, dressed in skimpy santa uniforms that barely kept some of their cleavage in. “For God’s sake, I can see some pink and black of those nips! Aren’t you all cold!?” I took a deep breath and steadied myself. Going up the steps seemed to be the women’s trigger for paying attention, for I was not prepared to see all those eyes locking onto mine in a seductive manner.

“It.... it feels like I’m walking into a lion’s den....” I took one look at the cow closest to the door and instantly felt all the blood in my body rush to my cheeks. “Holy fuck.... lollipops are for children, lollipops are for children, lollipops are for children!” I couldn’t have walked through the front door any faster than that.

“.... I’m not going to make it at this rate. Jeez....I need to-” Not particularly paying attention, I bumped face-first into something rather soft and jiggly. Instantly, I backpedaled and uttered many apologies, keeping my head low and my upper body slightly bowed to show how sincere I was. “Please don’t be a hot waitress....”

I looked up just to behold an utter bombshell of a minotaur female. "Goddammit..."

Canterlot Bound Part Two

“.... He’s so easily flustered. Are you certain this is the drake of whom you’ll be most pleased, Father?”

“Patience, Aasterinian; I want you to trust in my judgement.”

“Mortals are such fragile pieces of existence, yet I find it odd how they place the same amount of faith in us as we do them. Gods without prayers are myths, after all.”

“.... I have pondered much in the confines of eternity we’re blessed with, Falazure, but that one thought never occurred to me. I find it amusing how the God of Undeath is talking about what could possibly lead to his undoing, however.”

“Silence yourself, Kereska; we may be sister and brother, but I’ll have you know that I won’t hesitate to end your existence.”

“Falazure, stop with the death threats. Kereska, stop teasing. And for the Eternal Flame’s sake, can we all just go back to watching the blasted human in the draconian’s body? This is about all the enjoyment we have coming our way for a horrendously-long time, after all.”

“Listen to Bahamut, both of you. Pay attention, and see a once-lost soul undergo the beauty.... of metamorphosis.”

I found myself staring into the eyes of a blonde bombshell; a minotaur cow whose curvaceous body would probably make most mothers die should their son bring her home. A long, blonde braid flowed down the length of her back, tied off with a blue ribbon, while most of her slim belly and overly-modest thighs poked out from the white, fuzzy trim of her skimpy Saint Nick outfit.

On instinct alone, a single pace backwards was taken to avoid bumping into those massive melons she probably knew were too big. “By the Gods.... how does she not have back problems!?.... G’s... they have to at least be G’s.” Smiling sheepishly while mentally trying to remove the purple shading on my cheeks, I dipped my head towards her.

“Again, I’m so sorry; I wasn’t paying attention to where I was going, and -”

“Stop.” Blinking, I raised my head with a quizzical look. Stepping forth, the waitress applied her creamy-blonde hand to her left hip with a smug smile. “I recognize you from the party we had welcoming the lost ones home. Silas Epista, correct?”

“.... She’s articulate. Most farm girls got smokin’ bods like those, so I’m surprised.” Scratching at the side of my face in some discomfort and embarrassment, I averted my eyes away from the slightly-peeking pink of her nips. “... Yeah, that’s me. It’s a small world, am I right? Ha...hahaha...”

A giggle was the response to my near-silent awkward chuckling, making me wince a bit. “It is, Mister Epista. Nice to meet you,” The cute girl beamed, the phrasing of her response causing me to turn my head back around. It sounded as if she extended her hand at the pause, and based on what my eyes are picking up, she did. “I’m Cindy!”

Taking her smaller hand in my claw, I became aware of the soft texture of her fluffy hair and underskin. It was like I had somehow captured the essence of a warm spring wind in my claw, invigorating me somewhat to come out of my shell a bit more. Smiling warmly, I decided that playing the awkward duckling could come later. “... A pleasure, Miss Cindy.”

She giggled again, breaking off the handshake. “I’m guessing you’re here for our special night of fun; Naughty or Nice, Sugar and Spice?”

“It honestly sounds like she’s inviting me for a shag.... I don’t want Sunset thinking I’m some sort of sleaze. There’s no way she’d ever continue going out with me if that’s the case! Deny her!” I turned my head slightly to the left, then paused in mid-thought before completing my shaking-of-the-head response to Cindy’s question. “... Or what if Sunset set all this up for me.... no.... yes?.....”

“Excuse me for this....”

I blinked out of my daze, just to be slapped with Cindy’s receipt booklet. The action registered no pain on my part, but it didn’t stop me from looking at Cindy with a confused facial structure. “.... Why did you hit me, again?”

Nodding once, Cindy appropriately smiled sheepishly and blushed a bit, averting her dark-blue eyes from my gaze. “Ehhhh.... you dozed off or zoned out.... one of those two. Either way, that’s the gist of it.”

I chuckled, finally breaking the ice. “It’s not like she hit you to have fun. To see someone actually be worried about someone else in this day and age is rather shocking, seeing as how I come from a planet that’s adopted the “Every man for himself” policy.”

“.... And landsakes! This woman’s huge as hell! I’m at least nine feet and some change, but I ran into her melons!” Gulping a bit sneakily, I nodded at Cindy and motioned towards the rest of the Tipsy Clover. “... Have you seen my girlfriend?”

“You mean that pony?”

I nodded, making Cindy cross her arms under her fun bags, hefting them up even more than what her skimpy clothing was doing. “... Can’t say that I have, Mister Epista. She’s not the type of mare to come here, though; especially when something as traumatic as Granite Podium happened. Why.... I think it’s more appropriate that she’s in Town Square.”

“Yeah,” I responded shortly, finding myself smiling while talking to her. “I just came from there after losing her in the crowd. Some other taurs pointed me to the T.C. when I asked where she went.”

Cindy gave another giggle from this, making me chuckle a bit as well. “Must be hard having such a small love interest....”

“Although she can be a raging, miniscule ball of fury, I still like her. I mean... well... we just sorta clicked. Going through Granite Podium sealed the deal for us, though.” Snickering a bit at the surprisingly-accurate description I gave of Sunny, I proceeded to head into the Tipsy Clover’s recesses, enjoying the Christmas-themed decoratio-

“... Do you guys celebrate Christmas?” My sudden question was laced with heavy amounts of bewilderment; my body stopping mid-step so I could turn my head and peer at Cindy with a raised eyebrow.

Tilting her head adorably, the cow blinked a bit in her own confusion. “... What’s a Christmas? It sounds fun, but.... hmm... nope, never heard of it.” Returning her cranium to its nominal positioning, Cindy placed both hands on her hips and walked forward a bit. “Is it something dragons celebrate around winter time?”

Shaking my head, I turned back around. “Naw, it ain’t.... I don’t think so, at least.” I furrowed my brow, then blinked as I finally registered all that she said. Turning my head back to look at her in pure shock, my right claw flexed a bit. “... Are there dragons around here, Miss Cindy?”

“.... No.”

Sucking my teeth, I gave a snap of my fingers before turning around again. “Dragsville; I was hoping to get a headstart on something involving the dragons.” At the end of my response, Cindy went silent for a moment as we traversed the distance between the entrance and the bar counter.

“Wait...” Cindy trailed off, hastily walking up to my left side. “... I know someone that can help you with that! You wanna know more about dragons, right?” The busty minotaur beamed, making me smile warmly back at her and nod. “Then all you gotta do is go see Dennis! He claimed to have met a dragon once before!..... Silas?”

“..... Shit..... goddammit.” I gritted my teeth, feeling unholy amounts of anger start to resurface as I trembled. “... I’m fine, Cindy. Can you leave me alone for now?” My question was laced with a little bite to it, making my company wince before nodding and heading off.

“Out of all the minotaurs.... it had to be Dennis? What dragons could he have possibly known? How many dragons live around here?” I sagged my shoulders with a sigh. “... Why couldn’t I protect him? I have this fucking dragon body for nothing.... absolutely nothing.”

Defeat pulsated through my being; I felt locked-in, forced to choke in the miasma of my failure. Oxygen and air was a scarcity compared to this new noxious fume, its power seizing hold of my lungs with a vice grip. “I can’t protect anyone the way I am now... I need to get stronger.”

I gave a nice jump as someone placed their hand on my back, turning my head sharply to see who had touched me. To my infinite surprise, however, it happened to be none other than Dominika! “Donna!” I smiled warmly, shifting my body around so that I faced and looked down at her.

She looked worlds better than she did back in Granite Podium; her finely-toned legs hanging out the bottom of an elegant plaid skirt, red tank-top, and beige jacket that had its sleeves go down to her wrists in nice cuffs. Her hair was still nice and curly, falling down to her shoulders as her glasses sat perched right on her snout. And to top it all off, she had a warm smile plastered on her face as she looked up at me, completing her pleased-secretary look.

“Good to see you as well, Silas,” Donna replied contently, dipping her head a bit in greeting. Of course, I returned the gesture. “What brings you to the Tipsy Clover right now? I’d imagine Sunset and yourself to be enjoying the festivities right outside.”

I gave a sad chuckle at that, hanging my head in defeat. “I thought the same thing.... that is.... until I lost her in the crowd. She’s just so short, y’know?” My mouth curved up in a sad smile, making her giggle and roll her eyes. “I asked some other taurs about her and they all said - or pointed me - towards the Tipsy Clover... so here I am,” I surmised, shrugging my shoulders a bit while giving a chuckle.

Donna nodded then, grabbing my claw and leading me to the bar stools, which she made me sit on. “Look... I dunno if you’ve heard, but I’ve seen Sunset walking around with a pegasus that recently came to town.” By the way Donna’s face looked almost pained to say it, I knew something was up with this.

“Say what now? Sunset would never cheat on me!”

Donna quickly waved her hands, which told me my face must have been souring up. “No no no, I’m not saying she’s seeing other men without you knowing,” She whispered strongly, almost frantically. “I just thought you should know what’s been going on with her...” Giving an exhale, she smiled at me again. “You guys don’t talk as much as you used to, do you?”

I grimaced at that. “... Yeah. It’s not like how it used to be... she’s become something else entirely.” It was hard to admit, but even I knew the facts. “She’s been more irate and caring at the same time. There’s also a subtle - no - very subtle hint of arrogance shining through. Her handing me those groceries is a strong reminder of that.” My gaze traveled down to the thought-about bags, making me sigh quietly in grim acceptance. “... Things have definitely changed.”

My friend - at that point in time - comforted me by patting my claw gently. “It’s alright, Silas; as long as you know she’s into you, there’s no reason to fret about how much she changes. It’s not like she’s gonna fall out of love with you, right?”

That earned Donna some pursed lips on my end. “It’s hard to say, Donna... with change comes unexpected events, and I don’t think I’ll be able to handle a breakup so soon after what happened in Granite Podium.” I facepalmed after sitting for a bit, the bags rustling with fresh produce. “... Ugh, I sound like a giant wimp.”

Donna giggled again, releasing my claw from her comforting embrace. “Don’t worry so much, Silas; you’re doing nothing but psyching yourself out. I suggest finding out who this mystery pegasus is with great haste, or it’s gonna eat at you until there’s nothing left but an irate asshole.”

I raised my eyebrow at that. “You seem to have some experience here....”

“See? You already have the asshole-part down!” Laughing, Donna got up and waved goodbye as I watched her head for the Employee’s Only door near the back of the building. A pout was etched onto my face from her remark.

Standing up, I decided to take her up on that. “Finding out who this guy is will put me at ease, she’s right. I gotta drop these groceries off, though; waking up to no food in the house is no bueno.” Without so much as a second thought, I headed off into the coldness of the day, wondering at all times who this mystery pegasus was.

Canterlot Bound Part Three

“I do not see the allure in allowing some wretched human a chance in a body like that. Your efforts to destroy my two pieces will be in vain, Father, and I think you know this.”

“You’re too sure of yourself, Garyx; Richards may still surprise you yet, as might all of this world filled with magnificent creatures. An old drake is often a wise one, who has seen many battles and calculated stratagems for assured victory. You spend all your time in Pandemonium, destroying places and civilizations in a blind rage, so you’re naturally blind to this fact as well, my son.”

“Oooooohhhh! Burnnnnnn!”

“.... Annoying.”

“.... Annnnd there he goes. Honestly, Father, why don’t you just smite him and be done with it? Garyx will continue to try and disrupt balance and order within the known multiverse forevermore, and you have the power to just snuff him out where he flies.”

“I know he stands against everything I am for, Kereska, but that is because he was cast into the shadow of both Tamara and Bahamut as just a hatchling; it was his self-born hatred of being in their ‘shadow’ that makes him act this way... and it’s possibly the same reason Falazure and Tiamat are so distant as well.”

“.... Feh. Do not lump me in with that sorry sack of scales, Father; Garyx is beneath us all, and you somehow manage to suffer through his ilk. You’ve proven to be a better drake than I, which is a harder task than you know.”

“Forever the braggart, forever the pariah.”

“Curve your tongue, Bahamut! I will no-”

“Enough! All of you. We watch and see.”

The walk back to Sunset’s place was quick and easy enough, causing me no small amount of trouble. Once I entered her cabin and deposited the groceries in their proper place, I opted to snatch an apple from the pound she bought. Munching happily on my red and juicy snack, I willed myself to enter the cold of Bullivia’s winter season once again.

Interestingly enough, the path before me was starting to receive soft drizzles of snow. Smiling greatly at the serenic scenery, I willed my nerves to calm themselves at possibly finding out who Sunset’s secret fling could be, and instead invoked some feelings of peace to match the beautiful sight of snow drift through barren trees.

“Although it can be considered rather morbid, the death of these trees really do bring about a sense of wonder. I always found it fascinating how they die and seem to just come right back, as if the soul was never gone, but just dormant.” Pursing my lips at how much of an old geezer I thought like, I decided to give myself another distraction; the red delicious apple never saw the bite coming. “.... These minotaurs know their way around some apples, too.”

In about five minutes of traversing the non-existent foliage of Sunset’s front forest area, Stonehaven once again greeted me with its high herbal and candy scents of the minotaurs’ Winter Gathering. “Yet they wear Santa uniforms and sing carols..... rather boisterous ones at that.” Indeed, the sound of baritone bulls invaded my eardrums like a war cadence. I gave notice to these voices and people by way of a sideways glance, making me chuckle as one of the bulls scooped up his - I’m assuming to be - child and placed the little scamp on his broad shoulders.

“Such a relaxing time... hard to believe Sunset might have a secret love interest, though. I know much, but not all. She’s gonna have a lot to explain.” Mixed feelings about my future predicament with this mystery pegasus ravaged my mind like an angry sea serpent, churning my forced-serenity asunder. “... Ugh, it’s probably someone from Granite Podium who didn’t get the memo that she’s my girl. This is gonna be hell-a awkward.”

“.... Even so.... I shouldn’t discount the possibility that this is all a huge misunderstanding.” Pinching the tip of my chin between my index finger and thumb, I hummed for what seemed like a solid minute and a half before finally realizing that I had returned to the Town Square. The many scents of freshly-baked apple pie and other types of pies filled the air; a titillating aroma that did a cracker job at infiltrating my nostrils and piquing my curiosity to try a bite.

Minotaurs flooded all around me, heading to stalls and buying toys or pastries. I spotted what seemed to be a flicker of red and yellow in this sea of monochromatic black, brown, and white. Some yellow cows and bulls were mixed in as well, all of them in appropriate winter clothing and having a gay old time.

“.... Shit!” I sucked my teeth and frowned. “I think that was Sunset.... damn it all.” Getting my giant bag of excuse me’s and pardon’s out from inside my chest, I started to weave my way rather sloppily through the sea of bovines. Many bumps were had, with me being on the end of some sucked teeth and slight glares, but I eventually reached the position at which I saw that glimmer of yellow and red.

Frowning even more at the girlfriend-less scenery presented before, I gave a heavy sigh and looked left and right. This search of mine was starting to look like a fruitless endeavor, but I didn’t want to give it up just yet. “Every step taken feels like she’s getting closer... but it always seems like she gives me the slip right when I catch up..... is she doing this on purpose?... was it really her at all?”

My crowd-weaving became enhanced as I focused on those little glimpses of red and yellow, my body sliding in and out of skinny openings within this line of minotaur defenses. Less people were being bumped as I sped up, gaining ground on the elusive color scheme just in front of me. “It’s small enough to be her! Come on... just reach out and touch!”

Narrowing my eyes, I cleared my throat just as I touched the sliver of red and yellow coloring. To my infinite displeasure, it was nothing more than a floral-patterned round suitcase, which was being tugged around by a mare; a mare who saw fit to turn her head around and frown at me.

Timidity and an overwhelming sense to apologize profusely gripped at my body as I smiled sheepishly, knowing fully well that I had succeeded in embarrassing myself in front of this mare; a woman who stood almost on equal height as Sunset, but looked aged.

Soft mocha hair gave way to a prim and proper gold mane and tail. Even though it should have came as no surprise that ponies wear clothes, this mare took it to the next by having on a purple suit jacket with white undershirt and gold coin necklace. A tinted-purple scarf was wrapped around her neck either for warmth or accessorizing, with a gold and purple ear piercing on the bottom section of her left ear.

I gave a nervous cough as she cleared her throat, putting a hoof in front of her mouth to remain civilized. “Uh.... sorry for grabbing your bag, ma’am. Y’see, I was just looking for my...” Blinking rapidly about three times, this mare got the silence her suddenly-raised hoof deserved; a part of me wondering why I stopped talking, regardless if she wanted to speak or not.

“The professional course of action - if that is indeed the case - was to not grab my suitcase, but to make your presence known either verbally or with a clearing of your throat.” Her permanent frown could dishearten even the brightest of optimists, and it certainly made me a little apprehensive. “You’ve earned points by apologizing first and foremost, but the overall rating I am giving this first meeting is atrocious; four out of ten, would most definitely not do again.”

“Ah fuck; I done pissed off quite the character. I’m gonna try to clear the air, though; it would help having another pony acquaintance.” My thinking done, I hastily coughed into a claw and cleared my throat, looking back down at her with a completely stoic face. “Again, I must apologize for my rudeness, ma’am. I’m Silas Epista, and it’s a pleasure to meet you.”

I had to squat just a tiny bit in order to extend my claw out to her, which she eyed down with pursed lips before placing her hoof in it and giving me a surprisingly-firm shake. “.... Harshwhinny, and the feeling may become mutual depending on how well you turn this first encounter around.”

“Well she’s not pulling any punches; although I am a believer in brutal honesty, I can’t help but feel a little intimidated by those striking eyes of hers; feels like my best will never be enough, and that she’s always expecting more.” I hid the minute frown which followed that thought. “.... She reminds me of my whore of a mother: that judgemental air, that suit jacket, and those heartless, analytic eyes.”

Sitting back on her haunches, Harshwhinny began to tap her left forehoof. My blunder was noted quickly, and I stumbled over a couple of words as I scrambled mentally for something to open up the conversation with. “U-uh... sooo.... what brings you to Bullivia?” She raised her eyebrow, making me swallow a suddenly-erected mountain in my throat. “Uh... is it... business, by chance?”

“Seeing as how you’re not a collegue of mine, that information shall not be disclosed. However, I will say that I find it odd how you could possibly be interested in my life.” Slightly turning her head away, Harshwhinny investigated a stall that was selling churros, surprisingly.

“Hmm.... my hunger grows. Pardon me for a second, Mister Epista.” Trotting over to the stall, she took two bits out of her chest pocket using her mouth and placed them up for the operator to slide away into a bucket. It was then that I noticed the weird anatomy of ponies up close; how their hooves were used like hands as Harshwhinny grabbed the napkin surrounding her treat perfectly.

Clearing my throat now that this mare had succeeded in throwing me off, I decided to try and save this sinking vessel once more. “I grabbed your bag earlier because I was looking for my girlfriend.... she’s the same color scheme of that suitcase, you see.” Scratching the side of my face as she took a dainty bite, I could feel my resolve melting away. “I lost her in the sea of minotaurs surrounding Town Square.”

Swallowing her bite silently, Harshwhinny affixed me with a quizzical glance. “It sounds as if you’re asking me to help you find her.” The napkin rustled a bit as she moved the churro back up for yet another small portion of her snack. “Because if that’s the case, then I’m afraid you’re better off looking for her instead of wasting time talking to me.”

I frowned a bit at that. “I’m not wasting my time. We live in the same house, and she’s been living here longer than I have. Sunset’s perfectly capable of finding her way back to the house.”

“Well, she’s done a crackerjack job of losing you in a crowd.”

Growling lowly at how much of a nuisance this mare is being, my thoughts joined up in order to bring one thing to past; I wanted more than anything to put this mare in her place, so I showed my severe distaste of her attitude by way of balling my claws up into tight fists and stomping my foot powerfully. I felt that appendage sink into the ground, nearly throwing me off balance as Harshwhinny’s eyes widened. Some minotaurs stopped and looked our way as I snarled a bit in growing rage.

“You apathetic harpy! You rant on an’ on about keeping it professional, but I’ve had it up to here...” I nearly jabbed myself in the head with the side of my leveled claw, the wrist sitting right next to my left temple. “...with your hypocrisy! You have been downright dreadful, the absolute worst in terms of conversation partners!” With every annoyance-filled exclamation, Harshwhinny stepped back a pace and started to shiver in fear. “How about you keep it professional and start treating me with the same amount of respect I’m showing you!?”

I could feel my face heat up, and just as I was about to lay into the mare some more, there was a soft tugging on the right side of my jacket. Snapping my head around, I noticed that Sunset’s aura was taking up the space around my bottom pocket and tugging softly. She herself was looking at me with pursed lips and a slight glare, letting me know I crossed the line with how bad I exploded on Harshwhinny.

Trying to settle my nerves, I felt what anger remained begin to slip away softly. It ebbed off my body in calming tides, filling my being with slowly-surfacing serenity. I could feel the sensation sending shivers up my spine as my gaze became lost in Sunset’s disapproving look. Sighing once more, I turned my head back towards Harshwhinny and pursed my lips. “..... I’m sorry.”

Harshwhinny cleared her throat and coughed into the napkin she had been using to eat her churro. “.... Likewise. I - um - hope we can put our differences aside and move on from this event.” She then stood up - and seemed to shy away a bit - as I saw Sunset nod at her. “I was not expecting to happen upon the daughter of Golden Shimmer and Pure Skies.” Dipping her head in homage just a tad, Harshwhinny pulled at her collar a bit and looked away.

“To think the prestigious and professional Ms. Harshwhinny would be over here in Bullivia; what might be your business?” Sunset walked in front of me and sat down, flipping some of her mane out of her eye.

Ms. Harshwhinny pursed her lips, looking at me with a glance of “You’re lucky Sunset is here.” before sighing and puffing her chest back out. “... Well.... if you must know, Miss Sunset, I am currently on vacation.”

“ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME, MATE!?” Frowning minutely at that rather shallow reason for brushing me off earlier, I crossed my arms and tapped my left foot in growing annoyance. “She’s just like my fucking mother..... one thing’s for certain, she’s definitely not staying anywhere near us. I might end up catching my first murder charge...”

“Of course you can hitch a ride back to Canterlot.”

I nearly felt my eyes leap from their sockets, a mental reminder going out to ensure widening my eyes that fast would never be done again. Even so, I couldn’t help but keep a constant look of shock leveled at Sunset, before the only sensible thing I could think of left my mouth. “..... Abuhhhh?”

At this, both mares looked at me with raised eyebrows. Sunset spoke for the both of them. “.... Was that not clear? I said Ms. Harshwhinny can hitch a ride back to Canterlot on Judgement when we finally decide to set off. There isn’t a problem with that, right?” The way she said it let me know immediately that she wouldn’t stand for any backtalk on the subject, but I let her know with a slight glare that we’ll be having words later.

Giving a sigh, Sunset turned back to Harshwhinny and cleared her throat. “It’s settled. We have two more days left before we leave. You won’t have a problem with waiting, will you,” Sunset asked in annoyance, earning just a nod from the pseudo-professional mare in front of us. Returning the nod with one of her own, Sunset proceeded to cross my path in order to go home.

“Good. We’ll convene at my place before eight in the morning. My cabin is in the western section of the forest,” Sunset continued, stopping her brisk walk just before entering the out-of-earshot range. Looking over her right shoulder, she smiled sweetly before jerking her head west. “There’s a trail leading from Ol Man’ Timber’s Antique Emporium; follow it, and you’ll be at my cabin in about five minutes.”

Sticking my claws back into my pockets, I decided to follow after Sunset, not wanting to even look back at Harshwhinny. “Guess there’s all types in this world; I should have expected there to be someone like my mom here, regardless if it’s a pony or not. Now that she’s coming along with us to Canterlot, I’ll lose my chance to have some quality alone time with Sunset and Donna. Fucking hell... this day just went from O.K to Shite in about 2.6 seconds.”

Sucking my teeth quietly, I spat a wad of agitation and saliva onto the ground. “I refuse to be given the short end of the stick for much longer. Something’s gonna give, and Sunset’s gonna learn real quick that there’s two legs to the relationship pants and not four.”

Canterlot Bound Part Four

“Bahamut... You’ve been irritable lately. What dark cloud hangs over your horizon?”

“Greetings to thee, Tamara. It warms this old drake’s heart to know of your compassion towards my plight. But alas, I cannot disclose the reason behind my ire. It is... like an itch; an unbearable scratching near the back of my consciousness. I sense unease for the world Richards was placed in, for trepidation and turmoil hang over that planet like a thick smog, suffocating and constricting any chance at peace; a roiling serpent hidden beneath the serenity, awaiting a savior to come forth, only tostrike his heel and kill him where he stands.”

“If anything, it sounds as if you were blessed with a vision. Kereska is normally the one graced with such windows into the future. Should we bring this to our Father’s attention?”

“Belay that for now, sister mine. I do not trust this Richards to help smite the evil Garyx and Falazure have unleashed... and I also sense that Astilabor might have her claw in this somehow.”

“Astilabor? Are you certain, brother dearest? This doesn’t sound like something she would want to partake in.”

“Do not be fooled, Tamara; Astilabor is the Hoardmistress, and should she find something worth taking from this world, you better believe she’ll enlist some otherworldly help in order to acquire it. All we need to know is who of the Four she’ll choose, seeing as how Father has procured Richards already.”

My mood saw no progress in alleviating itself of its foul air, the swirling mass of tension and inwardly-boiling wrath proving to constrict my lungs tightly enough for two things to happen. For one, it promoted a sense of slight asphyxiation, making my breaths come as hollow and quick as bees floating from holes in hollow logs. I was sure Sunset could hear it, but it mattered little to me in that moment, for my mind was upon deeper, darker things.

The second event was one that I had trouble coping with; it was a desire to assert myself over her, and that alone conflicted heavily with who I was as a person. Thinking back to before all of this happened: the time before the body-swap, and further back than when I had discovered a passion for videogames and other digital media. It was a time where I remembered the ferocity and apathy of my everyday life; where I had to be the top dog, even if I was only telling myself that for the sense of safety and security it brought.

The Four Suits Mafia: it was my home away from home, and that ring of organized crime was a hub for my darkest ambitions to see the light, away from shame and other things of that nature. There wasn’t any villains, bad guys, or just common street thugs doing whatever they wished; it was a family of misguided fools, living life as if there were no constraints or reparations for their actions. And I was the main one indulging in that lie, filling my belly with rotten scraps of self-importance, and drinking the spoiled wine of arrogance.

“Cease this moping at once, Richards; you’re a stronger man than you let on, and your father would be spinning in his grave should he learn of your walk with lowered head presently.” Chastising myself within my consciousness, it was here that my angular head was lifted hesitantly; for I knew what lied deep inside my heart at the moment as my eyes met the back of Sunset’s head, and it was something I would rather not deal with presently. “Let it seep from you; that drive to kill and destroy, and to see the house you’ve built submerged in the ashes of your new life without more restraints. As a human, you adhered to Jackie Spades, who was the boss of your little mafia group... but here? Here, you are free with no limitations; it’s a scary thought, perfect freedom. It changes men into beasts, and beasts often turn to demons.”

“This won’t do...” I mumbled to myself, hoping to ease the whirlwind of calming thoughts and fatal undertones carried underneath each one. Catching sight of Sunset giving me a slight glance of her beautiful eyes, I knew she had heard me through my attempt of concealing my words. Knowing her so well, there was no doubt in my turmoil-stricken mind that we will have words once inside the cabin. “These thoughts will not leave me the hell alone...” Growling to myself, I’d watch as Sunset took the left in that familiar fork in the dirt road; we had entered the forest and covered half the distance to her cabin, and I had missed multiple chances to choose my words carefully for when we’d reach that destination.

Cursing myself underneath my breath, the claws stationed in my pant pockets would slowly remove themselves and take up rest on the back of my head. I knew that this paltry way of alleviating tension wouldn’t suffice, but it was all I could do in order to keep myself sane for now. Tearing those eyes off the back of my girlfriend’s head reluctantly, I had to to keep telling myself that these thoughts were not how I lived my life presently. “That life of violence has been left behind, and I had hoped the hatchet would be run-over with topsoil by now. Unfortunately, Granite Podium has proved to be much like the resurfacing of an Achilles's Heel; a constant and always-faithful reminder to the beast which lurks directly within that Spark of yours. There is no outrunning it, Justin; it is there, and it is up for you at the crack of dawn, to the soft caress of moonlight.”

“SHUT UP!” It happened all too quickly - my outburst - and it startled Sunset enough to have that golden horn of hers fire a condensed beam of unicorn magic straight through an evergreen, leaving a burning crater making crackling sounds with some form of blue residue sticking around its edges. I, myself, was heaving heavily; each breath was like an arm-pump around my heart, constricting my chest as I panted like some form of wretched street-mutt. My vibrant hair had draped itself across my face, filling my vision with nothing else but a sky-blue curtain as I heard hooves shift to let a head face me.

“Silas, what in the hell is wrong with you!? You nearly scared me half to death!” Sunset’s chiding voice did nothing for my mood at the moment, so I chose to ignore it for the time being. She would get her answer, but it would be when my mind was in the right place and not lingering on what’s already transpired.

It took a couple of moments among the winter-laden forest, but eventually, I found myself once more. Taking a deep breath of that crisp and sharp cold air, I used a claw to sweep back my hair so that I could look at my girlfriend with a stoic expression. “... I’m fine, Sunset. There’s just a lot of things on my mind right now, and I’d prefer to leave the cold before addressing them.” It didn’t take a genius to recognize the disbelief etched onto her features, and I knew everything flowing from my mouth at that moment was not being taken at face value to her.

“And for good reason. You’re doing nothing but beating around the pissed-on bush, and that territorial marking was never your own to begin with.” Snarling, I placed a claw to the side of my head and dropped the other to my side, walking past Sunset with a huff. “... My head’s killing me right now. I ain’t even angry anymore. I’m just... done,” I spoke with finality in each word, my steps cracking the dead branches and frozen leaves underneath the heels of my draconian feet. “I want to lie down, possibly check on Siri and Judgement later on. I’m just done, okay?”

“You’re done with responsibility, not with the situation. Who would have thought that underneath that tall frame and otherworldly charisma, there would be such a coward and braggart? All you do is run, Richards; it’s harder to do now that you’re a dragon, the very pinnacle of stalwartness and pride. You should be finding all of this humorous, mate.” I practically ripped Sunset’s door off its hinges once my ascent up those wooden steps was complete, the wooden entrance banging loudly on the inside wall once having completed its trajectory.

There was no hesitance in my stride when I banked a quick right, heading straight for her room even though I heard the sucking of teeth right behind me. “I understand you’re upset, Silas, but don’t break my fucking house! Who do you think ends up having to repair all this shit?” It was understandable - her callout in supreme annoyance - and I realized how much of an unequivocal ass I had become during my brief walk back into her room.

I payed it no mind, however, and sought the comfort of her linens with my backside while resting those husky forearms of mine on my legs. Everything felt unnaturally hot at the moment, and I knew it was from the unease in my very soul. “What the hell is wrong with me?”

The clopping of hooves directly to my right signaled the slow entering of my love, beseeching my head to give way in looking upon her slender form. Those crystalline eyes stared back into my own, and in hers, I could see the very definition of worry and regret - no doubt the same being reflected in my own orbs. Tentatively did she approach me, and it was at that time where I realized she was... afraid of me.

“S-Silas... can we talk?” The question was not one that someone sure of themselves would say it in. I could feel and taste the trepidation and the shuddering hidden with the very marrow of her bones, and it shook me to the core-being of my very self to know I did this to her. “You didn’t seem yourself back in the forest, and if there’s anything I can help you with... just know that I’m here for you, alright?”

Sighing deeply, I drummed my fingertips upon the bed and scooted back a bit more, flicking my gaze over to the couch briefly in order to study where my feet laid upon its arm every night so my legs didn’t just curve over the edge of the bed. Comfort reached into me then and there, filling me with a sense of calm as I faced the torn features of my love once more. “I know, Sunset, it’s just that ever since Granite Podium...” I trailed off, looking down at my claws once she tilted her head, balling them up into tight fists as I heard the scales stretch to accommodate the new tension.

“I’ve been restless and irritable the past couple of days, Shimms. Sleep doesn’t come easy, and when it does, it’s filled with screaming, slashing, snarling, and death. Gore splatters the walls, bodies stand as monoliths to my own twisted sense of justice and salvation; meanwhile, I’m laughing with my war-ax held firmly in my right claw, decapitating anyone that gets too close,” I say with a slow shake of my head once hearing Sunset’s breath catch in her throat. “Back before you knew me, and perhaps back before this event transpired... I was violent by nature, and revelled in the misery I could bring others just to cure my day of its monotonous boredom. That’s the honest truth, and it’s out there for you to take how you see fit.”

At that moment, I feared what I said was too much for my love, because the silence that reigned supreme over the entirety of her bedroom after my little speech destroyed my will to be in here. It was as if the very world itself was contorting in on itself, slowly constricting and asphyxiating all within its cold grasp. Twas a violent contrast to the burning, stinging sensation within my lungs, but it hurt more than it should have.

Sunset’s hooves moving closer made me wince in recognition of what she was going to do; it’s what she always did when something she didn’t like occured, and that was either to ask questions or to yell at it. I could easily picture her - in this moment - to try for both, but I knew also that she wasn’t in the mood for such a thing. And that was especially evident by the way her face was currently skewed in worry, her beautiful eyes peering into the lowest corner of my heart to try and understand what I could be feeling at the moment.

“Silas... you’re the best thing that’s happened to my life in recent years. I...” Sunset trailed off, looking away while using a jingle of magic to maneuver a red comb over in order to rake through her hair with the slowest of paces. I could tell she was struggling with her words, so I opted to keep myself and my mind quiet in order to give my full attention. “I was in quite the dark place before you came, and the dogs made me do a lot of things I wasn’t proud of down there in Granite Podium. I knew you’d come along like some fabled knight and rescue me... but the memories are fresh within my own mind as well.”

Shifting a bit on her hooves, the unicorn mare I’ve come to adore so much peered back up at me with uneven tides in her eyes, reflecting the fluctuating emotion hidden deep within each syllable and glance she gave me. “The smell of burning flesh: the taste of sweat as we ran, the looks of despair, and the sound of crying foals looking upon the carcasses of their dead mothers and fathers.” Getting up on her back-hooves, the mare in my life placed her front ones on each side of my face gently, making me think on how she was able to reach my face considering our size difference.

“But through it all, the chance to be reunited with the one I wish to spend my life with prevailed over any negative thought that permeated my soul. You are special to me, just as I am to you, and so, we wish for each other to be as happy as either of us can make the other. It is through that line of thinking that we are still able to face one another, despite the horrors we’ve seen down in that hellhole.” Narrowing her eyes suddenly, it took me a while to realize she’d been crying this entire time, my eyes finally picking up on the slightly darker fur near the corners of her striking orbs. “That being said, Silas... you’d do well to know that I won’t lose you to your regrets, or whatever else might be dragging you down like this. My father is a licensed psychiatrist, and I’ll be scheduling a visit for you with him once we get to Canterlot.”

I sat there in stunned silence, eyes locked on hers for the longest time before I could summon the strength to move my mouth. Even though she was so thorough with that rebuttal, I knew all too well the plans and procedures that came with visiting a psychiatrist, and have never gotten along with mine after I killed the Sevenson family.

Turning my gaze onto her bed for but the briefest of seconds, I took this momentary lapse in time to calm myself of any doubts I could be having at the moment, before turning my attention back to the mare of my dreams with a knowing and apologetic smile on my face. “Alright, Sunny; I’ll see your Pop after we settle in at the royal castle, and I promise I’ll stop all these mopey sessions after getting the help I need.” I had no choice but to chuckle as she hopped onto my lap and nuzzled my chest, giving a pleased sigh while that large claw of mine rubbed her back in a soothing and loving manner.

“You have no idea how much this means to me, Silas. We’ve both been through hell, and it’ll be a while until we recover fully from the wounds this caused. I don’t know what else to tell you, other than I’ll be glad to stay with you every step of the way,” Sunset said happily, smiling wide enough to showcase a bit of her teeth, only to wince as she pokes my right pectoral with her long horn. While it didn’t hurt, the action seemed to have happened to others enough for her to wince and back up a bit. “Oops! Sorry about that, honey.”

Chuckling deeply, I patted the ‘offended’ area with my other claw while offering a wink of smugness. “Come now, Sunset. I’ve been poked with harder and sharper things since we’ve been together.” I smirked and slid my left set of long fingers against the healing abs from where those dogs jabbed me in the gut with their crude spears. “Had a bit of a run-in with some guards before meeting up with you, Donna, and Diamond. Three guards ended up hitting me in the stomach with those spears, and let me tell ya’, that shit still hurts like hell on wheels.” Removing my fingers with a deep sigh of contentment for being hit so easily, I placed my claws together right before bending a set of fingers back to crack the knuckles.

The sound was nigh euphoric, as was the relief that stemmed from the action, but Sunset winced at the sound of cracking bone as if that very sound was yanking her soul. Placing her right hoof on my chest, the unicorn drew small circles idly, earning my attention again. “We’ve a lot to train for... although it was a random occurrence, something tells me that Granite Podium is only the beginning, as much as that sucks to admit.”

Blinking once or twice in stunned shock, I looked down at Sunset with a raised eyebrow, curious as to where that line of thinking had originated from. “Well, that’s certainly a morbid line of thinking, dear heart,” I reasoned, sitting back some in order to allow Sunset the height advantage as she basically straddled me now. This warranted a quick flushing of dark-purple on my face, but I disregarded the higher temperatures for now, knowing my mare’s face to be taking on the same shading. “But you’re right in a way... and now’s a good time for us to work some things out.”

I could feel her suddenly shift those wide thighs of hers against my hips, both her front hooves digging into my chest a bit harder, making me think of someone with the available digits clinging on for some sense of security. “Or reassurance”, I grimly thought, but quickly pushed those thoughts out of my head.

“You saw me with him, didn’t you?”

Everything hazed for a second as I felt my draconian heart surge with rage and jealousy, even when I had no clue who she was referring to; the only thing I heard was ‘me’ and ‘him’ within her question, and I quickly started beating myself up for being so shallow in thinking she’d cheat on me with another guy so soon in our relationship. Taking the deepest breath since my life began, I closed my eyes for a second in order to dispel the tinge of red hugging the corners of my vision viciously.

“Who, Sunset,” I snapped out, my words like a whip, even though I tried my damnedest to keep my voice nominal. Of course, this brought her head reeling back a bit, her eyes wide and hurting somewhat as her left hoof removed itself from my chest.

“You haven’t met him, but he’s honestly a good guy, and I believe our time in Canterlot will be enhanced by his presence. He’s an old friend of mine that-” Sunet said, right before I interrupted her with a sharp cough and clearing of my throat.

Lifting my head, I raised my eyebrow, feeling that dragon sense of control and dominance seep through the marrow of my bones and into the bloodstream within my very veins. Just like myself, Sunset was able to pick up on the hidden meaning behind the gesture, and promptly turned her head to the side with a heavy, shaky sigh.

“... He’s my old boyfriend, okay? That’s all I’m saying on it right now,” Sunset droned out in a whisper, placing her left hoof back on my chest, but keeping her head turned away as if it’d help deal with the pain of her confession. “Please don’t ruin this tender moment between us right now with these questions.”

I wouldn’t stand to be deflected away by her display, oh no. Sitting up some more so that I could rest on my huge forearms, I gently lowered my eyelids into quite the effective but not-angry glare, pausing a bit before speaking to her very soul. “And his name?”

The words - to my vivid imagination - wrapped around her body starting at the neck, and then quickly slithered their tight embrace downwards, asphyxiating any will to keep the information hidden. I knew not what I was looking at, but in the back of my mind, I knew Io’s gift had something to do with my understanding of my words’ path.

Struggling within the deep confines of her pride and self-worth, I knew Sunset was going through the motions and evaluating whether or not to impart me with her knowledge of the stallion’s name. I also knew that - based on her choice - I’d finally get to see just how much my presence around her meant to me, and that would be quite beneficial to me seeing as how I planned to spend the rest of my life with her.

Parting her lips slowly, I could almost taste the trepidation and tension in each breath, the feelings almost diagnosing me with a nasty case of cottonmouth. But it also thrilled me to no end, because not only did I know have concrete evidence of her care for me, but I knew we could share anything with each other as long as there was enough strong-arming happening on either side of the spectrum. And it was with this revelation that I quietly awaited any sound from her parted lips, smirking along the utmost back-corners of my mouth.

“His name is Flash Sentry, and he’s a Royal Guard at the castle.”

Canterlot Bound Part Five

“And you’re sure that he knows nothing of this, brother? It would be most inconvenient to my well-being and plans should this end up backfiring.”

“You’ve nothing to worry over, Astilabor. Trust that everything is being handled in a timely fashion, and that I have everything under control as far as stealth is concerned, even though it’s not my forte as God of Destruction.”

“I’m warning you, Garyx. There is a stone I wish to have back in my claws by the time this is all said and done, and when I make the contract with my piece, he’ll be sent to the Badlands in order to collect it and bring it back to my shrine. Once in my possession, it’ll be easy pickings to get rid of Richards with bolder numbers.”

“Do not pitch me this idea again, Astilabor; I’ll not be swayed from the course I’ve selected for my pieces, and neither will Falazure. Feel free to take your precious stone with your piece as you see fit, but if you end up becoming more of a hindrance, a little helpful advice for my piece to take yours out might slip.”

“If only our relationship wasn’t as brittle as sheet ice, I could probably put more faith in you. However, dealing with the God of Arson and Genocide isn’t exactly wise, and so, certain constraints have to be placed in effect. I’ll be keeping my eye on you, Garyx; do not screw the pooch on this.”

“Whatever.”

These dreams were not my own.

They did not carry the warmth I had been expecting, nor was I led to believe that Equis was the planet on which I resided. Unlike the other, more familiar manifestations of my dreamscape - such as my Station of Awakening - this area was nothing more than a desert of purple colored sand, with a twinkling sky above wrapping around three moons arranged in a precarious and quite ominous position of a slanted ‘Z’. My gaze was drawn, captivated by the splendid canvas that portrayed the serenity of night with a pale yellow gaze.

This dream was definitely not my own.

The Station of Awakening was something I could understand; something I could assimilate into a part of myself and memories, for that’s what it was. That fictional plane of existence within my mind was crafted from a game I enjoyed playing once before, but I’ve never entertained nor seen a game with a purple desert before, and it wasn’t like this kind of landscape could just be dreamt from out of nowhere.

“There’s a connection here, and I’m simply missing it.”

My face jerked. The abrupt movement was fleeting, but left behind a sting on the offended cheek. I had been slapped. Someone in the real world was causing my body physical harm, but I couldn’t see nor hear who it was beyond this omnipresent veil of unconsciousness. My head felt the force behind another weighty blow, turning my large head to the right this time before I blinked in reaction to the impact.

In that blink, I was staring up at the roof to Sunset’s four-post, the nigh-transparent curtain surrounding me all around waving softly in the wind from a cracked window. The drifting breeze carried forth a delightful smell of sunshine, clear skies, wildflowers, and - much to my increasing chagrin - the scent of my love interest, I guess I should say.

Sunset Shimmer was currently posted up next to my head on the right side, her two-toned tail curled around her haunches as she sat on them. Her forehooves were straight, although the one on the right was slightly more red around the bottom. It didn’t take a genius to know which hoof she slapped me with as I sat up and worked my lower jaw around in slow circles.

I was in a foggy mental state as I’m quite wont to be upon waking up from a nap, but that dream felt so real that the purple sand which was betwixt my toes still gave me a haunting feeling of tangible form and sensation that I couldn’t explain. The whole thing was enough to make me twitch and flex my long toes a bit as I stared at them from my sat-up positioning next to Sunset.

“Well then,” She said, her voice breaking through the quiet stillness to fill my head with yet another train of thought. We were supposed to be leaving today for Canterlot; I would meet Flash Sentry, Harshwhinny will be coming along, and we’d finally be going towards that one place where Luna was. “I hope you didn’t forget about our little trip organized for today, Silas. Ms. Harshwhinny is in the living room enjoying tea and a blueberry muffin with all her bags packed.”

The news of that insufferable mare’s presence being so close to my own made me sigh in just a smidgen of annoyance. Shifting my eyes and head around so that I could better view her, I thusly lowered my head down so that I could plant a kiss upon Sunset’s forehead just to the right of her horn, feeling the long bone enter my hair and mingle with the strands as I broke the moment of intimacy by moving away just a smidgen.

“Fine,” I said after a moment to gather myself and stretch. “Can you keep her entertained until I get out there, or are you here taking a break from her company like so many others would?” My quip earned me a little bit of a glare from Sunset, but she wasn’t that good with her face yet; she couldn’t hide that brief flicker of amusement burning in her eyes as she turned and hopped off the bed.

“I expect you to be out in the living room in about five minutes, considering you’ll be packing all your essentials,” Sunset announced, her body moving fluidly with that grace she always kept packaged underneath her rather confrontational air of superiority and confidence. Twas there that her horn glowed and gave that mystical jingle as the doorknob took on her respective aura and opened just to close behind her softly on the way out.

I listened for her gait to carry her into the living room with my admittedly-massive ears before standing up fully with a loud yawn blowing the curtains on the wall asunder. A couple of her trinkets upon the boudoir against the wall I was facing shook and jingled before dumping their contents on the floor, one of them happening to be one of her many bottles of therapeutic oils. Io’s gift of Divine Comprehension allowed me to distinguish the bottle as the White Lotus concoction I rubbed upon her body before, making me feel a distinct heat rise to my cheeks as I strode over to her chair with a huff.

My emotions weren’t so exposed anymore, and I didn’t feel different in any way since having that dream as I snatched my jacket off the back of the chair with a few mumbled words of deep thinking. I could feel my eyes gravitating towards the bottom-edges of their sockets as I ransacked my brain for those images again that were once so vivid and breathtaking, instilling within my breast a sense of belonging so strong that everywhere else felt foreign and unknown to me. Nothing from Earth even remotely resembled that scenery, and nothing from the books Sunset kept around her house allowed my wonder to end itself.

“That place was on a whole other world. Perhaps it would be best to just allow this kind of thing to blow over and forget about it in the long run. I don’t really gain anything out of figuring out what that place means, anyways.” Both of my arms found solace and comfort within the bounds of the soft material my jacket’s insides were made out of as they slid into the sleeves, my thought process stopping as quick as it came. Today was the day we’d be leaving Stonehaven behind and flying towards Canterlot for that fated meeting.

“So much has happened,” I thought with a bit of distaste as I remembered Granite Podium and the horrors within: the people, the friends, the glass friendships and acquaintances. A moment of silence was offered to those who were lost in that struggle before I tugged on the two sides of my unzipped jacket, making my way towards the door with naught but a little huff announcing the end of my troublesome thoughts passing away into nothingness.

Upon reaching the door and placing my claw on it, the sounds of a muffled argument graced my ears. My whole body went stiff as I heard my name mentioned by an elder mare’s voice, and then a set of vocals too tiddled with confidence to be that of any other mare but Sunset’s. “Harshwhinny and Shimms are arguing? And it’s about me?”

The sudden development left a tremble in my breathing, but I placed my large right ear against the door and quieted my roaring blood to better hear the voices beyond the wood and hallway just beyond.

“.... To continue on with him, Sunset Shimmer. He’s much too unstable upstairs, and above all else, a complete danger to you and those you might be caring for on the side.” That was Harshwhinny, no doubt, always willing to talk about me whenever I’m not listening.

“You are a respected member of Canterlot’s nobility,” Sunset said, her voice sharp but muffled thanks to the blasted door blocking my true aural quality from manifesting itself. “Your opinions, suggestions and critiques have been known to make or break major events and parties. I don’t seem to recall relationship advice to be among your repertoire of skills, though.”

“No, it’s not; but I can’t stand watching a well-off mare like yourself settle for something so... underneath your capabilities. You’re aesthetically pleasing to the eye, learned and firmly rooted in your studies, and even boast some of the strongest savvy with magic outside the Equestrian border. You deserve so much more, Sunset Shimmer.”

At that, my nails tore into the wood of Sunset’s door a little bit. “Harshwhinny is trying to break us up? Why? We’re taking the time out of our happy lives together in order to take her ungrateful-ass to Canterlot, and she’s just sitting there-”

“You’re right.”

My eyes widened, all thoughts shot through the heart as an icy dagger tore mine up from the bottom to the top. I was not disheartened yet, because I knew Sunset was going to go on with one of her tirades that would slowly build up to her getting angry and yelling at the dumbass in a purple suit. She always did that with me whenever I pointed out the obvious to her and used it as an argument.

But.. no words followed that. She wasn’t setting up for an epic comeback, she wasn’t leading Harshwhinny into a false sense of victory like she had with me on so many an occasion. There was simply no follow-through whatsoever when it came to her trying to repair my heart with but a single syllable following that statement; no, that agreement with the older mare’s cold words towards me and who I was and what I amounted to as a love interest for her.

“Ah,” Harshwhinny said after a moment, her voice carrying through gruffly as if she wasn’t expecting the answer either. “Then you do realize what I’m getting at, do you? I never said breakup with him; far be it from me to dictate how you should lead your life, but know that my special talent doesn’t involve mincing my words. The dragon - Celestia bless his problem-laden soul - offers you nothing in terms of bettering yourself. Being with him will only cause you stress and harm. It is the way with all dragons save for a certain Mr. The Dragon back in Ponyville, but I think that’s because he was raised under the tutelage of us Equestrians rather than his own kind.”

Sunset fell quiet for a couple of moments before she sighed heavily and - although I couldn’t see her, I knew she did it - nodded her head. “You are right in every regard, and if you’d notice, I never disagreed with anything you have said. I do wake up sometimes in the night and wonder if I rushed into this with him; I know nothing about him, I know nothing about what’s going on in his head, and I feel as though most of my attraction towards him happens to come from the fact that he’s exotic, he’s rather nice to me, and that he saved me from the horrors of that Granite Podium situation I told you about earlier.”

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. The click of a teacup finding itself placed back onto a fancy coaster plate made me bristle a bit in sorrow. “But it was genuine; we connected far better than that, I thought! Did I scare her away by killing Dreggen and his brothers? Was I weathering the storm for naught but this situation here and now?” There were too many questions for me to think about and avoid breaking down at the same time. This was the worst pain I’ve ever felt; the pain of a broken heart, of a shattered soul. “... We have to be more than that... truly....”

“Going by that retort, I’d like to say that I was right after all; you’re not sure if the feelings you have for him actually come from your desire to be with him, or be protected by him,” Harshwhinny deduced, her snobbish voice making me want to puke. “I never enjoy playing with marriage or relationships of another feather, but the flock remains the same, and since you asked for my opinion... I will give it.”

A long silence fell over everything as I pressed my head closer to the door, feeling the dagger in my heart get close to the tip before it would eventually cleave in two everything I cared for when it came to Sunset Shimmer.

“End it. Do not mince your words, look him in the eye, and break it off. There is nothing to come from you shackling yourself to some otherworldly plebian to entertain your delusions of falsified affection. If you do not break it off, you will only be causing yourself more pain. He’s too unstable, and as my friend and acquaintance, I will not stand by idly and watch this self-destruct sequence activate and complete itself eventually.” Her opinion given, I could practically hear the tips of Sunset’s eyelids slam into the bottom portion as she winced.

“Your honesty is appreciated and considered, Ms. Harshwhinny. Thank you.”

My knees thundered against the floorboards as I collapsed, much like the world I had created with Sunset as the very cornerstone. After we conversated with Luna in Canterlot, my mind had settled on Sunset being the person keeping me bound to my place of perfected peace and comfort; she was the rock I could lean on when the storms quaked the ground and shattered the sky with bright whips of lightning. All of my rage at Granite Podium was just torn away at that moment, when those two words ending that part of their conversation were spoken by my own love interest... supposed love interest, that is.

I felt nauseous, and for the first time since living on Earth all years of my life without Old Man Sam, utterly alone. My tendencies for making a bad situation worse was no different now that I was beholding the naked truth among all things possible; Sunset Shimmer was a unicorn from a well-off family in Canterlot, served Princess Celestia - whom I understand to be the elder sister of Princess Luna, the royal alicorn we’re supposed to be meeting - as her faithful student, and even wrote some pretty high-grade spells on magic itself as a living force of energy and sustenance.

And then, there was Silas Epista. “Nothing besides Unsung Hero of Granite Podium to his name....” I hissed as the first tear tore itself down my face with horrendous tons of ferocity, sizzling in the air as it dropped onto the wooden floorboards below and melted through the timber as if it was nothing more than paper doused in lighter fluid. A black hole was left in the drop’s wake, and as it went, I eventually felt more tears clawing themselves from my eyes much to my annoyance and chagrin.

“How pathetic is this, Justin?” My question dropped into my body like a swing from the executioner’s ax. The answer was too apparent for me to bear as I snarled and wiped my face on the sleeve of my right arm, quickly standing up to my own two feet and that hunched-over pose that allowed me to navigate Sunset’s house without any hindrance whatsoever. From this newly-found stance, I made sure no traces of crying were seen in my eyes by turning my head to look upon the mirror centerpiece of her boudoir before turning back to the door and opening it after sighing once.

The creak of the door hushed the mares in the living room like I thought it would, which was why I had opted to eavesdrop without opening the obstacle beforehand. As my steps reverberated throughout the entire household with every stride given, I had about two seconds of being by myself before I beheld Harshwhinny and Sunset sitting opposite from each other in two floral-patterned recliners that looked too soft to be real; the long table separating them only having their teacups, their two coaster-plates, two small plates for their muffins --- which was odd since Harshwhinny still had a full muffin while Sunset’s was all but gone, and an elegant kettle matching the floral patterns of the recliners they were currently in.

Next to Harshwhinny was that stapled traveling case that I mistook for Sunset back at Town Square the other day, and from the bemused look on her face, I could tell that the elder mare had her suspicions about whether or not I had been eavesdropping on their little heart-to-heart. I did my best to hide my knowledge from her as I turned my head from that analytic gaze, instead finding Sunset’s unsure eyes and hesitant glances. If we were still an item, I would have asked her what that puppy-dog look was for, but since it was clear what was in her heart towards me, it took everything I had to keep my feelings in check and remain from crying once more.

“Mother was right in one regard,” I thought bitterly as I made an immediate right to push open her front door and head outside, towards the woodpile and chopping stump where I did my most relaxing work around this place and where I kept Devotion. “Relationships... nothing ever good comes from them, especially the ones created on a whimsy. Maybe that’s why, in the back of my mind, I always felt that what Shimms and I had was never meant to last. The size difference should have been a big enough indication of that, ironically enough.”

Bitterness swelled in my breast like a cancerous tumor, causing me a slight pain even as the midday breeze carried with it the sound of a sorrowful sigh being given by a mare that had just stepped outside. Devotion’s mighty handle drew my attention more than that pony behind me ever could at the current moment, even though I felt that familiar tug on my soul to turn around and see to whatever was bothering her. It was as if my body was being split in two, the half behind me stretching and clamoring for the unicorn while I, the one with the lesser amount of drive, took Devotion’s cylindrical handle into my massive claw.

All it took was a single thought to have the massive ax melt and shift down into its baton form, where it was then situated upon my right hip and behind the black belt. I wasn’t ever going to tell Sunset that I overheard everything she and Harshwhinny were conversing about, and I wasn’t ever going to blow up at her for not telling me how she felt sooner instead of leading me on in such a way. But the realization that I was nothing more than a great nourisher to her exotic species fetish was something that coerced a silent burp and gurgle from my belly.

I felt sickened that my will was so easily manipulated; the worse part being that I actually found myself not caring all that much about this development. The feeling that my body was willing to answer to her, to heed and always seek compromise when I wanted nothing more than to distance myself for some coherent thought; so I could lose myself among every train leading me to a sense of self-closure that could put us back together.

“Silas, I-”

“No,” I barked, a snarl working its way across my lips as I turned my head to the left some, angling my head as far away from her as possible as if her snout was on the right side of it. My claws tightened themselves into balls of representative internal battle; turn around, don’t turn around, and so forth. “Just... give me a bit of time.” I granted myself the wish of turning around at that moment, my face hot with boiling blood and - at the same time - a frostburn-inducing coldness that stemmed from the realization that there was no going back from saying how I felt as I looked upon Sunset’s shocked features.

I was practically looming over her, she was so close, with her eyes wide and ears pinned to her head as those pupils shimmered - ironically - with the sun’s embrace. Part of me wanted to compliment her deep down, but the other 87% wanted me to finish what I was going to say. “Give me a bit of time from you, to be exact.” And with that, I tucked my claws into my pockets and walked past her, my wince all too clear to me as I practically trampled her wildflowers upon hearing her lungs work again to usher forth a pained inhale like she had been stabbed.

Harshwhinny was on the dirt road just as I got out of the flowers, some tulips stuck between my toes as she borderline glared at me in my peripheral vision. “Running away from your problems by being abrasive as Tartarus again, I assume?”

I had taken one step past her positioning before that questioned reached my ears, making me stop mid-step and whirl on the perfection-obsessed mare. “I am in no mood for your shit, you hag! Instead of snooping around in matters that don’t concern you,” My arm snapped up into the backhanding motion as Harshwhinny made to open her mouth and interrupt me, the action stopping that syllable short of utterance as I glared. “And I don’t give a rat’s ass how much Sunset respects your opinion or if she even asked for it; this little fallout between both her and myself was eventually going to transpire, but you had no right speaking on this matter.”

Harshwhinny waited for me to stop and lower my claw before frowning deeply; violence didn’t sit well with her when threats were behind it. “What transpired betwixt your love interest and myself,” She air-quoted with her hooves, making my own snarl intensify in ferocity as she mocked our relationship even more. “Was meant to stay exactly that; between Sunset Shimmer and Ms. Harshwhinny; not the whiny little prat insinuating that my advice was actually going to be heeded by the unicorn currently crying her sorrows onto her torn-up garden over there!”

Her logical rebuttal made me angrier, but I knew she had me beaten in that scenario; there was no way I could know that was what Sunset was thinking about when she approached me, and now she definitely knew that I had overheard them thanks to the shouting match I just had against the prestigious earth pony in front of me. Harshwhinny was actually giving me a real scowl, not her neutral mean mug, allowing me to see just what she looked like when real anger was applied to the mix of sour emotions she operated within any nominal situation.

She had taken the words from my mouth and mind, wiping it clean with that thundering sense of surety that eradicated any false inkling of defiance I had left. And when that ran out, my defiance, I felt my anger subsiding and morbid grief taking hold where once hot blood ran. It was enough to make me shiver and look towards Sunset slowly, watching her shuddering and hunched-over form shake involuntarily of her will. I had succeeded in making a mountain out of an anthill as I was always wont to do back on Earth... glorious.

“This is exactly what I warned her about, which I’m sure you know of what I’m referring to.” The snobby voice laced with an irate disposition made my body shiver along the back of my legs as I turned my head back to look upon Harshwhinny’s features, not really knowing if she had calmed down or if she had merely kept the same stank-face she had when she was livid. “You bring her pain and suffering merely being around her, and she’s too accepting of a stranger in order to turn you away. That’s her major problem, and why she opted to move out into this hick-forest away from the minotaurs of Stonehaven.”

I could only avert my eyes and stare down at a particularly interesting procession of black ants currently marching their way across the dirt road that I was close to passing on my way to the back of the cabin. She had defeated me on the one thing I prided myself the most with; sheer logic and determination which would cumulate into a great sense of self. She had robbed me of the deepest part of myself... this was defeat far worse than anything compared to a physical nature. And it wouldn’t be a lie if I said that a large majority of me wanted to go over to where Sunset was, get on my knees, and cry alongside her.

Harshwhinny might be an unpleasant, perfection-obsessed, mean-faced cunt; but she was a necessary evil to sort me out and sort out Sunset. In a way, I couldn’t be that upset that she managed to do this to me; everything she had said to Shimms was the absolute truth. There was absolutely nothing I had to offer other than pain and hardship, as stupid and emo it sounded. I had no skills, no money, no real solid ground in this world, and now - based on the order that Io had given me in regards to slaying Tiamat - an apparent death mission if the slightest thing went wrong.

Gritting my teeth in bitter acceptance, I merely placed the foot that was still slightly raised for my next step through the right side’s wildflower garden in order to settle it on the dirt road Harshwhinny and I were sharing. There was a hollow feeling deep in my chest that I couldn’t explain, but as I turned my attention back onto the sharply-dressed mare, the feeling of half-assed acceptance seemed to dwindle back down into nothingness as I heaved a sigh.

“Well... now I feel like absolute shit. Thanks for that.”

“Anytime,” Harshwhinny responded quickly, almost as if she was expecting me to say that right from the get-go. “I’m not the one you should be talking to and trying to make pitiful amends with. And I won’t tell you to approach her now, but it’s an event that must unfold in order for you two to even have the ability to look at each other without feeling ridiculously awkward.” Her opinion given once more, Ms. Harshwhinny grabbed her traveling bag with that floral arrangement in her teeth, hoisted it up, and made her way behind the cabin without another word or a second glance back to me or Sunset.

She was ready to go, and yet, I was here creating drama and stalling our progress for no reason whatsoever other than to satisfy my sense of Get Them Before They Get You. But I was now left with two options at the present moment, and they both sucked so much in their own way that it was impossible for me to choose without giving it some serious thought.

“Option 1: Turn around, walk to Sunset, and try to apologize without sounding like a dick.” One would think this to be simple and easy to carry out, but when in regards to myself and the way I think and always get defensive, there was no real way of saying that everything would go according to the plan. Who knew me better than myself, and if the answer really is myself, then I also knew this was a fool’s errand since the bittersweet feeling was still lodged deep within my thick chest; an unknown pressure that sought to crush my rib-cage to pieces and shatter my heart like porcelain dropped from on high.

“No, that won’t suffice right now. I’ll say something and end up fucking us over even more, especially now that I know I’m... well... not really desired or needed. I hate being a doormat, but you have no other choice when you fuck up so often, I guess.” Shaking my head a bit whilst stuffing my huge claws into the pockets of my exotic pants, I couldn’t help but notice how much of that was true. In hindsight, I had always been a doormat when it came to my emotions and principles, no matter how much I tried convincing myself otherwise with idle words and distracting thoughts. I joined the Four Suits Mafia simply because I was trying to cure my spineless persona and replace it with something more... assertive.

“Stop it, dude. You just got yourself together. Option 2 is leaving her alone for a bit and then casually bringing it up on the trip to Canterlot while we’re in Judgement. Considering the situation at hand, that sounds like a far better alternative than what was previously thought up.” A nice breeze rolled by at that point, blowing a satisfying gust of air that managed to scoop up some of Sunset’s mane and drift it about lazily in my peripheral vision. It was hard to miss things when you were almost as big as the trees surrounding the house you were made to reside in for a while.

Twas here that I made out the movement she made; a simple raising of her head and stopping of her sniffling. An eerie silence broke out as I turned my head completely to behold her still form as she gazed out over the trees in the distance, almost as if she was lifting a silent prayer to the gods of the forests in order to make them bloom even more gorgeously than they were right now. And it took everything I had to not choke on my next inhale as she practically snapped her head around to glare fire through my being, her heart speaking louder than her words ever could as she stood and aptly started a brisk walk towards the back of the cabin on her side.

She didn’t want to be near me.

“Option 2 it is...” My thought was pathetic; almost a whisper as I sighed deeply and went behind the cabin on my own side, my large size carrying me faster than her brisk walk as I past her parallel to her own path towards Judgement. Harshwhinny was already tapping her hoof expectantly as her suitcase or traveling bag or whatever the fuck that thing is sat next to her and leaned against the ship itself. She didn’t seem that impressed that an alien craft was behind her.

Upon catching my gaze and then briefly looking to Sunset’s approaching figure, Harshwhinny redirected her gaze back towards me; the only noticeable difference was that she was now sporting a raised eyebrow as if she was silently asking: “Are you kidding me? You honestly said nothing to her?”

All it took was a glare from my end to make her sigh deeply and turn around, picking her bag up in her teeth. Like a gentleman, I averted my eyes to make sure I wasn’t getting a good eye on her ass and the like; such things would no doubt piss Sunset off further if she was taking subtle glances at me like she’s wont to do when terribly upset.

“Siri, extend the boarding steps, please.” My order was given via our telepathic link through the Sirios Unit, the tiny A.I. colored a pink draconian floating out of the device to shoot me a quick glare before flying into the ship and getting its side door opening with the stairs all but rocketing out into the ground. I had to roll my eyes. All the women were ganging up on me.

Of course it wasn’t fair in my eyes, but their actions were all too justified. In the back of my mind, I was somewhat happy that they had the ability to synchronize like this and really screw the pooch over harder than what was originally needed in terms of comeuppance; they were vengeful vixens cooperating to make sure the one guy was gonna regret ever doing this to them. “There you go again, Justin; always searching for a way to make this their fault somehow. You fucked up, not them.”

Before I could take my first step onto the ship, Harshwhinny was already entering the craft. Sunset, however, decided she was going second, and froze my leg up in her aura of strong magic as she practically bullied me out of the way to allow herself passage. It wasn’t until her flanks disappeared around the corner did I feel and see that beautiful blue aura leave my leg, a distinct tightness able to be felt in the appendage as she almost snapped it clean in two. The pain was enough to make me wince minutely at the sore appendage before trudging my way up the stairs, cursing under my breath because of the lack of a railing.

“Guess that pegasus is already on my ship,” The final step that brought me into the log cabin-esque cockpit that I left Judgement in was taken, and when I entered the ship, my large ears picked up on the slamming sound of the steps entering the ship’s innards as the door closed behind me. Where Sunset had grabbed my leg with her magic I’ll never know exactly, but it itched to all hell near the shin.

And it was at this moment that I realized Siri, Sunset, and Harshwhinny all had their own varying glares of disappointment going for them. The realization was enough to make me sigh deep enough to blow forth a plume of black smog from my nostrils and flatten my ears against my head. “This.... this is gonna be a long-ass trip.”

“Whoa,” A new voice drawled out on my left, making me snap my head around instantly and perk my ears right back up into the sky. The pegasus currently flapping at my head’s level of height had wide eyes of nice blue and a matching mane and tail of the same coloration, his hair being that of gold just like Sunset’s. I could tell from the bolder chin that he was male, and by the voice as well, and to my displeasure, he was within arm’s reach of me even though I had no idea who he was. Apparently, the stallion had no concept of personal space. “... You’re a lot bigger than what Shimmy explained.”

I just stared at him for a little bit before slowly turning my attention away from the stallion, soon making my way over to the Captain’s chair in order to relax into the cushions as I sat down and closed my eyes. “... Longest. Fucking. Trip. Ever.”