Displaced Soul

The sound of leaves crunching underfoot grew louder and louder as the invisible Undead drew closer. Pulling one of the arrows from his dive suit and throwing it to the ground, Charlie growled as he lifted his left hand. The invisible attackers tensed, the sound of weapons repositioning and steps being taken painting a mural in his mind, with a little focus, he poured the Anam into his Plasmid. The Undead attackers rushed him as he slammed his clenched fist into the ground and released the spell.

Giant stalagmites of ice erupted from the earth, impaling the closest of the attackers and freezing any that touched them in a violent explosion of ice. Standing up, he watched as the last few who were still invisible attempt to leap over the deadly spears only to be tripped up by the angry swarm of killer bees and frozen instantly.

Alvis started to chuckle, slowly at first, then it grew louder and louder. He got up, gripped his chime, and approached some of the dead bodies. Kneeling down, a black mist like aura surrounded him before being sucked into the bodies, and Alvis immediately got up and started kicking the bodies in the direction he thought the attackers were. Screams of pain and explosions of black fire sounded from the directions the bodies were kicked, and all the while Alvis was cackling.

"Alvis!" Celestia called. "Calm down! Please!"

Alvis stopped abruptly. Before turning to face his wife. "Why should I? These fiends, these insects deserve no better!" he growled.

"Alvis, my love, please, just calm down! You promised me you would never resort to hexes!" Celestia pleaded. Alvis growled for a moment longer before huffing and crossing his arms, then taking out his Moonlight Greatsword.

"As thou wish, Tia." he replied, slight anger still in his tone. Then, he swung the sword downwards, splitting a tree in half and killing another target.

Celestia and Luna's horns glowed brighter as they cast healing spells on themselves to stop the bleeding. They knew their wings would heal in a few days. Then, the sister's ears twitched as they heard a twig snap behind them, and they rounded on the foe, Luna slashing open it's stomach, whilst Celestia bashed its head in.

Charlie turned from the corpse to the sisters and Alvis, "You two take mind taking point, me and Alvis are going to trail a few yards back. I want to talk to him a little, alone." He told them.

The sisters nodded and started walking, trying to find any way out of the cursed forest. Alvis walked over to Charlie with a sigh. "What is it, Fere Charlie?" he asked.

Taking a deep breath, Charlie reached up and turned the valve on his helmet. Once his face was unobstructed, he turned to the Undead, "I know absolutely nothing about marriage or the sacred vows involved, but one thing I do know, is cruelty. I've seen men place bets on which dog would win a fight to the death, I've seen my mother high on one of, if not the most self destructive drug ever devised in the entire Multiverse and I've once ended the life of a mare right in front of her only child. I won't try telling you not to rejoice in the slaughter, I won't even tell you what's fucked up or what's fair in a fight to the death. What I will tell you, is be careful... because I know those two love you, and they didn't wait who knows how long simply to get some twisted and warped version of the man they fell in love with." With his speech done, he reattached his helmet and chuckled, "Although I'm also going to tell you that I lost an entire hive of bees because of your little episode."

Alvis sighed. "I...I know. Tis hard to not lash out when they are injured. I hath waited five thousand years to see them again, I can not bear to see them slain before me, not when I hath waited such an eternity. To see them injured...it just..." Alvis couldn't bring himself to finish.

"I know that feeling, that unquenchable desire to massacre anyone who fucks with your loved ones... I've ripped apart families man, all to keep a single little girl safe. And you know what's the scariest part... I know that I would do it all again, with or without my humanity. I know that I would rip a guard or a mercenary or a assassin or even another Displaced in half, if only to preserve the only family I have left in my life. I just would hate to see or hear how your overprotective nature was the thing to bring the most pain to your family." Charlie and Alvis continued after the Princesses while Charlie was busy talking. Alvis sighed and hung his head.

    "I understand, fere Charlie. I wilt endeavor to make sure it doth not happen again." Alvis replied.

    "Don't promise me that shit." Charlie told him to his surprise, "Wrath is not some mere candle to be snuffed, it is an eternal flame, but one that only needs the slightest addition of fuel to burst into an unstoppable force, the best you can do is ensure that you control when the time comes, that it's the time to trade your morals for those you love. I know that your wives aren't some weaklings, they could easily take my versions on with little to no trouble. But if the day comes that requires a monster to preserve those you love, then call upon that inner fire, as long as you don't let it come out whenever it wants, then I know for a fact that you three will stay happy and strong. A great man once said that the things that heal us can also kill us, make sure that it's only healing you, and not poisoning you" Charlie told him as they caught up to Celestia and Luna, prematurely ending their conversation and leaving Alvis to think over what Charlie told him.

    Celestia and Luna looked on worriedly as they watched their husband trudge along. They knew this land brought out the worst in him, but it was his idea to come in the first place. With a glance at one another, they decided to talk about it when they got back.

    Alvis took point again, and eventually the group made it to a path that lead to some very worn stairs. After climbing them and shuffling into the doorway of a building so old that it's original architecture and etchings had worn away and moss had grown on the now smooth surface, they climbed up a ramp which led to a long, crumbling hallway with another ramp leading upwards, a bonfire behind it. To one side behind the ramp was a dead tree trunk that Alvis explained he had pushed to create a shortcut to the bonfire during his time in Drangleic before he left for Equus.

    Just as the Princesses and Charlie were about to go forward past the crumbled floor at the end of the hall, Alvis stopped them.

    "Listen, my friends, and look up." Alvis urged, pointing to the crumbling ceiling where a clay pot as tall as Alvis sat, a face etched onto it. Faint laughter that sounded like fairies emanated from it.

    Shrugging, Charlie turned from the urn and asked, "Trap?" Alvis nodded.

    "Aye, those pots will curse thee and steal thine life force if thou art within at least fifteen paces of them." Alvis explained. "There are countless of these pots scattered around this area. Tread carefully, and break them when thou spots them."

    After they had got enough distance, Charlie used his grapple drill to smash the urn. Although he was disappointed at the sound of it smashing; having expected angry screeching or demonic cursing. "What a rip, where's the demonic tongue lashing, where's the cliche movie scream?" He asked.

    "Thou wish for demons? Those were purged from this world eons ago, back in the time of the Great White Being and the First Dead One." Alvis explained.

    "More like expecting something less... anticlimactic. Creepy laughter should always have a follow up, I just wasn't expecting a plain crashing noise." Charlie answered as they looked back at the destroyed urn. Celestia and Luna giggled whilst Alvis shook his with mirth.

    "Charlie, you are such a... what's the word?" Celestia began.

    "Muscle head? Macho stallion?" Luna supplied.

    "Yes, that. You remind me of Rainbow Dash, only more vulgar. Not that it isn't refreshing, hearing somepony, or rather, someone, speak their thoughts." Celestia commented.

    "You no even know it." Charlie replied as the group continued on. "I always believed that only cowards are more afraid of what will happen if they spoke their mind, while courageous men are the ones who fear not speaking their mind more."

    "Mayhaps, but courage is a fickle thing to define in simple words." Alvis added. "Not that I do not find the statement true."

    "Yes, well, should we not continue? We must not tally, our nephew's life is on the line." Luna urged.

    "That's new for you, Luna. I've never known you to care much for Blueblood." Celestia replied.

    "I don't, really, I simply wish to fight more. This land may be dangerous, but that tis why I like it. If only for the challenge it presents me. However slight that is." Luna retorted.

    "You could bind your wings and make it fair, you could also take on as many as you want while Celestia and I hang back and place bets." Charlie smirked, "Because you know that Alvis would hate to see you fight alone, among other things I'm sure." He wagged his eyebrows before remembering his helmet and sighed. Luna and Alvis blushed, though Alvis' was hidden behind his thick helmet.

    "A-anyway, shall we not continue?" Luna urged, trying to change the subject and avert attention. Alvis coughed awkwardly.

    "Y-yes, well, before we do so, thou shouldst know that these enemies wilt not stop for any injury, fatal or no. But, they art...somewhat slow." Alvis explained.

"Cool, so what are we talking about, slow like a brick on an incline or glacier slow?" Charlie asked while scanning for enemies.

    "Slightly faster than the brick. They art simply sluggish, at least whilst running or walking." Alvis informed.

    Bringing both of his drills up, Charlie revved them, "So is a Bouncer, doesn't mean I want to be in front of one when it gets moving. So what are these things we'll be killing next?" He asked.

    "Supposedly, they art human, but they abhor their looks, and strive to cover it up with any means available. They art known as the Lion Clan. None know much about them, aside from what a few hath seen." Alvis informed.

    "So they're body dysmorphic disorder suffering pricks who hate on others like us because of our good looks. Okay, so we're beating up fifteen year old emo girls... I'm surprisingly cool with that." Charlie chuckled at the thought of being attacked by little white girls with too many things to smile about compared to any child in Africa. And razors. Lots of razors that none of them can explain why they have them. Celestia and Luna giggled whilst Alvis stared at Charlie confusedly.

    "...Anyway, let us continue." And so they jumped down off of the crumbling floor and walked out of the doorway and up a small incline. Immediately the group noticed a number of tall, extremely hairy, robe wearing, grey men with braided beards, wooden tower shields with markings on them, and simple double edged battle axes. Circlets lay upon their hairy heads, keeping their hair over their faces. Four of them noticed the group right away and charged, axes at the ready.

    Charlie lifted his drills up and charged towards the closest one, shattering his wooden shield and bowling over the rest. As he drove the hairy axe wielding maniac into the ground, Celestia, Alvis and Luna immediately jumped on the opportunity to kill the prone men.

    Alvis jumped on top of one and slammed his Gyrm Axe into it, splitting it in two. Luna stabbed one in the gut, but to her surprise, the fiend simply grabbed the sword and pulled it deeper into itself, snarling all the way. As a response, Luna twisted it, and with a shout and a burst of Alicorn strength, pulled her blade upwards and sliced the being in half. Celestia simply cracked the skull of the one she stood on with her morning star.

The sound of battle drew seven more of the hairy men from around the area. Three charged Charlie and were surprised when their axes only left dents in the giant's armour, although one did rip the side of his rubber suit.

Growling, Charlie delivered a backhand with his right drill and flung his drills to the ground. Summoning twin green orbs, he threw them into the one's he didn't pimp slap and growled, "*Rip each other apart, starting with that one.*" Two axes slammed into the third attackers chest and immediately chopped into the foe's vital organs. Once they had rended him in two, the hypnotized hairy men started attacking each other, until both of them struck fatal blows and collapsed. "Damn, should have sicced them on the others. Oh well." Charlie said as he turned around.

Alvis had danced around one of the hairy individuals, kicked him to his knees, and then raised his axe and split him in half.

Luna tried to parry a strike from her opponent with her Bone Fist, but only succeeded in cutting her hoof, showing that the brutes had more strength than even an Alicorn such as she.

Celestia, noting her sister's injury, stabbed her adversary with her shortsword, and in a feat of raw power, hoisted the heavy man and threw him towards Luna's opponent, hoping to at least distract him. To her relief, it did, if but for a moment.

Luna, taking her chance, jumped up and sliced the brute's head clean off before landing on the prone enemy that was thrown with enough force to shatter bones. Despite this, the brutish man pushed through the pain like it was nothing and threw Luna towards her sister, just like he had been thrown.

Alvis, once again infuriated, took out his Greatsword and swung downwards towards the man, releasing a wave of moonlight that cut him in half.

Pushing the torn edges of his suit back together, Charlie watched as his dive suit sealed automatically. Shaking his head, He walked over to the others and nodded towards the obstacle on their path.

The last hairy man, enraged by his brethren being slain, charged towards Charlie while he was off guard and jumped on him, trying to slice open his head but only succeeding in leaving dents in the helm.

Enraged by the ringing in his ears, Charlie lit his hands on fire and fueled the Plasmid some Anam. As the flames flowed up his hands, they soon covered the big daddy. The flames danced upon him and his unwanted passenger, once the burned man starting screaming, Charlie jumped up and slammed his foe under his bulk. Rolling off, Charlie proceeded to curb stomp the significantly less hairy man, soon joined by Alvis.

The man, despite his wounds, still managed to push the two off him and knock them on their asses, and then shakily stood up and charged Charlie, his axe, having fallen out of his hands, was left alone as he punched Charlie with considerably surprising strength despite his fatal wounds, managing to crack the glass in the helmet.

Grabbing onto the man's beard, Charlie snapped his fingers and used his Sonic Boom Plasmid to rip the man's beard off as he flew into the wall opposite... where he was immediately beheaded by Celestia's shortsword.

Celestia, panting, asked, "Do you really think that it was a good idea to curb stomp something with that kind of resilience?" she asked.

Alvis and Charlie looked at each other for a moment, before Alvis answered, "Probably not. But it felt good."

Celestia groaned whilst Luna giggled after having sealed up her cut with a spell.

"It's a traditional method of informing some lowlife that he is lower than your boots, by introducing him to the bottom of you and your homies' boots. What I want to know is, can one of you fix this crack and how do you know what a curb stomp is?" Charlie asked while gesturing to his helmet.

After catching her breath, Celestia replied, "Yes, and I've heard of Alvis calling it that when he was younger and we were just wed." She turned to Alvis. "Speaking of my love, I still don't understand how you changed your speech so quickly and why."

After drinking from a green flask that seemed to hold liquid fire, Alvis responded, "I always adored thine and Lulu's speech patterns, and decided to adopt them. After some time and learning from a tutor, it stuck."

"Well that explains it." She trotted up to Charlie, her horn aglow, before the cracks and dents on his armor were simply gone. "There you go, Charlie, good as new."

"Thanks. Now then, anymore of these fubar furry freaks?" He asked as they prepared to continue. Which meant he grabbed his drills and picked up a couple of battle axes.

"Nay, fere Charlie. We art safe." Alvis answered.

Nodding, Charlie threw one of the axes at the wall, easily burying it to the axes shaft. Chuckling, he held on to the other one as the group continued.

Theresa, Cloud and Midnight's PoV

    Leaning her head against the window, Theresa smiled at the trees and fields that were passed by the Friendship Express. Every now and then, she would reach into her Bag-O-Blood and smile again. The once quarter filled bag now filled to capacity with the random assortment of Tokens, blood packs half of her needle sticking out with a few spare magazines for her auto pistol. The gun in question was in the same place it was yesterday, tucked in under the bow of her dress and hidden under a folded piece of fabric.

'All in all, I wouldn't say worth a thousand years of pain, fear and loss, but that's not something I can change... yet. Someday, we'll be able to do this in our own Equestria, Charlie just has to earn our Celestia's trust. Without opening himself to another one of those gem attacks, what the fuck did she do?' Theresa pondered and wondered as the train kept moving. When she asked her escorts who was raising the sun that morning, they told her Twilight and Cadance. Since no one from Texas gives two shits about cold weather, that only really left her with one option for entertainment today.

    As the conductor announced their arrival at Ponyville, the three got off of the train and looked around.

    "So, remind me why you wanted to come here again?" Midnight asked.

    "The last time I was here, the whole town was upside down and as chaotic as Discord's sock drawer. Followed by a little disagreement between my uncle and two eight foot tall sexual perverts that kinda demanded the eyes of everyone who saw them and our summons kinda dragged us out before we saw much. Also, there's that, that wasn't there in our world." Theresa replied, pointing a finger at the tree castle that was at least a plus twenty to conversation starter.

    "I...see. Sorry I asked." Midnight replied.

    "So in your world, Miss Sparkle is still a unicorn?" Cloud asked, remembering what Theresa told them before hoof a day and a half ago.

    "Yep, you know how hard it's going to be not telling her cryptic hints? I see a sponsorship from Red Bull in your future. Yo Sparkle, do you have a thousand and one ways to preen? No? You should really get it, it's a really useful book. Charlie and I will be at her  ascension and yell our disapproval while not telling her why we disapprove." Theresa laughed as she pictured the expressions of everypony back in her Equestria. Cloud and Midnight laughed, before Midnight paused.

    "Wait, what's Red Bull? And why would one sponsor her?" She asked confused. Cloud nodded.

    "What she said." Cloud added.

    "According to my dad, the best chaser ever invented for a night when you wanna get loud and drunk. Their motto is 'Red Bull gives you wings'." Theresa answered while stifling her laughter.

    "Ohhhh." Midnight and Cloud said in unison. Midnight thought about it for a moment.

    "Is that a metaphor?" Midnight asked.

    "Yeah, it just makes you hyper, no insta promotion." Theresa replied, trying and failing to think of something odder than liquid wings.

    "Cool. So, what are we doing?" Midnight queried.

    "Eh, get drinks and snacks, mess with the element bearers and get away innocently by using my acting skills." Theresa answered as if it was the most obvious of answers ever. Cloud sighed.

    "I'm getting a headache just thinking about it..." he groaned.

    "Oh lighten up, Cloud, it's just a bit of fun!" said Midnight. Cloud simply grumbled.

    "Yeah, convincing them I'm a mostly harmless child with a blood abnormality that requires me to have several bags of blood ready for transfusion at a moment's notice will be fun." Theresa smiled as she rubbed her hands together, "Let's also leave out the part about my 'Big Daddy' being a walking, non-talking killing machine."

    Cloud heaved a sigh whilst Midnight giggled. And so, they walked off the train station and headed into town. As they walked, they passed by numerous ponies, some Theresa recognized, some she didn't. One in particular, an umber stallion with a dark brown mane and green tie, smiled knowingly as he watched the trio walk by. Then, a pink blur zoomed through the streets before stopping just in front of Theresa.

"Ohmygoshit'salittlefillywaitfilliesdon'tlooklikethatsowhatissheisitevenashewaitdoyoulikecakeIlovecake!" spat out the pink, fluffy, bouncy abomination in front of them, whom Theresa recognized as Pinkie Pie.

'I didn't understand anything before the word cake. Oh well, let there be innocence' Theresa timidly smiled as she looked over the excitable mare, her guards possibly still attempting to decipher her rapid fire question and exclamation. "Y-yes, I like cake. But, I didn't understand what you said before that." Theresa muttered while trying to avoid looking at the mare in front of her, that and petting her.

"Oh! Sorry, I tend to talk really fast! Or at least that's what everypony tells me! So, what kind of cake do you like, uh...sorry, who and what are you?" Pinkie asked.

"It's fine, my name is Theresa, and I'm a, or I was... yeah. I am a Gatherer, also known as a Little Sister. I used to be human, all Gatherers used to be human, but now I'm special. I may be the only Gatherer in this world, but I still got my Protector, or Big Daddy if you like." Theresa answered, shifting her grip on her bag.

"Well where is your Protector? I need to throw them a party!" Pinkie asked.

"He and his new friend, Mister Alvis, went with the Princesses to get someone named... Blue Balls I think. I don't know when he'll be back but he convinced these two to keep me safe." Theresa replied with a wave towards her escorts.

Pinkie snorted at the words, 'Blue Balls', before saying, "Y-you shouldn't call ponies names! I-it's not nice!" she said between giggles.

"Sorry, um, what was his name then? Uh..." Looking down at her bag her eyes lit up. "Blood, that was his name, Blueblood." She smiled at her bag of hints before frowning and looking confused, "What does that mean, Blue Balls?"

"I don't think you're old enough to know yet! And why would the Princesses want to bring back that old meany pants?" Pinkie questioned.

Theresa thought over 'acting her age' and throwing a fit at being denied the knowledge of the elders verses answering her question. "I don't know why they would want him back, but it gives my Protector a chance to stretch his limbs-"

'Hairy motherfucker, I'm gonna stomp you so hard, they'll confuse you for a diamond!' *Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!*

"-and I'm sure that whatever their reasons, they'll succeed. Oh! I forgot the cakes, I prefer Saint Patrick's Day cakes, they're usually vanilla with green icing." Theresa answered her as she looked around at the peaceful village.

"Saint Patrick's Day?" Pinkie queried.

"Yeah, it's this day where you have to wear green, and grown-ups play games and drink a lot of beer. My dad had this game, where for every piece of green on you, someone gets to do one of three things to you. He called it Pinch, Punch or Plaster and he always won. No matter anyone's choice or how many people played, even that time Charlie covered him in green confetti." Theresa smiled at a few memories, some involving a dozen people in an ad hoc riot on the acre behind her house.

"Sounds like it was super fun! Anyway, I gotta go, but I'll see ya later!" And with that, Pinkie zoomed off once more.

"Well...that was something." Cloud said lamely.

"You can say that again." added Midnight.

Theresa giggled as she looked around, trying to find something fun to do and finding a sleepy little village that had the strangest of occurrences. "Well, she was just being her normal, sugar powered self. At least, I think that's her normal. I only waved to her once before we got here. What seems like fun to you guys?" She asked as she looked at her two escorts. Midnight grinned devilishly.

"I can think of a few things..." she said sultrily. "But I doubt you would be interested." Cloud groaned.

"Is sex all you think about?" he asked.

"No, sometimes I think about food." Midnight replied. Cloud sighed in exasperation.

    "Yeah well if you decide to mix the two then I'm going to put a hole in your wing." Theresa added as she linked her hands behind her back. "So do you want something to eat or is this all for the innuendos?"

    "Didn't you eat on the train? And by extension, us?" Cloud asked.

    "Heh, me and Charlie have high metabolisms, plus I have to drink blood to appease a little parasite in my stomach. That little thing in me is the reason I'm hard to injure permanently, my body uses its resources faster than it should to fuel my advanced healing speed. Not to mention the fact it gave me luminescent eyes and keeps Charlie pair bonded to me." Theresa replied before turning towards the castle and heading in it's direction.

    "That reminds me. You kinda washed over that parasite thing last time you explained things, and you said something about what would happen if you two were separated. It's been two and a half days and nothing has happened to you yet. Why is that?" Midnight asked.

    "Well if a Big Daddy was to get killed, that would be an automatic death to the Little Sister, you can guess the reason why that would be an unhappy ending. But if a pair bonded Big Daddy was to lose his Little Sister, then he'll experience severe paranoia, increased anger and reduced lucidity. This will only get worse over time as the Alpha starts losing body functions but is delayed and slowed by a multitude of factors. Adam, the genetic modifying substance created by Adam slugs, the same parasite in my stomach, keeps the body functioning for as long as possible while deteriorating all of its extremities. While on the inside, extreme guilt and grief tear the Big Daddy's mind apart from the lost of its daughter. The result is a creature of pure anguish and hatred that has mutated so much, that it's dive suit is torn open by massive tumors. I think if you imagine one of my arms turning into a pale grey, bulbous tentacle, you could get an idea of what that would look like. Or he could be lucky and die immediately." Theresa calmly stated before shaking her head to dispel a mild headache and observing her escorts' reactions.

    "Yeesh, remind me not to ask next time. Hard to believe you two have to deal with something so bad." Midnight replied.

    "My offer still stands, Miss Theresa." Cloud said.

    "Thanks, now who wants to make a nerd flip her lid?" Theresa asked.

    "I'm not sure guys, should we really be messing with a Princess who is also the Element of Magic?" Cloud said, trying to dissuade the others.

    "Charlie is gonna be announced as a duke, whatever that entails, has crazy shit she can't expect and can kick his way through the thickest wall in her palace." Theresa replied confidently. "Besides, she's the princess of friendship, how unfriendly can she be?"

    "I still don't think this is a good idea." Cloud retorted. Midnight shrugged.

    "Wouldn't be the first time I've gotten in trouble with my superiors. Besides, it does sound like fun." Midnight said.

    "Alright, fine. But don't say I didn't tell you so." Cloud conceded.

    And so the trio made it to the giant, crystalline tree castle. After Theresa used the knocker, they waited for a few moments until the muffled sound of someone running towards them reached their ears. "Hold on, I'm coming!" A familiar voice called as the door opened to reveal Spike the Dragon. "How can I help you?"

"Hi, I'd like an audience with Twilight please." Theresa informed him. He looked puzzled for a moment before sighing.

    "Alright, follow me." he said, motioning for them to follow. After some time, he said, "Ya know, you're the first noble I've seen to call her by her name instead of her title. Or are you an ambassador? I've never seen your kind around before."

    Theresa giggled before sighing, "Noble? I've been here for less than three days and people are confusing me for something monstrous. No, though I guess you could say I'm an ambassador, I guess I even represent the Princesses of my version of Equestria. I'm a Gatherer and my Protector is supposed to become a Duke or something. Heh, and I've met you before, not even three days ago you were hiding in Golden Oaks in a kitchen cabinet from my Protector. Did ya get all that?" Theresa asked while watching Spike. Spike looked baffled before laughing. He wiped a tear away as he collected himself.

    "Sorry, sorry, that's just the best joke I've heard in awhile. Nice one!" he complimented.

    "Thanks, anyway, my daddy is off helping the Princesses with something. We're from the underwater city-state of Rapture, a city so beautiful that anyone who dares to attacks us stop and stare in awe before being wiped out by our state of the art defenses. I'm here to ask miss Twilight if she would like to have Rapture and Equestria being allies, maybe even let her see the power of my home. Hopefully she will accept, our scientists and doctors have been making great leaps recently, my daddy and I wouldn't even be here if it wasn't for the two most recent advances." Theresa smiled as they were lead deeper and deeper into the castle.

    Spike forced a smile before opening two double doors and revealing a line of nobles outside the Friendship Council room. They paid little mind to Theresa as she took her spot in line, Spike telling her she would be called in soon and to wait in line. Hours passed, and eventually she was finally called in. The guards, in their light purple armor, opened the doors and let her in.

    Twilight sat on her throne looking bored before she noticed Theresa walking in. The other thrones had been moved for now along with the table.

    "Presenting Ambassador Theresa of the City of Rapture!" Spike announced.

    "You may speak," said Twilight.

    "Miss Sparkle, I hail from the city beneath the waves. We aren't afraid of meeting the other races who live upon the land or even under it, we fear what others will think of our customs and laws. We have everything in Rapture that any scientist or doctor could want and although we have foregone the use of magic, we have found ways to strengthen the weakest pony, grant a non unicorn the power of telekinesis, and heal the deadliest of wounds and illnesses. All of this has been achieved thanks to the diligent work of Gatherers and Protectors, my daddy and I are no longer able to be called human anymore due to what has been done to us even if it saved our lives. My query for you is thus; can Equestria be allies with a city-state whose very motto is no gods, no royales, only Rapture. A city where none need fear any societies' morality or social requirements." Theresa finished her speech and waited. Twilight sputtered for a moment. Then another. And another.

Before settling on, "What!?"

"Do you have a question Miss Sparkle? I may not look it, but I am over a thousand years old and quite knowledgeable." Theresa asked with a confused expression.

"No gods!? No royales!? How do you manage yourselves!? Who is in charge!? I-I-I-!" Twilight's eyes rolled back and she flopped down on her throne.

"I'm sorry, we'll have to continue this later when the Princess is awake. Please come back later." Spike said as he tried his best to wake Twilight and act professional.

"It is understandable, if you could, please tell her that Rapture is a beautiful city that runs on a capitalist system, who ever can make the most interesting thing to sell gets to be in charge for three months, followed by highest profit to unit cost ratio and so on and so forth. If she's still interested in answering the question later, she might catch us at Miss Rarity's boutique. Good day Spike." With that, they were escorted out of the council room and past the remainder of annoyed nobles. After the castle doors shut, Theresa looked to her escorts before she fell to her knees laughing. Midnight started laughing as well, whilst Cloud just sighed.

"I cannot believe you just did that." he said, shaking his head in disapproval.

"I can't believe she overlooked all of the science and medical achievements, not to mention my age or lack of magic, just to overheat on a minor thing like not having a royal family or something." Theresa stopped laughing for a moment as she thought of something. "Hey, did I just knock an alicorn out with just my words?!"

"Oh by Luna's teats you did!" exclaimed Midnight with more laughter.

The two continued to laugh and laugh before a familiar lavender Princess landed in front of them, a saddlebag strapped to her full of ink bottles, paper, and quills.

"Found you! Now, could you please elaborate on your city's scientific findings?" she asked, her mane frayed and her eyes sparkling.

'I may have stopped my Twilight from having a mental breakdown, only to be the cause of another.' Theresa thought while putting her hands behind her back and smiling. "Now Miss Twilight, I was never lost, so you couldn't have found me. Also, could you be more specific please? Do you wish to hear of our technology that allows us to call the sea floor home, our advances in genetic mapping, as well as genetic splicing and illness prevention or maybe learn about surface-shy creatures such as the giant squids and Adam slugs that call Rapture theirs as much as any of us?"

Twilight drooled and gained a crooked smile. "All of it!" she demanded.

Theresa sighed, "I will gleefully answer any and all questions you have after you've answered my earlier question. Can Equestria be friends with a city-state that has no restrictions upon any and all research as well as our very motto being an insult to the alicorn race." She countered, a trace of unhappiness clearly visible as she attempted to appear apologetic to her desires. That snapped the Alicorn out of her trance for a moment.

"Well, I...I think we can certainly try. As long as we can come to an agreement, I'm sure we can or I'm not the Princess of Friendship!" Twilight declared proudly.

Theresa replied with a warm smile, "That is quite heartening to hear Miss Twilight. But you should know several things first, my eyes aren't supposed to glow like this, my skin should be a tan colour, not pale white and I have a unnatural healing rate. I also have my pet Adam slug straight from the depths of the sea with me right now, should you wish to learn more about him or her. I have yet to determine his or her gender sadly but that is a minor thing compared to other attributes."

"Fascinating! May I see it?" Twilight asked.

"I think if you used a ultrasound spell than you can find him." Theresa replied while acting as innocent as a sinner in a church. "I always keep him close to my heart but Adam slugs are rather... unique, in their living arrangements." Slowly, it dawned on Twilight what Theresa was talking about.

"Y-you mean? On a child!?" Twilight exclaimed. "That's horrible! How can anypony do that to a sweet little filly like you!?" Twilight's eyes shined with fury and disgust.

Theresa frowned as she stood her ground, her chin barely slightly higher than the tip of Twilight's horn. "If I may be so bold, you should really listen harder. For one, I am one thousand and thirteen years old and I am not a filly, child, kid or freshwater fish nor am I a normal human anymore. I am a Gatherer and damn proud of it. Two, no restrictions on any and all research, Rapture has the leading edge in technology, medicine and genealogy because in Rapture, the doctors and scientists have no fear of social morality. The only true restrictions would be the researcher's funds, the ability to get test subjects or how much Adam a Gatherer is willing sell to the researchers."

Capitalizing on the young princess' silent state, Theresa continued, "Three, the worse thing I have to deal with when it comes to my Adam slug is his diet and his waste. Both of which are extremely unique and abnormal but I didn't chose the Gatherer's life, my Adam slug chose me. I don't want your pity, Rapture can stand against your wrath and nobody likes being told what they can or can't learn about. Good day Miss Sparkle, if you should have any more questions or desires that I can sate, than feel free to find me." With that, Theresa calmly stepped around the stunned pony, for to a denizen of the deep, a winged unicorn was just a winged unicorn, special until the moment you finish unraveling it's DNA like a ball of yarn.

As they all walked past Twilight, and eventually were out of earshot, Midnight and Theresa laughed uproariously. Cloud glowered at the two.

"Do you realize what will happen when she snaps out of it? She's going to have us arrested!" Cloud snapped.

"Oh lighten up! I'm sure we'll be just fine!" Midnight assured.

"Stop in the name of the Princess!" shouted a stallion of the Twilight Guard, galloping towards the three.

"I told you!" said Cloud. Theresa turned towards the purple clad guard and frowned, if her expression was to be described in as few words as possible, those words would be annoyance, impatience and generally displeased with whoever decided to order her.

"I shall do no such thing. I am the ambassador of the city of Rapture, on international diplomatic business. You are a guard for the youngest princess while I am one of the few non dragon creatures whose lifespan is not a mere blink of the eye when compared to the Celestial Sisters. I am under escort by one of each of their lieutenants and am currently awaiting for my Protector to finish his business with them so we may continue on my mission. I have diplomatic immunity and you have orders, which one do you think will stand in a court of law?" Theresa asked the guard, who promptly stopped mid stride with a dumbfounded look on his face.

"I...um...diplomatic immunity?" he answered lamely.

"Yes, incase your drill sergeant didn't beat it into your head when he had the chance, that means untouchable by punishment to be determined by the ambassador's homeland. Rapture may not have the sky or miles of land to live on, but what it does have is a very strict penal code, more so when it involves Gatherers such as myself. That will only add to your punishment should you try anything. Now, was there something you needed?" Theresa smiled warmly as she said the last part, her glowing eyes only adding to the unusual factor.

"N-no, ma'am! Good day ma'am!" the stallion saluted and then ran off with his tail between his legs. Cloud and Midnight stood there, dumbfounded, jaws agape. Then, Midnight burst into laughter.

"I can't believe that went so well..." Cloud said in astonishment.

"D-did you...see...the look...on his face!?" Midnight said between breaths.

"Priceless!" Theresa laughed as they continued through town. After a while, they approached Carousel Boutique. "Aren't Carousels a bit morbid for a race of ponies? I've had a phobia about them when I was normal. I thought that the horses were alive, were impaled by some evil monster, spun around and used as entertainment. I always thought that one of them would turn around and bite me." Theresa informed them, looking over at her escorts, she noticed their faces turn from puzzlement, to disgust and horror.

"Oh Luna, I never thought of it like that before!" Midnight said as she gagged. Cloud looked disturbed.

"That...I can't believe I didn't notice that before..." he said. After the two recovered, they all walked in. A half hour later, two guard ponies and one little sister were chased out of the boutique by a furious unicorn.

"Out! Get out and never return!" The marshmallow mare yelled as she flung a tattered child's dress at them. "Never bring such a beautiful dress to my shop in such a state again, let alone the descriptions of what your kind does to style in spite of wearing clothes all of the time!"

After she slammed the door, possibly heading to get some aspirin, Theresa looked over her new dress before smiling. "I can't believe she simply shrugged off the fact that excessive Splicing gives them tumors and hideous features but a little conversation about their clothes and she loses it."

"My thoughts exactly. Guess she just really dislikes bad fashion sense." Midnight commented.

"I suppose so." added Cloud. After pranking a few more ponies around town, the three found an inn, paid for a room, and slept the night away.

After fighting their way through some of the carved stone caves of the Doors of Pharros, the group found themselves in a large room with a stout man with a very long, Ginger, scraggly beard that stretched out from under his helmet and over his plate-mail armor. He was drinking from an enchanted mug that kept refilling. Around the room were pillars with carvings like those you would find in a Mayan temple, and numerous stone statues that looked like woman wearing robes. The man perked up once he noticed the four.

"What...You...want?" he asked before taking a swig of his drink.

"Hello, Gavlan! I simply wish to sell thee some items." Alvis replied.

"Gavlan wheel, Gavlan deal." Gavlan replied.

"Hey man, I didn't know Stealers Wheels was a thing here." Charlie supplied, spinning his bloody axe, he continued, "Then again, Alvis is living the song Stuck in the Middle with You."

"Is that supposed to mean what I think it's supposed to mean?" Celestial asked Charlie, fire in her eyes.

"Some what, it's about a guy with a bunch of jokers and clowns for friends. You two seem pretty fun and laid back." He replied while taking a few steps back. Celestia stared him down for a moment longer before smiling innocently.

"Thank you." she said, an underlying tone in her voice that said 'say something stupid like that again, and you're dead'. Whilst everyone was distracted, Alvis had finished his trade with Gavlan and noticed his wife acting rather hostile towards Charlie.

"Is there something wrong?" he asked.

"Nah, we good. I was just telling Celestia about some of the music I used to listen to back when." Charlie replied cheerfully as he focused on thinking happy, non violent thoughts. His porthole light turned green as he reminisced, 'Winning a hand of blackjack during my first time in a casino, showing a stupid country boy how to drink Everclear, busty brunette women with long legs, rubbing on their zzz.' Alvis looked at the two for a moment before shrugging.

After some time, the group made it out of the cave and arrived in a ruined adobe indoor courtyard with a crumbling and dry stone fountain with pots scattered around.

Charlie hefted his pilfered axe, as he looked around, a familiar feeling overran him. A feeling he had gotten used to in the middle of the night while he was hunting-

Taking one more look around, he growled as he opened the vents on his helmet. "Hogs." He spat, "The filthy things stink!"

  "Hogs? Please tell me we aren't about to kill pigs." Celestial bemoaned.

"We art not about to kill pigs." Alvis assured.

"Oh thank Faust," Celestia said with relief.

"We art about to kill boars." Alvis explained. Celestia gave him a deadpan look. "What? Thou asked." Celestia sighed in exasperation.

"What shouldst we be expecting?" Luna asked.

"Peasants that can curse thee with their weapons. They art not very strong, but their weapons can easily puncture weaker armor." Alvis informed. "Art thou ready?" Everyone nodded and walked out of the building.