Deadly Courierby Prince ConjureChaptersAmnesiacDragon BaitMaster of ShadowsAmnesiac"I hoped you've learned your lesson." The barrel of a gun is the last place you want your nose. Especially if the wielder is primed to shoot. ‘Y-yes, yes. I have.” On your knees is a position that shows weakness, or inferiority. Unless you’re proposing, I guess. “So, can I have your signature?” “Y-yes…” On his knees, in the middle of a club, was a mob boss, surrounded by his subjects. Each and every one of them was previously disarmed and helpless. His eyes flicked to the side where he called a man over to hand him a pen. “Great. I’m gonna need you to sign here, here, and here.” He clicked the pen and signed the three spots quickly, handing me the clipboard after he was finished. “Thanks, pleasure doing business.” Flipping my pistol back into its holster, I turned around and waltzed out of the club. Or I would’ve, had a cluster of mobsters not gathered outside, each with their own firearm. “Shoot him!” they yelled. Bullets were sprayed in my direction, lighting up the club’s entrance and damaging the wall behind me. No bullets touched me, of course. My job description explicitly states not to hurt any customers or their personnel. I couldn’t kill the men, but I could rid them of their guns. Quickly, and precisely, I collected all of the guns from them and threw them to the side in a pile. “Sayonara.” I took off down the street of the densely populated New York street. If they pursued, I didn’t notice. After a few blocks, I ran into an alley and jumped into the wall, my boots auto-adjusting to the change in traction. Truly, the grav-boots were majestic. After climbing up the wall, I pulled myself up onto the roof. Walking along the top of the building, I got an opportunity to open a call. I flicked my wrist, the small pad sliding into my hand. I pressed a few buttons and put it to my ear. “Job’s done,” I said simply over the phone. “The mafia may want my head on a plate now, but, hey. It’s a part of the job.” “That’s fine. I’ve wired the money into your account,” said the distorted voice over the phone. “I hope you’ll be fine with 10,000?” “Absolutely fine,” I said. “We’ll keep in touch, then?” “Yes.” The call ended, and I pulled the phone back into its place in my sleeve. I turned around, ready to head back home. A writhing mass of black was behind me. My reflex was to reach for my gun. I ripped it from its holster and aimed it at the swirl. After a few seconds of no reaction, I lowered my aim, the gun still firmly in my hand. “Well then,” I said, slowly approaching it. “Wouldn’t be the weirdest thing to appear in NY, I guess.” A gunshot rang out and startled me. A sharp pain ran through my abdomen, my mind numbing, and my body weakening. As I fell to a knee, the mass swallowed my upper body whole. The rest of the body quickly followed, soon knocking me unconscious. Damn. My day was going so well too. I woke up with the pain still excruciatingly present. When my eyes opened, I couldn’t hold back the tears. “You’re awake!” said a voice. “You weren’t supposed to be up yet!” “It hurts… so much,” I said through gritted teeth. “All for a small wound...” “W-wait, I’ll stabilize you! Just give me a few minutes.” “Gah! My ribs feel like they’re liquefying.” “It can’t be that bad-” “Do I even still have a stomach…?” “Okay, the process has started,” said the voice. “Just wait for a minute, or so.” “My heart feels like it’s beating in my eyes!” “I’m sorry. This is my fault.” I stayed silent. Mostly because my face pained to even move. My eyes zeroed in on the person who’d been talking to me, the sight of purple filling my bloated, wet eyes. All at once, the pain disappeared. The lack of pain made my entire body shudder. “There!” Said the voice, now clearly female. “You should be fine now. Do you feel any pain?” “No…” I said. “That’s amazing, uh…” I looked at my healer in awe. Her skin was purple, and her forehead had a small horn protruding from it. Her eyes were a soft purple, and her hair was… also purple. It had a pink stripe, though. “Uh…” “Oh, where are my manners?” She said, straightening herself up. “My name is Twilight.” “Twilight...” I said getting a feel for the name. “My name’s Stephon. May I ask a question?” “Actually, there is no time for questions. You need to meet Princess Celestia ASAP!” “Okay, I guess...” I said, getting to my feet. “Will this princess answer my questions?” “Uh, hopefully?” She opened the door and went into a large hallway. After following suit, I was swallowed by sunlight seeping in through stained glass. In my state of marvel, I failed to realize that Twilight was leaving me behind. I quickly followed her. “So, care to tell me where I am?” I asked. “There’s no problem if you answer them on the way, right?” “I suppose not,” she answered. “You’re in the land of Equestria, a land inhabited by magical beings.” “Did I come here via… writhing black space portal?” “Yes… I assume you mean the other-world gates?” She asked. “Princess Luna herself summoned you to this world.” “So, we have two princesses’ now?” “Four, in fact,” she said, a pair of wings sprouting from her shirt. I didn’t know how I hadn’t noticed it before. “I am one of the four.” “So, what exactly are you?” “We are ponies while you are human,” she said. “We have access to magical devices that allow us to communicate between the worlds. The gates are one example of this.” “Why was I summoned here?” “That… I don’t know.” “Ah,” I said. “So I assume this Princess Celestia knows?” “If she does, she has neglected to share such information with me…” she said sadly. “Maybe she simply forgot.” I would’ve bumped into Twilight, had I not come to an abrupt stop. Before us stood two people, both with old fashioned swords on their hips. They stood still like palace guards in London. Behind them stood an ungodly large set of double doors, way larger than they had any reason to be. Without any other action, the doors slowly, and loudly swung open, revealing a large open room, a cluster of seats at the far back. “Follow me,” said Twilight, entering the room. I continued following her into the cool, quiet room. Upon closer inspection, two thrones could be seen. One white and one black. Each one had a woman in it, One with almost completely white skin, horn and wings, and one with dark blue skin, horn, and wings. Twilight stopped at the foot of their thrones. “I brought him,” she said. “He was shot, but I stabilized him. He should be fine.” “Should be?” I murmured to myself. “I see…” said the one in white. “Thank you, Twilight.” “I’ll just get to the question of the day,” I said. “Why am I here?” “Then I will give you a quick answer,” said the bright one. “But first, introductions. I am Celestia, and this here is Luna: Princesses of the Sun and Moon respectively.” “Stephon,” I said. “Professional Courier.” “I understand that was not your only profession,” said Celestia. “A hitman trying to live a lower maintenance life, no?” “Lower maintenance…?” I said slowly. “Nah, I just got tired of the business.” “Tired, huh?” she said. “So, the question of the day. How would you like to join my personal army?” “Sorry,” I said. “I’m not an army man.” “You misunderstand,” she said. “You will not be joining a traditional army like the ones on Earth. In fact, it will be more akin to your old profession.” “You want me to be an assassin.” “That’s one way to put it.” “No.” “And why is that?” “I’m bored of that kind of thing.” “Is that truly the reason?” I wanted to open my mouth and retort, but nothing came out. Why didn’t I want to rejoin the profession? I’d make good money, probably be able to settle down back in New York and live an actually peaceful life. “Stephon?” asked Twilight, snapping me out of my daze. “Are you okay? You look a little bit confused.” “I have to be scared, I think…” I said. “Scared of something. Mortified. I… can’t think of what it is, but that must be the reason.” “I see,” she said. ‘We will assure your safe passage, then. Luna, if you will?” “It will take me a few minutes to get another gate open,” Luna reported. “Ah, I see,” she said, once again. “Maybe you will entertain yourself in our courtyard, Stephon?” “The courtyard?” I asked. “What is there to do in the courtyard?” “It’s a pleasant evening outside, in any case,” said Celestia. “Maybe you’d like to witness my setting of the sun and Luna’s rising of the moon?” “Seems like fun,” I said. “I could use a breath of fresh air anyways.” A set of large doors to our right opened, leading towards a grassy outdoor space. Celestia, Luna, Twilight, and I all headed towards the open doors and into the cool, blowing air. A long pathway leading further into the greenery came into view. With Celestia in the lead, we ventured further into the outdoor space. One the further side of the courtyard, a lone figure could be seen. She was an oddity, standing alone with a bow in her hand, primed to shoot at a target. Her form was beautiful and inspiring, her stance very confident and her long pink hair swayed to and fro in the wind and a pair of wings sprouted from her back. We stopped only a few feet away from her. “Who’s that?” I asked. “A friend of mine,” answered Twilight. “Watch.” A long, strong wind blowing. Right after this wind ended, she let the arrow fly, the tip landing right in the middle of the target seemingly 300 feet away. She reminded me a lot of myself. After she smiled at her accomplishment, she turned around, and all of her confidence broke. “U-uh…” she said. “Bravo, Fluttershy!” said Celestia, clapping. “You never cease to amaze me.” “Oh… t-thank you very much Princess,” she said nearly inaudibly. “P-please this was nothing noteworthy.” “What is that distance?” asked Luna with a smile. “Nearly 90 meters?” “Yes…” she said. “A-again, this is nothing much. I don’t deserve such praise.” “What do you think of it, Stephon?” asked Twilight. “Very impressive,” I said. “I have done something similar, actually.” “Oh?” asked Luna. “Would you be up for a little sport, then?” “Sport?” both Fluttershy and I asked simultaneously. “Yes, sport,” said Luna. “A friendly competition. Simple, but fun in some respects.” “I guess I have no problem with that,” I said. “Let it be known, though. I’ve never wielded a bow in my life.” “It’s really never too late to learn,” said Twilight. “By the time the match is over, you’ll be on your way home.” “Okay then,” I said. “It’s only for fun, anyways. I love having fun.” “U-Um…” Fluttershy was silent as lined up next to her. “G-good luck…” “To you as well,” I said, taking a bow from a stand to my right. Approximately 300 feet away, a small apple lay on the heads of straw dolls. Fluttershy drew her bow and I followed suit. Although it was hard at first, after concentrating, I was able to focus my aim. Athena’s Sight. The entire courtyard became blue, thousands of pieces of information entering my head. Suddenly, drawing a bow didn’t seem so complicated. Aiming just right wasn’t hard anymore. I could sit back and shoot. As I let the string go, I saw it sail right into the apple’s core, tearing it asunder and ripping it in two. Athena’s Sight withered away and I lowered my bow. “Amazing,” said Twilight. “Are you sure this is the first time you’ve wielded a bow?” “Pretty sure,” I said. “It couldn’t have been that har-” Fluttershy’s arrow sailed straight into the Apple’s stem, nailing it to the wall behind it. The courtyard was silent once again. Everyone was shocked, even Fluttershy.I had to break the silence. “That,” I said. “Was amazing.” “That shouldn’t even be possible,” said Twilight. “Absolutely astonishing!” “Yes, quite,” said Luna. “I think it’s clear to see who shot the more impressive shot.” “Yeah,” I said, turning to my opponent, who was still shocked. “Congrats.” “I… I…,” she said. “What was…?” “Hm?” I asked. “You okay there?” She shook herself away, lowered her bow and blushed. “N-nothing. It was nothing,” she said quickly. “Thank you for the match.” She quickly walked away, going towards the interior. “That was most unusual,” said Luna. “Perhaps she saw something during her shot?” “Maybe,” said Twilight. “Maybe not.” “Hey, Celestia,” I said. “Is that girl in the army?” “Yes, she is,” she said “In fact, she is a fellow assassin. Very skilled at what she does.” “Then I am not needed?” “Yes, very much so.” “She’s clearly better than I am,” I said. “Why am I needed?” Celestia sighed. “She was very precise when she asked us to bring you here,” said Celestia. “You are missing important pieces of your memory. We have all met before. Recall, what did you have for breakfast?” “That... I had…” I said. “Are you serious?” “Yes,” said Twilight. “I answered your questions before. Can’t you remember?” “Not a damn thing,” I said angrily. “I remember being a hitman, and I remember doing that job earlier…” “By being here, she wanted you to regain your memory,” said Luna. “That’s why we were so insistent in you becoming our assassin. Stephon, you were a hitman for us” “You keep mentioning this she person.” I took a deep breath as I saw the women exchange glances. “Who is she?” “Does the name…” Twilight’s horn lit up. “Does the name Leila strike any bells?” I would’ve said no, but my voice instantly dried up. Quick images flashed past my vision, each one showing me with a girl. She looked just like me, same brown hair, and eyes, same tannish skin. For some reason, I started to cry. Something saddening was overwhelming me, and I was angry I didn’t know what. The sharp pain returned, clouding my vision to nothing. I’m pretty sure I fell backward, the three women swirling around to help me. The only thing I could hear in my head was Leila. My sister. Author's Note This was written for the Elevator Pitch Contest at nearly the last minute. If you enjoyed it, please give it a thumbs up and comment. Dragon Bait“How peculiar,” I said, looking over the edge of a chasm. My boots were locked, so I knew I could look over as I pleased. “What do you make of this, Fluttershy?” “I, um, don’t see anything,” she said. “Maybe it’s further down.” “You never told me, Fluttershy,” I said, moving backwards. “Why are we looking for a golden scepter?” “It’s apparently one of Celestia’s most prized possessions,” she said quietly, as she is known to do. “Um, Mr. Stephon?” “Stephon is fine,” I said. “Yes?” “You’ve been at this a lot longer than I have, s-so I’m sorry for taking your spot.” “My spot?” I asked. “From what Celestia told me, I just left. Besides, it’s not like I was in a concrete spot, anyways.” “O-oh…” she said, covering her face with the sweater she was wearing. “Shall we?” I said, gesturing over the edge. “See you down there.” I ran up to the edge and jumped off. I had a few options. My grav-boots, which are boots that allow me to alter gravity, could lock to a wall, allowing me to slowly, but surely make it down the wall unscathed. My second option, however, was much, much more fun. I reached to my back quickly, withdrawing a small, black cylinder. I flicked it open, revealing a slender black bow. Behind me, inside of my quiver sat a double headed arrow. Athena’s Sight. Quickly, I determined the sturdiest part of the mountain and shot an arrow towards it. After it latched on and dug into the mountain for support, I began to swing towards the wall at a dangerous speed. I quickly turned and shot and arrow downwards, using the other side of the retractable arrow. Once it latched in place, I used the string to slide down. Kinda like a makeshift zip line. Exactly like a makeshift zip line, actually. The zipline was long but only took me a few seconds to get down. Realizing I was going to hit the bottom at a hard angle, I clicked my boots together to exert a bit of anti-gravity. My speedy descent came to a calm stop. “Amazing…” said Fluttershy slowly flying down. “I never could’ve had done that.” “Thanks,” I said, recollecting the arrow. “So, see anything now? “Um…” She looked all around her. “No…” “Well, we’re only at the beginning of the hole. We should find it further down.” We walked through the dusty, dark, and narrow passage, both of us on the lookout for any kind of glimmer. “Stephon,” said Fluttershy. “There.” She pointed toward a shining light in the chasm. I walked toward it, bent down and retrieved a single, golden coin. “Is this made of gold?” I asked rhetorically. “Wow, what a find.” “Oh,” said Fluttershy in disappointment. “It’s just a bit.” “A bit of what?” “No, a bit,” she said reaching into her pocket and withdrawing one of her own. “It’s our currency in Equestria.” “Oh,” I said. “Can I keep it?” “I… suppose so,” she said. “Great.” I pocketed it. “Let’s keep searching.” A few seconds later, we found another. Again, and again, we found clusters of the golden coin. “Well then,” I said, glancing at the ground. “Somebody must’ve lost a fortune down here. “Hm,” hummed Fluttershy. “This is weird.” “What is?” “O-oh, nothing,” she said. “Just ignore me.” “Well, if anything pops up, tell me,” I said. Slowly, we rounded a corner. A large pile of golden coins sat at the end of the passage. I would’ve been overjoyed and frolicked towards them with glee if I didn’t see the massive dragon slumbering on top of them. “Oh…” said Fluttershy almost silently. “Oh, my…” “Is that a dragon?” I asked, yet again rhetorically. “What’s a dragon doing down here?” “A-a-a w-what?” stuttered Fluttershy. “I take it you’re scared of dragons?” I said. “Don’t worry, you’re not the only one.” “L-look,” she said pointing at the snout. A small, golden staff was sitting near it. “The scepter.T-that’s it.” “Oh, that’s great,” said sarcastically. “Way to make this difficult, Celestia.” “C-can you go get it?” She asked. “I don’t want to go near a dragon…” “Hm…” I contemplated my options. One, I go get the scepter and possibly wake up the dragon. Second, I shoot the dragon while he’s sleeping, giving me a good advantage. Athena’s Sight. A silverish path slivered towards the scepter.I could only assume it was showing me the way to approach without being detected. I quickly followed the path, making it to the dragon without a hitch. I slowly reached up and took the scepter from beside its nose, careful not to disrupt him much. The dragon sniffed twice before opening its eyes. “What the hell?” I whispered. “Do we have a bloodhound dragon here or something?” The dragon took in a large amount of air. That usually meant it was going to breathe fire, I jumped backwards in an attempt to avoid it, only to trip over a rock. Before I could scramble to the ground, I found myself face to face with a dragon, ever so ready to burn my face right off. Luckily, I wasn’t alone. A small arrow sailed into the dragon’s eye, the dragon recoiling backwards and roaring in pain. Using this time, I got to my feet and rushed back to the wall where Fluttershy stood different from before. “Are you okay?” She asked, loading another arrow. “The eye and underbelly are very soft spots of a dragon, so we should… be able to…” “Kill it?” Yeah,” she responded. “B-but if we can…” “Let’s try running first?” “Yes,” she repeated, taking off in the opposite direction of the dragon’s roaring voice. Fluttershy slowly started to take off into the air, while I jumped onto one of the walls of the chasm with force, locking my boots to the wall. “Let’s go!” I yelled, alerting Fluttershy. She was already very high up when the fireball hit her in the back, burning her wings. I nearly came to a screeching stop as I saw her fall. I didn’t need to activate Athena’s Sight manually. It did it on its own. The world was plunged into a slow motion phase as I dismounted from the wall. I jumped right towards her, grabbing her waist in my left arm. Quickly, I clicked my boots together, activated the anti-gravity, and sailed up to the other side of the chasm. Once I turned off anti-gravity, I came crashing to the ground. “Twice in a few minutes…” I said, grunting to get to my feet. “Heh. I can do better than that…” Fluttershy’s groan of pain interrupted my train of thought. “Oh yeah. He hit you pretty bad, Fluttershy.” “I’ll be… fine…” she choked out. For some reason, this annoyed me. “M-my wings hurt a l-little…” “Twilight’ll fix you up,” I said. “She helped me after I was shot. She can help you too.” I slowly made my way to her, lifted her up, and put her arm around my shoulder. “Ow,” she said as I placed a hand on her back. “Sorry, continue.” “Just hop onto my back,” I said kneeling down. “It’ll be easier for me, and less painful for you.” “Thank you,” she said, grasping my neck. “I’m sorry for this.” “There’s nothing to be sorry for,” I said, my annoyance seeping through a little. “Uh, what I mean is, you shouldn’t apologize preemptively, you know?” “Y-yes,” she said. I lifted her into the air and we made our way back from the large chasm. “Hey, Stephon?” “Hm?” I hummed. “You… remind me of my brother.” A quick image flashed by my face. A small child was carrying another just like I was carrying Fluttershy. For some reason, it gave me a sense of deja vu. “Your brother, huh?” I asked. “Is that weird?” She asked. “I’m sorry if that was weird. Oh, um, sorry for saying sorry.” I couldn’t help but chuckle. “Don’t worry about it,” I said with a smile. “I can live with a little weirdness, Flutters.” “Flutters?” She asked. “Y-you never called me that before.” “Oh, uh, must’ve been a slip of the tongue,” I said. “Won’t happen again.” “I don’t mind it,” she said. “I… kind of like it.” “Okay then,” I said. “I’ll call you Flutters from now on.” We traveled in silence for what seemed like an hour. We were approaching the castle when Flutters called my name. “Hey, Stephon?” “Hm?” “Could you teach me about something?” “About what?” “Your eyes,” she said. “I… I think I may have the same eyes as you do.” “You think you have Athena’s Sight?” “Is that what it’s called?” She asked. “Yes, I think…” “Hm…” I thought to myself for a second. “I think I can, but I may have a little problem…” “What is it?” she asked. “I don’t even know what Athena’s Sight is.” “Y-you don’t?” She asked. “But you were using it all the time. Even when we had our contest yesterday.” “I know how to activate it, and what I can use it for, but I don’t know what it is,” I revealed. “Maybe when I teach you, you could end up teach me!” She gave me a small laugh. “I doubt it, but I’ll try.” I stopped in my tracks. In front of me was my sister. She was smiling, giving me a wave before disappearing, leaving behind words that chilled me to the bone. Don’t forget what is important to you, Stephon. The moment you do, darkness will come and sweep it away. It will sweep her away. “Stephon?” asked Flutters. “Did you… hear that?” “Hey, Flutters?” “Y-yes?” “I promise I won’t let you die.” “H-huh? What do you mean?” I didn’t answer. I wasn’t sure myself, but something came to me when I heard her voice. Leila was gone. And somehow, it was my fault. Author's Note I think I'm becoming much more infatuated with this story than I should be. I mean, I finished this chapter at 10 in the morning on a school day, for Chrissakes! Anyway, if you liked, please like and comment to tell what you thought. Master of ShadowsFlutters is good at hand to hand combat. I mean really good at hand to hand combat. Sitting in the infirmary of the castle once again after having my arm accidentally broken, I stared up at the ceiling while Twilight carefully repaired the bone. I couldn’t feel much of anything due to the heavy anesthetics she’d placed in my system. “I should be done in a few moments,” said Twilight. “Take it easy, next time. I can’t continuously heal you like this.” “Hey,” I said. “You’re a princess, right?” “Right.” She said, slowly pouring her magic onto the broken bone. “What about it?” “You must hang out with Celestia all the time,” I concluded. “Maybe you’ll tell me what she’s doing?” “What do you mean?” She asked, confusedly. “When I first came here, she pitted me in a contest against Flutters. Then, after my incident, she sends me off to find a scepter, without any explanation or warning. Now, this morning, she tells me to go to her training room and learn hand to hand combat,” I said annoyedly. “And if you didn’t notice, Flutters is really good at hand to hand combat!” “I’m sure she has her reasons…” she said slowly. “Not even you know?” I asked, with a sigh. “I’m not particularly fond of this running around.” “Again, she probably has her reasons,” she said, finishing up. “I’m going to stop the flow of anesthetics, okay?” “When will it fully wear off?” I asked. “Sometime next week,” she said plainly. “Seriously?” “No,” she said with a chuckle. “It was a joke. In a few minutes, it should be gone.” “Oh,” I said. “Thanks, Twilight.” “No problem,” she said, turning in her swivel chair. “Just heed my warning.” “Oh, uh, Twilight?” I called. “Before I go, can ask you a question?” “Shoot,” she said, turning to face me. “So… Leila was my sister, right?” I asked. “Why is she so important to you three?” Twilight was silent for a minute. She bit her lip. “Celestia… hasn’t told me much, yet,” she said. “I-I’m sure the next time you see her-” “That’s odd,” I said. “You bit your lip. I feel like I know that means something, but I can’t place my finger on it…” “Must just be your imagination,” said Twilight, turning once again in her chair. “Isn’t Fluttershy waiting for you?” “Oh!’ I said. “I forgot about Flutters. I should go tell her I’m okay.” I waltzed out of the door, closing it behind myself. I put my head on the door, laying it back. “Didn’t Leila… Nah, it must’ve been my imagination.” “Finally!” I said stretching myself out. “I finally get some time to myself.” I stood outside of the castle for the first time. Apparently, the castle stood in the city of Canterlot, a high-class society of magical ponies. Huh. I wonder when that stopped being weird enough for me to say it straight. “Now that I think about it, I don’t really have much to do outside the castle…” I said. “Celestia has been gone forever, and Luna only makes herself known at night.” I sighed as I sat on a chair at an outside cafe. “I’m going to have to ask you to leave if you are here to sit and gawk, sir,” said one of the waiters. “Other people eagerly await your seat.” “That’s fine,” I said. “I wasn’t actually doing anything, anyways.” I started to get up, but an arm slowly pushed me down. “Sorry, sir,” said the voice, gravelly and low. My hair on my skin stood up as he walked into view. He seemed clad in black and gray, from head to toe. He also had a gray horn. The only color other than those two was the green and black that made up his eyes, along with the dark purple smoke fleeing from them. “He was waiting for me.” “W-was he?” said the waiter in equal fear. “I-I’m terribly sorry, sir. Continue…” The waiter left the table and the man, I guess you could call him, sat down. “Salutations, Stephon,” his eyes bore into mine with an uncomfortable glare. “It’s been quite some time since we’ve seen each other.” “Has it?” I said nervously. “Yeah, I remember. We went to that party… and had lots of red wine?” He laughed heartily, drawing more attention from the street. “I’m glad you remembered!” he said with a hoot. “I assume you also remembered stabbing me through the heart?” “I…” “Then you and your sister laughed at me for being a weakling?” “I don’t-” “Then took my own sword and ended my life with it?!” “I don’t remember!” I yelled back. “I don’t remember stabbing you, killing you, or going to a party with you!” “I don’t remember the party either,” he said looking towards one of the waitresses. He extended his index finger and pulled it back towards him, the waitress unconsciously walking towards him. She fell into his lap, her dead eyes turning towards him. “I’ve heard you are still working for Celestia. How is that working for you?” “I… just got back.” The question of the day: Why was I talking to this guy like he was an old friend? “W-what are you doing?” Sombra slowly ran a hand through the waitress’ hair. “Tell me, Stephon,” he said, moving onto her face. “Have you ever caressed a woman so?” “I don’t think so…” I said, watching the situation, my fists clenched. “W-why are you doing this?” “Is there a problem?” he said, slowly moving down to the girl’s stomach. “I’m just satisfying my carnal desires. I am a man, after all.” “So what?” I asked. “You don’t see me… doing something like that.” He finally reached the bottom of her stomach, just above the genital area. “If you want me to stop, just tell me, okay?” He whispered in the girl’s ear. “As for you, Stephon, if you want to stop me, you have to make me. It shouldn’t be hard. You stopped me when I did it to your sister, after all.” I jumped onto the table, grabbing the man’s neck. My body activated Athena’s Sight instinctively. I was ready to choke this man to death. He smiled. He put his foot on my stomach and forcefully launched me into the air. Without warning, I came sailing towards the pavement, slamming into a table and Athena’s Sight disappeared. I wanted to get up and fight this guy, at least, punch him in the face. I couldn’t remember him, but I knew I hated him. “Who are you?” I asked. “You truly don’t remember?” he asked with a roaring laugh. “This is the first time I’ve heard that I am unmemorable!” “You didn’t answer my question,” I said, pulling the black bar from my back. “Who are you?” Without an answer, he sunk into the ground, disappearing from my sight. Athena’s Si- A hearty kick to the back knocked all of the wind out of me, knocking me to the ground. “Oh?” He asked. “Lost your touch?” I got up just in time for him to bring a knee to my chin. Now fully on my feet, he continued with left and right jabs. I could tell he was playing with me. I was sure that the people at the Cafe would’ve called the police by now, so I glanced at them after being knocked down. They all stood, dead-eyed, just like that girl. The man pulled me up by my hair before headbutting me back down to the ground. “How does it feel, Stephon?” He brought his foot down on my chest, probably fracturing some bones. “How does it feel to be so helpless at my hands?” “If I’m… being perfectly… honest…” I said gasping for air for my deprived lungs. “It feels… pretty bad…” “I want you to feel the hate I felt back then!” he yelled. “You and your sister ruined my life!” “Must’ve been a pretty… bad life,” I said, stalling for time. “What was my sister like?” The man gave another long, hearty laugh. “You really don’t remember, do you?” He said, picking me up off the ground from the color. “Pitiful. Stand.” He pushed me backward making me lean heavily against a wall. “So?” I asked. “What was my sister like?” “Both of you were the same,” he answered. “Both hopped up on false, illegitimate dreams. Take over my kingdom single handily? I thought it impossible. You two, though... You obliterated me!” “Well, if you were acting like you are now, I can see why we-” He brought a fist deep into my gut, making me draw blood. He kept it there and twisted it around. “Does it hurt?” He said. “This is but a fraction of the pain you and your sister caused me!” “Why...” I asked, through the pain. I had to think of a plan. “Why did we attack?” He smiled and wrenched his hand from my gut, dropping me to the ground. “My slaves,” he said. “They bothered you. You hated me for keeping them. You couldn’t leave them alone.” “S-so?” I asked, hacking up more blood. “Didn’t we kill you?” “Nearly,” he said. “I was saved by my new master. In fact, it’s kind of ironic, if you think about it?” “Who is it?” I was about to lose consciousness. “My master?” He asked. “His name would be sullied falling upon your ears.” “Athena’s Sight!” yelled Flutters. I closed my eyes as a big wave of warm liquid poured over me. Unable to open them again, I fell to my stomach and fell unconscious. Thanks, Flutters. “What did I tell you about getting injured?” Said Twilight, paying no more than half of her attention on healing. “You’re interrupting me in the middle of a very important spellbook!” “I thought you read all of the books in your library.” She promptly closed the book. “Yeah, you’re right. I’m bored,” she said. “You got to fight King Sombra while I was in here perfecting illusion magic.” “So that was his name…” I said. “Besides that, that sounds like fun.” “No,” she said, giving me her full attention. Her magic flow increased. “Did you thank Fluttershy yet?” “The only thing I remember is being yelled at by you,” I said. “I woke up in here. Did Flutters carry me in here?” “She informed Celestia and had you teleported here.” Twilight stopped using magic. “Okay, seriously, stop taking so much damage.” “And how do you suggest I do that?” I said, getting up. “If you want to take less damage, stop getting hit.” She tapped her head. “Pure wisdom right there.” “If there was ever a time for easier said than done, it’s right now.” Before Twilight could retort, the door burst open, a distraught Flutters entering the room. Once she did, she regained her composure. “Thank goodness,” she said with a deep breath. “You’re alright.” “As fit as a fiddle,” I said. “Hey, Twi, what’s a fiddle?” “Did you just call me ‘Twi’?” asked Twilight. I slapped my forehead. “Sorry about that,” I said. “I did it to Flutters, too. I don’t know why.” “That’s what you used to call me,” she said, excitedly. “Are you regaining your memories?” “I think so,” I said, slowly getting excited as well. “Twi kinda rolls off the tongue better, you know?” “I think so,” she said. “I should really get back to writing this report to Princess Celestia. Plus, you might want to check the basement.” “The basement?” I asked. “Sombra’s down there,” she said. “He has something to tell you.” “H-he does?” I sighed. “I’m not sure I want to listen.” “It’s about Leila,” she added, turning around. “You should listen.” I nodded and headed out of the door, Flutters following suit. “Oh yeah!” I said. “Thanks so much, Flutters. How did you know I was in trouble?” “My birds,” she said. “They told me something bad was happening to you. I rushed over as fast as I could.” "They... told you?" "Yes..." she sid quietly. "I can talk to animals." “You learn something new everyday,” I said. “I heard you activated it. How did it feel your first time?” “Just amazing,” she said. “I felt like I could see everything.” “Yeah, it feels like that,” I said. “ I feel like you’re amazing sometimes.” “W-what do you mean?” She asked. “You and I are much different,” I said. “You’re great at fighting, you’re a great shot, and you’re so determined to help.” “Thank you…” she said quietly. We reached the door to the underground cellars, guarded by two guards. “Princess Luna is waiting for you,” said a guard. “The cell is the on the far left.” “Thank you,” I said, opening the door. A large set of stone stair led downwards. Following them down, the air became damp and the walls, moldy. Once we reached the bottom, five cells could be seen. Near the left one, a small blue light illuminated the space. Luna stood at the bars, carefully watching the inside. Once I could see who was inside, my stomach threatened to regurgitate whatever it had inside. A bloody, messy lump was tied to the wall. Deep gashes and bruises could be seen on Sombra’s skin. Nevertheless, the pony smiled. “Finally,” he said, panting. “How long did you plan on keeping me waiting-” A slash of blue light cut inside the cells, warranting a long, painful howl of laughter from Sombra. “Be silent.” Said Luna. I felt a bit of fear for Luna, but as she turned to me, she made sure to smile. “He will be quiet. Ask him.” “Oh…” Flutters was almost white, rather than her normal yellow. “I… I…” “Flutters?” I asked. “You should go.” “Yes,” said Luna, covering her in magic. “Once he is done, I will send Stephon to your house. He will console you if need be.” She didn’t say anything as she was teleported away. I turned to the maniacal Sombra with a gulp. “Now that your friend is out of the picture,” said Sombra. “Where should I begin?” Author's Note Sombra down, Sombra dooooown! Anyway, this is the third chapter. Stephon is a chapter closer to finding his memories or being cancelled... Hopefully, it's not the latter. Anyway, if you liked it, please like and comment!
Amnesiac"I hoped you've learned your lesson." The barrel of a gun is the last place you want your nose. Especially if the wielder is primed to shoot. ‘Y-yes, yes. I have.” On your knees is a position that shows weakness, or inferiority. Unless you’re proposing, I guess. “So, can I have your signature?” “Y-yes…” On his knees, in the middle of a club, was a mob boss, surrounded by his subjects. Each and every one of them was previously disarmed and helpless. His eyes flicked to the side where he called a man over to hand him a pen. “Great. I’m gonna need you to sign here, here, and here.” He clicked the pen and signed the three spots quickly, handing me the clipboard after he was finished. “Thanks, pleasure doing business.” Flipping my pistol back into its holster, I turned around and waltzed out of the club. Or I would’ve, had a cluster of mobsters not gathered outside, each with their own firearm. “Shoot him!” they yelled. Bullets were sprayed in my direction, lighting up the club’s entrance and damaging the wall behind me. No bullets touched me, of course. My job description explicitly states not to hurt any customers or their personnel. I couldn’t kill the men, but I could rid them of their guns. Quickly, and precisely, I collected all of the guns from them and threw them to the side in a pile. “Sayonara.” I took off down the street of the densely populated New York street. If they pursued, I didn’t notice. After a few blocks, I ran into an alley and jumped into the wall, my boots auto-adjusting to the change in traction. Truly, the grav-boots were majestic. After climbing up the wall, I pulled myself up onto the roof. Walking along the top of the building, I got an opportunity to open a call. I flicked my wrist, the small pad sliding into my hand. I pressed a few buttons and put it to my ear. “Job’s done,” I said simply over the phone. “The mafia may want my head on a plate now, but, hey. It’s a part of the job.” “That’s fine. I’ve wired the money into your account,” said the distorted voice over the phone. “I hope you’ll be fine with 10,000?” “Absolutely fine,” I said. “We’ll keep in touch, then?” “Yes.” The call ended, and I pulled the phone back into its place in my sleeve. I turned around, ready to head back home. A writhing mass of black was behind me. My reflex was to reach for my gun. I ripped it from its holster and aimed it at the swirl. After a few seconds of no reaction, I lowered my aim, the gun still firmly in my hand. “Well then,” I said, slowly approaching it. “Wouldn’t be the weirdest thing to appear in NY, I guess.” A gunshot rang out and startled me. A sharp pain ran through my abdomen, my mind numbing, and my body weakening. As I fell to a knee, the mass swallowed my upper body whole. The rest of the body quickly followed, soon knocking me unconscious. Damn. My day was going so well too. I woke up with the pain still excruciatingly present. When my eyes opened, I couldn’t hold back the tears. “You’re awake!” said a voice. “You weren’t supposed to be up yet!” “It hurts… so much,” I said through gritted teeth. “All for a small wound...” “W-wait, I’ll stabilize you! Just give me a few minutes.” “Gah! My ribs feel like they’re liquefying.” “It can’t be that bad-” “Do I even still have a stomach…?” “Okay, the process has started,” said the voice. “Just wait for a minute, or so.” “My heart feels like it’s beating in my eyes!” “I’m sorry. This is my fault.” I stayed silent. Mostly because my face pained to even move. My eyes zeroed in on the person who’d been talking to me, the sight of purple filling my bloated, wet eyes. All at once, the pain disappeared. The lack of pain made my entire body shudder. “There!” Said the voice, now clearly female. “You should be fine now. Do you feel any pain?” “No…” I said. “That’s amazing, uh…” I looked at my healer in awe. Her skin was purple, and her forehead had a small horn protruding from it. Her eyes were a soft purple, and her hair was… also purple. It had a pink stripe, though. “Uh…” “Oh, where are my manners?” She said, straightening herself up. “My name is Twilight.” “Twilight...” I said getting a feel for the name. “My name’s Stephon. May I ask a question?” “Actually, there is no time for questions. You need to meet Princess Celestia ASAP!” “Okay, I guess...” I said, getting to my feet. “Will this princess answer my questions?” “Uh, hopefully?” She opened the door and went into a large hallway. After following suit, I was swallowed by sunlight seeping in through stained glass. In my state of marvel, I failed to realize that Twilight was leaving me behind. I quickly followed her. “So, care to tell me where I am?” I asked. “There’s no problem if you answer them on the way, right?” “I suppose not,” she answered. “You’re in the land of Equestria, a land inhabited by magical beings.” “Did I come here via… writhing black space portal?” “Yes… I assume you mean the other-world gates?” She asked. “Princess Luna herself summoned you to this world.” “So, we have two princesses’ now?” “Four, in fact,” she said, a pair of wings sprouting from her shirt. I didn’t know how I hadn’t noticed it before. “I am one of the four.” “So, what exactly are you?” “We are ponies while you are human,” she said. “We have access to magical devices that allow us to communicate between the worlds. The gates are one example of this.” “Why was I summoned here?” “That… I don’t know.” “Ah,” I said. “So I assume this Princess Celestia knows?” “If she does, she has neglected to share such information with me…” she said sadly. “Maybe she simply forgot.” I would’ve bumped into Twilight, had I not come to an abrupt stop. Before us stood two people, both with old fashioned swords on their hips. They stood still like palace guards in London. Behind them stood an ungodly large set of double doors, way larger than they had any reason to be. Without any other action, the doors slowly, and loudly swung open, revealing a large open room, a cluster of seats at the far back. “Follow me,” said Twilight, entering the room. I continued following her into the cool, quiet room. Upon closer inspection, two thrones could be seen. One white and one black. Each one had a woman in it, One with almost completely white skin, horn and wings, and one with dark blue skin, horn, and wings. Twilight stopped at the foot of their thrones. “I brought him,” she said. “He was shot, but I stabilized him. He should be fine.” “Should be?” I murmured to myself. “I see…” said the one in white. “Thank you, Twilight.” “I’ll just get to the question of the day,” I said. “Why am I here?” “Then I will give you a quick answer,” said the bright one. “But first, introductions. I am Celestia, and this here is Luna: Princesses of the Sun and Moon respectively.” “Stephon,” I said. “Professional Courier.” “I understand that was not your only profession,” said Celestia. “A hitman trying to live a lower maintenance life, no?” “Lower maintenance…?” I said slowly. “Nah, I just got tired of the business.” “Tired, huh?” she said. “So, the question of the day. How would you like to join my personal army?” “Sorry,” I said. “I’m not an army man.” “You misunderstand,” she said. “You will not be joining a traditional army like the ones on Earth. In fact, it will be more akin to your old profession.” “You want me to be an assassin.” “That’s one way to put it.” “No.” “And why is that?” “I’m bored of that kind of thing.” “Is that truly the reason?” I wanted to open my mouth and retort, but nothing came out. Why didn’t I want to rejoin the profession? I’d make good money, probably be able to settle down back in New York and live an actually peaceful life. “Stephon?” asked Twilight, snapping me out of my daze. “Are you okay? You look a little bit confused.” “I have to be scared, I think…” I said. “Scared of something. Mortified. I… can’t think of what it is, but that must be the reason.” “I see,” she said. ‘We will assure your safe passage, then. Luna, if you will?” “It will take me a few minutes to get another gate open,” Luna reported. “Ah, I see,” she said, once again. “Maybe you will entertain yourself in our courtyard, Stephon?” “The courtyard?” I asked. “What is there to do in the courtyard?” “It’s a pleasant evening outside, in any case,” said Celestia. “Maybe you’d like to witness my setting of the sun and Luna’s rising of the moon?” “Seems like fun,” I said. “I could use a breath of fresh air anyways.” A set of large doors to our right opened, leading towards a grassy outdoor space. Celestia, Luna, Twilight, and I all headed towards the open doors and into the cool, blowing air. A long pathway leading further into the greenery came into view. With Celestia in the lead, we ventured further into the outdoor space. One the further side of the courtyard, a lone figure could be seen. She was an oddity, standing alone with a bow in her hand, primed to shoot at a target. Her form was beautiful and inspiring, her stance very confident and her long pink hair swayed to and fro in the wind and a pair of wings sprouted from her back. We stopped only a few feet away from her. “Who’s that?” I asked. “A friend of mine,” answered Twilight. “Watch.” A long, strong wind blowing. Right after this wind ended, she let the arrow fly, the tip landing right in the middle of the target seemingly 300 feet away. She reminded me a lot of myself. After she smiled at her accomplishment, she turned around, and all of her confidence broke. “U-uh…” she said. “Bravo, Fluttershy!” said Celestia, clapping. “You never cease to amaze me.” “Oh… t-thank you very much Princess,” she said nearly inaudibly. “P-please this was nothing noteworthy.” “What is that distance?” asked Luna with a smile. “Nearly 90 meters?” “Yes…” she said. “A-again, this is nothing much. I don’t deserve such praise.” “What do you think of it, Stephon?” asked Twilight. “Very impressive,” I said. “I have done something similar, actually.” “Oh?” asked Luna. “Would you be up for a little sport, then?” “Sport?” both Fluttershy and I asked simultaneously. “Yes, sport,” said Luna. “A friendly competition. Simple, but fun in some respects.” “I guess I have no problem with that,” I said. “Let it be known, though. I’ve never wielded a bow in my life.” “It’s really never too late to learn,” said Twilight. “By the time the match is over, you’ll be on your way home.” “Okay then,” I said. “It’s only for fun, anyways. I love having fun.” “U-Um…” Fluttershy was silent as lined up next to her. “G-good luck…” “To you as well,” I said, taking a bow from a stand to my right. Approximately 300 feet away, a small apple lay on the heads of straw dolls. Fluttershy drew her bow and I followed suit. Although it was hard at first, after concentrating, I was able to focus my aim. Athena’s Sight. The entire courtyard became blue, thousands of pieces of information entering my head. Suddenly, drawing a bow didn’t seem so complicated. Aiming just right wasn’t hard anymore. I could sit back and shoot. As I let the string go, I saw it sail right into the apple’s core, tearing it asunder and ripping it in two. Athena’s Sight withered away and I lowered my bow. “Amazing,” said Twilight. “Are you sure this is the first time you’ve wielded a bow?” “Pretty sure,” I said. “It couldn’t have been that har-” Fluttershy’s arrow sailed straight into the Apple’s stem, nailing it to the wall behind it. The courtyard was silent once again. Everyone was shocked, even Fluttershy.I had to break the silence. “That,” I said. “Was amazing.” “That shouldn’t even be possible,” said Twilight. “Absolutely astonishing!” “Yes, quite,” said Luna. “I think it’s clear to see who shot the more impressive shot.” “Yeah,” I said, turning to my opponent, who was still shocked. “Congrats.” “I… I…,” she said. “What was…?” “Hm?” I asked. “You okay there?” She shook herself away, lowered her bow and blushed. “N-nothing. It was nothing,” she said quickly. “Thank you for the match.” She quickly walked away, going towards the interior. “That was most unusual,” said Luna. “Perhaps she saw something during her shot?” “Maybe,” said Twilight. “Maybe not.” “Hey, Celestia,” I said. “Is that girl in the army?” “Yes, she is,” she said “In fact, she is a fellow assassin. Very skilled at what she does.” “Then I am not needed?” “Yes, very much so.” “She’s clearly better than I am,” I said. “Why am I needed?” Celestia sighed. “She was very precise when she asked us to bring you here,” said Celestia. “You are missing important pieces of your memory. We have all met before. Recall, what did you have for breakfast?” “That... I had…” I said. “Are you serious?” “Yes,” said Twilight. “I answered your questions before. Can’t you remember?” “Not a damn thing,” I said angrily. “I remember being a hitman, and I remember doing that job earlier…” “By being here, she wanted you to regain your memory,” said Luna. “That’s why we were so insistent in you becoming our assassin. Stephon, you were a hitman for us” “You keep mentioning this she person.” I took a deep breath as I saw the women exchange glances. “Who is she?” “Does the name…” Twilight’s horn lit up. “Does the name Leila strike any bells?” I would’ve said no, but my voice instantly dried up. Quick images flashed past my vision, each one showing me with a girl. She looked just like me, same brown hair, and eyes, same tannish skin. For some reason, I started to cry. Something saddening was overwhelming me, and I was angry I didn’t know what. The sharp pain returned, clouding my vision to nothing. I’m pretty sure I fell backward, the three women swirling around to help me. The only thing I could hear in my head was Leila. My sister. Author's Note This was written for the Elevator Pitch Contest at nearly the last minute. If you enjoyed it, please give it a thumbs up and comment.
Dragon Bait“How peculiar,” I said, looking over the edge of a chasm. My boots were locked, so I knew I could look over as I pleased. “What do you make of this, Fluttershy?” “I, um, don’t see anything,” she said. “Maybe it’s further down.” “You never told me, Fluttershy,” I said, moving backwards. “Why are we looking for a golden scepter?” “It’s apparently one of Celestia’s most prized possessions,” she said quietly, as she is known to do. “Um, Mr. Stephon?” “Stephon is fine,” I said. “Yes?” “You’ve been at this a lot longer than I have, s-so I’m sorry for taking your spot.” “My spot?” I asked. “From what Celestia told me, I just left. Besides, it’s not like I was in a concrete spot, anyways.” “O-oh…” she said, covering her face with the sweater she was wearing. “Shall we?” I said, gesturing over the edge. “See you down there.” I ran up to the edge and jumped off. I had a few options. My grav-boots, which are boots that allow me to alter gravity, could lock to a wall, allowing me to slowly, but surely make it down the wall unscathed. My second option, however, was much, much more fun. I reached to my back quickly, withdrawing a small, black cylinder. I flicked it open, revealing a slender black bow. Behind me, inside of my quiver sat a double headed arrow. Athena’s Sight. Quickly, I determined the sturdiest part of the mountain and shot an arrow towards it. After it latched on and dug into the mountain for support, I began to swing towards the wall at a dangerous speed. I quickly turned and shot and arrow downwards, using the other side of the retractable arrow. Once it latched in place, I used the string to slide down. Kinda like a makeshift zip line. Exactly like a makeshift zip line, actually. The zipline was long but only took me a few seconds to get down. Realizing I was going to hit the bottom at a hard angle, I clicked my boots together to exert a bit of anti-gravity. My speedy descent came to a calm stop. “Amazing…” said Fluttershy slowly flying down. “I never could’ve had done that.” “Thanks,” I said, recollecting the arrow. “So, see anything now? “Um…” She looked all around her. “No…” “Well, we’re only at the beginning of the hole. We should find it further down.” We walked through the dusty, dark, and narrow passage, both of us on the lookout for any kind of glimmer. “Stephon,” said Fluttershy. “There.” She pointed toward a shining light in the chasm. I walked toward it, bent down and retrieved a single, golden coin. “Is this made of gold?” I asked rhetorically. “Wow, what a find.” “Oh,” said Fluttershy in disappointment. “It’s just a bit.” “A bit of what?” “No, a bit,” she said reaching into her pocket and withdrawing one of her own. “It’s our currency in Equestria.” “Oh,” I said. “Can I keep it?” “I… suppose so,” she said. “Great.” I pocketed it. “Let’s keep searching.” A few seconds later, we found another. Again, and again, we found clusters of the golden coin. “Well then,” I said, glancing at the ground. “Somebody must’ve lost a fortune down here. “Hm,” hummed Fluttershy. “This is weird.” “What is?” “O-oh, nothing,” she said. “Just ignore me.” “Well, if anything pops up, tell me,” I said. Slowly, we rounded a corner. A large pile of golden coins sat at the end of the passage. I would’ve been overjoyed and frolicked towards them with glee if I didn’t see the massive dragon slumbering on top of them. “Oh…” said Fluttershy almost silently. “Oh, my…” “Is that a dragon?” I asked, yet again rhetorically. “What’s a dragon doing down here?” “A-a-a w-what?” stuttered Fluttershy. “I take it you’re scared of dragons?” I said. “Don’t worry, you’re not the only one.” “L-look,” she said pointing at the snout. A small, golden staff was sitting near it. “The scepter.T-that’s it.” “Oh, that’s great,” said sarcastically. “Way to make this difficult, Celestia.” “C-can you go get it?” She asked. “I don’t want to go near a dragon…” “Hm…” I contemplated my options. One, I go get the scepter and possibly wake up the dragon. Second, I shoot the dragon while he’s sleeping, giving me a good advantage. Athena’s Sight. A silverish path slivered towards the scepter.I could only assume it was showing me the way to approach without being detected. I quickly followed the path, making it to the dragon without a hitch. I slowly reached up and took the scepter from beside its nose, careful not to disrupt him much. The dragon sniffed twice before opening its eyes. “What the hell?” I whispered. “Do we have a bloodhound dragon here or something?” The dragon took in a large amount of air. That usually meant it was going to breathe fire, I jumped backwards in an attempt to avoid it, only to trip over a rock. Before I could scramble to the ground, I found myself face to face with a dragon, ever so ready to burn my face right off. Luckily, I wasn’t alone. A small arrow sailed into the dragon’s eye, the dragon recoiling backwards and roaring in pain. Using this time, I got to my feet and rushed back to the wall where Fluttershy stood different from before. “Are you okay?” She asked, loading another arrow. “The eye and underbelly are very soft spots of a dragon, so we should… be able to…” “Kill it?” Yeah,” she responded. “B-but if we can…” “Let’s try running first?” “Yes,” she repeated, taking off in the opposite direction of the dragon’s roaring voice. Fluttershy slowly started to take off into the air, while I jumped onto one of the walls of the chasm with force, locking my boots to the wall. “Let’s go!” I yelled, alerting Fluttershy. She was already very high up when the fireball hit her in the back, burning her wings. I nearly came to a screeching stop as I saw her fall. I didn’t need to activate Athena’s Sight manually. It did it on its own. The world was plunged into a slow motion phase as I dismounted from the wall. I jumped right towards her, grabbing her waist in my left arm. Quickly, I clicked my boots together, activated the anti-gravity, and sailed up to the other side of the chasm. Once I turned off anti-gravity, I came crashing to the ground. “Twice in a few minutes…” I said, grunting to get to my feet. “Heh. I can do better than that…” Fluttershy’s groan of pain interrupted my train of thought. “Oh yeah. He hit you pretty bad, Fluttershy.” “I’ll be… fine…” she choked out. For some reason, this annoyed me. “M-my wings hurt a l-little…” “Twilight’ll fix you up,” I said. “She helped me after I was shot. She can help you too.” I slowly made my way to her, lifted her up, and put her arm around my shoulder. “Ow,” she said as I placed a hand on her back. “Sorry, continue.” “Just hop onto my back,” I said kneeling down. “It’ll be easier for me, and less painful for you.” “Thank you,” she said, grasping my neck. “I’m sorry for this.” “There’s nothing to be sorry for,” I said, my annoyance seeping through a little. “Uh, what I mean is, you shouldn’t apologize preemptively, you know?” “Y-yes,” she said. I lifted her into the air and we made our way back from the large chasm. “Hey, Stephon?” “Hm?” I hummed. “You… remind me of my brother.” A quick image flashed by my face. A small child was carrying another just like I was carrying Fluttershy. For some reason, it gave me a sense of deja vu. “Your brother, huh?” I asked. “Is that weird?” She asked. “I’m sorry if that was weird. Oh, um, sorry for saying sorry.” I couldn’t help but chuckle. “Don’t worry about it,” I said with a smile. “I can live with a little weirdness, Flutters.” “Flutters?” She asked. “Y-you never called me that before.” “Oh, uh, must’ve been a slip of the tongue,” I said. “Won’t happen again.” “I don’t mind it,” she said. “I… kind of like it.” “Okay then,” I said. “I’ll call you Flutters from now on.” We traveled in silence for what seemed like an hour. We were approaching the castle when Flutters called my name. “Hey, Stephon?” “Hm?” “Could you teach me about something?” “About what?” “Your eyes,” she said. “I… I think I may have the same eyes as you do.” “You think you have Athena’s Sight?” “Is that what it’s called?” She asked. “Yes, I think…” “Hm…” I thought to myself for a second. “I think I can, but I may have a little problem…” “What is it?” she asked. “I don’t even know what Athena’s Sight is.” “Y-you don’t?” She asked. “But you were using it all the time. Even when we had our contest yesterday.” “I know how to activate it, and what I can use it for, but I don’t know what it is,” I revealed. “Maybe when I teach you, you could end up teach me!” She gave me a small laugh. “I doubt it, but I’ll try.” I stopped in my tracks. In front of me was my sister. She was smiling, giving me a wave before disappearing, leaving behind words that chilled me to the bone. Don’t forget what is important to you, Stephon. The moment you do, darkness will come and sweep it away. It will sweep her away. “Stephon?” asked Flutters. “Did you… hear that?” “Hey, Flutters?” “Y-yes?” “I promise I won’t let you die.” “H-huh? What do you mean?” I didn’t answer. I wasn’t sure myself, but something came to me when I heard her voice. Leila was gone. And somehow, it was my fault. Author's Note I think I'm becoming much more infatuated with this story than I should be. I mean, I finished this chapter at 10 in the morning on a school day, for Chrissakes! Anyway, if you liked, please like and comment to tell what you thought.
Master of ShadowsFlutters is good at hand to hand combat. I mean really good at hand to hand combat. Sitting in the infirmary of the castle once again after having my arm accidentally broken, I stared up at the ceiling while Twilight carefully repaired the bone. I couldn’t feel much of anything due to the heavy anesthetics she’d placed in my system. “I should be done in a few moments,” said Twilight. “Take it easy, next time. I can’t continuously heal you like this.” “Hey,” I said. “You’re a princess, right?” “Right.” She said, slowly pouring her magic onto the broken bone. “What about it?” “You must hang out with Celestia all the time,” I concluded. “Maybe you’ll tell me what she’s doing?” “What do you mean?” She asked, confusedly. “When I first came here, she pitted me in a contest against Flutters. Then, after my incident, she sends me off to find a scepter, without any explanation or warning. Now, this morning, she tells me to go to her training room and learn hand to hand combat,” I said annoyedly. “And if you didn’t notice, Flutters is really good at hand to hand combat!” “I’m sure she has her reasons…” she said slowly. “Not even you know?” I asked, with a sigh. “I’m not particularly fond of this running around.” “Again, she probably has her reasons,” she said, finishing up. “I’m going to stop the flow of anesthetics, okay?” “When will it fully wear off?” I asked. “Sometime next week,” she said plainly. “Seriously?” “No,” she said with a chuckle. “It was a joke. In a few minutes, it should be gone.” “Oh,” I said. “Thanks, Twilight.” “No problem,” she said, turning in her swivel chair. “Just heed my warning.” “Oh, uh, Twilight?” I called. “Before I go, can ask you a question?” “Shoot,” she said, turning to face me. “So… Leila was my sister, right?” I asked. “Why is she so important to you three?” Twilight was silent for a minute. She bit her lip. “Celestia… hasn’t told me much, yet,” she said. “I-I’m sure the next time you see her-” “That’s odd,” I said. “You bit your lip. I feel like I know that means something, but I can’t place my finger on it…” “Must just be your imagination,” said Twilight, turning once again in her chair. “Isn’t Fluttershy waiting for you?” “Oh!’ I said. “I forgot about Flutters. I should go tell her I’m okay.” I waltzed out of the door, closing it behind myself. I put my head on the door, laying it back. “Didn’t Leila… Nah, it must’ve been my imagination.” “Finally!” I said stretching myself out. “I finally get some time to myself.” I stood outside of the castle for the first time. Apparently, the castle stood in the city of Canterlot, a high-class society of magical ponies. Huh. I wonder when that stopped being weird enough for me to say it straight. “Now that I think about it, I don’t really have much to do outside the castle…” I said. “Celestia has been gone forever, and Luna only makes herself known at night.” I sighed as I sat on a chair at an outside cafe. “I’m going to have to ask you to leave if you are here to sit and gawk, sir,” said one of the waiters. “Other people eagerly await your seat.” “That’s fine,” I said. “I wasn’t actually doing anything, anyways.” I started to get up, but an arm slowly pushed me down. “Sorry, sir,” said the voice, gravelly and low. My hair on my skin stood up as he walked into view. He seemed clad in black and gray, from head to toe. He also had a gray horn. The only color other than those two was the green and black that made up his eyes, along with the dark purple smoke fleeing from them. “He was waiting for me.” “W-was he?” said the waiter in equal fear. “I-I’m terribly sorry, sir. Continue…” The waiter left the table and the man, I guess you could call him, sat down. “Salutations, Stephon,” his eyes bore into mine with an uncomfortable glare. “It’s been quite some time since we’ve seen each other.” “Has it?” I said nervously. “Yeah, I remember. We went to that party… and had lots of red wine?” He laughed heartily, drawing more attention from the street. “I’m glad you remembered!” he said with a hoot. “I assume you also remembered stabbing me through the heart?” “I…” “Then you and your sister laughed at me for being a weakling?” “I don’t-” “Then took my own sword and ended my life with it?!” “I don’t remember!” I yelled back. “I don’t remember stabbing you, killing you, or going to a party with you!” “I don’t remember the party either,” he said looking towards one of the waitresses. He extended his index finger and pulled it back towards him, the waitress unconsciously walking towards him. She fell into his lap, her dead eyes turning towards him. “I’ve heard you are still working for Celestia. How is that working for you?” “I… just got back.” The question of the day: Why was I talking to this guy like he was an old friend? “W-what are you doing?” Sombra slowly ran a hand through the waitress’ hair. “Tell me, Stephon,” he said, moving onto her face. “Have you ever caressed a woman so?” “I don’t think so…” I said, watching the situation, my fists clenched. “W-why are you doing this?” “Is there a problem?” he said, slowly moving down to the girl’s stomach. “I’m just satisfying my carnal desires. I am a man, after all.” “So what?” I asked. “You don’t see me… doing something like that.” He finally reached the bottom of her stomach, just above the genital area. “If you want me to stop, just tell me, okay?” He whispered in the girl’s ear. “As for you, Stephon, if you want to stop me, you have to make me. It shouldn’t be hard. You stopped me when I did it to your sister, after all.” I jumped onto the table, grabbing the man’s neck. My body activated Athena’s Sight instinctively. I was ready to choke this man to death. He smiled. He put his foot on my stomach and forcefully launched me into the air. Without warning, I came sailing towards the pavement, slamming into a table and Athena’s Sight disappeared. I wanted to get up and fight this guy, at least, punch him in the face. I couldn’t remember him, but I knew I hated him. “Who are you?” I asked. “You truly don’t remember?” he asked with a roaring laugh. “This is the first time I’ve heard that I am unmemorable!” “You didn’t answer my question,” I said, pulling the black bar from my back. “Who are you?” Without an answer, he sunk into the ground, disappearing from my sight. Athena’s Si- A hearty kick to the back knocked all of the wind out of me, knocking me to the ground. “Oh?” He asked. “Lost your touch?” I got up just in time for him to bring a knee to my chin. Now fully on my feet, he continued with left and right jabs. I could tell he was playing with me. I was sure that the people at the Cafe would’ve called the police by now, so I glanced at them after being knocked down. They all stood, dead-eyed, just like that girl. The man pulled me up by my hair before headbutting me back down to the ground. “How does it feel, Stephon?” He brought his foot down on my chest, probably fracturing some bones. “How does it feel to be so helpless at my hands?” “If I’m… being perfectly… honest…” I said gasping for air for my deprived lungs. “It feels… pretty bad…” “I want you to feel the hate I felt back then!” he yelled. “You and your sister ruined my life!” “Must’ve been a pretty… bad life,” I said, stalling for time. “What was my sister like?” The man gave another long, hearty laugh. “You really don’t remember, do you?” He said, picking me up off the ground from the color. “Pitiful. Stand.” He pushed me backward making me lean heavily against a wall. “So?” I asked. “What was my sister like?” “Both of you were the same,” he answered. “Both hopped up on false, illegitimate dreams. Take over my kingdom single handily? I thought it impossible. You two, though... You obliterated me!” “Well, if you were acting like you are now, I can see why we-” He brought a fist deep into my gut, making me draw blood. He kept it there and twisted it around. “Does it hurt?” He said. “This is but a fraction of the pain you and your sister caused me!” “Why...” I asked, through the pain. I had to think of a plan. “Why did we attack?” He smiled and wrenched his hand from my gut, dropping me to the ground. “My slaves,” he said. “They bothered you. You hated me for keeping them. You couldn’t leave them alone.” “S-so?” I asked, hacking up more blood. “Didn’t we kill you?” “Nearly,” he said. “I was saved by my new master. In fact, it’s kind of ironic, if you think about it?” “Who is it?” I was about to lose consciousness. “My master?” He asked. “His name would be sullied falling upon your ears.” “Athena’s Sight!” yelled Flutters. I closed my eyes as a big wave of warm liquid poured over me. Unable to open them again, I fell to my stomach and fell unconscious. Thanks, Flutters. “What did I tell you about getting injured?” Said Twilight, paying no more than half of her attention on healing. “You’re interrupting me in the middle of a very important spellbook!” “I thought you read all of the books in your library.” She promptly closed the book. “Yeah, you’re right. I’m bored,” she said. “You got to fight King Sombra while I was in here perfecting illusion magic.” “So that was his name…” I said. “Besides that, that sounds like fun.” “No,” she said, giving me her full attention. Her magic flow increased. “Did you thank Fluttershy yet?” “The only thing I remember is being yelled at by you,” I said. “I woke up in here. Did Flutters carry me in here?” “She informed Celestia and had you teleported here.” Twilight stopped using magic. “Okay, seriously, stop taking so much damage.” “And how do you suggest I do that?” I said, getting up. “If you want to take less damage, stop getting hit.” She tapped her head. “Pure wisdom right there.” “If there was ever a time for easier said than done, it’s right now.” Before Twilight could retort, the door burst open, a distraught Flutters entering the room. Once she did, she regained her composure. “Thank goodness,” she said with a deep breath. “You’re alright.” “As fit as a fiddle,” I said. “Hey, Twi, what’s a fiddle?” “Did you just call me ‘Twi’?” asked Twilight. I slapped my forehead. “Sorry about that,” I said. “I did it to Flutters, too. I don’t know why.” “That’s what you used to call me,” she said, excitedly. “Are you regaining your memories?” “I think so,” I said, slowly getting excited as well. “Twi kinda rolls off the tongue better, you know?” “I think so,” she said. “I should really get back to writing this report to Princess Celestia. Plus, you might want to check the basement.” “The basement?” I asked. “Sombra’s down there,” she said. “He has something to tell you.” “H-he does?” I sighed. “I’m not sure I want to listen.” “It’s about Leila,” she added, turning around. “You should listen.” I nodded and headed out of the door, Flutters following suit. “Oh yeah!” I said. “Thanks so much, Flutters. How did you know I was in trouble?” “My birds,” she said. “They told me something bad was happening to you. I rushed over as fast as I could.” "They... told you?" "Yes..." she sid quietly. "I can talk to animals." “You learn something new everyday,” I said. “I heard you activated it. How did it feel your first time?” “Just amazing,” she said. “I felt like I could see everything.” “Yeah, it feels like that,” I said. “ I feel like you’re amazing sometimes.” “W-what do you mean?” She asked. “You and I are much different,” I said. “You’re great at fighting, you’re a great shot, and you’re so determined to help.” “Thank you…” she said quietly. We reached the door to the underground cellars, guarded by two guards. “Princess Luna is waiting for you,” said a guard. “The cell is the on the far left.” “Thank you,” I said, opening the door. A large set of stone stair led downwards. Following them down, the air became damp and the walls, moldy. Once we reached the bottom, five cells could be seen. Near the left one, a small blue light illuminated the space. Luna stood at the bars, carefully watching the inside. Once I could see who was inside, my stomach threatened to regurgitate whatever it had inside. A bloody, messy lump was tied to the wall. Deep gashes and bruises could be seen on Sombra’s skin. Nevertheless, the pony smiled. “Finally,” he said, panting. “How long did you plan on keeping me waiting-” A slash of blue light cut inside the cells, warranting a long, painful howl of laughter from Sombra. “Be silent.” Said Luna. I felt a bit of fear for Luna, but as she turned to me, she made sure to smile. “He will be quiet. Ask him.” “Oh…” Flutters was almost white, rather than her normal yellow. “I… I…” “Flutters?” I asked. “You should go.” “Yes,” said Luna, covering her in magic. “Once he is done, I will send Stephon to your house. He will console you if need be.” She didn’t say anything as she was teleported away. I turned to the maniacal Sombra with a gulp. “Now that your friend is out of the picture,” said Sombra. “Where should I begin?” Author's Note Sombra down, Sombra dooooown! Anyway, this is the third chapter. Stephon is a chapter closer to finding his memories or being cancelled... Hopefully, it's not the latter. Anyway, if you liked it, please like and comment!
