A Strange But Familiar Place

Entering the Carousel Boutique after being gone for most of the day as well as yesterday gives me an anxious feeling. I stare into the kitchen, where the leg of the attacker laid along with her blade.

I'm glad I told him about that blade. Knowing that he can track magical imprints gives us a chance to find our attacker.

A hoof waves in front of my face and I look down in surprise to see Sweetie Belle. I instantly see her frown and worried look, and proceed to smile in return. Her face changes as well with mine and she gives off a cheery and bright smile.

"Hello Devan! It's been like, a day! Where were you? I heard you went to Canterlot!" Sweetie Belle says excitedly while jumping into my arms.

"Ha, yeah I was! Now I'm back, but I need to go to my room alright? I have something to do before we can play." I say with sincerity and a smile.

A pout displays itself on Sweetie Belle's face and I can't help but feel guilty for leaving her alone again.

I suppose the cutie mark crusaders didn't create itself while I was gone, so I can't interfere too much.

"I'll see you later. I promise you that Sweetie Belle." I state before going up to my room and retrieving the dagger I recovered and wrapped in a cloth for fear of some curse being on it.

I leave the boutique and think back to the campfire session with Echo and Giselle.

Seems to be that Echo's the most experienced and talented of this small group we have. Nice to know that I can rely on him at least, but I wish I was as useful as he is.

I quickly make my way to Obsidians home and knock twice and then ,after a short pause, another two times. The door opens with Echo standing in the doorway. He looks towards the covered dagger in my hand and nods before letting me in.

"Place it on the table uncovered please." Echo requests.

I do what he says after nodding towards him in response. The dagger while uncovered still leaks dark magic from a gem on it's hilt. The black mist, along with the ornamented look of the dagger, betrays my eyes and gives it a sense of beauty. After a short moment, Echo starts to channel magic into his eyes. The deep purple color of his magical essence is shown clearly now while not being covered by the dark mist he summoned earlier. Some of his magic envelops the dagger, coating it completely. After a few minutes of this staring contest with the dagger, he stop and sighs in frustration before channeling a different spell.

"I did not learn much. It is protected by magics that seem to erase some of it's own past. Interesting... And very annoying. I do have a copy of the ones magical signature who wielded this. It is weak, but I can sense that it isn't much distance away. It seems that it's..." Echo's eyes widen in surprise and seemingly horror.

An anxious look appears on his face after he drops his spell, before saying three words to me and Giselle. "Follow me, NOW!" he says in a very serious and urgent tone.

Echo teleports away. I feel my body tense up after hearing him and do as he says immediately. I grab the trail of magic he left behind on purpose and use it to teleport me and Giselle to where he went. When we arrive, I look around and notice a familiar surrounding. One I haven't seen in person, but remember very clearly on the show. A garden with a multitude of statues strewn around, one in particular being in front of us. Echo is no where in sight, Giselle nods at me after realizing this and starts to look around. I nod back after a short hesitation and do the same.

Hello Discord, I'll see you sooner than you think...

I leave his statue and I cover about half of the garden before I feel something tap on my shoulder. I jump instinctively while turning around. Echo's head is floating in the air, with a smile on his face.

"I am sorry that I scared you strange one, but I figured out what led me here. She came here and then used some sort of healing magic before jumping off of Canterlot." Echo says with confidence. "We will track her landing and hopefully find a new lead from there. Follow me again, this time we will follow her in a more conventional way. Apparently the griffon didn't appreciate the teleportation you did. I believe I saw Giselle spewing the last few days worth of food when I checked on her. We will go without her, she will follow soon."

He fully uncloaks himself, and starts walking towards the edges of the garden and past it to a specific edge of Canterlot. He jumps off and starts gliding downwards, seemingly floating. I notice some magic around his arms that are spread out. It's
spread behind them like small wings. I, feeling tired from teleporting me and Giselle such a distance, follow suit and create a similar webbed arm spell on the fly. He looks at me and gives a cheeky grin.

"I see that you adapt well strange one. Your spell is but a copy and I can tell you aren't experienced but it is still well done. I commend you on your spellcrafting, it isn't easy to master. Let us test you even more, shall we?" Echo says with a challenging tone before pushing his legs outwards behind him.

Magic gathers around his legs, concentrated at his feet. Suddenly, after a second of channeling, a magical force propels him forward from his feet. This causes a ripple of sound and intense winds to follow in his wake. Surprised, but not stunned, I attempt the same. I will my magic to act as a powerful fan behind my feet as I stretch them behind me. A gust of wind shoots me forward with speeds I couldn't of predicted. I fly past Echo, who looks at me with a grin, seemingly expecting such a thing to happen. I look at the ground coming closer and reduce the magic I am putting into the spell while also pointing my feet downwards.

Damn... I barely used any magical power at all. Didn't think it'd be that efficient of a method of travel! I wonder why I dont see unicorns using it. Perhaps its something that isn't well known I suppose.

As I gradually slow myself and land on the ground, Echo glides in behind me, landing perfectly next to me.

"Well done. You changed the spell quickly to suit your needs, you will make a very fine spell user. I see now why they let you in this group." he says before continuing forward while examining the ground closely.

"So you had doubts about me?" I say with a bit of annoyance in my voice.

"Yes, but I didn't doubt the Princesses. I assumed you would be useful, but I didn't know in what way. I see now that you have plenty of know-how. Unlike many of the beings in this land. So innocent and lackluster, almost makes me sick." Echo replies with an obvious distastefulness in his tone.

Echo looks at the ground and points towards an obvious path of blood leading into the nearby woods. I nod and follow him closely.

"They wanted peace in the land. That's why we exist, right? To do most of the dirty work that they shouldn't see." I whisper in response, ignoring his comment on the ones that live here.

"Yes, but at what cost? They seem a bit controlled and restricted. I'm sure not every place is the same, but I don't think these ponies are enjoying their life as much as they could be. Just seems too perfect, almost boring. But enough of this useless conversation, it seems we're coming up onto a dwelling." he says before resting on his knee.

A flapping noise comes from behind us as Giselle lands a few feet away. She seems to understand the situation instantly and quietly walks up next to us. We start to surround the small home in the middle of these woods. Echo signals me to open the door, I nod with hesitation and walk up to knock on the door. It isn't locked, opens up with the knock and I feel a familiar chill up my spine. I go in, hearing Echo and Giselle come up behind me. The room gives me a homely vibe due to the fireplace and dining table. This almost eases my anxiousness, until I notice the body on the floor. It's a mare, somewhat young. She is a pale color and not moving. Echo walks up to the body, flips it over and checks for a pulse.

"She is gone. I would guess that she is the one that attacked you?" Echo says while inspecting the body closely.

"No, that's not her. The fur color is completely wrong. The attacker had grey patches and the mane was completely white. A scar was also on her face, going through the middle of it. This one is missing a leg as well though... The same one.. Was it possible that she?.." I say, terrified of the question I was going to ask.

"She must have. Magic like that exists as long as you find... Fresh parts." Giselle says with a sigh.

A death in these lands... It seems so wrong.

"I'll start to inspect each part of this home. Strange one, I require those eyes of yours. I can use a spell to see magical essence but since you can see it outright, let's just use your eyes." Echo says before moving onto a nearby room.

"Alright, let's go take a look then. I hope we find something or else we're going to be screwed." I say with an annoyed sigh.

As I walk into the room Echo went to and look around, horror fills my body. The room is covered in scribbling. 'For you, my king' is scratched into almost every surface possible with a body lying in the middle of the floor, surrounded by candles. The body is one of a foal, which is only identified by the body shape and size. There is no fur, nor a head. Just death by a crazed mare with an obsession over a king. Echo turns to me with a grim look on his face.

"I'm glad we exist strange one. You were right, no being should see this." he says quietly.