A Coward's Story

"Can we leave right now?" retaining her excited look, Twilight asked right as her friends stopped cheering.

Pausing for a brief moment, Exhorresco nodded and turned around. "Right this way." He began walking through the flock of curious sightseers. Demons or not, I have no intention of openly admitting of having lied to them in front of their entire tribe.

Unintelligible whispers and glares of distrust surrounded Exhorresco as he led the six pack leaders out of the borders of their hive, but they weren't the only ones uncertain of whether this warrior could be trusted...

"I don't know..." one of the princess' advisers whispered to her. "Something seems awfully fishy about this guy."

"I hear ya, Rainbow," another voice added. "One moment he's spoutin' complete nonsense and surrendering to us, and then the next thing you know, he's suddenly on an official diplomatic mission!"

"Shh!" Twilight hushed the excessively loud counselor. "You don't want him to hear us, do you?"

"So you don't trust him either?" the same orange-coated demon asked in a much quieter voice.

"I know it might seem like he lost a few marbles from his fall, but we don't know anything about this Marenolia or the race that inhabits it! For all we know, whatever he did upon his arrival is some kind of strange custom in their land," the princess explained her point of view.

"Let's assume that what you just said is true," another one of her consultants joined in on the discussion. This one seemed more culturally refined than the last two. "Do you honestly want to consort with some strange tribe of outlanders whose traditions could only make sense to somepony that's spent a little too much time under the sun?" she asked with her eyebrow raised. The other four imitated a similar expression as well.

"Would you prefer it if there were a few thousand like him pointing their swords at you, rather than just one?" the pack leader counter-questioned.

"Touche, darling... Touche."

Not much later, Exhorresco stopped dead in his tracks and set his sights upon a great forest that didn't seem even remotely natural.

"T-t-t-the Everfree forest?" the stuttering, yellow-coated adviser of the princess uttered. She looked as though she had just seen a ghost.

"Is this the only way to Marenolia?" the princess inquired, also slightly nervous about the course of their trip.

"Nay," the warrior quickly replied and turned around.

"Phew." Twilight wiped her forehead. "You had me worried for a second there... So which route should we--"

"I'm afraid this is as far as you go," he interrupted with a rather grim look on his face.

"Huh?" the princess uttered. "It's a trap!" she exclaimed without much thinking.

"I knew it!" the rainbow-maned adviser added as the six of them got into position for battle.

"You made us separate from the rest of the town to lead us to the forest, where the rest of your kin are hiding and waiting to ambush us!" Twilight accused him.

"What in the bloody blazes are you on about?" Exhorresco asked with a glare of both disgust and confusion.

"Not today!" the pack leader shouted and fired at the man with a ray of magic.

Just barely dodging the bolt in time and looking back to see it fly directly into a tree and leave a burn mark on it, Exhorresco's face nearly turned pale for a second. "Soul magic..." he muttered and drew his sword. "So you are demons, after all!"

"What!?" Twilight exclaimed, replacing her warface with a confused stare.

"There's no use in pretending now, you filth! Every infant in Mernolia knows that only demons can channel magic through their bodies without any amplifiers!" the warrior kept shouting, only confusing his adversaries even more in the process. "You shall not have my soul, demon! I will not be fuel for your vile weapons!" he screamed with great fury and swung his blade right at the pack leader.

"Wait!" Twilight exclaimed as she and all her friends jumped away to avoid the swing. "Stop! Please!" she kept shouting whilst dodging the warrior's swings.

"Save your breath, demon! Raaagh!" He swung his sword with all his might. As the blow that would have surely cut the purple one in half came swinging down at her, she managed to teleport away, just in time to avoid it. Failing his attack, Exhorresco started panting as his strength began to wane. His expression was utterly shocked beyond words. The demon... is... is it dead? After hearing some hoofsteps coming from behind himself, he turned around and bore witness to the same demon he thought he had just obliterated. He stared at it in complete awe whilst still breathing heavily. "What form of diabolic magic is this?" he asked in dismay.

"Teleportation," she answered with a rather unfriendly glare on her face. "Please, would you just stop swinging that thing around long enough to--"

"Demonic soul magic... Angelic rift walking..." he interrupted her and dropped on one knee, plunging his blade into the ground in front of him and bowing his head while still holding his hand on the hilt of the sword. "You're no demon..." He slowly raised his head and addressed the creature in a respectful manner. "What in the sage's name are you?"

"Uugh! Why do you keep calling me a demon!?" Twilight bawled. "I'm just a pony, for Celestia's sake!"

"A... po-knee?" the warrior repeated the strange word.

"Yes," she confirmed. "An alicorn, to be exact, but that's only what I classify as," she explained further, still trying to retain a polite tone. "Now, would you be so kind as to--"

"Noble alichorn," Exhorresco interrupted again and lowered his head. Despite the reverent remark, Twilight still couldn't help but feel a bit peeved about being interrupted again. "Your prowess exceeds even the legends we tell our children... and I am now as convinced as ever that the sage has made a mistake in sending me here." He raised his head again and looked deeply into the eyes of the alicorn. "Would it be a sin to ask someone of your bloodline for help in finding my way back home?"

Total silence claimed the air for a good while. The six ponies couldn't make out anything from what the warrior had just said, and Exhorresco simply awaited for the great and purple one to give her verdict.

"Okay... this guy has definitely been out in the sun too long," the blue one with rainbow hair added.

No longer able to keep this charade going, the princess of friendship just lost it and began bellowing at the top of her lungs, "What in Celestia's name are you talking about!?"

"Forgive me, noble alichorn," Exhorresco immediately apologized and humbly lowered his head again. "I meant no disrespect."

"Uggh!" Twilight groaned and facehoofed herself. "Would you, please, just stop it with the titles and talk of demons already and just tell me what exactly is going on here!?" she said in a demanding tone.

"It shall be as you say, oh righteous and benevolent one," he replied with great respect towards her, but Twilight could only roll her eyes upon hearing another ridiculous title. "It all began when--"

Before he could continue, a loud howl coming from behind him interrupted his monologue. As Exhorresco turned around to investigate, he saw three pairs of greenish-yellow eyes shinning brightly through the darkness. As they drew closer to him, fierce growling ensued.

"Timberwolves!" the princess exclaimed. Just as she did so, the fearsome creatures began charging at them.

"Foul spawn of hell!" Exhorresco drew his blade. "Taste my steel!" He swung his sword at the first timberwolf that dared approach him, shattering it into two dozen pieces of firewood in the process. Ignoring the massive warrior that was much larger than their usual prey, the other two wolves charged right at the pack of ponies. "Where do you think you're going?" Exhorresco asked one of the creatures as he grabbed it by its tail. "Back to hell, dog!" Grabbing the creature with both hands, he swung it over himself and smashed it against the ground.

"Run!" one of the ponies shouted. Five of them ran, but the princess didn't even have enough time to turn around as one of the wolves took a leap towards her with its mouth wide open.

"Aaaah!" Twilight yelped from fear.

"You shall not harm the princess!"

Closing her eyes, Twilight heard a shattering sound near her face. Upon re-opening them, she saw Exhorresco standing in front of her with his blade drawn back as though he had just made a powerful swing. It didn't take her long to realize just what had happened. She, as well as her friends, all looked a bit surprised by the way the warrior had just selflessly defended them against the timberwolf threat.

Calming her anxiety and clearing her throat, Twilight spoke to him again, "Khe, khem... Thank you... that was very noble of you."

"No need to be modest, noble alichorn... I am certain that someone with your power was only holding back because she felt sorry for the poor, defenseless hellspawn."

Twilight put on a sheepish smile and disengaged from eye contact with Exhorresco as soon as she heard that remark. "Yes, well... That sort of thing does sometimes happen to me, I suppose." She grinned widely. A strong gust of wind came by at that instant and set their manes askew. "It's getting late, and I'd really rather not wait around for any more timberwolves."

"You said it," the refined one agreed.

"Shall we continue this discussion tomorrow?" Twilight politely asked Exhorresco.

"If that is your wish, then so be it, weary alichorn." Exhorresco bowed before her. "Get as much rest as you need, princess. I shall await your return, regardless of when it comes."

"Great," Twilight replied with a solid smile on her lips. "See you tomorrow, Erm... Exhorreto, was it?"

"It's Exhorresco, Your Highness," he corrected. "But thou may call me as thou see fit."

Oh, brother... not the THOU's... the princess thought to herself and rolled her eyes. "Exhorresco is fine," she replied and turned around to make her way back to her castle.

"You are too kind, Your Grace."

And so, they parted ways. However, the orange-coated one did take one last look back before leaving the scene completely.

"Uhh... Twilight?" she tapped on the princess' shoulder and pointed at the warrior who had made himself comfortable by reclining his back against a tree by the Everfree forest entrance. "I know he's a bit... erm... strange, but don't you think we should..."

"I get the picture," Twilight took over her sentence and started walking back towards the warrior by the tree. "Say, umm... Exhorresco?" she addressed him as soon as they came closer.

"Yes, Your Majesty?"

"Do you really not have any better place to stay for the night other than here, where it's cold and full of timberwolves?"

"Hah! Nonsense!" he rejected the notion. "The double-edged blade tribe always makes their camps in the middle of the harshest terrain! This is nothing new to me."

"Wouldn't you rather stay somewhere where it's warm and safe, for a change?" she offered in a polite manner.

Taking a quick glance behind himself, right into the heart of the endless darkness that surrounded the forest, as well as at his own skin that was now clad with goosebumps, Exhorresco got all the motivation he needed to take the princess up on her offer. "What did you have in mind, oh benevolent one?"

"Well, as it happens, I have plenty of spare bedrooms back at my castle." She stepped aside and directed Exhorresco's attention at the castle of friendship.

Exhorresco was nearly completely certain that the alicorn was merely toying with him, and so his tone was full of disbelief. "Me, a complete stranger in your lands, to stay in the very heart of your kingdom? Surely, you jest."

"It's no big deal, really," she insisted. "Plus, it would mean that we wouldn't have to come all the way back to the Everfree forest in the morning just to have our promised discussion."

"Your altruism and benevolence knows no bounds, noble alichorn." Exhorresco stood up and bowed before the six ponies, once more. "If Her Grace wishes me to remain close by her side, then I certainly won't object."

"You're very welcome," Twilight replied and led the way. "Oh! I almost forgot! I haven't even introduced you to my friends yet, have I?"

"No, Your Grace," Exhorresco confirmed. "I admit, I would prefer to have a proper way of referring to them, other than simply calling them refined one or stuttering one."

"Ooh! Refined one. I must say, I rather enjoy the sound of that," the said pony added.

"S-s-stuttering one?" the yellow-coated one repeated with a sad look on her face.

"Ooh! Ooh! Do me! Do me!" the only adviser that had not said a word until now finally spoke up.

"Do... you?" the confused warrior repeated with a raised eyebrow.

"Mmhm!" the hyperactive one confirmed. "What do you call me?"

"Uhm... hyperactive one, I suppose."

The smile on the same pony's face faded a bit after hearing that. "Meh, too cliche... How about... the party one! Ooh! Or maybe, the bouncing one!" she suggested as she turned her walk into a cheerful skip. "Or maybe..."

"All right, that's enough," Twilight hushed her.

"Aww." Her hyperactive friend frowned and stopped skipping.

"I'd really prefer it if you called them by their real names."

"Of course, oh just and righteous one."

"And please, stop with the titles already!"

"Certainly, oh great and powerful one," Exhorresco said with a small grin covering one corner of his lips.

Twilight's eyes popped wide open upon hearing that title. "That... Don't ever call me like that again."