Dreamer Adventures

Closed curtains and a bed basked in darkness hid Chara from the light of the waking world. This peace was abruptly ended when suddenly there came a rapping at the door.

A rapping at her chamber door. Quote the the royal guard: “Miss Dreemurr! Your presence is required upon the training grounds!”

That rhymed in no way shape or form…

Chara groaned as she rolled over in her bed, trying to fall back asleep even if she had just woke up.

The door was pounded on by this point. “I have a skeleton key Miss Dreemurr!” The guard threatened… to which Chara ignored as she covered her head up with the blankets.

“I don't get paid enough for this…” The door was unlocked and a magical flash bang was set off in the room. As soon as the flash bang went off Chara sent 15 different knives in the direction of it and cutting through the wall that was hit with the blades.

“That was mean! You're mean!!!” Chara yelled after she calmed down and got her bearings.

“I'm not paid to be nice! Move soldier!” The guard exclaimed rather than yelled, not at all frightened or deterred by the flying knives.

Huffing and pinching his nose, the guard relented some. “A meal has been prepared for you and you may enjoy it during your orientation.”

“I'm still wondering why I have to be a Child Soldier…” Chara said under her breath as she got up and started get dressed in a sweater and shorts.

“Pfft, if it were my choice you'd still be in basic as a sword polisher, but the Princess has taken a shine to you and I really wouldn't want to get on her bad side.” He turned to leave, a noticeable burn mark decorating his right flank. “Brisk pace soldier, your parole officer should be finished with his training.” Chara wanted to say some choice words to this guy but decided to pull on her sneakers first before she started to follow him out.

The pair silently made they're way through long halls and twisting stairwells, the sun's light shining along the pillars of the guard barracks of the castle’s main grounds.

Once the two made their way to the main sparring area, they were treated to the sight of a five foot six, white furred, slim built and shirtless goat man sword training with a slightly taller shadow brandishing a one handed longsword.

The two clashed for several seconds before bowing to one another, the shadow dropping into the ground.

“Master Dreemurr, your charge.” The burned guard stated.

Asriel flinched, his current form poofing as he fell onto the floor a child. His green striped turtleneck and blue shorts appearing with him.

“What who where!?” The goat child asked in a daze.

“Hello goat bro…” Chara says crossing her arms with a raised eyebrow.

“H-hey…” Asriel began rubbing his sword arm as he looked away.

Several soldiers began to salute, a certain alicorn of the sun having entered the grounds. “Asriel! I see your control has improved.” She praised.

The child only huffed as he got back to his feet. “My concentration could use some work, and I still can't figure out where that shadow comes from.”

Celestia handed him a manila folder, the words TOP SECRET stamped onto it with big red letters. “Today's assignment. I know this seems rather fast for how little time you've spent with us, but-”

“Yeah yeah, I don't have a choice in the matter, I know the drill.” He said, cutting her off with a wave.

“So what assignment are you sending my brother on?” Chara says as she felt a protective feeling for this asriel displaced.

“You'll both be heading to the older part of Canterlot, mission details are in the envelope. Have fun you two!” Celestia said with a brilliant beaming smile as she turned to leave.

Asriel huffed and opened a small portal to retrieve a plastic box. “You know, I just can't stay mad at her.” He said with a sigh before taking out two steaming sandwiches made with ciabatta bread. “Hungry?” He asked Chara, albeit rather wary.

“What is that sandwich made of?” Chara asked as she grabbed a sandwich peeling the bread back to look inside.

“Uh… breaded chicken, tomato and basil sauce… mozzarella and like… a bit of bell pepper. Why?” He asked taking a bite. “I can make you a pizza if you're not a fan.”

“... I'll give it a try…”Chara said as she created a save point before starting to eat. It tasted pretty good to Chara as she had never had something like this before although there was this weird taste inside the chicken but Chara dismissed it thinking it was just a seasoning.

Asriel sat down as he began to review the contents of the folder. “Hmm… so get this…” Asriel took another munch and proceeded to speak while chewing. “An ex royal guard from way back in the day is hanging around the ruins of old Canterlot. We're s’posed to make contact.”

A royal guard had come before the pair, leaving a box and a note with Asriel. Saluting, he took his leave.

Curious he opened the box and found a pair of steel rings as he read the note. “To whom it may concern, pretty sure that means me, these are your bound rings. The wearer of the 'master’ marked with an ‘A’ will know at all times the location of the 'former’ marked with a 'C’.

Asriel slipped on his as he gave Chara the remaining ring. “I guess they don't trust either of us.” He said idly.

“Azzy there is not a force on Earth or Heaven that is making me put on a slave ring…”Chara said in a long drawn-out tone because that's what she thought they were… slave rings.

Asriel gave this some thought as he simply put on the other ring himself. “At least one of us has a choice in this…” He took to his feet and, with some difficulty, opened a rift to Old Town.

“Ladies first?” He asked jokingly with a bow.

“I'm sorry are we talking about me or you?” Chara said in the snarky tone.

“Hah hah, what a riot. You here all week?” Asriel asked with a bored monotone as he went through the rift. Chara didn't say anything as she followed him through the rift with a smirk on her face.

The portal violently snapped shut, much to Asriel’s shock and discomfort. Finding himself upon a cracked floor, he began to pull his face off the floor, managing to do so, but also giving himself a bloody nose in the process.

“O fur pets sek…” The child whined as he rubbed his face. “Why's it always gotta be me?”

Chara giggled a little at Asriel before she started looking around the place. Although she felt a pang of worry when Azzys powers malfunctioned.

Shaking off his pain, Asriel began to scan the ruins of Old Town. It was a ghost town, it's history marking it as cursed as it was one of the first documented events of demonic invasion and most of the town's infrastructure was whittled away by a seemingly unending mystic fire.

“Okay, the mare we're trying to find goes by Cloak. She's been an informant to the crown for decades and she has info on another ex guard. Ready?” Asriel asked as he took point.

“Yeah yeah let's find this bitch so I can go back to sleep,” Chara says as she felt like the guard had woke her up way too early.

The pair explored the broken town, every now and again passing by charred black guard armors with pale ponies still inside them. It brought a tinge of fear to Asriel, causing him to shake uncontrollably. “HEY LET'S GO CHECK OUT THAT ALLEYWAY!” He cried in fear, dashing to a cubby hole at the mouth of said alley.

Forcing himself to look out, right, then left, he noticed what looked like a pony hidden beneath piles of rags. Steeling his resolve, he looked to Chara and motioned for her to watch his back.

A good distance away, he called out to the pony. “Uh… Cloak? Miss Cloak? Celestia wanted us to find you?” No response.

He moved in ever closer. “Cloak?” Still no response. As he moved just enough to get into her breathing space, he noticed tarnished guard armor underneath the pile of rags and rather elongated and unkempt mane.

“Uh… Cloak?” Asriel poked Cloak, eliciting no response… until she fell to her side, revealing a message in rusted blood.

“IT'S A TRAP”

The sound of aged metal screeched and clanked, the alley now blocked off by several blackened guard armors.

“Oh frag baskets…” Asriel whispered in frozen fear, barely managing to fall backwards as three “dead” guards fell atop Asriel with spears aimed at his head. But before the guards could stab Azrael, Chara was in front of him blocking the attack with a green heart shaped Shield.

“Okay so we have to deal with Undead now! This is somehow worse than the Goddamn comedian!” Chara yelled out as she swung her knife sending a blade of determination at the Undead soldiers.

“Ah no way! Nuh uh! I did not sign up for this! Abort! Abort!” Asriel yelled as he thrust his palms out.

But nothing happened.

He blinked. Then once more. He focused his mind and motioned a portal into existence.

But nothing happened.

“Okay fine! Fighting these things can't be that hard.” He relented as a formless rainbow blob began to mold itself in the shape of a sword.

Holding it at the ready, he waited as the growing number of guards began to make their way to the alley. With a rebel yell, he jettisoned forward only for his blade to violently rupture, blasting him backwards to the end of the alley and nigh unconscious.

“Azzy!” Chara yelled out as she felt hatred for these things grow. She channeled that hatred into her hands and she started to punch and kick the skeleton soldiers. Chara felt her hatred start to dissolve and absorb the Undead soldiers. Chara didn't care that she felt something like a counter tick off in her as she tore through the undead Army, kicking, punching and ripping them in half at one point. By the end of it every single zombie was dead and melting and she stood there, breathing heavily and glaring at the puddles of hatred that were slithering back to her.

Unseen by Chara the whites of her eyes had turned black and her corneas had glown a bright red.

A groan began to echo from the farthest reach of the alley, Asriel trying and failing to move bits of fallen debris from his spasming body. Chara turned her head towards her brother as her eyes still unknowingly black and red.

“Did anybody get-get-get-get the number of thaaaaaaaaa- BUS.” Asriel's head was rocking back and forth, sparks arcing along his hands. Finally shaking himself to awareness he gave Chara a good solid look.

“SWEET BUMBLING CHRISTMAS IN JUNE!!!! I DIDN'T MEAN TO EAT ALL THE FREE SAMPLES! HONEST! JUST PLEASE DON'T KILL ME!!!”

Frankly, he took her current appearance rather well.

“I'm not going to eat you... I don't eat sentient things,” Chara says with a deadpan as her demonic eyes started to recede.

“AAAAAHHHHHHH! AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!! aaaaaAAAAHHHHHHaaaaaAAAAAHHHHaaa… haa… aaahhh…” Asriel panted, audibly gasping between screams.

He lifted his hand, slowly taking another breath. “Okay I think I'm good. Help me up?” He offered his hand, the rings he wore slightly cracked.

“So are you going to take those stupid things off now?”Chara asked as she grabbed his hand and pulled him up.

“Yeah… but I think the princess’ would want to see them.” He said shakily as he put the broken pieces of steel away. “Hey, can you read minds? Or look at the memories of the dead?” He motioned to Cloak, still lying on the floor.

“Actually I just kind of melted them…” Chara said.

True enough, all that was really left of Cloak were her rags and bloodied armor. “Oh… huh… well.” Asriel said and, feeling pity for the royal liaison, bundled what was left of her belongings and opened a rift to Celestia’s private quarters.

“Come on, I'd rather her come to us. Then the other way around,” Asriel said as Chara followed him through.

Once inside the solar diarch’s aptly decorated room, he began writing a letter, sending it off into the aether.

“Pffff… so. How's life?” Asriel asked with a strained smile. Chara herself was uncomfortable as she tried to keep her eyes off of anyone in the room and she still felt dirty after using the black soul trait.

Asriel was about to speak up about something when Celestia barreled through the door in excited hurry. “Cloak! Cloak it's so good to… where's Cloak?”

Both pairs of eyes failed to meet the princess, telling her everything she needed to know. Celestia would have asked for some form of confirmation, but the clanging rag covered armor told her more than she wanted to know.

“This is a joke right? She's hiding here somewhere… it's what she does. Miss Dreemurr? Asriel? Say something won't you?”

Tears began to well along her eyes, Celestia digging herself in the aged armor for comfort.

“Her last words were ‘it's a trap’ before a horde of zombies attacked us…” Chara Whispers as she Shivers at the memory of what she did.

“The blood was already rusting, we would have been too late anyway. Why did you need us to find her?” Asriel asked, finally working up the nerve to speak.

Celestia laid the armor down gently, whispering her goodbyes. “Cloak said she found something. Something terrible, it would have outed several names of Equestria's noble families as enemies of the crown… her partner Dagger would know more, but he's since lost his memory to Alzheimer's.”

She took the armor in her magic, it's full aged glory at full splendor. “The demons of Tartarus feared the name Cloak and Dagger… watching them work was like watching the finest waltz. No step out of sync, no movement wasted… poetry in motion.”

“I have to wonder? Where is her body? Asriel? Chara?” She noticed Asriel looking back and forth at Chara, the former shaking quite a bit.

“Chara, what happened?” She asked while folding a wing over Chara.

“I kind of lost control after Azzy got hurt…”Chara said trying to look anywhere but at Celestia and Asriel.

“Lost control? Asriel? What happened?”

“Well… you see… sometimes when you drop a bomb in an alleyway… things get… Disintegrated,” Asriel explained with a worried smile.

“Disinte… oh. She… she did say to scatter her ashes to the wind… she would be happy I think.” Celestia did her best to find a rather thin and fleeting silver lining in all this. “Is there anything else to report?”

Asriel held out his hand, a pair of cracked steel rings in his palm.

“Who made these and why?” He asked seriously.

Celestia tried to grab the rings with her magic, but her hold ruptured, causing severe backlash. The blast, though non lethal, did leave Asriel clutching at a bleeding hand.

“OH FOR THE LOVE OF FRUIT CAKE THAT HURT LIKE A FROZEN MUFFIN!!” He yelled at the top of his lungs. “WHY CAN'T I SWEAR!?”

Truly, he was a broken record. Although Chara felt no small amount of amusement at Asriel's inability to swear.

The rings had since broken down further, shards laying scattered along the floor.

“Those were inhibitor rings… but not of standard craft. You weren't wearing these were you?” Celestia asked worriedly.

“If I said no, would that make you less paranoid, or more?” Asriel asked with clenched hands.

Not finding the hilarity in the joke, Celestia gave Asriel a stern gaze.

“I may have worn them after they were given to me by a guard. He said they were to keep track of Chara!” Asriel explained.

“And I refused to wear a slave ring!” Chara said stubbornly as slavery was in her top five things that would immediately piss her off.

Celestia gave Asriel a hard look. “What did this guard look like?” She asked.

Not wanting to sound inherently racist, he attempted to form his words accordingly. “Gold armor, blue helmet mohawk...uhh… a weird bobby pin and screwdriver tattoo…”

The princess eyes shot open wide, a… funeral ledger… popping in from the aether. Celestia began to tear through it's pages until she found what she was looking for.

“Lockpick, he died three months ago. I buried his body personally… is this the mark you saw?” She presented the page, and hidden beneath several other burials scheduled for that day, a cutie mark shaped as the one Asriel saw had been present.

“Uh… yeah that's it. He… didn't look like a zombie…” Asriel felt a cold wave run down his spine. Celestia poofed the ledger, and began to pace.

“This isn't good. This is not good in any way shape or form…”

“Well the zombies were quite easy to kill” Chara said before whispering. “Even if I had to use such horrid Soul power against it…”

Celestia stopped pacing, instead she chose to stare down the children before her with a saddened eye.

“Chara, I'm afraid it will only get harder from here. Those ponies whom Cloak warned me of, they may have allied themselves with Changelings,” Celestia thusly retrieved two necklaces from a dresser.

“Wear these, they will burn in the presence of a shapeshifter, biological or otherwise.” Celestia said. This made Chara understandably suspect of it as she stared at the necklaces in suspicion and doubt.

“These won't lock your magic. Watch.” Donning both, going so far as to run them around her horn, Celestia began to levitate everything in the room… the furniture, the children, even herself.

Everything was placed back onto the floor, Celestia looked no worse for wear. “They won't explode either,” Celestia added, appeasing Chara who nodded her head as she grabbed it and slowly put it on.

“I still don't see what the big deal is, the only way they could truly beat me is if they had the pink Soul trait on their side…” Chara said as she didn't see them as a threat to herself.

Asriel on the other hand couldn't wear his fast enough. “I'd rather not get tricked into wearing another suppressor! Surviving one self made explosion is more than enough excitement for my life!” His eyes had become a swirling chaotic mess, clutching his now regenerating hand tightly.

“The 'Pink Soul Trait’? Is that a form of magic from your world?” Celestia questioned.

“Nope, humans can't use Magic. We have seven different Natural Soul traits the strongest being determination which of course I naturally wield. The Pink Soul Trait is one of two unnatural forms of Soul energy.” Chara says wanting to brag.

Celestia poofed three comfy arm rests, three large mugs of warm milk, and a silver tray of at least fifty chocolate cookies. “Tell me more…” The princess of the sun asked in wonder, hoping Chara would take the bait.

Asriel… said nothing to the contrary, hoping the information would help him understand the power he now wields. Chara realized she had said a little bit too much but she could always rewind time if she got in too much trouble at least that was her thought process and so she continued.

“The second unnatural Soul trait is the black soul trait of hatred, which can only be wielded by the red soul that produced it without any negative effects. Of course it always leaves the user feeling dirty afterwards… but that is only if they can control it, but if someone uses someone else's hatred it'll start to eat away at their mind and soul,” Chara explains

Engrossed, Celestia began eating away at seven cookies all at once. Gulping, she urged Chara to continue. “Tell me of each soul trait, and if any one living being can use them.”

“The red soul can use all other Soul traits except for the pink one… the pink one is fear, the green one is kindness, yellow is justice, orange is bravery, cyan is patience, blue is integrity, purple is perseverance and finally you come to my Soul trait the red Soul trait of determination.” Chara explains as she was proud of having the red soul.

The platter was half gone, both Asriel’s and Celestia's mugs having been emptied. “But… can these traits be unlocked in anypo- anyone?” She asked with baited breath.

“Nope only a human can unlock this type of soul.” Chara said as she brought out her red soul, glowing in the shape of a heart.

The solar diarch went wide eyed, inching closer to the vibrant heart and poking it with a hoof. Chara giggled at the touch against her soul.

“So, only humans can use this soul power? What of Asriel?” The goat child flinched at the mention of his name.

“Asriel is an exception due to several Souls recreating his own with every aspect of human will,” Chara explained as she had seen his rainbow Soul energy.

“Whoa whoa whoa, what do you mean, 'recreated’?” Asriel asked with a bit of worry. “You telling me I'm walkin around in Frankenstein's haphazard monster?”

Chara stayed quiet for a bit with a thoughtful look on her face. “No it would be better to say that you're more like the potara fusion… no that's not right…” Chara once again became quiet as she tried to think of how to explain it.

“I can't quite think of how to explain it but it's more like several energies coming together to create a soul,” Chara said trying to explain it but not really able to.

Asriel's eyes went white, seven soul fragments of varying colors began revolving around his head.

“Query… how hearts so broken can become so bright.” The child began to cry, the fragments fading away as his eyes returned to normal. “These cookies are great, can I borrow the recipe?” Asriel asked, tears still falling off his chin.

“Okay something is fucking wrong with you! Sun butt is there a way for you to check and see what is wrong with him?”Chara asked as she looked at her new brother in concern before turning in demanding answers from the Princess.

Celestia, rather taken aback at both Asriel's behavior and Chara’s demands, began a series mystical tests. What was meant to ease their minds however…

“Oh… oh dear.” The princess whispered.

“I don’t know what’s got you both so worked up, I feel fine.” Asriel said as he munched on another cookie.

“Just because you feel fine doesn't mean you are fine!”Chara said

To accentuate this point, Celestia pulled up a magical graph and stat screen filled with several numbers and complicated jargon. “As you can see, the flux of your magic from these points… neither of you understand any of this do you?”

“Can you please just put it in layman terms…” Chara said with a deadpan as she had no idea what any of that was.

The screen shrunk, showing a transparent silver heart, a thin layer of solid blue surrounding it, and several lines branching throughout Asriel’s body. “There’s a disconnect between his magic, mind, and body.” Zooming into the heart, the lines that appeared to connect to the heart actually failed to do so. “He can function just fine for now, but there’s a chance this divide can increase and worsen.”

“That… is not good is there any way to fix it?”Chara asked as she looked at her ‘brother’ with a concerned gaze

The screen faded, Celestia looking exceedingly worried. “If there is, the solution won’t be found on this plane. Your magic is so new and foreign, with that said, maybe sending you to my faithful student would prove beneficial,” The princess of the sun relented.

“Am I going with him? He is still my parole officer,” Chara says as she looks up at Celestia with a raised eyebrow.

Celestia blinked, nodding a bit before something dawned on her. “Chara, would you allow me run a diagnostics on you as well? I fear should you suffer the same symptoms, it would lead to a catastrophic end.”

“Do you have to word it like that!?” Asriel asked with absolutely no chill. “I mean, what’s the worst that can happen, heh heh…” Chara smacked Asriel upside the head for invoking Murphy.

“You could explode violently,” Celestia stated, giving Chara a stern glare as Asriel rubbed his head.

“Yes I give you my permission to check me out,” Chara said before groaning at the implications of that statement.

Celestia began her tests, staying abhorrently silent until she was done. Doing her best not to seem rattled, Celestia brought up a similar stat screen for Chara. “You aren’t in any danger from a disconnect, but…”

A red heart was surrounded by and sometimes would be fully engulfed by a vicious black mass of energy that would also occasionally infect the branches spreading throughout her body. “This darkness worries me. Are you feeling faint or weak in some way? You… didn’t make any deals with any spirits of darkness within the last few days?”

“No but I do think I know what you're talking about…”Chara said as she shivered a little in disgust. “It's the black soul trait… or in other words, my hatred…” Celestia, understanding what the child meant, gently wrapped her wings around her.

“It’s alright, is there anything I can do to help you? Is there a way to rid yourself of it?” She asked.

“Human hatred can’t be destroyed,” Asriel said, shocking Celestia. “For as long as humanity has lived, so to has humanity held Hatred. For oneself, for another, for all that is or was. It’s curse is power unrestrained, and a heart so cold and unflinching.” Chara flinched at the ‘for oneself’ part.

Celestia pulled back, but never let her wing leave Chara. “It can’t be destroyed, but can it be taken? The thought of allowing Chara suffer this way, it’s not something I’d wish for anypony or any one.”

Asriel blinked, no doubt regaining his sense of self. “Huh? Is something wrong Chara? I… wasn’t listening.”

Ignoring her brother, Chara frowned. “I'm not letting anyone else be controlled by my hatred.” Chara said, as she knew what happened to people who tried to use others hatred.

“I’ll be sending Twilight a letter with my findings, with any luck she can help you both, or at the very least Asriel. Take the rest of the day off, your carriage leaves in the morning,” With that, Celestia left, no doubt having to tend to less than important and rather annoying matters of the state of her corrupt and wicked kingdom. Chara let out a yawn as she looked over at her new ‘brother’.

Shrugging his shoulders and shaking his head with a smile, Asriel opened a rift back to Chara’s room in the castle. “G’night, I need some air.” Asriel said… right before Chara abruptly grabbed Asriel and pulled him through the rift with her.

Asriel fell flat on his face, a regular occurence now, as the rift slowly closed. “Mrf rf grfl gdl…” Pulling himself up with a pop, he looked about the rather spacious room as he focused magic into his fingers. “We have seperate rooms ya know,” He said idly

Chara ignored him as she pulled him into her bed before covering them both up and letting out another yawn.

“Chara… I need to train. I don’t know my body like you do.” Asriel pleaded.

“No, you're my cuddle goat tonight…” Chara said softly as she snuggled close to him.

“I…” Asriel groaned, still charging his magic slowly. With any luck, she would be asleep within the hour, and it’s not like she had any magic cancelling abilities of her own. “Fine, but this is the only time.” Chara buried her head into his neck as she held him close.

(3 hours later)

Stuck. That is what young Asriel was. Whenever he felt in the clear, Chara’s eyes would flutter open, or she would squirm noticeably, or a number of other things she did would signal she was nowhere near deep sleep.

And so, after the second hour, he formed a plan. Molding his still charged magic, he began to reconstruct himself elsewhere whilst replacing his body with a full body plush doll. He was actually quite near completion despite the circumstances. Chara suddenly squeezed him rubbing her face against him making him lose concentration.

He started to gasp for air, already well underway with getting his body back from the rooftop. His breathing steadied once he had his lungs back. “She just doesn’t quit…” He thought. His body returned as he formulated another plot.

“My brother…” Chara whispered in her sleep.

Asriel closed his eyes and huffed, there would be no escaping this physically. But just maybe… He closed his eyes tighter, concentrating upon the power within. If he couldn’t train physically, he would do so mentally and spiritually.

His mind’s eye opened to the world beyond, a formless world surrounded by blue skies and white clouds.

“Woah… you don’t see that everyday…” He looked about, finding only himself within the expanse of eternity. “Looks like I’m alone.”

“Don’t count on it Junior.” An aged and wisened voice called from the aether.

“Who said that?” Asriel asked as he begun to frantically spin about. A hoof poked him on the shoulder, eliciting a yelp.

“Somepony gets spooked easy, got a really nice place here actually.” The voice spoke again. Female, and very close.

Turning left, Asriel found a rather tall and old mare wearing aged rags, tarnished guard armor and an excessively long mane holding a book.

“Mares on your world sure do have a lot of backbone, I don’t think I would have ever taken Dagger in the back of a carriage,” The mare closed the book and waved. “What? Cait Sith got your tongue?”

Asriel stared at her, processing what he was seeing. “You… are you Cloak?”

‘Cloak’ held a hoof to her chest, mock hurt written on her muzzle. “And here I thought ponies in the guard still talked about me.”

“I’m not a pony, and I’m not in the guard.” Asriel stated as he sat down in a lotus position.

“With a track record like yours? I’m not surprised.” A gag reel began to play of Asriel either falling, flailing, yelping, or having something blow up in his face. “You ever thought of joining the circus?”

Angrily, the child huffed. “Yeah yeah, I don’t know how to use my powers an-”

“And you’re dying. Must be why you’re here and not there.” Two screens appeared before Cloak, one of a close up of Asriel’s heart, and the other of him asleep. “She’s a keeper.”

Asriel glared at Cloak, but decided to instead focus on his training. Which went about as smoothly as cactus hide.

“Soften those shoulders, keep those knees bent, you call that a stance? You’d have been dead three seconds ago, put your back into it!”

“You think you can do better!?” Asriel yelled at his ‘coach’. Scoffing, Cloak offered to show him the ropes and helped take him through his paces.

Chara was sitting in a recliner as she snacked on some chocolate “I love lucid Dreaming…” Chara said as she continued Conjuring up more and more chocolate, unbeknown to Chara a certain Alicorn was watching her dreams.

“I find it difficult to believe that this is all you dream of,” The princess of the moon stated, startling Chara.

“Though, these books must hold at least some insight to the inner workings of your blackened mind,” Continued the Lunar princess, plucking a book from a bookcase that hadn't existed before. The princess then began to read through half written or faded texts.

“The hell are you doing here Moon butt?!” Chara says as Princess Luna had started to fall from her favorite princess list. Chara then tries to make the bookcase disappear and is surprised when it didn't.

“I wanted to spend time with Asriel, but something is keeping me from entering his mind,” Luna replaced the book she held and tried another, equally as broken and faded as the last.

“Is there something wrong with your memory? I've only seen this with sufferers of Alzheimer's and Dementia.”

“Well those are memories of a past life after a near-death experience, if you want my real memories try this bookcase.” Chara said, immediately coming up with the perfect excuse while getting her to see the real Charas memories as a shield. A bookcase full of Black Books appeared with only a few light-colored books at the end.

Luna raised an eyebrow, trotting up to the bookcase and plunging her hoof through several books. She seemed to be looking for something until she finally pulled back.

“Let's see what makes you tick.” The blackened tome began to flip through its pages in a vicious wind, the world around the two changing to match the memory. Chara immediately closed her eyes not wanting to experience this is second time.

A beaten up and run down house appeared around them as a smaller Chara walks through the front door.

Then a woman with long brown hair red eyes and scrawny arms walks through a door on the right with a round metal spatula in her hand. “And where have you been you little brat?” The gankly woman snarled.

“I-i-i was at tha Library…” Little Chara said as she squirmed not wanting to get hurt again.

“Did I say you could go to the library?!” the woman said as she grabbed Chara by the hair and dragged her over to her before hitting her in the back with the spatula causing Chara to cry out in pain.

The scene was cut, the tome having been slammed closed. “These cannot be your memories… there's just…” Luna resisted the urge to stab and shred the book in her grasp to pieces. Looking back, she chose to look upon one of the brighter books on the shelf.

The world once again began to change. The scene change to Chara standing over a giant hole in the ground with the wind whipping past her. Within seconds, Chara jumped into the hole. The scene turned black for few seconds before it showed Asriel coming into the area and waking her up before carrying her to two older and bigger looking goat people who took her into their castle and nursed her back to health. The scene Soon ended as the book closed itself slowly. Chara was cuddling a dream version of Asriel in her chair.

“Oh… I see. You ran from home. More or less a prison…” Luna urged Chara to her side, no longer wanting or wishing to open an old wound. “Why don't you choose the next memory?”

Chara immediately picked up a bright white one that said first real birthday on it. The scene Soon changed to a party setting it's so the dreamers crowding around Chara with some other monsters there as well. Luna noticed it was a lot like one of pinkies parties until the presents were opened. Nothing of note happened until Asriel came up with a small present, and Luna sees Chara open it up and noticed it had the same locket that she had on inside the present.

“That was the first real party I had…”Chara spoke up quietly as she buried her head into the dream Asriel.

“You must care for him dearly… it must hurt knowing he isn't truly Asriel.” Luna gave Chara a sad look, caressing her head with a wing.

“Yea but even if he's not my real brother I still care for him, I know what it's like to be thrown into a situation that's completely new to you… I've had it done to me twice now,” Chara says as for once she was glad for her fucked up memory.

“A summoner holds you to a contract?” She asked of the child. Chara shook her head no.

“And even if someone tried to command me I'd be able to refuse with my determination!” Chara said as it one of the few things she hated was slavery and contracts like that was basically slavery in her opinion. “Besides I found myself in the desert, why would anyone summon something and then leave it in the desert to die?” Chara asks making a good amount of sense.

Luna began to go down the list of possible names of scoundrels who would do exactly that… the list was soon cut short once she started crossing off names of those deceased. “Discord is wholly capable of doing just such a thing. He didn’t bring you here did he?”

“I don't think so no, I just woke up in the desert with nothing but my Powers a bar of MMT chocolate and my knife…” Chara answers

Luna gasped at the mention of a knife and began summoning several spears and aimed them at Chara while cowering in fear. “I HAVE A CRIPPLING FEAR OF KNIVES!” She screamed while still cowering.

“Really? Well you're really going to hate my powers then as I mostly rely on conjured knives…” Chara says as she remembered her battles with the guards.

Luna began to move a few of her spears away, clutching one for dear life. “Honestly, it’s a childish fear of kitchen knives. Just their general shape makes me break out into a cold sweat.”

“Yep, definitely going to hate my powers and weapon of choice…” Chara says with a sigh.

The lunar princess whimpered. “Who would be so cruel as to even make that a skill!?” She exclaimed.

“Well it's more of manipulating my determination into energy constructs which it's default is kitchen knives since my weapon of choice is a big kitchen knife…” Chara said as that was what the real knife basically was.

“Swords! Battle axes! GIANT CLEAVERS! I’ve wielded them all like wooden sticks, but I still can’t overcome my fear of kitchen knives…” Luna hysterically exclaimed. It seemed Luna was rather beside herself, huffing at what one would assume to be a nonsensical fear.

“Well it's not the worst fear I've ever heard of.” Chara said as she tried to pat Luna's back in Comfort.

The princess huffed as her spears began to fade away. “You are far kinder than I had originally thought, I apologize for my behavior. My sister says I have a ‘slay first, ask questions later’ approach.”

“Well sometimes it's needed to kill first and ask questions later… but not always.” Chara said sagely as many different situations went through her mind.

Feeling a modicum of safety and assurance, Luna began to curl up, levitating some of the brighter books from the black bookcase and randomized books from the faded section of memories. “As inconsequential as they are, would you help me piece together some of these older memories?”

“…I don't wanna…” Chara said with a small voice as once again dream Asriel was within her arms.

The princess of the moon tapped her chin, a cake made from large cookies popping into existence. She slowly cut a piece and started to nibble. Chara made a chocolate ice cream cake just to one up Luna and started to eat it.

This would be the start of an estranged kinship…

Chara soon started to stir awake. At first she didn't realize what the warm furry thing she was clinging to was, until finally she started to open her bright red eyes and found herself cuddling close to her ‘brother’. Chara’s face turned bright red in embarrassment as she remembered what she did last night when she was tired. She quickly got out of the bed and got undressed before heading to the dresser to find a new outfit.

What she found was a sleeveless pink and red striped sweater with a heart woven into the neckline, and a short but acceptable denim skirt. Behind the door of the dresser was a standard set of purple and white striped underwear.

“Why is all my clothing cute!” Chara yells out loudly. Don't get her wrong, she didn't really mind cute… it's just everything so far has been cute, besides she preferred standard Chara clothing.

“WAIT CLOAK DON’T SEND ME BACK!” Asriel screamed as he shot up from bed. “Yet…” The young goat steadied his breathing and looked about the room to find Chara in the buff, standing in front of a dresser.

Going absolutely red, Asriel began flailing his arms and falling flat on his face at the foot of the bed in an incoherent frenzy. “Clk… snd mh bck…” He whimpered, not wanting to pull his head up.

“I didn't understand you, could you speak up and maybe pull your head up so I can?”Chara says loving seeing her ‘brother’ squirm.

Groaning, Asriel opened a rift on the floor, falling into it face first. “I’m not staying in the same room as you while you change!” Asriel shouted from the rift. Chara giggled with a slight blush as she started getting dressed. Soon she was dressed in her cute outfit before she left the room and headed for the dining hall.

Falling in line behind her was Asriel, now dressed in surprisingly much the same attire only with the sweater colored in his normal green and yellow. “This is someone’s idea of a cosmic joke… I don’t even LIKE jeans…” He grumbled.

“Oh Azzy~ did you like the view earlier?”Chara says with a smirk as she looked back at her brother over her shoulder.

Asriel grumbled, doing his best to hide his tomato red face from the world. “Look, this is gonna sound weird coming from me, short stack, but chances are I am way older than you are. So can we move past that faux pas?” he asked slightly ashamed.

“Do you not see the body you're currently in? You're literally the same age as me now!” Chara said a little offended at being dismissed so easily.

“Trying not to give in to the baser instincts of this body! Really, really hard… that came out wrong.” Asriel groaned in greater frustration, a rebel yell thrown to the heavens.

“Well that's only going to cause frustration on your part…” Chara says as they start going down the stairs.

“I’ve been here for less than a week! I want to at least TRY and keep some of my...?” Asriel stopped talking and walking, several soldiers having blocked the pairs path.

“MASTER ASRIEL!” The soldiers exclaimed. “You still owe us a match.” The mid most soldier stated.

“Come on guys, can we not do this?” Asriel whined in even more frustration. Chara who was still in front of him glared at the guards for upsetting her ‘brother’.

“Come on! One fight!? It’ll be fun~” A female guard cooed as she jumped in front of Asriel, setting off his embarrassed frustrations even more.

“How about me? I'll be happy to fight with you.” Chara said giving off a creepy smile that spoke of inflicting pain and misery.

The air head of a soldier pondered this for a second. “Nah, you aren’t as cute as he is!” The other soldiers gave a collected groan at the antics of their comrade. Chara was taken aback at not being taken seriously.

“What!? I took out two platoons of guard single-handedly! How are you not threatened!?” Chara yelled out her eye is starting to twitch.

The guard began to saunter in front of Asriel, her tail running along his face as she moved to Chara’s ear and began to whisper incredibly lewd things about the way Asriel fights.

“And watching the sweat fall off his-” One of the unicorn guards had magicked a muzzle on her… muzzle, doing their best to reel her in. Charas face was completely red As her head was flooded with perverted images.

“ALRIGHT FINE! You guys get one fight, but only because I’m leaving!” Asriel groaned as the other soldiers cheered and high hoofed.

A large group of soldiers had gathered among the main training grounds, both male and female soldiers alike were cheering for Asriel to make his appearance.

“Okay… remember what Cloak said, just keep calm and remember the basics of CQC.” Asriel stepped upon the battlefield, his child form drifting away as he stood as… relatively an adult. Strong, tall… shirtless.

Cheers, catcalls, and whistles erupted in the arena, a squadron of twenty making their way to the middle of the battleground. Chara looked on at her brother as she felt a crush starting to form in her.

The air headed guard from earlier had run to the middle of the arena, a flag in her mouth. “Three! Two! ONE!” The flag was dropped, and the squadron began to rush at Asriel, a veritable wave of bodies throwing themselves at him.

“As one!” In a flash, Asriel was no longer shirtless, and was instead wearing tarnished gold armor covered by several aged rags as he cut through the middle of the squadron. A blink. It’s all it took and the soldiers had immediately begun to fight amongst themselves. Some had been thrown out of the arena, others had taken to either kicking, slamming, or butting heads with others in a vain attempt to catch Asriel.

He would appear in glimpses throughout the fight, only to disappear like a mirage when he was struck. After several minutes, soldiers were either knocked out, or lying on the floor nursing their aches and bruises.

“Huh. that was easier than I thought,” Asriel mumbled as he wiped the sweat from his brow. The crowd cheered madly after three seconds of absolute silence. Some soldiers even hefting Asriel and parading him about. Chara was off to the side still blushing at his toned body and strong looking arms.

“Asriel!” A familiar voice exclaimed, making the crowd stop. All heads turned to face their solar princess. “Oh… I’m not interrupting anything am I?”

The soldiers stood at attention, mumbling excuses and apologies, all the while Asriel had managed his way down and began to walk to Celestia. “That… that’s Cloak’s.” Celestia whispered.

“Oh, uh… yeah, she… I…” Asriel tried to explain, but Celestia put a hoof to his chest, shaking her head slowly and with a soft smile.

“You wear it well. You should keep in this form more often, you look good.” Celestia told him. He blushed from the praise, popping back to his goat child form after holding his adult body for so long.

“Pff… s’good while it lasted.” He whined, Celestia chuckling as she began to lead him out. As they walked, Celestia took note of Chara, her face cherry red and hiding in the background.

“Miss Dreemurr, enjoying the view are you?” Celestia teased. Chara's face went from cherry red to Atomic in an instant from the teasing.

“I-It was alright.”Chara says trying to look cool as she crossed her arms and turned her face to the side.

Celestia giggled, mumbling something about the wonders of youth. She motioned for Chara to join her, but the air headed guard from before had tackled Asriel before anyone could gather their bearings. “Come back sometime won’t you?” The guard asked with a bit of wanting. Chara immediately glared at the guard for getting all buddy-buddy with her goat bro.

“Come on Rosie, you can’t keep pouncing on me like this.” Asriel pleaded, a mad blush on his face. ‘Rosie’ nuzzled her nose upon Asriel’s. Chara was doing everything in her power to keep herself from pouncing on the guard that dare touched what was hers!

She finally got up, and with a giggle, flicked Asriel’s nose with her tail as she walked away. “Oh my, an admirer so soon?” Celestia teased, flustering young Asriel further.

‘I'mma kill her!’ Chara raged in her mind has she grinded her teeth.

Chuckling, Celestia got Asriel to his feet and began to lead the children through the castle. “You two must be starved, and judging from your performance, I’d say you most of all young Asriel.”

“Hmm? Yeah I… I am kinda hungry…” The goat boy mumbled.

“Do you have anything in chocolate flavor?” Chara asked as she looked up at Celestia trying to put her plans of homicide out of her mind.

“There is a small cake prepared for you yes, but you will have to eat a proper meal,” Celestia said and Chara gained a kicked puppy look.

“Bu-bu-but-” Chara says before she was interrupted by Celestia.

“Now now, a well balanced diet promotes a healthy body, and a healthy soul.” She then gave Chara a wink. “Rose Petal keeps a strict regimen, far more strict than most any other guard, trainee or otherwise. That includes a well balanced diet.”

“But I don't like vegetables!” Chara whines out as she crosses her arms and kicks the ground stubbornly.

“Rosie is a lot stronger than some of the other guards, despite her size.” Asriel began to muse. “Where is she on the ladder anyway?”

“Taking a shine to one of our own?” Celestia teased with a giggle. “She’s doing her best to study for the position of lieutenant. Afterwards, she’ll be allowed to transfer outside of the castle if she so chooses.”

“Even Ponyville?” The goat child asks.

“Yes, even Ponyville.” The solar princess began to tap her chin, the trio having reached the doors to the dining hall. “She does enjoy a well cooked meal, or so I’m told.”

Asriel hid his blush well, grumbling something about updating his recipes. Chara on the other hand was once again planning the homicide of the Guard in question.

The trio went through the double doors and began to take seats along the massive table, waiters trotting along with silver dishes and trays.

Lifting the covers of each dish caused several pleasant aromas to flow and ebb throughout the hall. “Asriel? Your mouth is agape,” Celestia informed the goat as she looked upon a sense shocked Asriel, saliva dripping from his open maw. Chara herself was trying to look at disinterested in the food as possible but Celestia could tell that Chara wanted her food.

The dishes and trays were placed before the three, plates and cutlery given to them. Asriel wasted no time in taking servings from each dish. From steamed yams to aromatic salads and some choice cuts from a beast that looked like it had no reason to exist, he spared no category. Chara on the other hand went mostly for the meat and fruit.

Celestia kept to the various vegetables and fruit based dishes, finding no real interest in the more carnivorous options. Though she did attempt to slide a sliced and fried eggplant or three over to Chara, whether as a joke or in actual attempt to get her to eat at least one vegetable based dish. She did succeed a little bit in her mission to get Chara to eat vegetables when Chara ate corn and potatoes but Chara gave a sour face when she realize she ate the vegetables.

“So,” Asriel spoke up and decided to break the silence. “I was doing some research on Ponyville, don’t ask how, but I noticed that a sort of ‘monster of the week’ phenomena seems to rock the town. Am I to assume we’ll be apart of the town’s defenses?”

“Please tell me the monster of the week thing is a lie?” Chara asks knowing for a fact that it wasn't. “Celestia do you have french fries?” Chara asked the princess as she really missed french fries.

“French… fries?” The princess said, giving Chara a confused look. “And as for a monster of the week, I’m sorry to say that Ponyville is amongst the safest towns in the Equestrian providence, so your sources may need to update their information,” She smiled as she went back to her meal.

Chara was a little bit relieved at that but she was also horrified that there was no french fries…she turned to her brother figure who was a good cook by his own telling. “Please tell me you can make french fries,” Chara pleaded with her brother.

“I mean, it’s not rocket science?” He relented, face deep in a bowl of kale and quinoa.

“So will you make me some french fries?” Chara asks giving the sad puppy dog look.

“Maybe once we get settled in Ponyville.” Asriel began to slow down, easing up on stuffing his face.

“Yes!” Chara says doing a fist pump at finally being able to have french fries again.

“Where… did you get your information?” Celestia asked.

“Hmm? Oh, I had a late night rendezvous with a friend,” Asriel said mindlessly.

“I'm surprised that they don't have a monster of the week considering they live so close to a forest of doom.”Chara says as she idly scoops another spoonful of garlic mash potatoes into her mouth.

“Pfft, not to mention all the fraggled messes that town gets hit with that isn’t a monster related… we should probably get going though huh?” Asriel asked, as he started gout out of his seat.

“You mind if I take this stuff to go?” Chara asked as she got up from the table.

The waiters brought out To-Go boxes, placing a few no the table. “Yeah, no.” Asriel however took a bit of food, opened a rift, and placed the food into a fridge.

“But I wanted to eat it on the road!”Chara shouted as she put her hands on her hips glaring at Asriel.

“Did I take all of it?” He asked while motioning to a still sizeable plethora of food. Chara blushed as she took one of the take-out boxes and started feeling it up with meet and mashed potatoes.

Celestia giggled at the voracious appetite Chara brought to bare. Thusly, the trio made their way out, several guards saluting the princess or eyeing Chara and Asriel as they walked along the halls. Upon a high hilltop the trio stood upon reaching their destination.

Several carriages had been stationed on an open ledge, one already prepped for flight. “I’ll just see you two there… KTHNXBYE!” Asriel yelled as he tried to run through a rift. Chara quickly grabbed onto Asriel before pulling him back, stumbling back before falling down and Asriel tumbling on top of her.

The two found each other with their noses scrunched together, Asriel’s hands on Chara’s shoulder and one knee grazing her thigh.

He quickly got up and looked away, huffing.

“Aww~ don't tell me you didn't like it!” Chara says before huffing because she keeps getting dismissed by her crush.

“You smell good…” Asriel whispered, a mad blush running over his face. “That aside, I really, REALLY, don’t want to go flying.” He started to create a new rift. “I’m afraid of heights.”

“You know you can bury your head into my neck to keep from looking at us flying… just think of us in the car!” Chara said trying to comfort Asriel.

Asriel shook his head, the redness of his cheeks still very apparent. “I’m just gonna make this easier on myself…” He opened another rift and walked backwards into it. of course this didn't stop Chara from pulling him back through.

“If I have to deal with going flying you're going with me!” Chara says as she wanted him to cuddle up close to her for comfort.

Groaning in frustration, he closed the rift and took his seat within the carriage, waiting for the princess to take her seat so he could bury his head in her mane. Too bad Chara took the seat next to him while giving Celestia a look.

The princess could only chuckle, happy to see the pair getting along so well. Once all were seated, the carriage had begun to move, the pegasi hitting a full gallop and going into a massive drop upon leaving the docks.

“I CAN’T WATCH!” Asriel screamed, covering his eyes with his hands. Chara seeing her chance moved Asriel closer to her and into a one-armed hug.

The pony pulled vehicle lurched, no longer descending as it maintained a steady velocity.

All the while, Asriel whimpered at the prospect of falling. This was going to be a long ride…