Chapters Author's Note
Enjoy
Newchp1
Heat woke Casey, disturbed by the sudden warmth below him. He groaned at the sudden response of his body aching; though he tried to sit upright nonetheless. The sound of his own groans pitch came to his ears causing him to pause, it sounded like a little girl's voice which should have been impossible. But he did just jumped through a portal so he should probably suspend his disbelief till later.
His voice sounded just like what he imagined Charas feminine voice would be like. Blinking in surprise he tilted his head down, checking himself over, surprised by what he sees.
Examining himself, he found himself wearing a green sweater with a yellow stripe across and around his top chest area. He also wore brown skirt down to his slim thighs just above the knee. On his feet are green socks with brown boots. Finally, he saw the shape of a golden heart padlock necklace around his neck that loosely hung there.
He pulled the skirts band a bit to see if his manhood is their only to see nothing. Reaching down, he moved his hand around and felt nothing but his skin. He shivered as the feel of contact against a nub sent shock through him, making him pull his hand out his skirt.
He; or rather; she confirms that he’s a female now by the way he looks; and feels! Casey grew a smile on her now female face, really happy that she was now who she wanted to be. She giggled as she was so going to enjoy being a girl now and seeing how it felt to masturbate from the other side! She always wondered what it would be like to insert something down there.
She looked around and found herself in a similar settings as her fimfic! She was excited, until she stopped as she tries to remember how the rewrite went. But she doesn’t remember the rewrite, not even a wink of clues, so she just shrugged it off.
Wondering if she- A-hah! Looking in her boot she found a handle there. Pulling it out, she now held a glowing red knife. Must have been soul manipulation cause she didn’t feel the knife in there before pulling it out.
She stood up; walking through the hot lands she sees before her…
Half an hour later, Casey came across a field of… cherry trees? ‘Oh yeah cherry trees I know where I am now ’ Casey thought to herself. It was right beside the large ranch with a barn. It looks like it'd barely take less than ten or five minutes to reach. If she followed the same pattern as her original idea, she would have future knowledge of what might happen.
She snuck her way there, using her best stealth because she knew how badly they’d react to her appearance.
Arriving at the barns shack, she tried using her knife on the hatch window, wedging the knife between the small open crack in hope to unlatch it, sticking her tongue on the outside of her lip. Luckily; the gap was big enough for the knife to fit in as a sound of a quiet *tink* and a creek of metal rewarded her ears. Testing which way it unlatches, she soon got it unhooked. With a single lift, the hatch window opened up just wide enough to let her in.
Casey climbed inside the window hatch carefully, not wanting to get any attention. When her feet landed on the floor she searched the room for things to take. Not much was there except a storage door and some minor tools for gardening in a glass case.
A thought came to mind, using her willpower as hard as she could, it almost look like shes trying to fart. Seconds later a menu screen pops up.
Using her fingers, she manipulate it to look over her inventory. Her Stat’s are in the 30’s through 50’s, she found she had access to the SAVE and LOAD commands, then she found the ERASE command though it was greyed out with a red X over it.
Looking closer at her inventory, she frowned at the fact that she only had a Real Knife and a single bar of chocolate. She didn't even have a bag of chocolate, she had a little baggie of mini chocolate bars before coming here and she was kind of pissed at not having her phone.
Dismissing her menu, she headed towards the pantry. She pulled the door open to find a bunch of bundles of cherry’s in bags. She walked over to them while opening her Inventory and started stuffing them in one by one.
Chara soon starts grabbing the gallons of water for her inventory, she wasn't going back out in the desert without any water, enough to last her a while. She didn't like plain water, but she needs hydration.
Her first thought was to just leave with the goods, though having clothes on the other hand would be best, she didn’t want to stink like a skunk. Clopping sounds came from behind, making her freeze, and turning around when she heard it stop.
“W-w-what!-My food!-My water!” The southern accent of Cherry Jubilee exclaimed in a full grown panic. This caught Charas attention, alerting her to the mares presence. She probably came in to check her food and water.
Seeing the thief involved Cherry tried to grab Chara, coming at her in full sprint. Chara quickly ducked out of the way before snatching the eighth bottle of water beside her and shoving it into her menu before bolting out of there.
The young girl ran through the orchard, jumping over the fence gate, and headed straight into town. As she made it into civil property; she passed by a few buckets of cherries, and she tried to grab as much as she could as she continue to run, getting only a handful or two at a time. Her thoughts, and memories of the original story, keep telling her to hurry to the train! ‘If this is anything like my original idea then there should be a train pulling up fast.’ Chara thought to herself as she kept running through the town doing acrobatics she never even thought possible in her old body.
Reaching the town's edge, her ears heard a train whistle going off from the distance. She decided to go through town, getting very little amount of supplies that were hanging around outside. She would have attempted to go inside and get more, but the buildings are locked and she doesn't have enough time before the train leaves. Plus the Ponies who weren't happy with her taking their things have joined the growing mob, motivating her to keep on going.
Once reaching the train station and seeing the train, she bolted towards it. The train gave one last whistle before shifting and started to move. Come on come on come on! I don’t want to get caught! I won’t lose to my dark counterpart! Chara’s panicked mind influenced her to put more force into her running.
As she crossed the line to the station, a loud bang echoed out, and the pile of barrels on the left side behind her toppled down, blocking the ponies path who tumbled to stop and crashed into one another, some haven’t slowed down in time.
Jumping on the trains caboose view porch as it leaves the train station, she turned to the ponies and fallen barrels, ‘now time for the witty one-liner to rub salt into the wound’. “And just like that, you will remember this as the day you almost caught Chara dreemurr!” Chara says loud and fake drunk; doing her best Jack Sparrow impression. Seconds later she was grabbed and pulled inside.
She was pinned to the wall by a cloaked figure around her size, which has its left hand to her mouth, while the other held a long shotgun. ‘Shit! No one was supposed to be on the Caboose with me! ’ Chara thought in a panic as she reached for her knife, this wasn’t in the original story at all! She stopped however when the shotgun was pointed at her chest.
“Don’t even try miss. This bullet is built to stop powers from working. You might want to think things through before you regret your actions,” Came the voice of a boy, cautiously keeping his gun at point blank range. Chara immediately noticed that the gun was made out of black Crystal just like the collar she was going to use in the story before the rewrite so she knew he wasn't lying. Seeing her trying to say something he removed his hand but kept the gun pointed at her.
“Why are you doing this to me…” Chara said as her voice and body trembled in fear.
“That’s a good question. I guess you have something to do with my existences.” The mysterious boy said, shrugging his covered shoulder. “But I wouldn’t know.” He said, gesturing his head to a seat. “Go over there and stay there. Try anything, you get shot. Got it?”
Chara nodded as her walk to the designated spot was trembling her feature. “C-can I please p-pull out some ch-ch-cherries I have…” Chara said as she got into her spot, shivering in fear. It wasn't supposed to be like this. Nodding his head in response, she pulled out a few cherries, and she continues to pull out cherries to eat, too scared of his gun to do anything else.
“... I see you know about this gun;” He shakes the item in question. “Tell me what you know.”
“... I-I don't know what the gun is o-o-or its history, but I kn-know what it's made out of… o-o-or at least, I know of another item that it's made into and that was a collar to disrupt the red soul…” Chara said, stuttering as she remembered how it was going to be a plot that happened later in her story before the rewrite.
Chara sees him letting his arm slack to his side as he sat down on the seat across from her, pulling out a book to read she thought. He wasn't paying the book much attention, constantly looking up whenever she moves before returning to his reading.
“So... Who are you?” Chara says, tries to defuse the situation in hope that soon he will let her go.
“... I, am the one who can rewrite the things I see, literally, with this book.” He said, shaking the book in question that’s titled ‘Shades Journal’.
“I-is that why you hate me? Cuz I'm immune to it?” Chara asked as she remembers the save and load abilities of hers.
He snorts. “Nope, you're still within my powers reach. I’m just answering your question is all,” He said before returning to his reading.
“Then it must be, because your powers don't stick!” Chara says thinking she was having a ‘Eureka’ moment.
“Wrong again. I just want company is all.” He said calmly still reading his book.
“There's better ways than pointing a gun at people!” Chara says angrily, crossing her arms and puffing her cheeks out. She froze when he points his gun back at her.
“I would, but you would have raised your blade at me, or use that power of yours to start again, which wouldn’t have worked fully since my memories, emotions, and my soul is out of your reach,” He states before lowering his gun again, returning to the book the fourth time.
“I wouldn't have done that; if you hadn't scared the shit out of me!” Chara nearly yelled out her lungs as she was tired of this asshole.
He seems to be in thought when he nodded. “True to that. I could have done it without doing so, but you’d have run away wouldn’t ya?” He shook his head. “Ack. Why am I still talking, I need to finish reading ‘Dreemurr Adventure’.” He said as he continues to read.
“How do you know about that story!?” Chara shouted quickly as she looked at him with an intense gaze. He shakes his book to her. “I-is that the rewrite, o-or the original!?” Chara asks quickly, hoping that it was the rewrite, so she could finally get future knowledge.
“I can read both from this book alone.”
“C-can I read m-my story then, so I can get m-m-my future knowledge back?” Chara asked with pleading eyes.
Sighing, he turned the book around and show her the pages. “What she seeks must be shown, her story she wish to read will be a clone.” He intoned. Suddenly, the blank page turn to actual writings to her. “There, but I will hold my book. You can read…” He said boredly.
Chara started to read it, but couldn’t read past a certain point of the story which was the exact moment she was reading. “Well... At least I can read the past and present, but the future knowledge is out of my range it seems…” Chara whispers to herself before her eyes widen in realization.
“Looks like the story had influence on ya, better not forget your real name. Cause once you do, you’ll lose yourself to the character you are. As for the future knowledge, it hasn't been written yet so it doesn’t appear in my book.” He said as he closed the book and put it away.
“Well that sucks; I won't get my future knowledge.” Chara says pouting at the loss of valuable knowledge. She wasn't worried about her old name.
“You mind if I go and loot the train?” Chara asked him, thinking that they could probably sell anything valuable on this train.
He shook his. “Your idea of stealing is foolish, but I don’t care. Your funeral to be fair. You might want to SAVE right now. Do you wish for me to save your journey for you before you go?” He asked as he pull out the book and open it to show Chara the page saying “Save” or “Don’t Save”.
“You do realize I can just do it myself right?” Chara deadpanned.
“Yes but you can’t SAVE all the time while I’m around. Our powers are fighting for dominance, and right now mine is in the lead,” He informed her. Or so he said.
“You do realize this makes no sense whatsoever!? I can get erase being greyed out because of you, but having save affected because of you? Nope! Makes not a lick of sense!!!” Chara says ranting at the stupidity of this.
“Ooooh, what fun would there be in making sense though?!” He asked smoothly.
“Fuck you, and your reference to Discord!” Chara screamed at him.
He shrugs. “Well I am his nephew after all. So I have every rights!” The boy said, chuckling.
“Well now it makes sense why you send Common Sense crying in the corner…” Chara says her anger having burned out and now rubbing her temples. He shakes the book again for an answer and Chara stares deadpan at it before she grumbles about ‘stupid books’.
“Hey! Your a thief on the run, those are the only times you can even get the chance to save. Don’t blame me for your choice of life penalty.” The boy said.
“I'm also a little girl! I'm sure they'll be lenient.” Chara says snarkily as she crosses her arms although you could hear a little bit of doubt in her voice.
“Your tone of voice says otherwise.” He sighs. “Fine, you can save, even when I’m around.” He puts away his book boredly. “But don’t think your safe now. If you’d shown sportsmanship, I would have trusted you more.” He lift his gun at her again. “But now you’ll have to take the long road to get my trust again.” He states.
“Are you saying I can't save at all like everybody else or I can save in front of others?” Chara says not understanding what he was trying to get across and hoping it was the later.
“The second one.” He simply said. Chara sighed in relief as she immediately brought her SAVE menu up and created a save point in the Caboose. He pulled the book out and look at the save info before putting it away.
She soon exited the Caboose and started sneaking around humming the Metal Gear Solid sneak theme.
“What are you doing?” A quiet voice of a whisper sounded right next to her ear, causing her to jump and “eep” before falling over.
She turned around and harshly whispers “Don't do that you scared me!” It was the guy from the caboose. Before she gets the chance to say any more she “eep” at the sudden kiss on the lip from him before he vanishes. “WHAT!?” Chara yells out before she starts wiping her mouth as child Instinct took over.
“Woah! Who are you?!” Another male voice spoke, memories of hers placing it as Soarin from the show.
‘Shit it’s Soarin!’ Chara thought, looking at the stallion in question like a deer caught in the Headlights or a scared little girl.
“What are ya, ya little… uh… girl?” He questioned as he gets closer to get a better look.
“I I I'm ch-ch-ch-Chara a-a-a-and I'm so so sorry for taking all those cherries!I-I was just so hungry an-and I had been walking through the desert, a-a-and I didn't want to get in trouble; I'm sorry!” Chara cried; playing up the little girl that's scared and alone act which she did surprisingly well at.
“Woah woah it’s okay. The owners will understand if you explain it to them.” Chara latched into him and started to cry into his fur even though she wasn't really sad. He patted her back gently, rubbing as he tries to calm her, she eventually ‘calmed ’ down.
“S-so I'm not in trouble?” Chara asked with a trembling lip and big sad doe eyes even if she wasn't scared or sad she did feel guilty about stealing all that stuff.
“Naaaah. In fact, I’ll even go there and pay for them so no hard feelings.” He said surprisingly calm about this. “But I’m wondering, why are you crying anyways, did you do something other then that? Or was it something that happened back there?”
“I-I had this huge mob chasing after me when I was caught a-and I only barely got on the train before they got me…” Chara says shivering at the idea of being caught by an angry mob and thinking they would do the same to her that the mobs in Naruto did in fanfiction.
He laughed. “Well you must have gotten them riled up! Anyways, here. This might help ya get around better.” He reached under his wing and pulled out a bag, placing it in her hands. “Twenty bits and a ticket for the train.” He soon flapped his wings and took to the air as he flew back to the cart over, probably the cart he came from.
Chara didn't know how she pulled it off, but she did, and now she had a ticket, so she didn't have to go back to the caboose.
“He’s nice isn’t he?” A familiar male voice spoke beside her and causes her to jump and “eep” again.
“Will you stop doing that!” Chara cried out as she pulled out her burnt pan and tried to whack him over the head, like she had seen in anime. Only to miss and fall on her face, her butt slightly sticking up from the ground.
“Sorry. Though you have a nice butt by the way.” He commented. Chara immediately got up off the ground and covered her butt with a blush on her face.
“I am ten!” Chara yells out as the complement just made her embarrassed.
“Physically yes but mentally no.” The male said simply.
“So that makes anything we do okay?” Chara asked as curiosity got the better of her.
“I’m a hundred years old so I’m alright but you…” He gestured to her. “I don’t know. You decide.” He shrugs his shoulder as he lays in the air floating.
“I guess it's okay. I was an adult before being displaced…” Chara says as she fantasizes a bit about what it would be like to be in her dirty role plays she did as Chara before getting sent here.
“If you find the Time Cube, I’ll let you keep it. It allows the user to become ten or twenty years old, but when you reverse it you’ll go back to your age before you used it at that time. It’s actually hidden in the next destination your heading to,” The male revealed.
“You mean Canterlot? Also can't you rewrite it where it can make you immortal!?” Chara says in annoyance as that item didn't sound very useful.
“Yes, and no. I won’t make it like that, cause evil will take advantage of such a powerful Item. That's why I designed it like how it is.” The male informed her.
“Aww, but I want to be unaging at the least!” Chara pouted as they finally make it to her new passenger car.
He shrugged. As he sees the cart full of bunk beds, he floated to one of the top beds and yawned. “Well I don’t know about you, but I’m sleepin.” He drowsily said.
“Whatever, I'm going to go see if I can buy me a bar of chocolate!” Chara says, conveniently forgetting about the bar of chocolate in her inventory.
“You have a chocolate bar in your inventory missy.” He said before slumping into unconsciousness.
“Oh yea… Hey how did you know I had stuff in my inventory!?” Chara says loudly as she glares at him accusingly. All she can hear is him lightly snoring. “Well I guess I should go to bed too…” Chara says climbing into her own bunk bed and starting to fall asleep. The last thought before she goes to sleep. I miss my friends.
Chara heard the train whistle as they drove into the station. She also heard the sound of shouting guards.
“Wake up Chara. Time to move.” Mister said to her. Chara got out the bed quickly, fixing her skirt before going to the back of the train and climbing the ladder to the top of the train ceiling. A small jump away she decided to jump over to another rooftop completely forgetting about the boy who had a gun to her yesterday.
“Stop, thief!” A pegasus guard said as he goes for her. Thankfully for her, she was already moving to the left before jumping off the top of the building and into a patch of bushes. Climbing her way out she started dashing through the city knocking over stands and barrels and crates just to get away from them. But leaving a trail in the process… idiot.
“This way!” The cloaked boy whispered to her under a hidden tile passageway, gesturing her to his direction with his hand. She quickly ducks behind the wall, breathing heavily as she hides behind him. He patted at the wall and it slammed shut. Sighing in relief, he pulled the book out and presses the save word. The book looked like it did something similar to a download before vanishing. “That was a close one,” He whispered as he kept his ears up to the wall. Chara nodded her head breathing heavily, her small frame trembling in shock.
Hearing no more noises he went down the hidden steps with Chara following. He pulled out his gun like a torch and the tip literally lit up in fire! ‘It catches on fire now!?’ She thought as she heard the guards coming back and hoping that they would just pass them by.
“Don’t worry, only the princesses know about the secret passages, not including me of course. They have an illusion spell to make it look like they walk through the alley way while we’re underground. Another would be sound cancel spells so they couldn’t hear the passage and us in here. Cleaver princesses huh?” He said chuckling at the cleaver trick.
“Yeah I guess…” Chara says, still nervous about being close to him especially with his flaming gun.
They took a right turn through a long hallway, practically gloomy and damp which lit up near the flames for better sight as they passed through. Small tiny drops of water fall off the ceiling every now and then, a few hitting and sliding off the boys cloak.
“S-so what are we going to do now?” Chara asked, receiving a shrug from him.
“I’m following you, though right now I’m just helping you as a guide at the moment.” The very much in front of her male said.
Chara didn't feel very confident in their chances anymore. He moved beside her and pat her shoulder in encouragement. “Thanks.” Chara whispers as she move a bit closer but still kept her distance.
“Do you know where we can go to be safe?” Chara asked, worried that Soarin would even keep his word.
When she heard a sound of waterfalls and saw a dim light at the end of the hallway, she got her answer. She looked around, amazed at what was inside. The place was a huge cavern that looks like it has a built in waterfall and a huge platform, the size for a huge party no doubt. There's a large tent in the center which is what they are heading towards.
“This is one of my hiding places I put up.” He explained as he stood beside the tents entrance.
“Hey can I use your book to see what the royal sisters and the guards are doing?” Chara asked as she followed him into the tent. Sighing, he held the pages out for her to see, instead of writings it shows a moving images like a show or TV.
“Your highness, with all due respect. Do you really believe in theses rumors? There's no way they have proof at all of this creature,” One of the guards; Shining Armor; was reporting to Celestia on rumored news from a few ponies. To him, he didn’t believe it.
Celestia was sitting on her throne with Luna sitting on the other throne all paying attention to the report. Celestia's mind was puzzled and thought of this creature being another minotaur, though the other descriptions haven’t helped her with anything as each report described similar parts differently, thinking it was just a joke. Luna on the other hoof ; is cautious about the creature, thinking it has some form of hostile nature.
Luna was the one who spoke her mind to Shining armor, who wasn’t expecting her believing any rumors. “Yes Armor, I am. If there's a chance it-”
“She ma’am.” Shining corrected.
“She , if she's any chance of a threat we need to see for ourselves.” Luna spoke her thought out. Celestia sighes at her sisters cautiousness, at least it started to go away ever since Nightmare night last week. “I think we should bring-”
The book Chara was watching from shuts closed, snapping her out of the trance she'd been in.
“Hey! I was watching that!” Chara says loudly as she glares at him… though in Charas mind it just proves that Luna was best pony, actually taking something that could be a threat into consideration unlike her sister.
“Sorry, if it goes any longer they will feel us watching. Besides, the book closed on its own, meaning that it senses something within that room going on. Whatever it is, I wouldn’t know.” He said as he opened it to press save again before putting it away.
“But I want to know what they want with me or what they're going to do if they capture me!” Chara says stomping her foot. The most childish of actions.
He shrugged, not interested in continuing this argument as he walks behind the tent. “You might want to save, there's something you might want to see.” He suggest as he left her sight. Chara brought up her SAVE menu hitting the SAVE button, the yellow star of a save point appearing and showing that she had saved. Running around the corner to him, she just realized something.
“So what is it you want to show me? Also I don't even know your goddamn name!” Chara says just now remembering she had been forgetting to ask his name.
As they walk towards the waterfall which has a stone path through it; he answered. “My name is Pla Shades aka Shades.” He said, looking over to her. “Oh I’m sorry, but you didn’t introduce yours either ya know.” He said casually.
“You can call me by my Discord name, Chara Dreemurr…” Chara said embracing her Discord name so she technically wouldn't lose herself.
“Well it’s nice to meet you.” The relative of Discord said.
Reaching the flow of falling water he ran through it, his splash sending water to the sides. Chara hesitated as she had never liked water on her face or in her hair. Chara continued to stand there staring at the water, not wanting to go through and get her hair wet. Suddenly her arm was grabbed and she was pulled through quickly on the other side, all soaking wet. Chara glared at him wiping away the water from her face and moving the hair out of her eyes.
“Hate you, hate you so much…” Chara growled out as her clothes cling to her form due to being soaking wet. Another surprise kiss to her lips which causes her to “eep” and stumble back before glaring at him with a tint of red on her cheeks.
“Sorry miss but I’m not going to wait because you’re scared of water. But I’ll try not to do that again.” He said after seeing her expression, matching it with his smirk.
“You better not do it again!” Chara says in a little bit of a stuck-up way as she rings out the bottom of her sweater. Although she couldn't get the thought of his smooth lips out of her mind.
She heard the scribbling on paper with a utensil before it stopped and seconds later her clothes and herself were dry and clean. “At least you righted your wrong against me, so thank you for that…” Chara says as she looks around, wondering what he wanted to show her. It still hasn't been shown.
What stood before her shocked her, a knife she knows very well stood up on a standing board. She moved forward and grabbed the handle of the knife before picking it up, the handle fitting her hand perfectly. The name appeared on the menu screen: ‘You got the “true knife”!’
Chara started dual-wielding the knives like she had seen in that one video swinging them around as if she had been doing it her whole life. She jumped when the True Knife vanished out of her grasp.
“Where's my knife!?” Chara says in a panic as she looks all around for her knife including the pedestal where it came from. Another menu info appeared: ‘Unlock Knifing Heather. Allows you to use the True Knife in temporary time. 1 Minute long Estimation. Can be upgraded.’
“So I got more than just undertale game physics?” Chara asks as she decided to go to her stats.
[Name: Chara
“How many different kinds of Charas are there in total except for the one you are?” He asked.
“There are at least as many as there are characters in the game, but I think there are more…” Chara said staring at her stats in shock.
“Reason I asked cause the knife you just got is mine.” He states, causing Chara to turn around to stare at him in shock before backing away in fear. “Easy. I’m not a Chara per say but I’m related to the nice ones. Lucky right?” He reassured her.
“So you're related to the Swaptale Chara?” Chara ask as she remembered that was the one where everyone swapped roles.
He shrugs. “I wouldn’t know. But I do know this. If you want your own True Knife of your own, you need to find the other Chara’s version of their knives. They are all scattered in equestria hidden out of Ponies eyes as far as I’ve known.” The chaosling informed the determined child.
“But I already have one of my own…” Chara said as she remembered waking up and somehow knowing she had the glitchtale version of the real knife.
“You have the Real Knife, not the True Knife. Yours didn’t get created.”
“Bullshit it has all the powers of glitchtale Chara!” Chara said pulling out her knife and it flashing blue , light blue , purple , green , orange , yellow , and red before turning pitch black and then back to normal.
“That's true but that doesn’t mean you have the others either.” He said as he pulled out of his cloak to reveal another Real Knife in his right hand, but it's completely white . He spun it around with passion as if the knife and him are one before letting his hand return to his side in one sharp motion.
“Cool~” Chara said mesmerised at his skill.
“You can have this knife, but you still need to obtain the Time Cube first.”
“Let me guess it's inside the royal castle?” Chara asked, figuring it'd be in the most cliche place she could think of. He chuckles before thrusting his blade, pointing behind her.
“It’s actual in there.” She turn to see the huge doors similar to Canterlots throne chambers door though this one has been dampen by water. “Its inside the Monotone version of this world or aka Underground as you know it in Undertale.”
“I feel like I'm going to hate this… I'm probably going to hate this…” Chara says as she heads towards the door dragging her feet.
“It just has one room and the monster on the other side that guards it. Just get in, take the item and get out of there. Simple.” He needed to be honest, he was unsure. Chara pushes the door open before heading inside.
As soon as she stepped inside she was in a place that fills her with dread, it looked just like the judgement Hall from undertale, worst of all there was a pony Sans at the end of the corridor.
“Heya brat! Just to let you know, if you want to get past me you're going to have a bad time.”Sans said sending shivers down Chara spine as she readied her ‘glitchtale’ knife.
“I'm not afraid of you!” Chara said but her tone of voice spoke volumes of how scared she was. Chara tried to bolt pass Sans but was thrown back by Sans's Magic and impaled on blunt bones. Chara pulls herself off of the bones, barely standing as her vision blurs.
Chara pulls out a chocolate bar from her inventory, taking a big bite out of it as it heals part of her wound. She slashes her knife in the air, sending a wave of determination at Sans. He simply stepped to the side as it flies by him, holding that same boney smile on his face.
San’s sends three bones her way with telekinesis, and Chara immediately does her best to dodge knowing full well what happens every time she gets hit by him. The first bone came across her like a saw and she was barely able to dodge it, the second missed as it was only a few inches away, the third was like the first one but heading for her at neck height and Chara was unable to dodge it fully, barely getting nicked in the cheek.
Chara rushed towards Sans with knife at the ready to strike him down. As she charged, she got sent off by Sans telekinesis, falling to the floor skidding along it before hitting the wall. Chara moved away from the wall as soon as she heard cracks behind her just barely dodging a second impalement.
“Huh? Kid you're doing a lot better than any other Chara I have faced.” San said lazily but she could hear the hint of maliciousness behind his words.
“Well I wasn't always Chara…” Chara says out of breath as she gets up and quickly tries to catch her breath.
Sans sent a huge twelve feet bone at Chara from above. Chara immediately dodges the bone attack as she dashes towards him once again swinging another blade of determination at him. A pile of bone wall came up from the ground like a barricade shield, blocking her shockwave before bones shot out of it like hundreds of projectiles. Chara did her best to dodge but eventually she had bones sticking out of her. Another huge bone fell from above her once again, her unable to move as her body was stuck in place.
*BANG*
The falling bone broke apart when a torrent of bullets came somewhere behind Chara and tore that bone to shrapnel. Chara was so glad for whoever just saved her life and she swore she'd kiss whoever did it as she started to pry herself off of the bones in her. The pain was excruciating as she cried out with each movement, tears running from her eyes as blood started pouring from her wounds and covering her sweater, determined to get off the bones.
“Heya kid, I'm just going to tell you once if you interfere anymore you're really not going to like what happens next…” Sans said ominously, his eye glowing Darkly as the other one looked like a Dark Void.
To Chara’s shock, Shade walked by her in that cloak of his with two of those black guns. “So what? I’m protecting her. Got a problem with that?” He said snarkily.
Sans grabbed him with his telekinesis while directing a gaster blaster at Chara. Shade points his duel guns at Sans and fired twice with explosive bullets. Sans barely dodged both of the attacks, not used to area-of-effect, but it got him to lose focus on his telekinesis which released Shade. Shade landed on his feet, assaulting Sans with a rapid fire barrage of bullets, each one being dodged by Sans with a mocking MISS appearing where he used to be.
He put his gun away and he pulled out his book to take its place as he kept shooting to provide cover fire. “Chara, get the item while I keep him busy!”
Chara nodded her head as she limped her way past Sans who was still busy focusing on Shade, the bony pony having had summoned 15 different gaster blasters and pointed them at his cover… charging them up for one really powerful attack.
“Let's switch the role shall we!” Shade said smirking as all the blasters San had froze and turned to the skeleton with glitching eyes, now on Shades side. Before Sans even had time to process this the gaster blasters fired turning him to dust. They vanished as their maker did, though Shade still searched around in case it was only a fake out. “Hurry up! I’d like to get out of here as fast as possible.” He requested calmly but with a tint of caution in his tone.
A few minutes later, Chara still hasn't come out of the chamber. Getting worried he runs inside to find her on the ground, unconscious from her constant bleeding. Running up to her side he look her over, seeing that she won't live at this rate. “Chara, Chara. Stay with me! Don’t you die on me!” Shade shouted. Unfortunately Chara was unresponsive. He move her head off the ground as a green sparkle breath escape his lips, traveling to Charas mouth. He watched as her health points slowly returned one point at a time. She still stayed unconscious as her stamina was in the single digits.
Let's take the direct approach. He press his lips to hers as he sends his stamina to hers. Chara starts to wake up not realizing her shirt is completely destroyed.
“What...?” Chara says that she starts to wake up.
“I had to do mouth to mouth to transfer you some health and stamina.” Shade states.
“Can you at least show me your face if you're going to kiss me?” Chara asked her face red in embarrassment still not realizing her chest is bear.
“Soon.” He helps her up. “Your… half naked.” He commented. Chara immediately tried to cover her chest with her arms and hands her face an atomic red.
Shade was waiting for Chara to come out of the tent. Her old clothes were torn and mucky that they had to get her a new set of clothes.
“I hate all of this!” Chara said as she held her destroyed green and yellow sweater “Shade, use your book to fix my clothes!” Chara continues as she looked over where her companion might be.
“So we went out there, stole clothes and now you want me to fix your old ones? I’m not Marry Poppins!” He sarcastically states.
“What can I say? I always liked staying in one style!” Chara said defensively as she didn't like the clothes that they had gotten, there were no striped sweaters or shirts and all of them were a little to girly.
“Well deal with it, I can’t fix things by just writing about it. Its like you try to fix a mash up art when its supposed to be just jumbled images.” He told her, frowning a bit. “I don’t understand why you even grabbed them if you're not going to wear them!”
“Because I don't want to go around naked and it was the best of a bad situation!” Chara yelled out as she was naked and glaring daggers at the clothes that she was forced to take.
“Either that or nudity and I doubt you want the latter.” He said, making Chara glare at where she thought he was standing outside. Chara continues standing there practically naked, in just her soft white cotton panties, not much to show with her flat chest. “I can’t sew anyways so just pick out an outfit.”
She huffed. “...Why does everything have to be cute…” Chara mumbled as she picks up a pink shirt that had a kitten on the front causing her glare to double in intensity. She looked down and saw the matching baby blue skirt, with white tennis shoes, and frilly socks right beside the skirt.
“Next time I pick the store we go to to get clothes!” Chara yelled at her companion as she started putting on the clothes. Luckily her underwear is still intact, less items to get. Minutes later she came out, frowning. “There is nothing about this whole situation that doesn't make me violently angry.” Chara said with a deadpan voice and a scowl on her face. She blushed however when he kissed her forehead.
“I think it's nice, though why your against pink is a complete mystery,” He said, adding sarcasm in the end.
“I don't do cute I'm supposed to be a menacing harbinger of death!” Chara says puffing her cheeks out with a red face. He shrugged before walking inside, her ears heard shuffling and clothes drop to the floor.
“Now where is that spare cloak?” Shade said to himself, things being moved around by the sound of it. Chara curiously followed the sounds of shuffling until she saw him and froze.
What was standing where Shade is isn’t a boy, but a girl ! Similar height to her, she had long orange hair tied at the end. She had shorts on but her chest is shown to have one size bigger than flat chested. Her skin was peach colored and her eyes looking at the intruding Chara are brown, her cheeks flushed at herself being caught.
“Sooo~ it seems my illustrious kidnapper is female,” Chara said with a smirk. She was hit by a flying pillow from Shade who pouted.
“You know what I want to go get… a burger!” Chara said suddenly as her stomach growled.
“Go then, I’m staying here.” She answered, turning to looking for something to wear.
“But I don't know the streets like you do!” Chara says as she pulls on her acquaintance to try and get her to follow.
“I said no!” She shouted, pulling herself out of Charas grasp. “I’m not reckless like you! I want to live thank you very much!” She went back to grabbing different fabrics for something nice to wear or finding her spare cloak in this pile of mess.
“Can you at least give me an illusion so that they won't grab me on sight?” Chara asked as she put her hands on her hips. Sighing, Shade used a spell that made Chara glow for a bit before fading to see a filly in her place.
She was a unicorn filly with tan fur and brown hair her cutie mark of a red heart.
“Now I shall go get the food!” Chara says as she hurries to the exit. As soon as she exits she sees Royal Guards all over the place. It was almost like what happens when you kick over an ant hill.
Chara took a few worried steps, the guards walking past her as if they were trudging through mud. That is until one of them stopped dead in his tracks, a blue visor attached to his helmet hiding his eyes.
“Well, that certainly isn’t something you see everyday.” The visored knight said. Another knight went to his side, looking at the disguised Chara.
“Oh, don’t tell me… should we call it in?” He asked.
“No, we handle this ourselves.” As one, every knight turned and steeled themselves, some carrying mystic shock collars, and rune inscribed blades.
“u-um you wouldn't hurt a little girl would you?” Chara says stuttering a bit as she started channeling determination to her legs already preparing to leg it and she can already feel the side effects of channeling determination.
“NO QUARTER!” The twenty or so soldiers exclaimed as one, a blade finding purchase through Chara’s spine, shearing through the disguise upon contact.
Chara screamed in pain as she almost lost concentration on her determination. Gathering herself, she started running like her life depended on it as she felt the black soul energy starting to put her spine back together.
Within seconds her spine is fully healed although she felt dirty just having that stuff help her.
Fourteen of the soldiers took to the skies while the remaining six gave unfettered chase on hoof. “Stone Rune Augmentations, NOW!” The visored knight ordered as the runes on their blades began to glow with gray light. Several aerial knights began to lunge and throw their elongated blades like javelins, only managing to cut along the fleeing Chara.
Unfortunately, it seemed to be enough as stone began to run along the girl’s cuts. Chara began focusing the hate into her cuts to fight back the petrification as tears started to run down her face due to the pain she was feeling from the stone in her cuts. Chara continued to run through the city, knocking over stuff to stop the ground pursuers.
“Please I don't want to fight!” Chara yelled as she continued to run.
A unicorn had teleported to her side, ramming the broadside of his blade upon Chara’s nose. “And I really need that promotion, so do me a favor and make this hard!” Following up, the blade was plunged deep through her kidney. At the same time Chara made a blade of determination and plunged it right into his dick... Chara did not think this asshole needed to reproduce at all. Chara then produced the Shield of Kindness creating a heart-shaped green shield in front of her.
With a shrill and glass shattering squeak, the poor bastard fell to the floor in agony. “Why… why did it have to be the dick…”
“Because nobody needs you reproducing.” Chara says as if it was obvious before the ground below the guy started lighting up bright red impaling him in several non-vital areas but would cause the most Agony increasing the bastards pain.
The remaining nineteen soldiers descended upon Chara like lightning from the sky, their blades now crackling with blue energy. Eight blades pierced through her spine once again and six had been stabbed into the ground in a circle, augmenting the electric shock.
“They keep stabbing me in the spine! Why!? Why do they keep stabbing me in the spine!?” Chara said through her pain as she sent more knives in all directions stabbing, the ones stuck to the ground in the dick while the aerial ones evaded. She then had her determination knives blow up effectively neutering the ground troops. Chara felt blood pooling in her mouth as her Soul sent energy out to try and fix her wounds
As the majority of the ground forces lamented the loss of their reproductive organs, the aerial team had begun their assault anew. Some tried ramming into Chara, while those who still had swords began slicing along her body with several more enchantments, ranging from fire, ice, petrification, and at least one aromatic enchantment that smelled like a mixture of lillies and regret.
“Leave me alone!” Chara yelled out as her body starts to Glow white with red outlines.
Doing the absolute opposite, each sword bearer doubled down and instead aimed for Chara’s skull. As soon as the swords came within an inch of her skull, a wave of determination was sent outwards. The wave sent them flying, burning and slicing anything in its path.
Eighteen soldiers lay either dead or burning, some even pinned to a wall… save for one, the visored knight having bowed out after his comrades had been relieved of their “Privates”.
Chara pulled her knife out and held it in a defensive position already telling that her body could not handle any more power at this moment but she stared down the visored knight.
“Are you going to take your knights and leave? Because some of them might die if you don't.” Chara says, breathing heavily as anyone could tell she was barely standing. Her only response was the pained frightened cry of the poor sap running for his life… and a puddle of piss.
“Well that's good… I really didn't feel like destroying my body…” Chara says before walking five steps and passing out.
Shade came up to Charas side while shooting revive bullets on the ones dead before releasing healing barrage on them. The now female then throws a smoke bomb on the floor, giving her cover as she takes Chara back to camp. Shade sees the wounds on Charas body that started being covered in black goop before it disappeared showing a fully healed Chara.
Failure… that is what lieutenant Vigor thought of himself as. As he trot along the halls, a mentally broken and shambling mess, it was all he thought of himself as.
The double doors of the throne room were opened to him, his fellow knights flinching at his current state. The princesses, bless their hearts, started to quiet the cacophony of petitioners as they laid worried eyes upon him.
Vigor tore his visor from it’s hinges and tossed it before them. “I would like to resign.”
Princess Luna surprised everyone that she spoke first. “What reason do you have to resign, White Knight Vigor?” Princess Luna says with a commanding tone.
He looked up, his eyes lifeless… soulless. “I sent innocent soldiers to their deaths. That is reason enough.”
“What dost thou mean? We sent you after a mere child?” Luna says, concern in her tone.
The fractured soldier began to chuckle. His chuckle grew into a laugh. His laugh became the roar of a beast caught within a trap devised to cause as much anguish as possible. “A… a child!? A child she says! You sent us to the king of all demons itself! A child she says!” Vigor’s laughter died down, unnerving those still in attendance.
Schooling his features, he once again gave a lifeless, soul crushing stare to his diarchs. “Shining Armor shall have a full report by sundown. I will make my leave afterwards.” Luna gave Celestia a worried look as Celestia has been silent through the whole Exchange.
The broken soldier turned around, walking as if in a daze to his quarters. That's the time when Celestia spoke sadly. “I can’t believe this. Twenty, just twenty couldn’t bring in this creature. Maybe they said something to it to offend her?” She says standing up and heading out the doors.
“Did you not hear him sister!? This child is a serious threat and we may need to call your student for help!” Luna says following after her sister. Luna was worried that this would be a Discord incident all over again.
“The Elements are a last resort… We need another option.”
“Sister be reasonable! This child took on and won against some of our finest!” Luna said, completely aghast at the way Celestia was dealing with this monster.
“I will not risk my student and her friends Luna.” Celestia sternly stated.
“You did not mind at all when it was me and Discord.” Luna deadpanned at her sister pulling up times when she let her student into dangerous situations.
Her big sister turned to Luna with morn. “The reason for that is because I can’t use the elements anymore, or have you forgot that it requires both of us to represent them? I couldn’t save you because I don’t represent all the elements. As for Discord, he was a step ahead and wasn’t interested in killing and loves to have fun.” Celestia said, pointing out both reasons she couldn’t do it and ones that showed how the elements were relatively safe.
“So what are you going to do sister, fight her yourself?” Luna says with a huff as she thought that the elements would be a much quicker solution.
“Bring in outside help.” Celestia says as Luna look at her sister as if she lost her mind.
“Outside help!? From where! From whom!? No warrior of Equestria past nor present would risk their life for this!” Luna cried, only to huff and pinch the bridge of her nose. “Who?” She asked, her eyes still closed and her breathing erratic.
“I’m not talking about in Equis, I mean from another world.”
This got Luna to open her eyelids in record time. “Dost thou have such influence and reach?”
“Sister, you were the one who found the book that lets us do so remember? ‘Summoning Methods of Myths and Misplace’,” Celestia said, smiling gently to her sister.
“We di-” Luna shook her head, wracking her brains for the information she failed to recall. “I DID!? When? How!?” A light bulb went off in her head, she popped out of and popped back into the room. A heavy tome was held in her mystical grasp, a smile upon her muzzle. “Yes… we did didn’t we?”
The lunar princess began tearing through the book, before stopping on a page and raising an eyebrow.
“Sister what is the name of the creature we’re trying to capture?” Luna says as she continues to stare at the page in the book.
“Chara Dreemurr.” Celestia stated simply.
“Well sister it seems like Chara dreemurr is in this book, along with her sibling Asriel dreemurr…” Luna said that she began to read the page tears starting to prick at the sides of her eyes as she read what Chara did for her family and then what this ‘player’ forced her to become after forcing her to watch as it killed all of her family.
“By the goddess… what have I done? Is there any way to reach out to them?” Celestia pleaded.
“We could try to summon their sibling. It says here in an alternate timeline dubbed glitchtale Asriel is brought back to life!” Luna says as she points to the other page.
“Asriel? Why do they look so drastically different?” Celestia asked with a tilt of her head.
“It says that Chara was adopted after they...oh my goddess!” Luna says that's her face contorts in rage and sadness at what she read.
Celestia found a problem in calling upon a potentially worse problem than what they already had with Chara, however they did at least want to extend an olive branch so to speak. “Would calling upon this Asriel be so wise?”
“From what I have read he would be a great assistance in trying to talk to Chara, she would never hurt her sibling unless she was forced to…” Luna says still glaring daggers at the page that describes Charas past before she went to the underground.
“Alright… but we should at the very least consider a “Plan B”.” Luna nodded her head up her sisters statement. Curiosity overtook Celestia however as she peered over the tear stained pages Luna had been so fixated on.
With a cold and unflinching stare, Celestia took the tome, closed it gently and gave it a single pat… before popping out of the room. The entirety of the castle having risen in temperature, even melting and killing some vases and potted plants. Guards all over the castle could be heard screaming “Code: Solar Storm”.
When she returned, she was covered head to hoof in blackened soot. Her mane waved about in a gray and dusty glory.
“Sister, are you alright?” Luna asked cautiously, the last time she had seen her sister this angry was when they had found Sombras “personal” dungeon full of foals
“Hmm?” Celestia turned to look at her sister, her eyes were pits of blazing infernos but her facial features were smooth and calm. “I feel fine.” Luna was worried as she felt the heat that was oppressive and would have killed her if it wasn't for the fact she was an Alicorn and connected to the Moon.
“If that is all, then I believe it is time to prepare the rites,” Celestia said as she began to walk away, her very hoofsteps causing the ground she walked upon to burn and melt. Luna gathered the materials that would be needed to summon the extremely powerful Asriel. Soon the two princesses stood on opposite sides of the ritual Circle with a branch of the tree of Harmony as a power source to summon the goat child through the void.
Thankfully, Celestia had regained her composure before they began. “Well, here's hoping we make a good first impression.”
“Indeed sister…” Luna said hoping that they could save ‘Chara’ from herself.
The summoning circle was drawn, runes were inscribed unto precious stones, and the branch was charged. Turning to Asriel’s page within the book, the sisters began to chant in the dead and long forgotten tongue of their ancestors.
The room began to twist and turn, fires of ethereal blue bloomed and died in mere instances. Lightning raced along the air as it froze anything along its path… and finally, as the world seemed to be able to take no more punishment, a rift had begun to spiral into life within the circle.
Within, a tiny goat like child had been tossed upwards from the rift… only to fall flat upon his face once the rift was closed.
“Sweet Christ on a pogo stick… that's the last time I go on a bender at two A.M.” The goat child says, making Celestia and Luna look at each other wordly.
The small child pulled back, stretching his his face as it popped off of the ground. With a rather cartoonish shake, he started to gather his bearings. “Oof, hangover…” His eyes widened as he looked at his hands. “Serious hangover.”
“I do suppose that is to be expected, given you are still too young for this child.” Celestia said giving a motherly yet disappointed look.
The child looked up at the princess of the sun, his eyes threatening to pop through their sockets. “Okay… I told them not to slip me any acid. They fluffing did it an-” He immediately shut his mouth. He opened it again. “Shuckle.” He slapped his muzzle with his palms. “Gum chewing funk monster!”
This went on, much to the growing concern of those present for a minute straight. “WHY CAN’T I SWEAR!?” He yelled as he began to roll upon the floor.
“...Sister I do believe we have messed up the ritual…” Luna says as she turns to her sister a look of concern on her face.
This piqued the interest of the child. “Ritual? What ritual? Wait… no. Don’t tell me. This is a dream. A fever dream brought on by a liter of booze and delirium…” He stood up and began to pace back and forth as if in thought.
“Okay… if this is a dream… I want you two to turn into smoking hot genies!” He faced the diarchs, palms out and legs wide… as if he expected something to happen.
“Yes, I do believe the summoning ritual was botched Luna…” Celestia says once again giving the disappointed parent look.
“This isn’t a dream, is it?” The goat child asked of the diarchs. The two slowly shook their heads in confirmation.
“You’re really a pair of talking horses.” More nods of confirmation. The child blinked, and held out his hand. “May I see the spell you used for the summoning?”
Luna pulled out the ritual notes that they had written down. It showed how they used a branch of the tree of Harmony as a power source and how they wanted to summon the sibling of Chara dreemurr… Asriel.
“This… you chanted in time and everything? Made sure to pronounce the words correctly?” He asked as he looked over the chant again. “Klaatu Barada Nikto?” He asked in disbelief.
“It says ‘Nikto’?” The lunar princess asked.
Palm met face immediately as ‘Asriel’ began to grumble something about Evil Dead. “You said ‘Nokto’, didn’t you?” the Lunar princess blushed and nodded her head.
“This snozzberry is exactly why you rehearse your fraggled chants BEFOREHAND!!”
“There's no need to yell, Asriel. Everypony makes mistakes.” Celestia says chastising Asriel.
“I’m sorry, I’m not the one who played “Invasion of the Body Snatchers” across space and time! I could have died!” Asriel exclaimed in frantic fear as he waved his arms up and down at high velocity. “Worse yet, I’m not ‘Asriel’, I’m some schmuck trapped in his body!!”
“Then who are you ‘asriel’?” Luna asked hoping they didn't summon someone with something worse than Chara.
“If you must know,” He began to stand atop his tippy toes for a brief second, his hands behind his back and his eyes closed. “I’m a cook. A darn good one at that!” He began to happily list the several dishes and pastries he’s ever prepared in his career, even salivating at points.
He suddenly paused however. “Though I can’t shake this nagging feeling that I’m forgetting something… something important that’s just on the tip of my tongue.” He began to stroke a tuft of fur on his chin in contemplative thought. “Eh, I’m sure it’ll come to me.”
“But what is your name.” Luna said with a deadpan.
‘Asriel’ lifted a finger and opened his mouth… only to close it and drop his finger. He pouted, raised his finger higher into the air and opened his mouth wider… only to reel himself back in. “I’m sorry, I can’t remember…” Celestia hugged the little goat child. He moved his right hand up to her neck and began to stroke it, his eyes an endless haze.
“I’d like to go back now… I have work in the morning.” His voice began to crack as his head was buried deeper into Celestia’s coat.
“We don't know how to send you back…” Luna said as she looked at the child in sorrow.
The haze in his eyes went dark. “Oh. That’s… that’s not good. Is it?” He blinked, and the color seemed to return to his eyes. “Welp, I’m stuck in a world I know nothing about. In a body not my own and at the mercy of two incompetent summoners. What do you need done?” He gave Celestia two good pats as she let go.
“We need help with Chara Dreemurr.” Celestia says showing the legend and what she has done so far.
Taking the documents, Asriel materialized a pair of glasses from seemingly nowhere as he carefully read through what was given. “Uh huh… you want me to deal with THAT!?” he exclaimed with worry.
“We will help you master your powers before you face her,” Luna says with a nod.
Asriel’s eyes began to shine like stars. “I have powers!? Wait, of course I have powers!” He exclaimed joyfully… only to lose himself to confusion. “How do I have powers?”
They showed his page in the book of Legends to him. He scanned the page intently, taking in every detail given to him. “Huh, I guess he lives up to his name…” Asriel said absent mindedly. “Okay, I’ll bite. I can be your Asriel,” He said, and with that they started his training.
Chara was standing inside of a void, unable to see anything in any direction, seeing as everything in every direction was black.
“Hello is anybody here?” Chara said with a trembling voice.
“So you want to be me, do you?” Chara heard from a ways behind her causing her to turn around and see… herself!? The only difference was that her white cornea were black and had a glowing red iris.
“Are you the original Chara?” displaced Chara asked as she took a step back.
“Yes and now you are going to experience my past since you want to be me so badly,” Original said, Displaced knocked back a step after Original rushed forward and planted her hand on Chara's head. Everything changed around her, she was then forced to witness herself being raped, beaten, and verbally abused constantly until she woke up the next morning tears running down her face.
She got up and made her way to her friend, crawling into bed next to Shade. She started hugging herself close, not daring to go back to sleep. Shade yawned, sitting up. She rubbed her eyes as she looked for the cause of the shift in her bed, seeing Chara in her covers shivering.
“Chara, what's wrong?” She asked groggily.
“T-t-the original ch-chara m-m-made me relive her memories, f-forcing me to live through countless t-times of being b-b-beaten, y-y-yelled at and ra-ra-raaaaaped!” Chara cried out if she latched into Shade, crying into her chest. Shade rubbed Charas back to comfort her, letting her weep, letting her speak out her mind. Chara before displacement had always prided herself on being a virgin still, now she was in the body of someone who had that innocence stolen and her hatred for rapists grew by leaps and bounds… along with her hatred for child abusers. She had never felt this kind of hatred before, it was worse than the hatred she had for her original family. Chara remembered all the times her mother had told her that she hated her, that she didn't care, even the few times she told her that she wished Chara had never been born.
“P-please... promise me... you'll never leave me alone in this world…” Chara whispered, clinging to her one and only friend in this world.
If only she knew. Shade thought before holding Chara close throughout the whole time. Shade could see that Charas determination nearly broke from the ordeal.
“I… I can't do this alone…” Young Chara mumbled.
Deep in an underground cave we see a collection of stallions, changelings, and griffin's sitting around a table. Some held a stoic and emotionless gazes, while others had been foaming at the mouth so to speak.
“We were promised a weapon! Why were we lied to!?” A grease colored griffin shouted at the ponies, slamming a curled claw upon the table.
“There were complications in obtaining the subject.” A racoon styled pony stated, slowly sipping a bit of wine.
The changelings in the room began to flood the area with an incessant buzzing until one began to speak. “A complication occurs when a surgeon cuts an artery during a triple bypass. A complication is a drug deal gone wrong because of a pair of loose lips. This was no complication, this was by design.”
“Design!?” Another Griffon yelled. “In what way did we want that our weapon be denied us?” All eyes turned to the conglomerate of ponies in the room.
“It was a simple test, and now that we know just how valuable this commodity is,” A gray coated stallion placed a packet of files upon the table for the others to see. “Our prices have since increased.”
The Changelings tossed several bags of gold and gems upon the table as another among them began reviewing the new information.
The room was once again filled with a cacophony of buzzing, stopping as the Changeling reading the documents passed it along to the slimy black griffin.
“This is an outrage! You promised us the weapon and by your goddess we shall have it!” The griffins left the room, no longer wishing to aid the ponies in something they should have done themselves.
“What we don't understand is why the weapon is a child… wouldn't an adult fair much better?” one of the changeling say as they look at the picture of said weapon.
More buzzing echoed as the Racoon finished his wine. “Does it matter? Someone deal with the bird. We wouldn't want our efforts gone to waste,” The green eyes of the changelings grew bright as a pained yell echoed from the halls.
“Feather brained nuisance,” The Racoon spat as he was served more wine.
“So is this child really as powerful as you say she is…?” One of the changelings asked as she eyed the paper with skepticism.
A blue visor was tossed along the table, a recording playing off of it for all the room to see. “The weapon is real, and it is far more valuable than any can imagine.” From molecular regeneration, to destructive magic, the child surprised all with how volatile its power was. Soon the changelings were offering up a lot more money for the child as the greedy money-grubbing ponies smiled maliciously.
An explosion rocked the training grounds of the castle. “AGAIN!” A voice shouted as energy was focused into a single point.
“FIRE!” Another explosion echoed forth, Asriel Dreemur groaning in frustration.
“SHINGLE ROOFED FROG LICKER!! Why can’t I get these fraggled skulls to work!!?” The child yelled to the heavens. “AND WHY THE FRUIT HASN’T ANYONE FIXED MY VOCAL PROBLEM!?” He slammed his head into the tiled floor, cracking the cement.
Celestia was standing nearby for support and to keep damage control in check but stood not to close incase the training gets a little overboard. “You're just feeling stress. Though I don't know what you mean by vocal problem? You sound fine to me.”
He lifts his head up, his eyes a swirling and chaotic haze. “Well I am not fine!” He shouts while raising his arms into the air. “My one source of stress relief is now gone! Because I can’t even say a simple H-E double hockey sticks! I have to resort to calling it H-E DOUBLE GRUMBLE GROG HOCKEY STICKS!! WHY!? WHAT DIVINE BEING DID I ANGER TO DESERVE THIS!!?” He began to comically and cartoonishly cry literal rivers onto the ground.
He materializes a rather soft cloth and begins dabbing at his eyes, sniffling every three seconds. “Sorry… I’m good now.” He picked himself up and huffs before shaking his head and materializing another goat skull.
“You are doing well young Asriel! soon you will be able to battle Chara!” Luna said excitedly.
Asriel took a breath and instead began to coax energy into the skull steadily. “Hokay… can’t let this one blow up too…” A sufficient amount was finally charged as he aimed to the sky. “FIRE!” A magnificent ray of rainbow colored energy ripped through the air, decimating several clouds that had come into contact with the beam. Celestia felt bad that she had to pull a child from another timeline to help beat the problems caused of another child.
“I… I did it? It didn’t blow up?” The flinching child feared opening his eyes.
“It’s okay little Asriel, it didn’t backfire.” Celestia said as she nudged him gently with her muzzle.
He relaxed his clinched eyes, gasping happily, seeing the fog from his exhausted cannon. “I did it… I DID IT! AHAHA Ohhhh… oh I have never been so happy before!” He turned around and hugged Celestia the way he never hugged another living being before.
Asriel pulled back in shock and embarrassment as he began to dust his shirt. “Hm, yeah… Just uh, that much closer to standing toe to toe with a… with a demigod…”
“Chara is a demigod!?” Celestial yells out in shock.
“Did I say that out loud?” Asriel asked in dazed confusion. “I mean, you know… demigod is such a subjective term. Meta human might be more on the mark...eh heh heh…” he began twiddling his thumbs.
“Oh… that's a relief. Still, do you know what her powers are? We only got that she has the powers over ‘determination’.” Celestia asked as she had looked through the legend of Chara and she could not find what the powers were.
“Human determination is a frightening thing,” Asriel started with an alarmingly cold glare. “It’s the mental and spiritual fortitude to tell a mountain to move, not because it wants to, but because it needs to.”
Ethereal images began to manifest into the world, images of a single human weathering the tide of an army far larger and far more equipped than he, breaking the tide of battle with nothing but a thought. Images of a child breathing life into a new world, of a scholar toppling a golem with words…
The images blinked from existence as Asriel regained his usual demeanor. “… What were we talking about?”
Luna and Celestia were shivering at the power that they believed Chara had.
“Something tells me no matter how well prepared I am… Chara might be ten steps ahead of me,” Asriel admits, focusing energy into his palms as he creates a thin white blade half his size. “But that just means I need to try harder.”
“Do you think we can get Chara to use her powers for good?” Celestia asks to Asriel with a hopeful expression.
Asriel tilts the blade, mystical energy forcing it to take the form of a shield. “I hope so…” The “shield” cracks and breaks, turning into rainbow colored dust. “Because if we can’t, then it’s the end of the world as we know it.”
“Is Chara really so strong she could cause the end of the world!?” Luna exclaimed in fright, after all they were talking about a child.
Asriel began to rub his tired hands as he looked at Luna. “If she wanted to, she could dig into the core of the planet right now and cause it to burst,” He focused another sword into existence, this time shifting it’s hilt to have a guard. “Poof, end of the world ” He accentuated this with a childish wave of his arms.
“Is there any way to stop her should she not want to help us?” Celestia asked with a pleading tone, not wanting the end of the world.
He began to ponder this ponder of ponders, pacing back and forth as he drew lines in the ground with his sword. “You could...freeze her,” he shot out a finger as a wall was covered in ice. “Toss her into the Sun,” Said Sun flared for a quick second, a bit of shrubbery having been singed. “Ooh, or you could force her power against her!” He then pointed at the sisters rather joyfully as the two reeled back and shielded themselves… only for nothing to happen.
“No, that would never work.” He whispered as he went back to pacing.
“Would the Elements of Harmony work on her?” Luna asked as she gave her sister I pointed look.
“Elements of who now?” Asriel asked with curiosity.
“The Elements of Harmony are something that my student and her friends use that have the power to trap a Chaos God…” Celestia explains.
“That sounds like it’ll only work if Chara is unbalanced in some way…” Asriel sat down on the ground, his blade turning into a scale. “Though, nothing tells us any different. Humans are naturally an even force though, good weighed equally with bad.” His scales began to tip every so often before settling into equilibrium. “Hit her when she doesn’t see it coming, and do it with the will to restore balance, it might just get her on your side.”
“So you believe she may be out of balance?” Luna asks as she tries to understand Asriel.
“Believe who’s out of balance?” The scale disappeared into rainbow dust, a confused look upon Asriel’s face. “How long have I been down here?” The child asked.
“Chara! The one we have summoned you here to fight!” Luna says starting to get irritated with his absent-mindedness.
He snapped his fingers, a joyful look on his face. “Oh right! The world breaker! Yeah, that might not end well.”
“Are you okay Asriel?” Celestia said as she looked at him in concern.
His eyes go wide for a split second before he begins to smile and dismissively wave. “What me? I’m right as rain!” A small rumble echoed from his gut. “Though I may be lacking in proper dietary fiber. Can I use your kitchen?” both Celestia and Luna were concerned about Asriel as they watched him walk to the kitchen.
Suddenly, a guard burst into the room “Princess the creature has been spotted!” the guard said urgently.
{earlier with Chara}
Chara had decided to go out and get some chocolate to help cheer herself up. She had made sure not to be spotted by any visor people as she made her way to the chocolate shop.
Chara used her 20 bits to buy as much chocolate as she could, which turned out to be quite a lot as she had a big bag of chocolate in her hand almost her own size. She wasn't as cautious this time around as she was more concerned on stuffing her face with chocolate so she didn't notice when a visor Pegasus flew above her spotting her quickly.
“Target sighted! Do not engage! Repeat DO NOT ENGA-” Chara immediately hit him with a rock to the head with all of her strength pouring into her determination, into it causing a dent to appear on his helmet and shattering the visor pieces of it ripping into his eyes but not killing him. the Scout fell to the ground screaming in agony as Chara winced. Chara decided to scram, taking off still holding her bag of candy.
“Follow that chocolate!” An over enthusiastic soldier exclaimed, stars in her eyes and saliva dripping from her mouth. The chase was once again on.
Chara had been on the run for over 30 minutes. Through this time she had critically wounded several different ponies, from slicing off their wings to slicing off their horns and legs.
“Leave me alone you fucking bastards!” Chara yelled as she continued to run sending up blades of determination at the pursuers to try and get them to go away.
Though, as the chase was reaching it’s fever pitch, a soft hand had appeared from a dark alleyway and had pulled Chara in. Chara unceremoniously fell atop her captor and lost a decent mass of her chocolate.
A translucent film appears over the alleyway entrance, shielding it from prying eyes. Chara turned around to glare at the one who made her drop her chocolate only to find a rather shaky Asriel huddled on the ground.
“Uhhh…….” The goat child gave Chara an awkward stare as he lifted his hand up. His index and middle fingers together and parted from his pinkie and ring fingers. “Live long and… prosper?”
“The hell are you doing here Azzy?” Chara asks as she shivers a little at the touch, her mind flashing back to what she experienced last night.
“I’m uh… I’m not too sure.” He picked himself up and started to dust off his clothing. “Pie?” He happily offered a single slice of still piping hot cinnamon and butterscotch pie.
Chara grab the cinnamon butterscotch pie and started eating on it although she kept her ‘brother’ in her line of sight constantly as she could almost immediately tell something was wrong with him.
“So ‘brother’ what's up with the barrier?” Chara ask that she eyes the guards on the other side of the barrier, her back to one of the walls.
“Privacy mostly, it kinda looked you were having some trouble there,” Asriel pointed out with a smile. “Maybe you can fill me in on why you’re public enemy number one?”
“Well the ponies are racist and I may have stolen a bunch of cherries met Soarin and he said he would fix that and then I was attacked by guards as soon as I got off the train and then I ran and they kept chasing me then I found a place to hide and then when I came out I was assaulted by the guards after they saw through my disguise so I defended myself and I didn't want to kill and then I hid again then I came out because I got a bunch of bad memories ‘restored’ and then I started getting chased again I didn't mean to hurt the visor Pegasus I just instinctively threw something at him and I just wanted chocolate!” Chara says as she tries to get everything she wanted to say out, rambling a bit. Just a bit.
Asriel could only stare blankly, several thoughts seemed to go through his mind as he tried so desperately to figure out how to proceed. “Okay… bad day gone worse. Need help?”
“I just wanted to take my chocolate back to my Hideout and then those assholes decided to ruin my day!” Chara says as she glares at the guards.
“Okay, I can help with that… I hope.” Asriel began to charge a wad of magic into his hand, a ripple forming along the fabric of reality. “Take my hand, and think of home,” he said as he offered his free hand. The guards were now banging on the ethereal wall. Chara cautiously grabbed his hand and started thinking of her big bed in the circus tent in the hidden passageways.
Finally tossing the blob at a wall, a shortcut had appeared to Chara’s destination. “Let’s go, that wall is killing me,” Asriel said with a wince, a loud thud echoing off the wall. Chara stuck her tongue out at the guards before jumping into the shortcut.
Chara appears out of a portal above her bed and lands softly on it, the bed was a lot more comfortable than the one she had before displacement… even if she had to live in a circus tent underground to have it.
Unceremoniously, Asriel had fallen flat on his face on the ground just next to Chara’s bed. He pulled back, stretching his face out and freeing himself with a pop. “Sweet fluffle that stings… ” The child whined as he rubbed his sore face.
At that moment Chara realized something, she hadn't heard Asriel actually curse one time and when he tried it always sounded something like that. “You can't curse can you ‘brother’?” Chara asked with a smirk. Charas smirk fell immediately after she saw a gun leveled point blank right behind Asriel's head.
“D-don't shoot!” Chara yells out for her friend to not pull the trigger. “He helped me get away from a huge Mob of guards that I may or may not have mutilated in my attempt to escape.”
Asriel kept a calm demeanor, his hands raised and his body still, though in his mind his thoughts were racing as he cursed himself for his current situation. “I like living, I like living. I like the concept of living,” He chanted as a mantra.
“Name intruder!?” Shade growled in a commanding voice, still keeping her gun right at him.
Calm and stoic, the child answered. “Asriel Dreemurr, I come with pie.” In his mind he cried. “They’re going to kill me! They are going to kill me and I am going to die!”
“His name is Goat bro!” Chara says trying to lighten the mood. “And I'd really appreciate it if he wasn't turned to dust!” Chara had always found the cleanup for monster is much more efficient than humans… you just needed a Hoover.
“I’m talking Chara! Don’t interrupt!” Shade shouted out, not letting her eyes off the goat child. “Why are you here? What’s your occupation?”
“He’s a kid dumbass!” Chara said getting really upset at her friends over paranoia.
“I said stop interrupting me! It’s between me and him.” She growled, pushing the bud of the gun up to his head.
“I’m here to keep Chara safe, I’m a cook, and a darn good one,” The goat child responded. He felt the barrel move away and few footsteps going to his left before standing beside Chara.
“Well now that we're not ready to blow anyone's heads off can we all sit down and enjoy and nice big bag of chocolate!” Chara said with her tone slightly quivering after pulling her big bag of chocolate from her inventory.
“Chocolate sounds nice…” Asriel finally let his emotions catch up with his body as he slumped onto the floor, a white mist hovering just outside his mouth. As this is happening Chara is feeling guilty about pulling Asriel into such a situation.
“I'm sorry azzy…” Chara whispers as she moves next to Asriel petting his head.
The mist fled back into his mouth as he regained his composure. “Huh? Oh! Hey, no big deal. I’ve seen worse,” He pulled out the remainder of his pie, still warm. “Pie?”
“Pie!” Chara quickly grabbed the pie and started nomming on it. Before long, the entire pastry was gone. Leaving behind a wide eyed and awestruck Asriel.
“Someone kept their appetite…” He whispered. “So, short dark and gruesome. Got a name?” He asked of his would be assassin.
The cloaked being looked away. “Shade, Pla Shade.” She simply said in her usual masculine tone.
“Pla?” Asriel asked with tilted head. “Interesting name. So, whatta ya do when you aren’t holding someone at gunpoint?” Asriel asked with genuine curiosity.
“Oh that's just how he makes friends…” Chara says before she goes back to eating her pie and chocolate.
Asriel held a look of worry and confusion, his eyes a chaotic swirling vortex. “You make friends over coffee, over a card game, over quite literally EVERY OTHER SCHNOZZ FILLED ACTIVITY that doesn’t end up with someone almost dying!” He yelled, throwing his arms up to accentuate his point.
“Well that's how he made friends with me…” Chara said with a shrug of her shoulders.
Shade snorted. “That's not true and you know it. Pointing guns at one another isn’t one of them.” She said.
“You kidnapped me to be friends with me because you were lonely…” Chara pointed out remembering their visit on the train.
“Yet I said I needed company not friends. Your the one who said that I’m your friend. So ha.” Shade smugly replied.
Asriel watched their banter, a smile on his face and his chin on his hands. “Huh, it’s nice to see you making friends Chara, brings a tear to my eye,” Asriel said, smiling.
“ I believe it's called Stockholm Syndrome…” Chara says with a deadpan not pulling any punches.
“Pfft, like you couldn’t leave whenever you wanted,” Asriel teased. He looked back to shade, slight worry in his eyes. “She can right?”
She shrug. “Her choice, if she wants to leave she can leave.” Shades eyebrows furrow as she poke Asriel’s chest. “Don’t tell anyone of my hideout, Got it!” She said sternly.
“Well I'm still living down here cuz it's comfortable and safe!” Chara said as she laid back down in her giant bed, rolling around and getting herself tangled up in covers.
“What hideout where?” Asriel asked as if he had no idea as to where he was.
“Not saying and no Chara, your a high target standing beside me that would lead them to ME. I don’t want THEM to capture me! Not yet anyways.”
“Bu-but I thought we were friends.” Chara said feeling betrayed at the girl kicking her out with nowhere to go.
“Are you leaving? Cause it sounds like you get to stay here as long as you want so long as no one finds this place.” Asriel sighed as he laid on his back.
“I’m not saying your kicked out, I’m only telling you the result. But if your staying you will follow MY rules.” Shade looked at Asriel. “And you, what are you going to do?”
“I’m here for the ride. Might need an extra hand, especially one that can cook.” The goat child said with a lazy wave.
“Actually how are you here? I can tell you're not really Asriel so that means you must be a displaced!” Chara said, not knowing how this guy had gotten here.
“A botched ritual. Once they realized how badly they messed up they started to teach me how to control my powers. Nice fellows actually,” He kicked his foot to an unknown tempo, worry pounding at his mind.
Chara brought up the ACT button and hit ‘Check’ on Asriel.
It brought up a ‘Stat’ screen and displayed his vitals, his power, the titles ‘God of Hyperdeath’ and ‘Prince of The Underground’ and a binding contract.
“...wha?” Chara said as she reread his stats over and over again trying to figure out what the binding contract was.
“Is… is there something on my face?” Asriel asked with worry.
“Azzy why does it say you are in a binding contract to deal with me…” Chara asked softly but with a dead tone of voice.
Silence. More silence. An abhorrent amount of silence. After so much silence, Asriel looked back to see Shade’s handgun had been leveled at his head once again. “Okay, now before anyone shoots me… exactly what does it mean to ‘deal’ with someone?” The goat child began to wave his arms about in a frantic manner, trying and failing to get his point across. “I mean, what if someone wanted to ‘strike a deal’, or maybe eve- yeah you’re uh… not buying it huh.”
Asriel gave a shaky sigh and put the back of his head closer to the barrel of the gun and closed his eyes solemnly. “You can shoot me now.”
“No don't kill him…” Chara says as she stops her friend from killing Asriel. Chara may have been hurt by Asriel being summoned to kill her, but she still couldn't bring herself to kill the goat bro.
“No, no no, please.” Asriel only raised his hands as if to show he had no problem with a bullet through the skull. “Ya don’t trust me. I get that, so I’m gonna do the one stupid thing that gets you to trust me. I’mma let ya kill me, so you can hear me out afterwards,” Chara looks at Asriel like he lost his goddamn mind conveniently forgetting that she could save load and reset.
“Your not planning to resurrect yourself are ya?” Shade asked a bit confused on his action.
“If I said yes, would you still shoot me?” Asriel asked, genuinely curious and with a finger raised.
“Those are shotguns with the ability to negate powers…” Chara said quietly as she still shivered slightly from those type of weapons.
He facepalmed and began rubbing his temples, sweating at what he had just put himself in. “Fudgepop sundaes and WHY CAN’T I SWEAR!?” Facepalming again , he sighed and shook his head. “No please, don’t let my permanent death stop you.” Chara took a note of him saying he couldn't swear for later as she tried to comfort the goat bro.
Rather swiftly, Asriel takes Chara in a bear hug and starts to sob softly. “I don’t wanna die… all I wanted to do was sleep off a hangover…” Chara flinched at being hugged like this although she still tried to comfort the poor guy.
“It's all right I won't let her kill you…” Chara whispered as she felt sorry for this guy being displaced against his will.
*sniff* “So you’ll hear me out?” He asked looking to Shade. Chara nodded her head trying to give a reassuring smile although she would gank him herself if he betrayed her Trust.
“You gonna answer her question or not?” Shade said though under her hood her cheeks puffed up.
Asriel shook his head and smacked his cheeks, shocking himself out of his emotional turmoil. “Hokay, it’s true, I was sent to find you, but it was only under the pretense that I observe your actions…” His eyes went blank, power forming beneath him. “Power provoked can cause much harm. Power provoked can bring much sadness. Power provoked can herald much hatred.” His magic faded and his eyes returned to normal as he shook his head in confusion. “Do you two like waffles?” Chara was completely thrown off by him suddenly asking about waffles, Chara was worried about Asriel as she glanced between him and her friend Shade. Shade just lets her gun arm slack, putting away her gun before pulling her hood off and revealing her face. A sure sign of her trusting him.
Asriel only smiled, excitedly getting to his feet and waving his arm. “You do! You do like waffles!”
He cleared his throat and dusted off his clothing. “So…is it cool if I hang out here for a bit? Make sure neither of you incur the wrath of the world beyond these walls?” He asked. Chara nodded her head as she sat down in one of the chairs. Chara pulled out her save and load menu hitting the save button creating a save state next to her bed just in case something went wrong.
A scroll enveloped by rainbow magic dropped at Celestia’s hooves, a smiling goat skull wax seal keeping it rolled closed. Opening the scroll, Celestia began to read the… chocolate stained letter.
“Alright, I’ve made contact! And I’m not even dead… yet. I’m hopeful that with time, I can get them to trust me enough to not attack me at the mention of getting them to talk to you. Uhh… I guess that’s all I have to report? Ah great, I got chocolate all over my pen…”
Finished reading the letter, and swiping a loose chunk of chocolate into her mouth secretly, sun princess commented. “Well, at least it's a work in progress.” Celestia said with a nod.
“Sister why do we not have Asriel grab Chara in her sleep?” Princess Luna asked her big sister.
“What one of the ponies said disturbs me. You remember bringing up the Black Slinger?”Celestia asked, Luna nodding and motioning for her sister to continue. “It was with her. I rather not take chances of Asriel's life.”
“He has power sufficient to defend himself dear sister, why not put more faith in him?” Luna argued.
“I am. This is Asriel’s choice, I didn’t inform him about it because I forgot what I was reported.” Celestia said calmly.
Luna gave a rather annoyed huff as she began writing out a response with untold fury and fervor. “Done, hopefully all goes as it should.” Without a seconds thought, the letter was sealed and sent, flying upon the winds of her magic.
Humming away a gentle tune, young Asriel had engrossed himself in the hole his two roommates called a kitchen. He almost didn't notice the magical scroll appear half deep in a casserole of lasagna.
“MY FEAST IS RUINED!”
Until he did. The child cried over the spoiled dish, wondering what monster decided to torment him so as he began to gently relieve the “sword” from its “stone”.
“Uh… I think the male just came in!” Asriel called out as he cleaned the wicked scroll, a wax moon used for it's seal.
Getting no response, Asriel began to walk about the hideout, finding Chara sleeping peacefully upon her bed. “Huh, well, it can't be that important. I just made contact…”
He sat down at the foot of her bed and undid the wax seal with a bit of fire.
“Asriel,
we thank you not only for finding Chara, but for managing a proper foothold within her compound. Now, it is with the utmost importance that you bring her to us.
Failure is NOT an option.
Your Princess”
“Oh sweet flibbity gibbit...I just made contact…” Asriel began to bang his head on the nearby wall, causing several shockwaves and creating a noticeable crater.
“God cram it why did she say Nocto.” Asriel spat as he began to fashion a portal underneath the sleeping Chara.
His objective secure, he followed the sleeping child through the rift, closing it off with a metal zipper and the note, not realizing a child sized cloaked being watched them with a grinning smile that was far too wicked.
As the diarchs of Equestria waited with bated breath for a response from Asriel, a rainbow colored rift had formed in the midst of the throne room.
Falling gently upon the marble floor was one Chara, asleep and undisturbed and Asriel, a shadow quite literally looming over his face.
“I did your dirty work. Am I free to go?” The child asked coldly.
Celestia walked up to him, sad at the sight of his darkened mood. “Yes Asriel. I set up a room just to your liking. It even has a kitchen,” She said as she nuzzled his cheek. “I’m sorry for my sister. She’s been in a cautious mood as of late.” She apologized.
Taking a breath and calming his nerves, Asriel quite literally shooed away the cloud at his face. “It’s alright… I just didn't think espionage was in the job description,” He opened a rift and began to walk through it. “I uh… need some air.”
The rift closed, Asriel going with it. At that moment Chara started to stir awake with her slowly sitting up and rubbing her eyes. She was startled awake as she looked around frantically, barely restraining herself from pulling out her knife.
Celestia looked at her incuriosity, now getting a better look at the so called ‘demon’. Seeing her panicked expression reminded her of the days of her student. She took a deep breath. “Hello there.” She said in a soothing, calming manner. Chara’s flight or fight reaction immediately kicked in as she turned to bolt towards the door in the opposite direction of Celestia. Only problem with that was that the huge gold doors are closed. Chara continues trying to push them open or break them down as she was terrified of being in the same room as Celestia, not wanting to be turned to stone.
Well… that was an unexpected reaction. Celestia thought as she levitated the child back over to her, conjuring three seats in a triangle formation. She placed Chara in the lonely chair and held her their until she had calmed down.
“I don't want to be turned to stone or banished to the Moon!” Chara cried out as she struggled against the magical grip of the Alicorn, nearly breaking out a few times. Luckily for Celestia, Luna saw what her sister was trying to do and did the same, adding her magical grasp as insurance.
“We should not have allowed Asriel to leave, he should have stayed at our side.” Luna said with a bit of annoyance, the child before her causing her ire to burgeon.
“We aren’t,” Celestia continued her calm demeanor in hope the child would calm down. Chara started to calm down but she still looked like she would dart at a moment's notice which is the reason they kept her seated despite her being calm.
The princess of the moon cleared her throat and focused her gaze. “Child!” She said as quietly as possible. “For what hast thou caused such havoc upon our soldiers?!”
“Hey they attacked me first and I only tried to run away!” Chara said telling the absolute truth
Luna was rather taken aback by this statement, but not undeterred. “Recount the event!” She asked as politely as she could. “Know that each word you speak will be the truth!”Chara begins recounting the event telling every single detail from her perspective.
Not dropping her thousand yard gaze, Luna turned to her sister. “Art thou sure the spell was cast correctly? We would have hope in the loyalty of guards meant to defend you.”
Celestia noded. “Yes its working. And the ponies mentioned, I don’t recognize them. Do you dear sister?”
“No… I don't believe we do…” Luna had begun to cast serious doubt upon just how much control her sister and she truly held over their kingdom. “We art left but with a single course of action, for bringing to light this farce we pardon you.”
However she moved closer to Chara as she eyed her again. “I say that, but it does trouble me that you have caused such harm. Community Service sounds fair for the lives you've taken.” Her sister smiled, happy to see her sister catched up to modern equestrian law now theses day.
“But I've never taken any lives (neutered them sure) but never killed anyone!” Chara yelled out as she had specifically aimed in a way not to kill people.
Never dropping eye contact, a rather large and shiny book of laws popped into existence as it's pages flipped open. It stopped turning it's pages and Luna donned a pair of half moon reading glasses. “Mhm… mhm… ah I suppose that makes sense…”
The book closed as Luna turned to cast judgement. “Thou still did castrate several ponies, leading to a mass loss of what could have been life! Twenty months community service!” The sound of a gavel impacting wood echoed from nowhere, as if to accentuate her point.
“Nope that is unfair I'm a freaking kid and they attacked me first!” Chara said as she tried to struggle free again.
“Forty months community service!” The invisible gavel struck twice more as Luna yelled to the heavens.
“Well I guess it's time to see if I can load time!” Chara said as she tried to pull up the load button.
Celestia, easing a hoof down her frazzled sister's mane, began to hum a rather soothing melody. All present began to lose their strained edge and actually took note of her presence.
“Lulu, you can't just augment some… one is it? You can't just augment the punishment of another simply because they refuse.”
“But! She mercilessly harmed unknown brigands who…” The princess of the moon began to debate her current standing… only to find the faults of her argumentative foundation.
She huffed as Celestia turned to Chara. “Three months. In the meantime, we can give you proper room and board complete with all that entails.” The princess offered in compromise. “Think about it, you'd get a private bathroom with actual plumbing…”
“You drive a hard bargain…but still you're wanting me to actually work…how about 1 month of community service?”Chara says trying to haggle her punishment down.
The princess of the sun smirked and raised an eyebrow. “One month and fourteen days. At the end of a successful week, you will be awarded a piece of expertly crafted chocolate made by an unparalleled artisan.”
Luna had to intervene at this point. “Sister, we do not have an unparalleled artisan at our beck and call…” She whispered, only to have her nose pawed.
“Nonsense dear sister, we contracted one just the other day!” Celestia stated with a beaming smile.
“Okay you have yourself a bargain!” Chara said a little bit over enthusiastic. “But I get to keep the room and board after I'm done!” Chara finished making sure to cover her butt for a place to stay.
The invisible gavel struck once more, a sign that all was well and good. “I don't believe I'd have it any other way. Welcome aboard Chara, tomorrow begins your first day of guard duty.” Celestia said with a giggle. Chara's face showed her horror at the idea of actually training.
Deep within hidden caverns, a menagerie of all that was wicked in the world of Equis gathered in meeting. The night’s discussion: The control of the most powerful weapon in existence.
All seats had been filled within the mystically lit conference room, the last griffin emissary having been replaced by a wizened one eyed Owl lion.
“There are conflicting reports among those soldiers we've placed within her majesty's ranks.” The bird said calmly. “A rift walker aiding the weapon?” The bird took a puff from a corncob pipe as the room was flooded with the frenzied buzzing of the Changelings.
“The weapon is in the hands of the princesses! What do we do now!?” one of the changelings worriedly.
“We play it's game. Have it come to us, why waste resources now that we have it and the sister's right where we want them?” One of the ponies explained.
“But still that Voidwalker is a wild card…” One of the changelings said frowning at the report of Asriel.
One of the griffins began to laugh, all eyes now on him. He was a rather slender Titmouse tiger wearing a pair of box shaped glasses. “Leave that to me, our new tool seems to enjoy the taste of red meats, and as chief of all exported meats within Griffinstone, it will be more than easy enough to lace the shipments with a powerful enough tranquilizer to the only meat eater in that castle.”
He gave a wicked cackle as more buzzing flooded the room. The changelings were a little skeptical at the idea as the report had said she was addicted to chocolate not meat.
“And the weapon?” Another changeling asked. “The reports say they eat chocolate .”
“The void walker seems an easier target.” Another griffin countered. “It is weak and cowardly, obtaining it and breaking it will give us the weapon.”
“You may be right but we have no way of holding him…” One of the pony said as he looked down at the reports talking about how he has portals.
Four heavy bracers were dropped atop the table. The Racoon having caught the attention of all present. “A new line of magic suppressors designed to loop ones magic into the caster. This new development has however increased my organizations fee,” As always, he began to sip from a glass of red wine.
“What if they do not use magic would it still work on them?” One of the ponies asked as they brought out a hidden report. The report showed that their ‘weapon’ never used magic but an entirely different set of energy.
Two small rings were slid across the table. “A field test will put our worries to rest, and as a reasonable pony, the costs of the success or failure shall fall upon our company.”
Murmurs and buzzing echoed through the hall, the Racoon smiling all the while.
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…
Chara was happy at the moment having Asriel firmly cuddling up to her in his fright. Asriel wanted absolutely none of what was going on, and so he took to screaming for the entirety of the trip.
“It's okay Azzy, big tough Chara is here for you…” Chara says softly as she holds him close.
“WE ARE THE SIZE OF TODDLERS!!! HEEEELP!!!!!” Asriel screamed trying to get help. It went about as smoothly as one would expect.
“I promise I'll protect you Azzy.” Chara says continuing to hold Asriel trying her best to comfort him.
Asriel closed his eyes, berating himself for having the mental fortitude of a kicked puppy. He began to take a series of calming breaths until he found himself no longer on the aerial carriage, a pleasant dream gracing his mind.
The princess could only smile, having to school her emotions so as to not seem like an overbearing mother. She was happy, having always wanted children of her own, and looking after these two seemed to fill a void she never knew existed. Chara on the other hand seemed content with the world now that Asriel was cuddling up to her without screaming as she held him close.
“Well at least he's calmed down now.” Chara whispers as she noticed he has gone to sleep. Chara then turns her head to Celestia.
“Sooo~how have you been?” Chara asks as a way to try and get some small talk going.
Surprise struck Celestia hard, a deep tinge of red gracing her cheeks. “O-oh… well, I’ve actually been rather joyful these past few days, the death of Cloak still weighs heavy upon my mind, and being unable to properly tell her lifelong partner Dagger of her passing makes the situation so much harder…” Celestia said.
“Well I'm glad you've been joyful as for myself I've been a little exhausted and I don't know why…” Chara says as she gets a thoughtful look, wondering as to why she's been so tired.
“Is it your hatred? Twilight will be rather thorough in her investigations, so I’m sure everything will be just fine.” Celestia assured.
“It's not my hatred, I know the feeling of something caused by my hatred…” Chara said as she remembered the disgusted feeling she felt every time hatred was used.
“Have you seen a doctor lately? Sometimes, magic won’t always explain away the changes one undergoes as they become older.” Celestia said.
“I'm 10 sunbutt!” Chara says as her face gains a red tint.
Celestia tilted her head in confusion. “You’ve had all your shots? Do you need blood work done? Is there an illness you don’t know about that causes you discomfort?” Celestia actually began to worry herself. “We’ll have to schedule a doctor’s appoint for the two of you, we wouldn’t want a pathogen only native to this world to have any adverse effects on your biology.”
“Bu-but-” Chara tries to get out but is cut off by Celestia.
“No buts, as your guardian it is now my duty to ensure your safety and well being. I’ll be with you every step of the way and I promise to treat you both to something special once all is said and done,” Celestia began to smooth her wings along the children, a smile on her face that told you she could do no wrong.
“When the hell did you become my guardian!? I never agreed to this!” Chara says although she wasn't adverse to the idea… she just didn't like people making her decisions.
Celestia was actually rather taken aback by this. “O-oh… I... I didn’t mean to assume, it’s just… since Asriel was under my care I thought that maybe…”
“Not that I don't mind don't get me wrong, but the least you could have done was ask me!” Chara says feeling a little guilty at making Celestia upset, but she was more angry at the fact she wasn't asked first.
Disheartened, but not deterred, Celestia gave a solemn bow of her head. “Of course, it was rather foolish of me to assume. Would you allow for me to care for you? You would want for nothing, your education would be of the highest degree… you would be touted as nobility if it is something you so desired,” Celestia informed her.
“Sure… but I think nobility is something that should be earned not something that should be guaranteed from birth,” Chara said as she frowned at how many times she had seen nobility act like complete and utter bastards because they were raised as nobility.
As Chara said this, an unseeable happiness welled within Celestia. It almost felt like yesterday that her nephew Blueblood had told her the same thing, making a name for himself upon treacherous waters… coming back a seasoned veteran and an absolute pain in the rear to most nobles… and most commoners.
“Of course, it is a position that requires worth. Determination and undying will will be your closest allies in such an endeavor,” Celestia said, smiling a bit.
“What's the scariest enemy you've ever seen or faced?” Chara suddenly asked trying to get her mind off of nobility.
Celestia looked forward, a blank look upon her face. “It was a hulking behemoth of a demon. Bipedal, blood red, cracked and unruly horns that twisted around themselves. It was a monster in every sense of the word and I was forced to use a forbidden spell to even weaken it… it’s not something I like to remember.”
“Mine would be sans… the skeleton, he may not look like much, but he can summon bones floating skulls that fire lasers and he can control gravity… I can't count how many times he killed me causing me to reload…” Chara said as she shivered at the remembrance of being impaled, vaporized and having her neck snapped.
“What would force you to face such a monster?” Celestia asked, visibly worried at Chasra’s shivering. “Has Asriel had to fight this skeleton?”
“Frisk decided to be a Dick and go on a killing spree while shoving their execution points and level of violence into me so I wasn't thinking straight and by the time Sans rolled around, I took over their body and fought Sans…and then I recreated my own body.” Chara said with guilt written all over her face.
“Frisk?” It was a name that she glimpsed once or twice from the tome of heroes. “Would you be able to tell me more about them?”
“Well they used their powers to manipulate people always rewinding time when they didn't get everything just right, well that was until they committed genocide and faced me. We destroyed the entire timeline and then I forced them to give up their determination to me in order to restore it… after that they somehow tricked the others into thinking I was the bad guy,” Chara explains not wanting to say that she forced them to give up their soul and also trying not to paint themselves in a bad light. “You have to remember, I was corrupted by Frisks level of violence at the time and all I wanted was to make them suffer for killing everyone.” Chara continues.
“I… why would this Frisk wish to be so cruel? To play with the lives of others just seems so… heartless… ” Celestia said as she wondered what would drive such a being to go to such lengths. “What of Asriel in all this? What role does he play in all this?”
“At the time he was a soulless abomination called flowey…” Chara says her face contorting into a look of disgust.
Celestia began to ponder, ‘Was this part of the reason for the disconnect?’ “What happened to him?” Celestia questioned.
“We both died…I clung to my body until Frisk with her red soul woke me up, but Asriel turned to dust and was spread across flowers that were experimented on with determination, a power that humans have which can rewind time to reverse death.” Chara explained. “You see a monster, when it dies, immediately turns to dust and their souls can barely survive outside their body for even a few seconds before they disintegrate. Luckily I was able to take the shell of a red soul and had the other six Souls pour their Essence into it,” Chara continued.
“But there was a problem, wasn’t there?” Celestia said more than asked. Chara nodded her head. “Please, tell me more. Tell me everything.” Celestia pleaded.
“I don't know what's wrong with this Asriel though…the best I could think of was a human was shoved into a monster's body…” Chara says as she didn't know what would happen with a human soul inside of a monster's body without a monster Soul.
And glitchtale didn't count in her opinion as that was a modified human soul.
“Would that explain the translucent blue heart?” Celestia asked, once again bringing up Asriel’s stat screen. The Blue heart now highlighted, and a branch actually connecting to the souls proper. “Oh, when did that happen?”
“Damn it now I know what's wrong, more than one human soul can't survive in a single body without a monster Soul as a medium… hell I'm surprised he hasn't exploded yet,” Chara said as she went off of her undertale knowledge.
Celestia began to think back to when Asriel began his training. ‘Um… I think this is what it’s supposed to look like… maybe. I think I just have to charge it a- OHSWEETLORDWHYDIDITBLOWUP!!?’ Celestia began to recant the tale of Asriel’s first days of training, explaining just how much volatile magic he would bring to bear only for most of his attempts to explode much as Chara said he might have.
“Actually, it was Rose Petal who helped him gain a sense of stability in focusing his power…” Celestia said causing Chara look at her with skepticism.
“Hopefully we can stabilize him before he does blow up, maybe we can get the soul shards to fuse into his other soul…” Chara says trying to throw ideas out there.
“There, Golden Oaks library is just below. Twilight will help you find the answers, of this I hold no doubt,” Celestia said as the pegasi lurched down, startling Asriel from his slumber.
“Mm, no more sword training Rosie…” Asriel began to awaken, rubbing the slumber from his eyes. “Hmm? This isn’t the guards barracks?”
“We're going to Ponyville and we're now landing from are flying sessions after you passed out.” Chara explained as she ruffled his head.
“Aahh… nooo… stop… I’m a grown addled man and I deserve to be treated as such…” Asriel pouted as he still lamented the fact he couldn’t swear. “That sounded so much better in my head.”
“You were a grown man, now you're a tween goat!” Chara says over enthusiastically. ‘and my crush’ She added in her head.
“Nuu… let me adult…” he whined as Celestia picked him up and laid him on her back. “I will have my reveeeeenge………”
“Now now, most stallions would love to relive their foalhoods,” Celestia said with a giggle. The trio made their way to Golden Oaks front door, said door nearly being ripped from its moorings as a frazzled Twilight… greeted them.
“A wild book horse appears~” Chara says before humming the wild Pokemon battle theme .
“PRINCESS!? I’m so sorry for the mess, I thought I would have more time, NOT that I needed more time for-” Twilight’s eyes went wide, as she popped from existence.
“Ohh… why did she have to be crazy…” Asriel complained.
“You do realize every time you point a finger you get three pointed back at you?” Chara says with a smirk.
“I’ll have you know I’m perfectly sane, you people are the crazies…” Asriel mumbled.
“I'm pretty sure you're committing treason by calling the princess crazy… Am I right Sunbutt?” Chara says to Asriel and Celestia respectively.
Celestia giggled, trotting inside and hoping Spike was at least handling things well enough. “It wouldn’t be the first time one of my subjects brought my mental stability into question, and I doubt it will be the last.” She replied.
“Hey you want to play a joke on book horse? I want to see what happens when I call you sunbutt in front of her!” Chara says with a evil grin on her face as she giggles.
“Please don’t be evil… I’m here to get help remember,” Asriel groaned as he began to climb off Celestia.
“Oh come on it will be fun! I'm betting she'll make a goat sound before fainting!” Chara said as she danced on the balls of her feet.
Twilight had popped back into the room, her man straightened out, her eyes calm and focused, and wearing a white lab coat and a pair of goggles.
“So sunbutt is this your student?” Chara said with a unrepentant grin.
Twilight seemed to lose focus for a bit, her eyes going wide and a frightening smile creeping along her face. Her horn began to crackle with electric like currents of magic as an creaking noise escaped her muzzle… before passing out on the floor.
Spike, knowing this would have happened sooner or later, went up to her with a bucket of ice cubes and began pouring them over her. Chara was giggling as she tried her hardest not to fall on the floor laughing.
“Come on Twi, you’ve been through worse.” The drake muttered as his caretaker began to gasp for air.
“Pi is exactly three!!” Twilight screamed, shooting back up. She shook off some of the ice, taking a second to look over the children in her library. “Oh… you must be Asriel and Chara!” She happily declared, looking first to Chara, then Asriel.
“Yep I'm Chara Dreemurr.” Chara said still giggling.
“Hm? Oh, yes of course! Spike? The documents. If you’d both just follow me?” Twilight began to make her way for the basement door.
“... I feel like I'm about to go into a mad scientist laboratory…” Chara said that she tried to put Celestia in front of her.
Asriel only walked forward faster. “Don’t care I need her to fix me,” He said monotonously. Spike gave him a frightened look at how accepting of his fate he was.
“Chara? Why not join Asriel? Twilight can get ahead of herself at times,” Celestia whispered to Chara, worried that she wouldn’t be as willing to go through with whatever tests Twilight had set up.
“I don't want to be poked and prodded!” Chara says quickly as images of horrible experiments being done to her enter her mind.
Celestia chuckled, scooting Chara along. “I’m sure everything will be just fine…”
“SPIKE PREP THE ANALYZER! I’LL BE TAKING A BLOOD SAMPLE NOW!” Twilight yelled from the basement.
“Fuck this shit I'm out!” Chara yells as she tried to run around Celestia and tried to make her way out the door to escape.
“CHOCOLATE ICE CREAM SUNDAE!” Celestia yelled once Chara was at the door.
“WHERE!? WHERE IS IT!?!”Chara said as she immediately turned around and started looking around the room before turning a deadpan face to Celestia. ‘I really do need to get these child impulses under control’ Chara thought to herself.
“Weather through the tests, and I’ll take you out to the best pastry shop in Equestria. Please? If not for me, than for chocolate?” Celestia pleaded, using her own puppy dog eyes.
“… I want a free pass to get chocolate everyday…” Chara said trying to get more out of this.
“Rather difficult if you aren’t there to enjoy it, four pieces at the end of the week, as much ice cream as you want every three weeks.”
“As much ice cream as I want at the end of every week and one piece of chocolate a day.” Chara says trying to haggle more out of the princess.
“You are still on probation. Finish the month and we’ll see,” Celestia said with a smile.
“You better be glad I already have training thanks to undyne!” Chara says crossing her arms upset at the reminder of being on probation.
Celestia began to lead the way, curiosity written on her face. “You were trained by the goddess of the sea?” The two found themselves at the mouth of the lab, Asriel strapped to a table and a straining bowl on his head.
“Nope…” Chara said in deadpan tone as she turned her butt around and started heading back up the stairs.
“I wouldn’t mind cuddles tonight!” Asriel called out. This caused Chara to stop for a second as she weighed the options of cuddles or not getting strapped to a table. Chara eventually decided cuddles weren't worth being strapped to a table and continued her ascent up the stairs.
“Hmm, and I was actually gonna consider going to bed half nude... “ Asriel muttered. “So, what’s wrong with me doc?”
An idea crossed Celestia’s mind as she went back to find Chara. “It would be such a shame if Asriel went to bed naked, alone …” Celestia cooed. “But, Rose is rather sweet on him, and ponies don’t usually wear clothing.”
Meanwhile
“Oh, I’m not a doctor. But I have read several volumes on mystical biology, several beasts of the Everfree having a biology quite similar to your own,” Twilight exclaimed rather happily.
“Hmm… well, I guess a voodoo priestess is a lot better than an actual doctor in this case…” Asriel mumbled.
Chara glared at Celestia as she came back down before grabbing onto Asriel. “Mine !” Chara yelled out in a dark voice as her eyes gain the black tint and she held on to one of his arms.
“Char, you’re scaring me,” Asriel muttered with an estranged calm. A ding resounded through the room, Spike coming back with several sheets of data.
“So, we went through your blood work and everything looks normal, but there was something running through your bloodstream that when it was finally isolated, it turned out to be a really strong paralytic.” Spike began to bite at the eraser of a pencil. “You haven’t been eating anything strange have you?” Chara was glaring at anything and everything that was getting near her Asriel.
“Dude, that’s creepy… ” Spike muttered. Another ding went off and Twilight returned with another set.
“You should be dead. How your body hasn’t rejected the magic you produce naturally goes against any and all known theories and laws set forth by the board of archmages… this. This is amazing, and I would LOVE it if you stayed here for further tests!”
Twilight had stars in her eyes as she put her nose on Asriel’s.
“I'm actually more surprised you got blood out of him since most monsters are made mostly of magic…” Chara says before realizing Twilight was close to her Asriel causing her to growl at Twilight “MINE !”.
“Gah!?” Twilight stumbled back and fell upon several wires and mechanisms. “I’m okay!” She called up from the floor.
“Chara, please don’t scare the nice pony trying to fix me. I would like to live,” Asriel pleaded. Spike began unhooking him from the table and began wiping the table with rubbing alcohol. “You wouldn’t happen to have booze on hand would you?”
Spike and Twilight gave him a strange look, slowly shaking their heads. Finally, Twilight motioned for Chara to lie on the metal table. Chara crawled up on the table but she used her determination to make sure Asriel couldn't leave her side.
“Did you have to melt my feet into the ground? My knees are starting to lock up…” Asriel complained. Chara immediately changed it to where he was held next to her by Red ropes of energy. Chara didn't want her Asriel be uncomfortable after all.
“I take it back, I don’t mind aching knees.” Asriel relented as he pulled at the ropes slightly. Twilight, unnerved but not deterred, began to strap several diodes onto Chara’s exposed skin and placed the strainer on her head.
“Now, if you’ll relax, we’ll have a small vial of blood drawn before you can even notice,” Twilight explained as several machines began to blink and whirl. Spike already having slipped a thin butterfly into Chara’s vein.
“She’s warm, same procedure or standard?” Spike asked, hooking the butterfly’s tube to a collector. Chara let out a whimper at the sting of the needle.
“Standard, we won’t need to sedate her for it,” A switch was flipped and blood began to fill a small phial. After about ten seconds, the phial was taken, and the entry point of the needle was cleaned and covered.
“The bloodwork won’t take to long, so, how do you like Equestria so far?” Twilight asked of Chara.
“It's better than being trapped Underground or in a constant time Loop…” Chara says as she pulls on the ropes of determination so that Asriel was right next to her to skin contact levels.
“Chara… this isn’t helping your case…” Asriel muttered, no doubt whatever sedative they used affecting his current state of being
“Mine !” Chara says changing the ropes into a pair of energy arms to hug him close to her.
A ding went off and Spike returned with Chara’s blood work. “Okay, whatever paralytic agent was in Asriel is present in overtly lethal amounts in your blood. What did the both of you do!?” He asked in exasperation.
A second ding echoed, Twilight literally screaming bloody murder as she began to pelt her machines with enough magic to level a small block. “THIS ISN’T REAL! IT CAN’T BE! WHAT KIND OF MONSTER WOULD EVEN-”
Twilight ran up to Chara, worry stricken on her face as she began to undo her straps. “Are you alright!? Are you in any pain? Who… who did this to you!?”
“What are you talking about?” Chara asks not realizing that Twilight was talking about her black soul trait.
“This… darkness … it's so unnatural and…” Twilight gulped, cold sweat forming at her brow. “I doubt even Nightmare Moon would be able to handle this type of magic…”
“TWI! Take a look at this.” Spike called, his claws gliding over Chara’s blood work. “That dark magical signature… it's helping her.”
The two looked over the data, finding that whatever paralytic agent that had been found at the beginning of their data had been cut dramatically by the tail end, having been replaced by lines of data similar to the darkened magic.
“Truly outrageous…” Twilight blanched, a world having been opened to her. One she feared she would have to leave unexplored lest it devour her
“Oh you're talking about the black soul trait, that would be my hatred,” Chara says as she realized exactly what she was talking about. “The Black Soul Trait can only be used by someone with excessive amounts of hate and the red soul of determination.” Chara finished her explanation as she shivered in revulsion.
“That would insinuate you literally being filled with more hatred than any one living organism could ever bring to bear!” Twilight cried as she looked back to her data and then back to Chara. “Who or what could have forced that kind of hatred to well within you?”
“My parents…” Chara says with a quiet voice trying to keep herself from crying at the memories as her grip on Asriel loosened. Chara may not have been the original but she relived the memories of the original so she still hated ‘her parents’ with a passion, besides she naturally had hatred in her.
Twilight took one look at the child, before nuzzling her and running a hoof over her head. Quickly followed by a hug from Spike, which was followed by Celestia who was waiting patiently in the background. Chara didn't protest being hugged by so many people.
Asriel hadn’t much say in the matter as Chara had yet to let him go, not the he would have struggled much in this current situation.
“I'm s-sorry for being s-so weak…” Chara says her voice quivering as she couldn't hold back the tears anymore and she started to cry.
“You aren’t weak shortstack…” Asriel had managed to say, somehow an adult and working against his bindings so his hand could cradle Chara’s face. “Someone weak… would never have even come down here.” Chara tried to look away as her determination arms evaporated.
Finally free, Asriel did the only thing he could think of in this situation, cradle her as he began to sing a calming song , magic forming at his feet and music echoing along the chamber walls. Those present began to lose themselves to the haunting melody, hanging on every note as they felt a calm wash over their minds. Chara cuddled close to asriel as she felt her mind calming.
“Thanks…” Chara whispered to him as she had her face buried in his neck.
He sighed, dispelling his magic. “Everybody gets one.” Twilight and Celestia couldn’t help but look wide eyed at Asriel, the former wanting to keep him for as long as was physically possible.
“Please please PLEASE tell me you’ll let me study you!?” Twilight pleaded at Asriel’s feet.
“Yeah whatever, Doc. So long as you help fix me, we’re golden.” asriel says as Chara holds him closer possessively
Twilight thusly began trotting in place happily while repeating the word ‘Yes’ before zipping over to Princess Celestia. “This could fundamentally change the way we use magic on a cosmic scale!” She thusly took up a fetal position. “What if I do something wrong? What if I end up dooming the world instead!?”
“ that will only happen if you end up touching my erase button which will end up erasing all of time which I will then have to recreate thank you very much…” Chara says really not wanting to have to recreate the universe.
“You mean this button?” ASriel asked, a floating ERASE aloft upon his palm. “It popped out during your breakdown. You should probably keep a tighter leash on that kinda thing.” Chara immediately grabbed the button and crushed it in her hands.
The princess and her student looked at the child, fear quite apparent upon their faces. “She can’t actually destroy existence itself… can she?” Celestia asked, Twilight having clammed up with a twitching eye.
“Chances are, if she can. So can someone else.” Asriel muttered.
“I can't destroy all of existence since the Multiverse is infinite but I can destroy a single timeline…” Chara Whispers as she looks away from them not wanting to see the fearful looks on them. Chara was tempted at that moment to LOAD so they didn't know about it and asriel could see her intentions. Although, he too had no idea as to what she was thinking.
Twilight finally shook herself out of her stupor, looking back to Asriel. “Right well, the decision is yours of course, but it would benefit the world as a whole if you stayed in Ponyville.”
Chara soon pulled up the load button…
“Uh… what’s that one do?” Spike asks, looking to one of Twilight’s busted machines and the button. The former going haywire at the presence of LOAD.
Twilight and Celestia begin to back away from the button. “That can’t…”
“It is.” Celestia began to form a barrier around her student and herself. Clocks running along the film of said barrier. “Chronological manipulation…”
Asriel tossed Chara into the air, a bit of his magic slowing her descent. “I’m out.” He stated as crawled into the bubble around Celestia, Twilight, and now Spike. Well as soon as Chara hit the button Celestia felt a ungodly amount of strain on her barrier nearly shattering it instantly before Twilight added her own magic into the mix both of them having to tap into the sun and the elements respectively.
The haphazard squad found themselves in an undisturbed laboratory, nothing had been destroyed, no data collected, it was as if nothing had ever happened…
“I don’t want to get molecularly disassembled!” Twilight cried, her eyes shut tight. Both she and Celestia looked worse for wear, sweat dripping off of them, and Spike clinging to both for dear life.
“Drop the bubble.” Asriel said more than asked. “We’re stable.”
The bubble began to fade, Twilight holding her breath, fearing the repercussions that time travel would surely smite her with.
When no smiting came, she opened her eyes and took in a large breath of air. “This is unreal…” Princess Celestia whispered in awe. “It’s…”
“It’s annoying as hiffle. I have to go say bye to Rose, see you two in a bit.” Asriel said with a two finger salute as he walked into a rift.
“Wait!” Both she and Twilight shouted, the latter shrinking and blushing in embarrassment. Asriel stopped, halfway back to his room.
“We don’t know when in time we are. Give me a moment to locate ourselves.” Celestia asked as she began her temporal search.
So the four waited in silence, neither wishing to say nor do anything that may or may not rupture the sensitive fabric that was time itself. “I… see. If you would, could you retrieve Cloak? This was the day you would have ventured to Old Town.”
“I might actually be able to get something out of her this time, but it won’t change the fact that she was dead when I get… when I got? Frumpet berried time travel…” Asriel spat as he left for his quarters in Canterlot.
“What were we even doing today?” Spike asked, much to the confusion of all those present.
Chara was panicking as she didn't see Asriel or Celestia as she looked around hoping to all hope that she didn't fuck up the time stream. Chara was looking around the room having a mental breakdown as her heart felt like it was tearing into at the thought of killing asriel.
“Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck!” Chara chanted to herself as she tried to figure out what was wrong as she turned the room upside down.
Popping on top of Chara’s head was a note, a wax seal of the sun tying it together.
Chara,
Asriel may be somewhere in the castle, he should be with you momentarily
Chara was at first grateful that she didn't erase a few people from time then she became truly fearful as she realized that whatever Shield Celestia put up made it where she wasn't affected by the load and that would mean neither Twilight Spike or asriel would be affected either.
“Okay I need to get out of here I need to disappear…” Chara whispered as she started planning on disappearing although it tour at her heart leave asriel.
A rift opened behind Chara, asriel peeking in. “Come on, we have a job to do.” He said with a bit of disinterest, once again a child. Chara turned around fearfully not saying the word hoping Beyond hope that he didn't remember.
“Today’s the day we pick up Cloak, try not to absorb her body this time.” He teased with a small grin as he offered his hand.
“So you remember?”Chara asks with a whimper as her Hope begin to dissolve much like the future Corpses.
“You want in or not? I can come back later if you need time to think.” He offered, not at all angered he was almost lost to time.
“…you didn't answer my question…” Chara Whispers as she slowly walks up to his portal although she didn't need the answer she just wanted confirmation.
“Not obvious enough for you? Yes I remember. You okay?” The two stepped into Old Town, the rift slowly fading away.
“So the others remember too.” Chara said as a statement as running away looked really really good at the moment as she started channeling that fear into her hatred.
“Probably? Are you sure you don’t need time to think? I can do this one on my own and wow I am way to calm for someone who almost died…” Asriel closed his eyes and took a deep breath, waiting about ten seconds before taking another breath. “Okay… not freakin’ out…”
Asriel took point as he looked down the aisle of the alley Cloak was in. “Ready?” He asked.
How to charge just poured the black soul train into the alley not feeling like dealing with the zombies before asriel could even enter the alley.
“I'm not dealing with fucking zombies!” Chara screams her hatred at herself and at the fact that more of her powers were exposed only enhanced the power of her hatred even more. By the end of it even the buildings were half-melted and absorbed as they promptly collapse after the hatred started moving back into Chara.
“Woah! Overkill much!? You almost got Cloak again…” Asriel muttered as he managed to save the dearly departed from once more becoming mulch.
“I didn't even know I had that much hatred!” Chara yells out at before shuttering as she feels the hatred leech back into her body.
Elsewhere…
“Dude that’s creepy.” Spike stated as he munched on some popcorn, Celestia and Twilight doing their best to hold in their lunch.
“Princess… just what is that…” Twilight asked in cold sweaty fear.
“Hatred, dear student. Pure Hatred…”
The Alley…
“Chara, give me a hug.” Asriel commanded more than asked. Chara soon was wrapping her arms around him still shuttering as the hatred settled.
“Who’s my little ball of rage?” He cooed while running his fingers through her hair.
“Me…”Chara said with a whisper as she really didn't like being a ball of rage and hatred.
“Who’s my little chocolate fiend?” He continued, still playing with her hair, even going so far as to braid it at certain sections.
“Me…” Chara Whispers again enjoying the cuddling and not minding having her hair braided.
“Who doesn’t like the fact I have female friends…” He groaned out. Still playing with Chara’s hair. Chara growled as she remembered Rose.
“Ready to go back to Celestia? She’s worried sick you might have hurt yourself.” Asriel asked finally letting go.
“They're going to have a lot of questions for me aren't they…” Chara Whispers more as a statement than a question to Asriel.
“Not if you don’t want them to. They understand we aren’t from this world, but they also worry. About what our being here means to their existence as a whole, to what being here might or has done to us…” Asriel opened a rift back to Twilight and Celestia, Spike having come back down with a box of popcorn.
The trio looked at them, curiosity written upon them. “I don’t know about you short stack,” Asriel hefted Cloak, once again an adult and shirtless. “But I happen to have liked being an adult.”
He was halfway through when he stretched out his arm. “You comin’?”
Author's Note
Sorry my editor quit during this chapter also thanks to all of my co-authors azuredark kye Belmont and Rezas
Chara was currently unconscious on Twilight's couch after she had passed out when she had went through asriel's portal much to the horror of Celestia.
“I swear she was okay when I found her.” Asriel explained in fear.
“It’s alright, her Hatred may have done this to her. What you said was very sweet by the way, she will be fine. Ponyville general is sending their best, so if you have things to attend to, now would be a good time.” Celestia explained as she assured the goat man of his troubles.
“I’ll be quick…” With that, Asriel was gone.
Twilight was doing her best to tend to Chara’s hurt. Though, that was rather difficult when she wasn’t exactly hurt. “It’s like it’s in a constant flux of tearing her apart and making sure she stays whole. It’s unreal and frankly quite frightening…”
The door to the library burst open, the alabaster mare that was Nurse Redheart trotting in like it was an emergency room. Spike wasted no time as he helped the medical professional with relieving Chara of her clothing and setting a fresh towel upon her forehead.
“Her breathings normal. Lot of exposed skin, but no signs of infection. Heart rate…” A cold stethoscope found its way onto Chara’s bare chest as Redheart began to listen to the pace of her heart.
“She’s just exhausted. I’ll set up an I.V with an electrolyte solution, if she doesn’t wake up in two hours, you get her admitted immediately.”
A metal stand and hook was set up, Redheart making quick work with injecting the drip needle into her arm’s vein. Just in time as Asriel opened a rift back into the room… rather flustered. “I’m back… she okay?”
Unamused and undeterred, Redheart began to pack up and leave. “She’ll be fine, a bit of RnR and she’ll be right as rain. “Don’t force her to strain herself again.”
With that, the nurse was gone. “Hokay… what do we need to do to actually fix her?” Asriel asked rather annoyed.
“I don’t know!” Twilight cried. “Any spells used to slow down the process of restructive-deconstruction only increased the rate at whi-”
“COMMON PLEASE!” Asriel shouted, knocking Twilight off her haunches.
“Um… magic is volatile?” She offered with a nervous smile.
“I thought magic was friendship?” Spike asked now quite confused.
“No dear Spike, Friendship is Magic.” Celestia corrected.
“Folks… focus.” These simple words shook the tree with an unseen force. All present now in a state of sharpened focus.
“Hatred is linked to her soul. A force as strong or stronger than her own determination may at least allow one of us to speak with her.” Celestia offered.
“And we have someone with this kind of will… where exactly?” Asriel asked with sarcasm laced with venom.
“We could find another human?” Twilight asked.
“Sure, let’s pull one from the aether, that went sooo well the last time!” Asriel spat.
“Hey! They’re only trying to help! You don’t have to be mean about it!” Spike complained in defense of his loved ones.
Asriel begun to run his hand across his face in frustration, kneeling upon the coach just level with Chara’s head. “I’m sorry…”
An hour had passed. Celestia unmoving by the sleeping child with narry a word. The silence only broken by the library’s doors nearly torn from their hinges
“I CAME AS SOON AS I RECEIVED YOUR MESSAGE SISTER!” Luna’s voice echoed throughout the aged tree.
Celestia began to usher her sister to where the sleeping child lay. Calmly explaining that her body was in a shut down state. A constant flux of regeneration and destruction.
“Twilight and Spike went to the Everfree for herbal regents, and Asriel went to blow off steam. I can call Asriel if you wish.” Celestia explained.
“No, not yet. I believe I can make contact without incident.” Luna took a breath as she charged the point of her horn and placed it upon the child.
Her world fell apart, her eyes surrounded by an inky black and enshrouded in an echoing silence.
“Well… it isn’t the worst mind I’ve seen…”
All around Luna she could see Inky black Vines that seem to cover the inside of an underground cave, behind her she could see a patch of golden flowers illuminated by a light coming from the ceiling.
“Hello! Miss Chara! Anypony!?” Taking a look at the flowerbed, she took a curious sniff, noting the vibrant and strong fragrance of buttercups. For some reason, taking a whiff of the petals caused the fragrance to strengthen at points in her surroundings.
“Ah, the context clues of the subconscious mind…” She allowed the aroma to lead her deeper into the ruinous darkness, noting aged masonry and infrastructure hidden behind shifting and writhing vines. Alone she traveled, a haunting sense of dread following each step she took. It would have been a bit too much to fathom had she not come across a discarded pony sized doll of some sort.
“Oh… who would just leave a…” She uprighted the figure, even rubbing off a bit of grime from it’s cloth. “Hmm… not too shabby.” Leaving the cloth statue to it’s devices, she began to go deeper into the ruin, the smell becoming just that much stronger with every step
Luna began to make her way through a dilapidated hallway, blackened vines grinding along broken columns of stone. “What could have done thi-” A frog dropped on her face. A normal pony would have grabbed the frog and tossed it aside. Luna was no normal pony.
“GETITOFFGETITOFFGETITOFFGETITOFF!!!!!” She screamed as she ran to and fro, bumping into the walls and all along the hall until the poor monster left of its own volition.
“HAHA! Flee foul beast! Thou hast proven no match for our superior skills in martial prowess!”
“Eat your veggies!” Another pair of radish shaped monsters chorused.
“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” Jumping at the offending veggies, Luna begins to dash away, running past several more monsters.
In her frightened dash, she failed to notice a path of roses that at first glance seemed to be solid… “AAAAAAAAaaaaahhhhhh…” Only to plummet into an underground portion of dungeon. “Oh my aching posterior…”
Easing her hurt, she looked at the ceiling, then at the floor. “Trap floor? Who would…” She shook her head and began to fly… only for her wings to lock up. “Not again aaah!”
Another thump resounded upon the stone floor. “Ow… my aching posterior…” Once again tending to her hurt, Luna began to search the dungeon, locating a passage to the top floor.
“Alright… trap floor. I won’t fall agaaAAAAIII-” After having taken no more than three steps, the almighty princess of the moon once again fell upon her butt.
“...hmmm… my aching posterior…”
Several attempts later
“FREEDOM! I will not be defeated by-!” As Luna crawled out of the rose covered floor, she was nearly impaled by spike rigged pressure platforms. “Ohhh…..hmmm….hm...” She whimpered with tear filled eyes as she began to solve the floor puzzle.
Hours of unending torture awaited her through every twist and turn. Puzzles and nonsensical monsters challenged her both physically and mentally… all that was awarded her was a brief respite. A calm before a storm.
Literally dragging herself along, Luna found the point where the fragrance was strongest… and where the vines had been the most prominent.
“Alright. Let's see to the extent if this wicked mind.” No sooner had Luna uttered these words that several vines burst from the earth and began to both assault and impede her.
Taking the experience gained sofar, Luna deftly outpaced, out maneuvered, and out played the offending vines. Through twists and spins, vaults and slides, the vines were ultimately tangled into a neat and tense knot.
“Hmph, that was actually quite exhilarating.” She mused as she pulled on the pretzel shaped knot. Finally free from the mental roadblocks, Luna began to descend into the final reaches of Chara’s mind as she entered what seemed to be someone’s home.
“Well this doesn’t seem all that…” An intense fragrance filled her nostrils, leading her to a door wrapped behind layers of blackened vines. “Ah, this is where I’m supposed to be.”
She neared the door and reached out to the vines and the Vines pulled way to show a cracked and old looking door closed tight when Luna tried the knob she noticed it wasn't locked. Pushing the door, she peered into a bedroom overcast by a lingering shadow.
“H-hello? Is anyone there?” Luna asked with uncertainty. Luna heard Whispers that were barely Audible as she sees Chara curled up in a ball in the middle of the room with her hands over her ears.
“Young Chara? Is that you? You need to wake up, the others are worried for you.” Luna called as she reached out her hoof.
As she moved closer she heard the voices more clearer and clearer the closer she was to Chara before she was standing right next to Chara and the voices were all yelling “Humans are trash, especially you!” the voices themself sounded dark and hateful.
Unfazed, she began to focus her magic as she had finally reached the nucleus of Chara’s mind and could finally do something about the current situation. Fully charged, Luna begun to unfurl her magic upon the room. The black Vines started to pull into Charas mental body as Luna cast her magic unwilling to let go of their Creator and host.
“No you don’t!” Luna cried as she began to focus her magic on Chara’s body, attempting to unbind her from the vines. Luna soon realize that they were tied to the core of her very being as Chara begin crying out in pain.
“Oh for the love of… Okay what if I?” Refocusing her magic, she instead attempted to integrate with the vicious vines…she was startled out of the spell due to the sheer amount of hatred within the vines all aimed at their creator and her species.
“SWEET GODDESS! I WAS NEVER THIS DIFFICULT!” Luna now shouted at the vines and if luna didn't know better she would have thought the vines were laughing at her.
Huffing, Luna dropped a mental beacon and left it just outside the mental nucleus the beacon itself took the shape of a golden glowing star. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath before gasping back into reality.
“Get me everypony!” She cried, not even waiting for a response to her awakening
“Who, dear sister?” Celestia asked, more than a little worried at Luna’s flustered and sweating face.
“EVERYPONY!!”
“So what are we here for?” Rainbow asked, lazing about on a cloud she had brought in after the initial shock of seeing Chara wore off.
“Luna feels that if the six of you attune your elements to her magic, she may be able to wake Chara from her self induced slumber.” Celestia calmly explained.
“Yeah, but what are we here for?” Rainbow asked again, eliciting several gasps at her seeming disrespect for the princess.
“I don’t much like this situation either, that don’t give ya an excuse t’be rude.”Applejack chastised.
The group thusly devolved into a small argumental dispute on whether or not they (Rainbow Dash) should even care about the task before them. As the strong words became shouts, Fluttershy had opted instead to go to Luna and have her break up the argument with a word.
The word itself was an archaic and normally unpronounceable statement from a time long forgotten. The force at which it was spoken dissipated Rainbow’s cloud, quieted the group, and brought all to attention.
“Now that I have your undivided attention, I’d like Twilight to give a “rundown”,” She turned to Twilight and whispered: “Is that the right word?” Once a nod was given, Luna continued. “Yes, a rundown of our rules of engagement.”
Clearing her throat and bringing out a chalkboard, Twilight began to breakdown the plan given to her by Princess Luna. “Now then, our job is simple. Princess Celestia has given us access to the Elements of Harmony so as to aid princess Luna in awakening Chara.”
The board depicted the six Elements with Luna in the middle. “We will not be entering Chara’s mind with the Princess as doing so puts our lives in jeopardy.”
“Oh come on… what’s so dangerous about some half pint thief!?” Rainbow complained again.
The board was flipped, depicting several well armed guards lying beaten and bloody before the child in question.
“Chronological manipulation, mystical constructs, physical regeneration on a massive scale… this isn’t a walk through the park. The princesses are adamant that if either of us so much as step into her mind, we would be wholly eviscerated.”
Most everypony in the room looked at Twilight with quizzical expressions, Pinkie being the only one not fazed.
“Could you maybe dial it back and make teeny tiny adjustments to everything you just said?” Pinkie asked while making shrinking motions with her forehooves.
Twilight seemed slightly miffed, but took the time to review a separate set of notes and coughed into her forehoof.
“Right, if you hurt her, she can heal from it then use that pain to strike back three times as hard, four times as fast and there's nothing you can do to stop her.”
“Not to reiterate a point, darling, but maybe Rainbow might have a point about all this.” Rarity offered, gaining one hoof pump from Rainbow. “I can understand why keeping her safe would be a priority, but maybe this is for the best?”
Murmurs filled the room, Celestia now breaking the awkward that had befallen the group.
“She is lost and scared in a world not her own. Plagued by demons and circumstances she has no control over.” Walking with purpose, she now stood beside her sister. “I won't fail her when she needs me the most. Not now, not ever.”
Unsure of themselves, those present begun preparations either in the form of reaquanting themselves with their Element, or mentally fortifying their will and vigor.
Once all were ready, Luna and Celestia began focusing their magic into the other as Twilight and Co. began to focus on the sisters and add their own magic. A spell was cast, and the two sisters found themselves within the home within the underground… along with Twilight and her friends.
“What the hay just happened!?” Rainbow cried as she gazed at her surroundings. Much of the others had their own questions and worries as they righted themselves, save Pinkie Pie who had gone off on her own and returned with a cinnamon butterscotch pie.
“This isn’t right… neither of you should be here!” Luna exclaimed, worry and fear her primary emotions.
“We can’t worry about that now! She needs us!” Celestia proclaimed as she marched onwards, Luna quickly leading her to Chara. They found Chara in the exact same position as she was before only difference was tears were streaming from her eyes.
The girls had stepped into the room proper, unable to comprehend just what they were looking at. “What’s wrong with her?” Fluttershy had asked as she stepped closer, only for several vines to writhe uncontrollably and hiss .
She stepped back, also causing the vines to recede as well. The princesses took note and began to get everyone into a huddle. “Change of plans, everypony focus your magic on Fluttershy.”
The group began to form a tight semi circle around Fluttershy as she fervently began to shrink into herself, hiding in her mane as she devolved into a frightened sputtering mess.
“Wait, there’s no way we're sending Fluttershy to go up to that thing!” Rainbow argued. “It’ll eat her alive!” Hearing this, Fluttershy began to softly cry, worried that she would be sent to face the beast.
“This is the only way, watch.” Celestia gently nudged Fluttershy forward, the mare doing her best to look away. As she inched closer and closer, the vines began to screech and spit and hiss. The vines even went so far as to haul their captive away the closer Fluttershy was to their proximity.
“Fascinating…” Twilight whispered, all heads now turning to her. As Fluttershy was ushered back into the circle, Twilight began running her hoof along the floor; her magic staining the floor in fluorescent light.
“Fluttershy’s Element is Kindness,” She stated, drawing out a diagram of Fluttershy’s necklace and the vines. “Chara’s mind is currently dominated by the embodiment of Hatred, the exact opposite of Kindness.”
The group looked upon the diagram, not exactly sure as to what she was getting at. “I don’t mean to sound rude dear, but I don’t exactly see our Fluttershy hugging it into submission.” Rarity argued.
“Ah can see it,” Applejack cut in. “but I ain’t send’n ‘er in alone. Just’ain’ right.”
“She won’t be alone silly!” Pinkie happily said as she booped Applejack. “We’re gonna be with her, riiiiiight…” She then poked her dear friend in the chest softly. “Here.”
Before any could question this, Fluttershy looked up and spoke.
“I… I’ll do it.”
The declaration was met by a deafening silence, the princesses looking rather unsure of themselves, but steeled their resolves. “Are you ready?” Luna asked.
A nod was her only response. Without so much as a second thought, a runic circle adorned with the emblems of the sun and moon, and the Elements appeared just under Fluttershy.
A fierce magic began to bind itself to her, every pony in the room watching as their magic, their very hearts and souls conjoined with their ally.
The shine fell along with the circle and the princesses parted, Chara’s body now in full view of Fluttershy. “Do your best.”
Slowly, Fluttershy began a gentle walk up to the tortured child, the vines now reacting far more chaotically than they had before. Inch by inch both parties moved, until the vines could hide no more.
A single spear like appendage jut forth, and Fluttershy’s vision was replaced by a black and white grid. A green heart trapped in a large rectangular box appeared before her, several other boxes just under it with the words FIGHT, ACT, ITEM, and MERCY.
Just above that box was a Chara shaped mass of vines. Above her was a text bubble with the words {no one will ever truly care for us…}
On the outside looking in, the girls made several comments on the absurdity of the several prompts and commands.
“Fluttershy! FIGHT!” Rainbow exclaimed, much to the opposition of her friends.
A cursor began to hover over FIGHT, and it was pressed… only for a text box to appear:
“Oh, I can’t do that.”
The girls would have commented further, but were shocked from their musings once the vines began to invade Fluttershy’s box and attempt to skewer her heart. Unflinching, Fluttershy simply willed her heart dodge the incoming tendrils.
Once the vines had stopped, Fluttershy once again held control over her options. A cursor began to hover over MERCY, but before she could move to press it she was startled by Luna.
“Check your items!” The princess cried.
“Does she even have items?” Celestia asked, eliciting a giggle from Pinkie Pie.
“Duh, she has this pie!” The party pony exclaimed as she held up her pie as Fluttershy moved to check her items. Lo and behold, a prompt appeared with an empty list of items save for a single item: Cinnamon Butterscotch Pie.
Exiting her items, she moved once more to MERCY. It opened up the menu that brought two options spare and Runaway. Fluttershy clicked spare.
{Why would you ever want to spare me... I'm a demon.} said the text bubble that popped up above Charas head.
The vines had resumed their assault full force, creating wall traps, cross thrusts, or snaking movements along the box. as soon as the attacks ended a new bubble popped up above Charas head. {Why do you even try? We're not worth it…}
“SHY! You have to FIGHT!” Rainbow cried once more. Once Fluttershy resumed control, she began to hover over FIGHT once more, only to pull away from it. Instead, she swifty chose ACT.
She was given nine options: Check, Loyalty, Honesty, Laughter, Magic, Sun, Moon,Generosity and Kindness.
She opted first to Check.
[Name: Chara
LV: 6
HP:120
DT: ∞
STA:100%
ATK:156
DEF:43
AGT:59
Chara Dreemurr is the first Fallen human and is a severely abused human child with hatred for herself and her own kind, she does not understand why you all are here.]
“Did… she just tell us everything about herself?” Twilight asked. The others began to wonder what stats Fluttershy had, rather hopeful that at least she had a fighting chance.
Once again, the Vines lashed out, and as they did so, the group had huddled and begun to discuss just what it was they were given.
“Um… princess? Did you know anything about the abuse?” Twilight asked. The others stood attently as Celestia and Luna recounted what they learned from the Book of Legends.
From gasps of disbelief, to solemn silence, the group had come to see Chara far differently than they had originally.
“What GARISH and uncaring monsters would even do that to a child!?” Rarity cries.
Rainbow did her best not to show any emotion at all, bitter and resentful at herself for wishing to do her own amount of harm on the fractured child.
“Those monsters don’t even deserve parties…” Pinkie said coldly, her mane flattened and her body now darkened.
The others, though rather fearful of their friend’s cold demeanor, had no time to contemplate as Fluttershy released a pained yell.
Looking back, Twilight was the first to notice the heart was now blinking and moving away from a vine that had managed to touch it.
Fluttershy was once again focused upon the task at hand and seemed to worry little for her own well being. Once again her turn, she immediately chose ACT. Once more her options were given to her, and this time she chose to select her first real option: Loyalty.
“There’s someone out there who misses you.”
It was a simple message, no more profound than an everyday greeting, but it carried with it a weight incomparable to other statements of its kind.
{Who would ever miss me…} Was the reply as a big chunk of the vines disappeared exposing one of Chara's arm.
The vines once again began to strike out, far more violent and erratic than before. A second too late and Fluttershy’s heart would have been struck once more had it not been for control to switch over.
Once again in command of her own options, she immediately chose ITEMS. Several options were already available, a bottle of apple cider, Pinkie’s Pie, and three strawberry cupcakes.
Choosing a cupcake, she was given a small prompt.
{the taste of your friends cupcake fills you with determination …all Health restored}
As the vines returned to their assault, the girls got to talking.
“Ya’ll don't find it weird she had dialogue options havin’ ta do with our Elements?” Applejack asked, earning her rather dumbfounded looks from her friends which she returned unamused.
“Just cause ah sound like a country bumpkin don't make me any less intelligent.”
Pinkie and Rarity shared a giggle, Rainbow seemed rather embarrassed, and Twilight and the princesses simply coughed an awkward cough.
“Well, maybe this has something to do with what Pinkie said earlier?” Twilight asked. The ears of said pony having perked after being called, she immediately began to look aloof and absent minded.
“I suppose it makes sense,” Celestia stated. “It would not be so hard to imagine that the Elements connect you all in more ways than just one…”
“Look! She's hitting ACT again!” Rarity shouted.
Once again given her choices, Fluttershy went down the list and chose Honesty.
“There's someone out there who cares for you.”
{My family never cared for me why would others?} Chara said as her arm was completely Freed From The Vines of HATE .
The vines, now less ample, resumed their tireless assault anew, adopting a minefield tactic to attempt harm… to no avail.
Pinkie began to jump up and down when Fluttershy hovered over Laughter. “OOH OOH! She's gonna pick mine! She's gonna pick mine!”
“There's someone out there who makes you smile.”
{He died because of me!} Charas speech bubble appeared as tears poured from her eyes and the black Vines of hate started creeping back up her arm.
The vines began to spiral about the board, trapping Fluttershy’s heart as it began to shrink and expand. A thorn managed to strike Fluttershy as she regained control of her options.
“Is she gonna heal?” Rainbow asked.
“She's going for ACT!” Celestia exclaimed, astounded by the pegasus’ bravery.
Following suit, the shy mare went down the list and hit Magic.
“There's someone out there who considers you a friend.”
{I will never see them again…} the text bubble above Chara said as the vines retreated further than before part of her torso being exposed now.
Pinkie gave an audible gasp and cheered. “It's working! Don't give up now!”
A single flower bud formed at the top of the border, trailing Fluttershy’s heart until it popped and let loose a vine which missed rather narrowly.
“Just wish we could do mor’ an just watch…” Applejack complained, getting Rainbow of all ponies to offer her comfort.
“She's got this.” A certain pride welled inside her chest, an assurance that her dear friend would persevere.
Forgoing personal safety, Fluttershy continued as is and chose Generosity.
“There's someone out there who wants to share their life with you.”
{...} Was written in the speech bubble as nothing happened and Chara attacked again.
Flower petals began to fall upon Fluttershy’s heart, some even managing to land their mark.
The girls gave a startled gasp, but breathed a sigh of relief when Fluttershy opted out of using ACT and instead ate another cupcake.
[The taste of the cupcake made with love and care from your friend fills you with determination …Max's out HP.]
Now free to enact their offensive, the vines did their best to once again attempt to skewer their opponent to no avail.
Going down the list of ACTs, Fluttershy moved on to Sun.
“There's someone who considers you a daughter.”
{...would someone really want me?} The speech bubble said as the HATE Vines lost more of its grip on Chara and most of her torso and her other arm was uncovered by the HATE Vines leaving only her legs and head left.
Having lost much of their power, the vines had become sluggish in their attack. Attempts at impalement failed miserably as each consecutive tendril would wither after nary a second.
The end in sight, Fluttershy went to ACT and chose Moon.
“There’s someone out there who considers you a sister.”
{But am I worth it…} the text bubble said as her legs became visible, the only thing that was still covered on Charas body was her head.
In one last ditch effort, the vines began a frantic flailing attack which would end in each tendril exploding magnificently whilst thorns projectiled from the dead plants. The chaotic frenzy did well to harm Fluttershy’s heart as much as possible before the barrage had finally stopped.
Fluttershy had actually begun sporting several scars now, as well as a slight dripping of blood coming from her mouth. Between the screams of her closest friends to heal and the delirium caused by her pain, the unrelenting mare gave one last ACT of defiance: Kindness.
“Maybe it’s time to go home.”
{B-But where is my h-home…} Charas text bubble said as the last of the black Vines evaporated but unseen by them all was a small piece of black ooze that scurried away.
There was no defiance. There was no regret. There was only the aftermath that awaited MERCY.
Fluttershy, now fully in control of her body, collapsed onto the floor and began straining her muscles as she pulled herself onto Chara. “Home… is where the heart is…”
One by one the sleeping mares awoke from their slumber, some more frazzled than others. Others…
“FLUTTERSHY!!” Shouted Rainbow, immediately noticing the horrid state in which her close friend was in. “I knew that was a bad idea! Come on, we’re getting you to the hospital!”
However, once Rainbow had a good hold on her terribly injured companion, she was stopped by an almost silent and incoherent mumble.
“Wha? Look we’re getting you t-” Yet again the poor mare uttered a word, undiscovered strength fueling it’s delivery.
“Wait…”wait !? You’re bleeding!”
“Sp-spike!!” Twilight cried, still groggy from the experience. With swift feet, the young drake was upon Fluttershy, tending to her wounds and cleaning the now rusting blood from her coat.
“What even happened to her?” He asked of everyone, first glancing to Twilight and her friends, then to the princesses, and finally to Chara.
Chara was laying there curled up in a ball looking like she was trying to make herself as small as possible, Chara felt herself weaker and far more fragile than before.
“Take me to her…” Fluttershy urged, princess Celestia being the one to shoulder Fluttershy and lead her to the child.
“O-one of us should inform Asriel…” Luna muttered as she went to work on a scroll.
The others began to form a semi circle around the child as Fluttershy was placed before her. Those gathered watched as Fluttershy began stroking the child’s hair, humming a soft melody as she urged the child awake. Chara close their eyes Tighter and shrunken on herself more.
Content with letting her rest from the endeavor, Fluttershy simply fell into a small trance as she continued to run her hoof along Chara’s head… of course the peace didn’t last long as Asriel had fallen upon the floor in hysterics, a small cardboard box in his hand.
“I HAVE FRIES! I HAVE FRIES!!” The goat child cried as he pulled himself up from the floor. The loud noise caused Chara to cringe.
Most the entire room shushed him all at once. “Where hast thou been !?” Luna questioned. “Whilst our valiant Bearers aided us in freeing Chara from her slumber you’ve!! You’ve… what hast thou been doing?”
Confused, Asriel cleared his throat and began making his way to Chara. “I was… talking to an outside force. Nice guy… if just a little crazy.” He looked to Fluttershy and Chara, the latter doing their best to pretend they weren’t at all awake.
Slightly amused, Asriel opened his box and began to hover it just above the child’s head. “Smell that? You know you want it…” But Chara continued to pretend she was asleep even if it was of little use as her form was shaking.
“Hmm, yeah… guess you really don’t want these. You know who might? Rosie. I think I’m just gonna head back right aboooout…” Asriel began to slowly pull the box away, hoping Chara would take the obvious bait. But nothing happened.
“Yeesh, tough crowd. What happened to her?” He asked of everyone present. Twilight coughed as she began to recant the tale of their venture into Chara’s mind.
“Wait wait wait… her Hatred did this?” He asked of the librarian.
“Yes, and it was absolutely nerve wracking having to watch Fluttershy even so much as confront it. In the end, it finally let go and… here we are.” She said with pseudo enthusiasm and an uneasy smile.
“So what? It’s a relapse? Do we just let her be?” Asriel asked.
“It’s for the best…” Fluttershy wheezed out, still suffering from the ordeal. “Get her to my cottage… I’ll take care of her…”
“Slow down ther’ partner, you ain’t in no condition to be caring for anypony, me an’ mah kin can keep an eye on her just fine.” Applejack stated.
“I’ll be just… fine… You have an entire orchard to care for…” Fluttershy protested.
“She’ll be safer here anyway.” Twilight argued. “I can monitor her vitals, and once you’ve recovered from your injuries, you can take over. How’s that sound?”
The normally shy mare gave a sigh of defeat as she allowed herself fall to the ground, her eyes slowly closing to the world around her… it was going to be a rather rough week for everyone.
A vast group had coalesced within Golden Oaks library, an ex royal captain, his shadow fire princess, a dragon and a bunny kept watch for any intruders.
The element bearers stood within a circle along with their champion, his companion, and his own princess.
“So… what did it say?” Twilight asked. Her gaze intense and worrisome.
"Greetings, I am Chara if you need help or just want a friend you can always call on the first Fallen human. but if you are a genocidal maniac I will rip your soul from your body and erase your timeline." Azure repeated as he checked the weight and balance of the knife he held.
“You gonna summon them?” Pinkie asked. The dracopyre contemplated this as held the knife aloft.
“To the First Fallen Human, I wish to speak with you face to face.” Azure called… But nothing happened.
“Did… did it work?” Shining asked from his position, his question answered by a red rift opening up before them. A screaming goat child falling through and falling flat upon his face.
The child quite literally peeled himself off his face and looked about the room. “Uh… you wouldn’t happen to know where Chara went?”
-Canterlot Castle: Throne room-
It was a surprisingly slow day for the court, very few partitioners having felt the need to have their problems tended to. Some out of fear, others out of pride. Having faced a malicious army of monsters on her own seemed to have caused quite an uproar…
Celestia sighed, hoping at least for some sort of excitement or adventure… as a rift had opened before her depositing a creature quite foreign to her land. “I’m sorry I don’t believe I wished for this kind of adventure… Discord!? Discord does this one belong to you!?” The princess began to shout into the heavens.
“Halt vile creature! One wrong step and we introduce you personally to our dungeons!” The guards at the other end of the throne room exclaimed. The little creature immediately dropped to her knees and started crying loudly.
“Oh now now, there’s no need to cry.” Celestia cooed as she shot a death glare at her guards. Said guards flinched and began to cower under their princess’ gaze. “Come now, let’s start with your name? Do you have a name small one?”
“I-I’m Chara.” the little creature now known as Chara whispers as she started to calm down, bringing up one of her arms to wipe the tears from her eyes.
Celestia began running her wing along her head, being as gentle as possible. “Chara… that was an awful lot of magic that was used. Do you know anything about it?” She asked calmly.
“No… me and my friend Azzy were in my room and then we were suddenly pulled through a rift…” Chara whispered as she buried her head in Celestia's chest.
The solar princess flinched, looking at Chara with curiosity. “Azzy? You don’t mean Azure do you?” She asked of the child.
“No… his name is Asriel” Chara said hoping she wasn't in the universe she was thinking right now.
“I don’t believe I know who that is, but I believe I know somepony who does,” Celestia bid Chara rise as she began to leave the throne room. A scroll and quill appearing in her magic as she began to pen a letter. “My faithful student, Twilight Sparkle, would be overjoyed at having you. If anyone can help you find your Asriel, it will be her.”
“Thank you…” chara says as she was shivering she was scared and alone in another new world.
-Golden Oaks-
“So wait,” Azure began to pace about the room as he questioned his new arrival. “You didn’t come here alone?”
“Shit, she must be here too.” Veronica spat in annoyance, much to the groups growing confusion. All eyes were upon her as she began to rub her temples. “Chara, that really annoying brat that hangs out with Flan.”
“Uhh… who?” Rainbow asked.
Veronica waved her off and shook her head. “Look, it’s probably not even the same one, but I’m not about to deal with her…” Before any could question further, a scroll emblazoned with the emblem of the sun had popped into the room.
“Oh! A letter from Celestia!” Twilight exclaimed. She undid it’s seal and began reading through the note, color draining from her face the more she read. “Master, we need you and Veronica to hide, now! They’ll be here any second!”
“Everyone get back to your homes and act like nothing's wrong, Luna, stay here and hide out in Twi’s basement. Veronica, take Asriel to Answer and hide in the Everfree until I come get you.” Azure ordered.
“And what are you gonna do?” The furious ex clone asked. A small but passionate kiss was given to her in response.
“I’m gathering intel, go, and stay safe.” The pair shared another kiss as everyone left or got into position.
Azure began to pull out a mask as Luna began to paw at him. “Do I get one?” She asked with puppy dog eyes.
“A mask or-” Luna felt no need to clarify as she planted herself on her champion. Giggling, she let go and watched as Azure merged with Chrysalis’ mask.
“Places everyone, show’s about to start.”
-Equestrian Skyline-
Far above the world, a royal carriage ferried a cargo of two. The princess of the sun, and her charge Chara. “Tell me young one, this Asriel, is he important to you?” Celestia asked.
“He is the closest thing I have to family…” Chara answers honestly as she hugs her knees close to her chest although she didn't mention her crush on him.
“Hmm… family is the most important thing we have isn’t it…” Celestia held a sad smile, lost to a memory. “Ah, look! We’re nearing Ponyville!” Celestia exclaimed as she motioned for Chara to look down to the shining city.
“It looks different from my ponyville…” Chara whispered, but was overheard by Celestia even though Chara didn't notice them as she was looking down at the city.
“Yes… it has undergone incredible change since the dragon attacked. What did you mean by “your” Ponyville?” Celestia asked of her charge, curiosity running rampant in her mind.
“Well I think I'm from a different universe since this Ponyville looks really different from mine…” Chara explains as she tries to make herself smaller from the intense gaze.
“That can’t… sweet Goddess an anomaly…” Celestia looked forward, blinking and trying to gather her bearings. “It would explain the immense expenditure of magic… you aren’t hurt are you?” Chara flinched when she heard the word anomaly.
“No I'm not… I just want Azzy…” Chara says quietly as she shivered, really wanting someone to hold her. Chara started remembering everything she had left behind when jumping through that portal and tears started to prick at the sides of her eyes.
A wing found itself upon her head, feathers gently wiping away the tears. “If he’s here, you’ll find him. If not, we can send you back to him…”
“Thanks…” Chara Whispers as she snuggles close to Celestia, Chara hated herself for how emotional she had been since her hatred had been repressed. Her emotions had been all over the place, but she was glad that she was in an Equestria where Celestia wasn't a complete bitch.
Soon, the carriage lurched down and began landing preparations. “Golden Oaks library… I remember a time when it was still just a bare tree, but now most of the town has been coated with a crystal of some sort.” Celestia mused, their landing rather bumpy.
“Oi! You’re shaking up the princess!” One of the fliers complained to his companion.
“Sorry sir, I’m still not used to the carriage. It won’t happen again.” The orange toned rookie said, eliciting a disgruntled ‘pfeh’ from his superior.
Unclipping his harness, the lead flier opened a door on the carriage and ushered the pair out. “Your highness, apologies for the landing. Sentry’s still a bit of a greenhorn.”
The princess giggled and waved it off. “I remember when you still made mistakes like that Fair Wind, go easy on him. I see great things from him someday.” Approaching the door to the library, she motioned for Chara to enter with her, unknown to her that the child had been gawking at a group of Diamond Dogs carting off several pieces of lumber and gemstones.
“Miss Celestia why are there Diamond dogs all over the place? Don't they hate ponies?” Chara asked curiously although she was sticking close to Celestia as she had found out before that she had the strength of a little girl and knew she was no match for anyone.
“I’ve been wondering that myself lately, much has changed since the dragons attacked and war makes for strange bedfellows…” The guards that had escorted them placed themselves at each side of the door as the princess knocked.
“Bugger all! Libraries closed, if you have a late return, write a note and leave it with town hall! Otherwise, please return tomorrow!” A heavily accented voice called from within. “Bloody Hell!” The voice shouted as the sound of several books toppling over echoed from the library.
“Oh dear, Spike!? Is everything all right in there?” Celestia asked through the door.
“Sodding Hell, Twilight, luv. Princess just arrived!” The voice called out.
“Wait, what!? Quick! Make an excuse! Ooh… this place is such a mess…” The voice of Twilight called out.
Celestia giggled, no doubt finding hilarity in the situation. “Hm hm, she’s probably trying to look for the answer to an old spell fragment. Let’s go in shall we?” Her horn lit up and began to focus on the door before them, the sounds of a tumbler turning and clicking greeted their ears.
“I’m coming in! I’ve brought our guest!” The princess called as she opened the door, revealing a mess of scattered books, several alchemical regents, a tiny dragon wearing a frilly pink apron, and a table set with various empty flasks and crushed roots. Chara closely followed Celestia into the Library hoping that she wouldn't get experimented on by this Twilight.
The small drake huffed, never once bothering to look up as he began putting things in order. “Afternoon, your highness. Lock-Me-Not?” He asked.
Celestia held a hoof to her mouth as she giggled. “Lock-Me-Not. Where’s Twilight?” Her answer came in the form of a quaint explosion and black smoke. Twilight walking out of her kitchen while swiping at the air.
“I told you the fire root reacted negatively with that strain of fungi!” Another voice called from the kitchen. Loud sniffing began to echo from the room as Twilight gathered her bearings. “Uh, Twi? You didn't tell me we’d have guests.” The voice once again called as a rather messy looking brown coated pony with disheveled black mane and tail exited the kitchen.
Once Twilight had gathered her bearings, she beamed at Chara and began to trot up to the princess. “Is this the one you told me about?” She asked with a calm expression, despite the stars in her eyes.
“Yes, though I’m afraid you two have already met.” Celestia said jokingly. “But why not introduce yourselves anyway?”
“G-Greetings I'm Chara…” Chara said stuttering a little bit before hiding back behind Celestia as she still had a fear of dissection.
Twilight simply bowed, showing at least a minor bit of decorum. “Twilight Sparkle, faithful student to Princess Celestia.” She rose and gestured to the dragon and pony. “My number one assistant Spike,” The dragon gave a bow and resumed his work. “And my good friend and master alchemist Azure.”
“Azure” began to walk up to the child. A soft green glow to his golden eyes. “I don’t believe I’ve met anything quite like you before little one. Come, sit. The road is long and winding and one must rest to face the trials of the day...” The pony stated as he walked to the couch and motioned for her to take a seat.
Celestia giggled as she followed the pony. “Always the gentle pony aren’t you, champion of Ponyville.”
“One invasion makes not a champion your grace.” The pony said with a bow.
“Two can make a hero.” The princess replied as she took a seat and motioned for Chara to do the same. Chara sat close to Celestia crawling up as close as she could to Celestia. “Now then, I do so hope I can trust you all with this secret I hold.”
All ears perked up, a silence flooding the room. When no one dared speak, the princess continued.
“I’m afraid ours is not the only Equestria in existence…” Audible and slightly over the top gasps filled the room, Twilight seemed… apprehensive to say the least, Spike feigned shock, and Azure…
“Find me in the alps…” The pony whispered, causing Celestia to cover Chara’s ears.
“My word, Azure! Such language in front of guests!” The princess chastised.
“I've heard worse…” Chara says with a grimace. And Chara had heard worse, a lot worse.
“Apologies, but are you certain about this?” Azure asked, worry and curiosity upon his face. “Scholars have often queeried as to the existence of other realms just outside our own, but to claim that another Equestria exists? It boggles the mind...”
“I'm living proof that the Multiverse exists.” Chara says out loud instead of thinking it like she wanted to.
“Truly outrageous…” The pony whispered as he stared at Chara. “Truly truly truly outrageous…” Chara had covered her mouth by this point not meaning to say that out loud and was hoping no one would call her on what she said.
Celestia coughed into her hoof, regaining the undivided attention of those present. “Unfortunately, Chara is not the only “visitor”. A bipedal goat named Asriel may also be trapped on our Equestria. I would like to keep this quiet and would like to employ your services in locating our lost traveller.”
The green glint returned to Azure’s eyes as he seemed to be taken aback by what was asked of him. “I would… be honored. C-consider him found.”
Chara was curious about the green flashes coming from Azure’s eyes so she cast CHECK on him and what she found out was interesting.
Azure Darksoul: Level 250
Class: Omni-Knight
Current items equipped: Howling Stone, Chrysalis’ Mask
Ancient Dracopyre with a vast amount of blood upon his hands.Will aid those of a kind heart, or great power. Can be incredibly insatiable. Finds Chara to be strange and hopes he can get her to Asriel quickly.
“Oh fuck all kinds of duck.” Chara said upon reading the L.O.V.E he had which everyone heard.
Azure and Spike began choking from the statement, Celestia looked rather confused, and Twilight could only face hoof.
“Yes… well. Azure, I leave you with Chara. I pray for her swift and safe return. Chara, I have no doubt Azure will find your friend and lead you home.” Celestia stated as she rose from her seat and began to walk to the door only for something to immediately cling on to her hind leg.
“Come now young one, I can attest to his noble heart.”
“But his LV is so high!” Chara blurted out. “When I CHECKed him it even said he has vast amounts of blood on him!”
Celestia seemed rather taken aback by this statement and Twilight began to visibly sweat.
“War does make for strange circumstances, but you act as if I've danced with the devils of Tartarus.” Azure said with a smile.
“Committing genocide of an entire species only gave 20 LV to the anomaly known as the player which they then shoved into me, and you're 250!” Chara yelled out glaring at him.
“I'm afraid I don't follow…” The “pony” whispered.
“LV is short for level of violence, a way to measure someone's capacity to hurt and at a LV of 20 you're a psychopath so I don't even want to know what kind of demon you are at 250!” Chara ranted… fun fact about Chara when she gets scared enough she starts ranting and boasting trying to make herself out to be a bigger threat.
The room began to grow dense with suspense and worry. “There must be some mistake,” Celestia said. “Azure has been nothing but kind and compassionate since his arrival in Ponyville. Why, even Luna trusts him, and that mare doesn't trust anyone…”
She then whispered something about her own problems of trust, but that had been neither here nor there.
“My CHECK is never false… it was even able to give me information on an absolute god.” Chara said and conveniently forget to mention that Asriel was said absolute god at the time.
Azure coughed and cleared his throat. “Were I so terrible a monster, why is this town still standing? Why is the world still here?”
“That is a good question…” Chara reluctantly admitted, hell she was surprised this timeline is still intact with someone who had this high of a LV.
The “pony” began a slow trot to Chara, an air of calm and serenity surrounding him. “A demon I am not, let me take you to your friend, let me help you find him and your home,” He offered his hoof, a small smile upon his lips.
“Trust me.”
“No…” Chara said shaking her head “I'm surprised you're not offering me candy that you have conveniently stashed in your van with how much you're trying to get me to trust you…” Chara said throwing everyone in the room for a loop.
“What's a van?” He asked with genuine curiosity.
“It's a vehicle that most of the followers of Pedobear use and I'm starting to think that you're a follower yourself…” Chara said with an innocent wide-eyed expression.
Confusion filled the room, as well as another uncomfortable cough from Spike.
“Pedo… I'm sorry, what?” Azure asked again, now rather confused himself it seemed. “Look, if you change your mind, I'll be here. Good luck in your endeavor.” He stated with a smile and nod. His eyes glinting green once more.
“Yeah, you probably don't know Pedobear considering he's a meme back home.” Chara whispered unhappy at her references not getting understood.
“Hmm, I suppose so… well. If that's all, I believe I'll actually take a relaxing walk through the woods,” A smile graced his lips as he said this. “Maybe even find a leprechaun or two…”
‘I wonder if I stab a leprechaun with my knife, will Lucky Charms spill everywhere?’ Chara thought to herself and giggled after.
He made his way for the door, a hoof on his chin. “Sometimes I wonder, if I were to buck it in it's chest, would lucky charms spill forth?” He shrugged and left the library.
Twilight gave a nervous laugh as Spike closed the door. Chara had snapped up to look at the door when she heard that, as she knew only humans would get that reference.
“Please excuse him,” Twilight said with a nervous smile. “He can be rather eccentric.”
“Eccentric my little loli rear end! He knew a reference only a human would get!” Chara yelled out as she rushed out of the room to follow behind him.
The group had rushed to the door, watching as Chara nearly tackled Azure as he sidestepped out of the way as if he wasn't being attacked.
“Play nice you two!” Celestia cried, hopeful that things wouldn't escalate too terribly.
Azure simply kept walking, ignoring many of Chara’s demands. Chara’s heart soon appeared above her chest and streams of Red Energy started coming out of her fingers trying to tie him down so he would give her answers.
“Motherfuck! Let go shortstack! You’re causing a scene!” He said as quietly as possible through pained and irritated grunts.
And lo, the pair had made a scene as several townsponies looked upon the pair with worry and curiosity. Some even started revealing blades made of crystal.
“Not until you tell me how you know of Hellsing Ultimate abridged!” Chara said through gritted teeth as more and more ropes of determination bound him.
“Fuck you, that's how… now let up. I don't take too kindly to being bound.” Azure said, revealing a set of well sharpened teeth.
“You know what? Fuck it, knife!”
As Chara moved to impale Azure with several crimson knives, several ponies took the cue as well and descended upon the child as well.
“Oh fuck that!” Azure yelled as time began to slow to a crawl. “Kid, I'mma make this quick. Asriel’s safe, now let up.”
“If you're lying to me I will peel your dick like a banana with thorough use of razor blades and lemon juice.” Chara says glaring at him, eyes glowing a bright red.
Azure huffed as he eased out of his bindings and made his way out of the frozen dome of ponies.
“Won’t need this anymore…” He said as he removed a mask, his pony form dissolving as he stood upright. Scale and fur covering his body in lieu of clothing.
“... shit…” Chara said as she finally realized which Universe she was in and was trying to find a way she could Salvage this.
“Something wrong?” He asked as he walked briskly to Fluttershy’s cottage. Time slowly grinding forward the farther the two walked. “You know, I made it really obvious I wasn't actually a pony…” He then began to sing the theme song to Jem and the Holograms.
“Well it's not my fault that my brain is fucked up and a half…” Chara said as her emotions were still completely out of her control. “You ever have something in your psyche that had burrowed deep into you that it manifested in your mind scape and then suddenly had it repressed?” Chara explained she still didn't feel right after having her hatred suppressed and turned dormant, it had been a large part of her psyche after all.
“Insanity get you too? Yeah, that was a wild century…” The path had become rather beaten, the pair passing the farm and a draconically armored Big Macintosh.
“Hero.” He said sullenly as the pair passed by. Azure simply nodded, looking back to ensure the princess hadn't followed them.
“Yeah but the thing is I had a lot of hatred before displacement... it was only Amplified and given form afterwards… It didn't help that the original Chara forced me to relive their memories…” Chara unconsciously flinched and tried to make themselves smaller at the memories.
Azure shook his head ruefully. “One of those huh? Pretty sure the Elements could have helped you with that.” He stopped once the pair had reached the clearing where Fluttershy’s cottage was hidden
Author's Note
https://www.fimfiction.net/story/284461/the-equestrian-omni-knight and here is a link to the amazing author that I crossed over with.
Fluttershy had been sparring with a tall and red bipedal bunny, a bear off to the side with a chalkboard that had a pretty heavy tally count.
“They were the ones that repressed my hate… actually it was Fluttershy being cheered on by my Celestia, Luna and the other elements.” Chara explained as she watched the fight for a little bit.
The rabbit had pressed forward with several palm thrusts, sweeping kicks, and axe kicks but failed to so much as graze the heavily armored pony.
“It's hatred, what could they have expected? Darkness can bond, hatred can't.” Azure explained as he winced once Fluttershy had dropped the rabbit into a tight hold.
The rabbit shrunk, revealing Angel bunny wearing a large pink ribbon. The bear placed a tally mark on Fluttershy’s side of the board, making the current score fifty/twenty in favor of the pegasus.
“Oh no…” Angel had whispered once he caught sight of Chara. He quickly hid his ribbon from view. “Shy, we have company.”
The pegasus took note and quickly began to dust herself off in a frantic attempt to appear presentable. “Um… h-hello. I’m sorry for not noticing you before,” The pegasus shot up, wide eyed. “Not to say I was ignoring you! I um… oh, uhm… tea?” She had come up to the pair with a bright smile, squeeing as she did so.
“Do you have juice?” Chara asked, hoping for some juice as she didn't like tea.
“Oh, I’m sorry, I have lemonade?” she brought a hoof to her mouth in worry. “Unless you don’t like lemonade, I could go out and buy something, ooh but I don’t want to waste your time…”
“I don't mind having lemonade, I'm sorry I didn't mean to sound rude.” Chara said hurriedly pulling her hands up into a placating Manor.
“Oh no, please. You're my guest, I should be able to treat you with the same respect and dignity as I do everypony else.” she protested. Azure thusly began pushing the mare along, hoping to diffuse the situation before it escalated into an apology off.
“Come on people, things to do people to see…” Angel and Harry the bear shrugged as they followed the trio into the cottage, the latter going off to obtain lemonade, and the former donning his bow and returning to his demonic form.
Azure took a seat upon a rather worn couch, motioning for Chara to do the same. “Welp, no doubt you have questions. This is about the time you ask em, so ask em..” Azure stated simply.
“So Mr. Angel, I see you can transform into a giant butt kicking awesome thing! You have to be the coolest pet I've ever met!” Chara says as she sits down next to Azure as a loud growl emits from her stomach.
“I’ll fetch us some snacks, you two wait here.” Fluttershy said as she left for her kitchen. Angel grumbled slightly, taking the time to look back to Chara.
“I’m not a pet, I just look like one.” He grumbled.
“Sorry I didn't mean to upset you… but still you're really cool!” Chara said resisting the urge to get up and snuggles the bunny.
He softened up, a smile forming on his face. “Thanks, it feels good to have the rest of my height back.” Just as he said this, Fluttershy had returned with a platter of sliced fish, cheese, and leafy greens along with the lemonade that Harry had just brought in as well.
“Thank you Shy, any word from our friends in the Everfree?” Azure asked as he took a piece of salmon.
“Oh, yes there was a messenger who just left. Asriel is currently being trained to properly use his magic… though I don’t really know much about it.” Fluttershy said calmly.
“Wait! What!?” Chara says loudly, shocked that someone else was teaching Asriel how to use undertale Magic.
Visibly shaken, Fluttershy began to hide behind her armored hooves. “L-like I said, I don’t really get it… I’m sorry if I upset you...” Angel begun running his claw through her mane, calming her down from her fright.
“Veronica did say something about that… she seemed to know you, or at least of you.” Azure muttered, a hand on his chin in contemplation. Chara’s brain was trying to reboot after the revelation that some of the stories she had written were real.
“Something wrong?” Azure asked. “You look like a whitewashed fence.” He thusly began waving a bit of fish in Chara’s face.
“Sorry I'm still trying to get used to the idea that things that I have read and written are real…” Chara said regaining her bearings.
“Pfft, tell me about it. I keep expecting some giant in genji armor to fall out of the sky and tell me what an asshole I am for having killed people.” Azure says as he dropped another piece of fish with cheese in his mouth. “So, whenever you’re ready, I can take you to our mutual friend.”
“Can you please…” Chara said quietly.
Nodding, Fluttershy began to lead the two through the back door, a luminous path leading directly into the Everfree Forest. “Once you’re in, a wolf will find you and lead you further in.” Fluttershy explained calmly. “Don’t worry, they’re all very nice.”
With that, the two were left to the path.
-Everfree-
Despite how deep into the forest the reluctant duo had traversed, the floating phosphorous lights only seemed to shine brighter, giving them light within the darkness.
“This forest sure has changed…” Azure mused.
“It certainly looks different than from the forest I know…” Chara said admitting to herself that it looked more out of Dragon Fable then out of My Little Pony.
“A lot of this world changed… I’m afraid it might have something to do with me just being here.” Before either could muse further, several bushes began shaking. Glowing yellow orbs peeking out from just behind them. “They must be our contact, let’s follow them.”
The glow became brighter as a rather robust and well polished timber wolf exited the shrubbery and stood at attention. Azure focused on a pendant hanging around his neck as he took the form of a grey husky/wolf hybrid, a black dragon tattoo stamped on his forehead.
He began motioning for Chara to get on his back, hoping to cut time by running through the forest. Chara climbed onto his back using all of her willpower not to snuggle into his warm soft fur.
Without a moment’s notice, the wolves sped off deeper into the forest. Through twisted trees, glowing vines, and several shrubberies the two did race. Slowing down only after hearing the sounds of explosions and several grunts.
“Finally got that buster working for you! Who was the idiot that told you it was a good idea copying the Gaster Blaster?” A harsh female voice echoed from a vast arena formed by the forest.
“Well, Luna actually… she said it was a good idea!” Asriel replied.
“Hush, they’ve arrived.” A voice that almost sounded like Azure’s chimed in,
Azure made his way before his lover, his clone, and his new friend. Whimpering and barking at the trio. Chara was clinging to him with a death grip her face buried in his fur.
A hand found itself on the collar of Chara’s pink sleeveless shirt, leveling her face to an angry face of Veronica. “Great, she’s even starting to dress annoyingly…” The vampire muttered, incredibly jarred by her current choice of apparel.
With a casual toss, Chara fell atop Asriel as Veronica moved to lift and heft Azure over her shoulder. “My property.”
“But he's so fluffy!” Chara yelled out wanting to snuggle the husky wolf hybrid as she tried to latch on to him.
As if to taunt her, Veronica buried her face in Azure’s fur, eliciting several fidgets and pants from the dog. “My property…” She mumbled through the fur.
Chara grabbed ahold of asriel and started cuddling him burying herself in his soft warm fur causing asriel to let out of bleat in surprise. “Mine…” Chara Whispers as she continues to rub her face into his fur.
“Come on… I missed you too, but this is kinda embarrassing.” Asriel groaned.
“I thought I was alone again…” Chara whispered not letting him go. The goat child groaned as he began ruffling Chara’s head.
“Not my fault you dragged me into a tear through space-time, shortstack.” Asriel muttered.
“You're so fluffy…” Chara says happily as she continues to snuggle with her Crush.
“Hey, now that the big guy’s here, ready to start your real training?” Veronica asked Asriel, slowly lowering “her property” back on to the ground.
“What training!?!? I need training too!” Chara says loudly not letting go of Azriel for a second.
Azure had finally reverted and shook his head, much like a dog would. “I only agreed to train Asriel. If you want a session, ya gotta sign a contract.” He stated as he revealed a contract in his hand.
“Let me see the see the contract.” Chara snatch the contract from him going over it with a fine-tooth comb, what people may not realize about Chara what is that she was good with word play, hell she should have been a lawyer in her last life considering how many times she had exploited and uncovered different loopholes Within sayings she read.
To those who sign upon this binding agreement, for services rendered for (Spiritual/Mental Training)
The agreed payment of (Essence/Data) will be given in exchange
Below this was a signature of Azure’s full name, and a space left for another name.
“Something wrong?” Azure asked.
“let's go over what the payment is first before I sign anything…”Chara says as this thing left a huge and quite many loopholes. “Also if I were you I would add a time limit to this.”
“I don't control the limit, Harmony or the contractor does. As for the payment, I either read his mind, his soul, or take a piece of him.” Azure explained as he took the contract back and gave it to Asriel. “You wanna make a contract? That's fine, but I wouldn't mettle in the affairs of others.”
“Then let me talk to the people, cuz I'm not giving up a part of my soul even if I do have unlimited DETERMINATION .” Chara says been mentally against anyone poking around with her soul as it was her main source of power.
“Whateva… Asriel, ready when you are.” Asure says as he sits down in a lotus position, waiting to see if Asriel would sign.
“I've already been poked and prodded once, let's get this over with.” The goat says reluctantly.
“I don't want to be in some binding contract that I don't want or cannot fulfill.” chara says refusing to be bound to anyone.
“Then don't sign.” Azure stated, not once looking up.
“Why can't we just negotiate what I give you now and what you give me in return?”Chara asked as this was a shady deal she ever saw one.
Sighing, he looked at Asriel apologetically. “Give us a minute?” He asked.
“Yeah, she can be a handful… good luck.” Asriel said as he went back to physical training with Veronica and Answer.
“Aight, shoot.” Azure says as he tosses an empty contract to Chara.
“Okay… I think the first thing we would do together is that we can call in each other's help unless the other one is busy with something like fighting a war or in the middle of adult activities.” Chara says giving him a look that asked if that was alright.
“Each event is a new contract with it's own payment equal to the severity, though I may be able to set a string or master contracts just for major events like say a world ending calamity or invading force.” Azure explained, waving his hands about to accentuate a point.
“It also doesn't matter if I'm in the bath or in bed. You want to call in a contract or a debt, I have no choice but to accept.”
“Do you have anything that can duplicate undertale powers?” Chara asked as she didn't really know what else to do.
“I need data for that, but chances are I can copy your brand of rules and mechanics.” Azure explains. “Why? Someone you feel like empowering?” He asked quizzically.
Explosions and yells began to echo through the clearing, rainbow lights splitting the serenity.
“They look like they're having fun.” Azure pointed out.
“Yeah they do, but I'm not good at writing contracts... I'm good at breaking them but not writing them…” Chara says as she wrecked her brain on what the contractor should say.
“Then don't write one, just open it up and see if it says anything.” Azure stated solemnly, though seeming a bit off his rocker. It's not like these contracts were magical…
Another explosion echoed, Veronica cheering Asriel on as he struggled against blackened elemental tendrils.
“Are these contracts even magical?” Chara asked as she thought of that and was going to be really angry at herself if it wasn't.
Azure simply raised his left hand, a sigil of Harmony began to shine and hum on the back of his hand, a similar sigil appearing on a contract.
“God dammit…” Chara whispered angrily
“In the words of the great Egoraptor, “God can't help you now.” He replied with a smile.
Chara looked at him wholly unamused as she crushed the contract in her hands before slicing it to pieces with DETERMINATION .
A third explosion boomed outward, a screaming and flying Asriel rocketing directly at the pair. Without nary a glance, Azure caught the flying goat by the scruff if his turtleneck.
“Feel like trying to get some revenge, or are you ready for our session?” The unflinching dracopyre asked Asriel.
“Dunno, you two done yet?” Asriel asked, content with hanging about.
Chara grumbled and crossed her arms looking like a child not getting their way.
“Yeah just about, might of been something I said,” Azure placed his new charge beside himself and offered a quill. “Just sign your name and we can begin.”
Asriel took the quill with a nod and opened his contract, softly placing the quill tip upon the parchment.
“But I want training too!” Chara whined out like an impudent child.
Flinching, Asriel removed the tip before he could so much as blink. “Uh… so ask for it?” He said more so as a question.
“She doesn't want to sign something she has no control over.” Azure replied simply.
“So go to Veronica and Answer, they'll put you through the ringer.” Asriel added, motioning to the vampire and elemental clone.
“He looks like a sadist…” Chara said flinching at the intense gaze that the elemental clone was giving.
“Veronica's the sadist, Answer is actually pretty chill.” Asriel replied. “Don't know what Veronica's story is, she seems kinda…”
“Angry?” Azure added. “She's… not exactly human. She was a mystical construct summoned by a tiny lolita vampire princess. If you've seen anything Touhou related, the wooden wings are a dead give away.”
“that sounds like two bloody hearts…” Chara whispered as she started thinking about the friend she left behind again.
Both the goat and dracopyre looked at Chara like she grew a second head. “Two bloodied… what?” Azure asked.
“I don't know what either of the things you both said are.” Asriel added.
“it was a story that me and a friend were writing about Flandre Scarlet and Chara Dreemurr…” Chara whispered tear starting to prick at the sides of her eyes.
“That… would explain Veronica at the very least knowing of you…” Azure muttered as he gently placed a finger under one of Chara's eyes. “Chances are you'll meet them in the future… or at the very least their creation. Have hope.” Asure said with a smile.
“Can't I include her in our training?” Asriel asked rather hurriedly. “Or at least shoulder her cost?” Asriel was suddenly tackled by a flying Chara giving him a hug.
“Thank you thank you thank you thank you!” Chara repeated as she hugged her Crush/friend.
“I take it back! Strictly one on one!” The struggling child yelps, only gaining a round of giggles and chuckles and a scroll thrown at his face.
“You can shoulder her cost, but she still has to sign.” Azure explained, his smile unwavering.
“I'll sign since he's taking the cost for me!” Chara whispered with a happy content smile.
“The things I do…” Asriel muttered as he opened the second scroll, signing both and giving the second to Chara which Chara looked over thoroughly.
To those whom have signed, only one must pay
A master you shall be to a student not yet seen
Below the simple text were three spaces meant for signature, one already in use. Chara signs with her chicken scratch handwriting.
“Eesh, someone never practiced their cursive.” Asriel commented as he returned both contracts to Azure, the dracopyre signing his name upon the second.
“Who’s up first?” He asked.
“Well my powers are mostly energy construct based as I don't really have any hand to hand combat training.” Chara says
“Physical trainers,” Azure points back to Veronica and Answer, the latter sitting upon a stump and drinking tea, the former punching a wooden golem into mulch. “Over there. Everything else,” He thusly points to himself. “This guy.”
“Maybe I should go first,” Asriel said. “I'm kinda dying remember?”
“Azzy I won't let you die!” Chara says as she once again grabs ahold of asriel. “ besides I'm kind of fucked up as well ever since the black soul trait was repressed…” Chara finishes.
“I'm gonna have to flip a coin aren't I?” Azure asked as he began searching for a coin in a pouch he pulled from thin air. Smiling, he pulled out a wide gold coin marked with a dragon head in one side, and an X on the other.
“Heads, he goes first. Tails, you go last.” Azure said jokingly as he pointed to Asriel and then Chara. Chara stared at him angrily her cheeks puffed out.
“That was in poor taste, I call tails, Chara can take heads.” Asriel replied.
“I hope that wasn't some kind of an innuendo…” Azure added as he flipped the coin… straight into the sky. “Give it a second…”
Seconds passed before the coin landed straight into the dirt, the dragon head barely visible from it's crater. Chara was staring wide-eyed at Azure wondering how powerful he was and knowing the only thing that would keep her safe in a fight against him was her ability to save and load.
“Alright, since your powers are nerfed, I'm gonna see if there's anything in my arsenal that can help you…” Azure mumbled as he began to move his right hand in front of Chara's face, his Index, middle finger, and thumb aiming for her forehead.
“You'll be entering my mind, not your own, so ease up and and try not to hold your breath.”
Azure's fingers made contact, and the world was gone.
-Mindscape-
As the child opened her eyes, she was greeted by a boundless expanse of purple electricity, pink veins, and a floor that mimicked the shape and texture of the human mind.
“Welcome to my brain, I made it look like this because if you saw what it really was you'd lose your shit.” He joked as he spins around on a heel with arms wide open.
“Well it can't be as bad as mine being the underground…” Chara snarked as a glitch happened within her mindscape form.
For a split second, the expanse had shifted to look more like the aged stone of an ancient castle, vines slithering across the walls
The world had reverted, once again an expanse of mental synapses.
“Homey, so how bout giving me a run down on how you do things.”
“Well I just will what I want into existence and it happens, my power mostly relies on my determination and I used to be able to use the Black Soul trait till it was repressed…” Chara said making a knife construct out of determination and having it float around her before several others came into existence as they lazily spin around their creator like a bladed Shield.
Azure waved his arm, several golden blades forming around him. “The skills of an Ascendant , though I've taken a few liberties. We can start by seeing if you can handle high strung magic.”
He began to rifle through a vast inventory, stopping at an image of a swirling pillar. A scroll appeared in his hand which he then tossed to Chara.
“Read it, it'll give you full knowledge of the spell and how to cast it. Hold it for thirty seconds.”
“But I don't have magic!” Chara yelled out wondering how any spell would work for her and a little angry at herself for not being a mage. Her body started glitching rapidly in the mindscape.
“Everyone has magic .” Azure's voice boomed, forcibly stabilizing her glitched form. “Especially when you've been in contact with Equestria for so long. You'd have been dead otherwise. Now cast the spell.” He ordered more than asked.
“But I know for a fact I don't have magic!” Chara says loudly as she tries to cast the spell for emphasis.
Azure began circling her, hand on his chin and sizing up the child so to speak. “Hmm… you handle these knives so diligently. What powers them? From where do you draw your will?” He stops, idly taking a knife in his grasp.
“I use my soul for my power.” Chara says as a red ethereal heart appeared above her chest and Azure could sense the power coming off of it, he could tell that it was a never-ending source of power.
“Yeah that'd do it…” He took a step back as several more icons began flying past him, stopping at the image of a bunny like creature hitting the ground.
Another scroll appeared in his hand, tossing it to Chara the same way he tossed the last. “Meteorbak is a personal favorite as it defies the laws of physics and relativity. Try it.” Chara took the spell and read it before trying to do the spell.
“This one relies entirely on one's spiritual force. It kinda has too for what it does.” Azure explained with an easy smile and a tilt of his hand and head.
He pulled out a shield, crouching down to cover as much of himself as he possibly could. “Fire when ready, or don't. It's your time after all.” Chara immediately fired off the spell and aimed it at Veronica as payback for taking away her fluffy doggy.
The mental image of Veronica being pelted in the face by the moglin of ebil himself seemed to cause an echo within the mindscape. After several seconds, a knock was heard as Veronica's voice echoed out.
“Some furball just knocked me into the ground! What the fuck is going on in there!?”
“Did… you just defy the laws of the universe?” Azure asked a giggling Chara with a shocked expression. “I mean… sure she's connected to me, but you should not have been able to affect the outside world…”
“my soul is all about flipping the universe the bird and telling logic to bend over.” chara said through her Giggles as she once again cast the spell with the same Target in mind.
“Veronica, eight o’clock!” Azure shouted, a mental image of the vampire dodging appeared briefly. “Stay on guard and keep your ears open, I don't want you getting hurt!” The mental image seemed to look at Azure, nodding.
“Okay, no Mana pool, but your soul makes up for it… the soul…” He snaps as he once again rifles through his inventory, revealing a pair of blackened gauntlets lined with silver and adorned with shining black pearls.
“The gauntlets of a soul-weaver . True, like any mancer armor it needs magic, but you don't, which means it won't.” Azure explained as he presented the gauntlets to Chara. “Yes, they will shrink to your size.”
Chara took the gauntlets and put them on absent-mindedly sending another spell at Veronica.
“Please stop attacking her,” Azure asked. “You know she can kill you right?”
Once the gauntlets had shrunk, the pearls had taken on a red hue as they reshaped into hearts. Two ethereal kitchen knife shaped blades formed from the hearts.
“Huh, that seems to be a thing with you…”
“What? it's my go-to weapon, haven't you seen Undertale?” Chara says if it was a foregone conclusion.
“Under what?” Azure asked thoroughly confused. “Is that where your power comes from?”
“I am a displaced of the character from undertale that crashes your game after you commit a genocide run. a lot of people see Chara as the bad guy from undertale.” Chara says looking away.
“I don't… I don't follow… what year is it?” Azure asks, seeming rather unsure if himself.
“I can't actually remember the date I was displaced.” Chara says as she started concentrating really hard.
Azure began tapping his chin. “Look, I don't know what Undertale is, it didn't exist back then.” He was rather miffed, but a light bulb appeared above his head. “I don't… she does…”
Azure began going through a folder labeled “Flandre’s Memories”, skimming through the unimportant data until a screen popped up with the word Undertale. A red heart decorating it's R. “Okay… not what I was expecting…”
“Every Charas powers are different, so that Charas powers are going to be a little different from mine.” Chara says with a lecturing tone of voice.
“Faaan tastic…” He groaned as he plunged his hand into the screen before him, several images flashing across the screen. Sometimes a string would appear in short bursts, other times some scenes would play out in reverse… it all seemed to come to a head when the screen stopped at a pixelated image of a malformed Chara.
“Please tell me that's normal.” Azure pleaded, more so out of annoyance than any actual fear.
“I honestly don't know at this point but that usually happens when Chara, the,‘ original I mean, attacks’ the player after a genocide run.” Chara says as she looked at the malformed face and wondering if she could pull off the scary face.
A loud screech began to tear at the screen, several lines of code cascading in and around the pixelated monstrosity. “Is that normal!?” Azure yelled, now more than a little worried as he backed away.
Before anyone could move, the screen began to fold in on itself as it became an inky mass. Writhing and bubbling, contracting and expanding.
“Close it! close it now!!!” Chara said as she poured determination through her gauntlets and blasted the hatred through the window.
Azure's eyes flared with blue light as the screen was struck by several bones. The event horizon had been subjugated, and the screen returned to displaying the logo.
“Son of a Protestant whore! What the flying fuck was that bullshit!!?” Azure cried, eyes fixed upon the screen and arms raised in preparation for retaliation.
“That would be another Universe consumed by the black soul trait…” Chara said with a grim look on her face although she felt something stur in her shadow but calmed down as soon as the portal was closed.
“I… do not want to know… but unfortunately…” Azure sighed, lowering his arms and relaxing his tense body. “I need to know, and I'd rather ask you then IT.”
“The black soul trait is HATE , it is the most volatile and versatile of the Soul energies and can only be produced by someone who feels a lot of hate for something… for example I had a lot of hatred for myself… it feeds on determination. I'm only lucky enough to have an infinite Supply or it would have devoured me whole a long time ago, but thanks to Fluttershy and her friends along with Celestia and Luna, my black soul trait was suppressed although it did wreck my emotional control.” Chara went on a long lecture. “you can actually fight it with a super powerful Green Soul also known as a kindness soul.” Chara finished with an afterthought
“What I did… what was that? It's not a skill I know, and I fear returning to that data stream.” Azure asked, curiosity held within still blazing eyes.
“Well it's not a Skill, it's a manifestation of a defining trait as every human in the undertale universes have a prominent trait of their soul and mine is determination. there are seven Natural Soul traits and two unnatural ones, the two unnatural Soul traits are HATE and FEAR .” Chara says unconsciously shivering when she said fear.
“What is left to fear but Fear itself…” Azure muttered coldly.
“the pink Soul trait can rip the souls out of people and then absorb them to feed herself…” Chara says as image of Betty flashes through her mind.
This caught Azure's attention, his eyes flaring ever brighter. “Herself? A child pretending to play reaper?”
“A little girl that was made to kill the red soul trait and to destroy any sense of happiness that the monsters could have gotten.” Chara growls out the last part her eyes flashing bright red as her Shadow starts moving and her body starts glitching.
“Easy, easy…” Azure whispered as he put a hand on Chara's head. “It's time for your training to truly begin.”
“I'm not going to like it one bit am I?” Chara ask casting her new spell one more time at Veronica.
An image of her backhanding the offending moglin flickered.
“No… I guess not.” Something seemed to take over Azure, the flare in his eyes never having settling. He blinked, his eyes having become nothing more than endless voids adorned with tiny white wisps. “Today begins an important lesson… letting go of baser emotions, letting go of Hatred… and embracing nothing.”
The wisps we're now gone, leaving behind blackened sockets filled with a never ending fire.
“The hell are you talking about, my emotions are two of the base ingredients of my power!?” chara yelled out thinking that this was a very bad idea.
He simply walked slowly to the child, hands at his hips until he knelt down before her. “Humans… always so quick to scare…” He began to raise his right hand, the scale, fur, and flesh drifting away until a bony finger poked just where Chara's heart would be.
“This, is the source of your power. Emotions are just a by product…” He then took her armored hands in his own, now skeletal, hands. “Close your mind, open your heart.” Chara's eyes were twitching as she felt the sudden need to smack him.
‘How was one supposed to open their heart unless they were dissecting it’ Chara thought to herself.
Azure began to rise, more of his body degrading to reveal bone, he walked several paces backwards as a haunting melody began to echo.
“You are strong child… but I am beyond strength. I am the end…”
“Well I normally give you the finger whenever I die and Rewind time so now I have a face to go with the person I'm giving the bird to.” Chara says with a smirk and putting her hands on her hips.
Without warning, sharpened bone impaled her through her spine.
“And I have come for you!” Azure had disappeared, in his absence, a sea of bone had begun to rupture through the foundations of the mindscape, collapsing it and revealing a bitter world. Fractured and broken by the unforgivable light of a molten sun, and the chilling shroud of a blackened moon.
Chara immediately surrounded herself with a barrier of determination. Several cracks had begun to run along the barrier, a cloaked figure now having descended upon Chara with unrelenting force.
“You still think in a battle of hearts… close your mind… let your soul be your guide…” A voice echoed as the barrier gained more cracks against the assault. Unfortunately for The Voice Chara was a lot more stubborn than anyone The Voice had ever met because Chara kept on pouring more and more determination even as she felt blood starting to drip from her nose.
Chara was thusly struck from below, soaring ever higher until a massive bone struck her into another, which did much the same. Pinballing her midair.
“Let go… empty your mind and focus upon the inner workings of your heart…”
“You think a little thing like pain is going to stop me!?” Chara yelled out as she whipped out chords of determination to slash in all directions hoping to tear apart whoever was taunting her.
Unfortunately, all the chords had managed to do was wrap around whatever bone they struck. Chara poured more determination to crush or slice through whatever was holding her cables of determination even if she felt more blood Ooze from her nose and start to Ooze from her ears.
“Hmm… This may take longer than I thought.” A golden figure had appeared before Chara, a staff held in its left hand and an orb in its right. An icy flame flaring from where it's eyes would be.
In a blink, Chara found herself no worse for wear and Azure kneeling before her.
“You failed, didn't you?” He asked, still holding her hands.
“I fought with everything I had until I started to melt…” Chara whispered, horrified at what happened to her body as she curled up into a ball on the ground.
Shaking his head, Azure simply took the child in his arms as he sung a song , gently rocking her back and forth.
“Oh where oh where can my baby be? The Lord took her away from me…” Azure simply put himself in the moment, hoping that the child would understand the act of one “opening their heart”.
“Feeling any better?” He finally asked of the child.
“A little…” Chara whispered as she was beating herself up over not having control of her emotions like usual.
“I was too quick to test you, the severity of the situation with Asriel clouded my judgement,” Gently, Azure had put Chara back on her feet and gave a short bow. “I apologise.”
“It's alright you don't have to apologize I'm just still screwed up after my hatred was suppressed.”Chara said looking down in guilt at not being able to control herself.
“That's why we're here, because you rely too much on emotion to fuel your strength.” Azure stated as he gestured to Chara's new gauntlets. “It's why I gave you the spirit looms, to tap into the truth of the heart and soul. To tap into the boundless power of emptiness.”
“but that's not how my Powers work! My Powers work with determination AKA the more determined I am the more powerful my attacks!” Chara said, trying to get it through to her new friend that her powers didn't work like he was trying to get her to use them.
He began to contemplate, a curious expression on his face. “Hmm, that's quite the conundrum and quite the drawback.”
Several images began to appear, diagrams of humans in various stages of peace and anger as well as several feats of strength accomplished in said states.
“As a human being, you should be able to draw upon mu, yet you're physically unable to do so…” He brought out the Undertale folder once more, several bones attaching themselves to the screen once it appeared again.
“There's got to be something I'm not getting…” He shook his head, dispelling the data and summoning a rather large bone.
“Focus your determination through the looms, and try and crack the bone.” Azure asked of Chara.
Chara did exactly as he asked focusing all of her determination she could into the Looms finding that it felt natural like they were a part of her. Chara snapped her fingers and caused millions of bright red glowing kitchen knives to appear behind her ready to strike and pointed towards Azure.
“Fucking finally…” Azure whispered with a smile. The knives had all shot off at an alarming speed. Each blade singing as they tore through the air, and though some had missed Azure entirely… somehow… others had managed to impale or slice along the bone.
“Bravo,” Azure cheered as he began to clap. “Now how'd that feel?”
“It felt natural and easier.” Chara said reluctantly as she dismissed the knives.
“Good, hope you get used to it, cause now I'm gonna try and kill you again.” He said with a friendly smile.
“haha no.” Chara said before trying to exit the mindscape as melting once a day was enough for her.
“Alright alright, I'll cut ya loose. I have to work with Asriel anyway since he's the one who payed for you to be here.” He said jokingly, the world blinking from existence.
-Everfree-
As the two awoke, the first thing either noticed was Asriel frantically shaking Chara, ranting and raving about blood that did or didn't exist
“Wake up already you flabbergasting pain in my rear!!” Chara groaned and rolled over batting at his hands. “Ah! Cold! Why are you cold!?” Asriel cried as he backed away and noticed Chara's new “gloves”.
“Dude… you can swear, none of us give a shit.” Azure said as he began to open his eyes.
“I would if I fragging could! Fruit flavored water nozzle! Aaagh!” Asriel yelled in frustration. Chara giggled showing she was not asleep.
Azure chuckled, wincing as Veronica had attempted to run her fist through Chara’s face…only for her fist to slam into a green heart shaped Shield that didn't even look fazed
“Damn brat…” The vampire spat as she instead turned to focus upon Azure. Pouncing upon him while biting at his clavicle.
“You're gonna hurt your teeth if you keep doing that.” Azure teased as he began running a hand along her wing.
The girl simply giggled, straddling the man as she resumes her biting.
“Uh… is she wearing anything down there?” Asriel asked.
“Slut!” Chara yelled out sitting up and giggling. Her response was a middle finger, Veronica not at all looking back as she was far too engrossed in her biting.
“Wow, really mature flipping off a child… what's your next achievement taking candy from a baby?” Chara says trying to be a smartalec towards Veronica once again casting her new favorite spell directly at Veronica.
This time however, it was Azure who blocked the screaming projectile with a kite shield. “You are having way too much fun with that…”
“What can I say, it's fun!” Chara said through her giggling as she got up and dusted off her clothes.
Azure tapped his lover on her waist, eliciting a groan from her as she got off of him and began fixing her armor. “You're gonna let me bite you one of these days right?” She asks of her property.
“Maybe,” He got back up into a lotus position and motioned for Asriel. “Ready?” He asked of the goat child.
“So long as I'm the only one going in…” Asriel mumbled as he took a seat upon the dirt, looking to Chara to ensure she would allow him his privacy… for once. When he looked over at her he saw her creeping up behind him with a smile on her face that screamed ‘I'mma cuddle you while you're in there’.
“Answer!” Azure called out. “Stranger danger protocol!” The elemental snickered as several strands of his hair began lifting Chara into the air.
“I've seen enough hentai to know where this is going!” Chara yelled out as she struggled against the hair.
“I assure you, you haven't seen enough.” Answer calmly replied. This only cause Chara to struggle even more as she had a panicked expression on her face, her very Soul started lashing out at the hair slicing pieces of it off.
“Oh dear, I may have struck a nerve…” The elemental mutters as he set the child back down, calling for wolves to bring tea. As soon as Chara was on the ground three different Shields appeared around her, two green and one red as she curled up in a ball inside.
“Is she gonna be alright?” Azure asked, a worried look upon his face.
“She's been like this ever since Luna had everyone go into her brain… I'd say one of you should get Pinkie to make a cake or something, it usually gets her back on her feet.”
The pair looked back, watching as a pair of wolves tried to give Chara a pot of tea and a teacup upon a saucer, all while Answer and Veronica began playing violins and none of it had any effect on Chara, she just curled up into a tighter ball, The Shield's growing ever stronger.
“Girl's got baggage…” Azure whispered. Groaning, he slapped his palm against his face and pulled out a small pendant. With a click, the pendant began vibrating until a voice echoed forth.
“Sugar Cube Forge, everything you never knew you wanted!” Pinkie exclaimed, several hammer strikes against an anvil accentuating her words.
“Uh… I need cake?” Azure asked. Pinkie began to hum, contemplating the quisitive order.
“Ohh… so that's why I made that cake! Huh, girl’s got baggage.”
“Tell me about it.” Azure and Asriel chorused.
“Bout what?”
Both Asriel and Azure held each other as they jumped into the sky in surprise. The pink party pony tilting her head in confusion. “What? What I do?”
“Nothing… where's the… cake.” Before the group was a massive chocolate covered behemoth, lined with the fluffiest whipped cream, and topped with an unrealistically large cherry.
“So… you two have a plan?” Pinkie asked, unhooking a rope from a harness. “Because I don't think she's too happy…”
The pair looked back, the shields having grown larger, thicker and decorated with several spikes.
“Yeah that's bad,” Asriel commented. “Maybe I sho-” Of course, he never got to finish his thought as Azure, as a wolf, began a brisk trot to Chara. Cake in toe.
“No daddy please don't.” Chara whispered over and over in manttra as she crying.
“I'm terribly sorry, I was inconsiderate to her-” Answer began chastising himself, only to stop as Azure laid a paw on his leg and gave a soft whine.
The wolf stared intently at the massive barrier, sniffing at the red portion of the barrier. It smelled like determination, and the green ones smelled of kindness.
Nodding to himself, the wolf began to trace a paw along the barrier, wary of the spikes as a soft blue aura began to hum around him. An emblem of three pearls held together by crescents in a triangular pattern began to shine brightly from his forehead.
'And the only thing that brings me back…’ Azure muttered in wolfish.
The red barrier began to shine blue, the spikes upon it retracting as the green portions of the barrier began to do the same.
'Is love.’ The barrier opened just enough for the wolf to pull the cake within. Gently whining a doggish whine, Azure began to squirm into the child's arms, licking away their tears. Chara buried her face into the dog she was now hugging trying very hard to bury the memories again. Chara soon begin opening her eyes again as the memories were once again repressed.
Her vision was graced by a happily panting wolf… and a massive twenty foot cake. She continue cuddling the dog ignoring the cake for a bit as she just wanted something to snuggle with as the dog cape off the feeling of safety and warm. “Thank you for trying to cheer me up.”
Azure barked, wagging his tail back and forth as he buried his muzzle into Chara.
“Uh… knock knock?” Asriel whispered, unsure of whether or not he should disturb his only friends in the multiverse. Chara focused and the shield started to drop before Asriel was pulled into the bundle of fur and human.
“I shee your phine… now if you look uph, you'll shee the kek we brut you…” Asriel said while currently smothered. even after asriel said this it took 10 minutes before Chara let both of them go. And after that she started to eat on the cake making loud nomming sounds.
“Quick, while she's busy…” Azure whispered, now half out of his wolf form.
The pair began to settle into cross legged lotus positions, focusing as their minds became one
-Mindscape-
Asriel opened his eyes to a vast expanse of neural synapses in constant activity. Electrical brain waves firing from nerve to nerve in rhythmic fashion.
“What… what is this place…” Asriel asked in dumbfounded awe.
“Better question, how'd she follow us in?” Azure asked, pointing to a pair of hands locked around Asriel’s waist.
“How'd she wh- CHARA!” Asriel shouted as he was pulled into a tight hug.
“Determination!” Was Chara's response as she clung close to Asriel.
“Oh for Pete's sake…” Asriel groaned at, eliciting a laugh from Azure.
“She must really have a thing for you.” Azure mused, now standing above the two and leaning down.
“She’s too childish for my tastes.” Asriel complained.
“You're a bit of a child yourself.” Azure shot back with a sly grin, Asriel burying his face into the floor.
“Hate you both…” The goat child groaned. Chara responded with squeezing Asriel and rubbing her face more into his chest.
“Alright you two love birds,” Asriel groaned further at this comment. “I need to get to the bottom of Asriel's situation, so if’n ya don't mind…”
Azure grabbed Asriel by the scruff of his neck, lifting the two children with ease.
“Chara, you can let go now.” Asriel muttered in complaint, Chara's legs currently locked around his waist.
“Nuu~ my goat!” Chara whined out as she clung to her goat wrapping her legs around him tighter.
“Dying. Need advice. Cuddle me later.” Asriel stated calmly and assuredly. His arms hanging limp at his sides and his legs dangling in the air.
“As much as I'd enjoy watching you tear his clothes off with your teeth, I kinda need him as free and calm as possible.” Azure added in argument.
“Don't give her ideas!” Asriel cried as he now began a desperate struggle for freedom.
“That doesn't sound like a bad idea~” Chara says as she playfully bites his shirt.
“Help! Help! This was not how I wanted to break in this body!” The goat cried as he tried pushing Chara off his chest… only to find himself separated from the menace by a golden bubble. “Oh thank God…”
“Let me out! He will be my husband!!!” Chara yelled out as she pounded on the golden bubble.
“Not with that attitude.” Azure teased coyly, one knee raised and leaning over the pair. “I'll let you out once I assess the damage.”
The man began to saunter around the bubble, purposefully waving his hips in Chara's face as he slowly descended his left index finger on to Asriel’s forehead.
“mine!” Chara yelled out nearly shattering the bubble with a determination infused fist.
“This is the part where I ask you to be gentle, isn't it?” Asriel asked with a bit if apprehension.
“Only if you want to~” Azure said with a wink, a star materialized just attop his right eye.
In an instant, the bubble was shattered as a vast amount of data and information literally began to cascade from within Asriel. The goat child's eyes having gone white from the surge of power. Chara then broke out of her bubble and was once again wrapped around her goat .
“Unreal… look at all this data…” Azure gasped, backing away as he began to soak up everything that was being presented him.
“It's a shame it's all fragmented and inco- hello jackpot.” The endless stream stopped, Azure now focusing upon a status screen of Asriel's health, mana, level, structural stability, and something called “Bonds”.
“Hey Chara… what's with this disconnect between his body and soul?” Azure asked.
“He was summoned and they screwed up the ritual by saying a different word.”Chara says before burying her head back into asriel.
“What was the ri- no never mind I found it…” A separate screen was pulled into his vision, and then thrown back. “Who the FUCK gave them a copy of the NECRONOMICON!!?”
“I would say Discord but I know they wouldn't trust him…” Chara says once again pulling her head up to say it then Burying her head back into asriel.
“Jesus… the only reason they'd need a passage from the devil’s playpen is if the thing they were trying to summon was already dea- oh that explains a lot…”
Azure began to shuffle through the broken and fragmented memories and thoughts until he came upon a glitched scene of an adult Asriel holding a child interspersed with a young man in a chef's jacket holding a cast iron pan over a burning stovetop.
“Okay… that's weird. What am I looking at?” Azure asked Chara.
“The day I regret most of all…” Chara said knowing exactly what he was talking about as that was one of the the memories she had locked away from everyone.
“Oh… that kid is you… isn't it, but then… who's the guy on the left?” Asure asked, once again looking at the second half of the glitched image. “And… why is it part of our friend’s memories?”
“That's probably who he was before he got displaced… both of us got the memories of the people we became…” Chara says shivering as a particularly painful memory of the real Charas came up.
“Aight so lemme get this straight… the princesses fucked up a dead man's ritual, and shoved a chef into said dead man's rotting corpse? That's cold…”
“Actually monsters turn to dust immediately after they die…” Chara says correcting him.
Azure looked at Chara, fully expecting context. “Okay that's it, I need to read your mind.” Chara however did one better as she pulled up two bookshelves from out of The Ether.
One shelf looked to have aged terribly, covered from top to bottom in cobwebs and dust. Several of it's volumes had been coated in several layers of rot and mold. Some had their spines literally torn asunder and others were filled with holes and bookworms…
The second however was rather well kept and tidy, several rows filled with black bound tomes all the way to the bottom shelf until the book bindings began to gray out and turn white.
“That's… that's a lot of books. Which are relevant to Asriel and you? No I don't mean as a couple. Somehow I doubt he feels that way…” Azure mumbles as he looks upon the disheveled bookshelf. Chara pointed to the well-kept bookshelf and one of the only well-kept books on the rotten shelf.
He takes the only clean books from the horrid bookshelf and begins to skim through one as he made his way to the cleaner shelf and pulled several black books at random.
Within the opened tome in his hand, Azure found something… strange and beautiful. “It's… it's sheet music.” He closed the book and slowly began to open it's index, finding nothing but a directory of various tracks. “Can I keep this?” Azure asked.
“But those are supposed to be memories!” Chara says that she was completely confused.
“Too late, already made a copy,” Azure says mindlessly as he waved a brown book with a treble clef imprinted on its face. “Octavia's gonna get a kick out of this.” Placing the original back on its shelf, Azure began levitating several more books as he began to pour through their pages. Some of the books he levitated were black books with red and yellow spines.
Once he had finished reading the books from the rotting selection, he began to read from a red spined black book…
The synapses around the trio went dark, the book now closed as it began to burn wildly. The light returned once the book had become a pile of smoldering ash.
“I'm sorry was that important to you?” Azure asked Chara with a deathly calm.
“Don't worry this is just a copy of my memory…” Chara said with a quiet tone of voice as she looked away in Shame.
Azure cracked his jaw, closing the remaining black books as he began rubbing his throat. “Yeah… I remember my first time too. Not pretty,” With a flick of his wrist, the books had all been returned and Azure returned to Asriel. “I have everything I need anyway.”
As if with a fine toothed comb, Azure began to meticulously thumb through each fractured memory, every ounce of data… no detail had been spared.
“Okay… I think I know what went wrong…” Azure said as he waved to Chara. “See, he's got all these fragmented thoughts…”
“Can you fix it?” Chara asked as she walked over to him.
“I fixed the brain issues… it's his body I can't fix. Not without some serious Necromancy…”
“Is there anything you know of that can fix him!?” Chara yelled out as she didn't want to lose Asriel a second time even if it was a completely different asriel.
“That's something he's gonna have to do himself… take a look at this.” Azure brought up a file labeled Bonds: Cloak.
A video began playing of Asriel talking to a wizened mare in tarnished gold armor and rags. The two took to each other well and even held several sparring sessions.
“Don't know who Cloak is, but she seems to have done him some good.” Azure brought out Asriel's status screen, several new details apparent. One such detail was a line connecting to Asriel's heart now labeled “Cloak”.
“Whatever he and Cloak did, it's sort of stabilizing him.” Azure added. He then began scratching his head in befuddlement however.
“The weird part here is that Cloak is supposed to be dead if his most recent memories are correct…” Azure thusly turned to Chara, curiosity written upon his face. “He hasn't been hanging around graveyards has he?”
“No but he did come in contact with her skeleton when we were sent to deal with zombies…” Chara said as she remembered what happened.
“Great… more undead… but if hanging out with the ghosts of dead ponies makes him whole, I can't really say anything to the contrary…”
“The one that needs to stay away from my goat!” Chara yelled out as she somehow teleported asriel into her arms.
“Haha, a rivalry? I can already see who wins this one.” Azure chuckled. “I can give you a few pointers, really give you the upper hand.” Azure offered. Chara looked up at him hopeful as she didn't want to lose asriel.
“You see, it's all about timing. You gotta know when you can move in and start whittling him down…” Azure said as he snaked his finger along the floor, a sultry look upon his face.
“But you can't be too quick or to strong, you'll scare him off like that. You gotta show em what he's missing, but you gotta be willing to show em you're more than a pretty face. Take the time to listen, to share in his moments,”
Azure sighed a deep and content sigh, as if remembering a pleasant memory. “Let him come to you and you'll do just fine, but don't ever forget to be yourself!” He said excitedly as he pointed at Chara.
Chuckling, he turned back to Asriel and began to put his memories away in their proper place, essentially waking the goat child.
“I didn't drop those plates I swear!” Asriel cried. “Oh… I'm back. What… what happened?”
“I fixed your brain.” Azure replied calmly
“Isn't that great Azzy.” Chara says in a happy tone of voice as she continues to cuddle him.
“Yeah, yeah I guess,” Asriel replied a tad bit emotionless. “Could you maybe give me some room? I feel… vulnerable.” He hangs his head, immediately panting from exhaustion. Chara reluctantly let him go.
“Oh, yeah… that's my bad…” Azure said a little apologetically. “I mean… there was so much to put back, and now that the “Asriel” half of your mind is more or less complete…”
Asriel looked up, rather perturbed at what he was insinuating. “And what about the half that's me?” His voice cracked as tears began to bud from his eyes.
“It's… a little more complex. You're still you, but…” Azure began to prod his index fingers together, unsure of what to say.
“There's just a little more now, like add-ons or DLC!” Chara said trying to lighten up the mood.
“Yeah, I think I can do without the fang brigandine censorship mod… half my “swears” don't even make sense!” Asriel exclaimed, no longer crying and not at all emotionally flustered.
“I did try to fix that… I may or may not have fucked up.” Azure replied.
“and you're adorable when you're trying to swear!” chara says as she does everything in her power not to jump and cuddle him.
“I am NOT adorable!” The adorable ball of adorable that was Asriel cried out to the heavens. He huffed and got to his feet. “Okay, my brain’s been fixed, what about the rest of me?”
“Oh, glad you asked!” Azure exclaimed. “You see, all you really need to do is hang out with the dead!” Azure jumped excitedly as he said this.
“Elaborate.” The goat child demanded.
“You're body is in this halfway state betwixt the realms of life and death…” A diagram was brought out as Azure began explaining Asriel's current situation.
He pointed to a rough sketch of Asriel, then a rough sketch of a ghostly Cloak. “This let's you bare your heart… so to speak… to members of the recently departed!”
He flipped the board and pointed to a sketch of Asriel in Cloak’s armor. “The souls you meet who stick around complete you, the way the soul fragments within you were supposed to do… but failed to do.”
“So I'm… half dead?” Asriel asked, a palm outstretched as if he were asking for clarification.
“Yes? No? Maybe? I don't know?” Azure had tilt his head with each query. “Could you repeat the question?” He asked seriously.
“He asked if he was half dead!?” Chara yelled out.
Asriel groaned as he facepalmed, “Surely you can't be serious…” He grumbled.
“I am serious, and stop calling me-” Azure shrunk at the death glares leveled his way. “Okay okay, serious now…” Slapping his cheeks twice and uttering several incoherent noises, he snapped his fingers.
“Okay, so the easiest way I can put this is to say that you are a…” Azure's face took on a… disgusted/disgruntled look as he groaned. “A paradox…”
“Not what I wanted to hear.” Asriel said with an angry calm “So… what? I don't exist?”
“What no, no… no. Of course you exist… you're just alive and dead at the same time.” Azure tried to smile, hopeful the duo before him wouldn't try to kill him.
“I think I understand what you're saying!” Chara says as she looked like she was deep in thought.
“So what happens when I'm complete?” Asriel asked, sitting upon the floor and stretching out his legs.
Azure raised a finger in silence and pulled out another blackboard. “Right… yes… the endgame…” In the middle of the board was Asriel, his heart carved seven different ways inside of him and seven wisps surrounding him.
“Two things can happen… Either the souls you meet find solace within you and more or less become a part of you or… uh… you...” The man looked away, not wanting to meet the children's gaze.
“Or I what!” Asriel shouted in annoyance.
The board was flipped, showing an image of Asriel’s heart exploding. “Or you blow up.”
“I won't lose another Asriel!” Chara yelled out once again wrapping her arms around asriel.
Asriel stared blankly at nothing, his face a mix of shock, confusion, anger, and… something.
“You're not gonna lose Asriel,” Azure stated a bit offhandedly. “I mean… yeah maybe… but he just has to make sure the souls he talks to are okay with sticking with him and… fading from reality…”
He puts a hand over his eye and pouts. “Yeah wow, Asriel is boned…”
“Could I pour my determination into him to fix his soul!” Chara asked wondering if she poured enough determination into him would it fix him.
“Yeah sure,” Azure said dismissively as he shook his hand at Chara. “If you wanted to melt him.”
“HOW THE FRUIT DO I LIVE THROUGH THIS?!” Asriel shouted, knocking his arm on Chara’s head after shooting to his feet in frightened rage. “Oh uh… didn't see you there.” He then proceeded to rub her head. Chara just leaned into him the bump on her head may have hear but she would never be able to be angry at asriel… He was the only one she had an attachment to after her displacement.
“Look… I can maybe pull some timey wimey bullshit an-”
“I can do timey wimey! Hit me!” Asriel exclaimed as he chose not to wait for clarification.
“Haven't you ever seen anything related to time travel!? It never ends well!” Chara yelled out conveniently forgetting that her powers are time based.
“I am a literal Avatar of Time!” Azure proclaimed, shooting both his arms in to the sky. “Time is my middle name!”
“Then time me!” Asriel pleaded, now on his knees and hands clasped.
Lolling his head, Azure procured a shield shaped medal adorned with a pair of crossed blades. Focusing, several clocks began to phase in and out of existence as the medal began to float midair.
A great light shined forth and died down, the medal dropping into Asriel’s hands. “My world anchor, the Sword Master’s emblem. I remember you telling me something about your skill with a blade, so that should help.”
“...And?” Asriel asked expectantly.
“If for any reason you were to somehow expire, time will reset one hundred and twenty minutes into the past.” Azure explained.
“Two hours? Yeah I guess that's fair…”
“You do realize I can easily save, load, and reset reality right?” Chara asked with a deadpan. After all that was kind of her thing.
“If I killed him right now, could you do it without freaking out?” Azure asked calmly, making Asriel currently not so calm.
“Can we not test that theory?” Asriel asked as he put away his shiny new toy.
“if you did anything of the sort I would kill you repeatedly while leaving your memories and resetting the timeline.” Chara said her voice dead and without any emotion.
“And you were able to beat me… oh wait. You weren't.” Azure replied.
“Guys, let's not measure our egos?” Asriel asked.
“I would eventually as that is the nature of my powers.” Chara says interrupting asriel. “You can't perma-kill me, it's impossible... unless you're dusttale Sans or an absolute god of hyperdeath.” Chara finishes with a sadistic smirk and stirring up emotions and memories inside of Asriel.
“Kid… you're scaring me.” Asriel whispers.
“Eh, she's all bark no bite… either way, it's time to test your limits Asriel.” Azure turned around and took a step, until he turned back with a sweeping motion and revealed himself to be wearing a gold suit of armor with a flowing blue cape.
“Tell that to the genocide timeline…” Chara says as her sadistic smirk turned into an evil grin as her Shadow started warping and twisting.
“Dude, I think she's serious!” Asriel now yelled slightly afraid.
“Ignore her, sword up.” Doing his best to ignore the current threat to his health, Asriel focused on his adult form and unsheathed a wicked blade. It's jagged edge shined with rainbow light.
“Uh… en garde?”
Both of them were surprised at a red glowing knife flying right by Azure’s face leaving a small cut on his cheek.
“Okay, maybe you should start paying attention to her…” Asriel stated, looking at Chara in fear.
“I've had my limbs torn off, a knife grazing my cheek isn't all that scary,” Azure calmly wiped the blood from his cheek and licked his fingers clean. “Plus, this is your session, not hers.” Unperturbed, Azure unsheathed a crystal blade with a gold dragon head shaped hilt. He suddenly had one of the glowing red knives buried Hilt deep in his back.
“You really should listen to my goat, could save your life.” Chara says, saying the ‘my goat’ possessively as her eyes glow red and a final red knife was aimed at his head.
The knife struck, stopping as Azure had turned his head from the force of the knife… only to turn to the now angry Chara, knife in his teeth.
“Can you wait?” He asked as he spit out the crimson blade.
“Alright one, I don't swing that way but that was pretty hot,” Chara glared at Asriel as he said this. “Two, maybe you can get her to calm down now.”
“Hey, she's into you not me.” Azure shot back.
“No way, she'd kill me! Plus, I'm holding out for… uh…”
“well whoever you're holding out for is going to die cuz you are my goat! Besides I would never hurt my goat!” Chara says completely horrified at the idea of actually hurting asriel.
Said goat looked to the only other guy in the room, hoping for some sort of out. When he was given none, he groaned as he sheathed his blade. “I'm only doing this to calm her down…” Asriel muttered as he closed his eyes and held out his arms wide.
“Mine!” Chara yells out as he was Suddenly glomped by her both of them falling to the floor with Chara's face firmly rubbing into his chest.
“Whatever helps you sleep at night…” Asriel grumbles. “Wonder how things are going in the guard…”
Azure slowly began inching his way to the fallen goat man, kicking his foot. “You two done yet? I need to make sure Asriel can still use his magic without it killing him.”
“If you so much as hurt my azzy I will permanently remove what makes you a man!” Chara threatened and due to her tone they knew she was serious.
“Look if you want me that badly…”
“YES! PLEASE!” Asriel exclaimed now holding out Chara. “SHE'S ALL YOURS!”
“But she's not even my type…”
“I will never betray my goat!” Chara yells out somehow getting out of his hold and once again clinging to him.
“Come on Chara, give yourself to the incredibly attractive man…” Asriel said as he tried his best to pry Chara off of him.
“But I'm not even into humans!” Chara yelled out, and it was true she was not into humans as her sheer dislike for them reached apocalyptic levels.
Azure thusly burst into peals of laughter. “Hah! She… she thinks… she thinks I'm human!” Getting a grip on his hyena like laughter, he wipes a tear from his eye. “Oh that's rich…
“But… aren't you?” Asriel asked now slightly curious.
“Nah, this is really just a spiritually powered meat suit. Wanna see what I really look like?” Azure asked while leaning into the goat’s face.
“...yes?” Getting a nod, Asriel’s eyes began to widen as the man before him began to crack and peel, revealing green scales behind what he thought was brown skin.
Without warning, he burst, revealing what looked like a regal bipedal dragon with a massive flowing red mane. “Tada!” Azure exclaimed with outstretched arms and jazz hands. “Eh? Eh?”
“I prefer my goat… Besides you look like something Satan would sick on someone.” Chara says once again burying her face inside of asriel's chest letting out a Content sign noise.
“Yeah, I'm not as fluffy as I want to be… still, it could be worse… I could still need to wear,” He stopped, audibly gasping. “CLOTHING !!”
The mindscape shuddered at the offending word.
“Right… well since short stack doesn't want to let go,” Asriel got to his feet and ruffled Chara’s head. “I'd say we do this anyway.”
“I'm game!” Azure exclaimed as he brought out a larger crystal blade with a black hilt.
“This is a dream you know… You can make more than one of yourself…” Chara said as she continued to snuggle into Asriel.
“I can?” Asriel asks, looking down at himself as he was no longer held by Chara. He then looked to himself, still being held by Chara and looking… sullen. “I don't look so good…”
Shaking his head, he looked to Azure and brought out his blade once more… before going wide eyed. “If this is a dream…”
He stuck out his hands, mental constructs of Celestia and Luna popped into existence wearing rather provocative Arabian garb, looking about rather confused. “Hah! Yes!” He proclaimed as he pumped his fist in victory.
“Okay, you done?” Azure asked, drooling slightly.
Asriel snapped his fingers, the constructs poofing from existence. “Okay, yeah done… wait one more!” Excitedly, Asriel made another pony appear in much the same garb, only this mare had wild pink flower petal like hair.
“And now I'm happy!” He exclaimed, fists on his hips. Chara immediately decapitated the mare.
“And now I'm sad…” Asriel muttered as he drooped over. “Woah boy!” He cried as he ducked under a sword swing.
“Alright, I'mma try and kill you now.” Azure casually stated. Grabbing the goat by his face and lifting him up.
Asriel began to flail like a fish out of water, his head slowly getting crushed. Frantically, he began to throw several rainbow colored stars at his tormentor’s chest… to no avail.
“Uh… how has he survived this long?” Azure asked Chara in mild curiosity. A cry for help muffling itself in his tight grip..
Shrugging, he let the struggling Asriel go, watching has he fell on his back and started to rub his face. “Ow… what the hiffle are you made of…”
“I honestly don't know…” Chara says before sending a blade of determination at Azures arm that was holding asriel.
The blade did little more than plink against the scale, dropping to the floor after impact.
“Check yourself before you wreck yourself.” Azure said, picking up the knife and handing it back to Chara. Chara sent more Blades of determination these a lot sharper than the one before.
There was a brief flash of light followed by the hard sweep of aged rags. Standing in front of Azure was Asriel, wearing Cloak’s armor and holding an even set of knives in each hand.
“Impulse control short stack, impulse control.” The goat chastised as he dropped the knives.
The Dracopyre behind him began to look at his armor, even sniffing it from time to time. “Truly outrageous…”
“Hey he was crushing your skull! what was I supposed to do!?” Chara yells out as she goes back to hugging and snuggling her Asriel.
“I let him go!” Azure complained, motioning to the now standing Asriel.
“You hurt my Asriel! You're lucky I only hit you with knives of determination instead of summon anything I have in the dark reaches of my mind!” Chara said making an unspeakable thing assault Azure senses.
“Huh… yeah that was pretty bad wasn't it.” Azure replies a little unnerved. Chara then made him live through torture porn followed by scat and then lolicon.
Asriel only stared at the unmoving dragon, noticing several images flash through his eyes. “What are you…” Asriel began to reach out his hand, Azure grabbing his wrist before it went any farther.
“Don't, you'll thank me later...”
“Oh come on it can't be that bad.” He replied.
“Two words. Meat. Spin.” Azure said, still unflinching.
“Wait no you're hurting him!” Asriel cried as he reached out to Chara.
“Asriel! No!” The Dracopyre finally broke from his trance and attempted to stop the goatman.
Asriel's mind was suddenly filled with sexy loli Chara pics, a lot of them having him screwing her.
“MY BRAIN!!!” Asriel cried before his mind’s thoughts were replaced by a series of looping eighties Madonna music videos.
The goat froze in place, slightly shuddering every three seconds.
“By the by, you have great taste in lolis.” Azure whispered to Chara.
“Is it bad that I want to try some of that… the lolicon ones I mean.” Chara asked out loud.
“I can give you some pointers?” Azure asked, never letting go of Asriel’s cranium. Said Asriel currently chanting “Li-ving in a material world… li-ving in a material world…” Chara sent more porn of herself over to asriel in a mix of adult and Loli.
He thusly clutched his head and began to run around like a headless chicken.
“Wow he is just not that into you…” Azure commented. Chara felt hurt that he didn't even find her adult self sexy even as she tried to hide it.
“Wait… weren't you two raised as siblings?” Azure asked as the realization dawned on him.
“I'm a displaced, not the original Chara and we're not related by blood, so it's totally okay.” Chara says as if that answered all the questions.
“Okay… but,” Azure caught the hysterical goat by the scalp and eased his mind. “I saw the Asriel side of his brain… he deeply cares for you. As a sister.”
“Heheh, he said d’oh…” Asriel whispered in a daze. “And then there's the part of him that doesn't even know who you are.” Azure added.
“I have the original Chara's memories that I was forced to live through and that fucked up my brain but it only got worse after my hatred was suppressed which was a good third of my brain and emotions… doesn't help the original Chara had a part of her that wanted to be something more than just brother and sister and my emotions which I can't control anymore!” Chara ranted as she stomped her foot.
“Have you tried getting to know him first?” Azure asked as he set Asriel down, wiping a bit of sweat from his brow. Chara didn't say anything she just crossed her arms and looked the other way.
“And that's why he's so against the idea… you haven't taken the time to get to know him…” He chuckled, running his claw along Asriel's cheek. “I remember a time when I was that naive…” Chara had by this point walked to the edge of the mindscape and just sat down.
The Dracopyre sighed as he began to pat Asriel on the cheek. “Come on big guy… let's get you on your feet.”
The goat’s eyes began to clench until they slowly creaked open. “Why can't I get the sound of Madonna’s voice out of my head?” He asked groggily.
“Yeah, my bad. I had to flush your mind out and Eighties Madonna is basically brain bleach.” The two got to their feet, Asriel did so rather groggily.
“So, what's the verdict? How fucked am I?” Asriel asked, rubbing the nape of his neck in discomfort.
The Dracopyre simply looked back to the moping child, a smile on his face. “Short of a planet buster like me, I'd say you'll be fine so long as you stop using your magic.”
“But I'm defenseless without it!” Asriel argued.
“You're defenseless with it, instead, rely on Cloak to keep you alive.” Azure replied.
“How am I supposed to fight?” Asriel shot back, hand on his hip. Surprisingly, Azure had presented a shining two handed longsword .
“If you absolutely need to fight, use this.”
Asriel gulped as he took the golden blade in his hands, feeling an intense weight within it instead of from it. “So… that's it?” He asked as he put the blade on his back.
Azure began to count off the fingers on his claw. “I fixed your mind, I got a lot of new data including but not limited to a new game to play and a lot of new music, all that's left to see is how well you fight with Cloak o-”
Asriel thusly sucker punched the distracted Dracopyre, getting a chuckle from him as he started to dodge several claw strikes and a high kick.
“Dodge me you can, keep up I must!” The two began an intense tango of hit and miss, neither one giving an inch despite the growing complexity and speed of their movements.
Their fight ended when a pillar of stone sought to pummel Asriel from behind, only for the stone to be sliced in six, Asriel crouching as he re-sheathed his blade.
“Hohokay… that's that shit I do like!” Azure said as he started to clap. “Yeah… we're done here. Pick up small, cute and pouty so I can start shutting this place down.”
Nodding, Asriel began to make his way to Chara… slowing his pace the closer he got. Sighing, he knelt down and put his hand on her head. Chara flinched at the unexpected touch but other than that didn't move.
Giving an even deeper sigh, Asriel opted to cradling the moping child in his arms. “Alright I picked her up, now wha-”
The world blinked...
-Everfree-
Asriel awoke to the sight of a timberwolf in his face, falling backward he started to look for Chara. She was sitting still next to him fully awake but not moving.
“So!” Azure exclaimed, startling Asriel but doing nothing to Chara. “You two uh… feel like exploring? Maybe wanna grab a bite? Say hello to the locals?”
He pouted, going in to werewolf like state as he put his incredibly furry head on Chara.
“I can go for a bite, yeah.” Asriel reluctantly agreed.
Azure looked down at the small child expectantly as he got to his feet, Answer and Veronica now having come up to Chara as well.
“Great… she's moping.” Veronica stated.
All eyes fell upon the bruiser, huffing as she folded her arms. “She may be the most annoying brat there is, but if she's clammed up… just don't take your eyes off her. She'll be safer that way.”
Asriel and Azure simply nodded… looking around frantically as they actually had taken their eyes off of her.
“Wait, where's Answer?” Azure asked.
“He must have followed her, come on!” Asriel shouted as he burst forward in Cloak’s armor.
“Hey jackass! Wrong way!” Veronica shouted, pointing the opposite direction.
The armored mass of rags sped off, now in the right direction and deeper into the forest.
“Coming?” Azure asked of his lover.
“Do you even have to ask?” She replied as she bent over just enough to expose her cleavage, a sly smile on her face.
Without wasting another second, the two were off.
-Harmony’s Edge-
“Miss Chara, please! I know I've been less than cordial but you mustn't run off like this!” Answer called to the speeding bullet that was Chara.
He found no response, but noticed the slight trail of blood and skin that would occasionally trail behind her. “Was I so careless in my wake that you choose to ignore me!? A thousand apologies!” He cried, clasping his hands together as he castrated himself right next her.
“ANSWER!” Azure managed to cry out from just behind the pair. “Get her to stop!”
“I will do no such thing!” He shot back. “I have brought more than enough harm upon her!”
“For the love of… CHAOS!” The world began to slow to a crawl… minus the child who had now outraced Answer.
“Yeah… okay. Yeah, okay!” Azure shouted in mild annoyance. “Can you at least tell me where the hell you're going!?” Azure pleaded. Chara ignored him as she continue to run the damage being a lot more noticeable on her legs as they looked like they were melting.
“GROUP DIVINATION!!” Azure yelled, a brilliant golden light radiating from the child.
[It's Complicated Applied ]
“FUCKING HELL!” The Dracopyre exclaimed, though he was at least somewhat happy that he healed her and have her a damage buff.
The two kept moving, one an unstoppable force, the other a slightly nettled caretaker. Through ancient trees, giant boulders, and the occasional manticore, the child tore through obstacle after obstacle while her guardian kept her… somewhat alive.
Soon, the trees of the Everfree had started to thin out, making way for the brilliant light of dusk as Chara immediately went down.
“Oh Hell… don't go to the tree don't go to the tree…” Ignoring the steps, Chara had opted to run along the cliffside as she made her way to the cave entrance of the Tree of Harmony.
“Stop! Don't touch that tree!” Azure cried, wincing as she quite literally barreled through a pair of vizalain guards, scattering their crystal bodies to the winds. Chara not listening to a word he says, crashes into the tree as her eyes have been closed the entire time.
The tree shook, several of its leaves cascading upon the child.
“What!? A human!? A human child!?” The tree cried.
“Oh sweet Christ, I am… so sorry!” Azure said hurriedly, gently cradling the child in his arms. Chara had busted her head open on impact.
“Hero? Is that you? I believe I said I would contact you if necessary?” The tree questioned. “Did she bleed on me?”
“Ohhhh crapbaskets…” Azure thusly began to shuffle in place, unsure of what to do. “Group Divi- agh fucking shit!” Azure spat as he fell to his knees.
“Hero? Is something wrong? Is there still blood on my bark?” The tree asked with slight worry.
“Damn heart's acting up… used too much mana at once…” Biting back another swear, Azure laid Chara down and begun slicing off the excess skin from her wound and licked whatever blood he could.
The wound had begun to visibly glow at this point, blood no longer building up, but the wound no closer to healing.
“Ffffuck… I really wanted to break this one down, but I'll just have to hope I see Zidane again…” Taking out a bottle with a shining green liquid, Azure gave a silent prayer as he uncorked the bottle and emptied the Hi-Potion into Chara's wound; watching as the wound began to glow green and red.
“Ooh… the colors…”
“What colors? Hero? I can feel the blood beginning to dry!” The tree audibly complained.
“Yeah yeah, don't get your roots in a knot…” Azure replied as he began spit into his hands.
“I hope you don't expect to clean me with your bodily fluids, no offense, but I don't know where you've been!” The tree exclaimed.
“Oh come on!” Azure cried, hands in the air in utter despair.
“At last we have found you!” Answer cried out, Asriel and Veronica right behind him.
“More unrequested visitation!? Hero, I expected better of you!” The tree chastised.
As Azure slammed his head into a cave wall, Answer had moved to face the tree.
“Ye elder gods! Fair maiden, you have been marred!” The elemental cried.
“Oh great, you noticed. Come help me out with… Chara.” Answer had completely ignored his biological donor, choosing to kneel before the tree.
“Yea fair sir! A great horror has befallen me!” The tree cried. “My once shining body has been marred by the spilt blood of another! Is there not one who can aid me in my time of woe and desecration!?”
“Oh dear God please don't let this be a thing…” Azure cursed as lo, it was indeed a thing.
“Fair lady,” Answer called out with outstretched arm, now kneeling upon a knee. “Allow for me to right this wrong, and to bring justice to your wicked fate!”
“Guys, bleeding child?” Azure asks rather perturbed.
“Did you check underneath her?” The tree asked, dropping the theatrics as Answer had drawn water from somewhere and had gotten to work on her blood.
“The fuck do you mean-” Azure lifted Chara’s head, noticing a growing patch of glowing green flower petals. Taking one, he sniffed it before applying it's nectar into Chara’s wound… effectively sealing it.
“My hero…” The tree purred, now clean and shining. “Really young Azure, why can't you be more like…”
“Answer, fair lady.”
The two shared a giggle as Asriel had finally come forward. “What the flapjack is that… and where's- CHARA!”
Hurriedly, Asriel knelt before Chara, running his hand along her forehead. “She's alright…” He breathed out.
“You aren't of this world.” The tree called out, startling Asriel.
“Oh… that obvious?” He asked with a chuckle.
“And what of you demon kin? Why do you not approach us?” This startled Veronica, as she only grumbled.
“Mother of the Vizalain. Tree of Harmony,” Azure called out. “Chara’s mind has checked out and it's got us worried. The fuck do we do?”
“Have you tried “turning her off and on again”?” The tree asked.
“Absolutely no one is turning her on!” Asriel shouted defensively. “Uh… you know… because she's just a kid…” He shut his mouth as a mad blush made its way upon his face.
“I don't see what hardware has to do with her emotional state of being.” Azure questioned.
“That is what makes you the hired muscle, Hero. You don't have to see why.” Before Azure could argue to his intelligence, the tree had begun to coil the child in loose shining vines.
“Oh no no no no…” Only to set her back down.
“What? What happened?” Asriel asked with worry.
“She's been touched by Kindness! I can't meddle in the affairs of the Elements! Why, they'd sooner have me dried and used for firewood!” The tree exclaimed.
“What!? But you grew the Elements yourself!” Azure argued.
“No… no you see, I gave them physical form upon the planet. THEY gave birth to ME .” The tree explained.
“But, every bearer took her on,” Asriel stated. “How could she only be affected by Kindness?”
“Only Kindness confronted her… of that I am sure of. Only Kindness can lift her seal.”
“Welp, I'm sold. Let's pick up Fluttershy and get her to work ye ol magic!” Azure exclaimed as he got up to his feet.
“Absolutely not!” The tree cried. “If Kindness ever found out I told you this, it would mean my DOOM for certain!” She yelled, somehow accentuating the word Doom so it actually became visible.
“Well, can you at least tell us what will happen to her if we don't fix her?” Asriel asked.
“Certainly! She'll die and take whatever universe she's in with her!” The tree happily stated. “Oh wait no, that's bad. That's bad, yes?”
“Yes fair lady, it is indeed a terrible fate to befall us.” Answer explained.
“I say we do it, I'm not willing to keep the world from falling apart at the subatomic level.” Azure said, his mind made up.
“Wait, what? What do you mean “subatomic”?” Asriel asked.
Azure had hefted the child upon his shoulders, slowly walking out. “I plead the fifth.”
Grumbling, Asriel simply followed behind as the group made their way out, Answer giving several farewells to the tree of Harmony.
-The Cottage-
Azure and co. sat upon an incredibly large and comfortable couch made from yarn of all things as Fluttershy began to pace around the unconscious child that was Chara.
“Oh no… Oh dear… What if something goes wrong!” Fluttershy… exclaimed as best she could in her quiet riot. “What if I accidentally cause the world to explode… oh…”
“Shy, SHY!” The pegasus ‘eeps’, jumping up and hanging on to the ceiling of her cottage. “The world's not gonna blow up if you mess up…” Azure assured.
This only caused her to hug the ceiling tighter.
“Angel… help…” The Dracopyre pleaded. The Bun-Demon sighed as he pulled out a magazine about yarn.
“Shy, I have the latest catalogue from Cat Scratch Emporium…” He whispered as he waved the magazine about.
With an actually audible gasp, Fluttershy fell upon the magazine. “They have a sale on my favorite bolt of yarn!” The pegasus cried in glee.
Everyone present had clutched at their chests, their hearts in danger of bursting.
“I should have stayed in the Everfree with Answer…” Veronica whined.
“It's too cute I'm gonna die!” Asriel whined.
Azure had simply taken to breathing into a paper bag.
Thankfully a knock at the door took everyone's attention. “Miss Shy, one of your blue jays left a letter!”
“Moonpie!” Azure shouted as he opened the door, quickly ushering Luna inside.
“Oh my, this certainly wasn't how I wanted to see our guests.” Luna muttered as she took in the varying looks of worry.
“Wait, how'd she get past Celestia and her guards?” Asriel asked.
“Easy fuck-wit. I helped her escape.” A shadow had formed behind Luna, loosely shaped like a pony. “Who's the kid? Hooker gone wrong?”
“What the phalanges is that!?” Asriel cried as he pointed at Luna’s “Shadow”.
“Serenity, play nice…” Azure chastised, the shadow actually listening to him.
“Sorry Master…” The shadow went back into Luna, said mare coughing into her hoof.
“Yes well… I'm here for a reason, right?” She asked, wanting to get straight to the point.
“It's Chara…” Asriel said, pointing to the lying child. “She needs something in her mind restored.”
“And I'm here to…” She began to spim her hoof around, letting her question hang.
“We're sending Fluttershy into her brain.” Azure explained as he cupped Luna’s face in a hand. “It's either that or wait for the other hat to drop.”
The two kissed, basking in the moment. “Ah… I do so love it when it's do or die. Let's get to it then! Miss Shy!”
Fluttershy who had just been rolling about, fully engrossed in her magazine, immediately sat up and hid her sin behind her back. A serious burning blush adorning her stoic face.
“To the adventure!” Luna cheered as she got into position around Chara. She was closely followed by Azure, Fluttershy trailing just behind.
“Wait!” Asriel and Veronica yelled, the two looking at each other in confusion. Ever the gentleman, Asriel bowed and motioned Veronica go first.
The vampire walked up to Luna And Azure, giving both rather long drawn out kisses. “You two come back to me…”
The pair, slightly flustered, nodded agreement.
Asriel thusly went up to Fluttershy. “Here, these are the answers to the puzzles. Don't kill anything while you're in there.” The two exchanged a nod and the goat child stepped back.
“Ready Shy? Prepare to dive.”
-Ruined Underground mindscape-
The first thing Fluttershy had noticed upon opening her eyes was how drained and devoid of color her surroundings were.
“We are alone.” A voice echoed in her mind.
“Illyria? But the princess and…” Try as Shy might, she saw neither hide nor hair of her companions within the decrepit, derelict, and destroyed ruins.
“We continue in their stead. Help the helpless.”
Her resolve fortified, Fluttershy looked down at the note Asriel had given to her.
NO SUCH LUCK
The note read, below it was the picture of a smiling flower, it's tongue sticking out and it's left eye closed in a wink.
The flower then came alive as it took on a look of malicious glee, cackling madly as the note burned in her grasp.
Taking a deep breath, the mare simply began her trek forward along a straight path… that never seemed to end despite the other side of the room being but meters away.
“Prepare for battle, a demon has caught our scent.”
Several shining green vines began to break through the already failing infrastructure, locking the mare at both exits.
The same horrid laughter from before returned with a vengeance as golden flowers bloomed along the vines and began firing volley after volley of projectiles.
Thinking quickly, the mare pounded the floor in hopes of upturning a slab of masonry to soak up damage… only to break through the floor completely and fall through an inky black abyss.
Holding back her growing fear, the mare flared her wings as she gently landed upon a wooden ferry.
“You've met with a terrible fate.” A voice echoed as Fluttershy ducked beneath a sweeping scythe. The polearm was redacted, revealing it's wielder to be an empty black cloak.
“Enough of this.”
The boatman swung his blade once more, hooking an armored hand. Pulling back, Illyrishy grasped the boatman and crushed it's formless soul.
“Asriel told us not to kill!” Fluttershy’s voice echoed.
“He'll forgive us…” She replied as she hugged her new armament.
The ferry rocked gently along it's only path… until several vines had shot from beneath them, effectively destroying their ferry and causing the river to convulse .
“Please don't say I told you so.” Illyrishy lamented as she was forced to abandon ship… and land upon a block of solid ice.
Readying herself, the demon queen stood her ground as the vast ocean she found herself floating along had slowly been replaced with volcanic magma.
Her ice block fading fast, she jumped, hooking her blade on a crumbling ledge. Several loose pieces of debris fell into the molten ocean below, tortured screams echoing upon each impact.
Flaring her wings, she rode the updraft just long enough to touch down upon… what used to be a mini mall.
“Do you think there's anything here we can use?” Fluttershy asked.
“We can't trust this place or it's remnants… we mo-”
The vines had returned with a vengeance, carrying with them several pieces of either broken or irreparably folded joints as well as what appeared to be a box and head.
“WELCOME TO DIE!!” The mad voice cried as it threw fist after crumpled fist, missing but causing further structural damage to the world.
Closing her eyes, Illyrishy waited until a fist was once again thrust at her. With a deft cut, the vine holding the arm went limp before turning into dust.
“YOU'RE CHEATING!” The beast cried, wildly flailing it's appendages straight into the awaiting blade of the demon queen.
With one last rebel yell, the beast dug underground and fled, the metal head in its grasp now rolling down.
Retrieving it, Illyrishy was rewarded with a croaking “Oh yes... ”
“Hm, quaint.” She walked through the ruins, finding a statue of the box the beast held, holding out a pair of hands.
By the power of age won wisdom, Illyrishy placed her prize in the statue’s palms. Blinking, she backed away until several red and blue wires wrapped around her and dragged her deeper into the ruins.
…
Grunting and groaning, Illyrishy ran a hand through her hair as she took to her feet, scythe still in her grasp.
“What was that?”
“She wants to break free.” Huffing, she found herself in the middle of a beautifully adorned, though drab and dreary, hallway. For all intents and purposes, it was the most intact and stable part of Chara’s mind.
Illyrishy took only a single step before being forcefully torn apart.
“Illyria!” Fluttershy cried as she looked upon the true, unspeakable form of the once demon queen.
“Not as pretty am I?” She asked of her companion.
Fluttershy smiled, finding no fear or disgust as she reached out…
Only to be pulled away and sent flying.
“Lady if you come any closer to the kiddo you're really not going to like what happens next.”a voice rang out as a skeleton with a glowing I stepped out from behind one of the pillars.
“You dare!? I am ruler of this realm!” Illyria boomed out.
“Sorry kiddo, this is why I never make promises. it's a beautiful day outside birds are singing flowers are blooming, on days like these people like you.”sans said before his voice became demonic “should be burning in hell. ” Sans said before unleashing his first attack. They both heard megalovania start to play after the first attack.
A series of ghost like dragon heads began to fire beams at Illyria in clockwise procession, she dodged all but one as her mind failed to register the severity of her pain.
Gritting her teeth, she jumped up as four skulls attempted to shoot her down in a cross like pattern, only for four more to create an aerial box.
Latching on to a pillar, she pulled herself out and landed back onto the ground.
“Holy Beast! You will be unable to stop her!” Illyria yelled.
“heh heh heh heh ” Sans started laughing as he stopped his attack for a bit.
“You find this humorous!?” She demanded.
“It's funny you find me a holy Beast” the skeleton said still grinning.
In the back of her mind, Fluttershy’s voice still echoed.
“I have done nothing to you, Holy One, why should we fight?” The demon queen asked with sincerity.
“again with the Holy One? I'm a monster lady.” Sans says as he starts getting annoyed and sends more vicious attacks out that he would have saved for after trying to give her ‘mercy’.
Taking a calming breath, Illyria felt the grace and subtlety of the pony she had been living inside of as she spun around several rising bones, darted and weaved through literal mazes, and even escaped a laser grid formed by twenty dragon heads.
“I will not fight you… it is not what she would do.” Illyria proclaimed as she dropped her only weapon. “I am unafraid of the sins I hold.”
Sans was actually stunned speechless at this as this lady had enough LV that it nearly quadrupled that of the kid after a genocide run.
“May I pass? I fear I may need her far more than she needs me.” Illyria asked of the skeleton.
“I can't let you near the kid…” Sans said mistaking who she was talking about.
Illyria looked down, lost in thought… until she looked upon the scythe. Hastily, she retrieved it and looked to the skeleton.
“Monster, give this to her. You'll know her when you see her.” She presented the polearm, hope in her eyes.
“why would you give the kid something in her own mind?” Sans asked before he started to realize she wasn't talking about Chara.
“Chara is who we were sent to free, this blade is for her. For Fluttershy.”
“lady I'm surprised that you actually care for someone considering how high your level of violence is.” Sans said genuinely surprised as his fights usually end with him or his opponent dying.
“I had to watch as the man I loved die in my arms… have you ever felt such a thing? Love?” The demon queen asked, holding the polearm close as a tear fell from her eye. Sans didn't say anything.
The demon queen advanced upon Sans, stopping far enough to present the scythe again. “I don't want to watch someone else die, not someone I love.” a small fluffy white dogs appeared out of nowhere grabbing the scythe before running off with it.
Taking a moment to readjust to the absurdity of the situation, Illyria’s voice echoed mightily forth.
“FOUL BEAST! YOU WOULD DARE IMPEDE ME!?”
She raced forth… only for several chains made from bone to tether her in place.
“Fluttershy!! Resist!!”
-Throne room: Twenty Minutes ago-
Fluttershy awoke to the soothing sounds of robins and titmouses chirping their song. The mare looked at where it was she found herself in, it was a white walled throne room that housed a small garden.
“Oh my… it's beautiful.” She whispered in awe, light shining upon the room as if filtered by swaying oak trees.
Trotting forward, she began to hear the clatter of ceramics and the gentle humming of a deep and gentle baritone.
“Um… hello? Is anypo-... anyone … there?” Fluttershy called gently.
Fluttershy moved closer to the humming… bumping into a rather large and well designed statue.
“I really should watch where I'm going…” She muttered, failing to notice that the statue was actually a living being that turned round to face her. A watering pail in his hand.
“Oh! Howdy!” The “statue” called out. Letting out a heart melting ‘eep’, Fluttershy immediately took off like a silver bullet into the main patch of garden. Doing her best to hide amongst the golden flowers.
“Reckon this is a bit… daunting isn't it?” He asked.
Finding no malice to the beings words, the mare looked up, her gaze softening at the rather soft and fluffy features of the horned bull like being before her.
“Oh… um… h-hello.” Fluttershy smiled, hiding a good portion of her face behind her mane.
The beast gave a hearty chuckle as he knelt and held out a hand. “I am Asgore Dreemurr, but you can call me “King Fluffybuns”!”
Fluttershy giggled, moving her mane out of the way as she took his hand. “I'm Fluttershy.”
“Buttershy? Why that’s plum adorable!” Asgore exclaimed.
“Uh!? No no… I said um… Fluttershy…” The mare hid behind her mane again, giving a soft cry of embarrassment.
Asgore simply rubbed along the ridge of her ear, watching as the mare melted into his palm.
A tear fell from his eye as he pulled away and began to rise. “I so badly want to say, ‘Would you like some tea?’ but… you know how it is.”
He averted his gaze in shame, confusion growing within the mare. “I… would like some tea…” She called softly, shocking Asgore to his core. He began to sniff, his back still turned to his guest.
Walking off, the sounds of ceramics clinked within the room. Asgore returned with a tea cup upon a thin saucer lined with gold.
“It's golden flower tea. It's my favorite…” He whispered as he presented Fluttershy with the brew.
Taking the tea from Asgore’s shaking hold, the mare took in the rich aroma and took a sip. “It's simply divine, King Fluffybuns.”
Chuckling, Asgore rose once more and began to tend to his garden. “Nice day today huh? Birds are singing, flowers are blooming… Perfect weather for a game of catch.”
Sighing, Asgore turned back to face the mare. A trident in his hand. “I'm so very sorry…”
The mare sighed, looking upon the amber liquid she held she noticed Asgore making his way forward. His body was rigid and his eyes screamed of an internal conflict built upon years of pain and regret.
“How tense,” He said as Fluttershy looked up to meet his gaze. “Just think of it like… a trip to the dentist.” His face was like a cracked mask, a soft jovial smile layered upon unending grief and self loathing.
“I always wanted to be a dentist.” Fluttershy replied, her tea no longer in her hooves.
The mask that Asgore wore finally fell, his expression now reflecting the unending sorrow of his heart. The throne room began to disappear, giving way to a void of pulsating black and white light.
“Fluttershy… it was nice knowing you. Goodbye.”
Without warning, Asgore rushed forward, trident head thrust forward as he sought to impale Fluttershy.
Going high, the mare vaulted and aimed her hind leg at his wrist. She bounced off, doing little to actually harm him
Retaliating, Asgore forcefully angled his lance down, striking Fluttershy upon her back with the broadside of his trident head.
“Flu- Ershy! -Ou -Ear -E!?” A voice called from the ether.
The mare had tumbled to floor, rolling out of the way of several piercing jabs.
The voice that called out disappeared, an image of a pink bow flashing through Fluttershy’s mind.
Asgore once more slammed his trident on Fluttershy, the mare unflinching despite the impact’s blast of air.
Rising, the mare leveled an angered gaze at her opponent, an armored hoof knocking the polearm away with double the amount of force.
In the wide expanse of nothingness, a cold and haunting melody began to play . The two took a moment to study the other, waiting for an opportunity to strike.
Once more Asgore launched himself at the mare, trident point first. The spear head began to grind along the hoof guard of Fluttershy’s berserker armor, sparks flying as the unflinching mare simply ran along the side of the shaft proper.
With a vicious somersault, Asgore was struck chin first by a pair of hind legs, his head shooting up from the force.
Unrelenting, Fluttershy kept to the sky as she delivered roundhouse after roundhouse at Asgore, pushing him back until delivering a final spiraling downwards kick, Asgore’s face now becoming quite intimate with the ground.
“FLUTTERSHY!! RESIST!!” Illyria’s voice echoed as a tiny white dog had run up to the mare, the boatman’s scythe in it's mouth.
“Is this from…” The dog dropped the polearm and yipped as it scurried away, Asgore getting to his feet.
“That… hurt a lot more than I thought it would.” Asgore commented, his surprise falling away as he once again readied himself for battle.
The two stood still, one holding a trident, the other a scythe. It would be a battle of length and weight, and Asgore held the advantage in both categories.
With a deft, air splitting swing, Asgore sought to strike down the mare where she stood… only to pull back and stare wide eyed at the cleanly sliced stump that was his Battle Fork.
Unfortunately, since he took his eyes off his opponent, he was rewarded with several earth shattering strikes to his abdomen, cracking the thick and dense armor he wore.
He took three steps back, his attacker no longer in sight. He looked to and fro, even going so far as to spin in place… at least until a curved blade jut forth from his chest.
Instinctively, he looked up only for his gaze to be forcefully brought down as his face once again met floor.
...as it was brought back up and kicked back down upon a different section of floor.
“Good… BYE!” Fluttershy cried, retrieving her blade and swinging it as a pendulum along Asgore’s neck.
A blinding light burst forth from the impact, Fluttershy once more in the throne room, but no sign of Asgore.
...save the three imprints of his face upon the cracked masonry.
Huffing, Fluttershy found her tea and began to finish the brew so as to calm her nerves.
Taking a steady breath, Fluttershy placed the scythe upon her back as she looked about the throne room… finding nothing.
As such, she began to explore the only entry in sight. Greeting her was a cold corridor of stone and another entry. This doorway lead to a catacomb, seven coffins adorned with hearts of varying colors save for one.
The opened coffin was empty, but held an aura of utmost strength of will.
Returning, she decided to walk along the path, finding herself once more in the corridor where she was separated from-
“ILLYRIA!” The mare cried as she through herself upon the startled demon, merging with her.
“Umm… why do we have chains on our arms?” Fluttershy asked as she pulled upon a bone chain.
The monster has ensnared us. I believe he can lead us to Chara.
“M-m-mo-monster!?” Fluttershy cried as she struggled against her bindings frantically.
“You're not going anywhere near the kiddo.” the skeleton says as the smile on his face tightened.
Fluttershy gave an ‘eep’, looking around until she found the small skeletal monster.
“O-oh… um. Hello?” Fluttershy greeted with an uneasy smile. All the while she felt her back convulse, as if several claws had decided to scrape along her spine.
“You wouldn't happen to know where Chara is? I was told I'd need to undo a seal that I… um another me… put on her.” Fluttershy asked, shifting her arms along her bindings.
“Sup lady.” the skeleton says as he stands there lazily.
“Um… why are we… um, why am I tied up?” She asked, now a little worried as it felt as if the chains were cutting her flesh despite her thick armor.
Foregone Conclusion has been running passively, had it not we would not be talking.
Fluttershy didn't like the implications that something was slowly trying, though failing, to kill her. She now actively pulled at her bindings, testing their tensile strength.
“I don't suppose maybe you can let me go, maybe for just a small second?” The human mare asked sweetly.
“Wow for the element of kindness you sure do have a lot of L.O.V.E.” the skeleton say
“I'm sorry, I don't follow.” Fluttershy’s expression never once faltered, despite the small fact that this ‘monster’ may want to see her suffer.
She eased her foot along the base of a chain, scratching along the foundation it jut from.
“I'm sure we're all here to help Chara, she has a friend on the outside who misses her dearly and would like nothing more than to see her smiling face.” Fluttershy smiles, genuine kindness and worry radiating from her.
Do not bother, I have spent the better part of an eternity attempting reason.
“Well to answer your question L.O.V.E stands for Level of ViolencE a way to measure someone's capacity to hurt and no one is getting near the kiddos mind again especially since you killed King fluffybuns.” the skeleton said his eye flashing and his grin looking malicious.
Fluttershy looked away, cheeks red and puffy as she was more than a little embarrassed of herself on how she handled that situation.
“He made really good tea.” She relented before swinging the freed chain at Sans, the tip sliding just a hair from his face.
The skeleton disappeared as Fluttershy tore the second chain from its base as both wrapped around her gauntlets
Taking a defensive stance, Fluttershy flared her wings and focused. Closing her eyes and feeling the wind upon herself, she began to sway, dodging flying projectiles every so often.
“This seems kind of repetitive.” Fluttershy said calmly, using her new chain whips to deflect or derail incoming spears or bone mazes.
This monster does his best not to be touched. Find him, and get INTIMATE
Nodding, Shy begins to ignore several dragon like skulls as she takes to the sky and tries to spot the monster… her focus and attention thusly being caught by a hoof pounding upon one of the stained glass windows.
“Princess Luna?” Fluttershy mused as she got a good long look at the pony silhouette. Three blasts of piercing light bore through the window after Fluttershy ducked.
Slagged, the window was broken from the outside as Luna flew in covered head to hoof in blackened fire.
“Fluttershy you are in grave danger and I- are those chains on your gauntlets?”
Fluttershy giggled at Luna, actually flaunting her arms. “Do you think Gilda will like them?”
Luna giggled, though a tad confused. “I'm sure this Gilda will love them.” suddenly both of them were slammed into the ground as Sans was standing on the ceiling.
The mares shrieked as they were thusly pulled back to the earth with an intense gravitational pull.
“Evil skeleton! Really mean! Kill him before he does something to make Chara explode!” Fluttershy yelled out in frustration, Luna looking at her in surprise at how straightforward and clear that was.
“Umm, you don't have to…” She added as she withered a bit at Luna’s gaze.
“I’m just a projection of the kiddos mind so are you calling the kiddo Evil too.” the skeleton said as he gave the impression he was dead panning at them.
“Oh… um… kill with extreme prejudice.” Fluttershy thusly corrected herself as she launched herself like a mortar, narrowly missing Sans as he disappeared.
“I've got him!” Luna cried, attempting to impale the skeleton from the sky after he reappeared, only to find her spear lodged into an enlarged bone platform, she was then picked up and slammed into the ceiling.
“did you really think I was going to stand there and take it?” Sans asked mockingly as he grabs ahold of Fluttershy with his gravity magic and slams her into Luna.
“Hone… stly… your compliance isn't necessary…” Luna muttered, face smashed against Fluttershy’s chest. “SERENITY NOW!”
Just behind Sans, a massive blade of shadow rose and swung down… striking the floor as the skeletal monster casually dodged.
“Oh fucking shit!” The shadow cried as it began to slither away.
Sans by this point had teleported to the ceiling as he conjured several gaster blasters and pointed them at Fluttershy and Luna.
The pair pulled apart and fled, having to either hop over or duck oncoming bones.
As Fluttershy made a jump, a droplet of water had struck her eye. “Oh, where did…” Looking up in surprise, she noticed the skeleton visibly sweating.
Grabbing a piece of debris, she crushed it further and flung the shrapnel at Sans.
“you really like throwing out attacks don't you?” Sans says after once again dodging an attack… “I've got a question for you… Do you think even the worst person can change? That everybody can be a good person if they just try?”
Fluttershy’s eyes visibly darkened, cold blue veins becoming quite visible upon her forehead.
“Even demons have hearts, Monster.” Illyrishy replied, now gripping her scythe tightly.
“I don't see what this has to do with saving the world,” Luna questioned, her shadowy fire blazing ever greater. “But I firmly believe that one can become more than their past.”
“heh you don't know how much that helped the kiddo…” Sans says as he looks at them with a grateful look. “the kiddos mind has been messed up for a long time, even before her hatred was sealed.” Sans explained as he tried to catch his second wind.
The veins on Illyrishy’s forehead began to die down some, a joyful and excited smile gracing her lips.
“So you'll let me help her!?” She cried, her heart filled with hope.
“Haha! Once again we've saved the day from certain and unspeakable devastation!” Luna exclaimed, her spear held heroically above her head and wings flared.
“sorry but I can't do that…I was literally made to protect the kiddo till my dying breath…” Sans said as he conjured enough gaster blasters to fill the whole entirety of the room “Dodge this and I won't be able to fight back.” each and every gaster Blaster started powering up as they aimed at the two mares.
Wasting no time, the pair began spinning their respective polearms and began to dig , narrowly escaping the resulting laser cage.
“Is it over?” Fluttershy asked from her hole.
“I believe so! Quickly, the gatekeeper must fall!” Luna exclaimed as she popped out of her hole and aimed her spear like a javelin.
“Wait!” Fluttershy yelled as she popped out of her hole. “It could be a trick!”
Luna looked at her, wondering as to her reasoning.
“Um… it's a trap?”
Luna turned back, eyes filled with resolve. “Nay!” She declared. “He looks nothing like Ackbar! I hold complete faith…” The mare began to trot forward, finding the skeletal monster asleep on his feet. “That this is the end of the line.”
Once again readying her lance, Luna pulled back, and pierced mightily into Sans’ face, thrusting with all the strength and vigor she could bring to bear.
The monster fell to dust, floating away in the wind. “Where is Chara? Should she not have appeared before us?” Luna asked, shrinking her spear and clipping it to her barrel.
“She must be hiding from us… Oh… poor dear, what if I was too rough with her mind?” Fluttershy brought her clenched hands to her mouth, lamenting her previous bouts of violence.
“Fret not! I have a solution!” Luna cried as she begun to trot through the entrance of the hallway.
“Luna wait!” Shy cried, catching up to the gung ho mare. “This place is a maze! How will we even-”
The frantic demi-human lost her train of thought at their new surroundings.
The two had found themselves in a large building decorated with steel walls, checkered flooring, and all overlooked by a massive screen.
“Fear not, for I have something quite handy in this situation!” Luna exclaimed as she revealed a compass with the image of a dragon.
Popping it's lid, a chibi Azure began to sniff the air and point. “It was the only way he could manifest without tearing us asunder.” Luna explained.
“He's so cute…” Fluttershy cooed, much to the annoyance of the tiny guide.
With a huff, Chibi Azure put his right hand on his hip and pointed with his left, pointing to a large sack sitting on a corner
Closing the compass, the pair began to inspect the sack, opening it to reveal several packets of instant noodles.
“Well that was rather anticlimactic.” Luna commented, slowly turning to walk away.
Fluttershy would have followed suit had it not been for the pair of metallic hands popping out.
“Um… Princess?” Fluttershy quietly whispered.
“Not now, I'm trying to see if he'll point somewhere else!” Luna yelled, poking and prodding her compass.
“I really think you should look-” A hand took her by the scruff of her armor, eliciting a yell from her.
“Miss Shy! What ha- oh… yes I suppose that would be worriSOOOOOOME!!!”
The two were dragged through the sack, yelling through the ocean of plastic and artificial flavoring until they were both dropped on their butts, staring at… a human shaped machine.
“Going up?” The rather fabulous robot asked, an upside down pink heart pulsating on it's pelvis.
The girls looked at each other, and they each said: “Okay.”
A lever was pulled, and the pair became incredibly intimate with the floor.
The intense G-forces had steadily grown the further up they went, hitting the roof of their ride once the lever was thrown once again.
“Top floor, don't forget to have a fabulous day!” The robot said as it struck a pose, a star popping out from it's winking eye.
Peeling themselves from the roof, the pair had started to walk out through an opened door, Fluttershy stopping half way through.
“Aren't you?” She looked back, a metal box upon a wheel having replaced the original robot.
“Stay safe!” It said with a wave, closing the door and throwing the lever. Disappearing from whence it came.
Fluttershy gave a wave to no one, turning back to find Luna and Compass Azure staring at a door. Both wore serious expressions.
“I sense a disturbance in the force.” Luna whispered as Fluttershy went to stand next to her.
“Um… the force?” The demi-human asked.
“Oh yes, I'm actually not supposed to say that because of something called… copyright.”
Luna tucked away her compass and walked to the door. Knocking thrice and taking a step back.
“Um… should we maybe… go in?” Fluttershy asked, hand upon the door’s handle, only to pull away. “Wait, no. That… that seems rather rude.”
“Okay, we'll go in… together.” Luna stated.
Before them floated Chara in a sphere of red and green energy with her holding her head as if in great pain, her body glitching constantly.
“Oh my goodness! What do we do now!?” Fluttershy asked, incredibly worried at this point.
“Kindness did this to her, maybe Kindness can get her out?” Luna replied. Chara let out a Scream as her entire innerworld shook and glitched, a symbol remarkably resembling the element of kindness appearing on her head.
Nodding, Fluttershy began to take a step forward, placing her hands upon the orb holding Chara.
“Um… what do I do now?” She asked in a near whisper.
This may be the moment we… where you tap into the essence of the Element of Harmony.
“Oh… um, thank you Illyria.” Fluttershy replied as she focused her heart… the green portions of the orb beginning to dim.
“Stop at once!” Just as the green had blackened, Fluttershy took her hands away and gazed at a crystalline being wearing heavy spiked armor and wielding a massive greatsword.
It's head was shaped much like Fluttershy’s.
“What do you believe you are doing, Bearer?”
“Oh umm… I was just going to-” Fluttershy closed her eyes, flinching as the being before her marched.
“You, are going to walk away and pretend this never happened.” The being stated.
“We shall do no such-” Luna had ceased her growing tirade, a sword pointed at her nose.
“You have no voice here, failed bearer. You shall both leave at once,” The being accentuate this statement by plunging it's blade into the floor. “Please.”
Fluttershy built up the strength to stand up to the being before her. “I'm sorry, but can't you see how much pain sh-”
Only to flinch, the being’s blade slamming itself against Chara’s cell. The green portions of the barrier regaining their luster.
“I should know, I was the one who put her there, and I shall be the one to keep her there.”
“But she'll die!” Fluttershy cried in protest.
“You and these mortals shall learn your place Bearer,” the being readied their blade, the will to punish burning in their eyes. “I can always find another to bear my crest.”
Luna’s eyes went wide. “Fluttershy run! That's Kindness!!” She was thusly forcefully jettisoned from Chara’s mind as she sought to impale Fluttershy.
Blades clashed, Fluttershy trembled at the sight of Kindness itself and how she looked just like her… or could that have been by design?
Growling, more of Illyria began to surface, instilling Fluttershy with the demon’s ancient strength. With a deft swing, Illyrishy was freed from the stalemate and immediately brought all she had to bear.
Deftly spinning her scythe, she would push back against Kindness and when it would seem as though she found an opening in the demi human’s assault, Illyrishy would switch to whipping about her bone whips.
The bones would cause notable tears along Kindness’s crystal body, infecting the wounds with an almost acidic type of magic.
“You would fight against a god!?” Kindness screamed, a wave of green light assaulting all in it's path.
Guarding against the wind, Illyrishy mustered the strength to march forward, inch by inch until she was but an arms reach away.
“What is a god… to a non believer!!?” With one final swing, the mental construct brought about by Kindness was no more.
Panting from exhaustion, Illyrishy was shaken from her trance by the shattering of glass.
Staring back at Chara, she was now lying upon the bottom of the now open orb.
“so you're the bitch that is causing me such pain!” Chara yelled out through her pain glaring daggers at the being who had invaded her body and her mind.
Illyrishy fell upon her bottom, shocked, dazed, and confused at the outburst. “Oh… I'm sorry… I didn't mean to…” She thusly began to hide behind her hair as she prodded her index fingers together. A green, red and black barrier appeared around Illyrishy.
The demi human gasped, running her hand along the barrier. “Um… does this mean you're better now?” She asked Chara.
She knocked along the barrier, finding it to have been reinforced by a great deal of strength of will, a kind heart, and an unrelenting hatred for… the whole of humanity?
“Such a child would have been a great boon for my armies…” The Illyria portion of the duo muttered. “Child, release us… please.”
“no this bitch dies! ” Chara yelled out, her voice overlapping as the barrier holding them manifested thousands upon thousands of different Jagged spikes made of hatred inside of the barrier.
“Oh, umm… safe word safe word… what was the… LOOK, IS THAT ASRIEL GETTING A NAKED PAINTING DONE!” Fluttershy cried out and pointing.
Chara immediately turned her head in the direction Fluttershy pointed to, turning back to normal and the barriers shattering like glass as the child tried to find the naked Asriel.
“I THOUGHT YOU SAID YOU'D ONLY SAY THAT IN AN EMERGENCY!!” Asriel shouted, hiding his naked form as Chibi Azure worked on a rather lewd painting of the adult goat.
“Wait… that wasn't the safeword…” Fluttershy mumbled in slight embarrassment.
Asriel was now standing upon several foot stools, batting at Chara with a paintbrush. It didn't help much that Chara’s irises were replaced by hearts.
Chibi Azure thusly prodded one of Chara’s shoulders to get her attention.
“Come on man! She's fine! Now get us out of here before she starts drooling on my leg!” Asriel cried, a mad blush on his face.
“Oh! I remember the safe word now! It's egress!!” And with that, the world was white.
-Cottage-
The awakening group had found themselves in various positions sprawled about the floor. Some had new gear, others were much the same… and one...
“At least I have pants on.” Asriel groaned, half naked and cradling Chara in his arms.
“Hey, you don't look half bad in the buff.” Azure commented with a smile, holding out an expertly painted portrait of Asriel… Veronica now pulling on his ear.
“Don't you think about it for a second!” The vampire threatened.
“I wasn't! You have tits! He doesn't! We both know who wins out in this situation! Azure pleaded.
Letting go, Veronica huffs, taking a look at the painting. “Do me next?” She asks.
“Pfft, you don't even have to ask…” The Dracopyre placed the painting down, walking up to and examining Chara.
“She cannot still be asleep…” Azure whispered. “Hmm… sweet dreams kiddo.” He placed a finger upon her forehead, sending a single image into her mind of her and her beloved brother watching a sun set over a gentle ocean.
“So… now what?” Asriel asked, looking at the group in curiosity.
Most everyone in the room had seen better days, wanting nothing more than to sleep their fatigue and hurt away.
“I guess this is where I send you home…” Azure said idly as he pulled out Chara’s knife and a green ocarina.
“Just like that?” Asriel asked a little skeptically
“Hey, she already has a world anchor,” Azure replied. “I don't think I have to give you the whole ‘Displaced’ shtick…” He began wiping his tongue as if the word left a poor taste in his mouth.
“Dis… what!? I don't know what that is,” Asriel stated grumpily. “And I'm pretty sure we should wait till she wakes up. Wouldn't want her outright attacking anyone…”
Azure huffed and set his eyes on Fluttershy, the pegasus having just put away a rather large scythe away in a broom closet.
The mare finally turned, finding all eyes on her in this awkward situation. “Oh! Um… well… I suppose Asriel and Chara can sleep in my room tonight…”
“What?! No! No no no… I am not putting you on the floor!” Asriel protested, quickly plopping himself on the couch, bouncing hard enough to throw Veronica off her seat and into Azure's arms.
“I guess I'll take your basement?” Azure muttered, the girl in his arms giggling cutely.
“Oh… okay, but please mind the yarn!” Fluttershy stated, her guests watching closely as she flipped open a secret hatch. This actually caught the attention of her guests, even Angel was surprised…
“Oh… I think you told me about this!” Luna exclaimed with joyful wonderment.
“How do you know about this!?” Angel questioned.
“I read the comics.” Was his only reply as he walked down, Veronica flicking the lights on from her position in Azure's arms.
Before the group was a massive studio of various works of art made entirely out of yarn.
“P-please stop staring! Oh no… no don't stare at that piece it isn't finished yet!” The flustered mare cried.
The piece was actually a large scale model of Fluttershy, wings spread out in mid flight and surrounded by a magnificent burst of butterflies.
“Wait,” Azure put down his precious cargo on her feet and walked to a massive model covered by a rather heavy sheet. “The self portrait should be this piece here, what's in its place?”
The mare paled, before she could so much as move, the sheet was removed to reveal a large scale model of a Demon Knight, holding back several planks of burning wood while a small foal and filly held his legs.
“Holy crab apples…” Asriel whispered, all eyes now on him. “Who's that? Wait, Fluttershy you made this!? Wait… Did you make the couch!? Can the Fluttershy on my world do this!? I have so many questions!!!”
“Get to sleep… and I will tell you a tale.” Azure whispered, his hand rubbing Asriel’s shoulder.
-Hopes and dreams-
Night had fallen…
The Dracopyre, his mate, and his princess sat curled by a corner.
Fluttershy lay upon her bed, her bunny rabbit curled upon it's edge.
Asriel however could not sleep. The child he held in arms worrying him to no end as sat alone upon the couch within the cottage living room.
He yelled at himself, berated his feeble strength and wallowed in regret and doubt.
“I'm so sorry… I was supposed to take care of you…” A tear fell upon the child's face, rippling away the image of what he thought was reality.
The world was black, his arms empty, and a small light flickered in the distance.
“I will tell you a tale…”
The voice echoed from the light, beckoning him forward.
As he walked, the world became a plain of earth and grass, surrounded by mountain and bathed by the light of an unforgiving sun.
“What the hepha…” Asriel found his words caught in his throat as old buildings of wood and thatch rose from the ground… only to be bathed in fire.
Screams surrounded him, pleas and prayers to the gods echoed throughout the burning town as soldiers of ebony and gold lay waste to the partitioners.
Their pleas ceasing only once their lives were stripped from them. A shadow surrounded the butchering of the innocent… A goddess of white and gold oversaw to the massacre, partaking in the bloodied opera.
“What… what is going on…” Asriel asked himself, falling backwards upon fallen wood.
The burning town was thusly over run by figures of all shapes and sizes, some fought back against the golden army, others sought to save those not yet touched by violence, and others had run head first into the smoldering ash.
One such being was a crimson and black metal demon, his objective a pair of children whom had nearly been crushed by a collapsing roof.
“That's… the statue from the yarn room…”
A shining flare stole his attention, the goddess like being having sent out several flares of light that would engulf and incinerate those in desperate flight.
“Wh… what kind of…” Asriel covered his mouth, hoping to hide his screams. His eyes darted back to the demon, children in his arms as the building fell behind him.
The demon and goddess stared each other down, before the being of light left, it's army going with her.
-In a void-
Chara soon found herself in a distorted world of a formless darkness, as if a sea of endless loathing.
“H-hello? Is anyone there!” Chara yelled out as she turned this way and that, still seeing a boundless nothing in all directions. Chara had felt great terror build up in her chest, Chara would like everyone to believe that she was fearless, but being alone terrified her like nothing else... even before displacement, Chara could be brought to near tears at the thought of being alone.
Chara soon felt het tears streaming from her eyes as she looked everywhere trying to find an exit to this endless Darkness, to this endless loneliness as everyone she left behind when she jumped through that portal flashed through her mind mocking her.
Chara could feel her Soul glowing dimmer and dimmer as fear gripped her heart, then two faces came to mind one of her friend krag and Ras, Chara knew they wouldn't want to see her like this and knew that they would try and help her be happy again, Chara knew that krag Would be looking for what made her cry to smack the shit out of and Raz would be doing random funny things.
The great black soon began to shatter, cascading glass giving way to a bright and welcoming candystore of all things.
“Hay chara, don't worry about us” krag said hugging the small child.
“Hey Chara make sure you smack the shit out of the bad guys for us!” res said as he joined in on the hug and soon Chara was hugged by all of her friends and she was hugging them back with tears in her eyes.
A sharp ring from a bell upon the store’s counter went off, a brown skinned young man in a blue tux and top hat tapping Chara on her shoulder.
“You buying anything, or are you going to stand there feeling sorry for yourself?” He asked with a kind smile. Chara jerks her head left and right looking for her friends she had just been in a group hug with just a moment ago and she doesn't see any of them, Chara represses the urge to cry as she looks through the candy aisles as if she's on autopilot.
“Hey! Chocolate aisle is that way!” The man said, pointing his cane to where the effigies of her friends had gone to. Chara mediately hurried after her friends not wanting to lose them.
“You know they aren't actually here, right?” The “shop keep” asked a little worried. He then proceeded to gently nudge his cane into one of the effigies. Chara ignored him as she clung to her friends
“Chara, you’re falling in too deep, what's Asriel gonna say or do when he never see’s you again?” The man asked, pounding his cane into the ground and dispelling the world and the effigies, replacing it with a recreation of Asriel holding Chara on Fluttershy’s couch.
“Cute…” He adds silently.
“wh-wha?” Chara asked before realizing she was in a dream and realizing her friends weren't really here which caused her to renew her crying as she clutched onto the dream asriel with all of her might.
“Easy there short stack. I'm here now…” “Asriel” Calmly began running his mouth along her head, breathing upon it slowly as he began to work his claws into her back, doing his best to ease her high strung nerves and muscles.
The light of the morning grazed the tightened eyelids of the unmoving goat, breaking him from a deep trance. His breathing had become ragged, sweat poured from him in cold fear, and his arms curled tighter around the child in his arms.
“Mmm azzy… yea right there…” Chara said in her sleep as she snuggled deep into asriel's arms.
“Heh, crazy kid…” Asriel looked to his left and right, confident that the coast was clear he positioned the child so she could practically bury her face in his neck.
“Good thing no one's awake yet, otherwise I'd be i-” He would have finished his thought had it not been for the flash of a bright light and the terrifying sound of a camera shutter.
“Oh that was much too adorable…” Luna’s voice echoed.
“Shh…” Asriel hissed through clenched teeth. “She's asleep… she's really cranky when she wakes up.” He whispered as best he could.
“Who has the balls.” Chara says as she opens one eye.
Asriel began to run a hand through her hair as he tried to avert her gaze. “Shh… No one has the balls for anything this early in the morning…” Asriel even went so far as to rub along her ear for added effect.
Luna slowly raised her camera back up, bringing it back down after receiving a death glare from the now disgruntled goat.
“Thanks azzy…thanks for being there for me…” Chara says as she rest her head extremely grateful to him for being there for her even though he had no reason to be.
“And who else was gonna take care of you? Can’t even take care of yourself…” Asriel Placed his head next to Chara’s. “Spoiled little-”
*Click *
Another flash lit up the scene, Luna waving a new photo in her hoof. Asriel shot her another glare as she walked away mouthing “Thank you”. The glare would have been intimidating if he wasn't a small goat child having another equally small human child cuddling next to him.
Asriel huffed, closing his eyes again as he slowly brought his back onto the couch.
“Mine…”Chara whispered squeezing him as she went to sleep again.
“Keep dreaming short stack…” Asriel whispered into the child's ear. His eyes shut, Asriel fell into the inky black that was the land of dreams, only for his eyes to shoot open as his mind was met with a burgeoning inferno.
His arms grasped at Chara tighter, fear gripping his every being. “I need to get out of here… can't stay here…”
-Two Hours Later-
The cottage had begun to stir, it's residents now counting themselves among the land of the living. The pets had all begun to scurry to and fro, some even stopping to stare at the unmoving goat child within the room.
Asriel huffed as he began to shake his companion awake. “Come on sleepy head… wake up and smell the roses…”
“Nuu to comfy…” Chara says as she buries her face deeper into asriel.
“Heya small stuff, you sleep well?” A smiling Azure asked as he rose from the open hatch on the floor, carrying his own sleeping ball of person.
Asriel looked rather worse for wear, his heavy eyes locking on the naked dragon man. “I had a bad dream…”
Azure motioned for the child to make space upon the couch, settling in beside the two children. “Oh yeah? What about?” He asked with a curious stare.
“It was about that suit of armor. It was fighting a losing battle… I think. Then there was the angel he was fighting, it was like she didn't care about the people she killed…” Asriel stated in slight fear.
“Yeah… Celestia rarely cared about who got caught in the crossfire…” Azure looked to the ceiling before leveling his gaze to Chara. “What about you small child, how'd you sleep?”
“I dreamt about kindness last night… But it kept shifting away from the dream.” Chara says trying to explain what her dream was like.
“Shifting?” Azure asked with a tilted head. “Why's that?”
“Well it was like a videotape not being clean and still trying to play in a VCR…” Chara said doing her best to try and explain it.
Shuffling about, Azure managed to free up his left hand… though he soon engulfed it fire. “Sorry, just had to clean that…” He thusly began to hover it over Chara's head. “May I?” Chara nodded her head.
Without another moment to lose, Azure placed a claw upon Chara's head as a blackened moon appeared upon his chest. “Okay… let's play back those dreams…”
Azure's eyes went hazy, the sound of a cassette being docked and rewound echoed from him for some reason. The sound stopped as the haze in his eyes was replaced by a blue screen, his left eye showing the word ‘Play’.
“Okay… uh…” His face seemed to contort into displeasure and annoyance.
“Uh, what? What is it?” Asriel asked, his arms slightly tightening around Chara.
“Well… I'm getting some weird feedback mucking up what looks like an emerald human Fluttershy kicking the bubble Chara was in when Shy and Luna found her…”
Various images flickered within Azure's eyes only for a single image to stop and flicker. “Oh… hmm…” He then proceeded to pout.
“What? What's wrong now?” Asriel asked rather disgruntled.
“Let her go real quick.” Azure replied calmly, much to Asriel’s growing concern.
“What, why?” His grip had become that much tighter as the haze within the dragon man’s eyes returned with a vengeance.
“Because you are somehow messing with the signal, Chara, he listens to you…” Azure tilted his head up and rolled his head side to side. “I hope… tell him to let go.”
“Nuu~” Chara replied bearing her head in his chest and not wanting to remember the dream.
Releasing his hold, Azure threw his arm up into the air just as a lucid Veronica snatched it by the wrist and placed it on her hip right underneath her armor.
“Welp, I tried… so… breakfast and I send you home?” Azure asked the pair with a sly grin.
“Can I have some chocolate pancakes?” Chara asked as she turned her head from being buried in Asriel's chest.
“Like… chocolate flavored pancakes, or pancakes with chocolate in them…?” He asked with curiosity.
“Both… just… just both. You'll be here all day otherwise…” Asriel relented.
“Yes, pile on the chocolate!” Chara yelled out getting up off of Asriel.
Azure stared slightly wide eyed, blinking before looking about. “Pinkie… are you there?” He asked to the empty space, even devoid of any critter.
Somehow, Pinkie slowly rose from behind the non existent crease behind the couch, looking ostensibly suspicious. “What'll it be?” She finally asked happily.
“Chocolate! all of the chocolate!” Chara yelled out.
She furiously began writing upon a notepad she pulled from her mane. “Molten or chilled?” She asked while pointing the end of her pencil at Chara.
“Both!” Chara said jumping up and down letting her childish desires out.
“Your tab?” The pink pony asked while pointing to Azure.
He simply rolled his eyes as he produced a bag labelled 5000. “This cover it?”
“Psh, and how!” She took the bag and slipped back behind the couch, Asriel actually rubbing his eyes and checking the crevice.
“Don't, unless you understand Chaos on a fundamental level, you'll only end up hurting yourself…” Azure said as he looked at the mystified goat child.
“To quote the fiery Joker, it's Pinkie Pie don't question it.” Chara says as she Pats the head of Asriel.
“I don't know who that is.” Asriel replied simply.
Before any could answer,the door was kicked open by Pinkie Pie, several metal carts trailing her.
“Who wants chocolate!?” She cried.
“Mine!” Chara yelled out diving for the cart and using asriel as a platform.
“We should dig in before she starts eating the carts… she isn't human.” Asriel relented.
Azure simply popped open a dark brown bottle labeled “O-”. “Me and sleeping beauty are covered. Have fun.”
Asriel slid away cautiously, not wanting to know just what was in that bottle. “Hey!” He cried out. “You're gonna burn your tongue if you… Oh nevermind…” He relented as he watched Chara pour molten liquid into her mouth.
Sighing, he simply picked up a mug of hot chocolate and a muffin, and sat back onto the couch. “So… you mentioned the displaced?” He asked, blushing and turning away as he noticed Azure had been making out with Veronica, blood trickling from their mouths.
“Hmm,” He took notice and parted from his activity, the girl in his arms licking her lips in her sleep. “Oh yeah, I refer to them as evolved. Displaced doesn't really explain it. A refugee of war is displaced from their home and given shelter, what's happened to us… we’re taken,” his facial expression grew cold.
“Some against our will, and we are made better. The lucky ones find peace, those with malice in their hearts rule their world, the noble defend the realm, but others lose themselves…”
Asriel stared at his cup, dunking his muffin within the brew and took a bite of the rich pastry. “That's what was going to happen to me… Isn't it.” In his mind this was not a question… but a foregone conclusion.
“I happily jumped through a portal before waking up as a chara…” Chara said putting the chocolate down and looking at the floor.
“And some of us dig our own graves… like me.” Azure chuckled as he looked at the pair of children.
“I’m guessing you dug your own grave?” Asriel asked. Azure simply laughed, closing his eyes as he scratched his head.
“Heheh… yeah. Computer program did-” Azure then presented himself with a dramatic wave of his arms. “This to me. Didn't help I had this insatiable hunger for raw meat when I finally came to.”
“So you ate ponies?” Chara asked a little bit disgusted at the idea.
“It was either that, or watch soldiers burn a town to the ground… I may be a monster, but I'm not an asshole.” Azure replied.
“And I thought humans were horrible!!!” Chara yelled out in enraged look on her face as she slammed her fist onto the table.
“As Luna keeps telling me, her sister was fifteen and her vision for the future skewed… still. Sending a battalion to destroy a mining town…” Azure’s eyes darkened, sadness in his voice. Chara soon went on a 6-minute rant about Celestia using various curse words and threats.
“What aren't you telling us?” Asriel questioned.
Azure looked up, the shine returning to his golden eyes. He raised a fist and began countinbegan. “I was still human when I woke up, the town was already starting to burn, and afterwards I melted a pony with a sun.”
“So how’d you go from human to… this?” Asriel asked as he gestured to the Dracopyre.
“A flash drive turned into a sword which turned me into what you see now.”
Silence reigned throughout the room after a while…
After several moments of contemplation and three cups of chocolate coffee, Asriel looked back to Azure, the dracopyre trying to nudge the woman in his lap awake.
“Do you… Ever miss it?” He asked with a bit of longing.
“Miss what?” Azure replied with confusion.
“Being human.” The goat child looked back into his blackened brew, an image of what he once was fading along the rippling waves. Chara herself was thinking of what she had once been as well.
“Every single day of my life.” Azure replied calmly. Chara placed her hands in front of her on the table as she look down at them as she contemplated what she had actually done and what she took for granted.
“Friends… Family… even the faces of every mom and pop shop that somehow managed to give a damn about your life…” The woman in his hold stirred slightly, only bothering to open her mouth like a piranha. Chuckling, he dumped the rest of his “meal” into her awaiting maw.
“Best thing you can do is… find something or someone to… hold on to.” He added with a smile. Chara by this point was barely restraining herself from crying as even her love for asriel was artificial. it was leftovers from the original Charas feelings for him, him not being the real asriel, her mind being messed with by “kindness” and her own weird mind.
A pair of large, white furred arms found themselves around Chara, a claw wiping away her tears. “Come on shortstack, we need to get home.” Asriel whispered.
Chara Softly hug asriel back “ I'm sorry for the way I behaved for the past two days…” Chara whispered as she continued to hold on to him.
“It's not your fault,” He replied as he slowly lifted the child up and cradled her into his fluff. “Your body keeps trying to kill you… and we can't even help you…”
Asriel looked back to Azure, a red knife in his mouth. Chara buried her head in his fluff feeling that it was her fault.
“Musch ash I wuv a goot shope opra…” Azure tried to say through the knife as he opened a rift with his left arm. “I’d shay yu shud wrk dis ahl ut semwhr cmftrbl… Ptuey!” He finally spat out the knife and started rubbing his tongue.
“See you later?” Asriel asked, getting a beaming smile and a thumbs up.
“ hey how do I make a token!” Chara yelled out now remembering that.
Azure looked up at Chara rather shocked. “I thought this ,” He held up the knife he spat out. “Was your token?”
“ it might be considering time is all wibbly and wobbly.” Chara said doing her and fraction of Doctor Who.
“Two time travelers walked into a bar…” Asriel said offhandedly as he rolled his eyes.
“ you're talking to someone who can mess with the fabric of time like a plaything… “ Chara continues ignoring Asriel.
“I just hope When isn't here…” Azure added.
“Who?” Asriel asked, looking at the dracopyre with untold confusion.
A burst of light flooded the room as a New York styled phone booth rose from the ground, a shaggy haired man garbed in green and wearing a ridiculously large and orange striped scarf popping out halfway through.
“No not Who, When.” He called out as he ducked back in. The phone booth disappearing.
“Wait! Doctor! I want your autograph!” Chara said near about face planting into the ground as she tries to get out of asriel's arms to make it to the doctor.
“Nevermind… When is apparently gallivanting in this dimension…” Azure muttered as he face palmed.
“Wait what no! That did not answer my question! Who the hell was that guy!? Why was he riding around in a phone booth straight outta Bill and Ted!?” Asriel cried out.
“ that was one of my biggest Heroes! And I didn't get a autograph!” Chara said the crossing her arms and Huffing.
“Yeah… You ever watch Doctor Who?” Azure asked.
“That weird British show? Wasn't my scene.” Asriel replied. Asriel was soon kicked in The Shins as Chara glared at him.
“How dare you dis the doctor!” Chara yelled out once more kicking him in The Shins
“Ow ow shit alright, I’m sorry!” Asriel said as he started hopping on one leg.
“Right… well… that was not… and I guess is… The Doctor. This one goes by When, not Who.” Azure replied, though he seemed confused. “This just means I can't go back in time nine times and grab the Bacon Orb…”
“So… why When?” Asriel asked as he finally put his foot down.
“Because time travel that's why!” Chara said giggling.
“Right, well… About the knife?” Azure handed Chara the knife, confused to its existence.
“ yeah this feels like the true knife…” Chara said pulling her knife out of her inventory in Sparks starting to dance between them. “ yeah that does not look good…”
“What? What's going on?” Azure asked just a tiny bit worried as Asriel started to back away.
Chara immediately put her knife in her inventory before handing the token back to azure. “well they are the same knife if that's any indication.” Chara said really glad that she didn't touch them together.
“Okay… So what's the problem?” He asked as he put away his knife.
“They are two points of the same timeline.” Chara said knowing this from her Doctor Who knowledge.
“In other words, yours won't stabilize here until… what? It catches up?” Asriel asked.
“well it's more like as long as the two knives never touch the universe doesn't go boom.” Chara said.
“Well… alrighty then. I guess this is the part where you charge your knife and send it out into the void?” Azure asked, a formless spacial blob having been formed in the room. “You know how this works, or do I have to explain the process?”
Chara brought out her true knife before reciting "Greetings, I am Chara if you need help or just want a friend you can always call on the first Fallen human. but if you are a genocidal maniac I will rip your soul from your body and erase your timeline." Chara then tossed her knife into the void another one soon appearing in her inventory.
“You know… even without looking at you… that in no way comes off as menacing.” Azure commented.
“Bu-but I'm me!” Chara yelled out puffing out her cheeks looking more adorable than threatening.
“Way to prove his point shortstack.” Asriel replied as he snagged the child by the scruff of her neck. Turning, the goat man waved goodbye before hefting the child on his shoulder. Chara just crossed her arms as she was carried still puffing out her cheeks.
“You two take care now! Don't kill anyone I wouldn't kill…” Azure called out and then looked back, a thumb on his chin. “Or… Do. I’m not your boss.”
By this point, Asriel was already through the rift, the gate sealing behind him.
-Golden Oaks Library-
“...For the both of you to just up and WALTZ through a rift through space and time without anypony’s opinion or knowledge of the matter! Do either of you realize how worried we all were!?”
Upon returning to their own world, Asriel and Chara had been calmly urged to take a seat in the library by Princess Celestia, only for the aforementioned princess to immediately unload a range of emotions from untold fear, righteous anger, and pale relief at the sight of the pair.
Tears had stained and matted the fur along her eyes and cheeks, a heavy bloodshot gaze replaced her gentle visage, and the ground at her feet would sizzle every so often.
As she paced along the room, reprimanding the pair, she turned to face them and pulled them into a tight embrace for what had been the one hundred sixty fourth time in the hour alone.
“I’m just so glad your safe…” The princess whispered through a sore throat and endless sobs.
“W-Well I may or may not have made a token so other people across the Multiverse can summon me…” Chara said trying to keep her eyes anywhere but at Celestia.
Celestia pulled back as if something had just struck her in the liver. “Absolutely not! There is no way I could ever allow you to do something so reckless again!”
“We were only gone for a day.” Asriel pleaded.
“You were gone for a week!” The princess cried.
“well it's not like I can stop them from summoning me and they're more likely to summon me to fight for them considering who I am…” Chara continue to say completely ignoring asriel and the princess.
“Why would you willingly allow someone to put you in harms way?” Celestia was now in front of Chara, a pleading look upon her face.
“Well most of the displaced probably know me as a very powerful fighter and nearly immortal so it's not like they don't have a reason to summon me in a fight, plus you forget I took down all of your guards by myself.” Chara said giving a deadpan at Celestia but inside Chara was actually happy at having someone care for her.
Celestia sniffled, wiping the tears from her eyes as she stood steadily. She huffed and looked at the pair of children once more… Only to break out into tears for the forty third time that day as she pulled the pair into another hug.
“...please tell somepony next time…” Celestia managed to whisper.
“I’ll leave a note.” Asriel replied.
“Yeah and besides it's not like I'm going to fight anything from DC or Marvel.” Chara said scoffing before giving a hug to Celestia.
After a moment, Celestia had finally gathered her bearings and gave the pair a bit of breathing room. Words seem to be caught in her throat as she rose once more, but the hard and unruly slamming of the library door had made her lose her train of thought.
Seven royal guards had flooded into the library, all lead by a furiously angry mare in more form fitting pale pink armor. “ASRIEL!” The mare cried out happily before pouncing at the surprised goat child.
But before she can even touch asriel she was wrapped up in blue strings and slammed into the opposite wall “ he's mine! ” Chara yelled out glaring at the made.
“Rosie!” Asriel yelled out, flashing out of existence for a split second as a golden blade cut through the binds.
The mare thusly fell onto armored arms, Asriel catching her as she fell.
“And here I thought you’d have to catch up to me.” The mare teased as she booped his nose. The other soldiers simply cheered as they hefted Asriel into the sky.
“You are flirting with a fucking kid!” Chara yelled out completely disgusted at this woman for flirting with someone who was her physical age.
Everyone seemed to halt, everyone except Asriel who only seemed to pout and glare. “I’m twenty six! Pretty sure that accounts for something…” He said as the guards put him down and gave him some breathing room.
“ no it doesn't… your brain chemistry is that of a child's, hell my brain chemistry is that of a child! And this pedophile of a woman is flirting with someone who has the body of a fucking child!” Chara yelled out glaring pure hatred and disgust at Rosie.
The mare in question coughed, rubbing a bit of dirt from her armor. “I… Don't know how age works with his race… I’m not gonna get court martialed for this am I?”
“No one is getting court martialed!” Asriel shouted.
“ I'll make sure she does because I'm going to tell Princess Celestia that she's trying to date a child under her care. Let's see how the overprotective mother of us takes someone trying to date one of her kids.” Chara said a hate-filled smirk looking directly at Rosie
Celestia for her part coughed and pulled at her chest piece. “Yes… Well… I um… suppose some… Reprimand is in order?” She asked more than said.
“Over my dying body!” Asriel cried as he leveled his blade
“ news flash, you are dying! that's why your brain is fucked up! Besides it's not normal for kids to date fucking adults.” Chara yelled out. “ or were you a reverse pedo?”
Asriel gripped at his forehead, snarling. “Shut up shut up shut up shut up! ” His body began to shift, as if the magic holding him together had started to unravel. Chara immediately put a shield around him and herself as she moved to comfort him and the shield was just in case they blew up. She soon had her arms wrapped around asriel bringing him into a hug hoping that the asriel part of him would come down after this.
“Don't you touch me!! I don't care if this isn't her fault! Shut up!! SHUT UP!!”
Chara felt the magic bombarding her body but continue to hold on to him. “It's okay asriel let him have control…” Chara Whispers into his ear hoping that the real asriel would let go.
“Are you sure? First sensible thing she's said since we met! Don't be that way. Why, because she thinks she owns you!? No, because she's family…” Asriel’s eyes shot open, both of a different color. One a warm emerald green, the other a rich brown. “Fine… I’ll leave her alone…”
His body began to stabilize as he shrunk back down to toddler size. “Not enough booze in the world…” He snarled as he punched the ground… Leaving a small dent in the floorboards.
A gentle knock reverberated along the battier, Celestia looking at the children within it. “Is… Everything alright?”
“I’m guessing this isn't the time to ask if he can freak out like that again?” Twilight questioned, having just come into the room from basement.
“I will gut you with a fucking smile!” Chara says with a dark tone glaring at Twilight still holding on to asriel.
“Unlike you… she actually cares…” Asriel said rather spitefully, earning him another headache. “And how was that not tru- agh! Okay I get it! ”
“Chara, what's happening to him!?” Celestia called out as she started to pound on the barrier.
“The original Asriel woke up in the back of his mind” Chara says before thinking ‘I was lucky that the original chara just blasted me with her memories before dissipating’
“Kid won't stop screaming at me… oh boo hoo I didn't want this either! ” Pushing himself away, he slammed his head into the barrier as if to quiet the voice in his mind. “I am not overreacting!!” He cried as he slammed his head again.
“ stop it asriel!” Chara shouts as she tries to stop Asriel from bashing his head in.
The two locked eyes, and for a moment it seemed that it was enough. Asriel slowly stepped away from the barrier, eyes devoid of life, as if in resignation to a prison built for another.
“Fine… I have someplace to be…” He dropped. No fanfare, no wails, no cries for attention. He simply fell to the floor, his eyes half lid and hollow, slow breathes leaving his unconscious form.
“Chara take down the barrier.” Celestia said hurriedly. Chara slowly got down crossed her legs before moving asriel into her lap and rubbing his head, the barrier soon started to collapse afterwards.
Celestia looked back to her troops mouthing an “I’m sorry”, as she made her way to the children. Armored hoofs shuffled, the clanking sound dying away aa the troop had left.
“Princess? What do we do?” Twilight had asked from afar as she dared not enter the danger zone.
“I…” Celestia took a moment to steel her emotions, looking first to the poor soul she had trapped in this world, and then to her faithful student. “Gather the elements, we enter his mind.”
“ oh this is going to fucking suck isn't this… you do realize I'm going in with you right.” Chara said the first part rhetorically and the second part definitively.
“Absolutely not.” Celestia replied calmly. “We don't know how his mind will react to your presence.”
“ you forget I can't die…” Chara said involuntarily shuttering at the idea of dying.
“And you forget he can. It's too risky.” Twilight replied.
“ if he dies I'll just reset time.” Chara said as if it wasn't a big deal.
“Then what happens? The problem isn't resolved and any progress we make gets erased!” The unicorn argued. Chara actually didn't have an answer to this.
“Stay here with him, keep him company and keep him safe…” Celestia added,softly pleading with her child.
“Bu-bu-but…okay…” Chara says looking down.
“Twilight, gather your friends, I’ll send a message to Luna.” Celestia said, charging magic on her horn.
The bolt went off as Twilight had rushed through the door.
“ please azzy... please get better…” Chara Whisperer does she continue to pet his head.
Minutes had passed and a loud thump was heard from outside the library. A blackened blur had shot through the door shouting “WHERE IS MY BABY!!?”
Celestia had shot up, surprised to hear her sister say these words. Luna’s eyes had been flaring with her own brand of lunar magic, puffs of air escaping from her flaring nostrils, and the tips of her hooves had been encased in ice.
“What have you done to him!? Why isn't he in bed!? Why am I just being told that he was found!? WHERE HAS HE BEEN!?” The lunar princess shouted, said shout actually splintering the walls and shattering glass.
“I've found everypony and we’re ready to-” Twilight had soon run into the library as well, the other Element Bearers following suit, but before Twilight could assess the current situation, Pinkie had jumped in front of her.
“IT'S NIGHTMARE MOON!” The pink party pony shouted after releasing an audible gasp.
“THIS IS NO LAUGHING MATTER!” Luna replied to Pinkie’s outburst, the others gasping at the fact she had spoken a taboo against the pink one. “Is everyone in attendance!?”
Applejack, Rainbow Dash, and Rarity had begun to busy themselves with pacifying Pinkie. The mare having been triggered at the “no laughing matter” comment.
The group as a whole simply nodded, Luna taking this as a good sign.
“Fluttershy, again we call upon you to aid our fallen. Be our guiding light as we walk through this valley of darkness.” Luna stated, causing the mare in question to flinch.
“NO!” Chara yelled out “ I will not let kindness anywhere close to azzy!” Chara finished unwillingly shuttering as she remembered the torture she was put through by kindness.
“WHAT DOST THOU MEAN, NO!?” Luna’s voice bellowed.
“Not ta go gainst yer word, partner, but why wouldn't Shy be leadin the charge?” Applejack asked.
“ it's not Fluttershy I'm against it's The Entity that empowers her element…” chara growled out.
“Please, elaborate.” Rarity asked.
“ imagine having a piece of your mind imprisoned and tortured… now that's basically the gist of what was done to me by The Entity of “kindness”, that bitch tortured me in my own mind.” Chara said put in quotations around kindness.
“That doesn't make any sense…” Twilight said, the others nodding in agreement. “The Elements are the primordial force of what they embody. For kindness not to be kind… It'll be like saying laughter never laughs.”
“And I'm always laughing!” Pinkie added.
“ well it said keeping my black soul trait trapped in constant torture was for the greater good…” Chara said once again subconsciously shuttering.
“And why should we believe anything you say, twerp!?” Rainbow had questioned.
“Y’all settle down now, ah believe ‘er, just a rather hard pill ta’ swallow…” Applejack replied, though this earned her her friend’s ire.
“I understand.” Fluttershy finally spoke. All eyes turned to her with shock, and though the timid mare would flinch at such scrutiny… She did not do so now. “I think I know… I… Wasn't myself then… I felt… wrong, I felt so much stronger… but… I was cruel…” She finally looked away, ashamed of her own weakness.
“You don't say? she only tortured a piece of my mind…” Chara said hiding her fear of The Entity of kindness behind a wall of sarcasm… but it was pretty obvious that she was terrified of facing “kindness” again.
A white wing draped itself over Chara, Celestia drawing near as she nuzzled into the child’s neck. “Shh… no more harm shall ever come to you…”
“Wait, but we just went into Chara’s mind… how did this happen without any of us finding out?” Twilight asked.
“ I went to another universe and the guy they're fixed me…” Chara admitted blushing and looking at the ground unconsciously leaning into Celestia's hug.
Celestia for her part only started to comb through Chara’s hair with her magic as Twilight looked at the child flabbergasted.
“No… no no no… how!? What method!? Who!? I need you to tell me everything!” She looked as if she was going to pounce, but Applejack and Rainbow had managed to hold her back.
“Time… And place, sugarcube…” Applejack said through a grunt.
“ besides She'll have to give me a pretty big bribe to get me to talk…” Chara said taking advantage of the situation.
“ANYTHING!” She managed to cry out before Rainbow had gagged her.
Pinkie only giggled, pulling out a notepad as she begun to calculate her projected earnings on this endeavor.
“There will be time for pleasantries once this hardship is behind us.” Luna stated calmly as she neared Asriel’s body. “Though… if anything was done to young Asriel that we should know of?” She threw a questioning gaze at Chara.
“Not really… although I did meet this cranky vampire lady who didn't like me…” Chara said as she thought about Veronica.
“So long as nothing of importance happened to Asriel…” Luna replied, though rather confused at the vampire bit.
Soon, the group of ponies found their magic binding them to Asriel as a runic circle emblazoned with the elements and the sun and moon appeared beneath them.
“Get ready, we have no idea what could be going on in his mind!” Twilight cried out as she and the ponies around her had their subconscious minds dive into Asriel's own.
A shockwave had burst forth within a darkened cavern, the group having found themselves upon a… Scorched bed of once yellow buttercups.
As the group managed to reclaim their bearings, Luna had decided to take point. “As we have had the most experience with The Underground, we shall lead the expedition to Asriel’s mental nucleus.” She stated calmly.
Finding no argument, the remainder of the group began to follow Luna…
“WAIT! IT ISN'T SAFE!” A voice had shouted at the group of eight once they neared the exit of the chamber. All heads turning back, what they saw chilled their very souls. Rising from the charred flower bed was a wicked golem shaped haphazardly to resemble Asriel, half made from gravel and foliage and half made of actual fur. It had a single emerald eye and a right eye covered by a buttercup.
“Please… I can lead you to him… but you have to trust me…” Bits of dirt had begun to fall from “Asriel” as he attempted to reach out further.
Before any could so much as scream, Twilight of all ponies had rushed forward and started to stabilize “Asriel”. “Who did this to you?” She asked with an almost exacerbated shock.
The golem looked back, flinching at the many confused glares leveled his way. “Asriel did this to me…” He managed to say as he was put together. “Well… the person who's been using my body at least…”
Celestia and Luna flinched, immediately bounding on “Asriel”.
“Then that means that you are Asriel Dreemurr, the real Asriel!” Celestia exclaimed. “What happened? Where is…”
Celestia stopped, chastising herself as she never did help her prisoner learn his real name.
“He… he calls himself Oz… Said it was from a movie he saw once.” Asriel replied.
“What could you have done to have forced his hand in this manner?” Luna asked.
Asriel looked away… a saddened look upon his face. “I… I told him he should… accept the fact he was a kid again. That he should just maybe get to know Chara a little better.”
The sisters looked at each other more than a little worried and mortified.
“So he goes stir crazy just because you told him to hang out with the squirt?” Rainbow questioned as she, and the rest of the group, had all drawn nearer.
“Tis a far more complicated manner than that…” Luna relented, all eyes now on the lunar monarch. “How old do you all believe master Asriel to be?”
Several answers were thrown about, all ranging between toddler and child.
“In truth… the Asriel we are here to awaken is a fully grown adult.” This statement was met by several audible gasps and murmurs of disbelief.
“Not to second guess your word, your grace,” Rarity said as she drew nearer. “But he seems so…”
“Heh heh, Yeah… I’m actually around ten years old.” Asriel replied.
“That still don't add up-” Applejack had begun to voice her opinion but Asriel had raised a hand so as to silence her.
“He’s twenty six. Me and Chara… we’re ten, and Chara’s always been kinda… sweet on me?” Asriel replied.
“Oh,” Fluttershy went pale, all eyes now on her. “He still thinks he’s an adult… and she's showing signs of a physical need of intimacy…”
“Oh gross! That be like if a filly tried to date one of her friend’s dads!” Rainbow cried in disgust.
“Heh, and consider my dilemma…” Asriel replied, now fully formed and stable. “Thanks Twi, I feel as good as new.”
“How did you…” Twilight's thought trailed off as Asriel took point.
“Whoever fixed my mind left a lot of information on all of you, I guess he wanted to help Oz get acclimated to Equestria just a bit faster.” He replied with a toothy smile.
“Oh that little trouble maker is in SO much trouble!” Luna yelled in righteous fury as she stood next to Asriel. “We aren't walking into The Underground are we?”
“Sorry, best I can tell is we’ll be walking into a human city. Everypony stick close to me, I’ll keep you all safe.”
Asriel lead the group out through the caverns exit, leading them out into a wide and open world basking under a star filled night sky adorned by a full moon.
The ponies all marveled at the massive structures of concrete and brick that seemed to mimic Manehattan infrastructure.
“Where… Are we?” Celestia had asked, shocked out of her surprise as Pinkie had seemed to bounce, tumble, or glide through the towering apartments and skyscrapers all while cheering in glee.
“Welcome to Earth. Population… us.” Asriel said as he lead the group farther into the city.
“So what's so dangerous about this place?” Rainbow asked as she hovered alongside the group. “It's so empty.”
Without warning, an unorthodox warcry resounded throughout the concrete jungle.
“Oh you had to ask…” Asriel whimpered as he immediately grabbed Twilight, who had grabbed onto Applejack, who continued the chain until the group was a snaking line, rushing to safety.
“Oh Warriors~ Come out to PLA-EEAY~”
“What was thaaaat!?” Fluttershy wailed as she started to cry, Rainbow and Rarity doing their best to comfort the frightened mare.
“Its a bad sign, and unless we get out of here now, then-”
A rapid fire roar of metal, akin to the sound of a typewriter, tore through the serene silence of the night.
“CAAAN YOOU DIG IIIIT~” Another voice shouted, now obscenely closer to the group than the last voice.
Soon, speeding bits of metal began flying, whistling through the winds in a vain attempt at harming the trespassers.
One such piece had managed to strike Rainbow in her left hind leg, forcing the mare to lose her grip upon Fluttershy as she cried out in pain.
“Don't you dare break formation!” Asriel shouted, magic forming at his fingertips as he thrust the group into a blackened alleyway.
The group now began to scramble, some even trying to untangle themselves from another. “Dang nabbit partner, y’all better have a good plan!” Applejack yelled as she pulled a wounded and flailing Rainbow off of Fluttershy, who was somehow tangled in Celestia’s mane.
Asriel however had attempted to pry a door open to no avail. “I’m doing my best! This is the first time I’ve had to escort a group!”
Silhouettes had begun to form at the mouth of the alleyway. Bipedal creatures wielding spiked bats, crowbars, and chains had begun to slowly march into the alley.
“I’ll hold them off!!” Twilight yelled as she began to fire volley after volley of concentrated magic at the would be oppressors, soon backed up by Luna’s own magic.
Relieved, but not relaxed, Asriel gave the door he was fighting one last pull…
“Whoah!?” Only to be pulled in by the door, Pinkie having opened it from the otherside.
“What's everypony waiting for, an invitation!?” She yelled, quickly ushering her allies to safety. Once all were safely within, Pinkie slammed the door, locked it, chained it up, secured several more locks onto the door itself, poured concrete over its frame, and finally ripped the door from its place upon the wall and stuffed the door and frame into her mane.
Looking back, the party pony found that Rainbow and Fluttershy had huddled next to each other in a crying mess, neither wanting to let go of the other. Twilight was fumbling through the dark attempting to find something to treat Rainbow’s bleeding wound. Celestia and Luna were trying and failing at properly lighting the room, and Rarity and Applejack were… also huddled in a corner.
Finally, a light had flooded the room, Asriel having flicked a switch upon a wall.
What greeted the group was a vast room with green walls adorned with posters and figurines of various styles. Lining the floor proper were shelves and bookcases all stocked with comic books of all things.
“Twi, there’s a first aid kit in the bathroom there,” Asriel pointed to a white door adorned with a blue circle and several odd shapes. “There are snacks and drinks behind the counter and in the cold box there,” He then turned to point at a well polished glass door which held several cans and candy, and then to the counter in question. “Everypony else, find something that catches your eye and try to relax…”
“RELAX!?” Rainbow shouted in disbelief. “YOU WANT US TO RELAX WHEN THOSE MONSTERS TRIED TO KILL US!?” Her face had a look of horror written upon it, she stared as long as she could at Asriel until she buried her crying face into Fluttershy's neck. “I want to go home, I want to go home, I want to go home…”
Fluttershy for the most part did her absolute best to comfort her wounded friend, even choking back her own tears as she began smoothing out her mane.
“I’ve got the kit.” Twilight said hurriedly as she rushed a rather large white box painted with a green cross over to Rainbow.
“You pulled it off the wall?” Asriel asked as he followed Twilight.
“Was I not supposed to?” She asked as she placed the box onto the floor and began unpacking it's contents.
“Probably not, but that's not important…” Asriel replied, popping sounds could be heard from just behind the counter.
“I’ve got the popcorn machine working!” Pinkie exclaimed as happily as she could. “Here, you might want these.” She thusly handed Asriel a pair of white orbs.
“Jawbreakers… yeah these are perfect…” He gasped as he closed in on Rainbow. “Open your mouth.”
“Tch, way to make a mare feel special…” Rainbow snarled out in response. Fluttershy simply shushed her and began preening her wings.
“Not the time, not the place.” Asriel replied calmly. “Please.”
Relenting, Rainbow slowly opened her mouth as Asriel placed the candy on the opposite sides of her jaw. “Clamp.”
Gently, the mare closed her molars upon the sugary orbs, denoting their tame flavor and hardened shells.
Asriel then nodded to Twilight as he gave her a book on first aid. “I’m going to remove the bullet as best as I can, I need you to mitigate the damage.” He stated simply. The mare nodded in response as the two got to work.
On the opposite end of the comic shop, Luna, Celestia, Rarity, and Applejack had done their best to occupy themselves and try and mitigate the effect the ordeal was having on their psyches.
“We… I don't understand… Chara’s mind… it was nowhere near as dangerous… nowhere near as ferocious in its animosity…” Luna said as she looked blankly at the floor, her sister doing her best to ease her mind.
“Princess…” Rarity called out, Applejack inches away from her. “Maybe Asriel is right? Maybe we should take the time to relax as-”
A shrill screech pierced the silence, Rainbow having cried out in muffled pain.
“None of what's happening can be good for our mental health…” The fashionista muttered.
“Tch, like there’s anythin’ in this place y’all could even like…” Applejack attempted to tease, though her facial expression made her sound rather condescending.
“Please Applejack, Sweetie has shown me just enough of her Magical Filly comics to at least give me a sense of the artistry around these…” Rarity had levitated a half nude angel woman holding a rather massive blade and sporting enlarged mammaries. “Imaginative pieces of fiction…”
Applejack scoffed and began to turn away. “Right, next y’all are gonna tell me I might actua-” The farm mare stopped dead in her tracks, eyes fixed upon a well dressed man sporting a massive beard and large top hat, the man was shown driving a hatchet through a bipedal wolf beast. “Abe Lincoln: Werewolf Hunter?”
As Rarity and Applejack went to explore more of the shop, Celestia bid Luna do the same. “Shall we? I know how much you like it when its a stallion rescuing the mare~”
The lunar diarch simply blew a raspberry, a mad blush on her face. “As if any such story exi- oh sweet FAUST, LOOK AT THE ARMOR ON THAT ONE!” She cried as she picked up a comic titled X-Caliber, A knight in blackened armor wielding a mighty blade.
Celestia playfully rolled her eyes, silently picking up a pale pink paperback book with the image of two men holding each other.
Meanwhile, Pinkie had found empty popcorn boxes and had begun shoveling the treat into nine different boxes. As she was finishing up and moving to the selection of sweets, a comic had caught her attention as the red and black suited character depicted upon it winked at her.
“Deadpool?” She asked the comic.
The titular main character looked about and brought a finger to his face, almost as if he was asking for a vow of silence. The mare giggled as she picked up the comic and stuffed it into her mane.
“Popcorn! Get your popcorn!” The pink one cried as boxes of the succulent kernels flew from her grasp.
At this point, Rainbow had been seething through the pair of cracked jaw breakers in her mouth as Twilight had finally dressed her wound.
“There, you might want to keep airborne while you're here, but I doubt the-” Rainbow quickly flapped her wings as she started to hover, her actions completely leaving Twilight speechless.
With a vicious crunch, The rainbow pegasus began to angrily chew through her now incredibly sweet treat. “Okay… I get that jerk is going through a rough time, but I could have bucking died!” She cried.
The rest of the group turned to stare at her, flabbergasted at the outburst. “I mean, come on! All of us could have died! What is with this guy!?”
Fluttershy quickly flew up to her closest friend and… began humming the Young Fliers flight camp song. Somehow, this was enough to calm the enraged pegasus as she eased herself onto the floor.
“Walk with me, I know a certain somepony telling me about a hero they liked.” Fluttershy teased, though it sounded less like a tease coming from her. Rainbow relented and followed the buttery pegasus.
Twilight sighed as she steadied her racing heart. “Well, that's over…” Without warning, a comic book was waved in her face, causing her to flinch and fall back.
“Sorry, I didn't scare you did I?” Asriel asked her as he held out a claw.
“Sorry,” Twilight took the claw and got back to her hooves. “What… was that you wanted to show me?” She asked.
The comic was properly presented to her this time, it showed a metallic red and gold human mid flight, a wide open sky behind them. “Iron Man?”
Asriel chuckled as he saw the mare open to the first page. “It's about a tortured man and his fight with monsters and villains, as well as his ongoing battle with matters of the heart, be they physical or emotional.”
Twilight furrowed her brow. “He’s a playcolt, how is he a hero?” She asked, though still flipping through pages.
“Keep reading, but if paperbacks aren't your thing, there are hard covers in that section.” He replied, pointing to a hickory shelf stocked with several thick books and tomes.
Just as Twilight was going to drop the comic, she took a look at the page she was on and flinched. “Oh… Uh…” Somehow… she felt torn between wanting the feeling of an actual book under her hoof, and of wanting to see just how deep the rabbit hole that was Tony Stark went.
“These are all just memories, take it with you.” Asriel replied as he went to explore the shop.
Finding nothing of actual interest, Asriel went to the bathroom… only to find a hole in the wall decorated with a runic circle.
“Ohhhh nooo… That's just not fair…”
A wail echoed from the bathroom, the entirety of the entourage rushing to the door. There, they bore witness to Asriel pounding at a wall decorated with a crimson runic circle surrounding a sizeable hole.
“What… is that?” Twilight had asked as she begun inspection of the runes.
“A nightmare, and it's our only way to Oz… of course he’d pull something like this…” The child grit his teeth as he shivered in fear.
Rainbow did her best to look strong, but it was quite evident she too was fearing not only loss of her life, but loss of her sanity.
“Is there anything here that may prepare us?” Luna asked.
Pinching the bridge of his nose, Asriel began to ponder until he snapped his fingers in annoyance. “No, nothing written that can actually help us… we’re going to go in blind.”
Waiting for none, Asriel crawled through the hole, the eight ponies shrugging and following suit.
It wasn't long until the group found themselves within a structure of pulsating muscle and twisted metal, Asriel on a staircase and impaling a bipedal creature into a wall with a stylized dagger.
“Don't just stand there! Start looking for room 302!” Asriel shouted at the group as some form of unspeakable monstrosity tore off a sizeable chunk of his body.
Those ponies with wings immediately grabbed who they could and bounded upwards, Twilight however chose to stay behind so as to aid the child.
The hulking beast was thrown through a darkened hallway, Twilight doing her best to repair Asriel’s broken form. “Are you alright?” She asked as she bathed the child in her magic.
“I’ll live, but unless somepony comes back for us, it's gonna be a long two floors.” He replied, his body slowly piecing itself back together.
Silently, the pair marched through the blood soaked and pulsating halls, every so often fending off a squadron of monsters.
“You seem unusually calm despite the situation.” Asriel commented, throwing another knife at a malformed human being, impaling it into a wall.
“I’m only doing the best I can for my friends…” Determination shined in her eyes, her face stoic and unflinching to the madness around her.
Nodding, Asriel left it at that, using the calm to steady his mind and lead them to the awaiting staircase. Atop the stairs, a sign that had been bolted into a wall read “3”, denoting that they were at least partially where they wished to be.
“Where to now?” Twilight asked, wishing to get a lay of the land.
“Left, right, either way could be a dead end,” Asriel replied as looked back and forth. “We’ll just have to pick a hallway an-”
An enlarged blackened beast with a pair of baby-like porcelain masks had soared past them, confetti trailing along its body.
“Pinkie!” Twilight shouted as she ran for the source of the beast. The pair ran frantically along the hall, noting that the farther they went, the more bodies piled along the path, and the less nightmarish the world had seemed.
“These walls… They're normal?” Twilight commented as she slowed to a trot.
Soon, the pair had come upon the awaiting group of ponies surrounded in several white candles. “Twilight!” Celestia cried happily.
The princess quite literally tackled Twilight, wrapping her wings around her as if the unicorn would disappear if she let go.
“Wha- Pr-princess I-” Twilight tried her best to gain a bit of breathing room, but relented as she decided it would be easier if she simply allowed herself this moment.
“We should have never left you behind… never again…” Celestia was practically on the verge of tears, shaking nigh uncontrollably. Finally letting go, Celestia took a look at Asriel and smiled as best she could.
“It's time, we've found room 302.” The princess turned her head to look at where the group had gathered, each looking just about ready to throw in the towel… even Pinkie Pie was suffering somewhat.
Together again, the group of nine looked upon the… non-existent doorframe of room 302. “Oh… That's not good. The door’s not here.” Asriel stated, brow furrowed and claw sliding along the wall.
“How do we go in?” Fluttershy asked with worry.
Asriel huffed and slammed his claw upon the wall. “Without the door, we can't go in.”
An audible gasp nearly extinguished the various candles littering the hall, all eyes on Pinkie, her mane having regained its volume. “I have a door!” She cried.
Before any could question this, Pinkie had pulled out a complete door frame encased in cement straight from her mane. She plastered the frame onto the empty wall and immediately began hammering away at its edges.
Once the frame was fixed into place, she began using her forehooves as jackhammers, chiseling the cement away as carefully as one would chisel a work of art. The cement had fallen away after ten minutes, leaving behind a chained and locked door that held a small golden plaque labeled “302”.
“That’s… that’s the door you took from the comic shop…” Asriel whispered in awe.
“Heh, that's our Pinkie Pie, always findin’ som’ way ta turn a bad situation on its head…” Applejack mused as she gave her comrade a playful nudge on the shoulder.
“Great, doors there, let's open it and get this over with.” Rainbow snapped, her irritation getting the best of her, and her leg having started to bleed through it's dressing from the added stress.
“Only a fool rushes into battle in haste. Lo, we must be wise if we are to face Oz in his own domain.” Luna stated calmly.
The group gave a collective sigh, only to snap to attention at the sound of heavy chains falling upon the floor.
“I’m sorry I wasn't listening, what are we doing?” Pinkie asked as her hoof was now pushing the door open.
“PINKIE WAIT!” Everyone had shouted in unison, a blinding light engulfing the world…
The light had lingered for quite some time, the only sign of anything had been the sounds of metal clashing against metal.
Yelling could be heard from a distance, a single voice in a heated argument against itself.
“Just give her a chance!” The voice cried.
“I will not stoop to her level!” The voice countered.
“Why can't you just accept it!?”
“Because I’ve worked too damn hard to accept anything less!!”
“I thought you cared about her!?”
“Only because you made me!!”
The light finally subsided, the ponies having found themselves in an arena made entirely out of metal. Above the main stage hung an orb surrounded by oppressive and jagged rings, below, two versions of Asriel were locked in a vicious duel.
One version wore a blue and white flowing robe, a winged blade emblazoned upon his chest. In both hands were a pair of curved sabers seemingly made from galaxies.
The second Asriel wore tarnished golden armor wrapped in aged and weather worn rags. A massive golden longsword held deftly in his right hand.
“OZ!” Celestia and Luna cried out, catching the attention of the armored Asriel as the rushed forward. Oz stole a glance at the princesses for a second, immediately turning his gaze back to his opponent.
As the diarchs neared the edge of the arena, an invisible wall had halted their progress. Frantic, Celestia began pounding against it with all her might.
“OZ!!! Please! This must all be a grave misunderstanding! Come back to us and I promise you we can fix this!” The princess cried.
“There's nothing to fix, Mom! But thanks for asking!!” Oz yelled as he thrust a palm at Asriel, a burst of magic tossing him backwards.
Celestia flinched, eyes beginning to fill with tears. “He… he called me mom…” She immediately doubled her efforts and actually started magically clawing at the wall that kept her from her charge. “OZ!!”
Luna for her part joined her sister, whispering a mantra of: “I’m an aunt rescuing her nephew, I’m an aunt rescuing her nephew, I’m an aunt rescuing her nephew!”
On the other side of the battle, Twilight and Co. had taken to supporting Asriel.
“Asriel! You two have to reach a consensus or you’ll tear your mind apart!!” Twilight yelled.
“He’s too headstrong! Trying to reason with him is like trying to reason with a bull!” Asriel replied as he parried one of Oz’s strikes and sliced along his face.
“All I want to do is live my fucking life!! Is that TOO MUCH TO ASK!?” Oz yelled in defiance.
“YOU DON'T HAVE A CHOICE ANYMORE!!!” All was silence. The princesses had ceased their endeavor. The girls stood stock still, their eyes as wide as saucers. This single sentence sent shockwaves through out the mind.
Asriel felt as if he finally had a chance to breathe, huffing and panting as he gathered his bearings. “I finally got you to-”
In the blink of an eye, Oz had slammed his hand against Asriel’s face, sending the goat straight into the ground as he began to pummel at his fallen opponent.
“He’s going to kill him!” Rarity cried as she rushed to the barrier, breaking the prevailing silence.
Soon, everypony had begun slamming their hooves at the barrier, frantic and incoherent screams and wails echoing within the arena… all except for Twilight.
Something within the mare seemed to click, the sight of her closest allies, her mentor and mentor’s sister all bearing their hearts filled her with…
DETERMINATION
“I… AM ONE HUNDRED AND TEN PERCENT DONE!” The unicorn cried, a burst of magic flooding the world.
Outside the mind…
Spike did his best to make Asriel’s unconscious body as comfortable as he possibly could. Tenderly wrapping the child in soft and fluffy blankets, fluffing a pegasus down pillow for his heavy head, and even ensuring the library itself was spotless and free of any dust and particulates.
He did so as he wholly expected Chara to run off to an adventure of some sort… what he did not expect however were three swords popping into existence, quite nearly stabbing him and Asriel as they fell blades first into the wood.
“Aw man, Twilight’s going to kill me.” The young drake commented.
Meanwhile…
Asriel and Oz found themselves unarmed and laid out on the floor, staring at the frazzled and frustrated lavender unicorn before them.
“Now… you two… Are going to TALK to each other like civilized sapients… you will reach an understanding or by the great goddess Faust I will MAKE you!” Twilight yelled out at the stunned pair.
The two couldn't quite find the words, choosing instead to devolve into a sputtering mess of incoherence.
“AM I CLEAR!?” Twilight's shout had quite literally rocked the mindscape, causing the pair to nod in agreement.
“Good… allow me to moderate.” Soon, the world had changed. What was once an oppressive arena of steel, was now a serene courtroom of wood.
The rest of the ponies found themselves sitting upon cushioned seats as they gazed upon the trio of Twilight, Asriel, and Oz.
Twilight was sitting atop a judge’s podium and Asriel and Oz were sitting separate the other as defendant and prosecutor.
“Oz, you may state your case.” Twilight said calmly as she struck a gavel.
Oz gulped as he looked to Twilight. “Your honor… may I call you your honor?”
Twilight gave him an unamused glance, but nodded. “You may.”
“Your honor, I was stripped from my world, placed into the body of a deceased child, and explicitly told I was to follow every order I was ever to be given,” Oz stated as he slammed his hands on his table. “I should be allowed at least some nice things in life.”
“Objection! ” Asriel cried as he pointed a finger at Oz.
“On what grounds!?” Oz countered.
“The body you inhabit is severely underage for the debauchery in which he wishes to partake of!” Asriel shot back.
Twilight leveled a curious gaze at Oz. “Explain this... debauchery.”
“Women and booze.” Oz readily replied, this statement having set the courtroom to murmuring.
“Asriel? Your argument to the contrary.”
Asriel cleared his throat and straightened up. “Your honor. I am ten years old. Which makes him,” He thusly pointed at Oz to accentuate his point. “Ten years old.”
“Objection!” Oz shouted. “And just how long have you been ten years old ?” Oz asked with an accusatory tone. “One year? Two years? A century?”
“Your honor, the prosecution is using conjecture!” Asriel replied.
“I’ll allow it,” Twilight stated. “The prosecution may continue.”
“Asriel has existed for an immeasurable amount of time outside the reaches.of space-time. To claim his age of ten years, would be to claim that the moon is cheese!”
“OBJECTION!!” Luna yelled as she stood from her seat, immediately causing Twilight to bang her gavel.
“Order in the court! Asriel, explain.”
“Your honor, the prosecution is relying on hyperbole and semantics to further his case!” Asriel replied.
“You don't even know what those words mean!” Oz shouted angrily.
“ORDER! ORDER!” With another bang of the gavel, Twilight turned to face Oz. “State your case.”
Oz huffed, closing his eyes for nary a second. “Your honor… do you know what it's like to find freedom?”
Twilight gave no answer, choosing instead to see where this lead.
“I worked my ass off. I worked day in and day out for a shot out of a shitty situation. I was finally going to be free, to live my life in peace…”
Oz took a look back at the princesses, sadness evident in his eyes. “But I had that freedom stripped from me… and I was right back in square one, but then I met her. ”
Every pony had turned to his attention at this point, some even on the verge of tears. “Rosie… she made it so my freedom didn't even matter anymore. Yes, she had me run ragged, yes, I had orders to follow…”
He sniffed, rubbing his eyes with his wrist. “But it didn't matter… so long as she was there… Then the day came when I met Chara.” His voice had gone… cold.
“Kid was trouble, anyone can tell you that. All I had to do was establish contact and bring her in… but then she clung to me.”
“Objec-” Asriel had raised his voice, but Oz had somehow stopped him dead in his tracks.
“At first, I didn't care. She was… cute. Then I actually started feeling responsible for her. She… reminds me a lot of a girl I knew. Co-worker’s kid. Acted like my little sister.”
Oz sniffed again as he cleared his throat. “So… I guess when I was told to keep an eye on Chara… instinct kicked in. Do you see why I’d rather not be forced to… you know…”
Twilight looked sympathetic, as did everyone present. However…
“But it's not your body… It's not your decision to make.” Asriel explained.
Oz gave him an apologetic look. “Yeah… figures you’d say that.” He put on a smile and turned to the princesses. “Mom? Auntie Lulu, we should have lunch sometime.”
“Did he just call me-” Luna had been flabbergasted at this sudden statement, but Celestia...
“Oz!?” The princess of the sun had broken into tears, fear gripping her heart.
“Keep your body, kid. I have a life to live!!” With a rebel yell, Oz had begun to draw power into himself, casting the world in blinding light...
The group awoke in a startled frenzy, each pony looking to and fro the library. Twilight was the first to jump to the child they sought to revive, finding Asriel bundled up and on the couch.
“Asriel…” The mare called out, silence and fear gripping the room.
The child stirred, brilliant emerald eyes winking to consciousness. “Oz… where did you go…” He seemed to whisper. Soon, all present had encroached upon the awakened Asriel.
“Wait… where is Chara?” Celestia asked worriedly.
“Don't know.” All eyes whipped about the room as they saw Spike sweeping at the floor and buffing out a set of claw marks. “By the time I came back she was gone.”
“And the claw marks?” Luna asked.
“Probably hers, but Asriel was still here, so I didn't have much time to worry…” The dragon seemed rather… bored? Though the bags under his eyes did tell a different story.
Rarity and Fluttershy looked to Twilight, a little worried. Twilight simply chuckled and shrugged.
“It's been a rough week…” The unicorn answered apologetically.
“Oh yeah,” Spike said as the group followed him to a broom closet. “These sorta popped into the room.” The dragon presented a pair of special blades, the swords looking as if they had been made from a galaxy. “There was a third sword, but the new lieutenant came by to pick it up… said she had orders to follow.”
“I don't remember giving an order like that.” Celestia said rather quickly.
“That's cause it wasn't you,” Everyone turned back to Asriel, the child having sat up and propping himself up with a pillow. “Oz did.”
“But he doesn't have jurisdiction here!” Twilight shouted, miffed that such an anomalous event would go studied without all available data. “Right?”
Luna looked to Celestia, who then looked to the group. “Actually… I suppose he does. He was the one with which we made our contract, it was he who we urged to move here… any order from Oz at this point would, and should be, treated as an order from either Luna or myself.” She casually explained.
Rainbow had begun to squeeze her way through at this statement. “Whoa whoah whoah, you telling us that that thing ,”
“Sitting right here Dash.” Asriel replied, getting the mare to huff and roll her eyes.
“I don't mean you, kid. I mean the other guy. You telling me he can give us orders and we have to follow them?” She finished.
This got the others thinking. What if he asked them to do something less than legal?
“As he is an extension of us,” Luna began to explain, attaining the attention of those worried. “He will never act in malice nor order any under our protection into a situation they are unsuited or unwilling to complete.”
“Then, what of miss Chara, or our young Asriel?” Rarity had asked. “What fate befalls them in the instance they are deemed a threat?”
“That will never happen.” Celestia replied rather coldly, her eyes stern and unflinching.
“As he is still apart of Asriel, he would be unable to harm either as they now fall under our supervision.” Luna added.
“Not that he’d want to.” Asriel stated, much to the confusion of all those present.
“But he tried to kill you.” Fluttershy said calmly.
“He tried to kill us!” Rainbow added.
Asriel shook his head, a smile on his lips. “Fluttershy, what happens when you cage an animal against its will?” The child asked with a serene smile.
“They’ll lash out at everypony and everything. Caging a creature in such a way… Breaks them.” The usually timid mare answered with such calculated calm, those near her had actually seemed to back away slightly.
“He just needs a party! That should get him to stop being a mean old grumpy pants!” Pinkie cheered, throwing a hoof full of confetti into the air.
Asriel laughed, slightly amused. “Sorry, the parties he’s used to involve mor-
Before the child could finish his sentence, a swirling white rift had violently opened above the group.
Exiting the rift was a child sized suit of shining metal of the wildest emerald, and brightest of gold. The armor looked sleek and compact in design, four bursts of energy had seemed to cascade in a controlled environment from it's palms and feet.
“That's the Iron Man suit…” Twilight gasped out.
“I am Iron kid!” Chara yells out in childlike Glee as the Iron Man theme song started playing from the armor.
Asriel for the most part, started to laugh happily. “Chara! Get down here already!” He shouted through his smile.
Of course, both princesses did their best not to seem perturbed with the flying child. Chara immediately floated down to the ground leaving Scorch marks on the library floor and soon the helmet retracted back into the armor to show a big smile on her face as she looked at asriel.
Without so much as a warning, Asriel jumped at Chara, nuzzling his face into her chest. Chara was at first shocked at this before she grabbed azzy and pulled him into a big hug.
“CHARA DREEMURR!!” both Luna and Celestia said, their voice booming forth.
“Explain yourself!” Luna questioned.
“ okay I will but you can't be mad at me…” Chara says trying to mask the fear of being in trouble that all children get when faced with angry parents.
“Oh no, we've deduced that you left involuntarily, we speak in regards to what was done in regards to the young master Asriel!” She explained.
“I don't know!” Chara yelled out “ I'm not all-knowing, i-i'm just a kid…” Chara finishes Whispering last part, Chara hated not being able to help Asriel and she hated not knowing what the answers were and she hated feeling useless most of all.
Celestia only went to the child, holding her close. “No one is casting blame against you, but when Luna asked if anything was done to Asriel’s mind, she really meant anything. ”
“We almost died in there!!” Rainbow shouted, getting her a hoof check from Applejack.
“As such,” Luna thusly drew nearer the child. “You are grounded.”
“But that's not fair I just got back from literally fighting off an army with the Hulk!” Chara yelled out before covering her mouth not meaning to tell them about her fighting.
“You've met Bruce Banner!” Twilight shouted excitedly.
“Nope his name was Mike and he was transformed into a displaced.” Chara said happily crushing Twilight's excitement violently.
Unamused, a red heart seemed to pulsate on Twilight's chest as she teleported the child out of her armor.
“I’ll be confiscating this.” She said as she began to disassemble the suit.
“Iron Man protocol intrusive nerd!” Chara yelled out as the suit started floating piece by piece before floating towards Chara and she opened up her inventory and let it fly in.
Heart still pulsating, Twilight simply spoke.“Friday, training wheels protocol.” As the suit went into the inventory, a muffled voice could be heard from the armor. “You can have the toys back once Luna or Celestia deems it necessary.”
“ I can always go back and have Tony fix it!” Chara yelled out defiantly Crossing her arms.
“And I wouldn't get tired of disarming it, though I have to ask…” Twilight began to whisper into Chara’s ear. “What was it like talking to one of the most brilliant minds in fictional history?”
“ and who says I couldn't have him deactivate that protocol!” Chara says refusing to tell Twilight anything for taking her armor away.
Twilight began to walk away. “Because he isn't as determined as I am…”
“And you're not as determined as I am.” Chara shot back.
“Which debug tool would you use to ensure the suit doesn't implode upon intrusion?” She asked with a smirk. Chara and immediately started pouting thinking about actually summoning The Hulk and telling him how mean Twilight was being.
Twilight's smirk softened, seeing a bit if herself in Chara. “I did leave you the Uni-Beam…”
“fuck you…” Chara says turning her back to Twilight.
“Chara!” Celestia and Asriel shouted in unison. “Language!”
“ what she only took my brand new present away from me that I got for saving the Hulk from Eternal entrapment!” Chara said not at all remorseful.
“And if you had use of every rocket and overclock that suit has you’d end up killing or enslaving humanity!” Asriel shouted.
“Asriel you know as well as I that I give no shits about Humanity.” Chara said waving off his concern about Humanity.
“And you know that I do…” He replied rather disheartened. “At least one human matters to me.” He smiled again, emerald eyes staring into Chara's.
“ Twilight is still a bitch…” Chara says with a straight face.
“Young lady, she only holds your best interest at heart!” Celestia shouted.
“ and that suit was handcrafted by Tony Stark himself for me!” Chara said stubbornly digging her metaphorically heels.
“Which you earned through senseless bloodshed no less.” Luna added.
“ I do not call it senseless bloodshed, in fact I would happily bathe the world in blood if it meant protecting my friends and family!” Chara said with no regret in her voice and complete conviction.
“ENOUGH!” Celestia shouted, causing bits of the library to catch fire. “Twilight will undue what she has done in three days time, she will then study this suit when not in use, and you shall apologize!”
“ and if I refuse?” Chara said calmly at least on the outside.
Unflinching, Celestia procured a rather stylized box with a lock. Opening the box, its contents were that of a single piece of chocolate… an aroma so beyond mortal comprehension wafted forth. “I suppose I’d have to eat this myself as Luna puts you through the ringer.”
“We are not. Kind to trainees…” Luna paused for emphasis, a frozen glaze appearing over her body.
“ and if I just vanished? there are several methods that I can use to leave now… and not just to the other countries.” Chara was using her boundless determination ‘ read stubbornness’ to keep from caving into the chocolate.
“Heheh… I guess it would mean never seeing each other again.” Asriel laughed as he rubbed the back of his head.
“ who says I wouldn't throw you in my inventory and just run?” Chara says
“Well… Oz actually…” Asriel answered.
“ who says he could actually stop me? There is nobody in this universe that could stop me if I wanted to do something, the only thing stopping me from doing whatever the hell I want is the limitations of my body.” Chara says pulling up every button she has including the erase and reset buttons.
“Well… It's not so much as stopping you…” Asriel said, twiddling his thumbs as he looked aloof. “I mean, neither of you would stop… but he wouldn't lay a finger on you…”
“I have the ability to go to any Universe I want to… so that means the little wizard wannabe wouldn't be able to get back here without my help.” Chara continued with a smirk conveniently forgetting to tell them that the Universe would start to reject her as soon as she did it.
“I mean sure…” Still aloof, Asriel began swinging his legs on the couch, everyone waiting to see where this would go. “If you wanted to kill me…”
“ oh that can be easily fixed with a stop in the Dragon Ball universe!” Chara said thinking she had thought of everything
The child coughed, and then did his best Shenron impression. “That wish is beyond my power…”
“ you're forgetting the Super Dragon Balls they literally can do anything~” Chara said in a sing-song voice
“Because turning me evil would solve everyone’s problems…” He joked.
“ you're thinking of the Black Star Dragon Balls, the super dragon balls are the size of planets and they don't turn someone evil.” Chara said doing her best impression of a teacher lecturing someone.
“And how long do I have before I decompose? Hey, wanna test that theory!?” He asked happily.
Luna and Celestia stared wide eyed at the child. “You will do no such thing…” Celestia whispered in fear.
“ you're also forgetting that they can bring back erased beings! Hell they brought back several universes that were erased from existence. Hell I could probably go to Mike's universe and use the Infinity Gauntlet to fix you up, maybe just the Soul Stone would be needed.” Chara said stubbornly digging her heels in even more not wanting to give an inch.
“You're really that selfish huh? Haven't even asked me if this is what I want.” He replied, no malice in his voice or ever present smile.
“ but I can fix you and then we won't have to live by anybody's rules! Hell I could probably get rid of that oz bastard that is the source of all this!” Chara yelled out thinking she could fix everything with a few well-placed jumps.
“Okay. Kill Oz.” He said simply.
“NO!” Everyone shouted.
“There aren't enough words to say how bad an idea that is!” Twilight added.
“Why the hay would you let her kill you like that!?” Rainbow questioned.
“well oz always wanted out of that body and you know the saying ‘be careful what you wish for’.” Chara said as she grabbed onto Azrael ready to teleport them to another universe as well as readying some hatred to rip oz out with after she fixes asriel.
“This should be fun.” Asriel said as he pulled out a shining golden emblem. “See you all two hours ago.”
“What was tha-”
Time itself stood still. Hours becoming minutes, minutes becoming seconds… At least until a blazing sun and frozen moon returned time to its rightful place.
Somehow, Asriel was once again on the couch, Twilight and co. were no longer present, and Luna had Chara bent over a foreleg, a frozen hoof spanking the child repeatedly.
“Wha- I could have sworn…” Asriel was shocked at the turn of events, Celestia sitting next to him eating chocolate.
“I am more than an empty threat, my child. Chocolate?”
Taking in the surreal scene, Asriel accepted the offered piece. “I think I’m gonna like it here.” Chara tried to glare at asriel but it wasn't at all effective due to the tears running down her face. Asriel could tell by the look in Chara eyes that she was going to load reality back to when she first came back through the portal.
Catching the “glare” Celestia gave one of her own, now dangling Asriel's emblem in her magical grasp. “Now Luna, I believe she's had enough.”
“Are you certain? I’ve gotten quite good at this without actually harming her.” Luna replied slightly amused.
“She's learned her lesson, plus, we need to figure out what the nobles plan to do with us.” Asriel replied readily.
Rolling her eyes, Luna began to magically soothe the child’s hurt, even giving her an ice pack. “The nobles always want something, though if what you say is true, it would be wise to speak with…”
“Unless Oz has already done so.” Celestia added.
“Heh, I can't believe he called you mom.” Asriel giggled. Chara at this point was trying to sneak off to nurse her injured Pride, and her red bottom.
As Celestia and Asriel made for the door, they turned back to look at Luna.
“Won't you join us?” Celestia asked.
The lunar princess only shook her head, trotting backwards into a dense shadow. “Nay, we have business elsewhere…”
Asriel only shivered.
As Chara reach the top of the stairs she went to one of the bedrooms and she pulled out her knife to use as a medium with her soul to try and Sense out one of her tokens throughout the Multiverse.
...Only for her knife to freeze in her grasp.
“Off somewhere, little niece?” Luna asked.
“Noooo…” Chara says denying that she was about to jump universes.
“Hmm, yes… I know that look. I’ve worn it a thousand times before…” Luna mused as she leaned out a window. “I know we may seem harsh, but mischief and order are not so exclusive you know.” She looked back, a smile on her face. Chara just turned her back on Luna Crossing her arms with a 'hmph’ Chara was still upset over losing her new armor and not getting her way.
“What is it that ails you? What is it you fear?” Luna asked of the child.
“...I hate being alone and being u-useless a-a-and weak…” Chara Whispers trying to hold back her tears hating herself even more for being weak.
“But you are neither of these things.” Luna states as she places a wing atop Chara’s head. “From what Twilight has told our sister, you are quite possibly the most powerful creature upon this plane of existence.”
“But all my power means nothing if I'm not able to help asriel…”Chara responds
“Who says you haven't helped him already?” She teased. “Is he not who you remember him to be?”
“But Oz is mean!” chara whines out.
“How would you react… Oh… Picture yourself in his shoes. How would you have reacted?” She asked calmly. “Torn from your life, forced into servitude, forced to adhere to the wishes of those around him… to adhere to the wishes of those who never cared for him…”
“But he doesn't have to be so mean…”Chara Whispers.
“You don't have to be so bratty.” She teased again, lifting the child’s chin with a wing. “And when was he ever mean to you? For all I’ve seen, you've been rather inconsiderate to him, where he has been nothing but patient and attentive.”they both sit beside each other for a few minutes before charged decided to speak.
“C-Can I talk to you about something…” Chara asked quietly.
“Of course!” Luna replied joyfully.
“ most of my black soul trait comes from my self-hatred…” Chara whispered as she got on one of the beds and sat down pulling her legs into her arms.
Luna seemed to flinch, it wasn't all that long ago she held the Nightmare after all. “And… this self hatred, from where does it stem?” Chara just shook as she didn't want to say.
“I understand if your reasoning is… personal, but might I ask why you have told me this?” Luna asked rather confused.
“You know the Multiverse exists right?” Chara ask the lunar princess barely lifting her head to look up at her.
Luna scoffed as she slipped out a comic book. “I do now… Earth heroes are rather interesting.”
“Well in some universes other universes are seen as fiction and my past life used to watch this universe, or a different version of it and you were my past lives favorite character.” Chara said not outright lying but not telling the truth either.
Frozen in shock, the lunar princess looked out the window in contemplation. “Was I beloved?” She asked, not wanting to face the child.
“You have an entire section of the fandom dedicated to you… they call themselves the Lunar Republic and would probably sell their souls to meet you.” Chara says hoping she made Luna's day.
Frozen in place, Luna began shedding a torrent of tears, though nary a sound escaped her. “How foolish we have been… Jealous of our sister's fame, when there are those who would give their lives for us…” Finally, she turned to the child, her face flushed and eyes puffy from crying.
“Would… there be those whom idolize us within other worlds?”
“yup although there were those who were disappointed in you when they found out about the tantabus, they thought that you didn't deserve that kind of punishment and all of the Lunar Republic wants to cuddle you.” Chara said as she moved over and hugged Luna.
This news shocked Luna to her core, for others to outright know of her self induced penitence? It was maddening.
“We hath made a grave error…” She whispered.
“Then I should have a thousand times worse for killing off an entire species and erasing timelines even if it was against my will…” Chara said as she looked up at Luna.
“No… no. No one being should subject themselves to such horrors…” She replied now looking apologetic.
“Then why should you go through such horrors when I did far worse…” Chara said looking up at her trying to use childlike logic to refute her.
Slightly taken aback, Luna pursed her lips and formed her thoughts. “As a wizened adult, We should know better. As a child, thou hast yet to truly understand the consequences of yon actions.”
“If you continue to do it I'll start doing it to myself as well.” Chara said with conviction and determination in her eyes, Chara was determined to keep Luna from continuing to torture yourself at all costs. “And I had a past life who was an adult, so that means I'm just as guilty as you!” Chara continued.
“You're an adult!?” She cried in surprise, actually colliding with a wall.
“my past life was an adult…he found a portal and died jumping through it.” Chara said as she thought of her before her displacement as a past life.
“But… But then… but why…” Luna slumped to the floor, shaking her head so as to clear her thoughts.
“He hated his life…” Chara said as if it was normal.
“But you hate your life!” She cried.
“I was raped, I was beaten and I was abused verbally and mentally! Hell I even killed myself and let my brother absorb my soul and my plan to get more souls to free my family still failed!”Chara yelled at the top of her lungs “Why shouldn't I hate myself!? I got my brother killed and caused my mom and dad to break up…”Chara finished tears running from her eyes.
“Was any of that truly caused by your existence!?” She now questioned. “Thou art but a victim of circumstance, now that you are here, thou could… you could heal…” She finished, saddened eyes now gazing upon the child.Chara was just quiet as she turned to look away and hugged her legs again.
“Do you know what it's like to have the memories of someone who knew all about you and was from Another Universe?” Chara asked Luna. “It's scary… knowing that another universe is watching you at all times and has made porn of you.” Chara finishes shuddering.
“No We… N-no… No I do not…” Luna finally replied, seeming to struggle with her answer. Chara nodded her head as they sat there for a few minutes.
Of course, Luna’s cheeks then began to redden terribly. “Sweet goddess... How many see me in such a manner?”
“All the perverts…”Chara said not being able to look at Luna because she was blushing.
Silence permeated the room, Luna’s wings shuffling as if in discomfort. Coughing, she turned to Chara. “I suppose… you’ll just have to keep further information to yourself… for everypony's sanity.”
“Your sister and the main six along with their younger sisters have porn of them to…” Chara continues seeing an opportunity to mess with best princess.
Luna’s mad blush burned brighter as her wings flared. “I DON'T NEED TO THINK ABOUT TWILIGHT DRESSED AS A MAID!!” She screamed in the royal Canterlot voice, eyes closed shut as she began to fervently shake her head.
“I'm pretty sure Canterlot heard that…” Chara said rubbing her ears although she kind of deserved it.
The lunar princess immediately clamped her mouth shut. “I… doubt anypony will know it was me…” She said almost unsure. “Please tell me she didn't hear that…” Chara patted Luna trying to make her feel better as she realizes she may have taken things too far.
Steeling her features, Luna coughed into a hoof and looked back to the child. “This conversation never occured.” Of course, despite her apparent calm, Luna’s mane had become a wild torrent of writhing tendrils.
“This entire meeting never occurred…” Chara said with a nod before she reached up and started messing with Luna's mane seeing how it felt. It had become cool to the touch, fluid like an angered ocean, and it almost seemed to have a mind of its own.
“cool~” Chara said as she continued to play with the lunar princesses Mane and getting caught up in playing with it.
Of course, as Luna began to walk out of the room, her now living mane had now begun to gently cradle Chara. At this point Chara didn't care, the tendrils felt comfortable like a gentle nights Breeze against her and she preferred the night anyways she always did love the the night sky and the calm cool atmosphere.
Much to the lunar princess’ surprise, Twilight had been in the main lobby of the library, cheeks flushed and eyes focused on a book. Luna stood stock still as she tried her best to think of something actually appropriate to say.
“comfy…” Chara says as she lets out a yawn breaking the awkward silence by getting the attention of everyone.
“AH! Princess Luna! I… Didn't see you there…” Twilight blurted out as she hid her book in desperation.
“Twilight~ is that a naughty book?” Chara said finding a new Target for teasing.
Twilight had immediately gone cherry red as she fervently began shaking her head. “No! No no no no no no no…. It's um… uh… re-research! Yes! Research!”
“Of what variety?” Luna asked rather quickly.
“Oh… well… I thought maybe I’d need to read a few books on armors and… enchantments…” She gulped, a single bead of sweat falling off her chin.
“Oh you and I both know you're lying through your teeth.” Chara spoke with a grin that spoke she was having too much fun with this.
Twilight thusly began laughing nervously, her hoof running circles along her couch. “W-well… ever since you came back with the Iron Man suit… I started a few side projects… nothing to extravagant!” She seemed flustered as she said ‘extravagant’. “But ho-hopefully something that could be-better help you in battle?”
Chara burst out laughing at the thought of actually needing help in battle. “I'm sorry it's just the thought of anyone actually being able to beat me is absurd.” Chara said wiping away tears of Mirth before adjusting herself and getting comfortable in the tendrils again.
Taking a much needed gasp of air, Twilight took on an easy smile. “Honestly, they're more “comfort” runes and enchantments if anything.
“What kind of comfort?” Luna asked as she drew nearer to the mare.
Twilight had tilt her head back as she formed her thoughts. “There's a silk steel enchantment my brother likes to use on his armor, and a few… Heat runes I need to test…”
“ they're not lewd heat ruins are they?~” Chara said once again trying to tease Twilight and make purple smart blush.
With a stern gaze, Twilight did her absolute best to fight back her now glowing cheeks. “N-nothing like that!” She said hurriedly, though it was much to Luna’s disappointment.
However, before Twilight could address this, the door to the library had opened, Celestia having walked in and with Asriel on her back.
“Hey sun butt did you know that your sister and Twilight have dirty minds?” Chara says with an all too innocent smile.
“WE DO NOT HAVE DIRTY MINDS!” The pair shouted in unison.
“Heheh, I think your baby sister is finally growing up.” Asriel said to Celestia, said princess sporting a mild blush.
“Your sister thought of Twilight in the maid's outfit without any provocation.” Chara says her smile still in place as she was dumped on the floor by the tendrils before she got up and moved over to Celestia looking up at her with false childlike innocence.
“Dear child of mine… what did you do?” Celestia asked.
“NOTHING WAS SAID OR DONE!” Luna quickly shouted.
Coughing, Twilight had shakily gotten to her hooves as she made her way to the door. “I uh… forgot I left Spike with Rarity… I’ll just… go pick up my… bye!” She shouted before bolting out the door.
“ I may have introduced your sister to the concept of the Multiverse and what certain things could happen in the Multiverse and her mind went straight to the gutter!” Chara said editing the story to make sure she didn't seem like the bad guy.
Celestia seemed rather worried, even more so as she looked to her dear sister. “Lulu… is everything al-”
“We wish to have relations with your student!” Luna blurted.
Asriel began laughing his lungs out as he fell to the floor.
“Yes,~ sweet lesbo, yes!” Chara shouted out throwing her hands up with a Mighty cheer of success.
“NO!” Celestia cried. “Wha- what would the public say!?”
“To Tartarus with the public!” Luna shot back.
“Preach it Luna!” Chara yells standing firmly on Luna's side about this.
“We haven't had a decent concubine in nary a millenia!” Luna added. “You don't even keep concubines anymore!’
“I was young and confused then!” Celestia shot back, though rather flustered and vulnerable.
“does this mean you don't want your sister happy?” Chara asked using child logic once again.
“Of course I want her happy, but not my student! What would her mother say!?” The solar princess shouted in defense.
“ I'd say fuck her but I didn't know her…” Chara said.
“I am quite sure young Twilight’s mother is a reasonable mare!” Luna argued. “We don't see the trouble in all this.”
“Plus she's supposed to be an Alicorn sometime in the future and that would mean she would outlive most if not all possible stallions…” Chara said as if stating the obvious.
Luna pointed a hoof at Chara, as if that answered all of Celestia’s grievances.
“No one was supposed to find out about that! Why do you even know about that!?” Celestia questioned.
“muffin button.” Chara said as if that answered all life's questions trying to throw Celestia for a loop.
This was the straw that broke the camel's back it seemed, as Celestia's eye began to twitch. Staggering, she too made her way for the door. “I’ll go tell Velvet her daughter will soon be courted…”
“yay I win!” Chara yelled out doing a fist pump.
“Someone's happy with themselves.” Asriel said happily, sitting upon the floor. “And here I thought you’d be a wreck without me.”
Asriel was soon found himself in Chara's arms as she buried her face into his chest “Warm and fluffy and mine…” Chara whispered.
The goat child only smiled, casually running his dull claws through her hair. “You make it sound like you fighting with someone over me…”
“Pfft, she wasn't.” Luna teased. “Though… what pray tell have you and mine sister been doing?” She asked.
“We took a trip to Canterlot, tried to get some info from a retired royal soldier.” Asriel replied.
“What did you find?” Luna asked as she settled into the couch, idly glancing at the book Twilight had been trying to hide.
“The soldier was either too far gone, or he already said everything he had to someone else.” Asriel replied.
“And whom could this soldier have spoken to?” Luna asked while casually flipping through her new book.
Asriel tilted his head in thought. “Well… Rose Petal was there, but when we asked her if she knew anything, she just shrugged... “ He thusly plopped his back on the floor. “Could have sworn Oz would have been with her…”
“Hmm… yes that is disconcerting…” Luna mumbled, no doubt engrossed in the book in her grasp as Chara continued to rub her face against the fluffy fur of Asriel not caring about the conversation going on.
Author's Note
Sorry if this chapter gets weird I wrote some of it while I was sleeping and didn't feel like changing it
Newchp10
“Children,” Celestia said as everyone had been seated for breakfast. “I would like to speak with you on a matter that may benefit you in the long run.” She said as she began to sip from a teacup
“I have a bad feeling about this…”Chara said having a feeling of where this was going due to how many fanfiction she read and written with kids as the focus.
“It's nothing to worry about,” Celestia said with a reassuring smile. “It's just that… with events being as they are… I feel as if you should “mingle” with those in your age group.” She took another sip.
“Pretty sure that's a bad idea.” Asriel commented.
“It'll be fine!” Twilight said as she walked into the room, three sets of pancakes in her magical grasp. “We’ve already taken care of the necessary paperwork.”
“I feel like I'm about to be sent to school... I'm about to be sent to school aren't I…” Chara said more than asked as she crossed her arms.
“I’ve already packed your supplies and lunches!” Celestia proclaimed happily, two school bags held in her magical grasp.
“Does mine have a pudding cup?” Asriel asked with a hint of excitement, hands on the table and eyes glinting.
“what God did I piss off to have to go to school…” Chara asks as she looks up at the ceiling.
“Think of it this way,” Celestia gave the school bags to the children, her smile never faltering. “This way, you are no longer an agent of the guard, and I get to drop the charges placed against you.” She explained to Chara.
“Fighting is easy studying is hard!” Chara complained as she stomped her feet not wanting to go to school, she did her time thank you very much.
“Aw… Please~ for me?” Asriel had gotten on his knees, hands clasped before him as he begged, eyes wide and shimmering like stars.
“There is no force on Earth are heaven that will get me in that building.”Chara said with a deadPan tone.
*Ponyville Elementary *
“How the hell did I get convinced to go to school!” chara yelled out as she entered through the door
“Love you too!” Asriel cheered as he ran straight in. Chara grumbled as she followed him and as soon as she caught sight of a certain Pink Pony with a tiara she glared at her.
“What are you looking at, freak?” The pony asked.
“maybe a little brat that can't do anything for herself and has to get her Butler to do it?” Chara said with a smirk using her knowledge of the show against this little twat.
Sneering, she simply walked away. “I don't have time for this, I have better things to do and easier targets to find.”
“What's the matter, can dish it but can't take it?” Chara asks her smirk only growing wider.
Looking back, she actually managed to close one eye while keeping her right eye perfectly open. “What? You expect me to pay you to let me insult you? I get enough of that from my “butler”.” Without another word she started to walk away again.
‘Chara calm down, don't kill this little twat, you won't get away with it and Celestia Will know if you rewind time’ Chara thought to herself as she tried to restrain herself from gutting the little bitch for outwitting her.
“Chara, your murder is showing.” Asriel said, poking the girl on the shoulder.
Chara immediately calmed down at asriel's touch before taking his hand and bringing them to the back of the class.
Class was rather simple, Asriel and Chara had been introduced to the class and were practically forced to answer rather awkward questions about themselves.
Scootaloo looked to Chara and smiled “So, how’d you get so cool? Taking old Diamond tiara a peg or two?”
“I wouldn't say she kept h-”
Sweetie Belle then interrupted “Is Asriel single?”
“No he's mine!” Chara said rather quickly grabbing Asriel’s hand possessively.
Apple Bloom looked at Asriel's legs pensively. “Would he be a good bucker?” She said mostly to herself.
“You'll never find out but I will!” Chara said casually.
The school froze as Cheerilee looked to Chara with unparallelled calm. “Who taught you such things? That should be saved for high school at the earliest!”
“Where we're from we have something called the internet-”
She then snapped a hoof over charas mouth as she spoke in a singsong voice. “Badadadada WE DON’T NEED TO KNOW FOREIGN POSITIONS!”
Chara moved the hoof from her mouth “that's not a position it's like a library movie theater and game console in one.”
Cheerilee went stone faced. “I will write a recommendation for homeschooling immediately.”
Chara immediately smiled at this.
[timeskip]
“So… why are we going into the Everfree?” Asriel asked the group of girls.
“I hope we see something cool…” Chara said as she was unimpressed with most of the stuff she was shown... except for the candy shop.
Scootaloo chuckled. “I’m telling you two, the Hut Zecora lives in is pretty cool!”
“Azzy you've been quiet for a while what's up?”Chara says moving to the back of the group and next to Asriel.
“Should we really be out here? I mean… without supervision by an adult, maybe one with a sword?” He asked worriedly, not wanting to go deeper into the forest.
“Asriel we have me, what could possibly go wrong?”Chara says and that is that the Universe wanted to give her the middle finger a group of timber wolves surrounded them.
“Fuck you, too, universe!”Chara yells at the sky giving it a double middle finger.
“You’re the one who keeps tempting the fates!” Asriel shouted as he pulled out a small knife. “And me without my magic…”
“You think that butter knife is going to actually harm them? This is what I call a knife” Chara says pulling a Cleaver that was bigger than her head out of her inventory.
Meanwhile in an alternate dimension...
Connor had been going to an endless marathon of conventions, looking for his friend Casey. He had been searching out the Merchant ever since his friend had disappeared without so much as a trace. He came upon a resident Evil Merchant for the umpteenth time and smiled in a forced manner. “Displacer?”
“Ah, if it is not Connor. I've heard that you've been looking for me?” The displacer said with an eerie grinas he had already started grabbing random items that would perfectly fit his outfit, that of my Titan character from Destiny 2. Namely, the Coldheart trace rifle and the Sentinel Shield.
“You want to know where your friend Casey is don't you? I can send you there if you want…the price will be some of your memories. Some removals will be temporary some will be permanent… but none of it will be of your friend…” the displacer said with a grin that was anything but pleasant.
Connor nodded and slammed his entire life savings on the table. “Okay, send me off... I miss my friend.”
“Say hi to Chara for me.”
Connor got a pained look “Aww, shit! He’s a Loli isn’t he?!”
“And he's trying to woo over Asriel.” The displacer said his Amusement over 9000.
“Fuuuuuuuuuu-”
Back with our heroes
“-uuuuuuuuuuu *gasp* uuuuuuuuuuuck!”
“Dammit Connor!” Chara yelled out with a smirk on her face as she could only remember one person who would say that upon entry.
Upon that statement being uttered, Connor landed feet first on a Timberwolves skull. He looked to his left as a Timberwolf leapt at him, his body instinctively throwing a burning hammer at it. It clocked him in the head and exploded with extreme heat. “Hoo yeah, take that, bitch!”
“Connor did you search out the displacer?”Chara asks as she heads over to them even as the CMC are unsure what to do about the new guy.
“Less talking! More running!” Asriel shouted as he threw his knife, embedding it into a timberwolf skull.
Connor smiled and drew a purple shield, looking like captain America as he rams his shield into them, causing purple energy particles to envelop them before he threw it, causing it to ricochet into each of them before they blew up, a massive Timberwolf torso flying at Chara Which she cleaved an Twine, covering herself in plant blood and pollen from the odd blue flower that was in the canines belly.
“Poison joke, feh, what's the worst can it turn me into…” Chara whispered shrugging her shoulders although she was upset with her wardrobe being messed up again she had just gotten this green and yellow striped sweater Brown skirt and green socks made after all.
Chu~ a small sneeze escaped Asriel, a poison joke flower head having landed on his nose.
Sweetie Belle frowned “We should get you two to Zecora, fast!”
Scootaloo scoffed “No, you dodo! It has to take effect first! We should get them home before they get any more on them!”
Applebloom frowned with a deadpan.”Hello, the chickens called, they want their chick back.”
“Oh damn! I didn't even think my healing Factor could survive that utter BURN!” Chara says leaning backwards and covering her mouth with a fist.
Connor guffawed “I should make an impossible pinkie promise of some sort. Maybe to defy gravity or something. I’d love to see her react to me pulling it off.”
“Dammit Connor stop thinking with your dick!” Chara yelled out glaring up at him
Connor laughs maniacally “I refuse, child! I shall not do so until thy mind leaves Asriel's pants!” Chara's face blushed a bright red. He then smiles “That reaction was As riel as it gets!” he then had to block the cleaver heading towards his head with his shield, destroying it as a result.
“Why was I fighting Oz again…” Asriel asked no one, horrified that this was his life now.
“Now now azzy it's not that bad that we could become a couple!”Chara said enthusiastically
Connor then cut it “Think of the adorable satyr children!” Then Chara had a horrified look on her face as she thought about having to give birth.
He then whispered into Charas ear “Imagine getting rammed by a goat dick.” Chara immediately blushed as she started thinking about it
“There are kids present you know.” Asriel said, crossing his arms, but smiling.
Connor smiles “What is the age of consent for ponies?”
They frowned in thought. “About sixteen.”
He gestured to them. “Okay, how old are you three?”
They grinned “Thirteen! We can’t wait to get in a herd with Button Mash!”
“Wait herds are a thing!?”Chara yelled out horrified that she might actually have to share asriel.
They nodded “Mostly for ponies, but Gryphons also have flocks, which are similar I heard.”
Connor then smiled evilly. “So, I may search for a Harem… interesting. So very interesting.”
“Damn it, keep it in your pants!” Chara yelled out again once again bringing a cleaver but this time made out of soul energy.
Connor grabbed the handle before throwing it at a tree. It sliced clean through. “Also, stop flirting with poor Azzy, and maybe I won’t tease you. Overflirting is a huge turn off for any guy.”
“Heheh, now I know how Oz felt.” Asriel chuckled.
“Bu-bu-but-”Chara said before being interrupted
“But boots are better blasted by ballistas? I disagree, but anyway, onto PONYVILLE! I pinkie promise that I will defy gravity in front of Sugarcube corner!”
There was a gasp as a Pink blur was seen rushing at them. “HOW DARE YOU TAKE THE SACRED PROMISE IN VAIN?!”
“Pink demon pink demon!”Chara yelled out as she tried to hide herself and asriel behind trees and her own soul energy.
Connor grinned “Cross my heart.”
Pinkie fumes “DON’T DO IT!”
He smiles “Hope to fly!”
She rages. “STOP IT! I AM WARNING YOU!”
He grins “Stick a cupcake in my eye.”
Connor grabs Chara and Asriel, who grabbed the CMC in turn, as they were forcibly dragged at high speed to the front of Sugarcube corner. “DO IT! YOU CAN’T LEAVE THIS SPOT UNTIL YOU DO IT! YOU PINKIE PROMISED!”
Connor chuckles and jumps into the air, and then leapt further from mid air. “There you go, I defied gravity.”
She sits on her haunches and frowns in thought. “You… you were trying to get my attention?”
He nods.
“You want to be friends with me?” She asked hopefully.
He pulled out a certain kind of knot. “I’m, a frayed not.” the smol loli could be seen in the background crying at the horrible puns.
She snorted in laughter before gasping and frowning sadly. “Y-you don’t?”
He shook his head “I want to be your coltfriend.”
“Dammit Connor keep it in your goddamn pants.”
Connor turned to Chara and pointed at her in a single brisk motion. Bringing to mind phoenix wright. “Objection! I reject your request on the terms that I have an intense attraction to this mare!” Pinkie and for some reason Twilight blushed at this, although Twilight seemed… angry, as well. Connor then grinned “Oh, and I assume due to book horses reaction, that they are an item. SO, I humbly request to join their herd as their stallion.”
“I feel a sudden dark presence coming this way…” Chara said suddenly shivering as if the anger of a thousand suns was heading her way.
“Chara… would you mind explaining something for me?” Celestia asked with a bright smile and untold calm.
“Oh hi mama, look one of my friends from a past life showed up!” Chara says brightly shoving Connor in front of her
Connor nodded solemnly “I accept my inevitable fate for requesting to court the book horse and her marefriend the pinkius piecus, Also, PRAISE THE SUN!” He then took the pose, of the knight of sunlight.
Tilting her head, Connor was only lifted off the ground and placed to the side. “That's Twilight’s call.” She said as she looked back to Chara. “Sweetie, honey pie, light of my life…” Celestia said sweetly as she knelt before Chara.
“It has come to my attention that Miss Cheerilee has seen fit to employ Twilight as your private home tutor…”
“I only told her about the internet and not even all of it I left out the part about it having tons and tons of porn... like all of the porn!”Chara yelled out hoping to spare herself from any punishment by saying something
Connor nodded sagely “Dark things down that road. Dark, messed up things.”
A small, midnight blue light had ignited upon the tip of Celestia's horn. For several seconds, all was calm… Until the door was broken down, Luna, eyes aflame with frozen fire standing by the doorframe covered head to hoof in ice and equipped with a steel paddle. Chara was once again behind Connor trying to use him as a shield.
“Doom…” Was all she said, casually casting a spell and causing Chara to pop onto one of her hooves, skirt already down showing her pantied bottom.
Connor nodded sagely to Luna “Doom.”
“No no no no no no no!” Chara said repeatedly like a certain Cleveland Brown from Family Guy.
The cold steel met buttocks in an instant, the echoing sound of the impact cascading outwards for what seemed to be miles.
Connor then leapt to action, running- wait why was he running away? Damn it he just got popcorn! “Doom.”
Soon, the harsh steel rose and fell like an engine’s piston, no strike lesser than the last.
Chara glared at her friend who just had gotten popcorn and watched her get spanked even as tears started to run down her face.
Connor then whispered towards Luna “Don’t go into my dreams, no matter how bad my nightmare, okay? Shit’s fucked up.”
“I’ll be the judge of that…” She replied calmly.
“Mama! please! I'm sorry! please stop!” chara yelled out tears running down her face as she hiccuped from all the crying.
“Promise not to put Asriel in such danger again.” Celestia stated, making sure Luna paused her rearing.
“But it wasn’t me, it was the crusaders!” Chara cries out as she struggles to get free.
Connor nodded “There’s some doom down that road.”
Luna charged a bit of magic in her horn, healing and soothing Chara’s hurt. “Doom.” Was all Luna said as she began to walk away, no doubt to tell Applejack and Rarity of the… Trouble… they were in.
Connor smiles at Chara as he picks her up. “Gettin a paddling? That’s a paddlin.”
“I hate everything so much right now!” Chara yells out as she struggles to get out of Connor's arms.
He summons a hammer of sol and balances it on his hand before looking to Asriel. “Hey, Asriel, wanna learn some Guardian Titan magic?”
“Can't,” The child replied as he waved his fingers. “Lost my magic, but if you can find Oz, he might like to.”
Connor blanked “Wait, like the wizard? What the fuck is Dorothy Anne shit doing here?” Chara burst out laughing at this clutching her sides.
Connor shrugged and looked to Celestia “So… is there a position for a bodyguard for Chara?”
“Nooo.” Chara says out slowly as if trying to avert a disaster.
Connor smiled “It’s the decision, of thine mother, the one who owneth the solar derriere.”
“no no no!” Chara says once again trying to avert a disaster in her opinion.
Connor then wonders aloud. “I wonder how you would have dealt with the Timberwolves I killed. I mean, they were ready to eat you, and Azzy, but… I did destroy them first.”
But before Chara could speak Celestia interrupted,
“I’m sorry, would you repeat that?” Celestia asked of Connor.
Connor smiled “I killed Timberwolves that were ready to attack Chara and Asriel. Made em go BOOM!”
“ You're not special I can do that too!” Chara counter argued.
Connor shrugged “But I did it with style, and zero injuries, too!”
“And you destroyed my Cleaver!” Chara blurted out before covering her mouth with her hands and slowly turning to Celestia.
“So that's why my chef’s favorite cleaver went missing…” Celestia sighed as she started massaging her temples. “Sir Connor? How would you like to earn a weekly salary?” She muttered in annoyance.
“No you can't do this to me!” Chara yelled out.
Connor knelt “All who even speak ill of Chara will know to fear me, and the hammer time I bring.”
“ I don't know whether to laugh or cry…” Chara says massaging her Temple, Chara loved her friend she really did... but her friend was crazy at times.
Connor then raised a brow in thought. “What would my wage be? Minimum wage?”
“Two hundred fifty bits a week, and a small cottage on the outskirts of the town, unless you’d like to board with the troop currently stationed here.” Celestia stated.
Connor smiled “The cottage would be fine, besides, while I am a warrior, I am not military, so… yeah, that’d be just a really bad idea.”
“Here I was hoping to hire you for a mission…” Celestia whispered as she looked away.
Connor grinned “Also, as long as someone is ready to take my place for the duration of it, I will be happy to do a mission on occasion.”
“As a daughter of the crown I say he doesn't get a simple Cottage he gets a full-fledged house with free electricity!” Chara yells out.
Connor took a glass of water from Pinkie, sipped it, and then did a spit take. “Why? I literally just need a bed and a fridge full of food.”
“Standard size, double door, or Prench?” Celestia asked.
“Yes.” Chara says simply.
Connor waved his hands “Hello. I am still corporeal, yes? I am quite happy with modest digs.”
“You're lucky I'm not giving you a mansion and a noble title.” Chara said with a deadpan.
Connor shuddered. “I refuse to accept a noble title, give it to the apples, they settled like, ninety eight percent of equestria, yeah? And helped settle the rest...”
“They like to keep their status ‘hush hush’.” Celestia explained. “But I can give you the title of squire if you’d like to climb the ranks?”
“I like him too.” Asriel commented.
“ I dub you, Squire Connor!” Chara says with a trolling smirk.
Connor smirked as well. “English dub? Nani?”
Celestia tilted her head in confusion. “Yes… Well… I suppose now that all that's been put behind us…”
“ARF!” The sound of a dog’s bark echoed just next to Celestia. Looking down, Celestia found a… dog… nestled in Asriel’s clothes.
Suddenly, there was a baby swaddled in charas clothes, it’s face screaming ‘I’mma shank a bitch.’
It had been a few hours since Chara had been turned into a baby, it was also around this time that Chara found out that she could not talk, Chara's displeasure was soon known due to her wailing as it was the only thing she could do.
What she didn't notice was that Celestia had a book labeled spells for mothers who adopt newborns .
”Now then… you must be starved if your cries are any indicator…” Celestia muttered, looking at the book, and then back to Chara. “Hmm… ah, there it is, no pregnancy lactation!”
Muttering something about teat size, she cast a spell, flinching and nearly dropping Chara in the process.
Chara's stomach Grumble loudly at the site as if to answer Celestia's question whether or not Chara was hungry.
“A-alright… I-I think I can… Handle this…” She said shakily as she sat down upon her bed, revealing her swollen mammaries.
Chara crawled forward reluctantly before latching onto one of the teats and sucking Softly. at first it was a slow squirting little bit by little bit into her mouth before It picked up speed filling her mouth up completely with each suck and with a taste that was simply divine, The Taste itself was of vanilla and bananas, she started to closed her eyes sucking on the Teat of her new mother.
Connor then came in as he was holding baby toys,, he promptly turned and left upon seeing the scene of Chara breastfeeding, and shouted “Begone perverse thoughts!”
“Hmm… this is… So strange and uncomfortable…especially after Sir connors entry and prompt exit… going to have to fix that problem later...” Celestia said as she winced. Closing her eyes, Celestia did her best to relax, allowing her child to savor her meal. A few minutes later Chara crawled out from under Celestia and reached up for her, Chara's belly full of milk.
the diaper Chara was wearing was keeping her legs spread apart as she crawled up to her new mother.
Smiling, Celestia took Chara in her grasp and placed her upon a shoulder, gently rubbing her back. “Now, if I do this right… you should burp…”
Chara let loose a small burp as she hugged into Celestia neck. Chara started having tears in her eyes as the humiliation of being a baby again had started to sink in.
Nuzzling into the child, Celestia began to hum a simple melody, rocking back and forth in slow rhythmic fashion. “Shh… It's alright… Everything’s going to be alright now…”
Chara fought to stay awake as she had only been up for a few hours but the rocking and humming was soothing and it felt like a losing battle, Chara let out a yawn her body relaxing due to her feeling safe and protected.
Grinning, Celestia made her way out, Chara gently nestled upon her neck, and held gently with her mane. “This shouldn't be so hard…”
Unfortunately, she realized that many grievances and the like had been piling up since her absence the day prior…
Pouting, but resolute, she made her way to the throne room… ready to face the challenges of the day. But as soon as Chara realized they were not hidden away in Celestia's bedroom Chara tried to hide her still deeply in Celestia's mane not wanting to be seen.
“And for the love of all that is good in the world… SHUT THAT THING UP!!”
Day court had begun to devolve into a cacophony of shouts and wails, despite that everything had begun rather well… at least until one of the nobles had come in acting just a tad more demanding... And the reason Chara was being so loud was because she had soiled her diaper and she only had one way to notify people that something was wrong.
“Shh… It's alright… I just came a little unprepared is all…” Celestia cooed, a guard running in had begun to catch his breath as he held out a pink duffle bag.
“I’ve got… hahhh… I brought the…” Poor thing fell flat on his face, the bag falling, but being caught in Celestia's magic.
“Are you serious!?” The noble shouted. “There are pressing matters to attend to and you’re ignoring them for that oversized rat!?”
The room had risen in temperature, Celestia’s glare shutting the rather rude pony up.as an extremely Irate Connor came into the room,kicking it open as he held a flaming warhammer. “WHO THE FUCK SPOKE ILL OF MY CHARGE!?”
“She is my daughter,” Celestia stated as her magic began to float Chara up, as well as the bag, various items being taken out. “You will show her far more respect than you seem to be giving me,” Celestia thusly began to work on Chara’s diaper, carefully removing it before cleaning. “Or you may leave…” Once replaced with a fresh set, the dirty diaper was incinerated.
The noble pony for his part, found that the floor was just a little wet where he stood. Giggling broke the silence as Chara was still floating in the air next to Celestia and found it fun.
“Now, your grievance?” Celestia asked, her cold eyes boring into the stallion’s skull.
Scrambling, and nearly tripping on his own waste, the noble started to run away. “I believe I can fix the problem on my own!!” He shouted as he left. chara just continued giggling floating next to her momma.
Connor glared at the assembled nobles and grinned malevolently. “Anybody else care to threaten, or insult my charge? Come on, it’s an open court, I’ll just smack you around a little.”
The sound of trickling liquid seemed to echo throughout the room, hot tea having been poured into three separate cups.
Luna, Celestia, and Baby Chara had sat themselves around a rather small and hot pink coffee table, a nice silver platter sat in the middle of the table, every inch covered in layers of soft chocolate biscuits and tiny tea cakes.
Luna was wearing a rather gothic black and white Victorian style dress, black lace boots, and an eyepatch covered her left eye adorned with an ‘X’.
Celestia had a pure white and frilled dress with slippers colored to her mane style and a tiny white top hat laced with baby blue ribbon sat nestled next to her horn.
Chara had a similar dress to Celestia’s except it was pink and she had a little Tiara instead of a top hat.
Connor was dutifully dressed as a butler, serving the drinks and treats to all present.
“Sister… I know how important being a mother is to you… but did we really need a tea party?” Luna asked.
“Nonsense Lulu, you love tea parties!” Celestia teased.
Daintily, Luna took a sip of her tea. “I must admit, your choice is impeccable as ever.” Curiously, she took a cake and popped it into her mouth, a smile forming on her muzzle. Chara on the other hand looked thoroughly un-amused as she tugged on her dress as if trying to make it cover more.
Noticing her child’s discomfort, Celestia placed a hoof on Chara’s head. “Is… there something wrong?”
Chara nodded her head surprising the two alicorns as they had thought she had been reverted to an infant completely both in mind and body.
Smoothing her hoof over Chara’s head, Celestia took the child in her magic and began to cradle her. “May I ask what?” She asked, gently rocking the child back and forth.
Chara looked at her unamused as she was unable to talk due to the fact that her body was that of an infant.
“She can't talk, Tia.” Luna stated, throwing a cookie at her sister.
Flinching from the impact of the treat, Celestia looked at her child just a bit more critically. “Is there any way you can… show me?” She asked more than a little unsure.
Chara nodded her head before pointing to the wooden alphabet blocks in the corner, Chara was soon given the blocks and she spelled out ‘I am a baby’.
Celestia actually looked hurt, tears forming in her eyes. “I… I’m sorry… I’ve… failed to recognize your discomfort in all of this…” She brought Chara in closer, nuzzling the child in her grasp. “But… but maybe while we work to… t-turn you back…” Her voice began to crack as her words almost seemed stuck in her throat. “C-could you… be my baby… just a while lon-lo-longer?”
Chara looked up at Celestia with guilt hidden in her eyes before she slowly nodded her head,and really she didn't have any other choice as the poison joke had made it where she had the body of an infant with all of the control of one.
Smiling as best she could, Celestia nestled Chara deeper into her embrace, the tears she had shed staining the child’s garments.
Chara hugs back not knowing what else to do although the the tears staining her garment made it a tad bit uncomfortable for her.
“Soo… am I the only one going to eat these?” Luna asked, actually poking her sister on the horn.
Celestia and Luna had decided that it was a good day for a stroll, even amount of clouds in the sky, pleasant breeze…
As such, the trio of Celestia, Luna, and Baby Chara were out and about at one of the public parks within Canterlot.
Luna had decided to tie up her ethereal mane into a side ponytail, wearing a dark blue tee shirt that read “Blame My Sister” and a pair of baby blue yoga pants. She casually popped a bubble of gum she had been working on as she walked carelessly.
Celestia had decided upon a white and pale yellow trimmed sun dress, a pair of white rimmed sunglasses, and a pearl white long brimmed hat adorned with a sunflower.
Connor, for some reason, was out in his armor, it seemed that he hated wearing anything other than his armor, and only felt comfy in them.
Sitting in a rather sizeable and solidly built white baby stroller was Chara, wearing what was practically a baby princess dress. The puffy top was a vibrant pink, it's shoulders seemed oversized and were accentuated with red frills. On its neck sat a shining red gemstone shaped into a heart. She was given a pair of equally outrageously puffy bloomers colored a rosy pink.
Chara's expression screamed ‘I hate everything about this’ as she once again tried to take off her baby clothes.
“Tia? I don't think she's comfortable.” Luna stated, glancing at the writhing baby.
“Nonsense Lulu, those garments are made from the smoothest and softest silks in the kingdom!” Celestia replied happily. “Who’s my little troublemaker~” Celestia started to coo as she started to nuzzle Chara’s cheek. Chara was halfway to getting the Bloomers off when she was nuzzled by Celestia.
“Oh!” Celestia exclaimed. “It's a good thing I checked up on you, your clothing is falling off!” Happily, she reset the bloomers and fastened the garment’s knot, tighter than it was before.
Chara started messing with the knot trying to undo it so she could once again try to take this awful outfit off.
Connor, who was chuckling silently until now, frowned at how far this was going. “Umm… Princess? I think we should put her in normal clothes, not… girly frilly things, remember, it’s still Chara in there, and she HATES frilly things.”
“Does she? I… didn’t know…” Celestia looked beside herself, obviously ashamed of what she's put Chara through. Picking up the child, she looked desperately into her baby’s eyes. “Are you… Uncomfortable?” She asked as tears began to form in her eyes. Chara hugged her nose, unable to take the guilt.
Connor then sighed “Dang it Chara, don’t let the desire to please your new mom overshadow that your not happy! You HATE anything frilly on you! You DETEST being helpless, I may work for Celly, but my job is to ensure your happy and healthy, being under the influence of Poison Joke and miserable is NOT what I can allow. Now why don’t we ask Twilight if she has any books on how to fix this? I mean, the girl has books on reading books.”
Chara, unable to sadden her mother, stayed silent…
Connor then grunted and walked off. “I’m talking to Twilight then.”
“Wait!” Celestia cried. “Let me talk to Twilight.” She then placed Chara on Luna’s back. “This… Shouldn't take too long…”
Chara was unhappy with Celestia not taking her but with a quick burst of wind, Celestia was gone.
Luna popped another bubble as she went back to chewing her gum. “Hmm, I doubt Twilight knows how to fix this, I mean, I love the mare, but even she can't have all the answers.” She said almost bored.
Chara was oddly quiet at this as Connor shrugged “Seems I’m fuck outta luck, I might be able to potentially court Twilight and Pinkie, but you as well? Fat chances for me, I have the royal decorum of a mud pie. Anyway, as to the cure, the Title of the book is ‘Supernaturals. Natural remedies that are simply super.” I saw the book in the library.”
Luna looked at Connor as if he grew a second head. “That dusty old thing? I thought it was just an overblown paperweight.”
Connor shrugged “I was looking for anything that had the words ‘natural remedy’ as those often pose little threat to babies. Turns out a certain type of herbal bath is all it takes.”
“Well I coulda told ya that.” A voice spoke up. Said voice coming from a floating goat skull. “I wasn't here.” It said before dropping a package at Luna’s feet before diving into a rift.
“Oz wait!” Luna shouted as she ran after the skull, stopping as the rift had closed. Huffing, the lunar princess picked up the package. “Joke remedy?”
Connor shrugged “Probably the bath herbs.” He pinched the bridge of his nose before letting out an exasperated sigh. “Seems it should be just about time for me to head home… I’m getting close to passing out… didn’t think I stayed up that long, must be the stress.” Baby Chara grabbed at Connor, who smiled weakly “Don’t worry, buddy, I’ll be fine, not my first night terror, won’t be my last…”
“I will be there.” Luna declared, quite obvious there was no room for an argument. Thankfully, Celestia had decided to descend, a large book in her grasp.
“Twilight gave me-”
“A book of natural remedies, yes?” Luna asked as she held the package. “We don't have the instructions, but we have the ingredients.”
“Which means it's bath time…” Celestia did her best to smile, but the untold grief about her was palpable. Chara reached up for Celestia unable to let her be sad, Chara had an expression that said ‘please don't be sad’.
The trip back to the castle was taken in silence, upon entering the castle, Celestia had given her guards the instruction to NOT disturb her or Luna for the remainder of the day. News of the Princess’ depressed demeanor spread like wildfire, some guards even flinched at her passing presence.
“Tia, what's wrong?” Luna asked as they finally reached Celestia’s room. “You’ve been sulking since we left.”
“It's nothing.” She replied with a dead tone, her eyes having dulled and her mane having gone still.
Rolling her eyes, Luna found her way to the bathroom and started to draw water into the massive gold lined marble tub. “You know, Oz came by.” She said idly, actually getting Celestia's attention.
“My son!?” She said without forethought. Smoothing her features, she turned her mind back to the task at hand. “No… Chara comes first… my little boy can take care of himself…”
Smiling weakly, Celestia took little Chara out of her stroller and began undressing the child, humming a saddened melody that echoed in the same tragic loss a dirge would.
Chara kept trying to hug Celestia every chance she got to make sure that Celestia knew she didn't want her sad.
Celestia for her part only nuzzled the child, her smile never seeming to grow from what it was. “Shh… It's alright… Everyone leaves home I suppose… and I will always have today to cherish…”
“Sister,” Luna called out as she peeked from the doorframe. “She's still a child, and she still needs a mother. Where in this wide world is she going to go?”
Celestia sniffed, actually laughing at herself. “Yes… I suppose I have been a tad foolish,” She then picked Chara up with her magic, the gleam in Celestia’s eyes having regained a smidgen of their lost luster.
“Shall we?”
The assembled room of villains was, in short, bustling at the new information.
“She can call others from across the aether! That little pupa can call up things the likes of which would only dwell in our darkest dreams! We must send her back before she calls something that would render our world uninhabitable!” The swarm shouted, terrified at the prospect of her power.
The Griffons were the next to reply. “Forget sending it back, with that level of power, we should kill the thing before it can get any stronger! It already made an ally of the princesses, and the elements of harmony! By tartarus, they have adopted the boreas damn thing!”
The ponies smiled evilly. “By all means, out yourself as a traitor to your kingdom and a seeker of war with the ponies. We will simply withdraw all the support we have given you and your people over the years, and anonymously turn in the various illegal deals you have made, IN WRITING.”
The griffons slumped down and frowned “How are we supposed to solve this issue then? Just let it live a life of luxury at our expense?”
The ponies chuckled at this. “We simply give it a command. If it somehow manages to refuse, we have some… extra purchases… to weaken it before we attempt to order it again.”
The swarm buzzed unhappily. “The guard that the creature brought forth… it’s light is… dangerous. A scout we sent to survey the new being was made violently ill upon trying to siphon any affection from him, it was as if he were… holy, in some way.” They buzzed with rising unease. “How is it that so dark a creature calls a holy warrior brother? And in such fondness?”
The ponies pulled out a scroll and channelled magic into it, smiling as a pair of glowing, fiery golden eyes illuminated the shadows in the far corner of the room. “Yes, bossy boys?”
They all seemed to wither at his gaze, as if fearing angering him. Except for the ponies, for some reason. “The new paladin, and the monster that calls him brother… what are they?”
The eyes laughed with an amused glee. “Oh, You mean those two?” an image of the two of them, the guardian and the demon, flickered into view. “They are… them, yet not, this, but that, tit, and also tat.”
The groups frowned at this, some confused, but the hive gasped almost instantly. “These are not their original selves?”
The ponies frowned “What do you mean, creature? We summoned it nigh exactly as designed!”
The eyes were joined by a biohazard green grin, marred by crimson red teeth. “Nigh, exactly. the slightest change, the slightest shift, and all the plans start to drift! The day you summoned, I do declare, turned one man's day from foul to fair!”
The swarm looks to The eyes incredulously “Man? What in the swarms name is a man?”
The eyes grinned wider. “The true question, my dear bug, is just how many graves for you all, have been dug?”
The entire group shifted uncomfortably. Before any could speak, the eyes and mouth laughed madly “Mayhaps, my dears, to aleve your fears, my brother and I, should go and spy?”
The ponies nodded “Very well, we command thee to go and learn as much about them as possible, and once you learn all you can, ensure that they are no threat to us.”
The face grinned “Indeed, good sir, I shall go, for I shall ensure there is no foe!”
The swarm frowns “He seems a bit too happy to obey… It is suspicious…”
The ponies chuckle “Ah, we have him bound in a summoners contract, for the promise of freedom, he is to protect our family lines for all time.”
The griffons frowned as they looked to each other. “A being such as he… to bind him is to dance with death itself.”
The ponies smiled “And yet, it is so lucrative.”
Celestia sat upon her bed, brooding over the gemstone she had placed upon Chara’s baby outfit. She ran her hoof along the grooves of the smooth cuts and carving, she studied the gold that encased it, said gold having been taken from one of her own pieces and remolded.
“Maybe it would make a nice pendant…” She told no one, having told her sister and child that she needed time to think. “Time… time. I need to think about the time I have now, and the time we’ll share.”
“Mama?” Celestia heard chara call out from the other side of the door.
“Little one? Please, come in.” Celestia called out as she placed the gemstone next to her.
Chara came into the room looking a little unsure. “Are you okay… I don't want you to be sad, please don't be sad!” she then walked over to Celestia.
Chuckling, Celestia began to smooth her hoof along Chara’s head. “I’ll be just fine my child, I was only thinking.”
“You know I'm all but immortal thanks to my glitch status? You don't have to worry about losing me.” Chara says thinking that Celestia was worried about how much time they had.
Blinking, Celestia brought Chara into a tight hug, nuzzling her head into Chara’s shoulder. “I have been a fool, haven't I?”
“Silly mama!” Chara said giggling glad that she had brought Celestia out of her funk.
Shaking away her dread, Celestia started to walk through the door of her room, Chara’s hand in her magic.
“Come on Cady, you liked those decorations…” A voice echoed through the hall.
“Is that…” A smile found its way on Celestia’s face as she hastened her step. Closing in, Celestia found herself face to face with the captain of her guard and her niece.
“Captain Armor!” Celestia exclaimed, practically pouncing on Shining Armor and pulling him into a hug.
“Your highness!? Um…” Blushing, Shining found himself slowly released as Cadence had started to pull him away, glaring daggers at Celestia.
“Mama the pink one doesn't feel right.” Chara says trying to get the message across without actually telling her future knowledge and giving away to ‘Cadence’ that she knows.
Celestia tilted her head in confusion, only for Cadence to audibly gasp and break the silence.
“Auntie!” Cadence shouted through grit teeth. “So this is the little trouble maker I’ve heard so much about!” She continued as she placed her hooves on Chara’s face and started squeezing.
Chara immediately glitched behind Celestia. “Mama she feels like corrupted love!” Chara Cries Out as she had already used CHECK to make sure it was chrysalis.
‘Cadence’ flinched, but kept her smile as she started dragging Shining along. “Well, look at the time, a wedding to plan, a celebration to throw, a feast to look forward to.”
“We’ll see you at the wedding!” Shining cried out
Celestia could only stare at Cadence, worry and paranoia infecting her thoughts. “Chara… I may be a fool… but…” She looked to her child, hoping for an answer.
“She doesn't feel right and I should know I weaponized my feelings and soul!” Chara said sternly.
Celestia huffed and hugged her child. “Please… I… if anything is about to threaten us… I only want you to be safe,” She stood up and broke away. “I’ll have security doubled, as well as prepare a new training regiment.”
“mama you do realize I can't die unless I literally want to and even then I have to be killed before I can die.” Chara said as if this was an everyday conversation ignoring the fact that she had not actually been killed yet.
“It is now my duty to protect you , my child. Until I see you, your own mare and walking down the aisle… I will not rest so long as there are those who wish you harm.” Her words rang with conviction, courage building within her.
“But I don't know if I'll ever age!” Chara yelled out as she wasn't sure if she would Age due to the fact that she was a glitch.
“I’ll never have grand foals!?” Celestia cried in utter despair. “I-I need to start cancelling those orders! The clothing I’ll never get to use!” She then threw her hooves in the air. “All those empty scrapbooks!”
“I thought you would always want to have a little girl to take care of…” Chara asked confused as to why Celestia was so upset.
Connor then walked into the vicinity, his hands covered in ash. “Welp, I just killed a crap ton of bugs. How are you guys?”
“You interrupted the fluff!” Chara yelled out hurling a ball of determination at him
“Please tell me you cleaned your mess…” Celestia muttered as she pinched the bridge of her nose.
There was then a sort of photonegative flash as we were then left in the company of an odd floating mask, shortly accompanied by an oddly deformed jester body. He was holding my determination ball between two fingers and snickering slightly. “Quite a glitch, quite a stitch, eh? A new life with different strife, take the leers of your peers, and make them null, for their cries of foul have all grown dull?”
“Who let the rhyming Lovecraftian clown reject in?” Chara asked.
He chuckled and took a bite out of the determination ball, leaving Chara feeling not only a shiver up her spine, but giving her a feel of his power as well. “Ears all round, on this ground, can’t talk long, lest they sound a warning gong. But know, guardian and child, that things are going to be FAR from mild!”
“Um, what?” Celestia asked, tilting her head and squinting her eyes as she was incredibly lost and confused.
Connor frowned “Let me go get Luna up… She’s probably still messed up from last night.” He sighs. “Told her that my night terrors were dark shit.”
“What!? Is she alright!?” Celestia shouted, only to gasp and grab Connor by his head. “Are you alright!? Any harm done to you? How many hooves am I holding up? How many fingers do you own!?”
Connor deadpanned “You only have four hooves, you can only hold one up without losing your balance, and Luna is… unharmed physically. I have doubts about mentally. I have grown so used to my night terrors that all I really need to do in the morning after them is take some deep breaths.” Connor was soon glomped by Chara. He sighed “Really, it’s fine, I just can’t sleep with other people in the same room. That’s pretty much the only problem.”
Celestia only stared at Connor with more intent and worry. “How. Many. Fingers. Do. You. Own.”
He smiled “I owned ten, but upon being displaced its more nine and a half. I think I might of lost a bit of my right pinkie. No biggie.”
Sighing, Celestia actually pat Connor on the head. “Good boy, lunch?” She asked as she pulled away and started her trot to the dining hall. “You’ll want your strength once the changelings make their move.”
The jester chuckled “See you all soon, by hook by crook, or rise of the moon!” He then disappeared in a photonegative flash and left nothing but the sound of demented laughter.
Shivering, Celestia did her best to not be weirded out by the extra dimensional being.
Connor sighed in relief “Phew… that guy was strong, I could feel my light being stifled by him just by him being near me.”
“Your light?” Celestia asked with a tilt of her head.
“Oh yeah destiny characters have that light thingy!” Chara yelled out remembering all the times she played destiny with Connor, Chara never really liked playing destiny she only did it because her friends played it.
Connors brow twitched before he flicked chara on the nose. “It is literally a machine god's energy, have some respect. I mean, really, it’s what prevents me from dying.”
“A machine god? Are you immortal?” Celestia asked, rather shaken by this bit of information.
Connor gave a ‘so-so’ gesture. “Sorta, you see, normally we have these machines called ghosts that resurrect us if we fall in battle, it seems I have somehow been edited to not need one, as I can heal without it… Seems I am not going to die any time soon, and am stuck with an unaging, undying, holy body… whoop de doo.” He sighed sadly. “Looks like I’m going to outlive everyone I know.”
“yay! Now I won't have to outlive everyone alone!” Chara yelled out as she once again glomped her friend.
Connor smiled even more sadly. “Yup… We’re cursed together buddy.”
“You know whenever the universe expires we can always search the Multiverse for fun…” Chara said in a nonchalant manner,after all she was the glitch in the Multiverse not just the universe as she had found out.
Connor smiled “Well..we will delay that as long as possible, right? I want to at least see the mares I crush on live happy lives together, even if it turns out they have no interest in me.” Chara didn't have anything to say against that as she too wanted to see it happen.
Celestia coughed into her hoof in hopes of getting things back on track. “Yes, I’m sure we all have the hopes of sharing what precious time we have left with each other…” She then spread a wing and draped it over Connor’s shoulder. “Come, you must be famished, and there are things to discuss.”
Connor chuckled “Here's hoping I can enjoy food, and that theory that only really strong flavors can be tasted by guardians is bogus. I’d really miss pecan pie then.”
“Hey mama can I have some chocolate cake tonight?”Chara asked interrupting the conversation.
Connor then took advantage of the fact that Guardians cannot harm allies, and threw a small hammer at Chara. “Bonk.”
“Maaamaaaaa! Connor's being mean to me!”Chara cried out as Connor cracked up.
“Hey, no friendly fire from Guardians! That means, no matter what, I can’t hurt you! SO HAMMA TIME!” he then began pelting her in hammers. So...many… hammers. Chara hid behind Celestia, as Connor ran after Chara, laughing evilly, like a big brother would..
“Children please… a war is brewing and I…” Sighing, Celestia simply grasped both in her magic, levitating the pair off the ground. “We put something in our stomachs,” She the looked at Chara. “Something healthy … then there will be time for play.”
“But mama I want cake now!”Chara yelled out stomping her foot childishly.
Connor then whispered in Charas ear. “Unwise, or shall we repeat...Doom? Anyway, I can make tasty veggies. I pride myself on my cooked cabbage and barbecue tofu.” He then conjured it with some of the magic he had been learning in the library, the savory, delicious smell making everyone present start watering at the mouth. “Eat this, then MORE cake later. Chocolate cake, with sugar frosting and cherries.”
“mine !”Chara says diving for the cake her voice sounding like two voices in one.
Connor grinned “Well, you will have to eat the meal I prepared first, dear sibling.” he then pouted sadly. “Unless you are saying you hate my cooking? Then I suppose I should throw out everything I made… the cake, the ice cream, the hot cocoa mix, even the bon bons…”
“You shall do no such thing! ”Chara said her voice becoming demonic as her eyes turned black with red dots and her hair starting to float in the air in an ethereal Aura of corrupted determination.
Celestia sighed as she grasped Chara again, walking away with child in tow. “I wonder what Luna’s doing…”
Connor simply walked over to Luna's room, and knocked on her door “Luna, you ok?”
“DON'T LOOK! I’M NOT CLEAN!” Luna shouted from within her room, several bowls clambering within.
Connor, upon hearing this, promptly panicked. “Luna that was for Chara! We have to bake more! CHARA HATES MISSING OUT ON CHOCOLATE!”
Luna was lain out on the floor, her body covered entirely in fudge and bread. “NO! CLOSE THE DOOR, LEST THE WORLD KNOW OF MY SHAME!!!” She shouted as she tried to hide herself with her hooves and wings.
Connor sighed and knelt in front of her before smiling reassuringly. “Hey, it’s okay, we can bake more, together even, it’ll be fun, so what if you eat chocolate when sad? Better than me back home, I just ate whatever was available. Usually to try to block out the pain… bah, I’m not important here though. You, we need to wash off, and get ready to bake. Okay? We don’t want Chara mad at her aunt, the beautiful lady responsible for our breathtaking night, eh?”
“You…” Luna’s eyes locked onto Connor as she grasped his head with her hooves. “Such horrors…” She started to shake, as if an eternal chill ran down her spine. “How do you exist…”
Connor smiled “I just do. I try to not let my slumbering life affect my waking one. So what if I get that almost nightly? Just gotta, well… deal with it.” He sighed. “I just live every waking moment like it is, a blessing.” He blushed as he looked into her eyes and broke contact with her. “Besides, it's way more productive to spread joy, than misery, and that… place... is just plain misery incarnate.” He shuddered as the phantom pains went through him, then shakily smiled again. “Now what’s on the docket?”
Luna looked confused for a second, wiping away a bit of the chocolate. “I need a bath…”
He nodded and smiled walking out of the room. “See you when you are all cleaned up, okay?”
It didn't take long for Luna to clean away the filth, though her feathers did need just a bit more time… shaking away the fog in her mind, Luna dried off as best she could and left the confines of her bathroom.
Connor, who was waiting in the hallway, smiled to her as he gestured towards the royal kitchen. “Ready to bake up some chocolate treats for our favorite pip squeak? Also, Could you help me break it to Celly that I’m an adult? It… well, it feels weird that she treats me like a kid when I wanna join a herd at this time.”
Luna raised an eye at this as she walks in. “I suppose, but in what regard does she make you feel like a newborn goat?”
Connor chuckled “Sorry, term back home for an adolescent human.” He shrugged. “It just feels like she sees me that way, like, in the occasional comment, or how she refers to me.” He smiled “I know she means no ill intent by it, but… it kinda sucks when your best friend has become a child again, and has the mom they always wanted, but you get brought in as a brother figure.” He chuckled “Always saw myself as a cool uncle, honestly.”
He then frowned “Yeah, but in all honesty, I see very little likelihood of successfully joining that particular herd.”
“Actions do in fact speak louder than words… why not show that you are more than mature enough for that which you wish?” Luna asked as she began to levitate several mixing bowls and cooking utensils about. “Now then, what shall we be making today?”
Connor smirked “About twice the chocolate you ate, we have to cover the losses for chara and make up for them, if she finds out. Only way to prevent an angry, then sad, then sulking chara. Oh, and sometime today the changelings will invade, so be ready for that.”
“I’ll ready my paddle…” Luna idly replied, her focus now upon several ingredients that began to soar along the room.
Connor nodded and grinned “I personally have my extra big hammer ready to smash. Her name is becky, she likes to smash. Also, I have some extra ingredients, some cherries and strawberries that we can use for filling.” He grinned “I was tempted to add some extra sugar to a few, make Chara really hyper, buuut… nah.”
Luna tilt her head as she contemplated a container of chili flakes before she looked at Connor. “You gave mention to a herd, who’s may I ask?”
Connor blushed a deep crimson and mumbled under his breath, so quiet that it gave Fluttershy's nervous mumbling a loudness by comparison. “Yours, I know it’s dumb, but I really like all three of you… a-and....” He grew silent before heaving a sigh “N-nevermind, it’s dumb, I have nothing to offer that herd worth mentioning that’s positive…”
Luna raised an eyebrow at this. “I… am not in a herd… unless… I wonder if Twilight is seeing anypony else… hmm, she would have said something by now…” Luna shrugged as she got to mixing her ingredients.
Connor coughed a bit as he choked down a laugh. “Heh… I saw how she acted when I flirted with Pinkie, I saw some jealousy and protectiveness in those eyes, along with a certain longing.”
Eyes widening, Luna looked at Connor. “Truly? Hm… I shall have to inquire of this and see if she is willing to share,” Four different bowls had thusly been emptied of their contents and placed in metal containers of various shapes and sizes. “But please, do not let your inhibition blind you from that which you desire,” She then leaned into Connor, a whisk in her hoof. “But if you so much as touch my Twilight, it's you I’ll be paddling.”
Connor smiled “Hey, If I act like a homewrecker, I give you full permission to skip the paddling and just mule kick me straight to the other side of reality and back. I had to deal with plenty of those fuckers… not fun, especially when someone you thought had your back turns out to be bedding your lady friend, in your own bed nonetheless.”
Luna flinched, but poked Connor with the whisk, staining his face with chocolate. “None of that…” Turning, she then flicked his face with her tail.
Before connor could even blush, there was a loud bang as three huge changeling soldiers came in and snatched Luna away in the span of a few moments, them placing a cloth over her face that seemed to have some sort of sedative on it.
Luna for the most part struggled as best she could before finding her strength leave her.
Connor, for the whole part, was busy fighting off four other changelings, each of them almost his size and quite strong. When he saw Luna being taken away, he felt something… angry, inside him. ‘Let their blood spill… let it whet the appetites of thy dark side...feed our teeth…feed your rage...’ He heard, as he let the dark magic, mixed with equestrias own magic and the travelers light, manifest the sole being that had tormented him for years, now bent to his will. “MAKE THEM PAY, BUTCHER!”
As he said this, a massive shadow beast seemed to rise from his own shadow, a massive lanky butcher with strips of flesh and hide stapled to his misshapen body as a sort of patchwork skin, his bone showing through the folds and seams of the false skin, his teeth razor sharp and like needles as he grinned demonically, like a horribly corrupted cheshire cat. He drew a massive cleaver and meat hook in each hand as he swung at the three changelings impeding his masters progress. “Let us slaughter, master, it is good to see you take the reigns for once! Hehehahaha! THEIR BLOOD MUST FLAVOR THE AIR!”
Connor ran after Luna as he heard the screams of others, but he ignored it as his vision went red. “Blood… Blood for their failures… blood for their sins!” He heard the butcher scream as he used his hook to grab a massive bugbear/changeling and ripped it in half.
As connor walked by the throne room, he saw Chara, covered in an ethereal, black ichor and playing in the blood of the griffon assassins that had chosen this time to come after her. They had been well armed, well prepared, well trained. That meant nothing once Chara learned of their plans.
“Hey Connor look I have a hand puppet!” Chara said bringing up one of her hands that had the severed head of Gilda on it, her body on the other hand had been nailed to the wall her organs literally ripped out and on full display each one nailed by themselves across the wall and by the look of things she was still alive when Chara did it. It looked like she died screaming, tears in her eyes. There was a bloody message above Gilda's body reading “For Fluttershy; never make her cry.”
Connor grunted as he walked after Luna, the butcher sensing her, smelling her captors fear as one after another of the changelings died at the hands of the butcher. “Stay safe...be good...make it hurt.” Chara just laughed an evil laugh before heading towards where she knew Chrysalis to be.
As Connor made his way to the caverns, where Luna was being held, he found her tied up, magically bound to four pillars being guarded by a veritable swarm of Changelings. Connor growled as he looked to the Butcher. “Time for rot.”
The butcher laughed maniacally as he took out what looked like a vial of blood before spraying down the changelings with it, the blood turning into maggots and grubs that would burrow into them upon forming, rapidly reproducing and eating them from within before the butcher sliced them open. “YOU SHALL FEED THE CHILDREN! THEIR HUNGER SHALL BE ABATED BY THINE SUFFERING!”
As the changelings butchered corpses fell apart, the maggots and grubs formed another half of each body, making soldiers for the butcher as they turned on their once-brothers and sisters, taking their flesh and their sinew in their new maws and eating them whole before they became naught but a swarm of maggots, swarming the Butcher himself as they dug into him through the seams in his flesh, making him larger, fuller… stronger. He smiled as he grasped two of the pillars and crushed them into powder in his grasp. He looked to Luna as his mood soured “You shall not interfere in my hosts payment again?”
Luna’s eyes widened in sheer terror, only for her body too go limp.
At this, connor’s eyes widened and he snapped out of his rage trance, looking to the Butcher and growling “GO BACK! YOU ARE NOT WELCOME HERE! I WON’T EVER LET YOU OUT AGAIN!”
The Butcher snarled “You will call on me again, child… You and I both know we walk the path of blood, not the light. If you want to truly be honest with Chara, tell them of me, see if anyone would stay after hearing the truth.”
[Scene change; Back to Chara.]
Chrysalis was weeping as her mother, empress Phrike, started laughing haughtily as she looked over the kingdom, smiling as she knew, she KNEW, this was what she deserved.
While her mother was busy celebrating her victory, Chrysalis could see her people being slaughtered throughout the castle.
“1...2... hatred’s coming for you~” Chara sung out with a eerily happy voice.
Chrysalis froze as she heard that spine chilling song, compounded by the childlike voice.
“3...4...Blood hits the floor~” Chara sung out the next verse entering the room dragging a changeling by the intestines behind her.
Phrike sneered at Chara, unimpressed by the single fatality to her forces. “What do you want, pitiful child? Come to take your place with the sun whore?”
“5...6... rip off your dicks~” Chara sung out the next verse and literally pulling out dicks from her inventory she had ripped off.
Phrike grew increasingly more worried as she Saw Chrysalis smiling now. “What are you doing, worthless child, protect your mother!”
Chrysalis chuckled. “Me? Protect the woman too greedy and impatient to negotiate with the ponies, when I was about to get a peace and trade deal with them? No thank you~.”
“7… 8… the demon will seal your fate~” Chara song out as her teeth became razor sharp and she started floating off the ground dropping the still-alive changeling as it tried fruitlessly to put its intestines back in, before Connor entered, stepping firmly on its head until a loud crunch was heard.
“9…10… you won't live till the end~” Was heard before Chara was behind Empress Phrike, as soon as she turned around to face Chara she had one of her eyes snatched out.
“AAAUGH!!!! HORRIBLE, DEPLORABLE LITTLE WRETCH! I WILL CRUSH YOU UNDER MY HOOF LIKE THE PITIFUL WORM YOU-!”
“You talk too much.” Chara said planting her feet one on the still intact eye and one in the socket before grabbing the horn and starting to pull.
Phrike tried to force her off with her magic, but was stopped with a burning hot hammer to the back of her head, literally melting her hair and the back of her scalp together. “Auuugh! You horrid, brutish beasts! How dare you strike your new empress! I will-”
Connor was behind her and smiled cruelly “After what you made me put Luna through? You will die. You will die in pain, screaming for mercy, and I will LOVE EVERY SECOND OF IT!”
“You will stay out of this!” Chara says before doing one final yank and ripping the horn off of the empress's had as a black substance leak under her and latched onto her legs, starting to melt them down.
“I think I’m going to be sick…” Rarity mumbled as she looked at the barbarically brutal display. “And yet I can't seem to look away…”
Next to her, Pinkie was doing her best to keep her eyes shut. “Just think about the candles… just think about the candles…”
Rainbow for her part had started to throw up, but more from the smell. “Oh come on… you couldn't free us first!?” She shouted in annoyance.
Applejack said nothing, content with attempting to break out on her own.
Fluttershy seemed rather detached, a sad look in her eyes as she gazed upon the madness and death that Chara had wrought.
And then… There was Twilight. “Interesting… maybe with the right tools…”
“What is wrong with all of you!?” Cadence had shouted, confused on whether she should be horrified at just how bloody and gruesome the scene before them truly was, or mortified that neither Twilight nor her friends seemed to care. “She's murdering them!”
“And there's high probability that it would have been us in the same situation.” Twilight answered simply.
Cadence paled, shouting once more. “Why aren't any of you afraid of this!?”
“We’ve seen it before.” The group had uttered in unison, very well bringing Cadence rather close to fainting.
Connor looked to Chara. “They brought out the Butcher. They made me make him real, so that I could save Luna… I scared her.”
“That's bad and all but they literally turned me into the demon that comes when you call my name!” Chara said grabbing the Empress by the neck and ripping what's left of her legs off and holding her up at eye level her.
Connor grunted as he turned around “It’s not like you didn’t WANT to become her. Just came with more baggage than you thought.”
The Empress was struggling not to black out from the pain, but still stayed proud as she turned to Chrysalis. “Worthless… little… brat…” Chara gutted the empress after saying that burning black hatred flowing out of her eyes.
Amidst the ensuing carnage, a small rift had opened, four royal guards exiting and soon followed by a tall and upright Asriel wearing his armor, a knife bandolier adorning it. “We got here as fast as we could!/We aren't late are we?” A dual voice echoed from Asriel as Chara tried to hide at the sound of his voice.
Connor grunted “Damn late, help me free the girls from this goop.”
“Rosie!/Miss Petal!” Asriel exclaimed, the female of the guards saluting as she led the troop in freeing Fluttershy, Rainbow, Applejack, and Pinkie as Asriel went to Cadence, Connor freeing Twilight and Rarity by somehow summoning the Butchers knife, and throwing it like a boomerang, cutting the goop off of the ceiling. He winced as he realised what he did, and the bloodlusting, darkness filled blade.
Celestia did her absolute best to look relieved, but she kept staring at Chara, tears staining her cheeks as she wished so very much to take the child in her wings and hide her away from the horrors wrought.
The girls had all been freed, thankful they had the chance to stretch their limbs.
“Ugh, I need a bath!” Rainbow shouted, flinching in surprise at a rift opening next to her.
“My room’s got a pretty large bath./Enjoy yourself!” Asriel said, sounding uncaring and cheerful.
Connor then walked behind the throne and decided to try and do something that he saw the Butcher do whenever he tried to dream up something to help, draining their power. He smiled as he saw the ethereal ichor leave her skin and the teeth in her mouth return to normal. Right as he heard a loud munching and slurping sound in his mind. “Guh… I hate how he eats…”
The butcher spoke as he ate ‘Hate is such a delicious, savory treat, almost as sweet as your pain, my dear host..., the purity is a little strong for my taste though, I’d prefer some fear, or sadness mixed in. Ah well, a meal is a meal.’
Connor then smiled at Chara “I sort of absorbed your excess hate. You look normal again.”
Chara hugs him close, whispering in a strained voice “Thank you…” She looked up at him and smiled “Thank you... so, so very much.”
As the two shared a hug, and while Asriel had worked against Celestia's bindings, Luna had rushed into the room wearing her frozen armor and wielding her paddle.
“What did I miss!?” She cried out.
Connor smiled. “You missed everything but the wedding of our princess and her hubby.” He looked down and frowned “You… remember what happened?”
“No.” She replied rather quickly, as if she wanted to convince herself. “So? Wedding?” She said happily.
Connor smiled weakly “I uh… I think I’ll sit it out… What happened kinda… wore me out.”
Luna nodded as she went to Twilight to exchange a few words, hugs, a kiss, and a slap on the rear from Twilight's part. Coughing from the embarrassment, Luna ran up to Connor. “Come, lean on me for support.”
Connor sighed and nodded “Ok… I uh… I guess.” He leaned lightly on her and walked where she wanted him to go, wincing as he saw various bits of cutlery at the table.
The butcher laughed in his mind ‘Mayhaps I should have you harm others tonight in your dreams, it seems much more effective.’
Connors neck tensed as he mentally strained against the Butcher. ‘Never. You do that, and there will be nowhere in my mind that I won’t go to find you. I won’t care if we become a vegetable, I WILL hurt you, and I WILL end you.’
The Butcher was silent, he saw something he never thought he would… He saw a danger to him, and it was from his host. He… actually felt respect of him now. Maybe this partnership was not such a waste of his time. Maybe… just maybe… this host was worthwhile...’
???
The Hive was buzzing with rage. “We were told there was no danger! That the heroes would fall! Pony oneminds will bring forth the Yog’rizicth being for punishment, yes?”
The ponies nodded, frowning tersely. “Yog’rizzicth, stygian fool of fact and fiction, I demand you come to us at once!”
Yog’rizzicth, thoroughly amused by the failings of his masters, appeared in the blink of an eye, no puff of smoke, no sound, it was as if he simply was not their all but a second ago, yet had been their the whole time as well. “Why hello hello,dear fellow, may I ask why your mood tastes like the lemons yellow?”
The griffons, who had been decimated in the attack, and now only consisted of spies, and the god king ferdinand, scowled. “You know full plucking well what’s soured our moods so, you foul, disobedient wretch! You assured us that the demon child and her friends would be of no danger! You-”
Yog laughed “Temper temper, little birds, lest we say regretful words Ordered was I to ensure no danger, yet did you specify where or when? I truly meant not to anger. Thy base was safe from all threat, past or present, for an entire week after, in fact, I prevented untold disaster!”
The changelings hissed and buzzed. “And of this butcher? Were you not supposed to warn us of beings of your level of power?”
Before Yog could reply, The king shouted “What of my daughter?! She was slaughtered, crying and begging all the while! I will not rest until I place this child's remains in the four corners of the realm!”
Yog smiled “Why, my dear king, that’s just the thing, do you think you have the power? To topple this young ones tower? Even if you do, the butcher and his host will come for you.” He then turned to the changelings “I was commanded, to eliminate those weaker or equal to I, the situation therefore, was not demanded, or would you rather all of us die?”
The ponies frowned “What do you mean, are you not nigh infinite in power, with thine domain being fact and fiction? How could this butcher harm you?”
Yog’s face never lost its grin. “True, good sire, but to point out my flaw most dire, I cannot grow, unlike thy foe, whatever he slays stays with him for all his days.”
The entire group paled at this revelation, a being that eats and absorbs others powers? What horrors have they come to unleash upon their world?
Yog smiled, as if reading their minds. “The slaughter is coming, for every son and daughter, unless we appease his hunger, our fates get sent down with the plunger.”
Celestia had brought Chara out into the gardens, secluded and serene, so as to confront her on what she felt was an important matter.
“Chara,” The motherly alicorn began, “You need to make friends.”
“But I have friends!” Chara said referring to Connor.
“Friends your own size and age.” Celestia retorted.
“but who am I going to make friends with? I'm certainly not making them in canterlot.” Chara said already having met a few nobles and absolutely hating their stuck-up ways.
Celestia took one look at Chara before bursting into wild laughter, wiping away a tear, Celestia coughed as she gathered her bearings. “No, no no no… I'm sending you to a small mare's only retreat, I believe the younglings call it… ‘Camp’.”
“There is no force on Earth or Heaven that will get me to go to camp…” Chara said in a deadpan voice absolutely loathing the idea of actually going to camp.
Celestia simply smirked, knowing exactly how this would play out…
In the air going to Ponyville
“There is nothing about this whole scenario that doesn't make me violently angry…” Chara said emotionlessly.
“Oh hush up,” The lone pegasus flying the carriage spoke out, “where you're going, you'll be top of the food chain by weeks end, plus, Connor is going through medics training, in case if you get hurt, along with Twilight.”
“You're not wrong… but I'm going to be away from my asriel and that makes me violently angry.” Chara replies to the Pegasus with a deadpan.
Rolling his eyes, the pegasus made a sharp dive and dropped off in front of the library. Standing at the library's door was Twilight, the unicorn holding a backpack and a sleeping bag.
“Oh good, you're here! Ready to go?” Twilight asked happily.
“No…” Chara replies with her hatred visible on her body
Connor walked out of Twilight's house with a huge knapsack full of medical magic books, medical supplies, and strangely enough, bottles of liquid light. Upon Chara eying them, Connor huffed nervously. “I can bottle my magic into liquid form… I want to study my Respite spell, see if there are any side effects before I keep using it… Same for all of Paladins magic, but the healing and buffing especially.”
Clearing her throat, Twilight motioned a hoof to Connor, “Connor will be leaving a few supplies with the counselor for this trip, it'll only be a week, and with all the activities planned, you'll be back home before you know it!”
“You both planned this, I know you did!” Chara sad accusingly as she pointed to the both of them. “You two wanted some alone time, huh?” She grinned “You both wanted to lose your V-card, huh?”
Connor’s face went dark. “I would never. NEVER do something so underhanded to a lady! I was going to leave you some chocolate to tide you over for the week, but now That cocoa be MINE!”
Chara falls to her knees. “NO! PLEASE! BE KIND TO THE SMOL LOLI!”
“One…” Twilight began with a darkened expression, “He's not my type, two… What's a loli?”
Connor huffed angrily ”Japanese term back home for a cute small girl.”
Confused but resolute, Twilight simply nod her head in understanding.
He grunted as the camp counselors arrived. “Like I wanted to go to some camp in the badlands to study my magic? Sure, Twilight being there is a HUGE plus… as is studying magic, I mean freaking magic man, what else would i want to study, agriculture? Nah,plants fear these hands. But… seriously, you know I hate the hot weather.” He sighed, seemingly tired already. “Seriously though, if you think I’m leaving you high and dry, just remember, that hook charm still works, and it works both ways, something tries to hurt you, I’ll come running.”
“What could actually hurt me or push me beyond my limits?” cocking an eyebrow and with arms crossed over her chest Chara asks.
“Do you really want me to answer that?” Twilight asked with a bit of snark, “I looked through Asriel's memories, I know what happened.” that really shut chara up as she remembered everything from the genocide and pacifist runs.
Connor then smirked. “I wonder if there is a mount ebott in this world?” Chara shivered in equal parts revulsion, excitement and fear, all at once, due to that possibility.
Coughing once more, Twilight motioned to the pegasus that ferried Chara to Ponyville, said pegasus now unhooked from the carriage, “Well, you should get going or you'll be late.” Twilight stated.
“Okay…” Chara replied absentmindedly completely occupied with thoughts of Mount ebott existing as she walked off with the counsellors.
The pegasus had lead Chara to a caravan at the edge of Sweet Apple Acres, several fillies and buffalo crowded around a gruff looking and aged royal guard. Hooked to the various carriages were a pair of buffalo and earth ponies. At the helm was a pegasus who looked an awful lot like Fluttershy.
Of course the most telling piece of information here was that everyone was female.
“This is where I leave you, Miss Dreemurr,” Chara's guide said, “The caravan will take a one day trip through Whitetail where you'll spend five days in a secluded wide range clearing. If anything attacks, several runes will go off and your Ponyville liaison will rush a battalion to your location. I advise you to NOT cause an incident which would activate these runes, I hope you enjoy yourself.”
“Yeah yeah don't cause a ruscus that Mom will have to clean up.” Chara said heading for the cavern not at all concerned about any danger.
The gruff, nigh amazonian guard took note of Chara and began to usher her onto the caravan. As Chara made for a seat, she was pushed in rather quickly by one Diamond Tiara.
“Hmph,” The filly scoffed, “I'd rather it be the princess freak then some flea ridden beast.” Diamond stated as she looked back to Silver Spoon sitting next to a buffalo, Silver mouthing the words ‘help me’ whilst the buffalo next to her rolled her eyes.
“Well I'm only here because I'm being forced to ‘make friends’ my own age…” Chara said huffing before commenting. “Also not a freak, I'm human.” Chara would have acted differently if she wasn't trying to control herself so not to cause an incident.
For the briefest of moments, a small smile appeared and vanished on Diamond's mouth as she eyed Chara with the same single eye glare she did when they first met, “Whatever, ‘princess freak’, just try to keep to the status quo and I'm sure you'll do just fine.”
“Oh and what would be the status quo?” Chara asked already figuring it had to do with diamond on top and everyone else on bottom.
“I'm sure a simpleton like yourself can figure it out,” Diamond replied as she turned away. “So just stay out of my way and we'll be golden.”
“You do realize I'm the adopted daughter of Celestia?” Chara said with a deadpan not liking how Diamond was treating her.
“Pfft, why do you think I came to sit with you in the first place?” Diamond scoffed.
“Well at least you have high standards.” Chara said as she nodded her head before finishing with. “You know I wouldn't be here if Mom didn't force me to go, mostly because I hate the outdoors.” and before diamond could respond they finally reach their destination.
The caravan wagon broke into a small cacophony as a soft spoken pegasus began ushering the fillies out. “All right, I know its more than a little crowded, but lets all keep calm and we can all get a chance to freshen up.” Chara listened to who she thought was Fluttershy as she was one of her favorite ponies but continued to give off the vibe of not giving a shit.
The children were all lead to a rather large building that seemed more like an outpost than anything. The guard and the pegasus kept to the back of the line, ensuring that no child strayed away.
“Now, we'll only be here until nightfall in which we'll be leaving for the main camp once we're all stocked,” The meek amber coated pegasus called out. “In the meantime, the attendants here will lead you to the baths and mess hall, as well as sell any of you a few loose odds or ends so long as you have your own bits on hand.”
Diamond took the time to bump into Chara for a second, “My family has a deal going with this outpost, I'm allowed anything I want, even the goods not available to the other miscreants.” She said with a smug smile.
“And I just have to mention my mom to get free stuff for me.” Chara said with an identical smug smile trying to one-up Diamond.
“Hmph, mothers…” Tiara whispered almost inaudibly, “Take care, loser~” The precocious fillie said as she sauntered away, the faintest of smiles on her face.
“I'm going to have to get the guards to look into her mother…” Chara said as she glared down at the ground memories of both her mother from before displacement and Chara mother mixing in her mind.
“Oh, hello there,” The pegasus in charge of the children said as she neared Chara, “You shouldn't be standing about, the baths will get cold.” She said sweetly.
Taking a closer look, Chara noticed the mare wasn't Fluttershy, as this mare not only wore glasses, but had a pearl necklace, a darker and rounded mane, and shining dark cherry eyes.
“You don't have to worry too much about that…” Chara said and for emphasis sticking her hand and mud before covering it with the black soul trait and showing a completely clean hand and when she was done as she went back to her brooding and planning.
Confused, but smiling, the mare put a wing on Chara's shoulder, “It's fine dear, we all have problems we want to hide, oh! Pardon my manners, I'm-” As the pegasus introduced herself, some of the other kids started singing a generic camp song, effectively drowning out her name, “But you can call me Mrs. Shy.” The pegasus stated softly.
“Wait... are you Fluttershy's mom? As in the wielder of the element of kindness Fluttershy?” Chara asked hoping to confirm her suspicions.
“You know my little Flutter?” Mrs. Shy asked.
“ not personally… but from what I have seen she seems to be my favorite of the Mane 6.” Chara said hoping to divert the question of how she knew about Fluttershy.
“Oh yes, she was always a little bolder than my husband and myself,” Mrs. Shy said with a proud smile, “Finding out she became a national hero didn't come as much of a surprise, I always knew she'd do something amazing in her life.”
“ you know I wouldn't be surprised if she was able to reform the spirit of Chaos himself…” Chara said giving a little hint for the future.
“Oh! Oh I don't know what I'd do if she had to deal with something so extreme…” Mrs. Shy said, obviously worried about her daughter, “Now, how about a warm bath and a hot meal, I'm sure the cooks have something special for you.”
“Probably…” Chara said letting her lead the way, As soon as they entered Chara almost froze up before putting on the cool facade that she always used when out in public.
“Oh, I'm sorry, I don't believe we have any clothing for you.” Mrs. Shy said apologetically as she walked through the staring crowd and over to an unoccupied tub.
“Oh don't worry about it I have all of my clothes stored in my inventory… or better known as my pocket dimension.” Chara said it trying to show off and hide the fact that she was uncomfortable.
Not quite understanding, Mrs. Shy pulled the curtain around the unoccupied tub as she took out several bath products, “Would you like some help?” The pegasus asked. Chara blushed brightly at the question her eyes going wide.
“W-wait, is that actually a thing here?” Chara asked before she remembered all the times that Celestia had asked the same question and looked a little sad everytime Chara said no making Chara feel guilty.
“I- well… Yes, if you aren't comfortable…” Mrs. Shy had thusly taken out a clipboard, “Oh… I knew there was something in your file I missed…”
“it's okay don't be upset!” Chara said as she tried to calm down the poor shy mare.
Stopping, Mrs. Shy put down her clipboard and looked at Chara, “I'm sorry, I can be a little flighty…”
“It's okay…” Chara said fidgeting.
Smiling, the mare held up a bottle of shampoo and conditioner, “So… may I?”
Chara didn't know what to do, she didn't want to say yes but she didn't want to say no either. Taking the hint, Mrs. Shy simply placed the bottles near Chara and bowed out, smiling softly as she did so. 20 minutes later Chara was switching through her wardrobe after finishing her bath… before finally picking her wardrobe for the day.
“Are you almost done? The mess hall is closing soon.” Mrs. Shy called out.
“Yeah I'm done.” Chara said exiting in her standard yellow and green sweater and brown shorts along with her sandals.
Smiling, the shy mare lead the way through a nigh empty bathhouse into an equally empty dining hall. The tables were all wood, and only workers and staff dotted the empty tables.
One such worker had walked by, dropping a metal tray filled with several meats and a few veggies before Chara, “Master Asriel had this prepared, enjoy.” The earth stallion walked away with nary another word, but coupled with the tray was a note and Chara picked up the note before starting to read it.
“Hiya! Um… I'm really bad at these but here goes! I hope you haven't caused any trouble, but knowing you I'm pretty sure you have someone wrapped around your finger.” Several dots followed in a haphazard manner before the note continued, “So uh… I had a little help with your meal, and by that well… you probably already know who made it. It's not poisoned! Don't worry, we checked. So uh… Yeah! Hope you have fun and I can't wait to s- ” The next part of the sentence had several lines crossing out the text, “Come back safe! Make a lot of friends and uh… yeah…” The words “I miss you” could be seen crossed out, though not as roughly or with as much intent. The note was simply signed, Asriel.
Chara then turned her eyes to the food on the plate, three thick slices of some mystery animal cooked well, a ball of mashed potatoes topped with a butter pat, two bushels of broccoli, five stalks of asparagus, and a chocolate cookie as thick and wide as her fist.
Char immediately got rid of the broccoli and asparagus dismissing them out right before she dug into the mystery meat and potatoes and leaving her cookie for last.
“Oh… do you… not eat vegetables?” Mrs. Shy asked, her voice shaky and laced with fear.
“oh no I do I just don't like broccoli or asparagus…” Chara said sticking her tongue out with a grossed-out face.
“Ah… I see…” The mare thusly pulled began to scribble away at her clipboard, “Are there non animal products you do like?” She asked with just a bit less fear.
“I like corn, potatoes, cake and pretty much any sweets, I like strawberries and fruits.” Chara said off the top of her head.
Smiling, Mrs. Shy flagged down a wandering attendant and asked for a few strawberries. The attendant looked as if he almost had a heart attack, rushing along and back again with the ordered fruit.
A box of at least ten berries had been left and the attendant awkwardly backed away, a mad blush and goofy grin on his face. Chara immediately broke into a grin as she started nomming on the strawberries and tuning the rest of the world out.
Noon the next day, the caravan had been on its way for its next and final destination. This time, Diamond had opted to sit next to her longtime companion Silver Spoon. In her place was a rather fluffy buffalo girl and Chara was not happy with this.
It didn't help that the road had been bumpy for the last ten minutes and the mass of fluff would accidentally smother Chara in an attempt to right herself.
‘don't kill everyone, don't kill everyone , don't kill everyone ’ Chara repeated in her mind as she was once again smothered by the mass of Buffalo fur.
“Sorry…” Chara's passenger muttered, her voice hefty and baritone, “My coat grows too fast and the heat makes it hard to manage.”
“I would be happy to shave that for you!” She said, pulling the glowing red knife from her inventory, small discs of Determination running along the blade.
“Would that hurt?” The buffalo asked, sweat visibly falling from her chin.
“Nah, I’m really good with a knife.” she said.
Before the buffalo could make a decision, the guard accompanying the carriage huffed and looked at Chara, raising an eyebrow for emphasis.
“What?” chara asked before continuing with. “I'm just helping her with her unruly hair. Like I said, I’m not going to cause any trouble!”
Grunting, the guard walked away as the buffalo let go of a breath. “M-maybe later…” The fuzzy buffalo girl relented. “We probably don't want a mess.”
“Yeah you're probably right…” Chara relented as she put her knife away.
Shuffling in her seat, the buffalo held out a hoof, “I'm Foghorn.”
“Greetings I'm Chara.”Chara said with a smirk holding out her hand grabbing her hoof and shaking it.
Foghorn slowly gained a bit of a smile as she let go, making herself as small as possible for Chara's comfort.
“Thanks…” Chara said as she pulled out a book she had gotten from the Royal library.
Besides the occasional howl, the remainder of the ride had gone by pleasantly. At midday, the caravan had finally arrived upon the campgrounds, the young ones clambering and hollering as Mrs. Shy began to address the crowd.
“Okay little ones, if we can all please remain seated?” She asked softly, her words gaining her no ground. It took the silent guard a single stomp to gain attention however, and soon, Mrs. Shy had begun a headcount. Chara had a twitch in her eye as she hated the outdoors.
Finally, the children had been lead out single file out into a lush and rather beautiful campground. The main hall was rather large and robust, the barracks were incredibly well made and seemed incredibly smooth for being made of wood. Several trails lead out into the woods, each path marked by an elegantly carved trail marker.
“I immediately hate all of this…” Chara said as she had to the barracks hoping that she could just sleep the entirety of this trip away. Unfortunately for her, the silent guard had given an audible huff behind Chara and motioned her to follow Mrs. Shy and the rest of the students.
Chara grumbled as she followed Mrs.Shy, Chara hated the outside she had always hated the outside as both Chara and Casey.
The group was lead to a small amphitheatre of sorts, the benches were all smoothed out and finely lacquered, the spacing between the half circle rows was narrow enough to seem intimate, but was wide enough to provide a great deal of comfort. Once everyone had been seated, Mrs. Shy had walked on stage and tapped on a microphone.
“Oh, well, this is a bit of an exciting turn out.” The older mare said rather gingerly. “Um… since I’m sure your parents all signed the waiver, you were probably already told about the hopes and purposes of this trip.”
From the front row, it was actually one of the buffalo to raise a hoof and answer, “To further strengthen the relations between our two cultures, forging a healthy and everlasting friendship with each other.” The rather small and thin buffalo answered.
“Thank you, Strong Heart.” Mrs. Shy said happily. “Yes, that is exactly it, and as our guest of honor and diplomat, Miss Heart will be doing her best to meet with and spend time with every…” She quickly turned to her notes, mumbling something incoherent until she looked back up. “One… here. Now, for a small presentation of the weeks events.”
“Oh God, why Mom.” Chara whispered under her breath knowing that this would be an international incident if she fucked up.
The rest of the presentation boiled down to the activities that would transpire through the course of the week. Finally, the children were lead to their barracks. Much like the wood of the amphitheater, the building, bed frames, and cabinets were all well made and finely polished to be smooth to the touch.
“Well time to switch to pajamas…” Chara said as she headed to the bathroom after 10 minutes chara came out in her nightie.
“Cute two piece~” A pony she'd never met before complemented.
“thanks I guess?” Chara said as she looks towards the pony in confusion. In fact, several of the mares had started eyeing Chara as if she were tantamount to a piece of meat, their giggling seeming to drown out all other noise.
“Chara!” Foghorn shouted from a ways down, waving frantically at the girl.
“Um... hay Foghorn.” Chara said, Walking over to the girl a little confused as to what was going on as she had never been eyed like this... at least to her memory.
“Get on the bed and don't make a sound.” Diamond Tiara whispered, apparently hiding behind Foghorn. “A lot of the mares here are political fillies, and you are a princess and a war hero, so watch your back out here…” She hissed before slinking away, much to Foghorn’s relief.
“Oh that makes sense…” Chara said a little downtrodden that not being able to make friends that weren't after her ‘title’.
“Um…” Fog rolled back and forth for a bit, “Diamond says you shouldn't cut my coat off yet, it'll make it easier for you to hide.” The buffalo said with a bit of defeat in her voice.
“That is true and I'm going to need a friend to hide behind if I'm going to not be devoured by the wolves in sheep's clothing…” Chara said as she moved on to the top bunk above foghorn.
“Chara~” Eighty-seven of the mares in the room cooed as they all turned to look at Chara, their tails swishing back and forth.
“Haha no.”Chara said as she climbed back down and hid in her bunk mates Floof to try and escape this attention.
Several ‘aw’s’, whines, and cat calls flooded the room, much to the humor of the buffalo in the room. Soon, Mrs. Shy had come in and called for lights out. Though, even in the darkness, it felt as though a thousand eyes were locked squarely on Chara.
It was times like these that Chara missed her room at the castle and her electronics from before displacement, Chara was half tempted to stay inside the fluff that was her new friend.
“Hey uh fog, you mind if I hide here for the night?” Chara asked as they had the bunk in the corner of the room and she was firmly between her new friend in the wall.
“Go ahead… they're kinda scary…” Fog whispered.
“Thanks fog.” Chara said snuggling up next to her, enjoying the fluff for the warmth that it provided.
The dawn had come, and with it, a mighty blow from an impressively large horn. Every sleeping soul shrieked at the sound of the brass wind instrument, laughter quickly following.
“Nothing like a good scare to get the blood pumping!” A rather rambunctious and youthful voice called out, “Up and at em ladies, there's an entire world just WAITING for you!” soon the brass instrument was turned into scrap metal as tons of Blue Soul strings wrapped around it before sliced through it like butter, everyone turns and sees Chara standing there, blue Soul strings whipping around like a tornado.
“Looks like we got a live one ladies!” The pegasus at the door frame cheered.
“I will end you!” Chara yells out not at all happy about the interruption of her sleep.
Still incredibly chipper and not quaking in her boots, the camp counselor started to walk out the door, “Save that energy for breakfast! We've got a whole days worth of bonding!”
“They will never find your body! Do you hear me!?” Chara yelled at again as she pulls a brush from her inventory and starts to make her her hair.
The ponies, rather shell shocked, gulped as they walked out behind the counselor, but took the time and found the bravery to wink at Chara.
Chara glared at the camp counselor as she finished her hair putting it in her signature hairstyle.
“Come on, it won't be so bad… right?” Foghorn asked the still angered Chara.
“Oh, is something wrong?” Strong Heart asked, not at all shaken by the blatant show of power.
“ if I didn't promise Mom that I wouldn't cause a scene…” Chara said as she headed to the bathroom to switch clothes.
“Ohhh… she's that Chara.” Strong whispered with a bit more understanding.
“She seems nice though…” Foghorn relented as Strong giggled.
“Good, I'm glad you two are getting along, and not just because she is the daughter of a ruler.” The skinny buffalo added. “You should hurry, a feast is waiting for us!” And with that, the girl was gone.
A few minutes later Chara walks out dressed in Camp shorts and a t-shirt before turning to Foghorn and saying “come on let's go.” as she heads out of the cabin.
The pair had no trouble finding the group, as every four seconds the sound of a whistle would go off, the group singing something about ‘the outdoors’ or ‘nature’.
“I'm going to torch this Forest see if I don't.” Chara Mutters under her breath already planning on learning Fire magic just for that reason.
“I don't think that would help in unifying our tribes.” Fog offered.
“I don't like being out in nature…” Chara offered to fog calming herself down a little.
Soon, the group was lead to a wide open dining area surrounded by vibrant and massive trees, the children were soon seated as Mrs. Shy had begun to list off the days events.
“Now children,” Mrs. Shy began, “I know you’re all excited to explore the forest,” The cacophony of several hoof stomps began to drown out all other noise, silenced only after the single royal guard gave a good stomp of her own. Realigning her glasses, Mrs. Shy continued, “Well… I can see you’re all excited, but the forest can be a dangerous place, and the unknown even more so, which is why we'll be heading back to the main area for our first activity. Arts and crafts!”
The resulting silence was deafening… After several seconds of blank stares, Strong Heart had hopped over to the podium, “I know this may come as a surprise to you all, but despite the current state of affairs within Appleoosa, our tribes still know very little of one another. It is my deepest hope that by initiating interpersonal activities together will sow seeds of trust and everlasting friendship.”
Several murmurs and head nods followed the impromptu speech before the crowd began to ‘Oh’ in complete understanding… which was followed by more excited hoofstomps. It was times like these that Chara so dearly with miss her phone because before displacement she did not like arts and crafts although her memories from the original Chara said that she liked drawing, so right now she was fighting in the internal Battle of whether to ignore everything and go into the forest or stay here and see if she could draw.
Soon, various foodstuffs was presented to the group, several apple pies being included along with the food. Of course, Chara’s meal was brought out seperate to all the others. Her server presented the meal on a silver platter consisting of a four stack of pancakes, three strips of bacon, half of a rather large sausage, a sizeable fruit bowl consisting of watermelon, honeydew, peach, and apple all diced. Another note was included with the meal:
“Hey Shortstack, the little guy wanted me to say something real quick. Talk to your server every so often if you feel like something specific for your food.”
The note thusly became a little less clean:
“Heya! So… how are ya? Good I hope!” Several dots in a cluster decorated the line, “Hey, maybe when you come back we can camp out on our own! Just us.” Several words following were furiously covered in ink, “Be safe, and I know it’s hard to be kind, but promise you’ll be sweet.”
With love,
Asriel
“Okay azzy I'll try my best…” Chara whispered as she carefully put the note in her inventory, chara then started eating as she kept her mind on the note asriel had sent her, ‘he actually believes In me…’Chara thought to herself.
“Personal cook, and a boy toy, my don’t we work fast.” Diamond teased, seemingly having read the note as well.
“He's not my boy toy!” Chara yelled out before thinking ‘but I wouldn't mind him being my boyfriend.’
“Ease up, princess ,” Diamond chided, “You have all week to talk to us about him.”
“He's the best thing that ever happened to my life…” Chara whispered just barely enough for diamond to here.
Tiara’s smile actually faltered as she looked back to her small possy, sliding her forehoof along her neck as they backed off save for Silver Spoon, “Hey, you and Foggy should group up with us.” She offered.
“Foggy?” The buffalo asked with slight confusion.
“Don’t get used to it.” Diamond added as she and Silver walked away, the latter bowing rather graciously.
“Okay what's up with the bowing?” Chara asked, she didn't like the bowing and made her uncomfortable.
“Well, are you a princess?” Foghorn asked.
“I'm adopted.”Chara said flatly and she hopes to never have any real power over anything other than the military, because if she got hold of the military it would be the best damn military ever.
Foghorn nodded and immediately shoved her face into her food.
“I'm going to go practice my abilities…” Chara said as she started heading for the forest , chara had been intent on trying to combine her soul energies together to create new and extremely more creative attacks.
Of course, as Chara made her merry way, a small grunt echoed behind her, the royal guard having followed the child.
“I'm practicing don't try to stop me…” Chara said as she raised up her hands one hand coated in Orange sole energy forming into a ball and the other coated and yellow Soul energy as she tried to mix the two.
The guard rolled her eyes only to flinch and turn around rather quickly, Diamond Tiara, Silver Spoon, and Foghorn having followed along. Groaning and face hoofing, the guard took a step back and just stood watch.
“I would stand back if I was all of you just in case I blow my arms off…” Chara said casually as if she was talking about the weather as it looked like the energy in her hands was becoming more volatile.
Shrugging, the children took several steps back with Tiara and Spoon behind Fog. Though, the guard almost seemed to say something, a hoarse and ghostly voice echoing out: “I heard a rumor…”
“Who's there! Don't make me level this section of the forest!” Chara said as she pointed the attack to where she thought the voice was coming from,although the unstable and unfinished attack was already causing strain on her.
The guard rolled her eyes and kicked the ground before pointing to her mouth. “Hurts to talk…” The ghostly voice replied.
“That's it firing the attack!”try said mostly because she couldn't keep it contained anymore and fired it off into the forest caulking a explosion.
The trio of children shrieked and hit the ground, but the guard was incredibly unfazed.
“Well that wasn't quite right I'm going to have to work on that... Need to make sure I can do it one-handed.” Chara said grimaced at the pain her hands were in as her black soul trait already trying to undo the damage.
“Hey!” Silver Spoon shouted, “This isn’t the Everfree! You could have hurt the wildlife!”
“Not to mention she probably set off an alarm.” Diamond added.
Half a minute passed… and yet there was no sign of an alarm. The guard grunting while motioning for the group to head back.
“I'm trying to recreate an attack called the big bang attack, it's a very strong explosive attack.” Chara said bragging.
“Um… did you try using sound?” Fog asked, much to everyone else's incredibly confused looks.
“No that is a good idea…” Chara said as she try to remember how Vegeta created The big bang attack.
Surprisingly, Foghorn walked up next to Chara, slowly building air in her lungs until a sound akin to a… fog horn… left her mouth as any tree and bush ten feet before the buffalo were torn asunder from the hellish sound.
“You my friend will be a juggernaut in the future!” Chara says happily with a bright smile looking over at foghorn,she always appreciated juggernaut knowing that she was a glass Cannon.
“I remember how I'm supposed to make the big bang attack!I need to figure out how to invert the explosion then have it explode outwards afterwards!” Chara says excitedly as she starts melting the energies into a tiny ball trying to figure out how to do it.
“How did you get that from… THAT!?” Diamond shouted as she pointed at the desolation, “And why do you think you can keep throwing explosions into the forest without alerting the guard!?”
“Or without getting the attention of the other campers?” Silver questioned.
“one humans are chaos orientation we always crave more, we always try to make ourselves better, two the only three people that can actually stop me are in canterlot or in medical training And three why would I care what the campers think?” Chara says as if it was the most simplest thing in the world before blowing her fingers off with the itty bitty big bang,
“No! Stop!” Tiara shouted as she rushed to Chara and took her hand in her magic, “Stop hurting yourself like this! It can NOT be healthy.”
“I can regrow my limbs…” Chara said if she showed her fingers being regrown,although she was surprised diamond tiara actually showed concern for her as she didn't expect this at all.
Slightly taken aback and rather surprised, Tiara scoffed before tilting her head up, her nose in the air as she closed a single eyelid but still looking at Chara, “Just don't come running to me when the guard comes to cart you away for endangerment,” She said before turning to walk away.
Silver looked first to Diamond curiously before looking to Chara, bowing graciously as she walked away as well.
The guard thusly huffed, stomped the ground and motioned to the girls.
“Oh, I think we should go back…” Foghorn offered.
“Okay but I still need to train so I'm going to come out here every once in awhile.” Chara said offhandedly.
The guard lead the four of them out of the forest and back to the campgrounds, just in time as the children had all finished their meals and were being lead back to the main grounds. The tables had all been set up with thousands of different supplies and the children had all immediately formed groups… within their species.
“Well let's get a table and show the rest of these noobs what this camp is really supposed to be about.” Chara said with a sigh knowing now that it would be her that would have to start the intermixing of species.
Foghorn gave a happy nod and followed Chara closely, a few heads actually turning as the the four of them found an empty table.
“So… what are you exactly?” Silver Spoon asked Chara, “Because I’ve never even heard of any species that even remotely looks like you.”
“Oh I'm a human and I don't come from this timeline or reality.” Chara said as she took a bite of the strawberries in front of her before she continued. “I was also stuck in a Time loop with azzy before I found myself here…”
“Tell us a little more about boy toy~” Tiara teased as she started to fiddle with a paper bag and several fuzzy wires.
“... Why are you trying to record me…” Chara deadpanned as she looked at the wires and then at diamond tiara.
“Uhh… what?” She replied, her face contorted with confusion.
“I’m with her,” Foghorn added, “What?”
“What's up with the wires.” Chara said her voice still a deadpan as she took a bite of another strawberry.
“You mean the brightly colored, fuzz covered, craft wire?” Silver asked, picking up one of the wires while showing that it was cut at both ends.
“Oh sorry, where I'm from we have devices that can record people easily, I mistaken them for something else.” Chara said with a sheepish grin.
“I mean if I had some mana stone I could probably make something like that…” Silver Spoon mused, tapping her chin as she stared off into space.
“So… you're an alien?” Fog asked Chara, now fiddling with a bottle of silicon and a set of googly eyes.
“I'm a dimensionally misplaced being or a displaced for short.” Chara said as she got some crafting materials and started to make a red heart.
“Assume we don't know what that is.” Tiara stated, her paper bag looking more like a nightmare inducing sock puppet shaped like her mother.
“It's someone taken from one Universe and slung to another.” Chara replied as her heart start to look like an 8-bit in shape.
“Soo… space alien?” Foghorn asked, her own craft forming into a cartoonish replica of her own face.
“No more like extra-dimensional being.” Chara said as she started making a white upside down heart.
Shrugging, the girls refocused on their crafts until a hoof slammed onto the table, “Hey!” A mare shouted, “Word on the street is we've got a war hero.” The mare was a dirt brown pegasus with a rather sleek black mane that curled over her left eye. Her cheeks were decorated with a few white freckles.
Chara inhales deeply before saying in a overly cheerful voice with a very forced smile. “And how can I help you?” Everyone could see that Chara smile was someone who was not happy with the person she's talking to.
“I wanna punch you in the schnozz.” The mare said with a wicked smile of her own as she leaned in.
“Yeah, can you not?” Tiara asked.
“There are less painful ways to commit suicide.” Chara stated as if it was a fact before turning back to her arts and crafts project having already finished the heart and starting to inscribe names on them.
The mystery mare threw her head back and gave an annoyed groan, “Come on!” She whined, “Just one fight!? You and me, right here, right now!” She exclaimed as she started to shadow box as she hovered in the air.
“I'm sure whatever problems you have can be fixed with the right medication and therapy but killing yourself won't solve anything.” Chara replied having inscribed asriel's name on the red heart and her name on the monster heart.
Practically on the verge of pulling her mane out, the mystery mare dropped onto the table with a bit of force, shaking it enough to bother the girls and their near finished products, “Okay! What about a hoof wrestle! Or whatever your species uses for hooves!”
“It's called arm wrestling where I'm from and okay.” Chara says that she puts the two hearts in her inventory and then placing her arm on the table elbow first in the standard arm wrestle position.
Practically squeeing, the mare plopped down in front of Chara and dropped her foreleg onto the table, “Name’s Sleet. It's a pleasure.” The mare stated, her smile back in full force.
“Greetings I am Chara.” Chara drawled out as she frowns at her. The two locked hand with hoof and Sleet immediately pushed her weight onto her limb… only for her hoof to stay exactly where it was.
Blinking in confusion, Sleet let out a series of grunts as she so desperately tried to make Chara’s arm budge. Soon, she took to rather unorthodox methods to get the limb to move, from punching her own hoof, to pushing off her seat with her hind hooves and her wings going off full blast.
“Yeah if you can't even move my arm I would have completely destroyed you by accident…” Chara says and if this was an anime she would have had a huge sweat drop on her head.
“What the heck are you made of, pure metal!?” Sleet shouted.
“I'm made of DETERMINATION.” Chara says cheekily with a trollish grin as she slowly pushed her arm forwards.
“Nooo…” Sleet whispered, her eyes turning into saucers the closer her hoof got to the table, “No no no…” Sweat began to form and drop from the pegasus’ brow, “NOOO!!!” Her shout alerted everyone as every head turned to see just what was going on.
Eyes blank and jaw agape, Sleet hung her head to the side, unmoving and defeated.
“Don't mind it too much, if I was a normal human you would have won outright.” Chara says as she firmly beat her in a arm wrestle.
Quite a crowd had gathered around, several ponies looking at Chara and Sleet in a bit of awe.
“Umm… excuse me…” Mrs. Shy muttered as she made her way through the crowd, “Physical activities aren't until day three.” Everyone thusly looked at her with concerned looks.
The shy mare had begun to scramble about,her hooves flailing as she reviewed her itinerary, “Um… I suppose we can squeeze in a small expedition?” Murmurs of mild acceptance flooded the grounds, overshadowed quite abruptly by Sleet’s cacophonous laughter.
“You! You're alright, princess!” Sleet exclaimed with a beaming smile, “But you still owe me a tussle!”
“But she can cause explosions with her hands?” Foghorn pointed out.
“And we’re here to co-mingle with the buffalo.” Silver Spoon added. This thankfully got Sleet thinking.
“Well then it's settled! I’mma go hang with the buffalo!” Sleet said happily… only to pull at her hoof, still firmly under Chara’s hand, “Can you maybe…” She asked as she gestured to her limb. Chara immediately let up on her Hoof having forgotten all about holding her Hoof down.
Sleet took her time to walk away, the crowd parting as the pegasus kept her pace.
Clearing her throat, Mrs. Shy started to gather everyone’s attention, “Alright everyone, we’ll take a small lunch break followed by a small showcase of everyone's work.” this caused a pit of dread to form in Chara stomach At The Mention Of This.
As the children were lead to a rather close by dining area, several camp hands or hooves in this case , had started to clean up and cart away the mess and finished products from the tables. Thankfully, everyone had a chance to write their names on their work to differentiate from the unused waste.
Surprisingly, several buffalo and ponies had gathered around Sleet, the small filly talking at length about her father’s military career. Soon, lunch had been passed out, everyone’s meal consisting of a piece of whole grain bread and several flower buds and veggies, while Chara’s consisted of glazed baby carrots, three slabs of what looked like turkey, a small bowl of green grapes, a generic juice box, and a cookie shaped to look like Asriel. No note was attached.
“Eugh, how can you eat that?” Diamond asked, disgusted at the meat on Chara’s plate.
“Because if I don't I'll die slowly after getting really sick.” Chara said not really bothered about the dying part just the slow part.
“Morbid much?” Silver added as she popped a daisy into her mouth.
“Yeah I can see how you think that but death isn't scary, but permadeath now that is scary.” Chara said offhandedly as she adjusted her graphs and diagrams that she had put up around the two Souls depicting the difference between a human soul and a monster soul.
The girls looked upon the diagrams with tilted heads, Fog actually poking through one of the screens.
“I know this looks complicated and it is, mostly because it's the source of power for any and all humans and “monsters”.” Chara says as she points to the diagrams the diagram had 8 different hearts, 7 hearts that were brightly colored and right side up and a white heart that was upside down.
Over the seven colored Hearts was the words “Soul trait” The light blue one had patience written under it ,the dark blue had integrity under it, the purple one had perseverance under it, the orange one had bravery, green had kindness, yellow had justice and finally red had determination,As the lone upside down White Heart had magic written above it.
“So which one's yours?” Fog asked, Chara immediately pointed to the red one as she continued to make sure she got the diagram set up perfectly.
“Then how can you use magic?” Tiara chimed in.
“It's not magic it's my soul energy and because I have an infinite amount it never runs out.” Chara replied before continuing with. “also the red Soul trait can be converted into any other type of Soul trait but the other Soul traits cannot be converted into it do to how powerful the red Soul trait is seeing as the red sole trait can affect the entire universe if the soul is strong enough.”
“What happens when a soul isn't strong enough, or is too strong?” Silver added.
“When the soul is too strong you get someone who can't die by unnatural causes for example me, but when a soul is too weak you get someone who doesn't want to live…” Chara said with a somber voice.
Before any could address the darkened mood, Slate of all ponies had dropped in, two buffalo twins flanking her. “Hey! Overheard your rambling! What's that white one do?” She asked rather happily, pointing at the upside down heart.
“That is a monster Soul. it is upside down to better access the magic that makes them up. you see each monster type has a special branch of magic that they use. Case in point asriel and his family use fire magic, also they are not monsters like you would think of as they show more compassion than most species as they took in a child of the species that entrap them underground.” Chara spoke in a teacher like voice.
Slate begun tapping her chin, much to the amusement of the twins with her. “Asriel, Asriel… why do I know that name…” She thusly hovered in the air while making several hoof gestures, “Bout, this tall? Got a sword as tall as he is?” She then leaned in close to Chara, eyes a flutter, “Best looking thing on the planet?” She teased.
“Yes that is my boyfriend.” chara says as her eyes glowed with the power and with a voice that said back off.
Slate and her entourage only giggled, “Military girl like me’s the last pony you should be worried about,” She replied with a toothy grin as she flew behind Tiara and clasped the girl’s shoulders, much to Tiara’s surprise and annoyance, “Gold digger’s like her are who you should be worried about!”
Growling, Diamond Tiara started to bat a forhoof at Slate who was now laughing like a mad man, “I am nothing like my mother!” Tiara shouted angrily.
“It's okay diamond I know you're not a gold digger.” Chara said giving her a quick hug before looking at slate with a menacing glare and saying with a deathly calm voice, “I'm not a good person to those who hurt my friends and those I care about, so you're going to say sorry to Diamond or I'm going to show you why it took an absolute God to beat me.”
Slate, still smiling somehow, waved a hoof at the two. “Sorry, sorry~” She said in a teasing tone, “Don't exactly know how to shut up, but hey, no hard feelings yeah?” Still hovering, the pegasu held out a hoof, a small crowd practically surrounding the scene.
“no, you're still on my shit list.” Chara said turning back and giving Diamond another hug. Diamond however looked morbidly pale, incredibly shocked by the contact.
Giggling, Slate waved at the group and turned around to leave, her groupies singing out a goodbye as they followed Slate.
“Do… we know who her father is?” Silver asked.
“Probably,” Diamond answered, now softly batting at Chara’s head, “Can you let go now? I have a reputation to keep.”
“Sure and if anyone asks just say the war hero gave you the hug.” Chara said as she let go of diamond before continuing with, “ besides you're my friend and I don't like seeing my friends upset.”
Tiara scoffed, but it was quite evident her heart wasn't in it. “Whatever… just forget about what I said and we’re golden…”
“You know if you ever need help I have a bunch of friends in high places that can help out even if I can't myself…” Chara says already knowing what she's was wrong she was already going to have Celestia look into diamonds mother.
A small glint shined in Diamond's eye for a fraction of a second before she flinched at the sound of a loud horn. Soon, the children were all being lead back to the amphitheatre, several of the camp goers forming a line next to the stage, their crafts in hoof.
“Well, I hope we all had fun with each other,” Mrs. Shy said, her smooth and soft voice being carried by a microphone, “It was a rocky start, but I can see that everyone came together in the end.” Several cheers and hoof stomps began to fill the air as Strong Heart took the stage.
“I cannot express my gratitude enough, even now I can see the seeds of friendship sown between our two cultures,” The ambassador stated happily, “Of course, there is one among you who helped kick start our hopes and dreams…” A floodlight flipped on and was immediately moved to shine over Chara, Foghorn, Diamond Tiara, and Silver Spoon before it focused in on Chara.
“For your strength and willingness to see past our differences, I wish to not only thank you, but I would like you and your group to start off today’s show and tell.” Applause quite literally exploded around the four. If someone look close they would see Chara was blushing but thanks to the circles on her cheeks it was really hard to tell, Chara made her way up to the stage with her friends who were more visibly blushing as they followed close behind Chara.
As soon as Chara made her way to the stage she took her charts out along with her Hearts she had made. Foghorn had taken out her self caricature, Silver had a small castle tower, and Diamond was begrudgingly holding her paper puppet.
“Okay I guess I'll start us off I created to souls that are the source of human and monster powers, the right side up ones are humans and each color has a different trait powering them mine is a red one which stands for determination.” Chara said before materializing her soul.
One of the campers raised a hoof. “What does a personality trait have to do with all that cool stuff you can do?” Everyone looked at the Buffalo in question, who bore an eerie similarity to Foghorn. “What? My sister told me about it! She can make things explode, that’s amazing!”
“Well that was me using Justice and Bravery and mixing the two Justice for the beam effect and bravery for the exploding effect, you see each Soul trait has the ability to do something the orange Soul trait has the ability to make small explosives appear around them the yellow Soul trait lets you fire energy beams the green Soul trait of kindness makes Shields and can be used to heal someone where the purple Soul trait of perseverance is used to negate the attacks of other people sent towards you the light blue is able to create strings that can grab literally anything but also can be used to slice through people as I did with the horn-” Chara says before she was interrupted.
“You broke someone's horn?!” Someone whispered to her “Oh… the instrument, I thought you...heh…”
Foghorn’s sister huffed. “I doubt she’d talk openly about practically crippling and lobotomizing a pony at once.”
“Oh I did that to that changeling queen that invaded after all she did hurt the ones I care about especially my new mom.”
Silence reigned before Foghorn looked to her sister. “She’s actually really nice, just… she has more protective instincts than most ponies.” Diamond tiara and Silver Spoon nod as DT was lost in thought. Foghorn then smiled. “Thunderhoof, she offered to trim my hair for me! She was super nice!”
“It's true I'm super protective. But anyway back to the last two Soul traits Integrity the dark blue Soul trait can lengthen and sharpen any weapon but it can also create spinning Buzz saw blades that can be fired off at people and then we finally get to my soul trait determination it can be turned into any other Soul trait along with being able to affect the universe if it's strong enough.”
Thunderhoof raised her hoof again. “Are you that strong? And who is that other human that is with you usually?”
“Yes I am that strong as I have rewritten my fate many times and as for that other human He's My Bodyguard and friend from a past life.” Chara said actually surprised no one has commented to on the White upside down soul.
Slate snickered, having heard about the monster souls before. “So, those white souls are monsters yeah? Is Connor one of those monsters? I mean, he calls out a big freaky metal man.”
“ Connor is not a monster he is a human now the one that that you were saying was so hot earlier is a monster he is a boss monster but he is not a monster as you know them as the Monsters Where I Come From are some of the most compassionate beings I have ever come across seeing as they took in a child of a species that literally killed most of their race and then locked the rest underground by a barrier.” Chara said as an aura of Red Energy floats around her
Thunderhoof raised her hoof again. “Since this is another world than yours, if more of these monsters show up, could we name them something else? Ponies have a monster Hunting squad… I don’t think having citizens named as such would be a good idea.”
“ I would actually approve of that seeing as most monsters from my world are made up mostly of magic so I think we should call the Mana beings.” chara said with a thoughtful look on her face.
Slate frowned. “How can a human summon things like that though? I didn’t see any soul traits that did that…”
“Because he was changed by a void dweller which stuck something called a dream being in his head.” Chara says.
All of the buffalo gasped. “He is a dreamwalker?! Those… those are so dangerous! Not even the dragon invaders could stop a dreamwalker! Rageburn the glorious was the last dreamwalker of the buffalo, and he made the badlands what they are today!”
A pony Chara didn’t recognize raised her hoof. “Are your powers magic?”
“Actually no, they're not.” Chara said with a grin.
One last pony raised their hoof, again not recognizable, where were all these ponies on the bus? “What is your opinion on The changelings? My daddy is a guard captain, and he said that all of the changelings had to listen to their empress, but that Chrysalis was the new empress now!”
“As long as they don't do anything to hurt my friends I have no reason to harm them.” Chara said with a shrug.
Everyone was looking at it blankly. Until Thunderhoof spoke. “You see your mother like that?”
“Hey if that was my birth mother I would have made it looks like something even Nightmare Moon would fear.” Chara says as her eyes took on a hateful glare.
Thunderhoof nodded slowly before looking to the miss shy. “Miss shy, can I report Diamond tiaras mom for abuse?”
“Don't worry about that I'm going to talk to my mom about that.” Chara said already having a dangerous glint in her eye.
Thunderhoof and foghorn looked to Chara “We are the high chief’s daughters, and we technically count as nobles in equestria on par with you. Our word AND yours will bury that woman for life.”
“ Then please, by all means! Let's teach that woman why you don't mess with my friends.” Chara said barely containing her maniacal laughter.
Diamond Tiara looked to them with tears in her eyes. “Why are you being so nice to me?! I was rude, snobby, and treated you all like dirt... I thought I’d be alone like always...”
“Because I was once like you but unlike you I had an abusive father and mother.” Chara said as she gave Diamond Tiara a hug.
There was a slight tingling of Charas hook charm as she let Diamond Tiara go. As she looked around, she saw no threats. Diamond Tiara, however, was looking down at the floor. “Huh...It feels nice… having more than one friend…”
Silver spoon smirked. “Told ya you should try it!”
Diamond Tiara couldn’t stop crying as Thunderhoof came up and joined Foghorn in hugging Chara and Diamond. They smiled and nuzzled them warmly. “It’s okay, it’s all okay…”
The morning was finally coming to a close. The moon had finished it's descent and one by one the stars of the night sky blinked and dimmed. Soon, the rising sun began to shine along new morning’s dew along with the gentle music of songbird's cry… At least until somepony tripped the alarms.
Among one of the few and fairly well hidden towers surrounding the camp grounds, an incredibly flighty new recruit quite nearly jumped from their skin at the sight of a giant, angry, and nigh unimaginably massive dragon of blackest scale.
To say the veterans were miffed at the several alarms blaring red lights and howling noise at their faces as they slept would be an understatement, but they soon saw reason once the first magic trap ring went off and failed to so much as cause the oncoming beast to flinch .
“Oh the princess isn’t gonna like this…” One of the more aged and grizzled mares muttered, the soldier getting ready for a fight.
A disinterested grunt from her companion was her only response, no one in the higher ups would find out until the problem was dealt with… at least, that was the Rumor.
As Chara woke up, she was greeted not by the sound of her alarm, but by the sound of a dragon roar assaulting her ears. Chara bolted up and ran in the direction of the dragon roar, quickly passing her camper friends and miss shy before Slate grabbed her. “WHAT THE BUCK ARE YOU DOING?! THAT’S A MOTHERBUCKING DRAGON! THE GUARDS THAT SAW IT SAID IT WAS A BLACK SCALE DRAGON AT THAT! WE HAVE TO RUN!”
“I’m not letting that thing anywhere near my friends, so get out of my way, so I can show that thing EXACTLY why gods fear the thought of facing me!” Chara said before glitching towards the black dragon at it’s mountain top. “Hey! Big black Salamander! Take this!” She then swung her knife at full strength at the dragon’s chest, only to leave but a paper cut.
The dragon sneered. “Is that all thou can muster, child? I was promised a worthy fight for my gems!”
Chara grunted. “Yeah? Well your momma was a newt, and yer daddy was a basilisk!” Chara finished in her best irish impression, courtesy of Connors lessons in smack talk.
The Dragon's eye twitched before he backhanded Chara skyward, before tail whipping her hard enough to send her flying into a nearby ravine, deepening it considerably and striking oil, all the while Chara shouting “You motherfucking god damn cheap son of a bitch!” She then looks down and sees her clothes are ruined, and then looks to the dragon. “I will make this slow now.”
She glitched over to him, only to be caught in a gout of balefire and then punched into the mountain in a massive haymaker. If it were not for her DT shielding her, she would have been killed instantly. “FACE ME AS THE OLD WAYS DICTATE CHILD! GRANT ME A DEATH WITH HONOR!”
Chara shouted back “The actual Fuck, are the old ways?!”
The Dragon grinned. “I SHALL DIE FIGHTING AN ENEMY WITH ALL I HAVE, AND GO TO MEET MY FALLEN CLUTCH MATES IN THE VALLEYS AND CRAGS OF THE AFTERLIFE WITH GLORY!”
Chara saved right there, and smirked “Welp, You have your unwinnable fight right here!”
The dragon smiled tiredly. “Let us hope so child, let us hope so.”
Chara sends a flurry of interweaving determination slashes towards the dragon with a single thrust. “You know, you aren’t what I expected, when I heard a dragon was attacking, I expected someone dumber and ruder.”
The dragon blocks the attack with a wing, letting it practically cripple him. “There, now I may not flee… I grow old child… thus I must die in battle before age takes me. I grant unto thee my scales, my horde, and my bones, so that many a weapon and armament may be crafted… all thou must do is defeat me, and if you meet my grand hatchling, take good care of her, she is… unlike those her age, she is oft ridiculed for her nature. I would request thee make a friend with her, if thou survive this fight.”
“I can’t deny a dying being their last request, if I meet her, I will befriend her!” She then rushed the dragon, who smiled and spoke in an arcane dialect. “Yol! Toor! Shul!”
Charas eyes widened as a massive miniature sun barrelled it’s way towards her, it was the size of a small house, and as Chara Glitched away, it kept on turning to find her, only for Chara to wrap herself in several layers of Determination before firing off her own version of the Big bang attack at the miniature sun.
The sun seemed to absorb the energy that made up the big bang attack before colliding with her. He smiled “My horde, if you want to know, includes ancient tomes of arcane knowledge. I hope they are useful.”
He looked to Chara’s soul, as it levitated from her charred body “Oh, now stop fucking around, child, and rewind time again.”
Charas heart shatters, before everything resets. He smiles “Your manipulation of time, while crude, bears promise… If only we met while I was younger…”
The hook amulet glows before Connor is brought into the fray. He looks to Connor and smirks. “Ah, a dreamwalker. My horde has a few artefacts that pertain to you as well… I apologize for slaying your charge once, but I need them to slay me with all they have, lest my soul be tarnished by dishonor.”
Chara then summons dark blue buzzsaws before connecting them with light blue soul strings. He sighs and grabs the saws by the strings, only to lift Chara by them and swing her into his fist repeatedly. “We both know those minor tricks won’t work, now hit me with your best shot!”
Connor, while tense, acknowledged the importance of the dragons last request.
“Okay, you want my worst? Well hit the dirt, cause I warn you dude, it’s gonna hurt!”
The dragon grumbled “Damn zebra rhyming shenanigans…” only for the dragon to gasp as the black soul trait ate at his still gripping hand, and he was forced to release her before she slashed at his once again undamaged wing, slicing brutally through the very bone.
He grunted. “So hate has found purchase in thy soul, child? Take caution.”
She smiled “Hatred may have found purchase, but it doesn’t control me, I control it.”
He sighed. “Well, it is time for this to be finished, the Hate is eating through my ribs as we speak, behead me, and thy reward is thine.”
She smiled sadly. “You were a good foe, you must’ve been a badass in your prime.” as she said this, he chuckled.
“I was the last, and mightiest of the Dracomages. My power rivalled that of the dragon lord himself…”
Charas strings wrapped around him as she sighed. “Find the afterlife that I never will.”
The dragon smiled. “Mine name is Bahamut, I grant thee both my power, of mine own free will…”
As chara tightened the strings, thus beheading him, ethereal whisps flowed from his body as he left over five barrels of dragon blood, seven tons of dragon bones, and three hundred pounds of dragon scale. Literally, his body was overtaken in those whisps as they reduced him to three piles of those materials, before the wisps rushed into us, as well as leaving a pair of books that practically pulsed with magical energy.
Connor looked to Chara and grinned “How do you feel, fellow Dovahkiin?” he then got a shit eating grin before stepping below me at the mountain “FUS RO DAH!” As he shouted this at chara, she was sent absolutely flying skyward, only for him to catch her like an infant.
Chara grunts in pain “Still tender there.”
Celestia then arrived with her mane alight, and looked first to us, then to the dead dragon, the look on her face one of broken rage. “Did you pain good him!?”
“I fought him and beat him, and I am tender.” Connor then saw Celestia summon a rotary phone. As she started dialing, Chara stopped her. “No, stop! He just wanted to die with honor, he was old, and saw me as worthy!”
Celestia, even angrier for some reason, then sighed and prepped to take off, only for two other beings that just screamed god appeared before us, one being a skeletal minotaur, the other being a clockwork Diamond Dog. they looked to us and frowned. “Care to explain how we were told nothing about this IMMORTAL, TIME ALTERING being, Celestia?”
Connor tried to inch back with Chara in tow, only for the clockwork diamond dog to pale. “Why can’t I stop either of you?”
“Because my Determination won’t let you, an absolute god had nothing on me, what makes you think you do?” chara sets with a smirk.
The D dog frowned. “Because, the time of this entire dimension is within my domain, It is literally my reason for existing to keep time working right. You fucked with my work. Severely. Twice now.” he paced “Should i make you exempt from times weave? Nah, then you could go and mess with time more...”
Chara then frowned. “I only did it when i died… I mean, last time at least, other time I was scared.”
The minotaur grunted. “Dead stay dead, you were not… you were damaged, yet unbroken.”
Chara jumps in. “Yeah, i can rewrite my fate at will, be happy i don’t reset to the point I entered here.”
They froze. “Mayhaps it is a disciple of the brothers?” The D-dog said. “But The three of Yog were forbidden from such, it could not be thus, the pain would madden.”
Chara smiled “Well, i don’t know who those people are, I’m just a normal little girl from the Undertale Universe.”
The minotaur shook his head. “No, smell his influence, he has fed from thy energy. Yog’izzicth, stygian fool, fact and fiction incarnate twister of realities.”
Chara tilted her head “Oh, you mean that clown looking guy, who warned me about the changelings? He was nice, where is he?”
The minotaur looked to Connor, then to above him. “Realm of the between is his home, at the norm, but he was and is brought to the physical, in servitude binding, and chains unseen.” Chara frowned a little at this, now knowing that the guy was enslaved to someone.
Connor was next to speak. “And let me guess… they were not happy about his helping us?”
The D dog shook his head. “Negative, many hours of pain as recompense. Unable to assist, location unknown.”
Celestia frowned. “Why was I not alerted to this?”
Death cleared his throat. “While unaware of WHO or WHAT your child was, we had heard you had adopted, we did not want to place undue stress on you until we learned the cause or solution to this problem.”
Connor frowned now. “So mind telling me how mortals are hiding from what I assume to be the gods of Time and Death.”
Time looked uncomfortable. “Many wards put in place, different time flow now, an incomplete summoning of a powerful being wrought havok on our domains in the badlands, three locations… cannot go near, it destabilizes our being, destabilizes death and time, risks reality unravelling.”
Celestia paled. “Their wards are that strong? How will we get to those wretched curs then…”
Death smiled. “We summon the other two, and let the pair bond to these two mortals.” he saw Celestia's worried look. “Temporarily of course.”
“Or you could just put a giant barrier around them let me go in and use one of my most dangerous techniques.”
Connor whacks Chara upside the head gently. “No. No erasing.”
Death and Time frown “You must never do so. This would be irreversible in scale of damage, and set all of creation in this universe against you.”
Connor then hummed thoughtfully. “And besides, I like That Jester guy, Yog’rizzicth right? Can’t risk hurting him.”
“ okay I promise not to use the erase button unless it's against someone who is an immeasurable amount of danger to the universe like the Mad Titan Thanos or conversion Bureau Celestia.” chara says her eyes gaining an evil glint after saying them.
Time and Death nodded. “Acceptable for individuals, not for areas.”
“Do you think you could get someone to create a place where I can practice it then because right now it's area-of-effect.” Chara says as she looks over at time and death.
Time and Death nod. “We would have to ask Faust, but if she consents, there are two options. The brothers of Rizzicth would gladly sacrifice their empty realms to save their brother.”
Connor raised an eyebrow. “How do you know?”
“Because they asked us.” a voice spoke as a sickly green and black portal formed and two inhuman looking figures stepped into view.
The larger of the two was a four armed knight in a suit of armor armed with a mace, a hatchet, a shortsword and a buckler shield, all of which was made from bone, stone and steel, actually melded together as if they were alternate colors of clay he had four eye holes with brilliant ethereal green glowing mist seeping from them. He smirked “Yog’vorzicth, stygian warrior, personification of War and peace, ready to help.”
The second, smaller of the brothers Yog was a mage armed with a scepter made of equal parts bone, stone and metal, all seamlessly, impossible swirling and flowing together just the same, under his hood there was the silhouette of three heads, each with a single glowing eye and mouth. “Yog’ Drizzian, stygian mage and personification of knowledge and ignorance.”
“Okay so the three of them are a knight a Jester and a mage… one of those things is not like the others~” Chara says the last part in a sing-song voice.
The two of them turned to Chara with a worried stance. “You have seen our brother?”
“ yeah he tried to help us even though some bastards who we don't know where they are have enslaved him.” Chara said, a dark look in her eyes as a black and red Aura appears around her.
A similarly sinister aura of green and black manifested from the brothers as they looked to Time and Death “You told us we would be notified immediately for this transgression! Yet you have told us nothing as he has stood as a slave to mortal masters?!”
“And the Mortal bastards apparently hurt him for helping me out.” Chara said her or a darkening even further.
The brothers Yog began to glitch out somehow, as if their own rage was making their bodies go beyond mortal comprehension. “THEY HARMED OUR BELOVED BROTHER?! THE MORTALS SHALL PAY DEARLY FOR THEIR CRIMES!”
“You won't mind if I help will you? Cuz your brother kind of helped me and I pay my dues.” Chara asks them as she didn't like the thought of the jester being hurt because of her.
The brothers Yog nodded. “We shall make them pay, but you shall free him of his bonds, no god may interfere with a binding contract, he most likely did so as to protect someone he took a liking to… Our youngest brother has a weak spot for mortals.”
“Well good thing I'm not a God or mortal, I'm a glitch.” Chara said her eyes gaining an evil glint, her body almost starting to transform.
Connor smirked. “Can I help, too? Been a long while since-”
“No. You must help our assault when Yog’Rizzicth is freed, not enter their area of control. The dreamwalkers are too close to divinity. And… We are fairly certain that you were the mortal that our brother saved, we sense his power on you, as well as Charas, it is highly likely he took the brunt of your bindings unto himself.”
Celestia paled. “I will ready my guards, when they are apprehended-”
The brothers Yog snarled. “There will be no trial for these fell heretics. They have interfered in the machinations of the Eldest gods of this universe!”
Celestia frowned, then nodded. “Please keep my baby safe.”
They both chuckled. “We would be terrible brothers, if we let one of his chosen charges come to harm.”
“I'm right here and I'm really powerful!” Chara yells out with a pout on her face.
The two brothers Yog looked to Connor and Chara, then nodded. “We are to go, immediately.” They then looked to Time and Death. “And leave our… what was the term mortals use? Niece? Leave our niece and nephew alone. Lest we replace you. again.”
Connor smirked as the other two gods swallow fearfully. “So this is what it’s like to have an uncle…”
Vorzicth and Drizian began relaying plans to us as they sent back the other three gods. They were smiling at the thought of the impending pain coming to their brothers binders.
Back at Yog’rizzicths cell
“AAAAUGH!” cried Rizzicth as he was forced to hold the mystical stones.
The leader of the ponies smiled as Rizzicth followed his master's orders, unable to find a loophole to use to disobey. “Heh, quite painful is it not? I call these special orbs manapain balls, they convert your magical energy into pure, agonizing pain, the stronger you are, the more it hurts.”
“May your beds be barren, and your heirs unborn, for this pain you bring me, I hope you are shorn!” Growled out Rizzicth as he still gripped the orbs, still bound by his contract to obey his cruel master.
The master, who was a unicorn of indeterminate age or gender due to the hood over their head and body, stepped back in shock. “How did you know my gender?! I am supposed to be unidentifiable!”
Rizzicth laughed. “While weakened and bound I may be, the facts I shall always see.” He chuckled. Somehow, the punishment he was enduring was now lessened to him.
The unicorn fumed. “What are you talking about, servant!? You are to serve me until the end of my line! That was the deal for saving that worthless pair of mortals that interrupted the ritual!”
Rizzicth smiled as he stood through the pain. “Many friends, have I, and foes, do you. Which wins out first, the same is oft true!”
The unicorn frowned “I command you to tell me who knows of your servitude to us.”
Rizzicth sighed. “The dreamwalker and demon, siblings in arms, and other brothers Yog, have raised their alarms.”
The unicorn smirked. “Yog’rizzicth, stygian fool of old and lowly servant of mortal kind, i now demand you hide us from all things mystical in origin that ally against us!”
Rizzicth grunted. He thought on the command as he dropped the stones to fulfill his new command. “Not demon, nor god, nor fae shall see, the home of master, his servants, and me!”
The unicorn smirked. “Now swallow the orbs, let them lie free in your body until I say otherwise.”
Rizzicth growled and swallowed the two orbs whole, before clutching his gut in agony. “If freedom comes while you still draw breath, than great joy I shall find in your prolonged death!”
Back at the camp
Diamond tiara was looking at the mountain with a spyglass as she sat on Thunderhoof and Foghorn in a tower, staring at Chara and Connor as they talked with the Elder gods of Equus. “Aaaah I wish I could hear what was going on! I mean, what in the name of Faust are two of the brothers Yog doing here?!”
Thunderhoof cleared her throat to get DT’s attention “Who are they again?”
DT chuckled. “Old, old gods, long forgotten by most, they were from before Celestia and Luna, before faust even, it was said they anointed the gods of this realm, if they wanted, they could destroy the world. What I want to know is how in bucking tartarus my new friend is talking to them so idly! Didn’t celestia tell her anything about olden pony times?!”
Foghorn frowned. “Remember how she said her soul worked, and how she had an infinite supply? Maybe she is banking on that.”
DT frowned as she saw the two present brothers Yog start shouting angrily before Chara and Connor joined in. eventually they calmed down, and all of them disappeared. “Wh-where did they go?!”
“Right here.” Chara’s voice could be heard behind them.
“Sweet bucking faust on a unicycle!” Tiara fell upon her rump, the pair she stood on only shrugging as they got the pony back on her hooves. “Don't DO that!” Diamond shrieked at Chara for the scare.
“I thought it was kinda cool…” Fog relented.
“Sorry just been through a lot of crap today…” Chara said whincing a little bit as she walked over to them. “ did you guys see me fight?” Chara asked hoping they didn't see the brutal way she fights.
Though the buffalo twins shook their heads, Diamond walked up to Chara before slamming the broadside of her hoof across Chara’s face and then pulling her into a rather tight hug. “Don't you EVER run off on your own again…” Tears had actually started to drip onto the girl’s shoulder as Tiara shuddered.
Chara hugs her back pulling her into a tight hug and rubbing her back “it's okay you don't have to worry about losing me.” Chara says as she starts to feel guilty about what she put Diamond through.
Diamond only dug herself deeper into the hug. “Shut up, just… stop talking…” She whimpered.
“Um… girls?” Fog said as she started to tap Tiara.
“Not to ruin a moment…” Thunder added.
“No no, let them get it out if their system/They seem to really need it.” A familiar dual voice called out.
“Azzy?” Chara asked her head jerking up to look at him.
“Hey shortstack/Did ya miss me?” Ozriel had replied, before separating, Oz having started to float away. “I have business.” Was all the skull said as he left.
To say the girls were stunned would be an understatement, their collective jaws on the floor.
“Wha… what?” Diamond managed to whisper as she pulled away from Chara, now eyeing the goat child.
“Hiya!” Asriel replied. “I’m Asriel, we haven't met ye-”
“I know who you are!” Diamond shouted as she poked his chest. “We met at school, remember? And just what WAS that!?” She asked as she threw a hoof off to where Oz flew off to.
“Ehhh, that's complicated and classified.” He replied happily as he turned to the buffalo. “And you both are?”
“Thunderhoof and Foghorn.” They replied in synch, still flabbergasted at the sight.
“Well asriel meet my new friends!” Charles as enthusiastically as she hugs asriel giving him a kiss on the cheek before leading him over to them.
Giggling, the goat gladly went along. “You know, boys aren't supposed to be here.” He teased.
“We're like 10 what are we actually going to do?” Chara said before her mind started going straight into the gutter.
-Meeting-
“Oh… oh dear… oh no, oh dear…” Mrs. Shy constantly muttered as she paced about the large campground meeting room.
Celestia, the guards, and the counselors all did their best to ignore the frayed mare as they all seemed to wait for something. Finally, everyone’s collective heads turned at the sight of a burning, flying, goat head.
“Sorry I’m late folks, traffic was a bitch.” Oz joked, though most everyone tilted their heads in confusion on what a female dog had to with traffic, Celestia and a certain rose colored mare stifled their giggles.
“No, no, it's quite alright son.” Celestia answered.
“Thanks mom,” The head replied as he took his place around Rose’s neck. “Let's talk business…”
Once over the initial shock, the girls happily lead Asriel along as they showed him the sights, and since the adults were all in a meeting, no one was there to bother them. Even the ever present and nigh silent guard that tailed them was nowhere to be found.
“So, besides the random dragon attack, how have things been?” Asriel asked with a smile.
“Oh nothing much I made some friends my own age.”Chara said still sticking close to Asriel
“Yeah, I don’t know her.” Tiara stated matter of factly as she stuck her nose in the air and closing one of her eyes, though the smile on her face told that she was teasing.
“Oh come on T, you know you know me.” Chara said smirking over a diamond tiara.
“Bout as well as I know boy toy.” Tiara replied. “By the way, tell us about yourself.” She said as she looked at Asriel.
“Oh, I’m no one special.” The goat replied happily.
“Hey Azzy's not my boy toy he's my boyfriend!” Chara said glaring playfully at tiara.
Tiara had rolled her eyes which soon widened in concern as she stared at Asriel, the goat having turned a bright shade of red, literal smoke had started leaving his ears.
“Is he gonna be alright?” The buffalos asked in tandem, Asriel trying to work through an awkward giggling fit.
“I guess?” Chara says before giving him a hug and a kiss on the cheek. This only seemed to worsen Asriel’s situation as the small horns on his head now begun to deposit steam.
Now having gone deeper into the main camp site, several prying eyes took the courage to look out the windows of the surrounding buildings. Some hid further, worried that this was a new threat, others looked on unashamedly, wishing to see where this lead, and one…
“You're all okay!” Silver Spoon shouted, sliding along and jumping off a rather tall tree, camo paint decorating her face and a green and black spotted pair of goggles slung around her neck. “What the HAY took you so long!”
“ well I did fight a dragon and then I had to deal with gods and yogs and after that my boyfriend showed up!” Chara said hugging asriel close to her
Silver considered Chara for a few seconds, an eyebrow slowly rising, then she took a good long look at the steam enshrouded goat child. “So, this is the Prince Consort I’ve heard about.” She said rather unimpressed.
Fog and Thunder looked at Silver with a small bit of confusion while Tiara gave off a small hiss as she recoiled.
“Ease up Sil,” She chastised, “A filly gets scorned by one ambassador and…” She added with a roll of her eyes, this only caused Silver to huff and wipe the paint from her face.
“so azzy how have you been while I was stuck out in the wild?” Chara asked trying to ignore what silver said.
It took several moments for Asriel to register the question, his head furiously shaking away the steam that had built up around him. “Huh? Wha?” He asked once he reached a reasonable state of lucidity.
“She asked how you've been.” Foghorn reiterated.
“Oh… oh!” With a nervous chuckle, the goat child began to rub the back of his head. “Oh you know… national security… book keeping… boring stuff.”
“ okay but what are you really doing.” chara said giving him a deadpan
Asriel shrugged, “I’ve been reading up on Equestrian laws, as well as international laws including maritime. Like I said, boring.”
“Why the need for research?” Silver asked, now actually interested in where the conversation was going.
“Now that is classified.” Asriel replied happily.
“well I say it's not classified so you can tell us!” Chara says.
Pulling at the neck of his sweater and now visibly sweating bullets, the girls had started to crowd around Asriel… until he threw his finger forward. “Hey look my ride’s here!”
And lo, the floating skull that was Oz had returned from whatever it is he went to do.
“Should I be concerned?” The skull asked with an un-amused tone.
“I don't know,” Tiara spoke up. “Mind telling us a few royal secrets?” She asked with a sly and devious smile.
“We're working on it.” Oz replied cryptically, causing most of the group to tilt their heads in confusion save Asriel, Diamond, and Silver.
“Feel like discussing what you have so far?” Tiara had asked.
“Um… what are you talking about?” Thunderhoof asked.
“That's classified.” Asriel and Oz replied in unison, both also chuckling.
“And I say you have to tell us!” Chara says stubbornly stomping her foot.
Not even flinching, Oz turned back to look at Tiara. “You okay with me airing out your family's dirty laundry?”
The filly closed her eyes, sighing as she started started massaging her head. “Yes… no… not here.”
“I'm sorry for pushing T…” Chara whispered looking down in shame not meaning to bring diamond tiaras secrets out.
“I’m lost.” Fog stated.
“Ditto.” Thunder added.
Silver went to the two and huddled, several ‘oohs’ and ‘ohs’ leaving the circle. All the while, Tiara moved closer to Oz.
“Is it enough?” The filly asked, steel faced and focused.
“ if it isn't I'll personally killed them.” Chara said as she repressed her hate
Thankfully, Asriel was there to calm the angered girl, massaging her shoulders and nuzzling the nape of her neck with his nose which almost immediately calmed her down.
“it's enough,” Oz replied. “The real problem is the economic aspect of your situation, and I doubt you want a personal agent trailing your every move.”
“It's that bad?” Tiara asked, visibly shocked.
“It's that bad.” Both Oz and Asriel replied.
“So what's my bounty?” Tiara asked jokingly in an attempt to mask her worry.
“We’re making sure we don’t reach that point.” Oz quickly replied. “Of course, if international hitmen are eventually hired from the fallout, we will have to take you and your father into protective custody.”
Tiara bit back a snarl, “Tch, figures…”
Nodding, the skull motions to Asriel. “Half pint, ready to go?” He asked.
“Yeah… guess I am.” The goat replied with a sad smile. He gave Chara one more quick nuzzle and wrapped his arms around her before breaking away.
“Wait! But you just got here!” Foghorn protested.
“Remember how I’m not supposed to be here?” Asriel teased, causing the buffalo’s face to droop in disappointment.
The goat child and skull soon merged once more, his back to the group as a white rainbow tinted vortex appeared before him. He hadn't taken nary a step before looking back to Chara. “So, I was thinking of making a cake shaped like a dragon head, what’s your poison these days?”
“Chocolate!” chara yelled out happily bouncing on the heels of her feet as the goat prince chuckled and made his leave.
(
Because of the days rather… unorthodox wake up call… an emergency meeting had been immediately scheduled and all staff and campers were herded into the outdoor amphitheatre.
Mrs. Shy had cleared her throat, the now grating sound echoing through her unadjusted microphone. “Oh, I’m sorry about that… um…” It was far too apparent the mare’s nerves were getting the better of her.
“Are we going to die?” One of the more airheaded campers in the crowd called out, causing the shy mare to lose more of her remaining calm.
“NO!” She screamed with an all too terrified expression, before the silent guard handed her a paper bag to hyperventilate into.
While the frayed mare calmed herself, one of the counselors took the mic. “No… no one is going to… to…” Though it was all too obvious the new speaker had just as much trouble as her predecessor.
Chara soon glitched into the stage taking the mic from the guard and saying to the group. “ no one is going to die because the threat has already been dealt with.”
The audience had slowly devolved into a storm of whispers and worry, though the counselor who had taken over for Mrs. Shy had seemingly regained her bearings. “U-unfortunately… we have contacted every… one’s family. The caravan will be returning to Ponyville in the evening, and an added garrison of royal guards will be accompanying us.”
“Just to let you guys know I had fun with you all while it lasted and I hope we can do it again.” Chara said trying to cheer them up.
This did manage to lift everyone’s spirits, if the rising cheers led by Slate of all ponies were any indicator. “Here here! To further strengthening our friendships!” The buffalos and ponies all cried an equal ‘Here here!’ which was soon followed by a cacophony of laughter.
“Then let's not be sad about the camp ending today let's be happy that we will get to come backs someday!” Chara says enthusiastically
More or less happy with the outcome, the counselors and guards led the children to a rather massive goodbye feast. Unbeknownst to all… it was just the calm before the storm .
Back with Yog’rizzicth
“Aaaaaugh!” Yog’rizzicth cried out as he was being pelted with high speed manapain balls, them burrowing into his skin as they were watched by the leader of the angered ponies of the organization.
“See? I am quite capable of making your time with us less pleasant. Now, will you comply, and do what we wish, or will you continue in persisting that we can’t?”
Yog’rizzicth spat out what looked like a small puddle of cosmic goop, what was basically his equivalent of blood, and growled at them. “Godhood…. Is not mine to give...takes the brothers three, unbidden to anothers will...lest the god fail to live…”
The pony, in response, rammed a manapain ball into the eye hole of his mask, essentially ramming it into his eye socket. “Tut tut tut~ That’s not what we wanted to hear, and you are still lying and tricking us, you said that the black dragon could kill Chara, but what did he do? WHAT did HE do?” she slugged him in the gut with a manapain horseshoe. “You are still under our command! We COMMAND you to tell us how to eliminate the demon!”
Yog’rizzicth grunted. “To eliminate a demon true, ye must seek the mystic metal blue, dreamers ore of deepest ocean hue.”
The unicorn smirked “There, now was that so hard?~ Or… are you beginning to grow numb to the pain in your belly? Let me refresh it!” She then rammed the horseshoe into his gut and twisted it, making the manapain balls still in his stomach move positions, and his deadened nerves sparked to life again, flaring with all new pain.
“Yaaaaaaaauuuugh!” Yog’rizzicth screamed as he was overwhelmed with the desire to make the pony in front of him suffer, only for ethereal shackles to form over his limbs and chains weigh him down. “Thy judgement shall come, foul whore child, thy pain and suffering will make mine look mild!”
The pony smirked and simply uttered a single command. “Sleep.”
As Yog’rizzicth passed out, she made her way to the meeting room, where the rebel changelings and the remaining Griffons waited irritably. “What is the meaning of keeping that useless oaf around? He deceives you at every turn, and only gives basic information that simple studying of extraplanar entities would supply.” The Griffon in charge growled. “And While it is nice to not have to smell the blood on you all the time, surely torturing one of the three Yogs is a bad idea?”
The Changelings buzzed in agreement. “And why do we not send Yog’rizzicth himself to eliminate the brat? Surely his power is sufficient.”
The pony shook her head. “The resulting feedback from two such potent magics would endanger this reality, so unless you want to risk no longer existing, I recommend you stay your tongue. Especially since the ‘Brat’ as you say, can erase realities on their own.”
The Griffons huffed. “While your research did state thus, I still feel like we are not getting the whole picture… like there is some sort of bluff going on…”
A pony then walked up behind his leader at her behest, he wore a long white lab coat stained with red, green, and cosmic liquids, and wore goggles over his eyes that shone a crimson red. “This child is quite irregular, they have the powers we read about, for certain, but… their personality differs greatly from the texts…”
The Changelings frowned at this. “What do you mean, doctor Pain hoof?”
He grinned disturbingly. “They have exhibited great attraction to the one known as Asriel, even though they have been written as a purely platonic relationship. Not to mention, they are much more open to talking to others than their history would suggest.”
One of his guards grunted. “My guess? You got one of the others, you did mess up the summoning phrase, so it makes sense you got something close, but not quite.”
Pain Hoof smirks. “We have a line of simulacra ready to deploy… some even have shown an accessibility to the dream realm. It would be easy to make a simulacrum capable of fighting the child~” Pain Hoof whistles and a trio of stitched, patchwork monstrosities with gnashing teeth filled mouths and fleshy film covered eyes came forth, the bones beneath their skin bulging out disturbingly as their eyes glowed in a pink light. “Meet my servants, simulacra that while incapable of fighting, showed a great deal of fine motor control and ability to follow instructions.”
He took out a book and smiled. “It was thanks to this ream book that I was able to animate these simulacra, and my proudest Achievement! I have created a Betty FAR more powerful than the run of the mill child from the books! Her body houses the strongest dream being I could capture, none other than Circe herself!”
The Griffons and Changelings looked to him with disgust. “Are you INSANE?! These were corpses, they were DEAD!”
The changelings shivered. “We refuse to go into the field with those… things.”
The Griffons then nodded. “There is no honor in this, overthrowing the tyrant of the sun was one thing, and we could see the rest as necessary evils… but this? This… this utter desecration?” they shook with rage. “You have gone too far! We -Glllk!”
At that, a Simulacrum shot a bone spear from it’s palm, straight into the Griffon kings eye, killing him instantly, before bone spears skewered every Griffon in the compound. “Ah,” the doctor said. “Such naughty little kitties, must have forgotten to take their catnip this morning~ Ah well, seems I get some land to purchase, good thing to, my Simulacra need room to hunt!”
There was a loud crunching sound as the simulacra that shot the spears rushed for their marks, and began feasting on their bodies. “Ah, what wonders the blood of a yog can do!” He smiled. “I even made a soldier superior to Chara! It will be so much fun to watch my design exceed the natural red soul, for what else can overtake determination, than FEAR?”
The changelings fought back the urge to vomit as they felt the fear emanating from each and every simulacrum, every one not only overwhelmed with fear and hunger, but also… they were also feeding off of the fear they accrued.
-Ponyville: Special Units Barracks-
“So the filly actually took down an elder dragon?” A random soldier asked, a sword and cloth in his hooves.
“Shortstack is a lot tougher than she looks,” Oz replied, tending to his own weapons as best he could.
Rose Petal had gently placed a teacup upon a saucer, her eyes now focusing on several scattered documents. “An elder dragon, old world gods, nightmare creatures… Something tells me we're heading to Tartarus in a hoofbasket.” The flower decorated lieutenant commented before wetting her lips with her tea.
“BOR-riiiiing…” A younger member of Oz’s troupe whined. “Isn't that why we have our own god on call?” The visibly bored colt asked. “What was his name again?”
“He's a last resort,” Oz replied. “Plus, Shortstack probably doesn't like him all that much and we have Connor.” The skeletal goatman sheathed his golden blade and began polishing an elongated spear.
“Ugh, why can't we meet heroes from other worlds!?” The young soldier whined. “Come on captain, let me in on your fun~” He was thusly rewarded with a swift hoof flick to the nose.
“Tut, tut,” Rose commented. “There will be none of that. Back to business…” She then shuffled a set of papers about. “The Whitetail Caravan leaves at Sun's set, now would be the perfect time to review our roles and run some drills.” This was met with several groans of complaints, but hooves began to shuffle nonetheless.
-Whitetail-
“So whatcha gonna do once you get back home?” Foghorn asked to her friends, the fillies now packing their belongings.
“I am taking every service on hoof at the spa!” Tiara shouted.
“I'll be joining her.” Silver added.
“ well I'll be training…” Chara said with a frown looking down at her hands.
“And?” Thunder asked, looking at her rather empty duffel bag.
“I'll make sure she gets enough fresh air.” Tiara added.
“ girls I had to reverse my fate against that dragon… that's why I have to get stronger, I need to be stronger to protect those I care about.” Chara said still not looking at them.
“Right, so who's there to watch your back?” Silver replied rather coldly. “It doesn't matter how strong you are alone . You still need someone to watch your back.”
“Well, Asriel doesn't seem like much.” Fog commented.
“But he's probably just as strong.” Thunder added.
“ he's the only one that can stop me if I went geno…” Chara said with a smile.
“What's THAT supposed to mean?” Tiara asked, her face an expression of confusion.
“ asriel is the only one who can stop me if I became a bad guy, his soul has the power of 7 normal human Souls and a Monster who has seven human Souls absorbed becomes a god.” chara says looking up at the ceiling
“Great, another god…” Silver replied as she rolled her eyes, her belongings packed and ready along with Tiara’s.
“ and not just any God an absolute God.” Chara said with a nod
Foghorn tilted her head. “But he's so small?”
“And cute.” Thunder added while nodding her head.
“ you think that's his only form? that's his normal form, he has two other forms one is his adult born and the other is his absolute God of hyperdeath form.” Chara said shuttering at the last one.
“Right, when he showed up in that armor.” Tiara commented. “Though, it didn't look like it was from off planet. It looked Equestrian.”
“Old too,” Silver added as she started to pull her and Tiara’s luggage away. “Celestia’s royal guard hasn't issued armor like that in close to… seventy years.”
“really?” Chara asked turning to them with a curious face.
“The last time armor like that was worn was when Canterlot got hit by demons.” Diamond stated as she followed Silver. The buffalo shrugged, took their sparse belongings and followed along.
“ I didn't know there were demons in this universe…” Chara said as she was learning a lot today.
“It's not public knowledge, after what happened to old town… you'd be hard pressed to find somepony willing to talk.” Silver replied.
“The last surviving veteran died a while ago didn't he?” Diamond asked.
“I'm lost.” Foghorn commented.
“Again.” Thunderhoof chorused.
“We'll tell you on the trip back.” Silver replied.
Once the group was well on their way, several armed guards began to subtly lead them to the caravan, the wagons appearing far more sturdy and armored.
“Hey Chara, think your mom might be paranoid?” Diamond asked with a tilt head
“ well we did get attacked by that giant black dragon that I killed I assume she's sending these guards in case another one attacks…” Chara said looking up at the sky.
“Guards… and rune engraved steel.” Silver commented as she ran a hoof over one of the wagons. “Deflection, these are good for javelins and arrows…” She then reviewed another rune. “And anti magic, they went all out here…”
“Please enter the wagons at a calm and leisurely pace!” A soldier called out. “We will be departing for the Whitetail midway point shortly!”
It seemed there was a guard for every group of five, and as Chara's group only consisted of four, the ever silent guard that constantly hovered over Chara throughout the trip had once again taken to caring for the child; Buffalo Princess Strongheart in tow.
“It will be a pleasure and a privilege to travel with the four of you tonight.” Strong stated as she bowed, eyes closed and a soft smile adorning her lips.
“yea you to…” Chara said uncomfortably reminded of Japan and having an entirely different reaction now that she was female to the reminder of what they came up with, after all she did not want the Japanese school girl treatment.
Soon, every group was herded into the wagons, said wagons now FAR larger than what they looked like on the outside.
“What will you do when you arrive home?” Strong had asked.
“Spa day.” Tiara and Silver replied.
“A little time with our father would be nice.” Fog wondered aloud, followed by an approving nod by Thunder.
“ you think your parents would mind too much if I arranged for you guys to come visit me or all of us to visit one another?” Chara said well looking out of the corner of her eye with the tilt of her head As She lazily watch for anything out of the ordinary.
“I'm sure an off the records play date can be arranged.” Strong replied happily.
“Please remain seated!” A voice called out. “We will now be departing!” And with that, the wagon had lurched forward as chatter began to drown out the sound of the grating wheels impacting the gravel road. Chara remain silent as she thought back to the words of the black dragon and how he said that someone told him about Chara.
The silent guard grunted, gently nudging Chara as if to ask what was on her mind.
“That Dragon... he was told to come and fight me specifically, Who would know enough about me to know I would be able to kill him?” Chara said turning her head to face the guard.
The guard huffed and shrugged. “Monsters …” Was all she rasped out as she looked to the others. Silver Spoon and Diamond Tiara having huddled next to one side of Foghorn, with Thunderhoof on the opposite side.
The guard’s face was silently asking if Chara would join them to sleep, even so Chara felt something was off, so as she lay down to sleep she created a save point just to be safe.
-The Wolves-
Laughter echoed through a hollowed ravine accompanied by the sickening crunch and tear of flesh.
"ALRIGHT YOU DOGS!! WHO'S READY TO PARTY!!!?" A wild and dangerous cry rang through what was the home of several hundred canines. Coyotes, Hyenas, Dogs of all walksof life, and the leaders of the pack…
"BECAUSE IN JUST A FEW HOURS! THE SUN WILL FALL! AND TONIGHT'S FEAST SHALL. BE. GLORIOUS!!!"
The Whitetail Wolves, a dishonored band of savage beasts who had once been abandoned and left to die not only banded together and thrived, but so too grew their numbers so spectacularly that if not for Equestria's military, would have taken the whole of the continent through sheer force and ferocity.
In a more hushed tone, the lead wolf, a massive grey and crimson furred monstrosity who had been missing an eye addressed the crowd. "Who here wants to hear the plan?" He asked with a knowing smile. His smile grew wide and open as the crowd booed and began throwing stripped bones at the wolf.
"THAT'S RIGHT! WHERE WE'RE GOING, WE DON'T NEED NO STINKING PLAN!!!" The cheers that followed drowned out the sky, a foreboding precursor to be sure...
-Nightfall-
It wasn't long before the caravan had come and gone from Whitetail Outpost, no children allowed outside their wagons for safety reasons. Thankfully, the enlarged wagons were well designed for an excursion such as this as well as aptly supplied.
"This is gold leader, do you copy blue leader? Over." The lead guard of the caravan called into a rune carved into her helm.
From the tail end of the caravan, a guard with a blue streak in her helm answered. "This is Blue leader, I hear you loud and clear Gold leader. Over." After two minutes, Blue leader sent a similar message to another color coded leader as the string went from Green to Yellow, to Black, and then to Red.
Gold lead the caravan, Blue flanked the tail, Green took the left, Yellow took the right, Black held the air, and Red scoured the forest proper...
"This is Red Leader, how do things look on your end Gold? Over." As the line cut, a small scratching sound was barely caught.
"Clear roads Red Leader, anything to report? Over." Four seconds. Four agonizing seconds passed before a hoarse and coughing voice answered.
"Inhaled something, probably just a fungal spore, over." Red leader answered. Their nerves steadied, Gold Leader took note of their team and resumed coms…
It wouldn't be another ten minutes before the body of one of the pegasi fell to the earth, mangled and torn right in front of Gold Leader.
"ALL TEAMS HIGH ALERT! REQUEST IMME-" Gold Leader would have no time to finish, their voice replaced by another cough filled echo. "Apologies, loose trunk fell and it startled me, over. "
Before anyone ever knew what hit them, all of Gold Team had been wiped out and replaced by snarling and snickering canines… save one.
The shaking and half dead unicorn found the last of his strength and shot a bolt into the sky, signaling to Black Team that ground floor was breached, and with their comrade having been lost for more than ten minutes, this was no drill.
That was when the carnage began… As the whole of Black Team descended upon the ground, the canines had begun their assault, ripping and tearing into any and all that came into contact with them before disappearing into the forest.
"We need to stop the caravan!" A guard shouted, they're very armor shaking in tandem with their body.
"We stay the course!" Yellow leader shouted, casually wiping blood from their chest plate. "Now call it in…"
-Chara-
"I need to help them!" Chara said sternly or at least she thought she did as she tried to exit the caravan to help the soldiers she would not let people die if she could help it.
"They are highly trained soldiers and there is nothing they can't handle!" Tiara shouted as she grabbed Chara by the neck. "Now sit your butt down! You messed up the sleeping pile…"
"But can't you hear it? I can't stand the thought of not helping those who need it!"Chara says as she once again tries to exit the Caribbean.
"Keep us safe… " The normally silent guard groaned out before wincing in pain.
"You should get that checked." Foghorn commented, now having woken from her sleep, earning her a scoff from the guard.
"That's it I'm glitching out there now!"Chara yelled out as she heard another one of the guards die has she disappeared in a flash of pixels.
-The slaughter-
As Chara found herself outside the still moving caravan, a bloodied and half dismembered coyote was flung past her head, it's body staining her wagon's wall.
"Shortstack/Chara!?" Ozriel called out, an elongated spear in one hand. "What the Hell are doing out here/You should be inside!?" Behind and around him, several wolves, dogs, and coyotes had been caught in a scuffle with the remainder of the caravan guard and Ozriel's own forces.
"I can't let you all die alone or fight alone, I stand with those who are my responsibility!" Chara said as she headed for the nearest dog her blade glowing black and red as she shut down her emotions which she hadn't done since she had been displaced.
Surprisingly, six arrows had pierced the beast's skull before she had a chance to dig into its flesh.
"All units! Berserker on the field! Kill steal accordingly!!" Ozriel shouted, gaining him six shouts in response… of course in his moment of distraction, a gray bodied, eye patch wearing wolf slammed bodily into the goat.
"Get away from him you bastard!" Chara said emotionlessly as her strings wrapped around his lower legs slicing them off.
The wolf gave no screams, a wild gaze in his eyes as he caught a loose twig and rammed it into a stub. "What's a matter, scared!?" He taunted as he seemed to flash away, slicing at Ozriel's cheek.
"Augh! Bitch!" The goat shouted as he regained his footing, the wolf having disappeared.
"Why don't you fight like a male or are you a little bitch?" Chara taunted the wolf as she started making little balls of hate she sent into the Carnage with one instruction kill the wolves attacking us .
"Aw~ the itty bitty cub thinks she's a hero~" The wolf taunted back, echoing laughter following suit as the attack had once again died down. "Show em what we do with heros boys! And girls, I'm not sexist~"
"Oh I know I'm no hero I'm a world ending glitch." Chara said letting her orbs attack randomly at the enemy as a aura of black and red encased her.
Howls of pain greeted her, only to be replaced by crazed laughter, orbs of shining green light decorating the dark of the forest…
"Headcount! Now!" Ozriel shouted.
"I'm alive and relatively unharmed and half tempted to put you all behind a shield and nuke this fucking Forest."chara said her body be damned
"Anyone actually sane…" Ozriel added.
"Well fuck you too!" Chara responded in kind.
"Rose division alive and kicking!" A sprightly pegasus called out.
"Y-yellow three, reporting… Yellow five and six are all that's left of us." A seemingly half dead unicorn answered, two shaken earth ponies at his back.
"Blue leader sir… I'm all that's left of my division." The blood soaked pony answered.
"Black Leader and Black two, six, seven, and nine, sir!" The pegasi squadron thusly gave a shout.
"Are there any wounded here I got a few healing spells and I have green soul energy if needed." chara said creating a few green comical bandage looking things out of her kindness.
Nodding, Ozriel pointed at the remainder of Yellow Team. "Patch em up, and thank you/We'll get through this yet!" Chara immediately sent the green bandages at all of them immediately bring them up to full health and energy.
Sighing in relief, Yellow three began to scan the area, taking note that the green orbs decorating the forest along with Chara's hate orbs had been getting closer and begun to shine with intensity.
"Guys… enemy up ahead… this one's different." The unicorn commented, and not a moment too soon as the surviving canines rushed out of the forest, some looking as though wood and vines were grafted into their bodies while others had been caught by the floating orbs of hatred.
"Fuck me/Blind." Ozriel muttered as the battle was waged anew, the one eyed wolf from before once more pouncing on the goat, though with less success this time around.
Chara herself had taken to using her soul strings to rip anyone getting close enough to her to shreds as she sliced body parts and torsos apart as if they were wet tissue paper.
Unfortunately, those that only lost limbs or non vital pieces of their head had somehow replaced their lost flesh with wood and plants, though she caught on quickly and started just slicing heads and vital organs off.
Meanwhile, the leader of the pack was in a vicious fight against Ozriel. The wolf leader laughing like a madman all the while.
"You're pretty good kid, feel like joining my crew!?" The wolf asked.
"Oh sure, join a band of savages/Really compelling offer there." The goat shot back.
"You'll think so after this!" A shrill shriek echoed from across the field, three half wooden dogs having dug their claws into Rose Team's second in command.
"ROSIE/MISS PETAL!" Once more distracted, the wolf leader had lept and dug his teeth in Ozriel's shoulder and at that moment Chara started to let loose a flamethrower from her mouth burning wolves left and right.
The leader of the pack had actually let go, his jaw going slack as he fell, and no sooner as Ozriel finally had time to kick the mutt out of the way, slicing through the now burning dogs.
Much to the goat's relief, the canines that had descended upon Rose had fled, leaving the mare to her wounds, and though the mare felt relief upon seeing her captain, her eyes widened in horror.
"Look out!" Was all the mare could say before a bloodied and massive claw of wood stopped inches from Ozriel's face…
"I… heard a rumor… " The silent guard whispered through a pained smile, the wolf pack's leader having torn through her entire body.
For all it was worth, the wolf leader, with a calm smile, resigned himself to fate. "For fucks sake…" Almost immediately, his body was torn apart from a maelstrom of wind and fire, leaving nothing but ashes in its wake.
Quaking with rage, Ozriel snuffed out what little fire remained of the charred corpse as a cough caught his attention. Turning, Ozriel stared down the body of the mare who threw herself for him.
"I could try loading azzy... I saved before the attack." Chara responded she may not have liked Rose but she did not want anyone else to die.
Before he could answer, the silent guard let out a pained chuckle before locking eyes with the child. "It… was an honor… "
Turning to the girl with rage filled tears, Ozriel practically begged the child. "Hit the reset already!!" And with that Chara hit [LOAD]
Load point before the slaughter take two
Blinking, Chara looked around the rambunctious wagon, the mares and buffalos talking and playing with one another. Everything was exactly as it seemed.
"Chara… Our escort isn't breathing." Silver whispered.
Well, almost everything…
"God dammit!" Chara yelled out before teleporting outside the caravan checking to see if anyone else was dead and finding that, no. Everyone who had died was very much alive and well.
"Princess, please return to your seat, it isn't safe out here." The familiar voice of Yellow Three called out.
"Rumor is dead and the people who are about to attack are going to be very much dead!" Chara said before just starting to set the forest alight.
Screaming bloody murder, Black Team and Blue Team had started to do what they could to quell the not yet raging inferno as Yellow Three ran to Chara's wagon.
Chara was thusly put back in the wagon once the fire was managed even though they couldn't stop the hate orbs that she threw around like candy on nightmare night (read Halloween). Inside, those around Rumor held somber expressions as medical attention was discreetly given to the mare.
"She's… gone." An on hand medic stated. "She must have passed in her sleep."
Unbeknownst to everyone else, Chara had snuck back outside went to where they were going to be attacked and started lighting the place ablaze once more as her hate orbs started tearing trees and rocks and dirt out of the ground carving away the forest for her to find those responsible.
"Olly olly oxen BITCH !" Chara yelled out. "I PROMISE TO ONLY EAT YOUR SOULS !" Chara continue to scream as liquid hate started dripping from her mouth and eyes.
"Um, Princess Chara? You're scaring the caravan guards." Blue Leader whispered meekly.
"Fucking cowards show yourself before I nuke this whole entire goddamn Forest! " Chara yelled not concerned at all about scaring people and what was worse she wasn't joking about nuking the forest.
Several guards looked at the child before one decided to finally called it in. After a few seconds, Ozriel's squadron had practically burst onto the scene, armed and flummoxed.
"Um, sir? Chara is…" Rose had started to speak, but couldn't find the exact words for the situation.
"I will beat you all to death with an umbilical cord !" Chara yelled out still tearing up the Forest around them
Sighing, the goat split in two as Asriel casually walked up to the girl and hugged her from behind.
"Charaaaa~" Asriel cooed.
"Azzy she's still dead, Rumor is still dead." Chara yelled out as she latched onto Asriel. "I'll kill them azzy, I'll hunt them to Extinction." Chara said with conviction.
The goat child only ran his fingers through the girl's hair. "Shhh… that's no reason to tear the forest apart, it's not what she would want…"
"Azzy why didn't loading work?" Chara whispered "it's supposed to fix everything why didn't it?" Chara continued tears running down her face.
Asriel looked torn, his mouth opening and closing as he so desperately wished to speak. "She… her…"
"She's fine." Oz commented, having float over to the pair at some point.
"What if azzy dies and I can't fix it!?" Chara says her eyes going wide and her pupils turning to pinpricks as she starts panicking.
"You know… I heard a rumor the forest was pretty big this year." Oz had said in reply, though nonsensical and seemingly a joke at Chara's expense, a leaf had fallen on Chara's nose. Looking up and around, it was as if the forest had been untouched.
Smiling, Asriel hugged the girl tightly as he laid his chin on her shoulder. "It's alright, I'm not going anywhere."
"Promise?" Chara said in a quiet and hushed voice, for once not sounding like she was arrogant or powerful, but actually a scared child.
Asriel only hugged her tighter. "I promise… now let's go home."
-Canterlot Castle, Celestia's room-
To say Celestia was confused would be the understatement of the year. Was she happy to see her daughter stomping about in front of her? Of course! The little one had such charming quirks about her.
Was she conflicted that the first thing Chara asked for was Spoiled Rich's (read spoiled bitch's) head on a pike? Oh quite assuredly, but the strangest of this was how sure the child was in regards to the abuse allegedly being inflicted on Spoiled's only daughter.
"I swear to God mom I will not let my friend be abused!" Chara yelled
Celestia couldn't help but blink. "Are… you certain? I know the way nobles and affluent families hold themselves can be… unsavory, but to call into question a parent's credibility?"
"She. is. like. me. I can tell." Chara says as she continues to stomp back and forth as she was beyond pissed.
Before the solar princess could so much as reply, a knock at the door shook her.
"Is this a bad time, your highness?" Rose Petal had called out. "I have the search warrants Princess Chara asked for."
"Search warrants? What search warrants?" Celestia asked as she glared at the child.
"Good work Rose! Now go search that bitch's house!" Chara says with a wicked grin ignoring Celestia.
"By your orders!" The lieutenant called out.
"What! No! Stop! I rescind that order!" Celestia shouted.
"As you wish your higness!" Rose once more called out.
Huffing, Celestia looked to her child before sighing. "One good reason."
"What you're lucky I haven't just outright gilder I do not take child abuse well…"Chara said as even before displacement she hated child abuse, it was something that would make her go from 0 to pissed in a instant.
"Which is why I'm asking for one good reason before I agree to this search." Celestia reiterated… which was also when Rose decided to enter.
"Um, there's a disgruntled employee who gave us the location of an illegal bordello, your highness. Oh! Apologies for the intrusion!" The mare bowed while frantic.
"Is that enough proof for you?" Chara said sarcastically doing everything in her power to keep from heading down and killing spoiled rich.
Facehoofing, Celestia sighed as she pawed away her pink colored knight. "I swear… you can be so pushy sometimes." To witch chara smiled taking it as a compliment.
AlternateNewChp12 [Connor POV]
Author's Note
Hey, Krahtorra here, this is the camp chapters time period, but from Connor's POV, be warned, there are lemons this chapter... so be warned, and enjoy~
AlternateNewChp12 [Connor POV]
As all had left and the care packages taken, Twilight let go of a breath she didn't know she held as she leaned her head on Connor's leg, “So… doing anything later?” She asked the guardian.
Connor blushed a deep crimson and shook his head “No ma’am! Totally free till tomorrow, my camp is a day shorter than Charas.” he thanked god that he could skip most of camp due to his already having a skill that could heal wounds, as most of the camp was just getting such a skill to manifest for magic users. He also cursed the devil that he had to go to camp at all, and could not just learn from Twilight.
“Great, Applejack let me borrow a few things and Pinkie wanted a third wheel…” Twilight stated as she plucked Connor off his feet in her magic, “It'll be a nice study of your… anatomy.”
Connor blushed deeply. “I need an adult?” He then looked down, to see that he was technically flying. “I DEFY YOU GRAVITY! YET AGAIN! Also, WEEEEEEEE!”
Pinkie then jumped out of a bush, pointing at Connor Phoenix Wright style “Objection, it is Twilight who defies it for you! AND, we are adults, all of us!”
Connor thought a moment “Sustained, but the motion of WEEEEEE remains!” As he said this, and they kept walking, he took a superman pose. “I AM THE MAN OF STEEL, ROCK HARD ARE MY ABS!”
“The rest of you better be rock hard, or we're gonna have a terrible time…” Twilight jokes.
Connors blush grew threefold as Pinkie giggled. Pinkie looked to Twilight and smiled “Told you it would be fun from the get go, he seems like a nice, genuine kinda guy.”
Connor was confused by this, and frowned “Aside from the frayed knot, when have we talked?” He didn’t remember getting any time to talk to her.
Pinkie smiled “I was in the Everfree when you sent Azzy away, I was going to throw Zecora a party, but then… I saw Paladin come back, And I heard what you went through because of that meany butcher… like when Luna was Nightmare Moon… but you still were so nice, and you tried to make everyone around you happy, even though you were… hurting like that.” Her smile turned to a frown as her hair straightened out, and she was looking down. “I never could have done that, and I’m supposed to be-”
Connor forced his way out of Twilights magic and hugged Pinkie. “You live to bring joy to those around you, I live to keep them safe. I just wanted those around me not to stress themselves out about my… condition.” He picked pinkie up gently as he held her, letting her know he was okay. “Now, let’s go have what I hope is a fun date, huh?”
As Pinkie nodded happily, she held tightly onto Connor, seeming to not want down.
Clearing her throat, Twilight unfurled a vast scroll as she smiled, “Now then, I've prepared today's itinerary which should provi-” A pink hoof thusly found its way into her mouth.
“BOOOORING!” Pinkie exclaimed, grabbing the list, she began crossing out several planned events at ludicrous speeds, leaving five options to follow, “First up, BATHTIME!”
“But that isn't until noo-” Twilight had begun to argue, but found her words cut off as Pinkie had grabbed both herself and Connor as the hyperactive ball of pink bolted for the spa.
Connors face was crimson as he was dragged along, Paladin laughing jovially in his head as he Tried to explain how this was a bad idea. “I have no way to hide the business, y-you know, my deputy dangle?” He gulped “Please god tell me I get to keep my towel! I am not prepared to move this fast!”
Paladin laughed in his head. “Good thing I had you teach me that morning after spell, huh? ”
Connor sighed in defeat as he let Pinkie carry him along. “Be gentle...please…”
He then made his way to the Spa in ponyville and saw that couples coming in was not only common, it was expected. He blushed at the two mares and took a deep breath to calm his nerves. He followed them into their spa room, a private sauna, and he blushed a deep crimson before unequipping his armor, it going into his own personal inventory in a flash of light.
He looked to the two mares shyly, his manhood at full mast and much larger than he remembered, him attributing it to the Travellers light and Paladins influence. “S-so… what do you want to do? I uh... I’m content with any affection at all…” he scratched his cheek shyly. “N-never been that liked by girls before…”
Coughing, Twilight took hold of Connor in her magic and sat him down, spreading his limbs enough to get a good view of the man. “Pinkie,” The unicorn began. “Make him feel comfortable while I… run some tests .” She said in a throaty voice as she began running her teeth along Connor's right leg. All the while, Pinkie was doing the same, but with his neck.
Connor fought the urge to moan at the sensation, relaxing his body as he knew that he was safe here on an instinctive level. He gently ran his hands through Pinkie's mane as he timidly kissed her cheek, wanting to share the affection he was receiving, “mmm…” He sighed contently as his cock throbbed. “I-I hope I don’t disappoint…”
Twilight’s teeth lightly grazed Connor’s length and pulled away, her teeth pulling at the throbbing member as she looked at Connor, “Hope so, otherwise it’ll be quite the… lengthy medical procedure…” Soon, Twilight’s magic wrapped around his cock as she began kissing his stomach.
Connors blush increased threefold as he felt her magic grasp him, he gently ran a hand along her cheek as he smiled warmly. “I never knew coming to this world would lead to something as great as getting to pair up with you girls.” He chuckled. “Guess I am lucky after all, huh?”
Pinkie placed her hoof under Connor’s chin, pulling it slightly as she placed her lips on his own. “Less talking, more kissing…”
Connor eagerly complied as he took great care to give attention to both of his partners, smiling as he ran his tongue along Pinkies lips, requesting entry. The mare graciously took the tongue in her mouth, completely pinning it and dominating the flailing tongue.
Twilight however had not been wasting time, as along with utilizing her magic to stroke Connor, she had also begun to run her rather soaked nethers along Connor’s shaft as well, eliciting a soft intake of breath from connor as he throbbed against her folds.
Connor then placed a hand over Twilights plush rump and began to softly massage it in an attempt to bring greater pleasure to his lavender lover as he gently began to prod at Pinkies own winking sex with the fingers of his other hand.
Eyes widening, Pinkie practically became putty in Connor’s hand as she shuddered and hung her head upon his shoulder. “Twiliiight~ Hurry up so I can have my tuuuurn~” The mare moaned as she slowly pulsed her hips.
Licking her lips, Twilight slowly got herself in position only to flinch as the door to their room was violently thrown open. “Ve are being attacked!” Aloe shouted, mane frazzled and eyes wide in terror.
Both Pinkie and Twilight shouted in frustrated anger, both looking to the other. “Wait, you too!?” They shouted at the other.
“Can't we just get this out of the way first!?” Pinkie whined.
“IT TORE OFF THE WALL!!” A poor bystander cried out before giving a Wilhelmian scream.
“This is BULLSHIT!” Twilight screeched, popping in and out of existence and wearing a simple blue robe with a large metal staff topped with a blue orb on her back.
Pinkie whimpered, but jumped off Connor and began to follow Twilight out.
Connor, still blushing beet red, leapt up and was clothed in an instant before manifesting Paladins sword and a hook on a chain. As he came out, he came upon a stomach turning display of a Fallen Dreamer, however unlike the one in the Everfree, this one was humanoid still.
It had red, scorched flesh with what looked like braziers for shoulders, and a large, molten, dripping cage over it’s massive bulbous head that seemed to be holding it in place. “We are prometheus! Come, child, let us show you all the joy of FIRE!”
Paladin formed between the three of them and prometheus, slamming down a massive tower shield that formed into a wall of holy light. “You can speak, brother, so therefore it is my hope you may still be reasoned with…” He held a hand out to the ponies. “They do not need thy fire to thrive, nor do they need to be taught it’s ways.”
The Fallen dreamer seemed to freeze in place as his four glowing orange liquid filled eyes focused on them, before his body began to spasm erratically. “No fire? N-No fire? NO FIRE?! What were we punished for, if not giving the mortals fire?! Why did we need to suffer so? For so many moons, just to be gifted mercy by the dying breaths of our pantheon, delivered by the dreams of a babe? WE ARE THE FLAME! THAT IS ALL THAT IS LEFT!”
Connor then tried to reason with Prometheus in his own way. “You said you were gifted mercy, and that it was sent by dreams, you joined with a dreamer, yeah? Think of them, who were they, what did they like? You need to let the poor child rest-”
Prometheus screamed and stamped an atrophied foot with surprising vigor, enough to shake and crack the ground beneath them. “WE HAD NO REST! WHY SHOULD THIS VESSEL BE ANY DIFFERENT?! THE PAIN MAKES OURS LESSEN! MAKES THE PANGS OF HUNGER AND PAIN AND MISERY EBB AND WANE! SILENCE! SILENCE, FOUL TRICKSTERS!” he then flung a fireball at Twilight and Pinkie, only for Connor to summon a guardians shield imbued with holy light and leap in the way to block it, managing to absorb the mana used in the fire magic into him in the process.
Connor grunted in anger as he let the shield change shape into a flaming, holy hammer. “Okay, the time for talk is done… Time to put you down like the sick bitch you are.”
With a rebel yell, Twilight had jumped off the shield and started to throw bolt after bolt of frozen spears at Prometheus all while Pinkie had pulled out a black and gold jousting spear and an equally colored plumed tricorn hat and rushed the now ice impaled beast spear first.
Connor, for his part, rushed right next to Pinkie, keeping Prometheus’s attention on him. “You call this fire? I felt hotter from Butchers brands!” Connor growled, literally growled, as he looked to Twilight. “Try charging a big spell, we need to put out the fire in his braziers, or we will face a lot of hurt civvies!”
Paladin, for his part, was placing many more tower shields, making the empty town square into a sort of arena.”We cannot allow the fallen dreamer to escape! Any pony he harms will be at risk of becoming his next host! I can heal you and prevent that, but I’d rather not risk a civilian!”
“Give us a phalanx!” Twilight shouted as she plunged her staff into the ground. “If we can surround it in your shields I can flash freeze it!”
“Lemme guess!” Pinkie shouted, “You need five minutes to charge!” She added as she whacked Prometheus with the broad side of her lance… only for the burning beast to catch the metal lance in its teeth.
Shrieking from holding the now super heated weapon, Pinkie was conked on the head by the handle of her lance which had actually knocked her out cold.
Connor, upon seeing this, was overtaken by rage, Paladin quickly seeming to fuse with his host, as they spoke in unison. “You...Dare...hurt her?” He grabbed Prometheus by the throat as chains began to emerge from the ground beneath him in a radial pattern, clicking and snapping and hissing from sheer power flowing through them. The chains then lashed out at Prometheus and bound him, digging into his burnt flesh as they literally burrowed into him, going for his core as the fallen dreamer beast screamed in agony.
“We tried to reason with you, show you mercy, and you spat in our face like we were some passing inconvenience!” As the chains reached the core of the beast, they began to eat away at his being, Connor ignoring the earth shattering blows being sent at him as he flexed his hand in a single motion, all that Prometheus was, and would be, absorbed into Paladin.
Connor looked to Pinkie and spoke a single word. “Respite.” He then fell to his knees as the power left him, the adrenaline and magic draining from his system leaving him barely able to stay upright.
Pinkie had no sooner opened her eyes, shakily pushing away the nagging feeling that her head should probably be in pain. “Huh, I'm not dead.”
“She's not dead yet!” Twilight had shouted at a now growing crowd, a doctor among them hanging their head as she packed her medical supplies and left.
Connor was sitting on his butt in the dirt as he felt his eyes going unfocused. “Well, shit…” He said, before passing out, falling back onto the floor.
-Connor’s home-
Connor woke up to the faint sound of talking, it was distant, and muffled, as if he were hearing it through a heavy blanket. He opened his eyes and looked around to find himself in his room. “Huh… guess all that stuff with the gals was a dream… wonder if I missed Chara… Welp, at least that means Pinkie is all right… I’d hate it for her to be hurt because of my weakness…”
He looked to his hand and clenched it. “Wonder who's talking? Probably the neighbors, Tree Hugger and the flower trio are surprisingly chatty… ah well, better go train… I don’t want to be useless like that ever again…” He then tried to stand up, only to get light headed and fall to his knees. “Woah… what the hell?”
“And we'll have to be better prepared in case one of those monsters attacks us again .” Twilight’s voice rang out from the living room.
“Right!?” Pinkie had shouted. “I could have died !”
Connor paled at their voices. It was all real? Prometheus, Pinkie, the lance… Paladins voice then resounded in his head. “They are okay, because we helped them. I know that you feel responsible for this, but...you are responsible only for them being alive. Keep that in mind.”
It was at this moment something in the other room crashed. "Pinkie!" Twilight shouted. You spilled batter all over me!"
"NOT NOW! THERE'S A DISTURBANCE IN THE FORCE!" Pinkie had seemingly shouted. In an instant, the door to Connor's room was flung open, a heaving and disheveled Pinkie now staring down at the downed warrior. "OH-THANK-GOODNESS-YOU'RE-OKAY!~"
Connor frowned, before chuckling. “I should be saying that to you… Cause of my dumb ass, you were in danger… I should have blessed your weapon, but I was so focused on damage control that I left you wide open… I promise, you and Twilight will be first, always, never again will I let this happen...” He then wrapped up Pinkie in a hug, before shakily getting to his feet. “Whoo… all that power seemed to be sealed for some reason. I guess I broke that seal and exhausted my body with all that sudden power.”
"Then maybe you should sit back down~" Twilight called out sweetly as magic enveloped Connor and eased him back down. "Let us take care of you. Just for today." She added as she clambered up to his side.
Connor smiled weakly. “How come I feel like I just won the lottery whenever I talk to you two? Heh, I bet over half the stallions in equestria would kill to have you two interested in them.”
"Probably." Twilight whispered in his ear.
"But you're not scared of us, or worshipping us~" Pinkie added, nuzzling her nose on Connor's cheek.
"At least not yet he's not~" Twilight thusly started running a hoof along his chest.
Connor swallowed hard. Before saying something that was on his mind since they said they wanted him. “Y-you aren’t in heat, are you? I can’t do this with you if you are. I don’t want to take advantage of either of you like that.” He sighed, already mentally kicking himself on an instinctive level, but still he continued. “I don’t want to be some jerk who takes advantage of your heat to get lucky, I want to be someone who both of you know you are safe around, no matter what.”
The mares look at each other before sighing. "Just because we're both in heat, doesn't mean we can't make our own decisions." Twilight gave in rebuttal.
"And we can take care of ourselves," Pinkie added. "Also, we're kinda using you."
Connor looked confused. “I’m being used? How?” Honestly, he disliked the sound of that, but he also trusted these mares, he knew Pinkie and Twilight well by this point, as he had fought alongside them. If you can’t trust someone after that, who can you trust?
"We're in heat ?" Twilight posed as a question. "You're a male willing to procreate?"
"I mean, we'll probably still stay by your side because we like you…" Pinkie trailed off.
"But right now, we need you inside us." Twilight finalized.
Connor shrugged in surrender and removed his clothes in a burst of light, as well as a clone of him materializing from the light of the equipped clothing. ‘A little gift, from me to you, my lord.’ Connor heard from Paladin, as his clone waved to the two mares, his cock rising to full mast quickly. “I’m a clone, not a changeling, no worries, I’m basically a copy of Connor made from his magic, now how about we have some fun~?”
Connor blushed as he looked to the mares. “I g-guess my inhibitions don’t copy over to clones.”
The clone shook his head. “NOPE~!”
"Gimme!" Pinkie shouted as she jumped Connor while Twilight pulled the clone up to her.
"This needs to be studied," Twilight purred as she licked her lips. "Thoroughly~"
Clone smirked. “I have just the thing to test first, my dear.” he then gently whispered into her ear what I could only assume was some sort of sexual position, as they promptly went to the guest room.
Connor looked to Pinkie and smiled timidly. “U-um… th-this is my first time with another person… ummm… h-how do you want to do this?”
Rolling her eyes and giggling, Pinkie pulls Connor down and shoved her crotch onto his face as she starts rubbing and licking his rather lengthy rod.
Connor moaned and instinctively began to gently lick and kiss at his plump partners puffy pink pussy, trying his best to balance his desire to please her and his craving to feel her on him. He took his hands to her rump and gently began to massage it, wanting to give his partner a memorable first go of it. “Mmmf….”
His efforts were not in vain if her pants and gasps were any indicator. In an attempt to up the ante, Pinkie began to take the massive cock into her mouth before she slowly slid it down her throat.
Upon that happening, Connor moaned and began to kiss with greater vigor, hearing a great deal of moaning emanating from the guest room.
The mare squealed… or tried to squeal as her hips began to rise and fall, practically slamming themselves on Connor's face.
Connor was, meanwhile, wrapping his arms around her rump and slathering her love tunnel with affection, his cock twitching like mad as he tried to withstand until Pinkie reached orgasm.
Both the mare's hind legs practically shot into the floor, destroying the floor while locking her in place. Slowly, she pulled her mouth off of Connor's still throbbing member and rested her face on it. "How… haven't you…" Pinkie panted as she starts rubbing her cheek on his cock. "Cum already~" She whined
Connor smiled, a great strain on his face. “A gentleman lets his lover cum first, as so far as he can help it…” As she started nuzzling his cock, he went over the edge as he finally relaxed his waist, letting his orgasm roll over him. “Oooooh…. So good…” He picked up Pinkie after slipping out from under her, and gave her a passionate smooch. “Good for a first go?”
"Mm… great~" The pink mare muttered dreamily. Nuzzling her face into Connor's neck, she smirked as she immediately shoved her twitching nethers onto Connor's still erect dick, gasping as she threw her head back in pleasure.
Connor moaned and grabbed her rump again, thrusting into her at a gentle, loving pace even as his instincts screamed at him to speed up, he refused them as he didn’t want to make this second round anything less than perfect for her, and he hoped his clone was doing the same for Twilight.
(Meanwhile, With Twilight)
"FASTER DAMN IT! I DON'T EVEN WANT TO WALK AFTER THIS!" The studious mare screamed.
The Clone, who had been going at a decent pace already, grinned and redoubled his speed.
(We now return to Connor and Pinkie)
Pinkie had, for the most part, accepted the set pace. Her moans soft and pleased as she started to grind and pulse her hips counter to Connor's movements. "Haahmmmm… more to the left~" She whined as she nipped at Connor's neck.
Connor shuddered in pleasure as he followed Pinkies request and tried to last until she came again. “I-I’m having a harder time holding back Pinkie, I’m sorry, I think I might cum first this time! You feel so good! So hot, and tight! Mfff~!”
"Oh yeah?" The mare teased as she pawed at his chest. "So if I did… this," Closing her eyes in strain, Pinkie slammed her hips down while tightening her hold on his twitching dick while slowly pulling up until his tip was about to pop out of her and once again slamming down until he was hilt deep. "Cum for me~" She sang out as she repeated the painfully slow process once more.
Connor moaned as he briefly lost all control of his faculties, passionately kissing her as he came long and hard, a direct shot straight into her womb. “Mmm~ You feel so good… I’m going to HATE Boot camp… But coming back to you girls will be worth it.”
Pinkie gasped as she felt herself get filled, her pleased expression ever present even as she kept moving her hips in an attempt to milk Connor for all he was worth. "Maybe just… one more time before you go?" She asked with a sly smile.
Connor looked to a clock next to his bed and sighed, it was five minutes before he was supposed to leave for the train. “Sorry, Pinks… I gotta get ready, or the drill sergent will likely be cross with me, and when it’s someone's job to put you through the ringer, you don’t want to piss them off.” He slipped on his clothes after setting Pinkie on his bed. He then walked to the door connected to the guest room, and rapped on the wall hard enough to be heard by the occupants of that room. “Oi, clone, time to go, how do I call you back, or whatever?”
The clone called from the room. “Oh, I’ll be gone in about ten minutes. Good existence though, got to rut one of the three hottest mares in Equestria.”
"You said ten minutes…" Twilight seemed to growl out. "I'm using them…" The sound of something hitting bed springs echoed inside as Twilight began to huff and gasp.
Connor blushed and got dressed. “Seems twilight is really pent up. I’m both looking forward to and dreading when I get that clones memories… Looking forward to, cause I wanna know in my mind that I didn’t ignore Twily, but dreading, cause I’ll be on the train to the badlands, in a public car...oof.”
AlternateNewChp13 [Connor POV]
Connor was first off of the train, his fellow bootcampers oddly relaxed. Was this because they were new and had no idea what boot camp would be like, or was Luna misinformed? He was unsure…
“Atten-shun! All you maggots outta the- Huh?” The large, black furred minotaur with metal plated horns and hooves who was bellowing at the train then noticed Connor as he stood at attention right where he was supposed to wait when coming off of the train. “What the… State your name, recruit!”
Connor smiled at his drill Sergeant. “The name’s Connor, sir drill sergeant. I am looking forward to becoming an armed medic worthy of the Equestrian army.”
The Drill sergeant looked to him for a moment, then to his clipboard, then back to Connor. “Damn, I owe Shatter Shield my lunch for a week, there’s an honest to god's Dreamer in the medical corps.”
Connor smirked. “With respect, sir, you will find betting against me is not a smart move, sergeant, I have been known to defy the odds, sergeant!”
The Sergeant smirked in turn. “Is it, then? Well, why don’t you go for a few laps around the campground perimeter and prove me wrong, dream wielder?”
Connor smirked as well. “Sir, yes sir!” He then, much to the drill sergeant and the collected recruits amazement, took off on a whole camp wide sprint, the entire sprint taking about ten minutes.
He then decided to speed up, going around a second time in five minutes, then a third in two. All in all, it took him 19 minutes to make 5 laps around the camp, far faster than any normal mortal could do, what with the ‘camp’ consisting of 4 smaller camps, basically for training the 4 staples of an adventuring party: Healers, warriors, rogues, and mages. The entire encampment basically took on the size of a large city, at least the size of manehattan.
After finishing the final lap, Connor walked calmly to his drill sergeant and smiled, not even winded. “Perks of being a dreamer, stamina is basically no longer a finite resource.” He smiled at his fellow recruits, who then seemed to snap out of their shock and two ponies seemed to want to talk to him.
They looked to the drill sergeant and before they could even ask, he nodded. “Since physical training is not necessary for you, it seems, I will let you accompany the other recruits as they go through physical conditioning, as it will be good for morale. Prove me wrong in that assumption, and I will NOT be pleased.”
"Not bad new guy!" The brighter colored of the pair said excitedly. "Name's Duster! Short for Feather Duster, but I try not to let too many ponies know that. Ruins my image!" Feather was a vibrant white coated pegasus with a mane somehow a brighter shade of white with slightly grey highlights and rather small wings, though his bodily frame was much the same size to match.
The pony next to him was an earth pony of a much taller and bulkier frame, his practically muted forest green coat, and brown and black mane did well to accentuate his expressionless face. "Would it be a bother if you helped in my development?" He asked with an almost cold tone.
Duster chuckled as he slung a forehoof over the emerald giant. "What my stone faced friend here means to say is if you wouldn't mind spotting us. Not like I need a spotter, but you know, better safe than choking to death!"
Said 'Stone Faced Friend' gripped Duster's hoof, twisting it slowly eliciting a pained smile from the pegasus, before setting the hoof down.
"Chlorophyll." The earth pony stated as he looked at Connor.
Connor hummed thoughtfully, beginning to jog alongside them. “Well, sure, I’ll help ya there, but you should also work on your other strengths too, like, Duster, you might do well to exercise your wings as well, cause big or small, an aerially capable medic would be a godsend, in case if someone is wounded high up or across a ravine, whatever situation where ground troops would be no good. Same for you, Chlorophyll, mind if I call you Phyll for short?” Phyll shook his head, and motioned with his hoof he was fine with it.
Connor nodded as they continued jogging. “Anyway, you should work on your physical strength, as well as how fast you can run. It’s important that a medic can make the most of their talents to help those that need them, as best as possible. Since you will be military medics, a basic martial arts understanding would help too, in case if someone tries to injure the medic so that the healing stops.”
Connor then paused before chuckling. “Damn, this bootcamp makes it’s medics way too vulnerable… maybe I should talk to the drill sergeant about my concerns… the camp seems to be centered around teaching those with aptitude for healing, but leaves the other natural talents to lie untapped…”
He then looked to Phyll and Duster sheepishly, seeing their amazed faces. “Sorry, I tend to overthink things, try to make everything run as well as possible around me.”
Paladin then materialized behind Connor and smirked. “It seems m’lord is starting to ramble, mayhaps he should practice his skills of observance, instead of his skills of conversation?”
"Ah what's a bit of rambling!" Duster said excitedly now out of his shock… only to flinch and fall on his back and start crawling away once Paladin appeared. "What the BUCK!? IS, THAT THING!?" He cried.
Connor deadpanned at Paladin. “I told you not to manifest until I had the chance to explain our existence to others.”
Paladin paused, before rubbing the back of his helmeted head sheepishly. “Ah, It passed my mind, mine apologies, my liege.”
Connor looked to Duster and sighed. “That is Paladin, the dream being bound to me in a symbiotic relationship. Basically, he enhances me both magically and physically, and in return, I let him manifest on the material plane. His magic is what lets me be a healer. From my understanding, I can heal any wound, so long as it is recent, and I have the energy to do so.”
Paladin nodded. “And I may create barriers, as well as offensive magics that I have been instructed to keep my silence on.”
Duster had calmed down some, but he was still rather bug eyed. Chlorophyll however seemed as stoic as ever, his dark eyes doing well to hide is internal feelings.
Sighing, the green giant of a pony hefted Duster onto his back and kept the pace. "This healing, can it be taught?" He asked Connor.
Connor made a maybe motion with his hand. “Kinda? But it would be dangerous, and not even a sure thing, I’d have to bind a dream being to ya, which would make you have to absorb a massively higher amount of mana than normal. Dangerous stuff, mana, as too much makes ya really sick, and if your dream being doesn’t get their mana, well, they get corrupted.”
Paladin nodded. “A corrupted dream being is referred to as a dream demon. They cause horrible night terrors that are as if you are being tortured in real life, except time is relative. My time as a dream demon haunts me to this day, both as a source of shame, and horror, for the things I have done.”
Connor nods. “And even then, it’s not certain your dream being could do healing. It’s all up to what dream being you manage to bond with.”
Phyll gave a nod as he listened intently, Duster however rolled onto his hooves.
"Okay, so anypony can get these things, but they're super dangerous? Sounds like a challenge!" Duster exclaimed, Phyll sighing at the pegasus' demeanor. .
Connor shook his head, making an x sign with his arms. “Not a chance, it takes either being a born dreamer like me, or getting the help of a dreamer, to contact dream beings. And even the process of bonding is dangerous for both parties, you become instantly bonded to that being, learn their every secret, and them yours, if you don’t like what you see too much, or they you, they will attempt to split from you. That… that can prove fatal…”
Connor then rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “Although, the laws of the dream beings state no penalty for weakening the dream being prior to bonding… which would dramatically reduce the danger...Hmmm….”
"We should discuss this later," Phyll stated. "We're here." The earth pony motioned his head to a fairly large and elongated wooden building.
"Eesh, talk about dreadful…" Duster commented as he stared at the door. "When's the last time they cleaned!?" He thusly accentuated this statement by running a hoof along the door, a massive ball of dirt and grime having been scraped off… of course despite having only been wiped once and in a single place, the door looked immaculate and shining.
Connor refrained from commenting on how well Duster would do at cleaning professionally, assuming he had heard it before, when he came up to a sneering female unicorn, talking with The drill sergeant.
"If you expect me to work with one of those things then you obviously had even less of a brain than I expected!" The unicorn shouted at the top of her lungs. She was a sickly yellow with a long, black puffy mane covered in yellow dots.
Connor raised a brow as he looked to Duster and Phyll. “I doubt she’s talking about you two, so I am mostly offended for myself, but if she turns out to be talking about you two, I’ll probably get rather annoyed with her. No one talks crap about my friends.”
Duster blinked for a few seconds as he stared at Connor bewildered. "We're friends? Woah…"
Back with the Drill Sergeant, he was only nodding along as the yellow unicorn shouted about "her place" and "her sister" who was supposed to be important somehow before the Sergeant calmly took a whistle and quite literally blast the mare's mane back.
The drill sergeant, smirking sweetly, then lost his smile. “Now, let me tell you where you are wrong there, miss Poison. I will state this in simple terms so that I, as a ‘small minded freak’ that you so eloquently described, do not confuse myself. He is your equal on the battlefield, not by power, and not by birthright, but by the fact that you are brothers and sisters in arms, and it is your gods damn job to make damn sure as fucking possible that you all become the best soldiers you can be, so that no little fillies have to wonder why their brothers, sisters, poppas, or mommas never came home from the job! AM I CLEAR!?”
"Poison" did her best to bite back a snarl as she stared down the Sergeant before looking away in shame. Snorting, she walked away to what was no doubt the mare's barracks.
Connor looked to her and sighed. “Here’s hoping we can mend fences, I don’t know what she has against my kind, but I hope I can get her past it, for all our sakes.”
Phyll had shrugged as he pushed in the door and dragged the currently gawking Duster along with him. The barracks themselves were what one would expect of military sleeping quarters. Bare bones accommodation, steel frame bunks, thin mattresses… and of course…
"Agh! Does nopony sweep!?" Duster shouted as he practically started to roll into the building much like a hedgehog before rolling back and kicking out a massive ball of dirt and grime out of the barracks and into the air. Much to the surprise of those already inside, the entire interior was sparkling much like the door was.
Connor shrugged nonchalantly. “Dude, dirt is no problem for me, hell, most pain I can just shrug off. So stop worrying about how clean the living arrangements are, and how about we talk to each other in what seems to be our down time? A good start to the foundation for teamwork is getting to know your team, after all.”
"Forgive him," Phyll called out as he took an empty bunk. "He's a neat freak." Despite his cold tone, it was at least somewhat obvious he was joking.
"Hey! I am not a neat freak!" Duster shot back with a smile. "I just like a clean environment! Unlike somepony who likes sleeping in mud pits!" The green giant only shrugged as he lay on his side.
Connor shrugged . “As long as I don’t get tortured in my sleep, I’m good.” He then froze up, and sighed. “I’m going to have to explain that, huh?”
"That would help in forming a foundation of trust," Phyll spoke up. "Please elaborate for us."
Connor sighed and nodded as he collapsed into bed. “When I first got here, paladin was not in his normal state, he was starving for mana, corrupted beyond a doubt. He was not only a dream demon, but a POWERFUL one. He… he fed off of me in the one way a dream demon can fathom. He tortured my dream self every night, if my physical body was affected by my mental ones pain… I’d be more wounds and scars than person by now.”
He sighed. “But near the time when Butcher, or my dream demon, turned into Paladin, he seemed… reluctant, to harm me, part of me wonders if he could of been helped.”
Paladins voice then sounded in the room, quietly responding to him. “His consciousness was both the same as mine and seperate, so I know not what he thought near the end…”
"But… you're okay now right? Right?" Dust asked with a bit of worry, staring down from the top bunk as his wings twitched.
Connor shrugged. “Can anyone be okay after getting tortured every night for years? I have become very protective of those I deem friends. I have breathtaking anger management issues when people are treating my friends poorly, I have very little, if any self worth, and honestly? Until I got in a Herd, I just did not care whether or not I lived to the next day so long as my friends were okay.” he sighed. “But i’m getting better every day. I have people who love me, and plenty of opportunities to release my aggression, what with the whole ‘Griffon empire’ situation. I mean really, you hear that a dreamer and a demonic human are part of the royal family now, and you decide to attack? Whoever was the idiot who thought that was a good idea, even when teamed up with the Changelings, I salute their sheer idiocy as superior to my entire species’ record of low I.Q.”
"Wait, what?" Phyll and Duster said in unison.
"What was that about the royal family?" The pegasus asked with wide eyes.
Connor shrugged. “What? My blood sister is Chara Dreamurr. Well, It’s kinda weird, I was blood brothers with her past life… I guess I’m more of an uncle, in this life?” he sighed, exasperated. “That’s the thing with reincarnation when you have a dream being latched onto your soul, it throws everything out of whack.” he then began to think hard. “Yeah, I guess I'm an uncle to her now, since I'm in a herd with Twilight, Luna and Pinkie...” he looked to them and frowned. “What? Are herds not the societal norm here?”
"They are," Phyll replied with equally wide eyes. "But not many are so courageous to court members of the royal family, especially one of the princesses."
Connor shrugged. “And you see, that’s the problem, Why should it take courage to walk up to a beautiful mare, and say ‘Hey, wanna see if the two of us can work together?’ I mean, damn, you’d think it would still be apparent that they are still people! Crown or no, they need friends and loved ones all the same.”
The two ponies looked to each other, no doubt torn about what Connor just told them.
"Well… yeah I guess…" Duster struggled to say.
"But they are our rulers, our betters." Phyll added.
Connor frowned. “And that, that right there, is why it’s lonely to be ruler of a nation, everyone walks on eggshells around you, trying their damndest not to do something wrong instead of just being themselves. Do you think they are made of god dang porcelain? Naw, they are tough as nails. They don’t need us to tread softly around them, they need someone who approaches them as an equal, as someone who knows that they can take some of the weight of being princess away from them, if but for a moment, if for just a second, they can laugh, and smile, without fear of being ripped apart on tabloids or raised on altars, they want to, if but for a moment, step down from the damn pedestal that society puts them up on.”
"So, what you're saying is," Duster spoke up. "We should treat them like everyday normal ponies?"
"That may take some time," Phyll added. "One is touted as a war hero, the other attempted to destroy the world. Fears can be rather… ingrained."
Connor took a deep, shaky breath, trying to calm himself as he heard that dirty lie spread by the nobility repeated. “Luna didn’t do that though, she was possessed, that is like saying a person under hypnosis is responsible for their actions, when someone is possessed, they are forced to watch as their own body does things without them, if the eyes are the window to the soul, truly… Then you’d see the true self of a possessed person within their eyes, screaming, pounding on the glass and weeping as they see what atrocities they are forced to commit.”
"Woah…" Duster gasped out. "Gonna have to remember that one." Phyll only closed his eyes and sighed.
"Should our time here serve us well, I would wish to meet them. Our princesses." Phyll whispered before turning over and hiding his face.
"Ditto that!" Duster said excitedly.
Connor smiled and rested in his bed. “All in good time, guys. Now, how about I teach you about the dreaming some during our time at rest?”
Duster nodded his head vigorously as Phyll only shrugged, but shivered slightly.
Connor nodded and tapped each of their foreheads, letting my energy mark them temporarily. “There, now when we sleep, I can enter your dreamscapes, and help you get to the first step of becoming a dreamer, breaking free of the illusions of Hypnos.”
"This is gonna be so cool!" Duster said excitedly as he lay on his back. "I can't wait to see what I'm made of!"
"It would be best if you spent more time with Feather," Phyll muttered. "He would never let me hear the end of it otherwise."
Connor shrugged, “Once we are in the dreaming realm, I can talk to you both, sort of like on a telephone, but I’m just focusing on the two of you.”
He then focused as he sat up in a meditative pose. “You two relax, as an unbonded you will have an easier time entering the dream realm while relaxed, I am focusing my mind on shifting us over to a neutral realm, as an attempt to weaken hypnos’s hold on your minds.”
The two did as told and closed their eyes, letting their bodies relax and ease into sleep.
As they came to in the dream realm, they were greeted by Connor, dressed not in his war apparel, but in casual wear. “Hey, you made it, nice. I’m Connor’s ego, kinda took a bit of a beating the last few years, but I’m still here. Now, you are looking for the big guy, so i’ll lead you to him, he sent me to get you two when he couldn’t break through Hypnos’s illusions. Also, gotta say, phyll, you are damn cute as a mare, you should own that shit, anyway, i’ll head on over to the boss, no worries, he’ll barely have any recollection of what I saw.”
Duster blinked at Connor's ego before looking at Phyll. For a split second, the pegasus thought he saw a lime green mare with Chlorophyll's massive mane only slightly smaller before blinking to see the same dark green stallion he always did.
"Uhhh…" To say Duster was weirded out would be an understatement. Phyll only snorted as he motioned for the pegasus to follow. "Wait! You're not actually a mare are you?"
"The mind plays tricks on you, Feather." Phyll calmly replied as "he" moved to follow the Ego. Even as the earth pony walked away, Duster could only stand still, flabbergasted.
...for all of ten seconds. "WAIT FOR ME!!" The pegasus shouted as he raced forward.
As the Ego of Connor walked, they reached a large door. The Ego looked to Duster and Phyll, before sighing. “Big guy says i gotta warn ya, once you pass these doors, a normal life aint gonna really be in the cards, you will be like us, see things most people can’t, hear things others can’t, you won’t be crazy, but it will be little comfort, as the rest of your ilk will most likely think so, until you manifest your dream being.”
“I am no stranger to being a social outcast.” Phyll commented as he followed.
“Wait, what was that about being crazy? And you still haven’t told me if you’re actually a mare!” Duster shouted as he ran in headfirst.
The Ego then disappeared into a mist that formed Connor in his boot camp outfit. “Nice to see you got out so easily, speaks well for your potential as dreamers.”
He then brought in two dream beings, one being a humanoid tree with various plants making up its body, with bark armor and horns made of stone shaped after a ram, and the other being a human wrapped in shadows, his hands a blur that seemed to be doing everything and nothing all at once, with a bow and quiver strapped to his back and a brace of daggers at his torso. They both kneeled to them as Connor smirked. “I have found the best possible dream beings for you, and weakened them considerably. Feel free to attempt bonding, all you need to do is reach out to them.”
"Which one's mine?" Duster asked as Phyll sighed with a smile as they reached for the Dryad while Duster shrugged and reached for the shadowed human.
The Dryad frowned at Phyll before nodding. “Until thy mind comes to terms with thine ultimate truth, thy power shall be lesser for thine deceptions unto thyself. May thy search for answers and comradery not be two parallel paths, but one singular one, as we walk the path of the unbound.”
The Rogue looked to Phyll and grinned. “Thy talents will lend themselves well to the arts of subterfuge, theft, and trickery… May we have an eternally beneficial partnership, as we walk the path of the unbound.”
The two dream beings then glowed before becoming orbs of light that flowed into the two ponies. “As the unbound hath been, so shall we be, forever free from the lies of Hypnos as we defend that which we both hold dear, may our might make the very heavens tremble!”
As the two blinked, the pegasus felt a smile creep onto his face as he imagined the possibilities. Chlorophyll however felt a small pit grow in her stomach as "he" looked to Feather, memories and emotions cascading within as if a maelstrom. In the end, the earth pony looked away, a small bit of their heart breaking.
"So, how do we you know… wake up?" Duster asked with a bit of confusion.
Connor frowned and looked to Phyll, before responding to Duster. “I’ll wake you up, but me and Phyll will be right there…”
He then snapped his fingers and Duster was gone. “Care to tell me what’s wrong?”
"It's nothing." The earth pony replied calmly and nigh emotionless.
Connor smirked, before he sat up. “Bullshit, I know what it looks like to be heartbroken, and you looked the part to a T.”
"Everything I've done I have done for him," Phyll replied. "I will continue to do so… but as it stands, he will no longer have need of me."
Connor chuckled. “He will no longer need you? If you honestly think that, well, than I gave you WAY too much credit in the smarts department.” He then sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “I have seen the way he looks at you, you are very dear to him, hell, if someone tried to hurt you, I’m pretty sure he’d go ballistic.”
Connor sighed, and continued. “We need our loved ones, they give us something to protect, something to fight for when times are at their bleakest. If you think he’ll just throw you away when you are no longer needed to protect him? You need to get your head examined, cause you’ve gone crazy.” He then muttered. “Besides, he already has doubts about his sexuality because of your whole pretending to be a stallion thing.”
Paladin then materialized by connor and bowed to Phyll. “My apologies for his crude behavior, phyll, Had I known my leige would say such things to a soul in love, I would never have informed him of Dusters positive emotions toward you!”
I shrugged nonchalantly. “So what? Should I have left her in the dark about his feelings? That would have been cruel to the extreme.”
The pony simply stood there looking at Connor, expressionless… though their eyes seemed to glisten. “He… I… My family would never allow it,” Phyll finally stated. “They would hunt him to the ends of Equestria should they ever know. I cannot live with myself if I ruined his life so horribly.”
Connor grew visibly angry at that. “Wait, your family would what? I will find them if they try to harm you or Duster! I’ll kill them myself!”
Phyll actually managed to show emotion at this as she blinked. “Their… their network is vast… their influence monolithic… I cannot deny you or the power you hold and share… but we are three…” Her voice began to crack slightly, as did her skin.
Connor held her close and smiled. “You are my sister in arms, if it means you get to be with the stallion you love, I’d fight as if my own sisters happiness was on the line.” He then gave her head a gentle, affectionate pat, a head pat that seemed to sink as the “stallion” fell apart, showing the slightly smaller lime green mare from before.
Said lime green mare now a broken sobbing mess… “I only want to see him happy!” She cried as she slammed her head into Connor’s gut.
Connor smiled warmly. “Then tell him how you feel, I can tell he has agonized for awhile over whether or not to tell you his feelings for you.”
Still sobbing, she sniffed as she steadied herself. “What of our medical training?” She asked. “Should I discard my guise, I may be thrown out for fraud and impersonation…”
Connor smirked. “Impersonating? Simply say that you were under the effects of poison joke and I informed you of a remedy.”
“It can not be that easy…” She said doubtfully.
The Next Day
Lo and behold, it was quite that easy. With the added caveat that no one in her family would be informed, Chlorophyll was smoothly transferred to the mare’s barracks, but not before leaving a bewildered Feather Duster with a quick peck on the cheek.
Connor smirked as he looked to his blushing face. “Seems you have a potential herd mate, Duster, mayhaps you should, oh… reciprocate?”
Unfortunately, no words seemed to reach the pegasus as he simply stared at the mare as she walked away… before promptly fainting.
Connor nodded and began to retrieve a bucket of ice to help Duster feel better when he woke up, as he was fairly certain that he had hit his head on the way down. As he returned, he gently checked Duster for injury before placing him in his bunk and placing his head on both his pillow and connors, to help his recovery from that fainting spell.
“You disgusting beast,” A voice spat out from outside the window, Poison having seen just about everything as she snarled at Connor. “Truly, your kind must feel no shame in sticking your filthy muzzle where it doesn’t belong.”
Connor frowned and pointed to his nose. “I don’t have a muzzle, smart flank mcgee, and in what way should I deign to fake offence so that I don’t shatter your fragile worldview?” he smirked. “In that I am a dream-host? That I’m human? Both? That I was ripped from all I held close and dear just like the princess's own child, and also just like her, forced into a massive shit show I have nothing to do with?” He chuckled. “Let me be really clear with you, you can be as cruel as you want to me, I won’t care, but you harm my brothers and sisters in arms? I will report every single rule you have broken in regards to me in regards to Equestrian military conduct, and have your ass launched from this camp you can’t even manage to say ‘Whoops’. Capiche?” As he finished, his eyes seemed to glow with power, as if he had left no shadow of doubt in his being that he would ruin this mare.
Now visibly snarling, Poison seemed to calm down before going up to the window… leaving a small kiss on the glass. As she left, the glass began to melt and corrode , stopping just before it hit the wood.
Connor simply added “Threatening safety of fellow bootcampers, and sexual misconduct with camp property.” to his list of complaints about Poison... before beginning to walk to the mare in question
and promptly reading his list aloud to her. It listed about four different punishable offences. He then smiled in a falsely sweet manner. “Now, I’m going to warn you, I may be unliked by you, you have every right to your personal dislike of me, but your blatant racism and slander are NOT allowed here.” His smile then became a very real scowl.
"Excuse me!?" She cried as she pulled back.
Connor held up a hand as he kept on going “I was not finished, madame. If you want to have any chance of working out in the military scene, you have to suck it up, and work with people you dislike like a big mare, Hell, if you spontaneously combusted, I’d immediately save you. Because like it or not, we are brothers and sisters in arms, defenders of our homeland, and an important part of keeping it safe. If you want, we can have a duel after this training camp ends, and I’ll not even use any of my “Disgusting” dream magic. BUT, I will NOT stand for your misconduct any further, it is in good faith that you are capable of acting like an adult that I do not immediately report you, UNDERSTAND? “ I let paladins power flow into my voice as I finished, lending a powerful tone to it.
Poison's left eye seemed to twitch violently as she looked on the verge of a mental break before inhaling, exhaling, and spitting on the ground… which slowly started to melt.
"Fine." She spat out as she turned to leave again.
Connor nodded and started to walk to the exercise yard, deciding to do some shadowboxing…
That is, he was, before the whistle for the first lesson went off, and all the medical corp, including Duster, thankfully, arrived for the vital education.
The Drill sergeant, who was oddly enough named Steel Heart, began to lecture us on the ins and outs of medical law, including the fact that patients can refuse healing if they are mortally wounded to the point that healing would only prolong their suffering, that if a patient is comatose at the time of examination that it is the healers job to keep them safe and alive until they wake up, and that above all, that we are to never cause pain or damage to a patient aside from when absolutely necessary.
Connor’s mind was in overdrive as he copied notes of the laws, bylaws, and diagrams showed, creating a practically perfect copy of the lesson in his notebook. He looked to Duster and Phyll to see them also taking great care to take notes, however Dusters were… let’s say low quality. He seemed to still be somewhat dazed by Phyll being a mare, judging from the blush on his face.
Connor made sure to remember to help him study later.
"And remember to maintain your equipment clean and sanitized at all times. Being in a warzone is no excuse for improper care," Steel drolled on. "Now are there any questions?"
Several murmurs were traded between the students until one spoke out. "Weren't aerial drills tomorrow?"
Much to everyone's surprise, the sky had been filled with several winged beings who seemed to blot out the sun...as several darkened orbs fell from the sky and onto the entirety of the campgrounds.
One even fell in the middle of the group… and it was lit.
"BOOOOMB!!!" A unicorn screamed as he tried to raise a shield.
Connor lept to action the second he saw the bomb falling from the sky and jumped over it, shielding them with his body as he raised a dome made from tower shields around him, a shout of “PALADIN!” leaving his lips as he sealed himself in with the explosive.
Paladin instantly materialized and created domes around the other orbs, not leaving a single one uncovered as he looked to Phyll, Duster, and Poison among the now safe group of ponies. “If this is goodbye, please,all of you... live your life well, and take good care of masters loved ones. The damage from the explosions will translate to pain and damage to my master… if he dies, so too do I.” He then looked upward and cast Judgement on the massive group of Gryphons, them falling from the sky like flies. “May thy sins become thy penance, fell cowards, any of thee that survive shall never know the skies as thy safe haven again!”
Paladin then looked to poison and smiled. “My master would never admit it, but he had hoped to heal the rift between the two of thee, and mayhaps become friends… I...have my doubts that shall happen now...” He then looked to the drill sergeant. “Steel heart,sir… please sound the evacuation. If the now flightless gryphons come here for vengeance, we would prefer they only found us, be it alive or dead.” Paladin then looked to the dome and sighed. “We shall focus all our efforts into reinforcing the domes and Connor now, I pray that I am enough.”
With a resolute nod, Steel ran as fast as his hooves could carry him. Of course the many troops and trainees still present kicked themselves into high gear and clustered into small battalions… Duster, Phyll, and Poison separating themselves from the rest.
"Sweeeet Celestia what are we going to do!? " Feather shouted as he looked between Connor's shell and a pacing Chlorophyll. "I mean… can we do anything!? "
Phyll only huffed as she shook her head.
"You're both idiots…" Poison muttered. "But he'll probably haunt me if I don't help you. You, bird brain."
"His name is Feather Duster." Phyll shot back in annoyance.
"...Birdbrain," Poison insisted. "You're pretty good at kicking up dirt, make a few balls for us."
"And why should I listen to you! You melted a window!" The pegasus argued, which seemed to catch Phyll's attention.
"You did what?" The earth pony asked.
One of the bombs went off, and while the blast was contained, a loud shout of pain was heard from inside the dome closest to them.
"Because right now, I'm the only pony here that can get that … dreamer… out of that dome. Balls. Now." Poison insisted as she placed her forehooves on the dome.
"And what will you do?" Phyll asked with a peeved look while Duster made balls of finely packed dirt and gravel.
Choosing not to answer, Poison had begun passionately kissing the dome as her horn began to glow. Slowly, the dome began to wither and rust. With Connor in sight, Poison motioned for Phyll to drag him out.
Blinking, Phyll began to pull Connor out by his feet. "Your name," She asked the unicorn. "What is it?"
Still dripping saliva from an outstretched tongue, Poison stared at the mare. "Petal. Poison Petal."
"Okay I got the balls!" Feather shouted. "Now what!?"
"Now, you and the cross dresser tend to your companion's wounds!" Poison shouted as she pushed a staggering Duster over to Connor's prone body. "My turn…" She muttered as she began poking holes into each dirt ball, filling them with her corrosive saliva.
Another bomb went off, the second of seven, each of the bombs designed to release enough magical energy to level a city block. Connor then grunted, a trickle of blood seeping from his eyes and nose. He looked to Poison and co.. “Run… I’m okay with this… You all have families… I’m just a tagalong… following a friend I lost because they were all I had in my rotten life… I’m not worth it…”
"Can you two shut him up already? Making this much spit takes a lot more concentration than you think…" Poison muttered.
Rolling her eyes, Phyll looked at Connor and huffed. "Oh earth mother…" Soon, vines began to wrap around and lift Connor into the air as the light of the sun began to filter through the vines. "Still not enough…" She cursed.
"Oh! Oh oh!" Feather began to shout. "The Dryad! Call the Dryad!" He said excitedly.
Connor grunted as another bomb went off, a burn mark going out from his shoulder down to his fingertips on the right side.
Snarling, Phyll took a deep breath… "I call to you o spirit of the forest… heed my plea, Dryad!" She called.
And the long slumbering forest answered… The plants and seeds so long slumbering beneath the earth below their hooves growing to enhance Phyll’s healing magic, gathering the vitality of the very earth, long untapped, into healing Connor. The dryad then appeared next to Phyll and smiled. “It is good to see that thy truth hath come to the forefront… Now I may grant my full blessing, once our alpha is healed.” The now female dryad then winked at Duster. “It is also good to know she is true to her feelings regarding you… as the ponies do say, I hear wedding bells.”
Shocked, Feather turned into a sputtering mess. "Wha… b-but I thought…"
"My "fiancee " is well aware of my situation," Phyll replied. "And she can't wait to finally meet you." This small revelation was enough to cause the pegasus to faint… again.
While Connor was being treated, Poison was hard at work ensuring no mercenary encroached upon them, and those that did found themselves losing limbs or their faces as the prepared acid balls pelted any who got too close.
As Duster had fainted, his dream being materialized and began helping Poison fight off the enemy with crossbows, blowdarts, and just about any weapon that a thief would use flickering into view around him, as they aimed at the enemy from mid air. “Honestly, my host has to get over his nerves soon, how else will he be able to consummate the herd?” He then chuckled and winked at the Dryad. “And I would not mind to do some consummating with you, my dear.”
Dryad, who was busy healing Connor, seemed to blush green. “You are fortunate that I have a thing for you, else I would smack you with a tree right now…”
"Ugh, gross me out later!" Poison shouted as she levitates three of her balls. "Focus on the fight!"
The thief smiled mischievously. “Aaw, and here I was going to ask if you wanted me to bless yer husband for a few days, immunise him against poison after all this is over.” He then shot a gryphon in the face before bisecting him. “Ah, gotta love a good brawl!”
"You would do that fo-" Poison's thoughts had left the battle for a split second, long enough for a grifon to lightly cut her face, the blade now sizzling. Growling, Poison punched the bird in the beak, cracking it as she spit into the fracture. "Stop sticking your stupid nose in other ponies affairs!" She cried as she began to beat the now frightened bird to a bloody, melting pulp.
Thief, who was frowning at the display, growled as well, this time at the remaining Gryphons. “You dare strike an ally of Paladins? An ally of Connor’s? Of mine?!” His weapons all disappeared until spheres of shadow began falling like meteors unto the Gryphon ranks, swallowing them up before imploding, leaving compacted balls of gore in their wake that gradually became naught but wisps of shadow.. “DIE!”
"I WASN'T ASLEEP I SWEAR!!" Duster shouted as he scrambled back to his hooves. "Oh… oh wow I missed a lot."
“No frickin duh, boss!” Thief said as he shot one of the last gryphons that dared approach as he looked to Poison. “While boss isn't fond of ya, the Alpha wants to be your friend, he wants to help, to make others lives better!” He then smirked. “Let’s see who changes their mind first, eh?”
Connor grunted, his body fully healed and no longer bleeding, but getting hurt still by the bombs. “Let’s get rid of these bombs…” He said with a grimace. As he summoned Paladin, he then sent the bombs flying into the air , all of them going off far above the battlefield in a harmless manner. “... Why didn’t I think of that sooner…”
"Because you're a bleeding heart!" Poison shouted as she conked an assailant on the head. "I'm out of balls!" She cried as she pulled back to the others.
Connor smirked as he shakily got to his feet, summoning what looked like a miniature sun of golden light. “May the sins of mine enemies be made into recompense, and thy recompense be pain, may their lives be forfeit unto the light of Somnia, JUDGEMENT OF HYPNOS!” he then sent the sun crashing into the enemy forces, the miniature sun bursting with enough force to reduce the remaining Gryphons to ash.
Connors allies, however, were oddly untouched. “Now, how about We clean up this mess, and message Steel Heart that we are all okay…”