From Outside

Quanti Canicula Ille In Fenestra?
Dan's Comments
DISCLAIMER: My Little Pony is the property of Hasbro, Inc., Harry Dresden is the
property of Jim Butcher, Carl Kolchak is the property of ABC/Universal Television, Ranma
Saotome is the property of Rumiko Takahashi, Sailor Jupiter is the property of Naoko Takeuchi.

"Patrick Jasper Buchanan, I want you never to use magic ever again," Harry said, a mix of nervous and angry that he had to demonstrate this.

Patrick held up a hand and flames danced on his finger tips, each one a different color. "No effect," Patrick said.

"That's not possible," Harry whispered, then his eyes narrowed, "Unless that's not your real name."

"It's my real name, given at birth," Patrick said, "It's just not who I am. You're like these ponies. Your name is like theirs and their 'Cutie mark', yeah, flaming, but that's the closest translation. The point is, you came into the world complete, but unrevealed, you can never be greater than your ultimate destiny. As you 'grow' all you do is reveal more of what you are. Carl and I can add to who and what we are, we can grow in ways you can't, and that makes us immune to your Name-power. Our names are just ink on the page in the Cook County registrar's office. They have no power over us. You, and the ponies, on the other hand are enmeshed in destiny's web, unable to escape. You may take a different path, you may adjust things, reveal more or less, but ultimately, you're just a cog in the great machine with your free will about the rate and type of your self-revelation. The ponies are the same. I can't speak the language, but I can already take a stab at the course my three admirers will take."

"So how do you tell destiny to fuck off?" Harry asked.

"I was born with the ability to," Patrick replied.

"What about Makoto and Ranma?" Harry asked.

Patrick shrugged. "Somewhere between the two I guess. What you have to do is decide to resist, and fail, or embrace and take charge of your destiny. The goal posts are laid out, but like a long-distance road rally, you have some latitude about the path between."

"So how does this affect these alicorns?" Carl asked, having remained silent but attentive during the experiments.

"I think we can test it," Patrick said, "Their Cutie-marks are obvious, so we should be able to work out their names, and go from there."

"This is straying dangerously close to mind-magic," Harry warned as he stood.

"Yep," Patrick said as he nodded, "But since your mind-magic is the problem, not mine, you can watch the border."

"How much of this is intelligence gathering, and how much is avoiding the clothier pony?" Carl asked as he followed the two wizards out of the library.

"There are some things man was not meant to know," Patrick intoned.

The darkness hid from the direct light as it stalked. Eaves provided some shadows. As did awnings, even other ponies, but the pursuit was difficult. The target moved quickly, confidently. It also lacked the typical vulnerabilities that gave the darkness access. Others had easy phobias that were broadcast to any with the wit to see them. This one was far too well adjusted, and it had utterly lacked the need to be and remain special that its former targets had possessed in spades. A fondness for protecting and helping children seemed the only real weakness that could be discerned and that was hardly the clink in a target's mental armor that it was comfortable exploiting.

Any of the alicorns were a better, more satisfying target, but the Elements were here as well, and possessing an alicorn would simply result in the expulsion by Element and months, or this time years of lying broken in a pool of darkness.

The fool was right, the darkness thought, A layer of armor the Bearers would be loathe to use the Elements on is a better choice. I hope the fool enjoyed the 'payment' rendered to it.

Nightmare stifled a laugh and moved to another shadow.

Ranko shook herself, and glanced around the darkened alley she stood in.

I was Ranma a moment ago, she thought as she realized that the Neko had forcefully taken control.

She dashed from the alley to see if anyone or anypony had been hurt in the Neko's possible rampage. There were no burning or sliced-to-pieces buildings or trees, the ponies weren't running around screaming in terror. The local tomcats weren't reacting strangely.

Without a . . . cat, I've never changed, Ranko thought as she looked around, What happened? Patrick and Makoto!

Ranko sprinted to search for them, both to act as protector, and to get some answers.

Nightmare would have screamed in frustration and agony if it wouldn't have drawn the forces that might have been able to destroy it, rather than just wound it.

What sort of idiot trains a child to fight like a cat? Nightmare wanted to know, so she could avoid the student, and roast the teacher over a slow fire, And how did it manifest those claws?

Nightmare withdrew to the deepest pool of shadows it could find to rest and heal, while it selected a different target from among its choices. Attacking one of the Elements was briefly considered, then expelled.

If that thing could wound me in this form, it would have little compunction against wounding a physical body, Nightmare thought, The Elements would be preferable.

It settled to rest and consider the other choices and what vulnerabilities they would have, and what hidden defenses.

The axe fell from the elf's nerveless fingers. Whether the Tree of Harmony was grateful for the plunder vines' rescue, it gave no clue. The corpse was dragged under the ground to serve as fertilizer, only the axe remained above ground. As it was bronze, it would remain there for perhaps a century. A reminder of the vulnerability the Tree had without the gift it had lent out to defend Harmony against Discord.

The bronicorns had provided a plethora of information, including what the Equestrians were calling them, before the Princesses had sent them home.

So we know how to beat them, Harry thought as he walked, shoulders hunched and hands thrust into his duster's pockets as if walking into a driving rain, Cheap, easy, and every guard unicorn can cast the spell needed to do it. Why am I so horrified by it? It's no different than the power I'd have on learning a creature's name, and the local ponies are highly resistant, so it's safe. Why am I revolted by the means? If these people changed significantly on their arrival, they'd be immune to, and they'd be less of a danger as well. That black alicorn who fled to Los Pegasus seemed to learn and grow enough to just want to blend in. Why does the idea that a few moments of observation, an educated guess and a bit of magic gives you the win feel so cheap and too easy?

"They said of Ulysses S. Grant, 'He looks like a man preparing to drive his head through a brick wall and was about to do it'," Carl said, "Problems with a simple, safe and humane way of dealing with this invasion? I'll admit, a less forgiving, live and let live community, I might worry, but with Princess Celestia on the throne, I am confident it won't be abused."

"No one should have that kind of power," Harry said.

"You do realize the utter hypocrisy of that statement?" Carl shouted at him, "All you have to do is glare at someone who knows you're a wizard, and you get the same effect. The only difference is that they'll resent you, rather than maybe being content."

"I don't do that!" Harry complained.

"But you obviously know those who do it to you," Carl said, adjusted his hat and marched away.

Harry briefly considered a fireball, but the fear of the Council held him back and worse, made Carl's point.

Nightmare had seen death, even caused it. But not on this scale, she thought as she hovered over the crowded, near-panicking, two-legged animals streaming away from the carnage for the safety of the great airships that lumbered slowly into the air, one by one, but never fast enough to make a sizeable dent in the growing throng seeking escape.

But these were just the backdrop for the one she sought. He was closer to the front lines.

So that's what he's fighting for, she thought as she returned to the battle. She'd been following him and incidently a few spare others who seemed to move to where the battle was the thickest, the fighting the heaviest, and the course of future history balanced more precipitously.

I can appreciate his coldness, she thought, My work would be half done, but if this could not elicit despair, what could?

She'd watched him and some of his cadre snatch disaster from fate's hands time and time as the sunset. Buying time for more regular troops to shore up the defenses or fall back and regroup. As the night dragged on, the enemy had switched from trying to defeat the bodies arrayed against them, and had switched to trying to break the spirits of the defense.

And again he is there, Nightmare thought as a few words that should have shattered the defenders' will evoked a grim acceptance, They still think they'll die, but now they're dying for something. But where is my opening? Even exhausted, he should be breaking. If the enemy knew, break him and the whole rotten edifice would collapse.

A call from a runner brought a look of despair from those around him.

"What? Again?" he shouted, earning a grave chuckle and grim smile from those who should have snapped under the hammer blows the enemies still hurled at them.

The valley had fortifications, which had been breached, but no defenders. The cold eyes surveyed the fresh elven troops with the sun banner advancing, and the groups behind them.

"Enjoying the show?" the man asked Nightmare, "Curiosity or invader?"

Nightmare drew back.

"The Shining Legion advances, the elves will win, and the slaughter will begin in earnest. What you've already seen will look like a folk dance by comparison. Since this is a just a dream, should I let them? I can escape, but you'll be at their mercy," he said, "Flight will not save you, and you can't teleport out of here."

Nightmare tried and failed to be elsewhere.

"So, do I bury you alive like I did them all those years ago, or do I leave you as a shiny to let you see who you've really allied yourself with?" he asked, and smiled at Nightmare in a way that froze the dark spirit's marrow.

'Bruce' tracked the departure of the vulog construct from where the Wizard was studying some data from the bronicorns. Considering its horrifically damaged condition, he doubted he'd need to pursue it.

It does read as alarmingly similar to the one I disassembled, he thought, So, are their more bronicorns invading? Should I alert the others? If yes, then how, our shapechanger went to sleep. The Speciesist is hardly likely to be of any assistance to me. I do wish I knew what he thinks I've done. Okay Bruce it looks like it's your job to check up on this thing and if necessary deal with it. But considering its condition, a healthy sneeze would be sufficient to destroy it utterly.

He set off in pursuit. Leaving off his monitoring of the dreams of the locals for data on where he was and how to get home.