Chapters A Request From The Princess
"I need you to stop moving so much!" A voice rang out through the small town of Ponyville. It was coming from a boutique that most ponies loved to go to. Most stallions seemed to go just to get a look at who worked there. Her name was Rarity, and she was one of the most beautiful ponies in town. At least, to most of the residents, she was.
Today she had a guest over to help her with some measurements. His name was Ken, a human from another world. He had few talents that they knew of. He would perform for ponies on a street corner using cards or other props. It wasn't necessarily magic, but slight of hoo...er hand. He was extremely good with a deck of playing cards. He could out-do even the most experienced of magicians in Equestria. And he was helping Rarity. With clothes. Something he didn't really care for.
Rarity was focusing on him extremely hard, her light blue magic aura holding a measuring tape over his waistline. The tape looked like it had diamonds on it in clusters of three. They matched the ones on her flank. Probably a gift from her sister, Sweetie Belle.
"I'm not trying to be mean, and I'm sorry I raised my voice at you. But you need to stay still." Rarity said to him. He almost sighed at this, holding his tongue. The mare had been trying to make clothes for him other than the ones he already had. Something nice for when he went to Canterlot.
"Sorry, I'm extremely fidgety when I'm under scrutiny." He said, holding as still as he could. The white pony had made the headache he had woken up with a little worse. He had been moving around all day as he pulled weight that most couldn't. Despite the fact he had his long black hair pulled into a ponytail, his neck was still sweating like crazy. He could feel the oil in his hair, only made worse by the sweat. His clothes, a t-shirt, and a pair of slacks were stuck to his flesh.
"Can I please go, Rarity? I need to get back to the castle. I have a meeting with Twilight." He asked, trying not to sound desperate. She huffed and waved him away. He breathed a sigh of relief and walked out of the boutique and into the streets of Ponyville. It wasn't a big town, just big enough to be on the map. Canterlot was just a hop, skip, and a jump down the road. He pulled his deck of cards out of his pocket and began to mindlessly shuffle them. He knew where he was and where he was going. Though his mind wandered elsewhere. He wondered to himself why he didn't miss home. He had just woken up here, with no memory of anything except his name and an affinity for playing cards.
Ken walked into the front door of the castle, his mind elsewhere. He stumbled back a few steps and rubbed his nose, checking for blood and brokenness. He was fine. It hurt, but he would survive. He groaned and opened the door to the castle. The place was as clean as it ever had been, a maid or two in what could be considered traditional maid garbs. He gave them a nod as he passed, still idly shuffling his deck of cards.
After walking up a few flights of stairs, he made his way into the meeting room where Princess Twilight Sparkle waited for him. She sat in her crystal chair with several pieces of parchment in front of her, Spike right next to her with a quill in claw. He stopped shuffling his cards and put them back in his pocket.
"Uh, you wanted to see me?" Ken asked after approaching the table. She visibly jumped at his words. He blinked a few times, trying not to laugh.
"Oh! Ken! Yes! Please, sit down. I have a few things that I want to go over with you about what you told me last time." She said, teleporting the pieces of parchment elsewhere to be replaced with new ones. It was comprehensive notes on the conversations that he and Twilight had during his time in Equestria.
Over the next several hours, the two of them discussed the questions that the princess had. What he remembered of his home wasn't much. All he really remembers is that he was really good with a deck of cards and that he could perform street magic. Tricks of the eye, sleight of hand, things of that sort. She wanted to check up on the progress of his memories. She and the other three princesses were trying everything they could to clear his memory. So far, there was nothing they could do.
"Now that that's done, I wanted you to look into something for me," Twilight said. Ken raised an eyebrow at her. "Zecora mentioned that she came into possession of a deck of cards that seem to have special properties that she can't seem to make out. Obviously, they're magic. I figured that since you're so good with cards, you might be interested." She finished. Ken's brows drew down over his eyes in thought. Something about the whole situation made his instincts tingle.
"Yeah. I'll head over there in the morning." He told the princess. With that, she dismissed him and teleported the two copies of her notes away. As he walked out of the massive room he noticed that two maids were eyeing him as he passed. They were the same ones from downstairs.
Ken stopped for a moment as he looked at the two ponies. He blinked at them, his brain churning for an answer as to why he didn't recognize the two of them. Then he put his finger on it. He didn't recognize them. At all. They were completely new to him. He narrowed his eyes at them at little, causing one of them to shift uncomfortably.
Idly he pulled out his deck of cards again and began shuffling through them. The one on the right had a light green mane with accents of white and purple, her coat a relatively dark brown. The one next to her was almost a polar opposite, yet they looked extremely similar in the face. This one's mane was purple with light green and white accents. Her fur was almost navy blue.
"Who are you two? I've never seen you here before." He asked the two of them after inspecting them for almost five minutes.
"Dashed Hearts, sir." The one on the right said.
"Silent M-meadow, s-sir." Said the other. "W-we're both n-new." Ken's expression softened just a little bit. Silent Meadow seemed to have a tick to her voice, most likely from shyness. He still wasn't too sure about the two of them.
With a final shuffle and a pull of a card off the top of his deck, he returned his cards to his pocket. He kept the one he had pulled out from the rest and looked at it. The two of hearts. He sighed a little and put the card with the rest. For the past few days or so he had been doing that with his cards. It was starting to bother him, but it seemed to also help him with decisions. It made him think of Pinkie Sense in a way.
He looked at the two of them, their faces showing worry and confusion. The two of them were waiting on him to leave. It wasn't like him to be suspicious of two maids that were brand new.
"Carry on." He said. Turning away, he walked down the hall and the flight of stairs. The second floor was where the guest room he had been provided courtesy of Twilight was. He had originally turned it down, saying that he was fine with sleeping outside or in a barn. After a thorough talking to from all six of the Elements of Harmony, he had reluctantly accepted to use the room until he could properly support himself.
It wasn't that he was trying to turn down everything that the princess was trying to offer him. It was more like he didn't want to burden her more than he already knew she was. Twilight was the Princess of Friendship. From what he could see, it wasn't the easiest of jobs. There was a lot more paperwork involved than he ever thought there was, not to mention trying to maintain harmony with allied kingdoms and towns. Not the kind of job he would ever want to take on.
As he pushed the door to his current room he noticed that it had been straightened up considerably since last night. The bed was made up, the pillows and cases changed. The sheets remained the same as last nights'. He walked over to the bedside table and pulled his cards out of his pocket. After setting them down, he sat on the edge of the rather comfortable bed and leaned down to rest his elbows on his knees. Calming his mind, he began to think about what his life was like before he had been thrown into this world. The more he thought about it, the more his head hurt. Everything was clouded in fog as if he had been extremely drunk when it happened.
With a final resignation that he wasn't going to be able to remember anything, he got up and walked into the bathroom. He needed a shower and badly. He had been sweating pretty much all day. With a turn of the knob, water began to pour from the spout of the tub. Once the water was warm enough, he disrobed and stepped in, beginning to bathe before he got any grimier.
After having taken a shower and slept most of the day away, Ken awoke early in the morning. The moon was shining brightly through his window. It cast a dark glow over everything in the relatively small room. He sat up and looked out the window and at the moon. With a rub of his eyes, he got up and walked into the bathroom. Once he had done his business, he returned to the main room.
He laid back onto the bed and closed his eyes. Sleep seemed to evade him, though. No matter how he tossed or turned he wasn't able to fall back asleep. He sighed at himself and sat up. Looking out the window and up at the moon, the human started to think.
There was nothing that he remembered of his homeworld, save for his name. Even that was hard to come up with and took some actual thinking. Other than that, there was nothing. For the past three months or so he had aimlessly wandered, searching for his purpose for being in this world. Though while doing this, he had tried to occupy himself. Ken had been working actual jobs here and there. The money wasn't terrible but it also wasn't enough to sustain him for very long.
His street magic garnered a few bits here and there, but most just passed him by anymore. Even though he was widely accepted in Ponyville they would actively avoid him. There was only a handful that acknowledged his existence and most of them were either royalty or close to it.
"Fuckin' A..." He said to himself. "The hell am I here for?" He turned away from the window to look down at the bedsheets on the bed. They were the same color as Twilight's fur, with her cutie mark folded up around his legs. He imagined that there was one in all of the guest rooms in the palace. The blanket was super comfy and warm, especially since it was a rather cold month of the year.
With a shake of his head, Ken tossed the violet piece of cloth aside. With a grunt, he got off of the bed and walked out of the room. He wanted to go back to sleep. No point in forcing himself to lay down and sleep when his body was awake. Ken took a look at the clock before walking out of the room. Almost dawn.
Before long, he had made his way out of the castle and out into the town. He didn't understand why it was he liked to watch the sunrise in the morning. It seemed to calm him and help him through his day. Even on his bad days, it made them bearable. He had found a hill near the edge of town that gave a rather good view of the sunrise. With said sunrise came warmth and light that enveloped him.
Once again, Ken lost himself in his thoughts. His mind whirled with anticipation about his journey for this morning. It wasn't his first hike into the Everfree Forest to visit the zebra. This particular time had his every hair on end. He swirled as a sense of deja vu washed over him. He had done this before. He had been nervous about taking a journey over a magic deck of cards. Never before in his time in Equestria had he experienced it.
A bright light caught his eye. His eyes slammed shut as the sun broke over the horizon. After blinking away the burned image of the sun from his eyes, Ken watched as the sun rose in the sky. He breathed a sigh as the rays pierced his skin and began warming his body.
When the sun finally stopped moving, the human stepped away from the morning sun and began walking towards the edge of the Everfree Forest. It was better to make it an early trip rather than later in the day. He hated walking during the night. Something about it made him nervous. It was as if, when he stood under the moonlight, he was being watched by a thousand eyes. Ken shook the thought from his head as he faced the Forest before him. With no hesitation, he stepped into the throng of trees and branches.
The walk to Zecora's wasn't long or eventful. The occasional Timberwolf passed him by, either chasing prey or marking territory. One group had stopped to look at him but seemed to ignore him. He found it odd that they had done this since Timberwolves were known for their ferocity and hostile attitude towards anypony and everypony.
He came to Zecora's hut after a few minutes of walking through the wooded area. A couple of knocks on the door and the zebra came to greet him. She had told him she was an early riser despite the odd times for the sun rising in her homeland. Something that had taken some time to get used to.
"Ah, I have been expecting you. And again in the early morning, too." She said in her familiar rhyming. "You are here for the cards, yes? They have been quite the pest I must confess." Ken raised an eyebrow at this. He had never before heard cards be referred to as a pest.
"Yeah, I'm here for the cards. May I see them?" He asked her. She nodded to him and led him into the back of the hut behind a curtain. He had to duck down to get under the doorframe. The next room was full of herbs, pots of flowers, and interesting knick-knacks.
Zecora walked over to a small box on one of the shelves. She pulled it off the shelf and opened it but didn't pull the contents out. She brought it over to him and he looked down.
Inside the small ornate box was what looked like a full deck of cards with the faces turned up towards him. The top card was the black joker. The J in the corner of the card was jet black and the design in the middle was different from what he normally saw. It usually was a double-sided jester clad in black there. On this one, what looked like a reaper floated, scythe in hand. Its' skull shown through the tattered cloak it wore.
Ken's brow furrowed at the cards in front of him. In the back of his mind, they were extremely familiar to him. He put this aside and reached into the box and took the cards. As soon as he did, a surge of electricity that felt as if it could power an entire city coursed through his body. He cried out in agony and dropped to his knees.
Zecora watched as her body went rigid while the man writhed. For her, nothing was happening to him. He still held the cards in his hand, yet he had cried out when he did. After a few moments of listening to him, her mind kicked back into gear and she rushed over to him. She placed a hoof on his arm and immediately pulled back. His skin was burning hot.
After a few minutes of convulsions, he finally settled down enough to think correctly. He could hardly process what just happened to him besides he had been struck by lightning multiple times. His mind was still hazy from the experience, spinning and trying to gain control.
"What...the fuck...just happened...?" He asked more to himself than to anyone else. Zecora stood there stunned into silence with wide eyes. Ken blinked and looked down at the cards. What he had just felt should have killed him yet his heart was still beating, he could hear himself speak, and know his own thoughts.
"That I do not know. There was nothing about this show. I certainly did not expect this today. But most importantly, are you okay?" Zecora asked him, giving him a once over. He looked over at the zebra and gave her a small nod then looked down at the cards in his hand.
Once he was sure of his hands, he fanned the cards to give them a look. As he looked at them there were no cards out of place. Spades, clubs, hearts, and diamonds. Of course, the four jokers as well. Ken did a double-take on this. There were supposed to be two jokers per deck. Yet this deck had an extra two.
There was a blue joker that depicted a serpent wrapping its body around a staff. The staff held a golden gem in its' focal point and the serpent's head rested just above it. He found this depiction extremely familiar.
The last joker, white in color, gave him a strange sense of security. The illustration showed a beautiful woman wearing a red and white robe. Her eyes were closed and she bore a smile on her face. The sun beamed behind her, lighting the card. Everything about the card made him feel good.
Ken looked at the last joker. On it was what seemed to be a demon of some sort. Fire flung from its hands as it hovered with its bird-like wings. Small horns topped the head of the demon and jet black hair flowed down its face. It looked nothing like what was depicted in paintings in Canterlot.
Zecora tapped him on the shoulder, visibly wincing as she did, and gave him a questioning look. He turned from the cards and folded them neatly back into a stack.
"There are more cards here than there should be." He said simply. "I don't know why, but there are..."
Author's Note
Alright, so I know I haven't really written anything in a while, and the last story that I posted was canceled due to a lack of inspiration. While I cannot guarantee that this story will not be the same, I will be trying to write more of it as I get the ideas.
I have plans for this story and I hope that it goes smooth when it comes to ideas. I seem to not be able to finish the stories that I start, so that doesn't help.
Anywho, constructive criticism is welcome and I will answer any questions that you have that I can without spoiling anything.
May inspiration light your path,
First Hand: Learning the Power Part 1
Ken stepped out of Zecora's hut an hour after receiving the cards from her. It had taken him some time to recover from the high-voltage experience, which left a lasting impression on his skin. It had turned almost a bright red and was hot to the touch, not to mention the pain that came with it.
As he walked through the forest back towards Ponyville he watched a few Timberwolves stop in their tracks and stare at him. Again, he found this relatively weird. Although, as he found himself staring back at them, he felt a sense of curiosity coming from the two.
With a shake of his head and a dismissal of the thought, he began to walk back towards Ponyville and the castle. Twilight was the first who needed to know. Celestia, Luna, and Cadence could wait to hear about this until Twilight was ready to tell them, or he was called and had to report to them. Either was possible.
Ken broke the line of the trees and looked up, watching a few birds fly by. A few rabbits and, oddly to him, a bear followed. The dots connected in Ken's mind and he watched Fluttershy follow them with a bright smile on her face. Just seeing her smile made the man's heart warmer. With a small skip to his step, he caught up to the pegasus.
"Morning Fluttershy!" He greeted her with a wave and a smile, "Everyone out for a walk this morning, too?" Fluttershy turned and waved back to him.
"Yeah. I've got a few things to do and then I'm going over to Carousel Boutique and having tea with Rarity," She told him once he was close enough, "What are you doing this morning?" Ken watched her eyes flick nervously to the Everfree Forest and back to him. All six of the Elements knew that he made visits to the forest now and again. Most of them were to see Zecora since she was proficient in potions, non-unicorn magic, and surprisingly voodoo.
"Twilight told me to run out to Zecora's to see about this deck of cards," He said. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled the aforementioned cards out, "Said something about they were interesting. And boy was she right."
Fluttershy looked at him curiously, "What do you mean?" Her head tilted to the side as she said it. Ken motioned for them to keep walking and the pegasus trotted beside him.
"As soon as I touched them, I felt like I was struck with lighting three fuckin'..." Ken paused for a moment, thinking about what he had said, "Sorry, bad habit. It felt like three lighting strikes all at once." Fluttershy looked at him, concern painting her face. "I'm okay, though. Zecora made sure of that before she let me leave." Her face softened just a bit, if that, and she turned away.
"Are you on your way to tell Twilight now?" She asked him, still looking over at him occasionally. "I imagine she'll want to know what happened." Ken nodded, sliding the cards back into his pocket.
"I don't know what it is about them, but I feel like I know these cards in some way," He said. "Had a case of deja vu when I saw them."
"Maybe they're from your world," Fluttershy suggested, smiling and waving to a couple that passed by them. This made him think for a few moments, knowing that she had to be right. If he somehow knew the cards, it made sense that they came from where he was from. Wherever that was.
After a minute or two, Ken finally responded. "That's probably the case, to be honest." He sighed, looking up at where his pegasus companion had stopped. "Anyway, I'll see you later, Fluttershy." With a wave and a farewell, Fluttershy entered the spa.
A smile seemed to stick to his face when he turned away and made his way towards the castle. He and Fluttershy had seemed to have gotten along relatively well once she had gotten to know him. That had taken some time, and once he had gotten over the whole pony thing, he found that the Elements were true to their names.
With one last thought about his time there, he opened the doors to the castle, seeing Dashed Hearts and Silent Meadow dusting paintings on the opposite side from one another. They both looked at him and bowed slightly. Ken gave them a polite nod as he walked by.
Once again, he made the climb up the stairs to the meeting room. He opened the door with the expectation of seeing Twilight at the table. For once, the Princess wasn't at her seat, rifling through a mountain of paperwork. Ken blinked a few times before looking at the clock, with a smile and a shake of his head. He closed the door and made his way up another flight of stairs. The third floor was more lavish than the first two, being where the princess' quarters were held.
The doors to her room were much like the entrance to the castle but were slightly smaller than them. In the center of it was a crystal carving of the Element of Magic's own cutie mark, inlaid with amethyst and diamond. Without much hesitation, he opened the door so as not to wake the sleeping pony. What he saw before him was one of the cutest things he had ever seen since arriving here, second to Fluttershy playing with her animals.
Twilight was sprawled half-way off the bed, the blanket holding desperately on to a wing. Despite being in what looked like a very uncomfortable position, the princess seemed to be sleeping rather peacefully. Her eyes flicked back and forth every minute or so as if looking around in her dream. Drool matted the fur around her mouth, and somehow on her nose as well. A quick look at the sheets showed that she had shifted around a lot. There were small pools of drool across the bed from where she had started.
Spike was sitting at a small desk not too far from the bed, his head resting on his arms. Slow heaving of his chest gave away his conscious state. Ken walked over to the desk and looked at the parchment that was under his arms. It was a letter that had been addressed to Shining Armor, Twilight's brother. A skim over it showed it was just a personal write asking about how they were in the Crystal Empire. He turned back to Spike and tapped him on the shoulder a few times.
"Hey. Time to get up," He said after tapping him a few more times, "It's past nine o'clock." A few more taps and the dragon stirred. With a groan, he looked up at Ken, blinking away his bleary vision. A yawn broke out of him as he sat up and stretched his arms and back.
"Morning, Ken. What's up?" He asked. After hopping out of the chair, the little dragon started to stretch the rest of his body out, pulling his somewhat toned muscles taut. After stretching, Spike looked over to his surrogate sister and put a claw to his mouth.
"Yeah, about that. I need our esteemed Princess awake. Just got back from Zecora's." He said as he pulled the cards out of his pocket yet again. He held them for his dragon friend to see and Spike's eyes sparked with curiosity. The both of them turned back to Twilight.
"Let me wake her up. She gets kinda grumpy in the mornings." Spike told him.
"Alright. If you say so."
Ken watched as Spike walked over to the sleeping princess and gently shook her shoulder. He could see the dragon's lips moving but couldn't hear what he was saying. Within moments, Twilight was rousing awake. Her eyelids fluttered open, and a yawn escaped her lips. A few moments later she flopped all the way on the floor and pulled herself upright.
"Spike, what time is it?" Twilight asked, still half asleep and blinking the sleep out of her eyes. She turned to Ken after a minute and squinted at him a little. Blinking a few more times, her eyes seemed to focus more on him. "Oh, Ken. Good morning. Uh, why are you here?"
Wordlessly, Ken held the cards he had received for her to see. Her eyes widened at them. Her horn glowed and the cards floated away from his hand. Each of them spread out from one another and Twilight inspected all of them. Her eyes flicked back and forth, one card to another. Every one of the fifty-six cards, her eyes looking almost as if past them.
This gave Ken the chance to look at the backs of the cards. All of them had the same design, as most decks did. These depicted a sword, blade down, with a dragon curling itself around it. Its' head sat just above the hilt and it stared straight ahead. Its' eyes seemed to glow through the magenta aura as if alive and watching.
Suddenly the cards flew together into one stack, the magenta aura holding them in place in front of him. Ken blinked a few times before looking up at Twilight. Her expression was hard, even for someone who had just woken up from a deep sleep. Her brows were brought down in thought as she also stared at the cards.
"Uh, what's wrong?" Ken asked her.
"There are two more cards than normal in this deck," She said as she floated a brush to start taking care of her mane, "As you're probably already aware. I'm getting a sense of magic from them even when they're levitating. It's like they resist any magic around them, it was that hard to hold them afloat.
"But what's more is that the higher number the card the more magic seems to be in them. The jokers were something else, though. The amount of magic in them is enormous, possibly more than Celestia has in reserves. I can't be sure, but I think they're special in some way." The cards stayed in front of Ken, floating there. Nervously, he finally reached out and grabbed the cards.
A sense of relief seemed to wash over him when he took hold of the cards. The only problem he had with this feeling was that it didn't feel like his own nervousness washed away, it felt like someone else had been on edge. He made a mental note to review that later.
When he looked back up, Twilight's mane was no longer a wreck and her bed was made. The drool that had stuck to her cheek was no longer there, her fur dry. The desk that Spike had fallen asleep on was neat and tidy. Twilight herself had disappeared into the bathroom, as the light from it was flowing out of the doorway.
"We need to learn more about these cards. I'm going to have you run some tests with them today." She said as she walked out of the bathroom, her face glistening. "I'll invite my captain to help with anything that may go wrong. There's still much to do."
"You sound like Celestia," Ken said, smirking at her. She gave him a huff and waved a dismissing hoof at him. With a low bow, Ken exited the princess' grand chambers.
Author's Note
Alright, so I know that it took a while for me to actually finish this chapter, but I have a lot of stuff to think about when it comes to life. I've been having some trouble when it comes to family. Anyhow, enough about me, I want to answer some reviews.
Horse in Illinois: You'll find out what they can do in the next chapter, promise.
DekaSkittalz: I want to thank you, honestly. This helped me and if you have any other recommendations on characters, I would love to hear them.
OP Omni God Emporer DOOM: You'll see.
Tears Sun: I'm glad you're enjoying it!
Now then, thank you all for reading, and I hope you all look forward to the next chapter!
May inspiration light your paths,
First Hand: Learning the Power Part 2
After having left Twilight's room, Ken met up with the captain of her guard. The mare had been appointed a few weeks after Ken had arrived. It didn't take long for the two of them to become friends. Aria Spring was a relatively tall mare with a light brown coat and a medium length, indigo mane, and tail. Her rare red eyes were some of the fiercest he had ever seen, even among all the other guards that Ken had encountered.
The two of them had met up just as Ken was leaving the castle to make use of the rest of his day like he usually had, performing street magic to try and earn some money. The mare had called out for him to stop, much to his chagrin. He had obliged and now the two of them were walking through the center of town towards a local eatery. The captain had suggested it and offered to pay for lunch, despite Ken's complaints about not wanted to make her spend on him.
"So, the princess didn't tell me much about the cards when she said that she wanted me to help you figure out what they do." The unicorn said idly as they sat down at a table. The two made their orders before she continued. "Mind telling me some more?"
"Yeah," He pulled the cards from his pocket and laid them on the table between them, "Twilight said they have magic in them. Wants to see what kind of magic is in them. Fuck if I know what that means, but whatever." Ken shrugged and picked the cards back up.
"I can tell that they've got some kind of magic in them too..." Aria trailed off as she focused on the cards that Ken was shuffling in his hands. He shuffled them for a few minutes, getting them mixed well before stopping and rifling through to find the jokers. After removing them, he began dealing the cards to both of them.
Aria blinked and looked down at them before picking them up and looking them over. Ken pulled the top card off the deck and laid it to the side, using it as a discard pile.
The two played rummy for what seemed like an hour, Ken usually being the one to come out on top. They laughed, sipping the drinks they had ordered here and there. After about the twenty-fifth game Aria set the cards down and huffed.
"It doesn't look like I'm going to be able to win this one either." She said with a hearty chuckle. She laid the cards face up so he could see them. He gave her a small smile and laid his hand down, picking up the discard pile and deck before their respective hands.
"So they obviously don't do anything special when you use them normally," Aria said between a sip of her tea, "What about with your magic?"
Ken gave her a shrug and started to perform one of his normal tricks, where he pulled shuffled the cards and pulled the top two off without showing the viewer. Once he had finished the trick, nothing spectacular happened. Ken sighed at the cards in front of him, having already given up on them.
"Maybe they don't do anything at all." He said to his companion.
"That is most certainly a lie, Master Ken." A voice said, one that was neither Arias nor Ken's. Both of them looked at each other with confusion written all over their faces. "My strength lies in combat, though it seems you have forgotten this."
Ken looked down at the cards where the voice seemed to be coming from. His eyes widened and his brows drew down in realization, the cards were speaking. And it wasn't just Aria and him that were hearing it. As he looked around, some of the ponies that were close by looked at them in surprise.
Once more, Ken looked down at the cards. There were face up and the top card showed the seven of spades. He turned them over and seemed to come face to face with the dragon depicted on the back. Instead of the dragon being wrapped around the sword, it was just gone. As if the design had been erased from it.
"It has been a while, Master." Ken looked up to see the black scaled dragon floating there above the center of the table. Its' magenta eyes glowed fiercely, seeming to look into his soul. He blinked a few times to see if it would go away. After taking note that it didn't go away, he responded.
"And just who the hell are you?" He asked, suspicion rising in his voice, "And how do you know my name?"
"When I was created, I was given the name Rascideel or 'A Dragon of Many Faces' in dragon tongue. Though when you discovered me and began to use my power, you gave me the name Izanagi, after our Godesses' father." It said. The dragon seemed to be speaking seriously, as Ken didn't feel as if he was being cheated.
"As for how I know you, that is a very long story. One that I could not tell you in your current state. The warp in dimensions went awry, and you, Thunder Edge, and I were separated and it seems you developed amnesia as a result. I would prefer that you realize who you were on your own." Ken's eyebrows drew down in anger and confusion. He wanted to know who he was before he had arrived here, and why he was sent here in the first place.
"I hate to interrupt, but you said something about combat? I believe you said your name was Izanagi?" Aria interjected as she leaned to gain the dragon's attention. "What kind of combat do you mean?"
"What else could I mean? I am used as a tool for destruction among other things. In the right hands, I was able to level mountains." The dragon said proudly. Aria smiled wryly at Ken, and the man blinked a few times. He only had a split second before he, the cards, and Aria were all teleported to the castle training grounds.
Once he had his bearings, Ken held the cards up, which were now in his hands, and found that they glowed a gentle magenta aura. He looked to the unicorn that was several feet away from him. She had levitated a wooden practice sword over to her. It wasn't like Ken to fight, but he was doing this so he could truly find out what the cards could do. Besides, Twilight was going to nag him about it until he did if he refused.
With a casual slip of the cards into his pocket and another sigh, he readied himself to fight. He denied the sword he had been offered and instead took up a melee stance. A small chuckle came from the cards as he finished preparing himself. Ken sighed, beginning to shuffle forward. Aria lashed out with the sword, hitting Ken's arm with the flat of the blade. He inhaled sharply and rubbed his arm.
After the first smack came many more, leaving red marks all over Ken's body. His limbs hurt, he was sweating profusely, and he was running out of energy. He was trying desperately now to get the cards to work, moving them around in his hands. With each passing second came the slap of the blade as it hit his flesh.
A cry of anger and a flinging of the cards was what it took, as the cards were thrown into the air, and instead of floating to the ground, they began levitating around Ken. The four of hearts glowed, and he no longer felt pain. The red marks across his body vanished, along with the hearts on the card. After a minute or so, one of them appeared again.
'So, they're on a timer.' He thought to himself. He also noticed that the cards had formed a barrier around him while he looked at them. Aria was swinging away at it with the practice sword but to no avail. With an angry grunt, she cast it aside, her horn glowing. Ken could tell that she was casting a strong magic attack, his first instinct to get out of the way. At that moment, he could feel his body get lighter as the three of spades glowed and lost its design.
"Unfortunately, I cannot give you too much power. Your body would not be able to handle all of it, not to mention you have little to no Mana to cast a spell. I will lend you what you need to help you through this." Izanagi said. There was a seriousness to his tone, and Ken drew his brow down in confusion.
Aria had stopped casting now, apparently having canceled the spell. The barrier around Ken vanished and the cards returned to his hand. With it gone, Aria trotted to stand beside him and look at the cards. Again he flung the cards out and they began to float. Within a few seconds, they returned to his hand without prompt. He still felt lighter than before, and the two cards that had been used regained their respective designs.
"That's kinda cool. So the hearts can heal, obviously. What happened with the other one? I sensed a second spell being cast. What was that?" Aria asked Ken. He shrugged his shoulders at her before slipping the cards back into his pocket. He tested his shoe by tapping in on the ground behind him, before jogging for a moment. In doing so, he almost fell flat on his face due to the sudden stop he made. When he looked back, he was all the way across the dirt field, Aria staring in shock at the speed he had just been traveling.
Ken looked down at his feet in surprise. He could see where he would have landed if he hadn't gotten his footing in time. There was a cobblestone path there. Nothing would have been able to stop him if he had kept going.
"What the fuck?" He asked no one in particular.
"I guess spades make you speed up," Aria said surprisedly. It was almost a question, though a hesitant one.
"I will explain what my suits do more in-depth at a later date. For now, I must rest." The dragon in the cards said. Ken blinked a few times, holding perfectly still. He could hear Aria approaching him from behind and he didn't really care. Their sparring match was over now, and Ken was still unsure of himself. Even though he no longer felt as light as he had, he didn't trust it.
"I think we need to let the Princess know what we found out," Aria said, and Ken nodded in agreement.
Author's Note
Alright, this one's done. I hope all of you enjoyed, and that you will look forward to the next chapter. A small reminder that constructive criticism is welcome.
May inspiration light your path,
After several hours of discussion with the Princess, Ken was finally able to wind down. He was still in the meeting room with Twilight and Aria, but he was able to relax now that the two were talking amongst themselves about matters that didn't concern him. Subconsciously he listened to them, but his mind was elsewhere.
Some of his memories had come back to him since he took hold of the cards. He knew that he had gone on a journey to find the cards and that he had used them before. He remembered presenting them to someone, though her face was clouded. Much of his memory was still a blur, but he remembered the cards.
"Ken?" The sound of his name snapped him back into reality. He blinked at Aria and tilted his head in slight confusion. "We were asking what you thought about this."
"About what?" He asked, clueless.
"There are rumors of assassins attacking the castle in Canterlot. Princess Cadence sent me a letter telling me that there was suspicious activity the last she was there. I would like to hear your opinion on this, and I'd like your insight." Twilight told him.
This caught Ken off guard. Never in his time in Equestria had the princess wanted his insight on anything. She had ponies for that, and they were usually the Elements. At present, the other five were off doing what they usually did. Nothing he had done warranted his opinion.
"If she thinks that somethings up, there probably is. Her husband was the captain of the royal guard, so he more than likely saw it first." Ken shrugged. He wasn't an expert on these things, nor did he have any combat experience that he knew of. "Besides, why would you ask me? I'm a nobody. I couldn't tell whether or not there are."
"And that's why I'm sending you to the palace. Partly because I want you to look into this for me, but mainly because I received word that the Princesses would like to see you on the matter of these cards." She told him. Ken slumped and groaned lowly. If it wasn't for a summons, he wouldn't have anything to do with the diarchy. He preferred to stay out of royal business.
"Oh, don't be that way, Ken. Hey, at least you'll get to see Princess Luna." Aria gave him a sly smile, causing Ken's face to light up with color. He crossed his arms and gave her an angry stare. He knew she was joking, yet it was the way she said it. Ken shook his head and looked away.
"I'll go. Not like I have a choice in the matter." He huffed, unfolding his arms and leaning back in the chair again. Twilight gave him a nod of approval before turning back to Aria. "I've gotta make a run by Rarity's place before I leave. She should have my clothes ready by now."
With that, Ken stood and left the meeting room. As he left he nodded to Silent Meadow, who was polishing the floor. She smiled at him and resumed working. After descending the flight of stairs and making his way outside, Ken noticed that the sun was still high in the sky. He stood there for a moment, soaking up the light.
Before long, he made his way to Rarity's boutique, opening the door and letting the bell chime throughout the main room.
"Just a moment!" He heard the unicorn say from the other room. This gave him a chance to look around for once. Everywhere he looked, there were dresses and suits meant for ponies. Ken shook his head at all of them. Every suit or dress he looked at seemed to be a commission from some big-name pony.
After having stared at Rarity's work for a good five minutes, Ken caught sight of her out of the corner of his eye. When he turned to her, she was wearing her trademark glasses and had a notepad floating next to her.
"Oh, Ken, here for your order I imagine?" She asked him, giving a polite smile. "I finished it not but a few minutes ago." This was punctuated by said order floating in, wrapped in a gentle blue glow. What he had requested from her was simple yet effective. A deep red shirt, paired with black pants. Along with them came a cloak that would hang at his shoulders, and its thin but insulating lining evident.
"I hope it's to your liking. You didn't give me much detail, so I didn't have much to go off of." She said, hovering the clothes over in front of him. He took hold of the shirt and worked his thumb into it.
"Do you mind if I try them on?" He asked, looking up at her hopefully.
"Of course! I have curtains for a reason, darling." Rarity led him to one of the curtains, laid the clothes on a bench, then pulled the curtains closed with her magic. Without delay, Ken pulled his clothes off and put the new ones on. The shoes he had were fine for the moment, and he slipped them back on after his pants. The cloak was the last to drape around him. Its dark fabric hung down to his ankles, swaying slightly. He pulled the hood up and walked out to face Rarity in his new clothes.
Her first reaction was to look him up and down. Then her eyebrows drew down in what seemed to be confusion. Though Ken couldn't discern between confusion and judgemental, what with her looking to and from other designs.
"I like it. It fits well, and it's comfortable." Ken offered to her, a consoling look on his face. She didn't seem to hear him, still staring at a dress across the room. He blinked a few times before looking at the dress.
It was relatively plain, a sunrise orange with a deep red sash around the middle. What caught his eye was the heart-shaped cut of amethyst in the center of the chest. It sparkled in the sunlight, drawing him in. The gen was mesmerizing. Pulsing with a purple glow, Ken felt compelled to walk towards it and pick it up.
"Master Ken!" A voice yelled at him, snapping him out of his daze. He realized he had his hand almost on the again. "Do not touch it! It will draw you in and trap you in it!" Ken jerked his arm back and shook his head to clear it. His vision cleared and he looked at Rarity. She was dangerously close to the gem.
Without thinking, Ken grabbed her and pulled her away. Her eyes were glazed over still when he set her down away from the main room.
"What in the fuck?" He said more than asked. His breathing was fast, his heart threatening to burst from his chest. "Rarity, where did you get that gem?" Ken asked her. For a long moment, she didn't answer, still dizzy from being pulled away from the gem so suddenly. Once she had gotten her bearings, she shook her head.
"It was a gift from Spike. He told me I could use it however I wanted." She told him. This made Ken blink several times, the cogs in his brain turning. The gem seemed to draw anyone in that gazed at it, but if Spike had been able to touch it without it sucking him in as Izanagi had told him it would. This meant that dragons were immune to the effects of the curse on the gem.
Ken's eyebrows drew down in thought. He had to figure out a way to safely get the gem out of the boutique without it drawing anyone in. If he was able to move it with telekinesis he would. The only problem was that he didn't know-how.
"Izanagi, are you able to make a barrier around the gem so I can move it?" Ken asked out loud. For a moment he heard nothing. After a few moments, he heard an affirmative hum in his head. He let out a relieved sigh before looking back at Rarity. "Stay in here until you hear the door close, alright? I'm gonna get that gem out of here before it can hurt anyone else."
Once Rarity had nodded, he steeled himself and walked into the next room. With his eyes closed, he could hear the magic that Izanagi used and formed around the gem. An image came into his mind of a dragon nodding and Ken opened his eyes afterward. The gem now had a deep red glow around it and was still attached to the dress. It was a wonder how Rarity had gotten it onto the dress without getting pulled into it. A question for another time.
He stepped up to the gem and reached out towards it. In the back of his mind, he could feel the urge to touch it and be pulled in by it, but he refused to give in to it. Even though he knew that Izanagi had put a barrier around it, it was still unsettling. He steeled himself again and grabbed the gem.
Nothing happened when he grabbed it. Although, it was as if the magic that was tied to the gem was trying to escape and pull him into it. The glow around it pulsed a few times before it died down, seeming to have given up. He still didn't trust it. It had almost gotten to him once, and he wasn't going to let it get to him again.
He let out a breath that he didn't know he was holding. With a steeling of his nerves, he turned towards the door and stepped towards it. By the time he reached it, he was almost running. The door slammed open and he pulled it closed again. There wasn't much time for resting as he began to run towards the castle again.
Ken noticed that while he was running, he was faster than he remembered. The weight of his clothes was a lot less than that of the ones he had been transported in. A trivial matter, and one to bring up later. It only helped him reach his destination easier. He was approaching the Ponyville castle quickly and he was considering stopping for the door, but it would take too much time. He looked up and saw Twilight with her back turned to the balcony, apparently speaking to someone.
When he looked back down, there was a whole other place through a portal. He wasn't able to stop in time to not go through and once he was through, it vanished. He looked around and found himself in the Grand Hall at the castle in Canterlot. Ken let out a sigh at this. From where he had stopped, he straightened and dusted himself off a bit. Once he was done, he dropped into a formal bow.
In front of him sat the three princesses and Shining Armor. The royalty had summoned him for some reason or another, and he was going to find out why soon enough. For the moment, he figured he might as well be formal.
"Princesses. An honor to meet with you again. If I may ask, why have you summoned me on such short notice? I was to leave tomorrow morning for the train station." He said, not straightening from his bow. They did not answer, though he felt the four sets of eyes on him. He blinked and raised his head, seeing that Shining Armor was conversing with his wife and Luna was shifting in her seat a little. "Is there something wrong?" He asked in confusion and worry.
"Twenty," Celestia said simply. Ken looked at her with a somewhat blank stare. "Twenty soldiers found dead not half an hour ago. We were going to have you investigate tomorrow when you arrived, but you are needed now."
Ken reared at this. He wasn't mentally ready for the information dump that was just piled onto him. It hurt his head slightly, but he ignored it.
"They were murdered in a variety of ways, but the most common was of a blade of sorts. The wounds were cauterized though. We think magic is involved somehow." Celestia said. "We already have a team ready to assist you while you find out who did this. We also offer our weapons to you, should you need them."
Ken shook his head and looked at the tile floor. With all these new things, he wasn't sure if he would be able to actually find his past and uncover who he used to be. It didn't look like he was going to get much sleep any time soon.
Author's Note
Good day to all of you! I know it has been a long while since I updated this story, and I have been working on it where I can in-between work and life. Not an easy combo to find free time in, I know. However! I intend to write much more of this before I am done with it, and the chapters will hopefully be much longer as time progresses so that you have more to read between updates.
For now, I hope that all of you enjoy this chapter and will wait patiently for the next one.
My inspiration light your path,
