Chapter Three: Questions are not Answers.

I can see. That's not how biology works. You don't just bleed from your eyes and start to see as far as a hawk.
Maybe not exactly like a hawk, but close enough.

"-y! Can you hear me?!" I suppress the urge to cringe from the volume.

"Yes Adagio, I can hear you just fine. For how long was I spaced out?" I ask whist turning the finger in my ear.

"Definitely more than a couple of minutes."-She turns to the aquarium-"You like our little watery world?" Little? It's three meters high!

"Yes, it's actually kinda-" Something green and orange, with a mathematically impossible amount of teeth, suddenly latches onto one of the fishes and drags it under the sand in a single second."-...nice."

"Thank you. We actually collected all of these fishes and plants ourselves." She swells with pride.

"Uh...huh. Hey listen, can you tell where I can wash off all this,"- I point at my face. -"because I highly doubt, you'd enjoy our conversation with me looking like this."

"Wait, that's not your usual look?" She asks with genuine interest.

... "..."

"Okay fair enough. There's a bathroom door to your left."

"And what do you want me to do with it?" I ask whilst turning toward the door.

"..."

"Fair enough." I enter the bathroom.

The first thing I notice is the absolutely massive built-in marble bath tub with silver engravings. Fancy.
There's also a pretty funky looking washing machine with a marble sink next to it. I walk over to it and see a bunch of different toiletries placed in cups on the sink. A light blue, yellow, white and black towels are neatly folded on the washing machine. After scrubbing off my 'war paint' and making sure the door is closed, I use the white towel, then open the cupboard that's hanging behind me and search for a razor or scissors. I find a razor. However I can't use it in self defense, because it's a modern human-like razor and not a blade.
Maybe I cou-

"What do you think you're doing?"

"Do you have anything to treat a skin rash?" I ask keeping my cool.

"First of all: close the cupboard. No One-" One? "-gave you permission to start looking in our stuff. Second of all: no, thanks for reminding me, that's another thing we'll have to buy later."

"We?"

"Everyone in this house except you." Harsh.

She moves to the side to let me out of the bathroom. Sunset is now wearing an orange hoodie, huddled in that incredibly comfortable looking chair. Aria and Sonata are sitting on a nearby grey sofa with purple outlines, now that the latter is no longer in her apron, I am able to see that she's got a pair of pink long-socks, a pair of blue shorts and a pink long-sleeved shirt on, which has a single blue and white musical note on it. Other than that, they haven't changed much. One's nervous, one's excited and the last one is seemingly bored.

Time to get this rolling.

I walk over to the front door, the mares just watching me curiously. Carefully bending down, in order to not get a repeat of the previous episode, I pick up the purple cushion, get the metal chair, walk over to the sofa and set the chair down about three steps away from it, so that I'm able to speak with everyone without much turning. I sit on the now much more comfortable chair with the little pillow on it.
I work my jaw around for a bit, waiting until Adagio sits on the sofa with the other two.

"Oh by the way, do you mind answering my questions, after I answer yours?"

"...That's not what we agreed on." Don't be like tha-at.

"You can decline if you want. I am going to answers yours either way."

"We'll see." 'Progress'.

"So...You wanna like, write this down or something?" I look at their 'leader'.

"We won't be asking those kind of questions."

"Actually I wou-"

"We won't be asking those kind of questions. You can ask him those questions, if we deem him trustworthy, Sunset."-piece of cake.-"Activate you lie detection spell."-that is on fire.

"Well, technically speaking it's not really a lie dete-"

"Just use it." Not really a lie detection spell eh? I look at Sunset and she has a face of concentration...I'll call it a face for familiaritys sake. However nothing is happening. Am I immune to it, or something?

"Is... something supposed to happen?"

"Oh it's already happening." Adagio, what are you talking about. She isn't even- Oh. There is a red mixed with cyan glow around her horn, but it's practically invisible. And we're in a pretty dark room right now. I guess magic is not quite the lightshow it's made out to be.

"Alright, first things first. What is your name?" Sunsets ears twitched in my direction. Her ears twitched.

Heh, this eyesight is proving to be useful.

My name eh? Well it's- Wait if that merchant has turned my costume into actual necromancers armor it's not a very good idea to give my real name. Don't think, remember. Thinking increases blood flow. Do not think, remember.

"I am Vadon." Sonata adopted a quizzical expression.

"Vah Dawn? What does Vah mean?" What? Oh...

"No-no-no, it's one word." Her mouth formed into a little 'O'. Adagio looked at Sunset.

"He's not lying." The unicorn answered the unasked question.

"Alright then, next: How did you appear in the middle of the street today?" Not even going to ask what I am? I'm cool with that.

"I guess I got teleported."

"You guess?" Adagio stop pressing.

"I'm not really good with this whole spells and...magic thing."

"But-but...Your armor has so many complex runic spell matrixes. Didn't you make it?" Sunset seems to lose her concentration.

"I made the armor and daggers. All the magic? Not me." It's the truth.

"Alright, but what about that book and... whatever the other thing is?" They don't have guns? Ex-celent.

"I bought them."

"So you don't know why it burned me when I picked it up?" All three of hornless Ponies whipped their head to her in concern and worry.

"It burned you!?" Dammit Sunset, you're not helping!

"No, I don't know why." My statement was ignored.

"Relax, it was just a small burn, nothing serious." Despite the reassurance Adagio still turned to me and gave me a murderous glare.

"Whose side are you even on Sunset?"-The siren looked at her friend-"Is your lie-detection spell even still active? Has he lied about anything?"

"I am trying not to be biased Dagi. Yes it's still active and I don't think Vadon is lying." I look at Sunset. No, no it isn't.

"Fine. Why are you here?" I still tell the truth. I don't like lying.

"Because I want to be here." You know Dagi, when you ask me questions, you have to be really specific, if you want to get the answers you desire.

"Why do you want to be here?" Or you can just simply keep asking me an indefinite amount of questions.
That works too. I need to change tactics.

"Would you believe me if I told you that I am here to conquer you all an then destroy this entire planet?"

"No."

"Then what do you expect me to say woman!? That I am here on some secret mission for a government? That I am here, because of some ancient prophecy being fulfilled? Or that I am here to use you all as batteries for my invisible spaceship that's parked right outside?! What. do. you. want. from. me?"

Sunset is taken aback by my outburst, Sonata attempts to hide in the couch and Arias eyebrows rise.
Adagios expression stays neutral.

"What's up with you dude?" The emo asks.

"Let me think. Oh I know! I haven't eaten in over eight hours and whatever sent me here only increased the hunger. My head still feels like it has been struck by the hammer of a god. I've been unconscious and tied to a metallic chair without a pillow for-How long?"

"For about an hour and a half." Aria tells me.

"Thank you. I've been unconscious in that chair for an hour and a half and as soon as I get out of it, I embarrass myself!"-I know the universe hates me, but this is a different universe, for fucks sake-"And after I haven't done anything to receive such distrust and been answering your questions, you still hate me! And don't tell me you don't, because I know you do. So I ask you one more time: What do you want from me?" Taking deep breaths through the nose, I look at Adagio.

"The truth." ...

"I will answer one more question, so choose wisely. After that I want you to stop treating me like a threat." My heartbeat returns to normal.

"Do you wish any harm upon me, my sisters, or Sunset?" Good question.

"No."

She turns to Sunset, who gives a nod and smile. I noticed her horn just stopped glowing. I can actually see the aura, if I know what to look for, because magic is not just simply pretty colors. Adagio sighs and stands up. The others are doing the same. I want to be with the cool kids and stand up as well. Now that we're all standing I decide to take a look at them.

Sunset is half a head shorter than me, if you don't count the horn. Aria and Sonata were close to my size, but still not exactly. Adagio was the giant in the room, even if you don't account for her hair, she was still taller than me by half my head, which isn't small.
I am meter seventy something. I wasn't the tallest amongst those I knew, but I was close.

"I am not sure if I trust you completely at the moment. However, I am willing to do so. I am giving you a chance. Don't waste it."

"I don't plan to. Dagi." I give her a little smirk. She looks down at me.

"Just one more question. What are you?" Ah there it is. I think about the question for a bit.

"I am something you have never seen before."

She opens her mouth to say something, but stops when she sees the look on my face and instead let's out a sigh.

"Yeah. Sounds about right."-she looks at her sisters-" I am going to take a quick shower, then we can go back and practice. Sunset you can hang out with him i- you are male right?"-I nod-"See? Told you. Anyway you can hang out with him if you want to. Give him the basement for now." After one last look, they all disappear up the stairs.

"Two things. One: what are they practicing for, and two: why would she give me the basement?" Sunset gets a smile at the first part, but it disappears after I finish.

"You do know about the storm, right?" She sounds confused and worried.

"Let's say I don't. Why would I need a basement because of a storm, what's so dangerous about it?" Sunset walks over to the door and opens it. The sound of rain splashing against the stone ground reaches my ears instantly. She tells me to come over to her.

The scene is breathtaking. We seem to be located higher than the rest of the city that I can see at the moment. In the distance there are dark green fields as far as the eye can see. The sky is made up of a swirling mass of lead colored clouds.
It was a mesmerizing sight.

"This is a really nice view, but that still doesn't expla-"

I was interrupted by lightning followed up with thunder. The five rainbow lightning strikes happened almost simultaneously. One of them landed almost in front of the door. I was about to comment on that, but three more 'rainbows' zapped different parts of the city. Sunset closed the door.

My blank gaze found hers slightly amused one. Soon it was replaced by sadness.

"Approximately a week go, the 'Rainbow Storm' incident happened. No one knows why or how,
but Cloudsdales rainbows mixed with the storm clouds, that were being produced at the time and for some reason it caused a very violent reaction, making the clouds gain strange properties and expand at a rapid pace.
Which caused Cloudsdale to quite literally explode. The explosion has claimed many lives and the list of the deceased keeps getting longer. Most of them are those, who either haven't heard of the storm yet, or the ones trying to stop it. The lightning strikes can melt heat-resistant steel in seconds and the storm itself is much denser than a normal cloud, so it's quite difficult to get rid of it. Some believe it was an unfortunate accident and some - a sabotage."

"That 'cloud' you saw is currently covering about forty five percent of Equestrias air space. That's the nation we're in right now by the way. The storm came to Canterlot three days ago. And until the mages and scientists come up with a way to deal with it, all the citizens have been ordered to stay in their homes."

That is... grim. Who knew that rainbows could be so dangerous? Wait..

"Wait. I remember being on the street. Who carried me in here?"

"Adagio and I,-" My eyebrows raise in in surprise "- I was drinking my tea, when I heard a strange noise. After deciding to investigate, I thought I heard thunder and when I looked out of the window, I saw you standing there in your armor, with smoke coming off of it. I thought if you were still standing, then the lightning had missed. But when you fell, I panicked, grabbed my hoodie and ran out. You were lying on the ground unmoving. For-for a while, I thought you d-died."

She was suppressing her tears, she felt concern for a complete stranger.
And Adagio...I can understand why she was salty. She had to risk her neck for a complete stranger.
They saved my life. If I hadn't been hit by lightning, then I would have drowned, or frozen to death.
I owe them one. I want to owe them one. I also might have to apologize for my outburst.

She still could've have been nicer though. Not holding a knife to someone else's face helps.

Sunset has small tears running down her cheeks. I don't usually do this, but I don't want to have Adagio come down the stairs and see her friend crying, especially when I am standing near said crying friend.

"Come here." I give her a hug. She accepts. After a few minutes of silence she speaks up.

"Thank you." I let her go.

"On a hopefully more lighter note: could you answer my first question?" She smiles.

"They are musicians. Rock Stars to be precise, you know what that is?"-I nod-"They are quite famous actually. Their next performance is supposed to be next week. But if the storm is still there..." She looks sad again.

I jump onto her, literally glomping her, but also making sure she doesn't fall.

"Vadon-Vadon! I'm okay, I'm fine! Don't worry, I am not going to cry." Sunset let's out a cute giggle.

I let go again. "Alright, if you say so."-I feel my throat strain-"Do you know where I can get some water? I'm really thirsty."

"Oh, you can just drink tap water. It all comes from the cleanest mountain spring you'll ever find. Trust me, that's a fact."

"But what abou- wait this city is on a mountain?" I got to keep up the act after all, plus maybe I'll find out something interesting.

"Yes, you're in the Equestrian capital: Canterlot, it's located on a mountain." Sunset I think you misunderstood my question. Let me clarify.

"Why would anyone build their capital on a mountain?"

"Technically it is on the side of the mountain."

"How is that any better?! Anything close to an earthquake can just simply make the city fall!"

"Actually earthquakes are quite rare, only happening once every couple of centuries. And besides: Canterlot has a fantastic structural integrity. It's very difficult even for a fully grown dragon to make it fall.-" I bet that's an interesting story-"After all, the city was built by us, Ponies I mean, and Minotaurs. With their help the city was carved into the mountain and was used as a vantage point in the 'Lion-Pony War' against the Gryphons 'Lion House'. After the war ended and a peace treaty was signed, Canterlot became the capital of Equestria" Knew I'd find something juicy.

"Wow. I don't know what to say except for: them Minotaurs ey?" ...Sunset, at least pretend you're amused.

"Come on. I will give you a cup that'll be yours for now." I follow her into the kitchen.

The kitchen, like I was expecting: is quite spacious. There is a glass table in the middle of the room, with eight spruce chairs placed around it. On the right side of the room are bookshelves filled to the brim with various tomes, and a few scattered scrolls. To the left is the kitchen counter, a funny looking stove, a fridge and what appears to be a microwave plugged into a triangular socket. Above the counter, there is a line of see-through cupboards, towards which Sunset was headed.

"Doesn't the rain affect the water?" She takes out a white cup from one of the cupboards and hands it to me.

"Don't worry. The rain isn't poisonous." Radiation isn't technically poison.

I walk up to the sink, hold the cup under the tap and turn on the flow. Crystal clear water pours out of the tap and after I have a full cup I put it up to my mouth. When I am about to take a sip, I see a pink flower with a smiley face drawn on the cup, with a few pink hearts around it. Too thirsty to care at the moment, I shrug it off and take a massive drink. If my mouth could stretch further, the glass would have fallen inside from the speed I was drinking at. Sunset blinks at me.

"You were really thirsty. Why didn't you say so sooner?"

"I doubt that sadist would have let me anyway, so I didn't bother." Oops. Made her angry.

"Adagio is not a sadist, she is just...overprotective when it comes to family and friends. She has...other reasons as well. You just don't know her."

"How did you four meet anyway?"

"*Sigh* We didn't meet... under the best circumstances to be honest. It involved my friend Twilight, who is a bit... unstable at times. She wasn't always like that though. She was actually a pretty nice mare, if a bit antisocial. I don't really want to talk about it, if you don't mind. You will have to ask Adagio, or her sisters about how we met."

"I might, though I doubt that she would tell me anything about herself." I say, as I finish another drink.
"By the way, what the lie detector exactly?"

"Ah, that. I just increased my hearing ability and listened to any changes in your heartbeat." Nailed it.

"So when I shouted, did it...?"

"No it didn't hurt, don't worry." -of course it didn't- "Do you want to see your basement?" Not really.

"Sure, why not."-I decide to take the cup with me-"Lead the way then."

We leave the kitchen and walk past the aquarium. I don't even need to look at it, to know that something just blinked at me with three eyes. We reach the corner and there is a simple door made out of grey wood. Sunset flicks a light switch to the left and walks through the open door and down some stairs. After we take a left turn, I see another door, made of metal this time. Sunset opens it with ease and we're greeted by darkness. She searches around for something on the wall inside and suddenly the light comes on.

The inside is not as fancy or as spacious as the living room, or kitchen. Walls of pure concrete form the six by three meters basement, a spruce bed decorates the right corner of it with a grey mattress. After I enter the room, I can see that a glowing white crystal in a light bulb is the only source of light here. I can see my 'costume' and wares lying on what appears to be used as a table.

The table is just a thick metal slab impaled into the entire left wall. However there is a smooth transition between it and the concrete. In the far left corner of the basement, near the ceiling is a grated
ventilation shaft, which I am grateful for.

"This is where you're going to be living for now. Sorry about the conditions." Could be worse. I think, as I notice a few empty cardboard boxes lying under the table.

"I'll make do." There's also a working clock above the door. Since Ponies also appear to use the twelve hour system I guess it's eight in the evening. She looks at the suit of armor.

"Your armor has plenty of different runes. Some of them I've never seen before, but I think one of them is the binding enchantment. I've only read about the concept of such a thing in the depths of Canterlot Castles archives!" Aww. Sunset is a book worm. She radiates excitement just by looking at my armor, that's adorable.

"So what does that mean?" My question dampens her mood, my voice doesn't share the same excitement.

"In theory: all the runes on the armor will activate only when you wear it. Anyone else should be able to wear it, but won't be able to use to it's full potential." Well damn.

"I admit that's pretty awesome"

"How do you not know that? Haven't you worn it before?"

"Once, and look what happened."

"Want to put it on?" I turn to her in surprise.

"But... aren't... you don't know what might happen and what I might do. Do you really trust me that much?" She smiles.

"We've already established that you don't want to harm us. I am used to trusting others first. If they break that trust, I won't ever believe them again. Besides you have no reason to do so." Sunset, you forget that I might be unreasonable.

After looking at her for a moment, I silently walk over to the slab and stand over my armor. I look to Sunset for guidance.

"Try the book, I couldn't open it, no matter how hard I tried." I pick up the book.

The dark designs on the book suddenly become aglow with small light blue flames. The flames in crystal eye also light up and start moving.

"That's amazing! Can you hold it for me for a second? I'm going to try to scan the book."

I hold it out for her, and her horn lights up with the same colors as before. The same aura appears around the book, but seems to be flickering in and out of existence. Sunset frowns.

"That's not right. I don't know of any defense protocols, that don't even let me get a grip on an item..." She stops her magic.

"Maybe you shouldn't do that. You know, just in case if there are any violent defenses." I tell her, as I place the book back on the table. It instantly stops being on fire.

"You're probably right. But how am I going to study your armor then?" Sunset pouts.

"You won't. This book should hopefully contain some information on these runes, so I will read it tomorrow. I promise to tell you what I've found out about this stuff." She smirks and points a finger at me.

"I will hold you to that." I bet you will.

"Oh! I do know what this can do though. Observe!" I exclaim, as I pick up the now glassless helmet and put it on.

When it's fully on my head I hear Sunset gasp. I can see her clearly, but I assume that the smoke thing is working. Suddenly a spike of pain runs through my head. I let out a cry and quickly put my hands up to my head, almost throwing the helmet off of me. Sunset runs up to me surprisingly fast, for someone who has hooves for legs.

"Are you alright?! What happened?" I wave her off, looking at the helmet in pain.

"No idea. But knowing my luck? I probably just got cursed, or something" She punches my arm.

"Don't joke like that! Shadowmancy is a dangerous thing." Who said I was joking?

I suddenly felt really sleepy. "Look: it's been a long day for everyone. Let's just-" yawn "-retire for the night and deal with this stuff." I suggest as I throw the helmet on the table. I am getting really sleepy, this can't be natural.

"Are you sure? I mean: you're not going to-"Sunset covers her mouth with one hand and closes her eyes. "Fine, I suppose you're right." She walks over to the door and I flop down on the bed, not even bothering to take off my clothes. "Are you feeling alright."

"I'm fine, just super sleepy. Could you shut off the lights on the way out, please?" I mumble, already halfway into dreamland. If something is trying to affect me, I at least don't want her near when something happens.

I hear the familiar click of a light switch. "Good night Vadon. If you're hungry there's food in the fridge." I hear her hooves go up the stairs.

I want to say 'you too', but am unable to do so. Hopefully: there were no 'Lich Kings' were in that helmet, that wanted to escape out into the world by possessing my body.

I jinxed it didn't I?

I finally fall asleep.

And then I am awake. Wait...No I'm not.

Author's Note

So! First things first:

1. New cover art, enjoy.

2. More groups to find me by. You're welcome.

Fun facts:

'Vadon' means wild.

Vadon says Minotaurs like so: Me-no-tor.

If you have any questions, post them in the comment section, or send me mail.
Hope you enjoyed the chapter and I'll see you when I do.

Wizardly Cube! Awa-a-a-a-a-a-y.