Chapters A hailstorm had been pushed in by the Fliers, on the north side. They had blindsided us with the giant clumps of cold ice. They were almost the size of golf balls. I was currently huddled and hidden in the corner of the trench I was assigned to, as blood slowly ran in the door mixed with mud and rain. I looked over the mixture with disgust, going a bit pale. The Mystics were attacking from the southern border. I heard a shout from my commander, and saw him running past the door in a display of desperation. There was a single gun shot, and he fell to the ground collapsed. He weakly turned his head to look at me, blood spurting from his mouth as he coughed, giving little coughs of hysterical helplessness. This image joined the many that had been photographed and engraved into stone in my mind. I could remember every one of the deaths of my friends. Every single death I caused fighting the Equines. I clamped my hand over the lion necklace I had, if done right it looked like you could hang it off of something like a cup or the lip of a ledge. It was merely a toy, the last thing that reminded him of what he was before he was taken at the age of 10 to train for the Equine Wars. I was drafted for this with little say. I was raised with the thought that I was going to always fight and eventually die in this war. We were raising our children to be slaughtered. Like livestock...
I heard heavy bootsteps, and the heavy clinking of chains. Mercenaries... They were humans trained to fight, but they refused to fight, and dropped out into their own groups. They would be hired by the Equines to take out troops. The merc placed his boot on the head of my dying commander, and slowly pointed his gun at the head of the man I was always taught to obey, and he shot him straight through the head. I gained a sense of intense helplessness and confusion. I had relied on the Commander for everything. When I could sleep, when to wake, when to eat, when to battle, when to heal, when to drink or even go to the bathroom. I looked a bit lifeless for a few moments, and soon, I reverted to the scared primal child that I was before all of this. The scared little child. I cowered like a dog in the corner, no longer knowing what to do or how to act. The merc slowly looked at me and eyed me like I was a piece of meat. He whistled as loud as he could, and I heard several more splashes in the bloody mud.
Out of the woodwork appeared two more merc's, and the leader nodded, and I felt something stab into my torso, making me cry out in pain as I held my side. This was going to be used to hurt me enough so I couldn't run, I knew. They were capturing me. I was picked up and groaning, trying to hide my large gulps of in tense pain and fear. There was no taste of blood in my mouth, but there was a sense of fear. It grew with every step the two merc's took towards me. They each took one of my arms, and the leader started checking for weapon. He took my chain, my trench knife, my spade, my pistol and my switchblade. He looked at my lion necklace and raised an eyebrow, reaching for it. I pulled back as gest as I could, holding it in my hands as tightly as I could. He leaned back and became nonchalant, and shrugged, turning away and moving away. He didn't make any moves but a few steps, and I was dragged after him. He had a mask on with a skeleton smile on it with blood coming from it's sharpened fangs.
He waved the two forwards to let me go, and they did, and the wound in my chest gushed with blood. The lead merc glared back at me as I weakly groaned and struggled to hold up my weight. He walked over and tied my hands behind my back. Urgency pounded my skull into bits as I tried to regain mobility, the blood gushing from the hole in my chest being the absolute least of my worries. My captor had a tight hold on the back of my neck holding on so tight I couldn't breath. I'm doomed. He lifted me over his shoulder. He headed towards the forbidden forest here. I gasped at the very idea of it, and tried to struggle. He jerked his steps and I yipped in pain, feeling the blood coming out of my torso. The hail stopped when we entered the forest, and there was a deeply disturbing scent to the forest. The merc let out a whistle, and listened. I heard a bird call back and he walked forwards a bit more, silently and carefully. Humiliating it was, being the prisoner of a traitor. I let out a small sniffle as I felt my life starting to drain. I was getting weaker. He did whatever he could to keep me from going limp, sometimes jerking, other times pinching my calves.
He stopped again and whistled, loudly, and in a different pitch than before. It seemed urgent. He waited a moment, and a faint whistle was heard off in the distance, and he grunted, setting me against a dead tree, and tying my legs together so I couldn't move. I didn't struggle. I was far to weak. He went off and began gathering sticks, leaves, and kindling. He pulled out my trench knife and a piece of stone, and sparked it. He looked at me and his eyebrows furrowed. He pulled down his mask, to reveal his midnight shadow. He looked at me and walked up, taking a breath. He took the strap of his bag and put it around my neck, and it hung around my neck to the front. He dressed the wound a bit, disinfecting it and smearing something on it that I had never seen before. It took the pain away, or dulled it at least.
He waited for a while before cooking up some food over the fire, a few carrots and other veggies like potatoes. He sipped bread into the liquid and held it to me. I took a bite, and he kept it up like this until the bread was gone, and he held the bowl to my lips, making me drink until it was gone. He wiped my face of the substance and set the bowl down. He whistled again, and then a Mystic entered the little circle that had been made around us. I went on high alert as soon as I saw the Equine, struggling weakly against the bindings. I kicked. They started a conversation, and the merc nodded, accepting a small bag of coins. The Mystic used their powers to lift me up and off into the forest, deeper, we went. I was not ready to die.
Hopefully… I wasn't going to.
I yelled out as I struggled against my bonds to escape the Mystic Equine that had me in his grasp. He looked exhausted and ready to give up. I couldn't think straight beyond the strange numbness in my mind from the strange goo that stupid merc smeared on my wound, which he caused to subdue me. Now I suppose it could have been to get the strange muck into my system too, but I think it was mainly to make me a docile little goodie. The Mystic gently set me down in a wooden crate. The top was put on the crate, hammered down, and then my bindings started to be removed. They flew out a relatively large hole in the side, probably for air. I kicked the side weakly and groaned at the heaviness of my legs. They put something into the hole, a little package, and a canister of liquid. It was... It was a glass water bottle and some food. Real food. Like... Carrots and some meat? They don't serve meat here. They don't have a need for it. I took a bite, and figured out it was some sort of substitute. Some type of strange tofu. I ate as fast as I could and chugged the water as quickly as could. It filled my stomach and I felt tired as soon as I was finished. I relaxed. Surely, I would be in my right mind if I had to get rest to fight them off when I'm freed.
I opened my eyes with no idea how long I'd been asleep or where I was. I was in a bed. On a mattress. I haven't even seen one in almost three years, let alone slept on one. It was cushy. I tried to stand on it, but doubled over backwards at the soft bouncy surface. I was wearing a pair of bluish purple scrubs with a symbol on it. It was like a moon or something. I looked around. It was a nice room with the bed in the corner, and a room off the wall without a door, with a toilet and a shower. The shower was covered with a curtain I could probably move over the door. There was a bookshelf covered in books, and a chair with a dresser next to it. The entire room was a strange whiteish silver. Somewhat metallic. I stood up and slowly went to the book case, spooked by it, and pulled one out slowly. It was a book meant for children, with the reading level of an 8 year old, which I found fitting since I was at that reading level due to the war. I still had the intellect of a child due to the military not providing mental sustenance while I was deployed. Wait, what do I mean WAS deployed?! I still am! I put the book back and opened the dresser, finding drawers of specially assorted clothes. Scrubs like mine, but every color of the rainbow, with all the same symbols on them. I looked next to the dresser, and there were moccasins in all the colors of the rainbow.
I looked next to the bed and found moccasins of the same color of my outfit. I looked a bit disgusted, I could tell. I walked over to the bathroom and looked at myself in the mirror. I was different. My round, pale face and wide, wonder filled eyes were dead. They held the nightmares of my past, tortured by the blood I had shed on both sides. The blood I had seen spilled. What replaced that young face was a sunken, thin face with a chiseled jawline and defined cheek bones, with a midnight shadow. I was an adult. Almost? But al I know is that my hair was longer than this before, back in the field.
I looked back up into the mirror, noticing it had been cut neatly and carefully. That damn Mystic must be to blame. I pulled back and looked out the bathroom door, looking around the room. There was no window, but there was a door. I walked over to it and jiggled the doorknob. It was locked. I took a breath and counted to five. and then rushed the door, forcing it open as I grunted and looked around. I was in some sort of larger complex, with stairs at one end of the hall, and lights on the ceiling, It was some kind of hospital. But the Equines were running it, as evident by the hoof mark on the ground. I memorized the room number. 0028. I turned and looked down the hall with the stairs going down. I turned and ran towards it, making it down the stairs quickly. One set, two three, and I couldn't find a fourth flight when I tried, so this was the bottom floor. I peeked out the door. It was a long hallway leading to a door, leading outside. I looked around in the window of the door, and saw there was no Equines in sight. I opened the door slowly and took a deep breath. I counted to five and ran as fast as I could, sprinting with a speed that even the commander would have been jealous of. I kicked off and ran as far as I could, making it to the door and then, out. I blinked and my mind became boggled at the thought that it had been that easy. I stopped and looked up, the sunlight was blinding. I squinted, and looked around. There was dozens of complexes exactly like the one I was in, and they were at least three stories high at least.
Then the sirens went off. The alarm sounded that I had escaped, and now I was on the run. I was a fugitive. Whatever these Equines were trying to do wasn't going to go well for me. I turned and began to run, not caring where, and not caring how. I just couldn't stay here. I felt my stomach get a bit loose, making me almost lean over and throw up right now on the ground. There was nothing I would have enjoyed more, but I couldn't stop. Several Fliers landed in front of me, and others landing around and behind, effectively caging me. I was becoming filled with anxiety, spinning around as the ones I behind me, that I couldn't see, moved in closer. Then they stopped. And the fliers stopped and bowed. Suddenly I was feeling goosebumps erupt across my skin at the strong presence of a Mystic. It was a bit to strong.
I looked up slowly, seeing a strange, tall, white Hybrid of a Mystic and a Flier. It was wearing a crown and strange formal armor. I looked up at the Equine, feeling a sense of peace fill me. I fought it with everything I had, shakily backing away and clenching a fist.
"Stay back!" My voice was crackly and hard to use, and I felt to scratchy to actually use. She stepped forwards and her horn lit up, offering me a bottle of liquid. Water. I drank it and almost fell to my knees at the buckling of my legs. I had it gone in seconds. Clean water. Actually clean water. The strange hybrid slowly approached me, and I backed away, dropping the bottle of water I had emptied and clumsily formed a fist, throwing a punch towards it. It moved it's head and blinked in surprise. I threw another punch. It was to clumsy to make contact. "What the hell did you do to me?! What happened to y fighting stamina?!"
"We drained it to make you less of a threat." Her speech made me freeze, unable to move. I blinked a bit, panicking. I was lifted off the ground in a golden aura, unable to think for a moment. I was becoming tired again. "At ease. 0028 Moon will be coming with me." I blacked out after seeing the Fliers relax.
I could tell you what I thought of this entire situation. If I wasn't in the presence of the most powerful Equine I have ever met. I shook a bit. Humans could handle magic levels of a normal Equine. But as soon as the crew of medallion magic come around with that weird magic shock wave, we're paralyzed with fear. We're frozen. There is no fight or Flight response. Just... Freeze. The times that they were used, entire platoons were taken and never seen again. Now.. Now my platoon was another one that would never be seen again. My entire group. My unit. My station. Just... Gone. They were just going to be replaced. I just... Was frozen.
I could feel the magic as it coursed through my very veins with my heart beat. It flowed through my body like a horrible virus. I broke into a cold sweat. Soon, I found us alone, in a room. I felt kind of numb at this point, looking frightened. I could feel the eyes of the strange hybrid watching me. They were big and hawk like, never leaving me. They were a deep magentaish color. I could barely try and move on my own without shaking violently. She took a breath and the feeling of magic drained from me, and my sore and tense muscles relaxed. I took off my shirt, seeing as it being soaked with sweat was a very bad sign. I took deep breaths and shook on occasion as the rest of the magic was dripped from my body. I relaxed and covered my head with my hands, curling up and panting.
"This is a very upsetting way to meet you. The first human soldier I've ever met, and you're barely an adult." She looked disgusted at the thought of how young I was. I backed up against the wall and stared at her the same way she stared at me. Mine was more filled with anger and disdain. "Your kind train you from a young age don't they? How old were you?" She sighed and shook her head. "Seven? Eight? Nine? Ten?" She teared up a bit as she looked at me.
Something happened for a moment. Something deep within me sparked- another emotion I hadn't felt since I was first drafted into training. Empathy. I could understand how she felt. She was pitying me. I started to feel sick at the thought of complying in any way with the Hybrid. Of being in any way sympathetic to it. I hated it, hated myself for feeling the same emotion. I wanted to scream. To shout. To yell and screech. To hit and hurt. Everything that would make the feeling go away. But the only thing I could do is slowly open my mouth to speak.
"I was... Ten. They took me when I was ten. I haven't seen my mother since I was... Eight though, because she was sent to work in the fields." I felt horrified with myself. I told her my story. I told her my darkest secret... Just like that?! I told her EVERYTHING I had to fight myself to bury as deep down as I could. It just came up. Just like that. It clawed itself out of my mouth- because of an emotion I haven't felt since I was little. I blinked a little. Why could I feel this now? What was the feeling? I stayed silent. I realized that I can hate someone. But they don't have to know my thoughts.
"That is... Absolutely awful..." She teared up more and I started to shift awkwardly. I felt my body stiffen at a thought that came into my head, something about a hug. I shook my head and knocked that out of the ball park as a hell no. My stomach churned a bit and I groaned. I was hungry again. I threw my head back and waited for the feeling to pass, conserving my body mass on the battle field was a great thing to do. I took a deep breath and waited as the intense and overwhelming wave of fatigue washed over me. I began to breath a bit heavily and closed my eyes.
"Ah- yes. You haven't eaten in over 17 hours have you?" She looked worried and her horn lit up. I found myself getting a sense of vertigo, making me feel a bit sick. I looked up but saw that the floor had become the ceiling and the ceiling became the floor. I was disoriented beyond comparison. My feet were surrounded in a strange golden aura. I was being held upside down, staring up. I took into account my intelligence of what to do in this position, and I struggled to bend my knees and drag myself up by grabbing my thigh and holding my calf as a hand hold. They seemed to work. I was to focused on my current task that I was trying to do, that I didn't notice the massive food cart being rolled into the room, full of treats and sugary foods. I only stopped when I smelled the sweet small of cake frosting. I froze and looked, letting go of my legs to look at her in a confused look.
"Why am I upside down??" She had a slice of cake on her plate when she looked at me.
"I thought it would be a good way for you to occupy yourself with for a few moments while the chefs prepare everything." She took a bite and smiled at the obvious sweetness of the frosting. I was set down gently, on my back. I rolled over and stumbled up, and I slowly moved over to the cart. I found sweet smelling breads and freshly baked bread sticks. I took one and took a bite, my eyes going wide when I tasted the buttery taste of garlic. I felt tears well in my eyes at the sensation of warm food and not cold and moldy bread. I ate as fast as I could, gorging myself on any and all flavors I could get out of the food. I gained a primal part of my mind, forcing me to eat as fast as I could, as if I didn't know when I would eat again. I felt the shocked eyes of the hybrid watching me as I stopped, coming to my senses and freezing after I finished the piece of bread I had looked at my hands. I reached for a napkin and wiped my face, looking upset with myself. I turned around.
"It's been so long since I've eaten... Fresh food." I looked a bit ashamed. I was apologizing to an Equine. I went pale and froze up.
"You have nothing to be sorry about." She levitated a plate with two large pieces of cake on it into my hands, and my mind went blank, not knowing what to do next. I needed a fork to eat this, that's what my mother taught me. I looked al over the cart, but found none. I slowly picked up a piece of cake and ate it, getting the frosting in my fingers and on my hands, making me dazed at the feeling. I enjoyed the sugary flavor, getting lost for the moment. This was amazing. I never want this to end.
I began to fume angrily and try to scare away the sense of fear growing within my chest. I had eaten with a hybrid Equine. This made my stomach just churn to the thoughts of my head. I felt ill by the thought of being friendly to this being. The ruler of my greatest enemy. I covered my mouth and groaned. I felt the concerned eyes of the hybrid on my back as I hovered over the sink with my mouth covered. My face turned red with anger.
"You- your kind, they killed so many of my brethren!" I couldn't keep my anger to myself. "And yet- you have what I saw earlier- you do that- you have those hospitals! What are you DOING with the humans you capture?!" I turned around and felt my stomach churn a bit at the movement, making me lean back over the sink. She sighed and her ears laid back a bit.
"We're taking in the young soldiers of your kind, and teaching them, trying to help them become who they once were." She was a bit sad that I had bounced back to my anger so quickly. I shook and started to look into her eyes. Her wings ruffled themselves. She was laying now, curled up a bit. I took in a breath and looked at her. I felt my stomach calm itself down as I looked at her, and my anger began to drift.
"You... You mean that instead of killing whole platoons like we were told... You take us and you... Try to "fix" our minds?" I scoffed and tried to hold back disbelief. "Impossible! The superiors told us they were killed by your Mystics!!" I stared at her with tears, covering my mouth. I walked out of the bathroom and sat on the ground next to the bed, looking at my hands. Images of my past deeds flashed before my eyes as I drifted off to the deepest depths of my mind, tearing up.
~~~~~~
I was on the field, nothing but my pack and my helmet. I grunted as I dropped to my knees and watched out from behind the rock ledge, the approaching Equine force of five Fliers, ten Mystics and ten Earthlies. They were all big and tough looking, except for a tall Earthlie in the back. She was slim and young, probably never seen action before. I remember the order, to go for the inexperienced, but my heart ached for a moment. She was so young, so different, so full of life. I was already soaked in blood, both Equine and Human. I felt a bit sick as I growled, taking a few steps until I was doubled over and pretending to stumble out and into the path they had taken. I was usually the bait because of my size. I could ass for a younger solider than 13. I let out a loud, yet faked sob as I stayed face down on the ground. I heard loud gasps as several of the Equines stared at me, directing their spears towards my body and my form as I coward in the mud. The young Earthlie was staring at me I could feel her watching. The others were in hiding spaces further up the trail. I felt the blunt of a spear nudge me over onto my side, making me huff and groan, panting as I looked up with fake fear in my eyes. They lifted the spear up and the Equine behind it held the tip towards my eye. The newest Earthlie stopped the approach that was coming to end my life by stabbing be through the eye.
"Wait! My orders from Celectia herself goes directly against what you're about to do!" She slammed the spear away and panicked as I curled up and whimpered. Direct orders from the superiors? That's interesting. The owner of the voice growled and looked at me, and then back at the Earthlie.
"Fine. But YOU'RE responsible for that.. Monster, Siren Bell." He growled again and I pretended to be scared as my limbs were bound together. My arms were tied together in front of me, and my legs were bound together by Mystics, and I was doused in water to wash away the blood, mud, and overall grime of war. I had every weapon but my concealed knife stripped from my being, and I was planted on the back of the young Earthlie. I closed my eyes and quietly groaned, keeping my hands still as they started walking. In a few miles, they stopped to set up camp for the night. While the Earthlie set up her tent- failing miserably the first four times, and finally, after consulting the manual for over a half hour, she had it up right. She stepped inside and started setting up mats of hey and straw.
"I'll be out in a moment alright?" I didn't respond just gave a weak groan. She nodded and closed the tent. I sat for a moment and closed my eyes, focusing on the sounds of the woods. I heard bird calls, and little creaks. They were all signals of course, and I whistled a little tune to tell them I was OK, and needed more time. There was a signal of confirmation in the form of a robins tweet, and the sounds stopped. I stopped whistling too, and kept my eyes closed.
I felt something hit me in the head making me yipe and open my eyes and look around. There was a rotten looking apple laying a short ways away from me. I felt another, similar feeling, hitting me from the same direction. It hit me in the eye, and I cried out in pain, earning a laugh from two Mystics, and I was continually pelted with different items, some rocks and some were apples, and others were pieces of wood. I yelled out in pain each time, and finally, help came in the form of the young Earthlie.
"Would you two like to explain to me what you are doing to MY package? Why it is screaming in pain? Maybe why it has a black eye? Maybe why you're throwing rocks and rotten food at it? I think Celectia will NOT be pleased." She shook her head in anger as she trotted before them and towered over the two. She was slim, but tall. The two Mystics flinched and backed away from her with their ears laid back and I spat in their direction once they were gone. She lifted me up and trotted into the tent, and laid me on a mat, all the while writing two names on a piece of paper while scribbling out notes. I grunted and took a breath, taking the food that was set beside me, and eating it.
I knew full well that I was going to have to call the attack on at midnight, when everyone was sleeping. I closed my eyes and took a breath, pretending to sleep. I didn't want to harm her. The idea hatched into my mind that I would keep her silent, and tell her to stay quiet until everything was calm. As long as they found me alone, she would be safe.
The lights were out, and I was still awake. I pulled out my concealed knife and slowly and silently cut my bonds. I looked outside and, in the distance, there was a flashing light, and I used the moon light to flash it in and out of existence. There was a single flash of confirmation, and I told them to wait a little longer, for the signal. They did, and they flashed back once for yes. I hid the knife and slowly shook the Earthlie awake.
"Who... Who's there? Its not even morning yet- Mmm??" She was tired, and I clamped a hand over her muzzle, quietly shushing her. Her look of fear only intensified.
"Shhhhh… I'm giving you a warning to leave now. Take only what you can carry. As long as they find me alone, you'll be allowed to live. If they capture you, just tell them this phrase: "The sunrise has set me free" and you will be let go." She nodded slowly and shook, looking into my eyes, and seeing great pain.
"I-I have a question- wh-whats your name?" Siren Bell looked at me and I gave a pained smile. I hadn't spoken my name since mother died. I closed my eyes.
"My name is Trixon." She wrote it down, packed a bag full of food, and ran as fast as she could from the attack grounds. Before she did, she turned and looked back at me. "Thank you Trixon…" She was suddenly gone, melted into the shadows.
I signaled the attack, and while they were sleeping, watched them all slowly die, one by one, to the silent assassins of the night. Two Mystics slowly began to make their way to the shadows, and I saw their fur coats. They were black and red. I Walked over and recognized their faces. They were the ones who had been pelting me with food and stones. I growled in anger, and stabbed one directly in the eye, watching him crumble to the ground with his blood staining my blade and hands. I took a breath and slit the throat of the other stallion, and telling him that it was all going to be over soon. He tried to use his magic to fix the wound, and I allowed him to. He was to weak to move much anyways. The chances of him surviving were slim. The sun began to rise, and I felt the suns rays blast upon my face. There was a moment where I closed my eyes and relished the momentary quiet.
The sunrise has set me free.
~~~~~~
A loud sob broke from my mouth and I curled up, scratching at my arms and wrists. I kept sobbing the same line over and over, I'm sorry. It was as if the Hybrid ruler had seen every morbid detail in my thought. But instead of killing me.. Instead of harming me... She knelt down an stayed with me until my fit had subsided.
"You are forgiven. You are forgiven, little one, you are." She kept nuzzling the back of my neck, and I calmed down, whimpering and shaking. "How would you feel if I were to bring you a familiar face?" I sat limply and slowly looked at her and rubbed the tears from my face. "How about I bring you to meet Siren Bell? She says you two met a number of years ago." Upon hearing her name I blacked out from shock, the tears still coming from the corners of my eyes.
I sat looking alarmed as I walked through the hall with the hybrid, past Mystics and Fliers, and the Earthlies, all wearing either tuxedos or armor, rather dapper in their outfits. They all seemed just as fearful of me as I was of them. I grunted and stared ahead, a sense of unease entering my stomach. I slipped into my old habit of staring blankly as I marched. It was difficult not to do, but my march fell into more of a distressed walk. She noticed this, the strange slippers becoming more of a way of torment towards me. I hadn't felt such soft comfort on my feet in years, and walking around in something other than flooded rubber boots was strange. I felt naked, although I was fully clothed. I was missing my armor. I gave a sound of disbelief as I tried to shift my course to be on the other side of the hybrid, to be out of sight of the rest of the staff that worked here. She took no note other than a curious glance, and then looked back forwards. I took a breath and looked at the floor. I focused on the one thing I could actually look forwards to.
Meeting Siren Bell after so long. How old was I? 11? She was so bright eyed through it all. I felt my body shake a little when we stopped outside a door that had a sign of a book above it, and a word under the book. It took me a moment to sound out the word in my head. L... Libra... Library. It was a library. It was filled with books usually, and big and the books were thick. I loved reading them back before I was in the war. Before I was in training. Back before Siren Bell. I remember, when I was young, reading a book on the rulers of the Equines, but the details were fuzzy.
I felt a tug on my sleeve, and when I looked, it was covered in a golden glow. It was the same color of the aura of the mystic part of the Hybrid. She guided me into the room and I looked around. I reached for a book when she disappeared a few rows away. It was a book written about a pony who had been held prisoner by some humans in the war. In a work camp. I began to read the over view. "I remember working in a camp, feeling a little sick as I looked at it. I would always see Mystics and Flyers wearing harnesses made of metal and leather. I would always, without fail, see a stray filly or colt walk around whimpering for help in confusion-"
I put the book away and covered my mouth. I imagined being forced to see that from the view of a child that was of the prisoners species. I remembered one thing about the fillies and colts though... We would take them, and not force them to work. We would put them aside where they would live while their elders and parents worked.
I closed my eyes as tightly as I could to hide my disdain. I felt eyes bare into the back of my head, and when I turned around, I felt my legs give out from under me as I fell to my knees. She had gotten so much taller, and her mane seemed longer now. She had teary eyes. She was absolutely beautiful. Absolutely stunning. She stood silently as she stared at me, and I sat on my knees in stunned silence. We both just kept our eyes locked. I had to try to speak.
"Y-you s-seem well..." One moment I felt fine, and the next, I was captured in an inescapable bone crushing hug of the likes of which I had never seen before. She teared up and I felt her watery tears hit me from her eyes as she buried her head into my shoulder, making me smile a little as I held her, becoming completely engulfed with the sensation of having to protect a single entity. Back in the field it was always fight to protect the entirety of the human race, but... Now? Now it was just protect to protect. I don't know where it was coming from, and I suddenly felt more free than I had even with the Hybrid. She let me go and I noticed that I had almost clung to her in despair as she tried to go. I released my death grip as she released hers, and I sat back on my knees watching her. My smile was big. Almost ear splitting. I swear to the stars that there was something wrong with me... And if there is... I don't want to ever be right again. She gave another giddy laugh and I looked into her eyes. I saw my own reflection staring back.
It was the real me, the one that I had been forced to lock away in the back of my mind. Why could she bring it out? Why could she bring it out, but not even the Hybrid could bring me back to my senses? I shook my head.
"You seem like you've been through tartars... How are you? It's been... Oh only Celestia knows how long. Five years??" She smiled and I leaned back against the book case.
"It's been many many moons. Almost uncountable." I teared up when I though about her, the young Earthlie now a strong and tall monster of a mare, able to likely gallop a mile a minute. Her name was Siren Bell. I had heard stories about her, after that night. She would be called the Screaming Earthlie, where she would scream a single word, and for miles around, humans would her it and know that she was coming. The newest members of the squadron were always telling stories about how she would come and steal souls, humans and Equines alike, if they refused to kill their enemies. one time, I but in and told them that I personally stood face to face with her and they practically worshiped me for about a year. All of this information, I spilled to her, and she laughed.
"I've heard stories about you too! They called you "Dolofonos tis Avras". That means Killer of Aura. You specialized in drinking the souls of Unicorns." I laughed and became a little confused as I looked at her. Unicorns weren't real, they were fiction.
"What's a unicorn?" I asked with my laughter dying a little and she almost, I swear to you, stared me dead in the face and went deadpanned. She was completely speechless when I asked that question. Either way, she circled me slowly to see if I was joking or playing a prank.
"You're not serious right?... You know what a Unicorn is?" I shook my head making a face.
"The Mystics use levitation, the Fliers use wings, and Earthlies are normal." I spoke with complete and utter honesty as she circled me, raising an eyebrow. She shook her head and sighed, looking at me like I was a lost cause. She bit the end of my sleeve and guided me to a table and I looked confused. She quickly stopped and trotted off after sitting me in a chair. "What are you doing??"
"I've decided you need an education and I'm going to be your teacher." She called from another row, and I felt my eyes go wide.
"CAN I READ BOOKS?!" My eyes lit up! Hours upon hours, sitting and reading instead of being forced to go out and fight in a war or eat cake with a hybrid!
"Sure." She seemed confused but dismissive of the request.
YES!!
"Princess, I have to ask you something." Siren Bell was looking over a paper, raising an eyebrow and staring between me and the paper. After she and I had met back in the library, she had insisted I have some sort of scan done on me. Magic always made me feel weird, it made my body warm but nauseated. She held my hands closer to her to make sure that I was busy with her fur and not messing with the sensors on my body. I gave a small grumble as I tried to get comfortable for the hundredth time.
"Yes? What is it?" The hybrid looked at her with concern as she steadied her body, glancing me over and smiling a bit. I smiled back, a broken smile that was riddled with unfamiliarity, like I had no idea what I was doing. I stretched a little and looked at her. She tried to keep me from moving by keeping my mind occupied with things I likely haven't done since I was a child.
"It seems there's a type of negative contaminating interference with his natural flow of magical mana pools. it may be from an outside force, like... Him. " Her voice hitched a little and got cold from the word. Whoever "he" was he was obviously not a very good entity. the hybrid gasped and looked at me, then back at Siren. She took a breath.
"You think that there's some sort of chaos magic inside his natural flow?" She looked horrified, like there was nothing worse that could be said about me.
These words baffled me as I thought about it. I looked at her and got a look of surprise when I saw her look of pity.
"Yes. They appear to be either natural generators of chaotic energy in prolonged stressful situations, but if they are never put into those situations, they can never develop that energy. I may have a theory on how they get this energy in their system." She looked me over thoroughly, and swiftly like I was some sort of animal i a zoo up for inspection. I gave a quick sigh and looked at her.
"Well what are you waiting for? Tell me so we can get the theory into study!!" The Hybrid was looking urgent as she looked at Siren, who's ears flicked backwards.
"Well... They take the purist souls of their young and they send them off to train for the war against us, and then teach them that all feelings of emotion are weak. They teach them that hesitation is evil and weak." She eyed me with pity, and I didn't really know how to react to what she said next. "They reshape their instinct like... You train your royal guard."
Those words hit me like a freight train. This... Earthlie... Compared the training I had to her kinds training. I doubled over a little, feeling my mind go blank.
"Either way... They are corrupted by extended exposure on the battle field to the stimulation of battle and stress. Therefore, if we can try the opposite of what they've been shown, we can possibly decontaminate the mana pools of original magical flow, and possibly bring back a portion of innocence." She was smiling, like she had just discovered the cure to a horrible sickness. And I was the sick patient.
"Your findings are extremely useful, Siren Bell. They are being looked at from a perspective I, nor any other pony, ever thought to look from. I'll definitely have Twilight Sparkle take a look at these findings as soon as she's available." I went pale. That name was dreaded among the troops because of her absolute annihilation of one unit where the bodies were never found, the only survivor of which was a brainwashed parrot of Equine propaganda. But looking in on it now... ,maybe he wasn't wrong. Maybe it wasn't all propaganda?
"Wait- hold on- you want to have me meet the... The Squad killer..." I looked terrified as I went pale, looking at her and panicking. She sucked in a breath and looked at me.
"No no, you've got it all wrong- she's the princess of friendship!! She's not going to hurt you! In... In all honesty it's probably impossible for her to hurt you. She's incapable." She smiled as she nuzzled my forehead.
I looked a little concerned as I looked at her. She sensed this, and tried to calm me down more by smiling and looking at me. I just shook my head.
"So, I'll have Twilight here by some time next week to run flow checks with Starlight Glimmer." Siren Bell nodded as the Hybrid spoke, and lowered herself down to bow for a moment, before turning away and smiling at me.
"What's next? The garden? The balcony?" I had gotten used to the routine of the castle at this point, being taught a strict schedule of relaxing and calming activities, only bent by the command of the Hybrid. Which, mainly, liked to keep me as close as possible. The guards were still referring to me as my ID number from back in the weird camps, 0028 Moon. This made me a bit fragile tempered. I told them I had a name. Trixon. My name was Trixon, I said to them, but they never listened. let me see if I can recall the schedule...
10:00 AM- Wake up and get ready- I can be up before then just not out of the room.
10:15 AM- Breakfast, a personalized buffet prepared by Griffons who know my diet, so it's usually a buffet of eggs, toast, fruit juices, or a nonequinized main dish. If they had pancakes, I'll eat those, with my own style of syrup and food.
11:00 AM- Reading in the library or getting to hang out with Siren Bell or maybe just fuck around as long as I'm quiet.
12:15 PM- Lunch, usually the same type of situation as Breakfast, but with lunch specials.
1:00 PM- Freely exploring the palace garden.
3:00 PM- Tea with the Hybrid
3:30-6:00 PM- Spend time with the Hybrid during "day court" or "battle plans" because I "know the tendencies of the Sapient battle strategy". Really it's just a bunch of boring words being poured out onto a piece of paper, and pretending it makes sense.
7:15 PM- Dinner, usually the same as breakfast and lunch.
8:00-11:00 PM- Watching the sunset and heading to get ready for bed at the same time as the Hybrid. She somehow formed a bathroom as close to her room as possible, with everything small- in some cases, big -enough for me to use so that I have a place to get ready. Did I mention, for some reason, my room is directly next to hers, and big enough to fit a swimming pool into if I so desired?
So whatever was on the schedule after this, I genuinely had no idea. This was a major change up, but it was only likely to be the first of many many changes to my routine.
She smiled at me when she saw my plank look, as if she knew I'd never be expecting the answer.
"I was thinking we could go outside and you could accompany me outside the palace walls for some special events? There are some nobles that have been demanding to meet you." She smiled as I slowly nodded and tore of the suction cup sensors on my arms and head and over my heart and stomach, and gently took the needle out of my arm that had been planted there so they could test my blood for... Something. I'm not sure what. She smiled and held her head high as I taped over the hole in my arm that started seeping blood, and putting pressure on it.
"Sure, I was getting bored with the old routine anyways." I smiled as I looked at her, and she smiled, nuzzling my forehead again, and I felt a strange warmth in my chest. It grew a little when I felt her eyes drift down my body. I'm going to need to change into cleaner scrubs and slippers if I'm going outside the walls today. She levitated me up off the floor and I felt a feeling of vertigo. She smiled as I was planted on her back, my legs clamping nervously on her body when she took her first few steps. She walked slowly and calmly, so I could get comfortable and not bruise her sides. She carried me on her back so rarely, that it was only done in either intensely stressful situations- like an argument among the generals in the battle plan room -or if she thought I was getting to heated with the guards. I still don't know how to handle the feeling of being on the back of an Equine. I relaxed when I felt the fur of her coat melt into my fingertips, more plush than the blankets I use on a cold night.
She carried me along, helping me to let my mind wonder for a little while. I snapped back to reality when the Hybrid stopped, and I found a huge bright flash of light in my eyes. I was blinded for a few seconds, seeing nothing but a black screen of nothing.
"I changed your outfit into a more formal apparel." She smiled and I regained my vision, being in front of a mirror. My hospital like scrubs had been changed from scrubs into a dress shirt, black pants, and dress shoes. But they all felt soft to the skin, like a blanket with sleeves. I raised an eyebrow, seeing that my hair had been left messy. I guess it looked fine and so I left it be.
"Wow. A spell did this?" She nodded when I smiled, and held my hands, looking into my eyes through the mirror. I felt my heard flutter for a moment, and I tore my gaze away from the mirror. She looked concerned and puzzled.
"I-is something wrong? It's OK if you don't like it." She was sounding concerned as she looked me over with intense scrutiny.
"N-no it's just... Weird to see myself in the mirror. After so long out in the field, I hate seeing myself. I just look so... haunted... " I lied. About the reason I looked away from the mirror this time, but not the part about seeing my own ghost of a face. However this excuse was enough for her, to stop pressing the subject, and she started walking out the door. She smiled and looked back at me as we walked.
"Let's go, shall we?" She trotted to a chariot and sat down after sliding me off her back with her wing. I tilted my head.
"You're going to run through the city on a chariot? Isn't that a little... You know... Counter productive considering your wings?" I looked at her confused as she smiled, looking at the guards. I noticed something strange and raised an eyebrow. They were fliers. My eyes widened as I slowly clenched my fists until they were basically pale white quaking balls of fear.
Before I could get a word out, we were off the ground and soaring through the air, and I felt the panic set in, feeling the cool air whip my face. I pulled out the old habit of going stoic when I was afraid, but that didn't seem to stop her from noticing my shaking fists and sensing something was wrong. She opened her wing and put it around me completely, so that the wind was no longer hitting my face, and nothing could be seen but darkness. I felt a sense of calm wash over me, and I leaned into her. She had officially found my fear of heights. She moved her head under her wing with me, making sure I couldn't see outside.
"You're just fine. You're OK." She smiled as she nudged my hand. I reached up and pet her head, stroking her fur as she slowly removed the wing that had surrounded my body. I leaned against her and just ran my hand through her fur while my other hand stopped clenching and hurting from the clenching. She smiled. We had already landed, making me breath a sigh of relief.
"We're here!" She was smiling and standing up in less than a few seconds, levitating me onto her back as we went. She smiled at me and I gave a nauseated smile, still dazed from the ride. She trotted inside a big restaurant, that was emptied to make room for a massive dance floor with everything pushed aside so there was room for Equines to dance and room for a buffet table, and two tables, one with chairs and one with pillows on the floor. I stared at the one with chairs and a though popped into my head. It was rather dim in the room though.
One of those is human sized?
The lights flicked on and there was a flash of color and strings of confetti. I yelped and fell off the Hybrids back, falling to the side as I felt my mind go blank, yet letting thoughts speed by a million miles a second.
"SURPRIIIIISE!!"
I stared at the egg I had received last night, holding it in my lap protectively. I felt connected to it, like it was specially made for me. I tried to question Celectia, but when I did, it moved, and I had spent all night in silence after that, keeping quiet until I saw it shake every now and again. My heart beat raised for a few minutes after I had seen it, and I stared at it in the most intent way one could stare at something. I hadn't slept in 24 hours, keeping an eye on the egg and keeping it wrapped in a blanket to keep it warm. I couldn't imagine what else I should be doing right now either.
"Hey... Alright buddy it's time to sleep." Siren was trying to drag me from the spot I was in by the back of my shirt, but it proved to be more difficult than she had previously thought. It was confirmed to be a dragons egg, an ally of the Equines. Why was it gifted to me? Why would they do this? Take it from it's nest and give it to me? Unless... Unless it was an orphaned egg, and they scanned it with magic and found it to be the most well matched for me? That seems like a wild card in the deck of possibilities.
"Come... On...!" She bit the back of my shirt tighter in her teeth, and I just stared at the egg as she struggled to move me across the floor, slowly away from the egg. I felt weightless as I was dragged from the egg to the beg, and gently set onto the bed.
"Alright Siren, that's enough. Let me cast a spell, and we can talk to him at dinner." I heard the sound of magic going off, and I felt tired. To tired. I blacked out by the time I tried to gasp out a protest.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Stars damn you, boy, I said WAKE UP! OUR FRONT LINE IS UNDER ATTACK!" I sat up with a start, looking around clumsily as I felt my clothes. Siren Bell- my friends? Where am I?
"Wh.. What's happening to me?" I looked around confused, and I blinked away sleepy confusion. "Where am I?"
"In the stars damn heat of battle, that's where you insufferable little brat! Get up and get your weapons ready, we don't have much time! The Six Legends are coming to the front line!" There was a flash of light, and the sensation of weightlessness for a few moments before it was gone. I started grabbing at whatever I could get my hands on and I panicked as I readied myself for the battle. The pure chaos of the room and actions and all the explosions going on outside, it sounded like I was back out in the field. My heart stopped as I looked around, tearfully as I tried not to show my fear. I pulled out my weapons and trudged down the trench we had dug, towards the emergency underground shelter in case of the Six Legends.
I slid down the steep hole, into the darkness, taking the slide beside the stairs that we had built in for quick descents. There was a flameless torch down here, to illuminate the room so we could see where to sit on the dirt benches. I sat with a small fearful sniffle, hearing the sounds of explosions upon the surface. Was I really losing my edge? Was it really a dream? What am I going to do if it is? I felt fear well up so far into my chest that I could barely feel my heart beating. I was alone in the shelter, and the sounds above stopped. It was just me, and my mind. It was just me, and my fear. I was alone. I began to sob as I shook, trying to hold myself together. I shook in tears and sorrow as the fear set in for a permanent course. I heard the creaking of wood, and I stared up at the nearest shaft. It wasn't dying. I took the torch in my hand, and held it up, and I found that there was no longer a ceiling above me. And there was no longer a floor below me. There was no exit to the darkness. There was only me, and the sensation of my feet on something solid. So... I began to walk into the darkness with tears streaming down my face.
I kept walking. Walking deeper into the darkness. My sniffles and sobs echoed into the darkness, as I tried to handle it.
"Hello? Can... Can someone help me??" I cried out and sobbed as I felt my throat seize up. I felt eyes on me, from up, down, and all around me. The darkness opened up, and around me was an open field, and I was alone in the moonlight as i stood there, with the torch illuminating the area around us.
"It's alright, you're fine now. I'm sorry I couldn't have arrived sooner, your dreams are very... Invisible, due to their darkness." I spun around and found Luna staring at me, and my sob of happiness was absolutely immeasurable. I flung my arms around her neck and hugged her as tightly as possible. She gave a slight surprised sound, and I felt her look at me as she felt surprised.
"I don't like it here... I don't like my mind. I don't want these memories. I want to sleep. I want them to go away. Not haunt me in my dreams." I clenched my fists and tried not to cry when I pulled away.
"I see... These dreams aren't just nightmares." She hesitated as she looked at me with pity, and I waited for her to understand. "These are memories." She closed her eyes as she knelt down and used her magic to make me follow.
We rested like that until I was ready to wake up.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I sucked in a breath and woke up, shivering a bit as I tried to drag my hands down my face. I sat up and walked over to the mirror, staring at myself as I was drenched in a cold sweat, and I turned to my dresser, hell bent on getting changed before the maids came to get me. i was shaking as I did, and exhausted. I looked towards my egg, and there was a sense of relief when I looked at it. It was the only thing that didn't disappear. I gave a small sigh of relief, and continued to switch out my clothes until there was a knock at the door.
"Hello?" I raised an eyebrow as I listened for the answer.
"Dinner time, Trixon." I looked at the door, surprised when the voice of Luna came through.
"Um.. Be there in.. A minute."
I stared out of my window at the large balcony, feeling my mind numb slightly from the lack of sleep. I knew I had dark purple bags under my eyes, but I didn't care. Luna had called me for dinner, and I wasn't hungry for whatever reason. I gave myself a concerned and audible murmur of distrust, and then set off to the hall. It had been about five whole minutes since Luna came to my door and I answered. The time seemed to drift by like a butterfly in the wind, fluttering endlessly and aimlessly towards a single goal. I bumped into something as I was walking, and fell over with a concerned and distressed look on my face.
"Good heavens! What are you doing loose in the castle?!" It was a snobby voiced noble I had been told to avoid at all costs. She must be here for some sort of meeting.
"I apologize Madame. I'm just heading to dinner with the Princesses." She looked horrified, like I had just danced on her great grandmothers grave. I noticed her mane was restrained back into a strange bun. It looked like a professionally made up hairstyle that cost hundreds.
"You monsters can speak?!" She scoffed as I took in a breath and continued walking, ignoring her hurtful words.
"Madame I have somewhere to be." I continued walking, even when I heard an exaggerated gasp. I heard the clippity clop of hooves behind me, and the murmurs of disbelief as she stammered to speak.
"W-well I-I'd-! I'd never!" She scoffed as she jumped in front of me, holding her hoof up in my path and planting it into my stomach as she stood, glaring and humiliated.
"Madame, please understand I mean you no disrespect-" I was cut off when she snorted steam from her nose.
"Do you have any idea who I am?! I am Noble Fĺola Instruct!" I stared at her silently, and waited for her to speak again. I didn't wait long. "The greatest organizer of the royal orchestra?!"
"Madame, I haven't heard a single strum of classical or victorean- or any -music since the day I entered the war at the age of eight years old. Forgive me if I do not know who you- or anyone of importance -is." I stared down at her, my face void of emotion as I stared. My gaze was unrelenting and cold, like the sudden feeling of irritation that started to rise in my chest.
"I..." She seemed stunned, illiciting a sense of curiosity as her gaze melted to pity. "The age of eight you said?"
I felt a ping of regret when I slowly looked away, feeling shame start to build its raft in my head.
"I'm afraid I'm late for my meal with the princesses. They will require an explanation as to why I am late, because my recovery is based off of my self sufficiency." I hesitated. "Care to join me? I can see about getting you a chat with the princesses if your needs are as such offered."
She solmenly nodded, silently walking next to me as I walked. It was as if she could sense my depressed state- or my dysfunctional sleeping schedule due to my nightmares of memories from battle.
We walked in silence for a few minutes, niether speaking to break the silence that haunted and stocked us.
"What do you remember of your life before... the war?" I felt surprised when she spoke, her voice quiet and her head turned upwards towards me. I looked into her eyes, taking in her different features. Her body was a bit of a pale pastel yellow, and her mane was magenta with highlights of lighter pink from below her fur. She was clearly aged a little, according to her pulled back look. She was trying to hide her age?
"I remember... I remember very little. The face of my mother is a blurr. My father died in the war when I was about five. I remember... I remember feeling joy though. Because he was no longer being hurt. And he couldn't hurt anybody from your side." I paused and felt something trickle down my cheek while I spoke and looked away enough to wipe it away. "A-and... I remember my mother.. and my sister... Getting their hands on cake. For my seventh birthday. And... And a song my mother would sing. I remember my sister screaming as she clung to me... I remember the men hurti-"
She stopped me, hovering in front of my face and covering my mouth with her hoof as she looked at me with genuine concern. I dropped my gaze as she looked at me.
"The sone. Could you sing it for me?" She looked like she was on the verge of tears, her ears laying back a little. I gave in to my soldier reflexes and wiped my tears before obeying the request.
"The flowers they bloom. I hear your heart as it goes boom boom boom. You can be you, you can be you. Never forget me. I'll always love you. My lovely boy, my amazing girl. I love you. " I gave a small gasp at reciting the words as my body shuddered, like I had just unearthed a tomb of forbidden secrets.
She was crying now, dishevled and on the floor, covering her face with the wings she had so expertly preened before coming here, attempting to disguise the fact that her makeup had run down her face. I lifted her up and held her, beginning to walk down the hall again.
She put her head on my shoulder and continued to quietly sniffle as she used her wing facing outer most to hide her face. I stopped before entering the dining room and stared at the door. I turned away and took her to the bathroom instead.
"Hush.. Come on and I'll clean your face." I gathered everything i needed to clean her up, a bucket warm soapy water and a rag, along with a towel and a little bit of make up remover I worked into a second smaller batch of solution.
"You don't have to deal with this, just let me- AcK!" I smothered her left face with the normal soapy water and gently rubbed like I was waxing a rifle. It was hardly different, except a rifle doesn't squirm.
She grumbled as I worked the rag over her face, smiling a little. She started to look younger now, the makeup having affected her face. She was gorgeous, though, the fur lolking spikey in the strange paterns I used to rid her of it.
"Alright. Just one more time and..." I went over quicker now, removing the last of the makeup that had ran from her eyes. When I was finished, she looked spectacularly young.
"Um... You're staring." I blinked a bit and apologized quietly, earning an awkward acceptance as I poured out the water. She stood up and I opened the door for her, setting the suff I used down for her.
Together, we walked down the hall and i stretched a little, finally hungry for something. Anything. I opened the door to the mess hall and waited for her to step inside.niether of us were aware of the piercing worried gaze of the princesses as we quietly conversed about music we both liked. Or more accurately for me, used to like.
"Well isn't this a surprise. Is this the reason you were late to supper, Trixon?" I stopped and looked at Celectia, my mind whirring.
"Oh yes, Princess Celectia, this is my friend Noble Fíola Instruct." Thd word carried weight to it according to how much her eyes narrowed.
I gave no chance of response and gave Fíola a portion of salad, oblivious to the looks around us. This was fun, being friendly. I felt something weird insids me, and i embraced it.
Purity?
Hearths Warming Happiness
I stared a the strange decor, face turning from curiosity to confusion at the lights flashing over the green surface. I felt strange, sitting at the edge of the tree, under it was hundreds of colorfully and perfectly wrapped boxes, making me make a face. I looked at Luna.
"Luna, what... What is this tradition?" There was the sound of glass shattering and a loud gasp. In almost an instant, I was on my side, Fíola having knocked me over.
"Are you SERIOUS?! They never taught you about Hearths Warming?!" I shifted uncomfortably and squirmed, sitting up so that I wasn't pinned under her.
"I keep telling you I don't know what things are, and yet you are continually surprised. Why?!" I sat up, smiling as we looked at each other.
"Because it's mind boggling they didn't even teach you about our holidays in case you had to... I don't know do something!" She scoffed. She had been staying here for the past few days after she had a private conversation with Siren Bell and the princesses. This left me to wonder the castle freely. however, when I actually did disappear from view, for more than a few minutes for Celectia, she gets more and more anxious. Right now, I'm sure, she's looking for me, scanning the hallway.
"Enough you two, the tree has to be turned on and charged with magic so the lights will work!" She smiled as she looked at Fíola and I, and smiled. I stood up, and Fíola flew up, leaning her head on top of mine as I stood, slowly landing on my back and making me hunch over. I gave an unamused sigh. It took us a few minutes, but Luna was able to get it going by just a quick few spurts of magic.
I was alarmed when I heard a box rustle, moving on it's own. I stared, and Fíola gave a loud nervous laugh. She lifted me up, distracting me, and began flying through the air and out the door. We narrowly missed hitting Celectia, making me freak out when she yelped and dodged to the right.
I felt my heart beat increase as I flew through the halls, gliding quickly and endlessly. I closed my eyes and felt the sensations. It felt free, for the first time in a few days. I enjoyed it. We landed with a gliding thud, and I laughed, nearly falling over. I opened the door to my room and walked inside. I had started leaving the egg alone in my room, opting to let it sit in a blanket in a basket with a sunlamp over it. It recently started shaking back and forth when I was near it, reading stories an playing songs. I had a feeling whatever it was was going to be a very very lively little being. But not knowing what it is, it's going to be hard to take care of it.
I started listening more and more to Fíola's music, smiling when she went into an entire rant about the complex language that was the art of song. She was fascinating. We were good friends, very fast. She smiled and it made me smile. She got frustrated and I did my best to make her feel better.
But what I saw from the egg now? It had a crack and a hole coming from the top, with a tiny horn pushing out. I nearly fainted, and Fíola had to trace my gaze to see where it's from. I gave a small intense gasp, inhaling sharply.
"What do we do?" It moved at my voice, twitching towards me but held back by the cloth of the blanket and the walls of the basket. I ran over, knocking over my card house I had built out of boredom one night with a fit of insomnia. I didn't care.
"You stay here and I'll go get Siren Bell!" I nodded, staying put as if I had been ordered by a general. I debated on weather I should crack open the egg a little bit more, but I had always been told that helping nature would force it to be weak. But... That was by a general. So, as they here in the castle: The only weak one is the one who doesn't help... So... If I wanted it to be strong, I had to help it hatch?
Either way, the shaking was getting weaker, and that seemed like a bad thing. I gently held the egg in my bare hands, having been so afraid to do it earlier. I gently picked away the shell covering it's face, and it's tiny head reared up, it's little horns forming a crest. It's eyes struggled to open, and I knew exactly what this little thing was. It was a dragon.
I sat still, giving it little words of experience to break it's way out of it's womb, now turned prison, and I smiled as it slowly broke free. It, so far, had a claw, and a back leg free of the casing. I was smiling and cooing with tears in my eyes. This was more beautiful than the first sunrise I had ever seen as a castle resident.
The door slowly creaked open, dampening my mood, making me fume a little. It ruined the moment.
"Here, here what do we- Oh dear " I stopped and looked at her, my face twitching into a calm smile. I motioned them to be quiet when they entered, and I was smiling as I stared at her. She was making a slightly upset and distressed look, looking at me like I was insane for holding back the information they wanted. In they walked, creeping quietly and calmly as to not bother the little one. To keep it from crying.
"It... hatched? But it shouldn't have hatched for another few months at the minimum!" Celectia looked frantic and filled with anxiety. I felt my heart seize a little.
"You can't take it." It slipped out before I could stop myself. I had it in my arms before I could realize what I was doing. The egg fell apart in my hands, and the little one opened it's eyes.
"Excuse me?!" Celectia suddenly seemed a bit surprised and regale. I refused to allow myself to back down at this point.
"It's already imprinted. When they hatch, the first living thing they lay eyes on is their mother. If you separate it from me now it will, guaranteed, have huge negative impacts on it's future abilities, including bonding." I stood tall, but held it protectively, and wrapped it in a blanket as it wrapped it's tiny tail around my arm.
She seemed completely befuddled.
Then she smiled with tears.
"You're half way there..."
Celebration With the Six Legends
I had my ears covered as I assumed the trained response to a bomb, crouching down with my hands over my head and my eyes squeezed shut. It was what I was always taught to do. The looks and concerned murmurs were muffled by my hands. I realized that this was not exactly appropriate behavior for someone who is no longer in war, and I sat up, hoping I could explain my actions as a reaction of overly surprised reaction.
There were streamers everywhere, all different colors. Mostly yellow, blue, and pink. Pastel colored. I looked at the area around me and found confetti all over the floor. I blinked a few times, trying to get past my social anxiety for civilian situations. I looked around, and there was a group of ponies, about six, and a few maids and Luna, Siren Bell, those that I had had passing conversations with in the halls. I looked at the main ones, the ones that were in the center. These six were recognized as soon as I saw the mane of the cyan one. They were all the six legends of the missing squads.
The cyan one was the Rainbow Rush. She was a flier, said to easily fly at up to mach 18, never done before. She can cause a sonic boom so strong that is manipulates the water crystals in the air around her to form into perfect prisms for every color of the rainbow, and make it go out in waves for miles.
The white one was the Gemstone Slayer. She was a Mystic, with the power to detect the light stones we used for illuminating our tunnels we dig under ground.
The pale yellow one, the Animal Hypnotist. She's a flier. She can summon an army of animals just by whistling, so says the legend. She's so quiet, and so easily startled, that if a human tries to get to close, a bear will attack, even if she didn't call.
There was the orange one, the Tank. She was an earthlie. She was so physically strong that she could topple a wall made of magic resistant dionite.
Next was the pink one, the Anomaly. She's an earthlie. Let me tell you now, that the stories they tell of her are strange. She can float, standing upside down from a cloud, or sometimes just her head will appear from the darkness, and only her head. If you circle her head, you wouldn't make any contact with anything. Her mane has a mind and muscle mass of its own, able to topple a grown man in under a second. She takes a wounded soldier, and drags his body into the darkness so the only thing that is heard is her eerie giggling and the screams of the poor soul she dragged away.
And finally, there's the tallest, most prominent of the Six Legends, and her minion. The Gleam and Glimmer. They, as a team, were the most dangerous fighters of their group as Mystics, but recent tales say that Gleam has wings now, making her royalty and a hybrid like Celectia. The most powerful duo I've ever seen in the entirety of my battle career.
I tensed up when I saw them, standing back up and looking at them. My fear turned to awe, and awe to respect.
"Um... Is it... Is he OK?" Rainbow Rush glanced at Celectia and I gained a hitched look, standing up in front of them. I could barely contain my tense nervousness.
"You... You're all here..." I stammered as I felt dazed, starting to feel like I was high. Celectia scoffed, like she had expected this.
"Oh... Oh is this about the Six Legends thing?" Siren Bell looked at me with wide eyes as I put my hand on her back to steady myself. I felt weak in the knees as I nodded, in a complete daze. I had a weak smile growing on my face, hoping they had heard of me like I had heard of them through the word of war.
"Th.. The wha?" Rainbow Rush spoke with a raised eyebrow and crossed hooves. I pulled Siren Bell to the side, out the door and into the cold air, looking at her like I had just seen the ice cream truck.
"Siren those are the Six Legends. The Six Legends are at a party, for me. What the bloody FUCK is happening?!" She snickered and shook her head, smiling.
"Alright alright. Everyone in the kingdom has heard of you too, Dolofonos tis Avras. It's impossible to escape." She tried to stifle laughter. "I'll go in and tell them who you are, try to act calm." I took a breath and became stoic, nodding for her to go in first. She rolled her eyes, flicked her ears and hugged me quickly before walking back inside. I was quick to follow, biting my lip as I stared silently. I noticed a table with a few brightly wrapped boxes on the table, making me think back to my birthday when I was young. I smiled softly at the memory, looking off into the distance as I remembered the last memory of my mother before I was snatched up and taken to the army. I enjoyed my moment of reminiscing...
Until there was an overly dramatic gasp and then silence, the quiet music being the only sound to echo from the room as the tension sunk over all of the room. Eye's were locked on me, making me panic as I gained a nervous look.
"Um... What's the problem?" They looked at me in pure shock, making me feel like a slab of meat. Everyone was looking at me like I was a monster- except for Siren, Celectia, Luna, the Anomaly, and the Animal Hypnotist. They all just looked confused.
"You're Dolofonos tis Avras!!" Glimmer and Gleam were staring at me frightened as they spoke in unison, with gleams wing curled over Glimmer protectively, and a little purple bipedal dragon, who looked horrified.
"Why are you looking at me like that?! Like you can talk! Do you have any idea how many nightmares you've caused in troops everywhere?! You're the Six Legends! Rainbow Rush, Gemstone Slayer, the Animal Hypnotist, the Tank, the Anomaly, and Gleam and Glimmer!" I pointed at each one respectively with their names. They looked at me like I had just cursed them, using a flaccid frozen sock as a wand.
"You're... kidding right? Those aren't our real names! " Glimmer looked at me with a raised eyebrow as her body straightened back up from it's fearful and crouched position. She seemed skeptic.
"You keep calling me Dolofonos tis Avras, but my name is Trixon." I raised an eyebrow and looked at her as the others ears laid back in unison, and they all looked all around for something to distract themselves.
"Yeah. My reaction exactly. What are your names?" They all looked at me as I looked increasingly nervous as I shifted from foot to foot.
"My... My name is Starlight Glimmer. Theses are my friends, Twilight Sparkle, Rainbow Dash, Apple Jack, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, and Flutter Shy. All of them are very very accepting." She smiled as I looked her over. Rumor had spread about her during the war, where she made an entire town of ponies go without their marks that told them their professions.
"Um... Nice to meet you Starlight." I held out my hand awkwardly, letting out stress from my body as it built. I seriously wasn't used to being around these ponies yet.
"Nice to meet you too." She took my hand in her hoof and I felt weird as I tried to look her in the eye, feeling a shock go through my body. I suddenly felt a lot better, and she looked like I had just hit her.
"What was that?! It took away my stress just like... Poof!" I was surprised at such a sudden sentence like that, looking alarmed as she looked at me.
"That would be some of the negative energy leaving your body through physical contact with somepony with extraordinary, intense natural magical mana from her mana pool. You might have some level of purity restored." Siren smiled as she wrote something down o a clip board, making me tilt my head with a relaxed look.
"Uh... What?" Twilight looked at me strangely, like I was some sort of test tube.
"We'll talk about it quietly in the corner where we have privacy." Siren smiled as Twilight nodded.
"Well... Let's not just stand around. Let's get to the actual party!" I smiled and looked at Pinkie as she spoke, the music cranking a little as she did.
The party was an absolute blast. I had never had so much fun, not since my camp days. I played games I hadn't played since I was 8, like hide and seek, normal kind not "if I find you I'll beat the shit out of you kind". We played pin the tale on the donkey, we ate cake and danced. I skipped out on that part and chose not to do that, and instead I decided to crouch down to meet the little purple bipedal dragon from earlier. I smiled as we chatted, and Celectia smiled. Rarity called everyone over, to start the gift unwrapping.
I got a present from each one of the mares, and one from Spike.
The first was Pinkie's, hers was a mini party popper gun. She though that it would be fun.
The next was Flutter Shy's, a stuffed kitten that she thought would suit me considering she was expecting me not to be as old as I am. I looked at Celectia and smiled slowly, and she slowly caught on to what I was going to ask later.
Next was Starlight and Twilight's, a blank journal that I could use to document my thoughts, with a quill and well of ink.
Rarity's was a set of two piece pajamas with socks sewn into the legs with padding in them, fitted to a baggy size so I could be comfortable. I enjoyed this, because they could also be worn as a slightly formal pair of clothes.
There was a slight pause when I looked at Rainbow Dashes, and I picked it up. it was a bag. I opened it up and found a necklace with a stone on it, a beautiful light crystal. I smiled, this having a practical use.
I opened Apple Jacks next, and found a cowboy hat, raising my eye brows. It was the exact same as hers, but crisper. I smiled at her, and she smiled back. It was filed with apple treats.
Spikes was a football and a mug that read "THE ONE GUY" with a human stick figure on it.
Last came Celestia's and Luna's, who I saved for last on purpose. I picked it up and looked at them. I opened the box carefully and reached inside, making a strange face when I felt something large, round and smooth. I opened it more, and saw a strange thing... It was... It was an egg, with blue speckles. It was large-ish, and I made a face as I pulled it out. Twilight and Spike gasped, looking shocked.
"An... Egg?"
