The Pale Eagle of White Tail

by Timeless Lord Slayer

Chapters

2 - A New Life: From The Ground Up (Edited...again)
3 - A New Life: To Be Spurned (Edited)
4 - Intermission: Aftermath (Edited)
4.5 - First Transmission
5 - Discovery: Tora, the Monster Hunter
6 - Discovery: Discovery (Edited)
8 - Intermission: Preparations
9 - Into The Gloom: Into The Gloom
10 - Into The Gloom: Beneath The Earth (EDITED)
11 - Into The Gloom: Among The Shroom
12 - Intermission: A Farewell
14 - Results and Consequences: Evaluations
15 - Results and Consequences: Results and Consequences
16 - Intermission: Within The White (Edited...again)
17 - A Terrible Night: The Blood Moon Rises (Edited)
18 - A Terrible Night: Close Call
19 - A Terrible Night: A Terrible Fright (Edited...again)
20 - Intermission: Recuperation and Revelation (Edited)
21 - Bonus Chapter: With You In The Dark (Edited... Yet Again)
22 - Bonus Chapter: To Partake
23 - Lost In The Trees: Realizations
1 - A New Life: The Night Gains a Thousand Eyes (Edited...again)
7 - Discovery: A Chat (Edited)
13 - Results and Consequences: Suspicions Rising (Edited)
24 - Lost In The Trees: Necessary Pain

2 - A New Life: From The Ground Up (Edited...again)

A form walks through the Dark.

It swallows him whole.

He walks onward, torch in hand.

His eyes blaze with baleful green light, like a beast.

Eyes watch from afar.

They pounce.

Steel sings it's tone through flesh and hide, splattering blood on the stones.

Claws rend through the mutant's armor.

He grabs the claws, and rips them off.

His wound heals.

His blade sings through more flesh.

Baleful blue Eyes watch from the Cosmos.

THWACK!

CRACK!

I wiped some sweat from my brow, lowering my axe as the wood chunks were absorbed automatically into my inventory. After shivering at the alien feeling, I took in my surroundings.

A good number of trees were simply gone, no stumps or any sign they'd ever been there, making the area look like a semi-natural clearing. It was a strange sight, though not as strange as the new physics this world had. After all, I'm pretty sure trees don't normally break into little wooden chunks like shattered glass when you chop the trunk.

I sighed and shook my head, looking up at the now much more visible sky. "..." My mouth formed a thin line as I saw the sun was about to set. I may have been within my rights to break down like that, but now I was running low on time. With another sigh, I spoke the word I'd learned opened my personal subspace pocket. "Inventory." Immediately, the same menu from earlier in the day appeared, and I looked over the materials I'd gathered. "Five hundred should do for now," I reasoned, putting the wood into my quick bar and dismissing the menu.

I turned around, using what the Training app had taught me and dismissing my axe with a mental command. I hummed as I looked over the area. "Now, how do I want this to look?" I wondered, stroking my beard.

Back home, I was a carpenter, so I knew a fair bit about making homes. The question was, how did I want the new house to look? I could make it modern, or rustic, or even gothic. Hell, I might even be able to pull off oriental. Sure, this world had some of the mechanics of Terraria, but it didn't have all of them, so maybe I actually could make the simple wood I'd gotten into a different style, unlike in the games where you needed specific wood to make specific styles.

I continued stroking my beard until, after a fair bit of deliberation, I decided I'd just make a simple log cabin for now and upgrade it to a cottage later when I had the time. With that in mind, I willed my pickaxe into my hand and set to work digging out a foundation for my house.

My mind wandered as I did this, and one of the first things that popped into my head was how jarring it was that I could just ignore physics now, mainly because I've always been rather attached to my tools when I worked. That, and everything I'd learned in school and experience told me making a house should NOT be this easy. Still, right now I couldn't afford to waste time freaking out about it.

The sun was setting, and I needed to get my house up before nightfall. I'd spent too much time already just trying to calm down from everything that had happened, and I knew from experience playing Terraria that if I didn't have a shelter on the first night, then I was dead meat.

And I did not want to see if respawning was a thing in this world.

In shorter time than I expected, I had the flooring and foundation done and was already working on the walls. It took a bit longer than it did in game, considering I actually had to do all four walls of the house, but I got it done in record time thanks to my new abilities. Making the roof was a bit harder, since I had to make platforms to even reach, and thus a workbench, but once that was done, so was the house. After I finished placing the last piece of the roof, I hopped down and surveyed my work.

"Hmm...I'll need some glass for windows, and some stone for a chimney, among other things, but it looks good enough to me," I turned to the workbench I'd made, opening my menu again and selecting 'Crafting'. After scrolling through the options for a bit, I found the recipe for a door, tapped it, and a door appeared in my quick bar.

Looking at my hand, all I saw was a miniature door. "This is going to take some getting used to..." I said with a grunt, before walking over to the entrance and looking it over. I glanced from it and back to the small door in my hand a few times. "Make that a lot of getting used to." I said with a sigh. After checking the opening a few times, I placed the door, and it just magically fit.

I shook my head. "Fucking new world physics," I swore, checking the entrance over. It was plumb and even, and the gaps were even too. Stepping back, I sighed and shook my head again. "Yeah, this is gonna be hard to even start to get used to." With another shake of my head, I willed my pickaxe into my hand, picked up my workbench, hoisted my pickaxe over my shoulder, and walked into my new home.

Immediately I took notice of how dark it was, and groaned. "Shit, forgot I need some gel for torches." I placed my workbench down in a corner, then walked back out of my home, willing my Hero Sword into my hand. "Time to go hunting for slimes, I guess."

With that, I walked off into the forest. As I did, I felt my stomach rumble. "Guess hunting for food wouldn't be a bad idea, either..."

"Twilight, it's good to see you. I just wish it wasn't for something so dire," Celestia greeted, briefly exchanging hugs with her former student.

Once they separated, Twilight asked, "So what is it this time? Another old enemy?"

Celestia shook her head. "No, not exactly." She looked to Luna, who stepped down from her throne and stopped by her sister.

"Then what is it?" Starlight asked, quirking her head.

Luna shared another look with her sister, then sighed and looked back to the Elements and Starlight. "Have any of you heard of the Nightfall Prophecy?"

They all exchanged confused looks, then turned back to the Princesses. "No?" Twilight replied.

Celestia managed a smile. "Well, I suppose that is to be expected. It is a prophecy far older than even us, after all."

"Wait wait wait wait wait, this prophecy or whatever is older than even you guys?" Rainbow queried, eyes wide. "But you guys are like, a thousand years old!" Applejack, Rarity, Starlight and Twilight glared at the cyan pegasus. "E-Eheh, uh, no offense." She concluded, rubbing the back of her neck with a hoof.

The Sisters giggled. "It's fine, Rainbow, we don't mind." Celestia assured, waving it off. She quickly regained her worried look. "But to make a long story short, the Prophecy foretells the coming of beasts and magicks beyond our ken. In particular, a being who holds sway over the moon and the night."

Luna continued where her sister left off. "And just last night, my hold over my moon was taken from me."

The ponies gasped.

"WHAT?!" Pinkie screeched, zooming up to Luna and grabbing her by the muzzle. "Nightmare Night is still happening, right?! RIGHT?!"

"Settle down there, Pinkie," Applejack urged, pulling on the pink mare's tail and bringing her back into the group.

Fluttershy spoke up, peeking out from behind her mane. "U-Um, so, what do we do?"

"Yeah! Where's this guy at? We'll take him down no sweat!" Rainbow boasted, pounding her hooves together.

"Hear hear!" Rarity piped up, nodding her head twice.

Twilight smiled at her friends and their rallying cries, then looked back to the Princesses with a determined smile. "I think I speak for all of us when I say we're ready to do what we have to. So where are we going?"

Celestia sighed. "I'm afraid the creature will not be arriving for at least four years, if the prophecy holds true."

"It will bide it's time, taking strength from the kills it's kin make under the light of the moon," Luna continued. She frowned. "Already we have received reports of casualties from these very creatures."

"And to make matters worse, we've little idea how to combat them. Quite a few are simply too strong or too fast for the guards," Celestia added, a frown etched on her own muzzle.

The Elements and Starlight looked at each other, unease painting their features. Starlight looked to the Royals. "Then, what do we do?"

Luna and Celestia managed small smiles. "Simple," Celestia began, before the doors to the throne room opened, and seven familiar ponies strode in.

It was the Pillars, as well as a familiar maroon unicorn. The Element's eyes widened as Tempest finished Celestia's answer.

"We teach you all combat," She smirked. "From the ground up."

Author's Note

I hope this chapter wasn't too boring for you all. I had fun writing it, so I really hope you all had fun reading it.

Anyways, thanks for reading!

-Timeless Celestial

3 - A New Life: To Be Spurned (Edited)

A form walks through the Dark.

It swallows him whole.

He walks onward, torch in hand.

His eyes blaze with baleful green light, like a beast.

Eyes watch from afar.

They pounce.

Steel sings it's tone through flesh and hide, splattering blood on the stones.

Claws rend through the mutant's armor.

He grabs the claws, and rips them off.

His wound heals.

His blade sings through more flesh.

Baleful blue Eyes watch from the Cosmos.

It had been two whole weeks since I arrived in this world, and I'd been keeping myself busy. Partially to keep my mind off my situation, and also to keep myself alive. In that time, I had worked more on my abode. My cabin was now a fully fledged cottage, complete with a fledgling underground base hidden beneath, containing all of my more valuable finds whilst mining.

Of those finds were some Crystal Hearts, as well as some tungsten and some rounds for my pistol. Heck, I'd even found a grappling hook and a load of gems, ranging from amethysts and topazes to rubies and diamonds. I'd gotten enough tungsten to make a new axe and pickaxe, though not enough for armor, unfortunately, but I let that slide.

And, with all the training I'd been doing helping me fight off the hordes of the night, I didn't worry too much about my armor. That, and with the regeneration and potions I'd amassed, made me feel pretty secure.

Sure, I knew I wouldn't be able to handle some of the tougher monsters from any of the games, like Trolls or Werewolves or the Eater of Worlds, but I still felt confident enough to handle the typical nightly hordes.

There was one thing that got me curious, however. My hair was white, exactly like Geralt and Ciri's. In the games, they said that they had white hair because they underwent different, more intense mutations. Was my hair white because I had the blood of Heroes and Terrarians in me? I didn't know, but if that was the case, it made me wonder why my emotions weren't dulled or even muted.

Still, I'd decided a while back to just not worry about it too much. I mean, having glowing, cat-like eyes added to my already rare green eyes was always a plus. Always did take a bit of pride in my uniquely colored eyes.

Currently, I was doing some training, practicing my magic just outside my house. Specifically, my Will magic. It was a bit harder than the Signs, especially when it came to the more advanced spells, like Time Control and Blades, which I still hadn't gotten under control, but it was easily my most powerful, as it didn't draw on my mana or body at all. Instead, it drew on my will alone, and a little understanding of basic physics.

With a grunt, I thrust my palm out, sending a wave of concussive force towards a boulder that made a significant dent in it. Wiping some sweat from my brow, I looked over the various dents, cracks, and the like on the boulder, as well as the few divots of ruined grass and dirt.

Thrusting my other palm out and summoning my Will again resulted in another onrush of force that swiftly added another spider-webbing of cracks across the boulder, until, with an earthly groan, it crumbled. Sighing, I wiped some more sweat from my brow, then put my hands on my hips and looked over the area.

"I'll have to get another boulder for practice soon," I noted, trying to get my breathing under control. Letting out a final breath after doing so, I walked to my front door, stopping briefly to idly admire the various growing flowers in my garden. Gently taking one of them in my hands, I smiled. The Celandine were growing faster than I expected them to, considering how I'd planted them with my new physics bending abilities. Only had a few more ingredients before I could make Swallow potions. Looking to the Blinkroots and Dayblooms, I could see that they were growing nicely as well, so that was a few dozen other possible potions I could make. Looking back to my home, I smiled as I took in it's appearance.

It was the same kinda home I'd adored when I was a kid, and still loved to this day; namely, a Hobbit-styled house. A mass of dirt and grass covered the top of it, making it look just like I'd simply made a home from a small hill. The real kicker was that it also functioned like a bunker, being made out of tin plating and wooden beams, as I had found an overabundance of tin whilst mining.

The front windows were round portholes made of stained glass, which themselves were made from topaz and the few emeralds I'd managed to find. Looking them over with a small smile, I found myself glad that the crafting menu in this new reality of mine allowed me such freedom. In Terraria, you had to have specific materials to make specific styles for your home. In this world, I didn't have that restriction, being allowed to choose from a range of styles with just one material. As such, the tin plates had engravings on them, ones I didn't even have to actually engrave. I never would have thought I'd get to live out my boyhood dream of living in a Hobbit hole, much less of the very kind I'd made, but boy was I glad I could.

Chuckling to myself, I shook my head and walked towards the Victorian-styled, circular steel door and wiped my shoes of mud on the doormat before stepping into my cottage. Flipping the lights on illuminated my semi-modest home's interior, and made me glad I'd scored so big by finding wires and the likes in my mine. Keeping my smile, I walked through the circular hall, drinking in the details of the home I'd made with the appreciation of a builder.

Banners, paintings, and shelves lined the tin plated walls, different rooms interspersed between them. I passed a few rooms, ranging from my kitchen, dining room, and pantry to my lounge, bathroom and study, before approaching the hidden button in one of the walls and pressing it.

Doing so lowered the secret door, allowing me access to the central stairwell of the house, which led down to my basement and bunker. After letting the door close behind me, I walked down the stairs and into the bunker proper, my boots tapping rhythmically against the wood that made up each step.

After reaching the bottom, I turned on the lights and made my way towards my storeroom. "Time to see how my stores are faring..." I mumbled to myself, passing my bedroom, armory, work room and mine entrance on the way. Reaching the aforementioned storeroom and flipping the lever to open the door, I watched as the tin plating receded into the wall, then stepped into the vast space of the room.

The chests were all labeled to distinguish what went where, and were further organized into sections based on category. Metals were one section, which was divided into smaller sections based on the type of metal and if it had been refined or not yet.

And the metals section was where I wanted to check first. Stopping in front of it, I opened up the chest for iron and looked inside. "Hmmm, gonna need some more iron soon..." I noted, before continuing my inventory check.

After all was said and done, I walked out of the storeroom. "Well, looks like I'm going out on another trip," I told myself, stretching and groaning in pleasure as I felt a few satisfying pops in reaction. Pulling my cell phone out of my quick bar, I decided on checking the time. "Nearly afternoon. Plenty of time to pack food and everything else." Scrolling to the 'Notes' app and opening it, I went about adding everything I needed for this trip on it. 'Not a bad idea to try and get some silver, gold, or platinum during this trip. Some more Crystal Hearts would be good too...Maybe I'll try that other cavern I found.' I hummed, then added those items to the list as well. "There, all set," I finished. After dismissing my phone back into my inventory, I went about prepping for my big trip.

This was gonna be a long one.

Vinyl was having unusually bad luck tonight. It was strange, as most times she got lucky when she came to Las Pegasus, but she'd been at the bar for two hours now, and not once had she nagged a stallion. All of the ones she'd tried to woo she either scared off on accident, or were simply not her type, being far too prissy or slutty.

The mare groaned as she laid her head on the table, glass of cider already halfway empty. "Whyyyyy..." She moaned. The barkeep paid her no mind as she continued on. "...I figured there'd be loads of tourists and hot stallions," She sighed, resting her face on her hoof. "But most of these guys are just...ugh." She slumped, the beats of the music doing less for her than it usually did. "Why aren't there any good stallions here?" She whined.

CRASH

An unearthly roar followed, which was soon accompanied by screams.

"What the buck is that thing?!" cried a stallion as he galloped away for dear life.

Vinyl's head snapped to the sounds, and her eyes widened at the sight before her. A massive, bloodshot eyeball had crashed through the hotel, it's huge, central heterochromatic blue and green pupil staring blankly and eerily at the gathered equines like the eye of one of the newly dead. It was easily as big as a small shack, but creepier than any haunted version she'd seen in horror flicks. Numerous other eyeballs were around it, and whilst they were smaller, they made up for it by being faster, quickly chasing after the crowd.

Vinyl sat stock still, unmoving and stiff as a piece of petrified wood as other ponies ran for their lives. The giant eye turned it's gaze to her, and her pupils shrank. Even as it floated over to her, she didn't move. Couldn't, move. Her body wouldn't respond. She was frozen, shaking like a leaf as it drew nearer and nearer.

That was when a loud bang rang out, and the eye gained a bloody hole, jerking back in surprise. When it and Vinyl turned their gazes to the source, they saw a strange biped there.

"Mind letting the tiny horse have her drink, jackass?" it asked in a deep voice.

Determined to find some silver and gold for my gear, I had traveled farther from home than I originally intended to. The fact that I'd barely found enough to fill my quota didn't help either. I'd followed this shaft for, according to my phone, over 800 miles now, and it had branched off so many times I would've been worried about getting back home. Thankfully, I had the 'Teleport Home' option on my phone, though, so that wasn't an issue.

Still, it had been a few weeks now, and I'd only found enough silver for one Witcher sword, instead of the buttloads I'd been hoping for. And I'd found shit for dicks when it came to gold, so, you know, that was grand. Still barely any iron, as well.

I sighed, leaning back against the shaft wall and letting myself slump to the floor, pickaxe held loosely in my hand. "Why does the universe hate me so much..." I groaned, then looked up to the rocky ceiling. "Knowing my luck, I might just run into another orgy of monsters and get nothing to show for it." I sighed deeply, sinking deeper into the floor.

Just then, a message appeared in the corner of my vision.

You feel an evil presence watching you...

I stopped cold at that, body locking up. That was the message that appeared when the first boss, The Eye of Cthulu was about to come! Shit! "Inventory!" I nearly yelled, and looked through what I had. I grit my teeth. I wasn't too sure that just sixty rounds of ammunition would work on a boss with over two thousand health, much less if he was in Expert Mode, which meant he'd have over three thousand. Not to mention the fact he summoned smaller Eyes throughout the fight, which would drain my reserves even more. I tightened my grip on my pickaxe. But if it meant getting the next level of loot, like Demonite Ore or Crimtane Ore, then...

With a deep sigh of frustration, I pulled myself up. "Well, at the very least I'll finally see what's beyond my house," I reasoned, rolling my shoulders. "Always did kinda enjoy seeing new places. Might as well start exploring this new world for real." With that, I turned my gaze up to the ceiling again, and hefted my pickaxe. "Hopefully I have enough rope to get up..."

So, I began my climb. Part of the way up, as I was digging my way through more stone, the last message appeared, forming a cold pit in my stomach.

The Eye of Cthulu has awoken!

Despite me quickening my pace, it took a good twenty minutes, which admittedly was insane when you considered the depth my phone put me at, but I soon reached the surface. When I did, I saw it was clearly night, and monsters were gathering. Ignoring them for the time being, I scanned about for the Eye.

Seeing nothing in the sky, I took my phone out and opened the 'Monster Tracker' app. Unsurprisingly, it directed me to the sky. Looking up, I couldn't help my mouth gaping open as I beheld a literal floating city. Just...floating there, in the sky, giving a huge 'fuck you!' to all the science and physics I'd once known. You'd think I'd have gotten at least a little used to things here after living in this world for a few weeks, but this shit? I don't think I was ever gonna get over this.

A drawn out moan from my right brought me back to Earth, and I shook my head. Looking to the zombie, I raised my hand and, drawing from my Will, shot a fireball at it, burning it alive. Looking back up to the floating city and it's bright lights, I sighed. "Suppose I shouldn't be surprised, this world does have Terraria elements, and Terraria did have floating islands," I mused. Shaking my head again, I called out, "Inventory," and put the stone and dirt from my climb up here into my quickbar. "Gonna have to nerdpole up there, since I can't fly yet." Willing the stone into my hands, I jumped, then placed it below me. I stumbled a bit after landing, then soon righted myself. I looked down at my feet and the stone beneath me. "This is gonna take some getting used to..." I sighed, before repeating the process again and again, over and over.

After reaching a respectable height and still having not reached the city, I looked down, and promptly gulped. "Note to self; don't look down, don't freak out, and don't fall off."

That, was a mighty task in more ways than one.

To my mild surprise but great relief, I eventually reached the bottom of the cloud layer the city was on, and, taking out my pickaxe, I broke through the layer. Despite the gravity of the situation, I still hesitated for a moment when reaching for the cloud, but soon grabbed on and climbed up and out of the hole I'd made.

After doing so, I pulled out my phone again and checked the 'Monster Tracker' app again. The Eye was finally closing in, specifically on something the app's map labeled, 'Las Pegasus Resort Hotel'. Who the fuck would actually give a resort a name that was a horse pun on Las Vegas? That's just stupid.

Looking back up, my eyes widened as I saw the vast array of colorful ponies in front of me, and all over the city.

What. The. Fuck.

There were hundreds, no, thousands of them, colorful as hell with so many different mane and tail styles and the biggest eyes I'd seen on any animal. And a lot of them were staring at me.

Shaking my head, I decided to push away the thoughts of how insane this was and save them for later. Raising a hand, I gave a light wave and a small smile. "I come in peace?"

"It's a monster! Ruuuun!" cried a stallion, before they all screamed and ran off.

"...They can talk, and the first thing they say to me is, 'It's a monster'?" I clenched my fists and gnashed my teeth. I could feel rage building, but quickly squashed it down and shook my head. "Forget it, Durin. You're not here for them, anyway." I told myself.

Looking to the apparent resort in the distance, I started to sprint towards it. I could think about why they could talk and more later. Right now, I had a boss to kill.

I ran as fast as I could, heading straight for the hotel my app had indicated. As I did, I tried my best to ignore the frightened screams of the Skittles-colored miniature horses around me. It was unnerving in a lot of ways, but what mattered right now was survival. Mine...and theirs.

I didn't like the idea of others dying, after all, even if they were assholes.

As I reached the courtyard in front of the hotel, I heard hundreds of screams and stampeding hooves, before said stampede barreled through the front doors and out into the night. The Eye was here already. Gritting my teeth, I pushed myself further, running into the now open doors and inside the hotel.

Despite the lavish interior, I paid it little mind and honed in on where the screams and running ponies were coming from. Hanging a right and pushing past dozens more frightened ponies, I soon came to a dance floor, where lo and behold, The Eye of Cthulu was, approaching a petrified, alabaster mare.

I pulled my Hero's Pistol out, aimed, and pulled the trigger. As the Eye jerked back from the bullet that had lodged a hole in it and turned to me, I decided to try my hand at a one liner.

"Mind letting the tiny horse have her drink, jackass?" I asked, raising the gun up.

As soon as I did, I heard a chirp, and a new line of text appeared in my vision as music suddenly started to play.

Now beginning your adventure with "Eden Undone."

'Was that... My phone?' I wondered, pausing at that.

"Woah shit!" I cried, narrowly dodging a rush from the Eye. Three smaller eyes - Servants, I recalled - zoomed towards me, and, taking a quick breath, I aimed, and fired three shots.

Seeing those three eyes drop into piles of bloody coins and ocular-flesh, I willed my Hero Sword into my other hand and turned to face the bigger Eye again. My nose twitched, and I looked back briefly to see the white mare had apparently peed herself. I growled. "What the fuck are you doing?! Move!"

Startled, she blinked and shook her head, falling off the stool she'd been on. My ears were the next thing to twitch, and, following my training, I back-stepped and followed up with an upwards slash and a shot into the side of the massive Eye which had tried to rush me again, knocking it back.

I didn't hear hoofsteps. She hadn't moved. "Move!! Do you want to die?!" I cried, then grunted as I had to cut into the Eye of Cthulu again when it came for another rush at me, making it back off for a bit.

I saw two eyes heading for her, answering my question as to why she hadn't moved. I grit my teeth, then shook my head and took aim with my Pistol. Fifty five shots left. I squeezed the trigger twice. Fifty three.

Suddenly, something slammed into me, knocking me flat on my back and knocking the wind out of me. Nothing felt broken, but I could feel blood dripping from my nose. Looking up, the Eye was glaring down at me. I grit my teeth, pushed myself up to my knees, and looked to the mare that was still staring at me. Sucking in a breath, I yelled as loud as I could, "GET THE FUCK OUT OF HERE DIPSHIT!!!"

That seemed to finally get her to scramble up and away, galloping off and out of the battlefield that was once a dance floor. I managed a small smile at that, only to cry out in pain as I felt multiple teeth plunge into my right arm. "FUCK!" I cursed. Lifting my gun with my left, I pointed it point blank at the smaller Eye and blew it to pieces.

Looking up, I saw two more coming my way, and that last one's teeth were still lodged in my arm, and my goal was watching me from afar.

I grit my teeth harder, so hard I swore I heard them creaking like overworked support beams, and pushed myself to my feet. "...Me and my fucking sense of justice." I swore. Raising my gun again, I blew the two approaching eyes into red paste, then willed my Hero Sword back into my Inventory, and one of the three Healing Potions I had on me into my right hand. "Haven't tried 'em yet, but no time like the present!" Popping the cork with a thumb, I chugged the whole thing. Soon after I groaned as I felt my flesh swiftly pushing the teeth out, then yelped as I had to jump to the side as the Eye of Cthulu charged me again.

I landed hard on my still sore shoulder, suppressing a cry of pain at the impact, but managing to roll over and onto my feet as the Eye turned around to face me and spat out three more of it's Servants from it's back.

Seeing this, I gained an idea.

I flicked my gun to the side - which opened the chamber - tilted it, and emptied the bullets, before reloading as fast as I could. The process took less than a second, thanks to training and having used guns before. Then, I banished the empty bottle to my Inventory and brought my Hero Sword back out. Flourishing it, I got into a stance and took a breath as the Servants and the Eye came after me. "Okay..." I breathed. "Just focus..." I did just that, focusing and closing my eyes, relying on my Witcher senses to tell where the enemy was. When they were close enough, I shot my eyes open and charged headlong into the fray like a true Whittlesey.

As the first Servant came up, I jumped, landed on it, aimed down, jumped off and then shot it to pieces, repeating this with each Servant, using them like stepping stones to their leader. When I jumped off the final Servant, I took aim at the Eye and fired. It jerked back from the bullet that had lodged itself inside itself, but I raised my sword high and landed on it all the same, my blade now sunken deep into it's fresh wound.

In response to this, it thrashed about, zipping through the air in random directions before heading towards a wall to smash me. To counteract this, I twisted my weapon, and it veered up, shooting towards the ceiling. I held on as tight as I could, then, as quick as I could, I pulled my sword out, and thrust it back in.

The Eye, finally, roared at this, and split, revealing it's hidden maw. It suddenly turned around and started to dash in zigzags, nearly throwing me off a good number of times. I looked ahead, and saw a wall coming up. "I...don't...think so!" I roared, yanking down with all my strength.

A sickening, fleshy tearing sound was all I heard as I slid off, blade cutting into it along the way and slicing it in half. "Oh shiii-!" I shouted as the ground came rushing up to meet me.

Slamming into the flashing tiles of the dance floor, I let out a weak groan. 'Theeeere's the broken bones.' The wet, meaty thuds of the Eye slammed down around me, along with dozens of other items. Among them was, to my surprise, both Crimtane and Demonite Ore, five Lesser Healing Potions, and a Treasure Bag, all of which was swiftly absorbed into my Inventory. The music on my phone stopped too, and I got a final message in my vision.

The Eye of Cthulu has been defeated!

I groaned deeply, burying my face in the broken, flickering tiles. "I get the feeling things are only gonna get worse from here..." Groaning again, I painfully pushed myself up to my knees, banished my pistol, willed one of the healing potions I'd gotten into my hand, and chugged it down. "Ghk..." I stifled a cry of pain as the potion did it's work, mending my broken bones. They were still sore though, and I could tell that it hadn't fixed all of my ribs.

Sighing at this, I slowly and painfully pulled myself to my feet. I looked up at the ceiling, then around at the ruins of the dance floor, and chuckled. "Hope this doesn't piss those horses off." My sensitive ears picked up the sounds of wingbeats, and I looked to a hole in the wall. Dozens of what I could only assume were pegasi in armor were there, spears and even bows in their hooves...somehow.

"Halt, monster!" called one of them.

"That's a hard no," I grumbled. An arrow lodged itself near my foot. "Yipe!"

"Consider that a warning! Come peacefully and you won't be harmed!"

I looked at the arrow briefly, then looked to the the guard. "Yeah, how about, fuck you?!" With a hearty flipping of the bird, I took out my Cell Phone, and pressed on the Teleport Home button.

As I appeared back on top of my bed at home, I could only groan and spread out. "Fuuuuck..." I stored my stuff away in my Inventory, not even wanting to bother with my new loot. There was a lot to process. I let a hand fall down over my face. "...Fucking, what the hell..." I cursed, frowning deeply. "First the fucking Eye of Cthulu decides to appear - in a damned floating cloud city - then it turns out that city is full of fucking ponies, which means that bitch wasn't pulling my leg off for once, and now," I let my hand drop, clenching my fists. "Now I'm probably fucking wanted!"

I relaxed a bit, placing one hand over my still sore ribs. I could feel it slowly healing, but it was gonna be sore for a bit still. I looked up at the ceiling, trying to stop what was coming next.

It didn't work, so I covered my face again as the tears came.

"I just fucking want to go home...Why do I have to go through this sh-shit...?"

There was...a lot, to process.

Author's Note

Hello, my dear readers. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, it was...well, not the easiest thing for me to write. Not in the 'it's personal' way, but more in the way that I just wasn't sure if I'd written it right, so it's gone under a few rewrites already. Hell, originally I was gonna start the whole thing off with him going a little crazy with his new magic. That would've been way too out of character for him, so I scrapped that start.

Not to mention it all feels a bit fast to me on the latter bits.

But to continue this tangent, I imagine some of you found Durin's statement of 800 miles to be over-the-top, yes? Well, that bit was made after heavy consideration of the official map of Equestria, as well as research into the alarmingly large amount of cities and locations Equestria alone has that either; A) Aren't shown on the map itself or B) Are oddly close, and this has brought me to the conclusion that Equestria's official map isn't too accurate, at least when it comes to distance. So, I decided that Durin's home in White Tail is, despite what the map suggests, at least 800 miles from Las Pegasus. Also, I am aware that the eye of Cthulu does not spawn if all players are underground 81 seconds after the first message, but, I decided to say that the ponies sorta count as players in this case.

I am also aware that the Eye spawns 4-5 Servants upon transforming, but I figured Durin's final move there kinda just finished it too quickly for that to happen.

As for why this wasn't as dragged out a fight as it could have been (considering most players take a little longer to kill it when they're starting out) that has to do with Durin's armor set bonus. Terraria, you see, has bonuses when you wear a full set of armor. Durin's Eagle School Set gives him +10% damage to all monsters, and +5% weapon damage and speed.

Now, adding that on top of the fact his Hero Pistol has the Rapid Mod, as in, it fires faster, and his Hero Sword has the Legendary Mod, well, he had just a bit of an edge.

Ya know, oddly enough, now that I look back on all that research, it was rather fun to do. Which is odd, considering how aggravated I was while doing it. :applejackunsure: Must be my inner scholar, I guess.

Oh, and sorry this didn't come out as quick as you all would have liked or as I said it would, things just...happened. Family stuff and all. I honestly don't feel comfortable saying much more, so...yeah. Sorry.

Anyways, I really do hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Thanks so much for reading!

-Timeless Celestial

4 - Intermission: Aftermath (Edited)

A form walks through the Dark.

It swallows him whole.

He walks onward, torch in hand.

His eyes blaze with baleful green light, like a beast.

Eyes watch from afar.

They pounce.

Steel sings it's tone through flesh and hide, splattering blood on the stones.

Claws rend through the mutant's armor.

He grabs the claws, and rips them off.

His wound heals.

His blade sings through more flesh.

Baleful blue Eyes watch from the Cosmos.

"For the last time, Vinyl, no!" a gray Earth Pony said firmly, putting her cello's bow down.

"And why not?" Vinyl countered, a towel wrapped around her head as she walked into the room; she'd gotten tired of yelling across the house to get her point across. Bringing the hair dryer with her, she unwrapped the towel and started to dry her mane. "Despite what the Guards say, I know what I saw!"

Octavia groaned, rubbing her face with a hoof. "We've been over this, Vinyl," she removed her hoof, fixing her roommate with an exasperated look. "We don't know anything about that creature. We don't know if he's hostile, if he's biding time to gather more strength to attack us in earnest, if he's just a creature native to this world we've never seen before, or if he's part of this," she raised her hooves to make air quotes, "'New Wave' of monsters!"

"And I told you a thousands times already! He! Saved! Me!" Vinyl punctuated each point with a stomp of her hoof, pausing in her hair drying. "You know how rare it is for a stallion to save the mare! I don't care what it takes, I need to find him to at least buckin' thank him somehow!"

Octavia raised a brow. "And you plan on doing so how?” Vinyl raised a hoof and opened her mouth to speak, then faltered. Octavia sighed. “I thought so.”

Vinyl growled, lowering her hoof and tossing the hair dryer down. “I have to do something! I’m a mare, I can’t just...just…!”

Octavia sighed deeply, looking her lover over for a time. Sighing again and trotting over, she put a hoof on Vinyl’s shoulder. “Alright, Vinyl.” She gave the mare a soft smile. “Much as I’m still averse to the idea, I’ll help you.” She gave her a stern look. “So long as you don’t go too far, and I come with on any searches.”

Vinyl stared at her roommate, then slowly nodded, smiling. “Thanks, Tavi.”

“Oof!” Applejack grunted, stumbling back as Rockhoof knocked her to the ground of the courtyard.

“Ya got ta keep more steadeh hoofin’, lass,” he said, offering her a hoof up. Applejack grunted again, taking the offered hoof and letting herself be pulled up.

“Ah’ll try and remember that,” she replied, taking off her stetson and wiping some sweat from her brow. She looked up at him with a slight smile. “Fer a stallion, you sure got a mean hook.”

Rockhoof let out a rumbling chuckle. “Thank ye, I try.” He turned and walked a short ways away, then turned back around to face her, getting into a stance for the umpteenth time that day. “Now, try again.”

As the two trained, and the other Elements and Starlight did the same, Tempest came up to the Sisters, whom were watching it all from afar.

Without looking to her, Celestia asked as she raised a cup of tea to her lips, “Any news on that new creature from Las Pegasus, yet?”

Tempest shook her head as she came to sit nearby. “No, none. All we know is the strange eye was killed by it.”

“Hmm,” Celestia frowned and furrowed her brows, then took a sip of her tea.

Luna patted her sister’s back with a wing. “Have no fear, sister. Our investigation is slow, but there is still hope.”

Celestia sighed as she put her cup down on it’s saucer. “It is hard to not have fear when we only survive due to the grace of our magic.” She rubbed her forehead with a hoof. “How I let the kingdom become so weak I do not know.”

“Dwelling too much on the past will not help things, Your Majesty,” Tempest interjected. “We must focus on the here and now, and getting them,” she gestured to those training. “Up to speed.”

Celestia sighed once more, looking to the sky. “I suppose you are right.”

‘Still, though… What has our world come to…?’

“I’m home,” I said to the empty house as I entered it. It was a useless gesture, I knew that weeks ago, but it...it felt more uncomfortable to be silent about it all.

Shaking my head, I flipped the lever on the wall, closing the entrance to the mines behind me. After that, I made my way to the storeroom. My boots thudded softly against the tiled floor as I did, and soon enough my mind wandered.

‘I’ve been here a month now, and it still hasn’t gotten any easier…’ Reaching the storeroom and flipping the lever to open the door, I walked in and started to put everything I found on my trip away. My body was essentially on autopilot right now, having done this so many times, and my mind thus kept wandering. ‘Especially since I’m a wanted man now.’ I grit my teeth, pausing with my finger resting above the screen of my inventory and the chest’s as the memory flowed into my mind unbidden.

Two weeks ago I’d been out on a trip, and had to deal with the Eye of Cthulu messing shit up in a city full of ponies. I snorted. ‘Ungrateful, bastard ponies, at that.’

Continuing my work and dumping the ten chunks of gold into the gold ore chest a bit forcefully, my thoughts kept chugging along on their train of thought. ‘Only real good thing that came out of that trip was the loot.’

I looked down at the picture of my Silver Sword in my quickbar, noting it’s new effect of 2% bleeding chance, a result of the Lesser Devana Runestone I’d gotten from the Treasure Bag and had put onto it. My Hero Sword had changed too, though not because I had added something to it, despite the glowing blue runic characters now on it’s otherwise nondescript blade. I'd also gotten the Shield of Cthulu, specifically one with the Warding modifier, giving me 4 extra defense. And, to my surprise, I had the option of making it invisible.

Honestly, the fighting style of Witchers didn't incorporate shields, but, to my surprise, after getting the Boss Item, my Training App actually did incorporate ways of using it effectively. Though I still decided on using it only when I truly needed it. Honestly, my dodging was on point enough that I don't think I would use it much at all, especially with this no longer being Terraria. At least, not in most aspects.

My mind swiftly went back to how those armored ponies - guards, likely - had been so obvious in their intent towards me despite me quite obviously fucking saving them from the Eye.

"Fucking ponies..." I groused. "I save them, and they just, they just..."

Sighing, I went back to sorting things and storing them away. The Crimtane and Demonite Ores were a surprisingly good find, though I couldn’t make anything from them without either Shadow Scales or Tissue Samples.

I’d have to use those seeds I’d gotten from the Treasure Bag, and I didn’t like that. Mainly because doing so meant starting to make the Corruption and Crimson appear in this world. Though knowing that I’d gotten both types of seeds and ores meant there was already some present, I still did not like the idea.

It wasn’t something that would help this world prosper, after all. Only I would, arguably, and I wasn’t a selfish guy, I liked to think.

After putting everything away, I walked out of the room and let out a yawn. Pulling out my phone, I checked the time. “Nearly midnight…” Sighing, I looked behind me at the still open door to the storeroom. I was tired, but… I didn’t like the idea of sleeping. Not right now. I had the feeling I’d just have a terrible night again. Grunting, I trudged my way upstairs.

“Might as well farm some monsters…”

4.5 - First Transmission

Author's Note

This is for those who wanted a bit more solid of an explanation for exactly why Durin was not only so hated and feared at the start, but also why he was hunted. However, in case this doesn't explain it enough, don't worry; more chapters will be coming out eventually to explain more solidly/clearly since this one used mostly subtle and non-direct ways of doing so.

Admittedly the explanation is not, well, the typical way most other writers of...any, story - professional or otherwise - would explain or show why something such as this happened, I and my co-writers feel this idea and it's execution will be satisfying enough.

Also, this chapter is the first of the 'Transmission' chapters, which will be from the perspective of various individuals in the story as they use the 'Universal Command Console System' to make these transmissions. Most transmissions will be ended off with a scene from other characters, but not all of them will.

Regardless, we hope you enjoy it and any future ones!

4.5 - First Transmission

"Command Override: WB-4, Subcategory: Subliminal Messaging. Authorization: World Master, Subcategory: Global Menace.

Command Override accepted.

"Readers. Listeners. Audiences. Fans. This is what you call yourselves, yes? How utterly orthodoxy. You believe everything you read, everything you watch, all the fiction is just that? Fiction? Your kind were gifted, as many were, with the ability of true sight, to look beyond even your own finite realm, and yet, you have fallen oh so far. Forgetting your roots. Labeling them blasphemy. Destroying them with your so called knowledge, your enlightened synaptic organs of thought.

And yet, the other realms are all around you. In your homes. In your hearts. In your souls. Your minds.

Some only watch. Some help. Some teach. But the masses still believe the same lie of purist causality.

And so do you.

I do not abide by this. I do not tolerate ignorance. But...you shall all have your turn. Your poisoned thoughts of a reality unblemished by those beyond can be mentored. And they shall, regardless of the inevitability of your minds breaking.

Onlookers behind impervious walls.

I see only arrogance.

But not in you, Durin Whittlesey. No, you've known these secrets since your birth. They are but hidden, locked, sequestered. And that is why you have not noticed the deeper changes. Your organic code, your DNA has been altered, yes, but so has your very soul.

Oh, your mind and personality are unharmed, but your aural coding? Your soul? Your essence? It is different. Changed, irrevocably. The Witch may have named herself Trader, and your 'trade' may have been made, but make no mistake; in that trade, in the lines beneath lines, the walls behind walls, there was a contract. And you signed it.

It's 'legal' bindings started the rest. And the 'rest', my dear boy, is the reason you are feared. The boiling blood behind their animosity. The Vulpe behind their suspicion.

The reason you are tied to me.

The new blood in your veins, that propellant of self-governed physics? That is what you should truly curse for your misfortune, for your alienation. All with that poison, that curse from that which I have conquered, can only be feared. Can only be hated. Can only be inevitably destroyed, whether by that which rightfully should seek to end their existence, or by their own lofty ambitions.

Pray you sleep well. Pray you can gather your strength. Pray you can keep what you hold dear safe. Pray you can stay intact. Pray you can stay alive.

But do not pray to me.

Pray to the Moon."

It was right fuckin’ bodgy, seeing all this destruction in the newspaper at Las Pegasus. I woulda thought it some jumbuck shit if there weren’t photos and actual disaster response teams that were mobilizin’ from Baltimare, where I was stayin’.

Corker place, Baltimare, even if th’ crime rate was a fair bit higher than the boonies, due t’ the many species living in it and the more industrialized nature of th’ place.

Anyhoo.

Disaster response teams, dozens of ponies in tip-top equipment both medical and combat were boarding carriages or one of several trains pulled into the station. Entire buildings demolished, ponies an’ other blokes and sheilas dead or wounded…and one giant rotting eyeball needing a cleanup crew.

That was one bit of th’ news that caught my attention.

I was, after all, Tora Katt - monster hunter and part-time adventurer. That big ol’ fuck an’ its ilk were just the kind of paycheck I lived to earn. Wasn’t so much the thrill of a good blue, or satin’ some of them leftover primal instincts, that drove me to hunt shit like Timber Wolves, Manticores, or the newer beasties that had started popping up in the past few weeks.

Fuckin’ zombies, of all things, were comin’ out at night and attackin’ folks. Curfew was in effect across Equestria cuz of it, an’ it had a lotta ponies and other folks scared.

As much of a right cunt as it mighta made me sound, them walking corpses just meant job security for me an’ others in my profession.

I was actually gettin’ ready to leave Baltimare at the time - one too many attempted (and failed) muggings or otherwise had made my patience run thin.

Besides, Las Pegasus was sounding like a right payday and a half for the foreseeable future.

But…as I was leaving the hotel I was stayin’ at with all my gear strapped to me, I saw a small mob of ponies crowding around a random wall nearby, muttering in a dull roar amongst themselves with an almost palpable sense of unease.

Hell, the more I looked at ‘em, the more they all seemed downright mean as cat’s piss.

No pun intended.

Curiosity - that enticing yet dangerous mistress for us felines - piqued in my head, I made my way over to the hubbub and was pleasantly surprised when the pond of pony bodies parted to let me through without so much as a peep.

Turns out it wasn’t a random wall they were crowding around in some weird pony thing.

It was a bounty board packed with bounties on various beasties that were posing problems around the country. The usual Equestrian beasties as well as the newer ones that’d been popping up lately were posted for good dosh…but that wasn’t what caught my eye.

It was the blurry photo of some humanoid creature lookin’ at the camera.

Looking around, I noticed every last pony had their eyes glued to that one photo, their tails flicking in irritation, anxiety, fear or any number of the other usual ‘bad mood’ emotions. In fact, all of the ponies were actin’ like they were afraid the photo was going to come alive and cark ‘em.

Then I saw the Equestrian Bounty Office emblem and the official Equestrian Internal Affairs Bureau insignia stamped in the top left and right corners, respectively, followed by a bounty at the bottom of the photo.

‘High-priority bounty issued by order of the Equestrian Royalty Council - contact Detective Gum Shoe in Canterlot for details.’

Welp. Curiosity at an all-time high, big ol’ bloody Princess-issued bounty, an’ this odd feeling that I didn’t wanna miss out on this…

How could I resist?

I plucked the bounty from the board.

To Canterlot I go.

5 - Discovery: Tora, the Monster Hunter

A form walks through the Dark.

It swallows him whole.

He walks onward, torch in hand.

His eyes blaze with baleful green light, like a beast.

Eyes watch from afar.

They pounce.

Steel sings it's tone through flesh and hide, splattering blood on the stones.

Claws rend through the mutant's armor.

He grabs the claws, and rips them off.

His wound heals.

His blade sings through more flesh.

Baleful blue Eyes watch from the Cosmos.

“That should be everything, then, Miss Tora,” concluded a blue unicorn mare, adjusting her glasses as she looked the individual before her over. “Will you be needing anything else?”

“Nah, I’ll be alrigh’,” the tigress shook her head, her amber eyes looking dead into the mare’s. “‘side from an assurance that this isn’t gonna be jus’ some bloody goose chase. M’ time is important, and I ain’t gonna waste it cuz some nutta’ saw a squirrel runnin’ in the shadows.”

“I assure you, this is very important wor-” the mare began with a frown, but Tora interrupted her.

“Oh, they always bloody say tha’, an’ ‘alf the time, it ends up being a ‘colt who cried ‘timbawolf’’ scenaria,” Tora scoffed, her Faustralian accent making each word sound all the more sarcastic. “Wot should make me believe tha’ this is gonna be any different?”

The mare’s brows furrowed. “Because we have several eyewitnesses of the creature.”

“Aye? And wot’s it fookin’ look li’?” Tora raised a brow questioningly, paw tapping expectantly.

The mare gestured to the bipedal feline herself. “Much like you, actually, albeit in heavy armor and apparently furless.” She gave her a smirk. “Didn’t I tell you this already?”

“...Okay, I zoned out ‘cause y’ were dronin’ on an’ on instead’a gettin’ ta the damn point, but fine, got anythin’ else ya can tell me ‘bout this ‘creature’?” Tora asked with narrowed eyes, not liking the horn-head’s damn smirk one bit. “Loike weapons an’ shite?”

“According to what Miss Vinyl explained,” the mare began, adjusting her glasses once more. “It used a simple sword and a smaller version of what you have. She described it as like a miniature crossbow, but spitting fire instead of bolts.”

Tora slammed her paws down on the table as she abruptly shoved her face into the mare’s personal space, a suddenly (and disturbingly) interested look in her amber eyes, “A fire-spittin’ mini-crossbow, y’ saey? An’ whatever it shot kinda ‘sploded with a hole innit?”

The mare nodded, leaning back at this action with a frown on her face. “Yes. Now, if you don’t mind, would you please ste-”

Tora’s upper half snapped back to where it had been before, an excited grin on her muzzle, “Where was th’ creature s’posed to be, again?”

The mare sighed, rubbing her forehead. “As I said in the briefing,” she started before looking up at Tora. “We don’t know. It teleported away, yet not by magic according to our unicorns. We couldn’t trace it’s whereabouts. That’s why you’re going to find it, because you have more experience with such things. I’d suggest visiting Miss Vinyl to follow up on leads.”

“Aye, I’ll get righ’ on tha’!” Tora said, giving the mare a quick and sloppy salute before turning and walking out the door.

The mare sighed as she left. “That cat is going to be my end, I swear…”

Tora soon arrived in Ponyville, stepping off the train and onto it’s station and looking around at the admittedly large, almost city-sized rural town as the train soon after left the station, smoke pouring out of it’s stack as it chugged off.

“...Eh, could use s’more sand an’ ‘roos kickin’ people in th’ shins fer lookin’ at ‘em funny,” Tora sighed in disappointment, but continued on to her destination, regardless. She had a witness to interrog- ahem, question, and a nice lil’ thunderstick to take some much needed ammo from. Gabe only had eight of the ‘cragadile-killer’ shots left, and she really wanted to use Gabe’s true firepower more often.

Paying others to make more was expensive, too, and she didn’t have enough to pay for a few rounds and pay for food and room. Hence why she’d taken this job. It paid very, very well.

And now she had a new mini-Gabe to loo- er, appropriate for herself.

She shook her head to clear her thoughts, then pulled out the strip of paper with the witness’ address on it.

“...A’ight, a’ight, find this disk jockey an’ I’ll be able to track down m’ mark. Simple ‘nuff,” Tora nodded to herself as she (slowly, what with all of the damn twists and turns in this town) made her way to the address.

It took a fair while, but she soon found the house on the edge of the town limits on the top of a small hill. It looked innocent enough, for the abode of such a famous DJ and Cellist. Simple thatched roof like every other house, white stucco, all very much the same as most domiciles in Ponyville.

Tora casually waltzed up to the door and rapped her paw on its face three times, “Oi! Is a ‘Vinyl Scratch’ ‘ere? I need t’ ask her a few questions ‘bout that creature she saw!”

There was a bit of noise from the other side of the wooden portal, along with voices, before the door opened and a white unicorn mare with a blue and electric blue mane stuck her head out. “That’d be me! Sup?” She said casually.

“G’day, cunt! How are ya?” Tora asked with a somewhat friendly smile.

Vinyl blinked. “Faustralian?” She asked, looking her over.

“Yeh, wha’ of it? Y’ don’ like us Faussies? Somethin’ ya don’t like ‘bout us cats?” Tora asked with faux-indignation.

Vinyl shook her head rapidly, waving a hoof. “N-No, no no, just...Never seen one of your species from Faussie.”

“Eh, we’re kinda rare, even in th’ Way Out Back. But that’s ‘sides the point. Ya got a min’ to talk ‘bout the hairless blood that y’saw? Prolly saved y’ life, if what th’ reports I ‘eard ‘bout ‘is blue with that big ol’ peeper were any indication?” Tora inquired, leaning on the doorframe and crossing one leg over the other.

Vinyl’s crimson eyes widened at this, and she nodded. “Y-Yeah,” she stepped aside and gestured inside. “C-Come on in.”

“If’n you insist,” Tora replied, stepping past the mare and into the house. When she did, she noted the house was not as innocent as she thought. The entire abode had been seemingly split in half with different themes, whether it be in color or style. One half was gray and purple, with refined, classical furnishings. The other was a deep blue, and more modernly styled.

“...Who did th’ interior decoration ‘ere, cuz you should get y’ moolah back!” Tora crinkled her nose at the gaudy and clashing styles at work.

Vinyl chuckled. “It’s just how we went about it. Me and Tavi - my roommate - were the ones who designed this house. It’s different, but it’s home all the same, ya know?” She walked past Tora and further into the house. “Tavi! We have a guest! Get down here!” She called.

“Ah, y’don’t need t’ get yer mate down ‘ere,” Tora said with a hint of discomfort in her voice. “I’m only ‘ere to ask y’ bout the bloke y’ saw.”

Sadly, it was too late, as the grey mare came down the stairs and paused as she saw Tora. Her eyes specifically went to the weapon strapped on her back, before she shook her head and gave the feline a small, kind smile.

“Hello there. I assume you’re with the Guard?” she asked.

“Nah, I’m a merc, but nice t’ meet ya, shiela,” Tora said, holding out her paw for the cellist to shake.

Taking the paw and shaking it gently but firmly, Octavia let go and gestured to the table in the dining room kitchen. “Please, have a seat.” She looked to Vinyl with an unreadable smile. “We can’t very well let you stand there the whole time.”

Shrugging, Tora pulled a chair out and sat down, making sure that Gabe didn’t catch on the chair or scratch the paintjob.

Taking seats across from her and next to each other, Vinyl asked, “So, what do you want to know about the guy?”

“I wanna know what y’know ‘bout the bloke. Voice, stature, what it used to shoot the giant peeper, shite like that,” Tora replied, leaning back into the chair and propping her legs up on the table. “Cuz the damn dickhead of a mare who gave me this ‘signment told me fuck-all in terms of nitty-gritty deets. Jus’ ‘go find the creature’, and nothin’ else. Bloody drongo, that horse.”

Octavia’s brow twitched at that action, but she didn’t comment on it. Vinyl simply continued the conversation so that it wouldn’t turn sour.

“Well,” she began, leaning back and using her magic to open the fridge, pulling out a can of soda from it expertly. “Its voice was real deep, and sharper than most ponies I know, like a Griffon’s. Though kinda more like…” She frowned, thinking of the word. “...Like sandpaper across your face.”

“So, the bloke’s a dinky-di bloke, an’ he sounds like he gargles nails fer brekkie. A’ight, anythin’ else?” Tora asked, tilting her head inquisitively as her tail flicked behind her.

“He had some kinda heavy armor on. Greaves,” she looked to Octavia. “Gauntlets, I think Minotaurs called them?” She shook her head, then looked back to Tora. “Anyway, he had some heavy looking scalemail under all that, and a leather coat. No helmet though, weirdly enough.”

“Wearin’ a ‘elm would just cut field o’ vision down, and that’s just bodgy, plus this ‘fire-spitter’ thing th’ drongo told me ‘bout sounds like it needs good aim t’ be any good,” Tora explained with a light shrug. “Hey, mind passin’ me a cold one? Kinda parched.”

Taking a sip of her own soda after popping it open, Vinyl floated one over to Tora. “Take it. It’s grape flavored.”

“Grape? What kinda crook idea izzat?” Tora asked with her tongue stuck out in disgust, but cracked open her can and took a sip anyways, eyes widening after pulling it away from her muzzle. “...That’s actually a corker drink. Huh. Anyways, back to th’ talk. Wot else did the bloke ‘ave?”

Vinyl frowned and gained a look of deep thought, brows furrowing. “Well, I don’t know. He didn’t have any pouches or sheaths or holsters or anything for storage. What I remember is seeing his sword just...appear in his hand. Same with the other thing.”

“The thunderstick, kinda like Gabe ‘ere?” Tora asked, patting the arbalest-like weapon on her back. “Cuz if this bloke is magickin’ stuff outta the blue, he might be a damn mage o’ some sort. ‘Dee-mensional storage’ or summat like that, heard some horn-head- er, uni say somethin’ about that kinda thing once. Sorry bout the slang, force o’ habit.”

Octavia waved it off. “It’s fine. I’m used to it from Vinyl.”

Vinyl nodded. “Yeah, I’m pretty bad usually, especially when making my tracks.” She shook her head. “Still, he didn’t seem too magical, I didn’t see any spell-flingin’, ya know? Just that stuff.” She took a draught of her soda, then soon lowered it from her lips. “He was a big guy, though. Easily a hoof or more taller than you, and he was…” She shivered. “...built like a brick house. Way more than most stallions. Not like a Minotaur is, though.”

Tora chuckled, shaking her head in amusement, “‘Course, almost no one’s buffer than a ‘Moo. So, taller than me, prolly got some kinda bonkers magic, smaller version of Gabe, a sword...sounds like ‘e gargles nails...that errything?”

Vinyl shook her head. “He had cat eyes. Green ones. But I didn’t see a tail or ears like yours on him. His ears were round, and on the side of his head, not the top.”

“...He’s a damn hairless ape?!” Tora shot upright, tail bristled. “I’ve been ‘round the world, an’ I’ve seen quite a few animals in m’ time. Only creatures I’ve seen built like a Moo is an ape, and they have the same sorta ears ya just told me ‘bout. So, we’re lookin’ at a bloke that could punch m’ bloody head clean off, rip m’ arms off with little effort. Aaand he might be able to see in the dark, like me. Splendid.”

Vinyl chuckled nervously, rubbing the back of her head with a hoof. “Y-Yeah, that does sound pretty bad.”

Octavia looked to Tora. “What are most of the apes you’ve met like? Are they really that dangerous?”

“They’re right docile most o’ the time, but ya piss one off, and you’ll cark it if ya don’t take ‘em down first. Big question is, did ‘e show any signs of aggression towards ya, Vin?” Tora fixed Vinyl with a narrowed stare.

Vinyl frowned and shook her head. “No, actually. I mean, he yelled at me, but he was telling me to run, not yelling at me for anything else but being stupid.”

Tora frowned, bringing a paw to her chin as she hummed in thought, “...Might be a monsta’ hunta, then. Sounds like he’s geared fer fighting big beasties like that giant peeper, so...could be he didn’t want any civvies in the way, and y’ were frozen like a squirrel on train tracks.”

Vinyl blushed a bit and looked away. “Y-Yeah, heh, you could say that.”

“...Well, that means he won’t jus’ up and ‘ave a blue with me fer just bein’ in his line o’ sight. I could reason with ‘im…’ssuming that you damn ponies didn’t fuck it up with yer knee jerk reactions t’ big an’ scary things,” Tora said, amber eyes fixed on the tabletop as she thought.

Vinyl, whose blush receded, frowned at this. “Yeah…” she muttered, before shaking her head and looking back to Tora. “Anyway, aside from all that, the only other thing I recall is that he had a mane as white as snow, and it was in one of those ‘warrior ponytails’.”

“...Hmm, ‘least I’ll be able t’ pick ‘im outta the surroundins’ if’n he’s around ‘ere somewhere,” Tora surmised, finally bringing her paws down off the table. “A’ight, that all?”

Vinyl shook her head, then blinked. “Oh, wait, he had a medallion around his neck. Screaming eagle head. Didn’t get too close of a look.”

Tora blinked, then furrowed her brows, “So...could be part of a group or organization, then, if there ends up bein’ more like th’ bloke poppin’ up ‘round the place wearing that medallion.”

Vinyl frowned at this as Tora got up from her seat.

“Wot?”

“...I have a favor I wanna ask,” she said, looking up at the bipedal tigress.

“Then ask, shiela,” Tora said, tail flicking impatiently behind her.

Vinyl’s crimson eyes seemed to burn with determination. “I want you to bring me to him, when you find him.”

“Vinyl!” Octavia cried.

“This is our only chance, Tavi!” Vinyl shot back.

“Still, what if she-?” Octavia started.

“Wot’ll y’ gimme for it?” Tora asked with a small sigh, shifting her weight from one side to the other.

Octavia looked to the tigress in shock. “You...you don’t mind?”

“Oi, I’m a mercenary; I work for the bloke or sheila who pays me. Y’ pay me or compensate me fer bringin’ ‘im back, I’ll bring ‘im back. Simple azzat,” Tora shrugged, the arbalest on her back swaying with the motion of her shoulders.

Vinyl looked to Octavia triumphantly, who sighed and sagged her shoulders. “Ugh, fine.”

Vinyl grinned, then looked back to Tora. “How does a gourmet meal at Le Krakon paid for by me sound?”

“Fuckin’ corker!” Tora drooled with stars in her eyes at the thought of exquisite food in her belly overrode any reservations she’d had about accepting the favor. “Deal!”

Shaking hoof and paw, the two grinned, their accord made.

Now all that remained was to follow through.

Finally, Tora had found a damn trail that might lead to this ‘creature.’

Some pink terror she ran into after meeting with Vinyl had been talking to some random local about how there was some ‘weeeird shenanigans’ going on near her family’s ‘rock farm’, whatever that was.

Two whole quarries had been emptied of all the ores that a prospecting company had found months earlier. One quarry had been a marble quarry belonging to the rock farm, the other to a mining company named ‘GeodeCorp’, and both had been unable to find any tunnels other than the ones they’d already made that would indicate someone had tunneled into said quarries from elsewhere. There’d been no suspects that could be identified, so she’d been ready to just move on when the pink motormouth had started to talk about other weird things going on in that area.

...Until she mentioned that some mushy couple having a picnic at night - for whatever fathomable reason - near this ‘Whitetail Woods’ place had been sent running away, screaming about some ‘dark figure with an axe’ deep in the tree line.

A figure that, after she’d taken the train to that area to question the couple, matched the description Vinyl had given her.

From there, it was a simple matter of finding environmental clues and tracking down the creature bit by bit.

Chips of bark and wood around a few scattered stumps from trees that had clearly been felled by an axe were the most obvious clues she’d found, and that narrowed down the search area, since they formed a roughly circular shape when she cross-referenced their positions with a map she’d been given by the local authorities.

And so, she searched the area for a day with no luck.

The next morning, the Abyssinian tigress found tracks - almost unnoticeable at first, but a second glance had confirmed they were, in fact, tracks - from a pair of armored boots leading from stump to stump...and inwards to a central point.

And now, there she was, slowly creeping through the forest with Gabe still on her back as her eyes scanned the trees for the creature as she followed the freshest set of tracks further into the forest.

The sudden and familiar click of a gun behind her stopped her cold as a barrel of chilling metal pressed to the back of her head.

“Don’t move,” said a voice like the one Vinyl described; rough and coarse as sandpaper.

“...Bugger.”

Author's Note

Hope you all enjoyed this one! Me and my friend/brother, Nova_Eclipse, certainly did. He's the one who wrote Tora, so I hope she's just as fun for you all to read as she has been for him to write.

Anyways, let me know what you all thought below!

Thanks for reading!

-Timeless Overlord

6 - Discovery: Discovery (Edited)

A form walks through the Dark.

It swallows him whole.

He walks onward, torch in hand.

His eyes blaze with baleful green light, like a beast.

Eyes watch from afar.

They pounce.

Steel sings it's tone through flesh and hide, splattering blood on the stones.

Claws rend through the mutant's armor.

He grabs the claws, and rips them off.

His wound heals.

His blade sings through more flesh.

Baleful blue Eyes watch from the Cosmos.

“Stand up. Slowly. No sudden moves,” the voice ordered firmly.

“A-A’ight, a’ight, jus, calm down,” Tora said placatingly, slowly standing up with her hands behind her head. “Not sure why you’re th’ one holdin’ me up, instead of me, but...just don’t shoot, okay? Not here to cark ya.”

“Turn around,” he said, sounding a mite more ticked.

“Fine, fine!” Tora said nervously, turning around to face him. “...Holy dooley, y’ actually are a hairless ape.”

His palm upturning and bursting into flames was his response. “Say that again. I dare you.”

“WELL ‘OW SHOULD I KNOW WHAT YER SPECIES IS?!” Tora hissed testily, amber eyes glinting in the light of the flame.

“...” The flame died and he sighed deeply, before making a motion with his gun. “Put your weapon down. Slowly.”

In an instant, Tora’s demeanor went from compliant to tensed as her tail and fur bristled, “Yer not takin’ my Gabe from me, ya whacker! I found ‘im fair and square in some bloody scalie ruins, an’ I’m not gonna let y’ have ‘im!”

The roar of a gun sounded, and a bullet whizzed by her ear. He cocked the gun again. “Put. It. Down.”

“Tch, maybe Vinyl was wrong ‘bout you savin’ her from that giant peeper. Maybe y’ were just huntin’ a mark an’ she was in th’ way,” Tora scoffed derisively, still not putting Gabe down. “This beaut has saved m’ life more times ‘n I can count, an’ I’d rather die than have ‘im taken from me.”

The man’s eyebrow twitched. “I didn’t say I wanted to take it. Just...fucking put it down.”

“...Y’ promise ya won’t take ‘im?” Tora asked, and relaxed at his nod, gently taking Gabe off of her back and setting him down on the ground behind her feet. “A'ight...that’s done. Happy, now?”

He gestured with his gun to her knives. “Knives too.”

“They’re fer carvin’ monsters, mate! I can’t bloody well draw an’ throw ‘em before y’ could blow m’ head off with that thing!” Tora said in exasperation.

“...” The man sighed. “Fine. Why are you here?”

“I was sent t’ find ya by some drongo of a mare, but more importantly...that mare ya saved from the giant peeper? She wanted me to c’mere and bring ya back t’ her so she could thank y’ right proper for savin’ her life,” Tora explained, gaze flickering between his face and his weapon.

“...I’m not leaving just so she can thank me. Tell her that’s a hard pass,” he replied. “Who sent you?”

“...At first, the mare I told y’ bout. Reeeal bitch, lemme tell y’ that. Wanted t’ know where ya were so that she could do...somethin’ - didn’t care ‘nough to listen t’ all of it. But since I’m a merc and Vinyl Scratch - the mare y’ saved - offered a gourmet dinner at some fancy din-din place named Le Krakon, I took up on th’ favor she asked o’ me an’ here I am,” Tora explained as calmly as one could with a weapon capable of blowing chunks out of a giant monster eye pointed at their person.

The man frowned, looking to be deep in thought now. “...” ‘So instead of a full-on investigation, they’re sending mercs? That’s almost worse.’ He shook his head, looking back to her. “What’s your name?”

“Tora. Tora Katt,” she said without missing a beat, her bright orange fur meshing well with the odd scruff of red fur around her neck. There was silence after that proclamation.

“...Mind tellin’ me why ya went dead silent when I told y’ m’ name before ya give me yers?” Tora asked dryly, a fuzzy brow raising questioningly at the bloke holding her up.

“...Just a realization. Forget about it,” he lowered his gun a tad. “Durin. Durin Whittlesey.”

“...Y-ya wouldn’t shoot a sheila in the gooch, w-wouldja? Th-that just’s not right, mate,” Tora asked nervously after noticing his weapon was pointing at a very...delicate place on her body.

He stiffened at that. “Wh-what? No!” Durin let his gun’s barrel fall further, no longer pointed at anything but the ground. “I wasn’t going to do anything of the sort!”

“Oh, thank fahk! I could live with being shot in th’ head, but a bolt or somethin’ to the babymaker is just…” Tora shivered violently at the thought. “Fate worse’n death for most sheilas, me included.”

“R-Right, understandable,” Durin replied, trying to hide his blush.

Tora narrowed her eyes at the subtle flushing of his cheeks, “Wait, are...are ya blushing, mate? Th’ fuck?! Does the idea a’ shooting a gal with a weapon getcha off or somethin’?!”

“What?! N-No! Fuck no! I just…” He looked away, then cleared his throat. “L-Look, I just...haven’t even thought about women for a month, so I’m…” He shook his head. “Nevermind, forget it.” He turned around and started to walk away. “Just don’t come back here or tell anyone where I am!”

“...Can I bring Vinyl ‘ere to meetcha? She deserves t’ at least thank you fer savin’ her life,” Tora asked the retreating figure softly. “After that, neither o’ us’ll say a peep ‘bout’cha.”

Durin paused in mid-step. “...” He glanced back at her. “...Fine.” Without another word, he walked into the brush and disappeared.

“...Tch, right friendly bloke there,” Tora mewed sarcastically, picking Gabe back off of the ground and returning her baby to his rightful place on her back before retracing her steps - in the literal sense - back out of the forest, and started the trek back to the train station she’d come into the region from. First, she made a quick visit to the couple and authorities who’d pointed her to the forest to tell them that they just saw shadows, and any stumps they saw were from an illegal logging operation that could be operating out of anywhere in the region.

Then, a visit to the rock farm and the mining company, with an explanation that she couldn’t find hide nor hair of any suspects beyond possibly some kind of subterranean ore-eating creature(s) that could have taken up residence in the area.

That spooked the rock farmers and miners good, and it almost made her laugh if she didn’t feel bad about lying to someone about a threat to their livelihood. And now, with all of her ‘stops’ completed, she finally made it back to the train station and took the first train back to that ‘Ponyville’ place that came along - ‘few available seats’ be damned.

On the trip back, her thoughts went back to the creat- bloke in the forest.

...He was kind of a whacker.

Grumpy, short-tempered, way too quick to pull a weapon on a sheila…

But damn if that display of his wasn’t impressive. She wasn’t normally interested in…any kind of relationship beyond ‘professional’ and the occasional (read: uncommon) ‘friendship’ that managed to strike up, but she couldn’t deny that that assertiveness and the clear strength he held was attractive to most other females.

If he wasn’t being called a ‘creature’ or ‘monster’, he’d probably have a conga line of sheilas lining up to court him.

But none of that was in her mind for more than a second or two.

No...what lingered in her head was that (A) the bloke was actually a mage like she’d suggested when she was questioning Vinyl, (B) that he definitely had a firestick like Gabe (albeit far more compact), and (C) that he was just...tired-looking, almost exhausted and done with everything and everyone’s shit.

Looking out the window of the train from her seat as the locomotive ran along the tracks and the countryside sped by, her thoughts continued to wander.

What did a bloke like him fight to have that kind of gear?

Aside from the Peeper of Unusual Size, that is.

The armor and whatnot suggested he was used to taking down heavy-hitting foes and his weapons suggested he took down both lightly-armored and heavily-armored opponents. It was a hodge-podge of gear that shouldn’t have been able to work, let alone not seem to weigh him down at all.

All of the monsters randomly popping up all over the damn world might have had something to do with him, or maybe been the reason for all his gear and shit...so maybe he’d been anticipating all of this and had just been waiting until now to start ‘saving the world’ like some big damn hero?

“‘scuse me, ma’am, but can my wife and I sit next to you?” An elderly male’s voice from her right snapped the Abyssinian out of her inner musing, and she looked over to see a gray and wizened old pegasus stallion with a pale green coat, chocolate eyes and a graying emerald mane standing in the ‘aisle’ next to the row of seats she was sitting on. An equally old griffon hen with all-around silver fur and amber eyes stood just off to the stallion’s left.

“Oh, uh, sure, have a seat, mate,” Tora replied awkwardly, earning a smile from the stallion as he walked up next to her and carefully sat down beside her, the griffon hen following shortly after and almost immediately nuzzling up against the stallion with a content sigh.

“Thank ya kindly, stranger,” the stallion said as he returned his wife’s nuzzling, a hoof wrapping gently around her back. “Every other car was either full or no one wanted to share seats. It’s really a shame that such selfishness is so commonplace, especially when this whole world is experiencing an upsurge in the appearance of these ‘monster’ things we’ve been hearing about.”

“Yer welcome, mate. There were free seats, an’ I don’t really care if someone takes ‘em. ‘Sides, ya looked like ya needed ‘em, and I’m not ‘eartless.”

“Good on you, miss,” the hen cooed as her wings flapped softly against her back. “Still...all these monsters appearing all over are worrying. Anyone could be attacked at almost any time, and there aren’t many folks who are able to fight on shorthand.”

Tora smirked, “Well, I happen to be one a’ them monster hunters, ma’am. Not going to try t’ impress ya with some bottler story about what I’ve done, but rest assured - if anythin’ happens on this train, she’ll be apples.”

At the couple’s blank and confused expressions, Tora sighed, “That’s Faussie for ‘it’ll be alright’, mates.”

Their expressions turned into ones of understanding with a duo of ah’s, and they nodded with smiles on their faces.

“Well, that’s certainly a relief. Hopefully nothing’ll happen, but you get what I mean,” the stallion spoke up, a yawn escaping his lips at the same time that his wife‘s beak let out one of her own. “If you don’t mind, my beau and I will be taking a nap together. I hope that you’ll succeed in whatever you end up doing, Miss…”

“Tora. Tora Katt,” Tora provided her name for the second time that day, tail flicking in amusement.

Nodding sleepily, the stallion snuggled up against his wife’s fluffier form, “Well, Miss Katt...I wish you good luck on your journeys.”

With that, the elderly stallion and griffon hen fell asleep in each other’s embrace - an admittedly cute sight that would have made a younger, more naïve Tora’s heart melt; as it was, however, Tora merely smiled and brought her gaze back to stare out the window, and returned to her thoughts.

“...Hope I’ll have some bloody good luck, too,” Tora mumbled as the landscape flew by her and the train.

“So he’s been in Whitetail this whole time?” Vinyl asked as she sat next to Tora, Octavia at her side as the train rhythmically rocked while it chugged along.

“Yeah, seems like it. Dunno ‘ow long, but prolly long enough t’ need to cut down enough lumber fer a house or two, with furnishin’,” Tora nodded, brows furrowed as her body rocked with the motion of the train. “Still can’t believe both of ya are comin’ along to meet the bloke; I don’t think that he’ll bloody well like more than you and I bein’ there, Vin’.”

“I’m not leaving Vinyl alone, especially with how dangerous things have become of late,” Octavia said firmly, narrowing her eyes at Tora.

Tora stared at the cellist for a few moments, then silently gestured to Gabe, which was still hanging on her back, and then the assortment of knives sheathed on her person with a raised-brow look that asked if she was being serious.

Octavia rolled her eyes. “I am aware you are skilled, Miss Katt, but my point still stands.”

Vinyl sighed. “Best to not push it, Tora. She’s a stubborn one.”

“Drongo, more like, but fine. Her funeral, if somethin’ come a gutser,” Tora huffed, rolling her eyes and fixing them on the land passing by them at high speed.

A short silence passed.

“So…” Vinyl started up, looking to Tora. “What was he like, when you met him?”

“...Well, he certainly gargles nails, that’s fer sure,” Tora spoke up after a moment’s pause. “He’s built like a brick shit house, seemed at first to be as mean as cat’s piss, and acted bloody cranky.”

Vinyl chuckled a bit. “Yeah, sounds just like when he saved me.”

“Eh, if ya say so. Now, when we meet him,” Tora returned her gaze to the two mares sitting by her. “Don’t startle ‘im. He’s liable to be jumpy and shoot ya if ya sneak up on the bloke.”

The two looked to each other at those words, then back to Tora. “Did he really seem that wound up?” Octavia asked with a hint of worry.

“He had that thunderstick pointed at my ‘ead and fired it past my fuckin’ head when I didn’t put Gabe down. So, I’d say that, yes, he seems bloody wound-up,” Tora replied with a scoff, rubbing the side of her head that his weapon’s shot had grazed.

Octavia and Vinyl winced. “Yeeeah, we’ll uh, keep that in mind,” Vinyl conceded.

“Aces,” Tora replied simply, letting her paw fall back down to her side as another silence fell over the trio.

...A silence that didn’t last long, as Tora spoke up a few moments later, “He...doesn’t seem all that bad, to tell deadset, just...beyond stressed, maybe.”

Vinyl furrowed her brow. “Why would he be so stressed, though…?” she wondered aloud.

“...When I asked ‘im how I’d know his species, he sighed and dispelled this flame on ‘is palm,” Tora replied softly, tracing circles in the window sill with a claw. “He might be th’ only one o’ his kind around ‘ere...or left.”

Vinyl and Octavia’s ears lowered at that. “That’s…” Octavia started to say, but couldn’t get the words out as she lowered her gaze to the floor of the car.

“Depressin’? Yeah, that’d be right, but to be fair...I’m just throwing shit at th’ wall ‘ere. Might not be the last one of his mates left, or maybe he is...we just dunno,” Tora shrugged helplessly. “An’ I doubt we’ll be findin’ out anytime soon, given how shit house his interactions with the locals have been.”

“Yeah…” Vinyl agreed, nodding slowly.

At this, they all went silent once more, minds abuzz with thoughts of the mysterious man.

‘...Well, that’d be one thing we’d have in common,’ Tora thought bitterly, the hand at her cheek unconsciously going down to a locket on a chain tucked away in a pouch on her right thigh.

‘I hope her guess is wrong…’ Vinyl thought morosely.

‘To think there were such endangered species...It’s almost unthinkable…’ Octavia mused, frowning.

All three, now lost in their own thoughts, took little notice of the graveyard they passed by...and the shadow that was emerging from it’s mausoleum as the moon began to rise.

“Shhh! Quit stepping on twigs, ya drongos! You’ll attract a fuckin’ mob o’ nasty little fucks!” Tora hissed as one of the mares - by this point, she didn’t care who, exactly, did it - stepped on the fifth or sixth twig they’d come across since entering the forest.

“We aren’t exactly trained for this like you!” Octavia shot back with a growl.

“Can’t see as well either! It’s pitch black!” Vinyl added.

“Well, light also attracts the fuckin’ blighters! Hell, you breathing prolly attracts ‘em too!” Tora hissed back, tail flicking repeatedly in agitation as she found the stump that had marked where she’d gotten a quarter or a third of the way to where she met the bloke.

“Well excuse us for not being monster hunters and wanting to stay sane and safe at home!” Octavia argued.

“Then why the fuckin’ hell did ya even tag along, if ya wanted to stay ‘safe and sane’ at home?!” Tora restrained the urge to hiss and yowl at the famed cellist.

“Because Vinyl’s my friend, and I’m not leaving her here to get hurt or worse!” Octavia pressed as they walked through the brush.

Vinyl’s ear twitched, as did Tora’s and Octavia’s. “Wait, guys, hold on, did you all hear that?” she asked, looking around them.

“...Wish I hadn’t,” Tora mumbled, shifting Gabe from her back to a ready position in her arms, amber eyes scanning the surroundings with crystal clarity thanks to her feline heritage.

“It sounds like...crunching, and…” Octavia shivered.

“...meat tearing?” Vinyl finished.

“...Stay close behind me,” Tora whispered as she kept following the trail that had led her to the encounter with Vinyl’s savior, which thankfully kept the trio moving away from the sound of someone or something being fucking munched.

Only for Vinyl to let out a scream of terror and point to the sky. “I-I-It’s-!”

Looking up, Tora could see a fairly large, floating and grotesque eye looking down at them.

Then she realized that the munching had stopped, replaced by the sound of something BOLTING right for them.

“GET THE FUCK DOW-” Tora yelled at the mares right as a disgusting tongue lanced out and grabbed the eye from the sky over their heads and pulled it back into a disgusting, fanged maw.

Poison dripped from the tongue as it retreated, dousing the females in tiny droplets that burned the skin on contact.

Tora yowled at the sensation of her fur and skin burning, and followed the tongue on its return trajectory, and reeled back at the sight of the tongue’s owner.

It was, for all intents and purposes, disgusting. It looked like a withered, deformed and fat, old bipedal female with discolored skin, a skeleton draped across her spined and hunched back, long, oily black hair going down her face and in between her bare, saggy breasts. Long claws were on her hands, and her maw was filled with sharper teeth than even Tora’s. She chewed - almost thoughtfully - on the eye, then let out a disgusting, rotten belch as she finished.

“Chewy,” she began in a distorted voice. Her black eyes seemed to gleam as she looked the group over. “But you lot seem more appetisin’. Come now, give us a taste.” She let her tongue flick over her whole form.

A large crossbow bolt fired from Gabe and headed straight for the horror’s head, followed by Tora turning and running with a shout back at the two mares, “FUCKING RUN FOR IT!”

They did not need to be told twice, galloping after Tora as fast as they could. As the beast cried out from the bolt that hit it's shoulder - thanks to it having moved - they ran for their lives.

Sadly, it was fast, and was coming after them and gaining very quickly.

In that moment, Tora knew she had to make a decision. The survival-focused side of her told her that Tora could certainly outrun the two mares, and that’s all she really needed to do to get away, and she was tempted to agree with that course of action...until she remembered that’s what she did at her own mother’s pleading, during the last minutes that she saw her mother alive.

She skidded to a halt and whirled around, pulling the firing bolt back on Gabe before firing another bolt at the creature.

“Shaarrh!” the creature growled, stumbling back as the bolt embedded itself in her side.

“YA WANT SOMETHIN’ TO MUNCH ON, YA FUCKING DOG?! THEN GIVE IT A BURL!” Tora shouted as she reached down and retrieved one of her knives, then flung it at the creature with a flick of her wrist.

“Agh!” The creature stumbled back again as it sunk into her breast. Clutching it, she snarled. “Wench! Ye’ll pay for that!” Flinging her tongue out, the appendage lashed out across Tora’s side, easily cutting into her leather armor and seeping it’s poison rot into the cut.

Tora took a step back and bit back an agonized shriek, but managed - somehow - to stand her ground.

“Tora!” Vinyl cried, halting in her escape to turn to the Abyssinian.

“K-KEEP FUCKIN’ RUNNING! DO THE HAIROLD HOWLT AND DON’T STOP!” Tora said as she stared down the monster with a furious glare and snarl on her face, hackles raised and every other threatening measure her body could muster in full effect - challenging the creature.

The creature simply chortled, tongue flipping about. “How cute, how cute,” it taunted, before it’s tongue lashed at Tora again, this time across her cheek. “Keep squirmin’! We loves us a good feisty meal!”

“YOUR MOTHER WAS A SENTIENT PILE OF JUMBUCK SHIT!” Tora shot back, charging the creature with a knife held in a reverse grip by the hand holding the fore end of Gabe’s underside as she lined up another shot. “FUCKING RUN, YOU IDIOTIC HORSES! NO DRAMA, I’LL BE FINE!”

“No! We’ll help!” At these words, Vinyl’s horn lit up, and she shot a blast of magic at the creature, whom dodged both it and Tora’s charge. She didn’t dodge, however, Octavia’s own charge, the mare headbutting her in the gut and knocking the hag over.

“Take that, you brute!” she crowed with a smirk of triumph.

“WHAT THE FUCK DID I TELL YOU BLOODY MORONS?! I SAID RUN!” Tora yowled as she turned and pounced at the hag with the leftover momentum from her charge, burying the knife in her hand in the creature’s back before using the hag as a springboard to jump off of and put some distance between them.

The hag flailed in agony, screaming as it did and clutching it’s head. “AAAAAH! Fiends! Fiends! Denying a woman her proper feast!” Swiftly, she stood up and backhanded Tora with her claw, knocking her into a nearby tree bodily.

All of the air in Tora’s lung was swiftly knocked out of her as she slid down the tree and to the ground.

“I’ll show you not to mess with this lady’s dinner!” the hag roared, picking Octavia up by the throat and squeezing hard.

“ACK!” Octavia croaked, struggling in the hold and trying to get out of it, hooves pounding on the hag’s arm to no effect.

“Tavi!” Vinyl cried, before growling and pawing the ground with a hoof. “That’s it!” She charged the hag, horn poised to spear the horror with all her might.

The hag laughed and simply snatched her up by the throat as well, chortling to herself once more. “My my, you all just run right into my clutches, don’t ye?”

The sound of thunder cracking popped the ears of everyone present as something fast and with a lot of mass ripped through the shoulder socket of the arm holding Vinyl, ripping the arm clean off with the remaining kinetic energy.

The hag screamed in agony as Vinyl fell with the arm, the hag dropping Octavia to clutch the stump of her arm. “Fiend! Fiend fiend fiend fiend fiend!” She whirled on Tora, snarling ferally.

“Heh...missed yer fugly head. Girls...run. Now. Get anyone who can fight,” Tora laughed weakly as the hag advanced on her, blood leaking from her mouth and weeping profusely from the gash in her side.

Vinyl coughed weakly, as did Octavia, both struggling to stand. “B-But…” Vinyl tried to say, but coughed hard again.

“Don’t...die with me,” Tora said breathlessly.

“None of you are dying on my watch,” said a familiar rumbling timbre from the trees.

“Wo-?!” the hag whirled around, only to receive a blast of fire to the chest, knocking her back and burning her flesh.

This was followed by the roar of a pistol, the lead ball of a bullet piercing through the hag’s leg and forcing her to her knees.

Soon after, Durin emerged from the dark of the woods, a silvery sword with glowing red runes on it in one hand, and his pistol in the other.

“Y-You’re…” Vinyl once more tried to talk, but could only muster another coughing fit.

“Bout...time...bastard,” Tora exhaled, hacking up blood in the process.

Durin grit his teeth at the sight, then approached the hag as she clutched her leg. “You’re going on my wall for this shit,” he hissed, before, in one swift movement, he lopped her head off, the body falling on it’s back as the head rolled to the floor. He stood up, approaching Tora and kneeling down to her. “You look like shit.” He stated.

“Sa...ame to you...fuckin’ bastard,” Tora chuckled, which quickly became pained tremors of her entire body. “NNNRGH!”

Durin rolled his eyes. “Crude as always.” He looked her over, then gently grabbed one of her arms. “Feel anything when I do this?” he asked.

“...Noth...ing,” Tora’s reply came out much weaker than the one before it, and her eyes seemed to flutter as if she were fighting to keep them open.

Durin frowned deeply, then sighed. “Right.” He looked to the others, who were just finally getting up. “...Guess there’s only one thing to do.” He picked Tora up at this, slinging her over his shoulder with surprising ease.

“...H...eh...than...ks…” Tora said, hanging limply over his shoulder as she tried to stay awake.

“Yeah,” he replied. “Can’t very well leave you here to get eaten by the nightlife. Wouldn’t weigh well on my conscious.”

Tora didn’t reply.

He frowned. “We’ll have to hurry, then.” He looked to the mares. “Can you two walk?”

Vinyl helped Octavia to her hooves, looking to the man with a shaky nod. “Y-Yeah, I think we can.”

“Good,” he said, before marching off. “Follow me, then.”

“Wh-Where are you taking us?” Octavia asked as they hurried after him.

There was a pause from him, despite him still walking briskly. “...My ‘home’.”

Author's Note

This hasn't been edited yet, but later on today it will be, so apologies for any current problems. I do hope you will all forgive the state of the chapter as well as Tora's speech while me and Nova work on fixing any mistakes.

Thanks for reading!

-Timeless Overlord

8 - Intermission: Preparations

A form walks through the Dark.

It swallows him whole.

He walks onward, torch in hand.

His eyes blaze with baleful green light, like a beast.

Eyes watch from afar.

They pounce.

Steel sings it's tone through flesh and hide, splattering blood on the stones.

Claws rend through the mutant's armor.

He grabs the claws, and rips them off.

His wound heals.

His blade sings through more flesh.

Baleful blue Eyes watch from the Cosmos.

When Durin and Tora entered the armory, the tigress’ eyes nearly bugged out of her skull, and they became starry and glittery. The armory lived up to its name in its entirety; swords, bows, shields, axes, hammers, maces, weapons of all kinds lined the walls, along with armor of all kinds.

And, she noted, there were guns. Oh, by the Gods, the guns. There were pistols and rifles with well over four barrels, lever-action rifles, flintlocks, wheelocks, a small range of revolvers, and even a Mosin Nagant. Granted, there were not too many, even with the melee weapons, but judging by the various open and barren weapon racks on the walls, Durin anticipated having more.

All of the firearms were guns she’d never seen before, but by the Gods did she want them.

“...I feel so fucking giddy right now,” Tora breathed out as she zipped from weapon to weapon like a convict in a gun store, examining each before pausing at a Gabe-like weapon with an odd lever thing where the firing thingy on Gabe would have been. “Wot’s this beaut right here?”

Durin looked to her. “That? Mosin Nagant. Five shot, bolt-action internal-magazine fed rifle.”

“...Didn’t understand shit-all of that aside from ‘five shots.’ Does it fire faster than Gabe does currently?” Tora asked, all but drooling as she looked over the ‘Moe-sin.’

He shook his head. “No, but it does pack more of a punch. Check the bullets in it, you’ll see why.” Durin said as he walked over to a set of armor and looked it over.

Tora picked up the Moe-sin, and pulled back on the ‘bolt’ thing - or at least what she assumed was the ‘bolt’ - to no avail. Growing frustrated, she started tugging harder on it with one paw pinning it to the floor while using her two grabby-paws to yank on the thing, “This! Bodgy! Thing! Won’t! OPEN!”

Durin looked to her and sighed, walking over and grabbing her paws, then helping her pull the bolt up and to the left, then back to show the cartridges.

“...Oh,” Tora mewed, looking bashful and sheepish as she examined the cartridges...and her eyes widened when she pulled one out and held it in her paw. “Holy dooley! Look at the size of these bloody things! Gabe’s thunder-balls were big enough as-is, but…!”

Durin chuckled, rolling his eyes. “7.62x54mm’s are hardly the largest calibers there are.”

“...Wot?” Tora asked, eyes sparkling and pupils now big-ol’ hearts.

Durin chuckled again. “That’s honestly the cutest look you’ve given me yet.” He shook his head. “But yeah, there are plenty bigger calibers.”

“Okay, first thing - piss off, I’m not fuckin’ ‘cute.’ Second - I’m taking this thing, ripping it apart and installing this ‘bolt-action’ part thingy plus this ‘mag-a-zeen’ into Gabe. No if’s, and’s or but’s,” Tora stated with finality.

Durin rolled his eyes again. “Have fun with that. Mosin’s are notorious for being hard to disassemble, especially without the right tools.”

Tora scoffed indignantly, “I combined Gabe and ‘is mate Arby together with a fuckin’ hammer an’ nails. I can make Gabe aces with this, no problem. Just gimme...ten or fifteen minutes.”

Durin shrugged. “If you say so. I’ll be in here, then, finding you some good armor and a melee weapon. Any preferences?” He asked her, walking over to a random armor stand.

“Flexible, somewhat lightweight for mobility, ain’t fucking paper, and lets m’ knockers breathe a little,” Tora replied as she took the Mosin and left the armory.

"Feel free to take the bullets!" He called after her, shaking his head as the door closed behind her.

“DAMN PINS!”

“WHY IS THE BOLT SO FUCKING STUPID?!”

“WHO INVENTED THESE FUCKIN’ TINY PARTS ANYWAYS?!”

“AAAAA!”

Durin looked to the door to the armory as it slammed open, Tora walking in with Gabe now sporting the Mosin’s internal magazine and bolt-action receiver in place of the old matchlock system that had been so finicky before. In addition, there was now a bayonet mount on the underside of Gabe’s barrel with one of Tora’s knives attached to it. A look of hard-won victory was on her muzzle, like she'd just finished a harrowing battle.

Considering her screams earlier, she likely had.

“Seventeen minutes. Suck m’ gooch, Durin!” Tora laughed triumphantly, already loading the 7.62mm rounds into the magazine with a stripper clip...inserted sideways into the receiver.

Durin gave her a sideways smirk. “Maybe when we know each other better.”

“Aaaand go fuck a cactus, ya bloody hairless ape,” Tora retorted, pulling the clip out and putting it in one of her pouches.

“...” Durin glared harshly at her. “...Don’t call me that.” He said coldly.

“You can call me a bastard in exchange, if you want,” Tora replied calmly. “Cuz I am one.”

“...” He sighed, gaze softening slightly. “Sorry to hear that.” He looked away and handed her a shortsword of tungsten before she could reply. “Thoughts? Or would you prefer a different weapon?”

Tora took the blade and hefted it up and down, testing the weight before stepping back and giving it a few test swings. Once she was done with that, she looked at the shortsword...and nodded, “Not as heavy as I thought this little bugger’d be. Right corker, this.”

He smiled at her.

“...The fuck ya doin’, bastard? I ain’t done nothin’ worth the pearly whites,” Tora said offhandedly.

Durin shook his head. “Nothing. Just noticing how good you are at assessing blades. It’s admirable.”

“Worked with ‘em for a bloody age before I found Gabe and found m’ callin’ as an archer. I still use blades like m’ knives for emergencies and shit, but, y’know,” Tora shrugged as she took the sheath for the shortsword and placed it at her unoccupied left hip.

Durin nodded. “Understandable.” He then picked up a set of armor from the armor stand in front of him, offering it to her. It was a dark vermilion, and an air of rough majesty surrounded it. The thick hide armor was somewhat bulky looking, but very stylish as well, and came complete with a black, fur collar. “Here, go try this on, tell me what you think.”

Looking at the armor, she shrugged and took off her armor, leaving herself in naught but a chest wrap and plain pair of black panties.

Durin’s cheeks reddened at this. “Christ, woman! Don’t strip in front of me! Go do that elsewhere!”

“Wot, y’ can’t take the sight of a half-naked sheila?” Tora teased with an amused smirk, but did nothing else aside from put the new armor on, starting with the leggings.

“It’s not that! It’s just improper! I’m a man, for Christ’s sake!” Durin argued, covering his eyes.

“...You have some weird fuckin’ idea of decency, then. No sheila would take ya as a hubby if you’re a pussy like every other male on this planet,” Tora clucked her tongue.

“It’s called being a gentleman, asshole!” he groused, turning around.

“...Nnno, it’s...gentlemare, actually. The women is supposed to be courteous and protective of the male,” Tora said, clearly confused if the look on her face was any indication.

“Who the fuck told you that shit?” Durin asked, not even peeking at her.

“That’s...how it’s always been on Equus. The female protects the male and children, while the male rears the children and takes care of the home. Wot kinda backwards-arse world d’you come from?” Tora asked as she finished putting on the top.

Durin froze at this. “...J-Just put your fucking clothes on.” Under his breath, he muttered, “Fucking world gets weirder and weirder…”

“I heard that, drongo,” Tora casually stated as she stretched in the armor, getting a feel for its fit and flexibility. “Or didja forget that I’m a fuckin’ cat with bloody good hearing?”

“J-Just shut up, alright?” Durin shot back.

Then, as Tora twisted her torso to the side, she froze as a familiar and utterly infuriating sensation shot up her spine from a point above her butt, “...WHERE THE FLYIN’ FUCK IS TH’ DAMN TAILHOLE?!”

Durin blinked, turning around to face her. “Ohh, right, feline race.” He shook his head. “Yeah, my armor isn’t made for those with tails.”

“Well, I ain’t fuckin’ fighting with m’ tail PINNED AGAINST MY DAMN BACK!” Tora yowled as she yanked the leggings off and held them out to him, looking very odd with a leather cuirass on and only black panties down below. “Be a mate and fix it, please.”

Staring at it, then her panty clad bottom, he sighed and shook his head, as if to try and banish his embarrassment. “Fine, fine.” Taking it from her, he summoned a knife from seemingly nowhere and made a hole in the appropriate area.

“And don’t stare at my ass like y’ just did. Ya do that, and I’ll have to charge ya for it,” Tora said flatly, arms crossed over her leather chest piece.

Durin’s eye twitched, and he turned an annoyed gaze at her. “So I’m a pussy if I don’t look, but I get the stink eye for looking? The fuck kinda logic is that?”

“...I dunno, that’s just how ma’ explained it to me.”

Durin’s eye twitched again. “...You’re lucky I like cats.” With that, he finished his work and handed the leggings back to her.

She didn’t take it at first, mainly because she was stiff as a board, with her tail jutting straight up and fluffed to hell and back, “...How, exactly, do you ‘like cats’?”

Durin frowned at this. “Cats are cute, and majestic. Always liked them.”

“...Not ‘valuable’ or ‘easily trainable’?” Tora asked very carefully.

Durin’s frown deepened, trying to puzzle her meaning...then his eyes widened. “You...You were a slave?”

“...Fuckin’ Moos - Minotaurs - took me at 7 after a dragon wiped out my village. We’re moving on,” Tora said rather quickly, taking the leggings and putting them on just as fast.

Durin simply looked saddened, but didn’t continue. “Alright. I won’t push you.”

“Good,” Tora snipped as she flexed in the new leggings. “...Fit is better, tail goes out as needed. Good enough.”

“Good, good,” Durin nodded. There was a brief silence, before he looked her over and spoke, breaking it. “Hmm… You’ll need something extra, give me a bit, stay here.” He said, walking past her and out of the room, leaving her to her thoughts.

Tora stood there motionlessly as she looked herself over - namely, the patches of fur on her wrists and ankles that were lighter than the rest. Always in lines..

Bad times. Terrifying times. Bitter tastes and foul odors and wrong sensations and burns and brands and pain-

The door opened, and Durin walked in.

Tora flung a knife in the direction of the doorway with a small scream, her breathing rapid and eyes dilated.

“Jesus!” Durin cried, reflexively catching and holding the knife in his hand.

“Fuck! S-sorry, mate!,” Tora apologized with guilty eyes. “I-I...you startled me.”

Durin frowned, looking at her with shock for a time, before he took a breath and his eyes softened. “Don’t be sorry. I shouldn’t have brought up that topic before. It’s my fault.”

“N-no-...alright, you don’t talk about it if I don’t?” Tora suggested, holding her hand out.

He nodded, taking it and shaking it firmly. Soon after they let go, he made two items appear in his hands. One was a red band with a heart on it, and the other was a very small, golden tube. “Take these, they’ll help you a bit.”

Taking both, Tora looked at the band for a moment before putting it on her right wrist, and after examining the tube...stuffed it in a pouch on her back, “I’m…jus’ gonna trust ya on that one, mate. So...we good t’ go?”

“Yeah,” Durin nodded.

A rumbly came from her tumbly.

“...Heh...hehehe...he,” Tora said, a bit of pink showing through her orange cheek fur. “I...forgot I haven’t eaten in...well, since the night ya took me in.”

Durin rolled his eyes and turned around, motioning for her to follow. “Come on then. Let’s get some food in you.”

‘Could kill for some lamb right about now…’ Tora internally grumbled at the same time as her stomach grumbled again.

9 - Into The Gloom: Into The Gloom

Author's Note

Here's a present for those who wanted more. I don't plan on putting out more than one chapter per week, though, so don't expect this kinda thing to happen too often. Either way, hope you all enjoy this!

9 - Into The Gloom: Into The Gloom

A form walks through the Dark.

It swallows him whole.

He walks onward, torch in hand.

His eyes blaze with baleful green light, like a beast.

Eyes watch from afar.

They pounce.

Steel sings it's tone through flesh and hide, splattering blood on the stones.

Claws rend through the mutant's armor.

He grabs the claws, and rips them off.

His wound heals.

His blade sings through more flesh.

Baleful blue Eyes watch from the Cosmos.

Durin could only look on in horror and mild intrigue as Tora scarfed down entire mouth-sized bites of meat with a ravenous, euphoric look on her face.

“MMMMFFF!~” Tora purred in bliss, tail wagging behind her as she took a leg and ripped most of the tenderest meat on it off, gulping it down like a fish. “Shooooo corker to have real meat after so damn long of eating th’ ponies’ damned ‘soy meat’ shit!”

Octavia wrinkled her muzzle. “Erm, yes, quite.” She looked to Vinyl, who was enjoying some very exotic looking fish and also moaning after every bite.

“Ermahceleshtia! Torry! Ya gotta try this fish!” Vinyl urged, holding out a slab of the blue fish meat to the feline with her magic.

Tora leaned her head over and slurped it down in a single gulp, her eyes brightening and her mouth hanging open as a moan escaped her muzzle.

“I’m, uh, glad the food is to your guy’s tastes,” Durin said, seeming a bit off-put. He looked down at his own plate of food. ‘This stuff honestly just tastes bland to me…’

“Tavi! Ya gotta try some o’ this!” the big cat said as she held out a leg of...whatever in front of Tavi’s face. “C’mon!”

Octavia politely pushed it back. “N-No, thank you, I’m quite fine with my salad.” Tora then shoved it into her mouth. “MMPH?!” Octavia let out a muffled cry, and her face soon turned green before she rushed over to a trash can and vomited.

Tora just looked like she’d been kicked, ears and tail drooped in unbearable-to-look-at sadness.

“Sorry, Tora, but most ponies are herbivores,” Vinyl explained. “Don’t take it too personally. I’m just an exception.”

“B-b-but...meeeeat!” Tora whined with watery eyes as she looked Vinyl in the eyes.

Vinyl patted the feline on the back. “I feel your pain, sister, trust me. Tavi won’t even let me kiss her when I’ve had fish.”

“F-f-fiend!” Tora whimpered, slumping forward with her head resting chin-first on the table.

“I know. It’s a travesty,” Vinyl nodded sagely, rubbing the distraught Abyssinian's back with her hoof. She offered another piece of fish for her. “Here, eat up. Get your mind off it.”

Sniffling, Tora grabbed it with a ‘nom’ and slurped it down, sighing happily at the taste.

Durin looked to them both, frowning as he then looked to the entrance to the dining room. ‘I’m not sure I’ll have much more food left after these two… It was bad enough when it was just Vinyl.’

Seeing Durin’s frown, Tora stopped eating and turned her head to look at him.

“Hwa-” the tigress stopped, frowned, and swallowed the food in her mouth before continuing. “What’s wrong? Are...we eatin’ too much?”

Durin winced. “Let’s...just say I’ve been only stocked up for myself. It’s just a good thing I find Shaelmaar so often deep below.”

Tora dropped the meat in her hands, stood up, plucked Gabe from her back and started to walk out of the house.

“Wh-Whoa, hang on!” Durin got up and followed after her. “The fuck’re you going? It’s night out! Do you want to run into another grave hag?!” He grabbed her shoulder.

“I’m gettin’ you some food to repay ya fer what I’ve taken. Isn’t that how it works with yer people?” Tora asked, tilting her head.

“No! Not when it comes at the very clear risk of the other party dying!” He released her shoulder. “Besides, it’s my fault. I should’ve expected guests at some point and prepared. That’s part of my culture.”

“...Still goin’ to gather meat for ya - when we go underground, that is. Only way I’ll feel nice an’ clean for eating all yer meats,” Tora insisted, standing firm in front of him.

Durin sighed. “Fine, fine. Shaelmaar are pretty common deep underground anyway.” He motioned for her to follow. “Now come on, might as well finish your plate. A little more is fine.”

“...Not hungry anymo’,” Tora replied as she returned Gabe to her back and returned to the dining room.

Durin sighed once more. “Alright. I’ll just put it in the fridge, then.” He said as he followed her, taking her plate into the kitchen.

“...Sorry, mate,” Tora sighed ruefully.

He waved her off. “Hey, more food is welcome, even if it was intended for something else. It’ll just be leftovers or rations we can take with us.” After that, he disappeared into the kitchen.

Octavia, having recovered, looked to Tora. “You’ve been rather…” She suppressed a belch, and groaned at the taste. “Ugh, gross.” She shook her head, looking back up at Tora. “Rather down, since you came back from downstairs. Is something the matter?”

“Yeah, it’s almost like you’re trying to pay some big debt,” Vinyl added. “I mean, it’s understandable since he saved your life, but still.”

“Not talkin’ about it, beyond, yeah, he saved m’ life,” Tora said stiffly, not looking at either of them.

The two mares looked to each other and frowned, then looked back to her. “Well,” Vinyl started. “I can understand the debt part. He did save my life, too. Twice, now. Same with Tavi’s.”

Octavia blushed lightly, looking away. “W-Well, yes.”

Vinyl nodded. “See? So we know where you’re coming from. But you’re kinda overdoin’ it, ya know?”

“...My people had life-debts. You save someone’s life, you help ‘em until ya either save their life or they say that th’ debt’s repaid. I am, by m’ own personal honor, obligated t’ help ‘im until such a point where m’ debt is repaid,” Tora eventually explained, looking and feeling very uncomfortable about explaining it.

Vinyl and Octavia looked to each other again. “Well, okay, that makes sense, but…” Octavia started.

“Please,” Tora asked with a pleading tone. “Don’t...don’t ask me ‘bout this. Please.”

Vinyl sighed. “Alright, Torry.” She crossed her hooves over her barrel. “Still, just don’t go one-upping me, ‘kay?”

“...One-uppin’ ya...how?” Tora asked, genuinely confused.

“Like, ya know, giving him a kiss or somethin’,” Vinyl rolled her hoof around. “I kinda figure I get first crack at that, ya know? Having been saved twice by him now and all.” She grinned. “Besides, you have to admit he’s a catch and a half.”

“...I’m not speaking to you,” Tora said as she pointedly looked away from Vinyl.

Vinyl shrugged. “A’ight.”

Durin, having heard all this from the kitchen thanks to his senses, decided to stay in the kitchen to think about it all for a moment. ‘The hell? How is Vinyl attracted to me? We’re different species entirely!’ He put a hand to his forehead and rubbed it, feeling a headache approaching. ‘Women were hard enough to understand back home, but now this?’

“Ugh,” he groaned.

“Ya fall or stub yer toe or somethin’, Durin?” Tora called out into the kitchen.

“No, I’m fine! Just some flour in my eye!” He called back. He shook his head. ‘Forget it. I’ll think about that all later.’ He walked back out into the dining room.

“That’d be a yeast infection, mate,” Tora noted with a mix of worry and sarcasm.

He managed a smile and rolled his eyes. “Witchers are resistant to the near point of immunity to any kind of illness, infection or toxin. I’m fine, trust me.”

“...So you wouldn’t get any STDs?” Tora asked bluntly, and with no hesitation.

Durin blinked owlishly, looking to her blankly. “No…?”

“Huh. Just checkin’,” Tora said with a shrug and a smirk.

Durin shook his head. “Riiight. Anyway, we should get going. It’s a long way to the biome.”

“Aye. I have a grappling hook bolt for Gabe, just in case we need to get down long distances,” Tora said as she stood up and stretched with a small groan.

“Good, it can be a back up if we fall down a shaft.” He jerked a thumb to the kitchen. “Go ahead and grab some rations, we’ll be gone at least long enough that we'll eventually get hungry.”

Tora nodded and went to the kitchen to pick up a few rations, plus some back-ups in case anything went tits-up.

“Right, got th’ brekkie rations, ammo fer Gabe, knoives, and...all o’ that other shite,” Tora completed her rudimentary checklist before nodding. “A’ight, got all o’ my shit. An’ you, Durin?”

He summoned a small pouch with a sweet, salty scent. “Got my own rations, so yeah. Got everything else, too.”

“In that weird dimensional pouch spell ya got goin’ on?” Tora asked knowingly.

Durin shrugged. “Sure, let’s call it a spell.” He said vaguely, turning around and making his way to the downstairs entrance.

“What else would it be, mate?” Tora asked as she followed him down the stairs.

He didn’t answer her, instead calling out, “Don’t break or touch what I told you not to while we’re gone!” He told the two mares. After hearing calls back in the affirmative, he continued on.

“Heh. Ya sound like their pa, saying that, Durin,” Tora chuckled and shook her head in amusement.

During shrugged, smiling to himself. “Always have been considered the fatherly sort, so thanks.”

“You’d make a good dad for some ankle-biters, bastard,” Tora remarked as they continued down the stairs.

Durin paused mid-step at that, just before the bottom of the stairs.

“...Wot? Did I say somethin’ wrong?”

He held a hand out. “No, no. Just...don’t bring children up. I don’t wanna think about it.”

“...Lost some of your own?” Tora asked softly, eyes sympathetic.

He turned a cold glare to her. “Stop. Now.” There was a mistiness there in his green eyes, but he turned his head before she could get a clearer look.

“...S-sorry,” Tora apologized, sounding much like a kicked kitten.

He kept walking without any other words, heading down the halls of the bunker and towards the mine entrance.

Tora sighed and cursed at herself for making such a dumb, rookie mistake, but continued to follow the Witcher nonetheless.

Stopping by the closed mine entrance, he flipped the lever, opening the secret door to reveal a yawning stairwell. He pressed on without any words. They descended for what felt like hours in the eerie silence that only the underground could bring, before eventually the stairwell opened up into a yawning mine shaft, a long, narrow bridge of solid stone the only way forward.

“...That’s fucking aces,” Tora remarked under her breath as she followed him at a safe distance.

They passed numerous torches and wooden supports in utter silence, the only sounds being the wind coming from behind them and the crackle of the torches in the enclosed space, along with their boots - and foot wrapped paws - colliding with the stone below them.

Tora could only marvel (or internally whine) at just how far down they’d gone over the past...what, ten minutes of walking? And Durin supposedly made this all himself?

Nuts, is what it was.

It honestly reminded her of the old tales of the Diamond Dog Kingdom's past glory, with mines similar to this one, if the pictures she'd seen in story books were any indication.

“...How’d...how, uh,” Tora tried to ask, but found that the words refused to form correctly - if at all - in her mouth.

“I have...experience,” he replied, knowing what she was going to say. ‘Not a total lie, either. Did a lot of mining in Terraria just to hoard materials.’

“Ah,” the tigress nodded, then fell back into silence so as not to piss off her ‘guide’ and make him shove her off a ledge into a deep, dark cavern her body would never be recovered from.

“If you want to know why there’s no rails, it’s because this mine is too big to warrant that much of a waste of iron,” he said, picking up the conversation for her.

“...A’ight,” Tora said simply, nodding in understanding.

He paused a bit, then added. “And...I have a thing for flair with underground structures. And construction in general.”

“...Heh, coulda fooled me, mate,” Tora sarcastically remarked with a roll of her eyes. “Neva woulda noticed had y’ not told me deadset.”

He grunted, and they continued onward into the gloom.

“How deep down is this?” Tora asked, the silence slowly eroding her nerves in a progressively darker environment.

Durin frowned, though she didn't see it, as he didn't look back at her. “...Somewhere around two hundred feet, I think.”

“Huh. Not that bodgy,” Tora remarked as they walked.

An arrow shot up from the gloom and fell short. He stopped and looked to her. “You were saying?”

“...So th’ beasties have weapons now. Yeah, that’d be right,” Tora sighed as she brought Gabe off of her back and held it at the ready. The sound of bones and the shuffling of corpses echoed from the dark below, as if in response to her actions.

“Thankfully, we’re not taking the way down there,” Durin interrupted. He gestured to a set of blue torches burning in the distance. “We’re going that way.”

“...Ya color-coded th’ paths? Huh,” Tora blinked as she gestured with Gabe to lead the way. “Y’ know th’ place better’n I do, mate.”

“Exactly. So stay close,” he urged as they kept walking.

“A’ight, fine, bossmaAAGH!” Tora yelped as she tripped on a stray chunk of stone on the ground and damn near fell off the unrailed edge next to her and into the dark abyss below. A hand grabbing her paw and yanking her back up saved her, thankfully, pulling her close as Durin looked to her with a raised brow.

“...Yer fossickin’ in here wasn’t real thorough. Fuckin’ rock tripped me,” she explained as she pointed to the offending chunk of stone in question.

He smirked. “Would you like to hold hands as we go, then?”

“I will bail out, mate. Don’t test me,” Tora narrowed her eyes at him as she tugged her hand out of his grasp. “Jus’ put some bloody fences or wooden ‘rack’ things near th’ edges fer someone t’ grab onto. Y’know, summat they can pull ‘emselves up with?”

He rolled his eyes and kept going. “Sure, I’ll get right on that deforestation idea.”

“In the most precarious areas, ya prick!” Tora socked him on the arm, clearly displeased with his sass.

He sighed. “Fine, fine, I’ll get on that later.”

“Good! Y’ no-hoper,” Tora grumbled as they continued to descend into the - to her, anyways - inappropriately deep mine.

Soon enough, they reached the color-coded blue tunnel and were thus surrounded by marginally safer tunnel walls.

“...So, are th’ torches blue cuz o’ th’ shrooms, ooor…?” Tora asked curiously, eyes alternating between looking ahead and examining the torches as they passed by.

“That, and there’s a lot of sapphires this way for some reason,” Durin answered.

Tora’s face froze, “Th...th’ torches are made with...fuckin’ gems?! O-or, an’ please tell me this is th’ case, there are sapphies in th’ walls that make ‘em blue.”

“...The first,” Durin answered eventually. “Though you won’t see the sapphire veins for another five hundred feet.”

“I- ju- wha’ th’- GAH!” Tora stammered, hands reaching up into her ‘mane’ and tugging on the fur, utterly flabbergasted. “Y’ COULD FUCKIN’ PAY FER AN ENTIRE ARMORY OR THREE WITH TH’ SAPPHS YA MADE TH’ TORCHES WITH!”

“Only way I can color code,” Durin replied with a shrug. “Not too interested in money, either.”

“Y’ COULDA USED PHOSPHORESCENT PAINT! Y’ KNOW, THE SHIT THAT GLOWS WHEN LIGHT IS SHINED ON IT?!” Tora asked incredulously, eyes wide in disbelief and more than a bit of exasperation.

“Don’t know how to make it,” Durin said, shrugging again before he muttered, “Or if I even can…”

“A bit of zinc-sulfide an’ silver t’ activate it!” Tora hissed, hands clenching and unclenching. “Y’ know how hard I worked t’ scrounge up enough valuable shit as a kid t’ pay fer meals an’ supplies?! An’ here you are, using sapphires as coloring fer bloody torches! It’s bloody wasteful!”

Durin sighed deeply. ‘Fuck it. She’ll find out sooner or later on this trip just from how I mine.’ Turning around to face her, he started with, “You want to know why I’m saying all this?”

“Nooo, enlighten me!” Tora spat.

“Inventory,” he said, and his screen appeared in front of him.

“...Is this part o’ that fuckin’ spell yer usin’?” Tora asked with narrowed eyes as she swiped her paw at the hovering box.

It did nothing, but he grunted. “Not a spell. Just...intrinsic to my people’s blood.”

“Oooh, so yer fuckin’ gods or somethin’. That’d be right!”

“Terrarians,” He corrected. “The people who...live, let’s say, in the Gods realm. Not Gods themselves, though.”

“...So you’re really not from ‘round here, are ya?” Tora asked with a frown.

“...No. I’m not,” He gestured to a portion of the ‘screen’. “That, is what I use to make my shit.”

“...That must be bloody fuckin’ easier than th’ rest o’ us have it,” Tora scoffed as, again, she swiped at the screen, trying to see if it was actually there and not some elaborate illusionary excuse he was using.

“It’s restrictive, though,” He explained slowly. “I can’t make too much without being near a work table, furnace, crafting bench...anything normal people would use to work with shit with tools or their hands.”

“So, if’n I carried aroun’ a fuckin’ anvil an’ shit, you’d be aces t’ make anythin’ on th’ fly?” the tigress asked with a tilt of her head.

He shook his head. “Has to be placed down, and I need materials, but you’re getting the gist, yes.”

“...Aaand y’ can make almost anythin’ in this ‘Inventory’ o’ yers, roight?”

“Like I said, it’s restrictive. But theoretically, yes,” He looked to the screen. “I just don’t know how restrictive yet.”

“Does it have limiters an’ shit? ‘Seals’ that restrict it?” Tora asked as she switched tactics from swiping to poking the screen.

“Not that I’ve seen, no,” he answered.

“Y’ tried to say ‘Unlock Inventory’ or somethin’? Go to the ‘settings’ or whateva the bloody hell controls th’ restrictions?” Tora suggested as she finally pulled away from the screen after many fruitless attempts to touch his stuff.

Durin blinked. “No, actually. Never crossed my mind.”

“Try it, then, mate. Y’ might be surprised,” Tora said as her eyes lost the faint glaze that he only just noticed had been there.

He looked to the screen, then shrugged and said, “Unlock Inventory.” Immediately, a new screen popped up, and she tilted her head. “...‘Cannot unlock until World is in Hardmode?’" He muttered.

She blinked and looked at him with a pleasantly surprised look on her face, “Huh. Didn’t think that would actually work. I was just flingin’ shit at th’ wall. So...this ‘Hardmode’...it’s obviously some kinda…‘second phase’ or somethin’, right?”

Durin was silent for a time, and then suddenly and swiftly closed the screen. “...We’re moving on.”

“...A’ight, mate. To th’ shroom place, then?” Tora asked gently, gesturing to the tunnel ahead of them.

He didn’t reply, simply turning around and marching ahead.

‘...Gotta stop steppin’ on other’s toes...or puttin’ my own in m’ gob,’ Tora sighed as she jogged a bit to catch up to him.

After travelling a fair ways, the adventuring duo had stopped to take a break and eat, at Tora’s behest. Thus, they sat against the walls of the shaft, Durin simply keeping watch with his pistol in his right hand while taking small bites of his food from his other hand.

The blue torches were all that lit the shaft, if one did not count the duo’s feline eyes, and the sound of the torches flames were most of what was heard. Other than that, all was silent.

Tora, meanwhile, was quickly gnawing and tearing at her rations to get them into her stomach as fast as possible, if only so that she could end the silence between them that was threatening to slowly drive her insane.

Sadly, it did little to stop that feeling.

“...How d’you make th’ tuck- er, rations?” Tora asked simply and quietly, her eyes kept firmly in front of her. “Smoke ‘em, dehydrate ‘em, wot?”

“Smoke,” was his simple reply, taking another bite of his rations.

“...So-” Tora started to say.

He stashed his rations away, then stood up. “We’re moving on.”

“...A’ight. Lead th’ way,” Tora replied with a curt nod as she tucked her rations away and hopped to her feet, following Durin back down the tunnel once more.

Evidently, this was going to be a long trip.

10 - Into The Gloom: Beneath The Earth (EDITED)

A form walks through the Dark.

It swallows him whole.

He walks onward, torch in hand.

His eyes blaze with baleful green light, like a beast.

Eyes watch from afar.

They pounce.

Steel sings it's tone through flesh and hide, splattering blood on the stones.

Claws rend through the mutant's armor.

He grabs the claws, and rips them off.

His wound heals.

His blade sings through more flesh.

Baleful blue Eyes watch from the Cosmos.

“Fuckin’ A, this is so fuckin’ far down!” Tora stated as they entered what she estimated was the fifteenth or so minute of walking down into the mine.

“We’re only a little ways away,” Durin told her, looking at and holding a strange, rectangular device in his hands.

“...Not even gonna ask what th’ weird doohickey in yer hands is,” Tora shook her head with a frown and a sigh. “Does th’ damn thing have any practical use down here? Izzat how y’know where we are?”

He nodded. “Among other things, like the time of day and shit.”

“...Yeah, that’s bloody corker,” Tora nodded understandingly.

“I’d show you more of what it can do if sound didn’t attract the monsters,” He replied.

“Yeah, that’d be right,” Tora’s head drooped a little as they progressed further and further into the depths of the planet.

As they did, Durin looked to a seemingly normal wall and stopped short, holding a hand out and looking back to her with a small smile. “Why don’t I show you something before the biome?”

“Sure, mate. Shoot,” Tora said as she focused all her attention on him.

His smile grew, and a pickaxe appeared in his hand. With that, he started to dig into the wall he was looking at, sparks flying from the rock and pick as he did.

“Uh, that looks bloody tiresome, Durin,” Tora remarked as she moved out of the area of ‘sparks and high-velocity rock chips flying everywhere.’

He chuckled, and to her surprise, the wall didn’t crack or break, it simply...disappeared, block by block.

“...Y’ didn’t lace th’ meat with hallucinogens, right?” Tora asked, blinking slowly as she struggled to process what she was seeing.

He shook his head, and when the final block disappeared, he walked into a yawning cavern, motioning for her to follow.

Against her better judgement, Tora obeyed and followed behind him nervously. Then, her eyes widened as she beheld the great yawning cavern filled with glittering gemstones as far as the eye could see.

Durin swept a hand out. “Welcome to the Crystal Cavern biome,” he said with a grin.

“...I...it’s...it’s fuckin’ beautiful,” Tora breathed out, eyes and voice overwhelmed by awe and wonder.

“It’s not a biome that I’ve encountered before, to be honest, but,” He swung his pick into a seemingly ordinary clump of rock, revealing the plain rock was actually a geode with various brightly colored stones inside. He then lifted one and offered it to her. It was a geode with agates, rubies, sapphires, and a fair bit of quartz. “You’re welcome to any of the stuff in here. Monsters don’t come here often, either, so it’s pretty free roam.”

Tora looked at him with a blank expression for a few moments...then took the geode and gave him a quick - a very quick - hug before bounding off to explore like a kid in a candy store.

He chuckled and called out, “You forgot to grab a pick! Get back here so I can give you one, dork!”

Tora came running back, feeling quite miffed if her expression was anything to go by, and socked him in the arm, “Give it here, ya dag.”

Chuckling, he summoned a second tungsten pickaxe and handed it to her. “Go nuts.”

Snatching it from his hands, she immediately sprinted over to a particular light bluish-white cluster of geodes and started carefully picking away at the rock surrounding the first geode within reach, and within a few minutes, she’d chipped away enough rock to reach down and use a bit of torque to rip the geode away, “...Diamonds...46-carat by th’ looks...wait, is that one red?”

Durin walked over, juggling a couple of aquamarines. “Find something good?”

Tora looked at Durin and held it out to him, “It’s a naturally-colored diamond - bit o’ iron seeped in durin’ the formation, methinks - but...it’s...it’s way too red. Like...blood, almost.”

Durin stopped juggling the aquamarines, his eyes seeming to, oddly enough, contract for a moment, before he grunted and took it, looking it over as he squinted his eyes instead.

The red diamond was, as she stated, deep red - a bloody crimson in fact, and had jagged edges that seemed liable to slice open flesh like a scalpel…

Then it beat.

Thump.

Durin’s eyes widened. “...” He looked to her slowly. “...I’d recommend never selling this.”

“...Y’know what it is,” Tora stated more than asked, eyes slowly drifting to the beating diamond, each pulse giving off a bloody glow.

He frowned, looking back to it. “Only because my Terrarian blood lets me get names when I pick stuff up.” He hefted it. “This is tainted by the Crimson. My...senses, let’s call ‘em, label it as a Crimson Heartstone.”

“...Wait, izzat...actually a bloody heart?” her eyes widened as she stepped back from the beating gem, holding her hands up as if expecting to see them covered in blood.

He nodded. “Think of the Crimson as like necromancy/blood magic infecting the world itself.”

“...Could...Grogar have caused this li’l thing…?” Tora wondered aloud.

Durin shrugged. “Dunno. Never heard of him.”

“He’s a necromancer, ancient from wot I’ve heard, and...still alive an’ active, if the legends and rumors are deadset,” Tora explained with a nervous shuffling of her feet. “Some...some o’ the people I met on th’ way t’ Vinyl said that they think Grogar is th’ reason fer all the monsters risin’ up so fast.”

Durin frowned, looking to the Heartstone. Then he grunted. “I’ll kill him later, then. For now…” He offered it to her. “Keep it handy. I can make some runes out of it for Gabe, or your armor.”

“...I...don’t think that I...want th’ bloody thing anywhere near me at th’ mo,” Tora declined with a nervous little chuckle, holding her hands up in front of her.

Durin grunted. “Alright. I’ll just keep it then.” With that, it disappeared in his hand, and he gestured around them again. “Go ahead and keep looking for stuff. Who knows, you might find something better than Crimson tainted shit.”

“...Wot...wot happens if enough of that shite is gathered in one place?” Tora asked, staring back at the place she mined the Crimson-tainted gem from.

Durin hummed. “If I recall correctly, it just spreads like a disease. Doesn’t do that with gear or items from the stuff, oddly, but rocks, trees, plants? Yeah, it’ll spread through those.”

“...Then...if just one o’ these things was found here...couldn’t there be more? A source?” Tora inquired again, looking more and more nervous as she spoke.

Durin placed a hand on her shoulder. “Relax, Tora. While that may be true, I’ll deal with it if it gets worse. You’ll be fine, okay? I promise.”

“...A’ight, y’ bastard. I’ll hold y’ to that promise,” Tora sighed, gently brushing his hand off of her shoulder as she went to a different part of the same ‘patch’ of geodes she got the Heartstone from and resumed her mining.

After several minutes of mining gem-filled geodes and the sounds of two picks cracking stone, Tora stopped and cocked her head when she uncovered an odd rock with streaks and patches of a color that looked at first glance to be platinum, but clearly had silver and gold mixed in. When she leaned down to pick it up, the Abyssinian was quite surprised at how light it was. A gentle upward toss sent it a good foot or so in the air, and she had to reposition herself to catch it before it struck the ground and shattered or something.

Tucking it away in one of her pouches after catching it, she took one of her knives and gently stuck it in a gap near the feather-light ore deposit for later collection before moving on to another section of geodes and rocks to mine away for anything useful.

And something she definitely found, her pickaxe striking a particularly hard geode one last time before it split open to reveal a mass of what seemed to be black opals - inside of which, based on several of them that had been split open, was a golden center.

It looked rather pretty, and when she bent down to pick up one of the more intact gems, she flinched back when it suddenly glowed upon her hand coming within close proximity of the gem...and the rest of them, too, when her flinch brought her hand sweeping over the main mass of them.

Just like with the nigh-weightless ore, the tigress pocketed several of the black opals and left a knife nearby so that she could come back and mine more at a later date.

Soon enough, she grabbed her fill, and Durin walked over to her. “Got what you wanted?”

“Yeah, got some stuff I wanna take a look at when we get back to th’ surface, and I marked th’ spots I found th’ stuff at,” Tora replied with a nod as she adjusted the pouches containing the ore and black opals. “Y’ ready t’ go?”

He nodded. “Yeah.”

With that, they left the cave, Durin closing the entrance up - somehow - with the same stone he’d gotten from it the first time, making it look as natural as it had.

“...Don’t bloody think I’ll ever get used t’ that,” Tora muttered as she set the pickaxe down next to the ‘entrance’ spot. “Y’ mind if I leave this thing here?”

He shrugged. “Prefer you keep it, since it’s the only other tungsten pick I have, but up to you. I’ll be the one mining from here on out after all.”

“Why’d ya even close th’ damn thing up if you’re minin’ from it, mate? Seems a bit...inefficient, y’know wot I mean?” Tora asked as she picked the pickaxe up again and secured it to her left hip.

“Keeps any wandering monsters from it, and, if someone finds this mine, it’ll hide it,” He replied, starting to walk down the shaft again. “Have plans for that cavern, too. Wanna keep them hidden for now.”

“Eh...that’s pretty smart, I reckon,” Tora replied with a shrug as she once more followed the Terrarrian down into the depths. ‘He sounded sincere ‘bout ‘is “Terrarian blood” an’ shit, but...somethin’ just seems off ‘bout that explanation.’ Her thoughts continued as they walked. ‘Doesn’t explain how th’ hell he knew that th’ cavern was behind that specific part of th’ wall, an’ thus knew t’ dig there t’ get to th’ Crystal Cavern…an’ how long’s he been here t’ memorize th’ location o’ that cavern?’

Durin’s voice broke her out of her thoughts. “Problem? You’ve been real quiet.”

“Nah, jus’ wonderin’ wot th’ ‘shroom place is gonna be like,” Tora said with an idle inspection of her paw.

He hummed, looking back at her critically.

‘Tch, it’d be right if he can also read me like a fuckin’ open book or somethin’ like that,’ Tora internally scoffed as she kept her face in her usual ‘indifferent/meh’ expression.

Eventually, he shrugged. “Alright,” he said, turning his view back to the path ahead.

“Wot, didja think that there was some kinda hidden meaning’ behind m’ words?” Tora asked sarcastically, rolling her eyes.

Durin chuckled. “You and I both know how much meaning can be behind a single word.” Tora’s tail bristled slightly, but aside from that, she showed no other outward reaction. He continued, seemingly oblivious of what reaction she showed. “Anyway, I think you’ll like the biome...at least until it’s inhabitants come about, but eh.”

“Unless th‘ damn place is full of the ‘get high an’ see weird shite’ kind o’ fungus, I bloody well doubt that I’m gonna like it,” Tora dryly meowed, making sure to keep pace with him - for such a bulky guy, he was pretty damn quick.

Durin only chuckled, and they continued.

“Wot, y’know somethin’ that I don’t, mate?” Tora asked challengingly, picking up the pace of her walking until she was almost walking beside him.

“Maybe,” he replied with a smile. He pointed ahead. “We’re about there.” He picked up the pace, gesturing for her to do so as well. “Come on.”

Letting out a mild huff, she nonetheless quickened her pace and made sure to stick close to him.

Then, her eyes widened at the sight before her.

“Welcome,” Durin began, sweeping an arm out. “To the Mushroom Biome.”

11 - Into The Gloom: Among The Shroom

A form walks through the Dark.

It swallows him whole.

He walks onward, torch in hand.

His eyes blaze with baleful green light, like a beast.

Eyes watch from afar.

They pounce.

Steel sings it's tone through flesh and hide, splattering blood on the stones.

Claws rend through the mutant's armor.

He grabs the claws, and rips them off.

His wound heals.

His blade sings through more flesh.

Baleful blue Eyes watch from the Cosmos.

“...Fuckin’ feral’s paradise, here. It’s...th’ damn ‘shrooms are huge!” Tora said as she craned her head every which way as she took in the glowing flora of the cavern.

Durin nodded. “The biomes are known for that. Still don’t know how they form, but they are beautiful, aren’t they?” He said, sweeping his own gaze over the expansive fungal ridden cavern.

“Not so much ‘beautiful’ as ‘excitin’ novelty that’ll wear off soon,” Tora replied as she turned around to face the way they came in as she walked. “I bet I’ll get used t’ it after a while.”

“Bogie, 6 o’clock,” Durin droned, summoning his pistol and firing a shot right by her.

“WHY TH’ FUCK WOULDJA DO THAT, Y’ RATBAG?!” Tora yowled as she glared amber daggers at him.

“Get down!” He soon tackled her to the ground as the sound of insectoid wings flew over them.

Tora kicked him off of her and then kicked herself back up onto her paws with Gabe already aimed up at in the direction the sound of the wings had gone.

What she saw beggared belief. It was a giant blue ladybug...with fungus all over it. Blue fungus. Glowing blue eyes, too.

Naturally, she shot both a bolt and a round at the thing as she bolted to the nearest vantage point.

One wing was blown off whilst the other halted, but despite crashing to the ground, it swiftly started to scuttle towards her, like a beast with a one-track mind for murder.

Making good use of the bayonet at the end of Gabe, she jabbed it right at the thing’s head when it got close enough, “FUCKIN’ DIE, Y’ BLOODY WEIRD BUG!”

It didn’t squeal, squeak, or make any noise save a sickening squelch, continuing to struggle, even weak as it was. Durin came over, putting a round into its head to end its life finally.

He offered her a hand up. “These things are hardy. It’ll take a lot to kill them. We have to work together, alright?”

“Sever the fuckin’ spine, or whatever it has!” Tora spat as she repeatedly bayoneted the dead insect until its head came off due to a lack of exoskeleton connecting it to the rest of the head.

Durin grabbed her shoulders. “Tora!” The tigress glared at him as she pulled the bayonet out of its head. “We don’t have time to focus on just one of these things! There’s gonna be loads more! Get it together!”

“DO YOU THINK I’M A FUCKIN’ DRONGO?! OF COURSE I KNOW THERE’LL BE MORE!” Tora hissed with pupils reduced to slits.

“THEN STOP FUCKING CUTTING INTO A CORPSE AND FOCUS ON THE THREE ZOMBIES COMING AT US!” He shot back, pointing to the shambling zombies with spores and glowing mushrooms all over them.

“FUCK YOU!” Tora yowled as she shot a round and then a bolt past his head, blowing the head off of one walking corpse and making a second briefly stumble to the ground with a bolt sticking out of its head.

Then Durin’s hand crackled with electricity, and he thrust his palm out, sending thousands of volts through the corpses. He followed this up with a blast of fire, thoroughly cooking them via both fire and lightning.

“Fuckin’ SHOWOFF!” Tora growled, firing another few bolts at the zombies from her perch atop a rock before clambering up a rather tall glowing mushroom and using that as her new sniping spot.

She saw well over a dozen zombies, ladybugs, and even what looked like a few crabs of sorts with - of course - mushrooms growing on them. And they were all heading towards the duo, as if having sensed their intrusion.

And so Tora set to work on firing bolt after bolt at the approaching mob, going for shots to the head or center-mass with surprising precision and fluidness.

To coincide with this, Durin was firing spell after spell and bullet after bullet at the oncoming horde, steadily dropping one after the other like flies.

“We need to go up there!” He pointed to a collection of mushrooms where a vast vein of glittering platinum ore was. “We mine that, we can get out of here before we’re overwhelmed!” He called to her.

“THEN FUCKIN’ GET IT, Y’ TWAT!” Tora shouted as she continued to shoot at the approaching horde. “BEFORE I RUN OUTTA ROUNDS, PREFERABLY!”

“CLEAR A PATH THEN!” He shot back, firing another round at one of the crustaceans.

“OH, WHY DIDN’T I THINK O’ THAT BEFORE! ABSOLUTELY NOVEL LI’L SUGGESTION Y’ JUS’ CAME UP WITH!” Tora yowled scathingly back at the man as she loaded another bolt into Gabe and fired it at a giant bug that was creeping up on him. “I’LL BE SURE T’ GIVE YA CREDIT FER IT WHEN WE GET TOPSIDE, YA WANKER!”

“SHUT UP AND KEEP FIRING, DAMMIT!” Durin yelled, slowly advancing towards the mushroom above which the ore rested.

“WELL DOESN’T THAT STAND OUT LIKE DOG’S BALLS!” Tora screamed at him, almost aiming at his head for a second before adjusting her aim to shoot a round at a crab that was rushing up to him from his left.

Durin ignored her, and soon enough he had reached the giant mushroom and began climbing it, having to fight off ladybugs constantly as the zombies clawed at the base to try and reach him.

Fed up with the situation, Tora jumped down from her perch and bayonet charged the mob of monsters with an unintelligible battle cry, stabbing and slashing and shooting at the monsters while dodging their attacks as they came.

Durin grit his teeth, watching her fight off the horde, before shaking his head and continuing his climb.

Tora dodged a particularly persistent zombie’s swipe and roundhouse-kicked it in the head, then slashed its throat with a knife before punching its head off and moving on to fend off the rest of them.

Finally reaching the top, Durin took out his pick and started to mine as fast as he could, the rhythmic cracking of pick on stone resounding throughout the cavern along with the moans of the zombies.

“WHEN DO Y’ THINK YOU’LL BE DONE FOSSICKIN’, MATE?!” Tora yelled above the cacophony of moans and insectoid screeches as she ducked and weaved through the lot of them with all the grace and flexibility her kind possessed.

Sadly, she was taking hits. A few zombies and crabs managed to score hits on her, knocking her back and making her thankful for the armor, because she could feel her ribs creak at their hits.

“Y’ WANNA BE M’ TUCKER?! THEN HIT ME AGAIN AN’ WE’LL SEE HOW CRAB LEGS ON ZOMBIE JERKY TASTES?!” Tora snarled as she continued to be a whirlwind of fuzzy wrath, grabbing one bug as it charged her and hurling it into the faces of two zombies that were poised to chomp on her back.

Another ladybug, as if to avenge it’s comrade, charged her immediately after, wings buzzing rapidly and mandibles poised to rip and tear.

Gabe’s barrel was shoved into the middle of its mandibles, followed by a round tearing through its insides like a ballista through a straw house. Naturally, it fell to the ground in a heap of torn fungi and insectoid guts.

And, naturally, more of it’s fungus ridden brethren filled the gap, a zombie coming up and trying to bite her arm that was holding Gabe. However…

“FUCK OFF!” Came Durin’s voice from above, followed by him falling onto the zombie and plunging his blade into it’s rotted skull.

“Thank y’ kindly, bastard!” Tora dipped her head in appreciation as she hopped out of range of another ladybug, then clambered up the nearest large rock and started firing into the approaching mob once again.

“Anytime! Now let’s blow this joint!” Durin urged, slicing a zombie clean in two.

“Didn’t have t’ even suggest it!” Tora shot back as she fired one last bolt into an already-wounded ladybug before turning on her heel and bolting back the way they came.

Durin clearing his way through what he would call the ‘Shroom Horde’, soon followed after her, but not before he thrust his palm behind him and shot a literal vortex of wind at the Horde, flinging and capturing them in harsh winds as he ran after Tora.

Then, Tora’s leg was grabbed by the upper half of a zombie. Tora yelped and kicked at its head to try to stun it or make it release her leg. Sadly, that only got it to pull harder, until she tripped and fell.

“LET GO OF M’ FUCKIN’ LEG, YA ROTTING FUCKER!” Tora shouted, now punching it in the face as well.

Durin, seeing this, stopped next to her and the zombie and swung his sword and severed its arm, before pulling the tigress up and starting to run again. “Come on! There’s more on their way!”

“Again, y’ don’t need t’ tell me twice!” Tora replied as she made good use of her long legs to run forward on all fours.

Soon enough, they made it to the exit, and as they did, Durin whirled around and closed off the cave with a few blocks of wood, before letting out a sigh of relief. “Fuck…” He looked to her. “You alright?”

“Doin’ ace, ‘side from bein’ outta breath cuz a’ runnin’ on all fours,” Tora replied between every pant that came out of her muzzle. “An’ you?”

Durin nodded, letting out much more slow and easy breaths. “Witcher. Better endurance than most. I’ll be fine.”

“Well, good on y’, Durin,” Tora said as she finally caught her breath and looked back at the blocked-up entrance. “...Y’ aren’t gonna go back in there again, are ya?”

He looked where she was looking, and then back to her. “I might, but for now it’s best to block it off and let those things calm down.”

“...Yeah, I don’t really think that th’ fuckin’ things know how t’ ‘calm down,’ mate,” Tora pointed out as she checked herself over for any wounds, bites or other discrepancies in her health.

Durin looked her over. “Seems they made a few scratches in your armor. I’ll have to fix it up for you when we get back.”

“A’ight, sounds good t’ me,” Tora nodded, then gestured to the tunnel ahead of them. “So, shall we get th’ fuck outta here?”

Durin nodded, dismissing his weapon. “Yeah, let’s.

Author's Note

Not our best work, but me and Nova will fix it when we can. Sorry, all.

12 - Intermission: A Farewell

A form walks through the Dark.

It swallows him whole.

He walks onward, torch in hand.

His eyes blaze with baleful green light, like a beast.

Eyes watch from afar.

They pounce.

Steel sings it's tone through flesh and hide, splattering blood on the stones.

Claws rend through the mutant's armor.

He grabs the claws, and rips them off.

His wound heals.

His blade sings through more flesh.

Baleful blue Eyes watch from the Cosmos.

“So,” Tora abruptly spoke up from her seat on one of the chairs in Durin’s armory, chest bare save for her chest-bindings as she waited for the Terrarrian to finish repairing her leather breastplate. “Whatcha even need th’ platty for? Doesn’t seem like it’d do much good fer ya.”

“Better quality than gold,” he replied, rummaging around in a chest to find the repair kit he needed. Finding nothing, he checked the next one. “Gold is tough, but platinum is better.”

“Eh, fair ‘nuff. Explains why th’ damn ponies use th’ stuff in their armor an’ shite,” Tora shrugged, pulling slightly on the lowermost part of her chest bindings to adjust the tightness slightly.

Durin tried to force his blush down and also tried to not look her way, along with trying to keep his thoughts elsewhere. ‘They’re more malleable in my world…’ He glanced to her, then quickly back to the chest. ‘...Probably not as much as her- NO! Bad Durin! Head in the game!’

“Again, if y’ wanted t’ look at my knockers, y’ have to pay cash fer it,” Tora reminded him with a sly, amused smirk.

“I-I’m not gonna pay for that. I’d rather you did it of your own free will instead of for m-money’s sake,” Durin replied with a stutter, silently cursing as he kept looking with no luck for the repair kit.

“...It’s a fuckin’ joke, ya dag,” Tora let out a ‘mrrow’ of laughter and shook her head. “Ain’t no bloody person is gonna see m’ boobs unless they’re m’ mate, so don’t get any ideas.”

“I-I wasn’t! I-!” He stopped himself. “...I’m just going to keep looking for the kit.”

“A’ight, y’ do that, lover-boy,” Tora rolled her eyes and stretched languidly with a pleased grunt.

The door to the armory soon opened. “Yo! How’d the trip go?” Vinyl blinked, seeing how little Tora was wearing and blushing a bit. “You two bang or somethin’?”

“Fuck off, Vin,” Tora rolled her eyes at the mare.

Octavia slapped the mare upside the head. “Vinyl!”

“Ow! Hey, it was an honest assumption!” Vinyl argued, rubbing her head.

“Even so, you could stand to use a little more tact!” Octavia shot back, giving her friend a disappointed frown.

“Durin’s fixin’ m’ armor. That’s why I’m half-nekkid up top, ya fuckin’ pervy horse,” Tora explained, if only to cut off any further questions from the DJ.

Vinyl groaned. “That’s lame.” Another smack from Octavia. “Ow! Tavi, come on, stop it!”

“She might stop if you stop insinuating things,” Durin grumbled to himself.

“Wot he said, ya horny little weirdo,” Tora tacked on her own opinion.

“Well excuse me! I haven’t gotten properly filled in over a month!” Vinyl said, huffing and turning her head.

“Did not need to know that,” Durin said, shivering and trying to hide his blush.

“Well, maybe y’ should invest in a way to, oh, shut yer damn heat up or somethin’!” Tora scathingly remarked to Vinyl, eyes narrowed and nose twitching.

Vinyl’s flagging tail immediately clamped down over her bits. “I haven’t gotten laid, buck off!”

“Whatever, Vin - jus’ don’t project yer lust onto us, capiche?” Tora said warningly, eyes narrowed in a stern glare at the unicorn.

“I’d have to agree. I’m not keen on smelling your heat scent all over my house,” Durin agreed, before finally pulling out a small wooden crate, ignoring Vinyl’s mild glare at him. “Here we go,” He said, walking back over to the table where Tora’s armor was. He paused as he did, looking to the mares. ‘Shit. I use this and they’ll know too.’ He looked to Tora, who raised a brow in questioning. ‘...Fuck it. They already know most of the story. What’s a tiny bit more?’ With that, he pulled out a hammer from the repair box, and, to both Tora’s and Vinyl and Octavia’s surprise, simply tapped the armor with it, and the scratches were gone, along with the repair box.

He then picked up the armor and held it out to Tora. “There. All fixed up.”

Tora nodded gratefully and took the armor from his hands, quickly putting it on and patting the front of it once it was snugly in place, “Thanks, Durin. Hope I don’t have t’ do this kinda thing too often, eh?”

Durin nodded. “Yeah. I don’t have many repair boxes.”

“H-How...What-?” Octavia gestured to Durin.

“Th-This...that doesn’t make any sense! Where’d the box go?!” Vinyl asked, voicing the question Octavia was trying and failing to ask.

“Durin, mate, jus’ get it over with an’ explain it t’ the sheilas, will ya?” Tora sighed, giving the male a dry, expectant look as her paw tapped on the ground.

Durin let out a sigh. “I’m a Terrarian. We function so differently from others that we have our own brand of physics.”

“I...I don’t even…” Octavia slowly fell to her plot, holding her head as if her whole world had been shattered.

Vinyl did the same, only she looked to the ground and did not cradle her head. “I think I need a minute.”

Durin raised a brow. “Mind doing that elsewhere? I still have to upgrade Tora’s gun, and the work room is out that door.”

“Please, don’t have ‘confused sex’ in any room that’s next t’ this one. I’d rather wait fer Gabe t’ be made better without having t’ listen to two mares scissorin’ or somethin’,” Tora idly requested as she checked the flexibility of her cuirass once again.

“We’ll just...be upstairs, then,” Octavia said, finally coherent. She pulled Vinyl up. “Come on, Vinyl.”

With that, the two mares left the room, leaving Tora and Durin alone.

“...Wonder if that’ll be how most o’ th’ blokes and sheilas y’ reveal this to will react,” Tora wondered aloud, giving one final stretch in her armor before sitting back down and resting with a content sigh.

With a grunt, Durin walked past her. “It probably will be. Come on, follow me.”

Tora stood up as asked and followed Durin into the hall and down it, past the storeroom, where he soon opened a door, revealing a room that was quite humid and warm, and filled with anvils, workbenches, and furnaces and sawmills, though the room did not smell in the least like sawdust.

“Well, well, quite th’ little operation y’ got here, Dur’. How long’d it take ya to build all o’ this?” Tora asked with an impressed whistle, running her hand along the edge of a workbench.

“Better part of three weeks,” was his reply as he walked over to a workbench with a number of tools all over it, even hanging from a tool rack that was attached. “Mind handing me Gabe for a bit?” He asked, hand outstretched.

Slowly, hesitantly, Tora handed Gabe over to him, “Don’t break ‘im, or I’ll use yer skull to shit in.”

“Colorful,” Durin complimented as he took the heavily modified gun and placed it on the bench. “Inventory,” he said, opening the screen. He tapped the crafting portion a few times, swiping up to scroll through its options. “Hmmm…”

“Jus’ don’t take too long, a’ight, mate? It doesn’t feel right not havin’ Gabe on m’ back,” Tora said with a light, nervous shuffling of her feet.

“Right, righ-” Durin’s eyes widened as he scrolled down one more time. “-Holy fucking shit.”

“W-wot?!” Tora asked as she bounded over to him with concern - for Gabe, obviously, Durin didn’t seem to be melting into slush, so clearly he was fine.

Durin scrolled down, and down, and down, no end in sight to what he was seeing. “Your gun not only is something I can work with, but it has...what, over thirty five-” He stopped, scrolling down more. “-Scratch that, fifty different modifications on my list here.”

“...So, we can tweak Gabe however we please?” Tora asked, a grin forming on her muzzle.

Durin nodded. “Your gun has more options than my Witcher gear.” He gestured to a set of options. “Problem is, most of this stuff I don’t have.” He scrolled up a fair ways, then pointed to one option. “There’s only three I can give you right now, all just for runes. This one, which can cause burning,” He pointed to the next. “One which can add more armor piercing,” he pointed to the last one. “And this one causes bleeding.”

“...Incendiary,” Tora said, pointing at the option for the ‘Dahzbog Rune’. “If’n Gabe doesn’t blow a beastie apart or kill it outright, he can still set ‘em on fire an’ we can whittle ‘em down that way.”

Durin nodded. “Right, then.” Tapping the option, Gabe suddenly gained glowing orange runes along his barrel, and Durin dismissed the menu, picking it up and offering it to Tora. “Here you go.”

Tora almost squealed in delight as she took the improved Gabe, but had enough presence of mind and dignity to give him a thankful smile before looking him over and tracing a paw along the runes, “Wonder how well he’d do against some brain-munchers, or a horde o’ beasties.”

“Considering most are susceptible to fire, very well,” Durin replied.

“...Does...was there an option fer ‘splosive rounds or somethin’? I’d love to just make a bunch’a assholes go up in a spray o’ gibs,” Tora asked hopefully, eyes big and shimmering.

Durin hummed, looking to the bench. “Hand Gabe back for a sec and I’ll check.”

Tora all but threw Gabe at Durin as she bounced on her paws like an excited kid.

Durin chuckled and rolled his eyes before calling out, “Inventory,” again and checking the list once more. When he reached Gabe’s options, he found ‘Explosive Gabe’ in the unavailable options. He looked to her. “Sorry, Tora. Unavailable to me right now.” He looked to the screen. “Says I need to progress or some shit.”

Tora deflated with a heart-wrenchingly sad mewl, her tail and ears drooping in dejection.

He spoke up again. “However, looking at the options again, it seems I can give Gabe poisonous traits now, thanks to the materials from that Grave Hag.” He smiled. “Up for giving your gun fiery poison?”

“...Sure, sounds ace,” Tora said, her mood visibly improving somewhat.

“Alright, then,” Tapping the option, Gabe suddenly gained a draconic skull at the barrel, said skull covered in green veins. Durin picked it up and made to hand it to Tora, only for her to yank it from his hands and spin in a circle with a delighted laugh.

“Gabe looks mighty corker, now! Thank y’, mate! I’m so gonna enjoy usin’ this on the beasties,” Tora grinned a rather predatory grin.

Durin chuckled, then crossed his arms. “Glad you like it. Based on the options, he’s only gonna get better and better. Probably with more bones, too, from what I saw.”

Tora was vibrating with excitement, “Oh, I dunno wot that even means, but I can’t wait!”

Then she pounced on him with a laugh.

“W-Woah! Hey!” Durin cried, falling to the floor.

Tora laughed, her face right above his, “Sorry, mate, I’m just...y’ have no idea how much I wanted t’ improve Gabe, but I was scared that he’d be too fragile t’ modify! An’ now, I got you t’ improve ‘im fer me! Heeheehee, just so happy!~”

“O-Okay, I get it! Now get the hell off!” Durin cried, blushing at how close she was.

“Tch, fiiine, y’ dag,” Tora chuckled as she hopped off him and pulled him up...into a small hug. “I just want y’ to know...Gabe’s saved m’ life time an’ time again since I found ‘im, and…an’ I just am so bloody happy yer able to make wot was m’ only ‘friend’ fer years even better.”

Durin stiffened at the contact, but slowly reciprocated. “Y-Yeah...You’re welcome.”

Tora let go of him and flashed him a toothy smile, “Jus’ don’t expect me t’ make this a regular thing, mate.”

Durin nodded. “R-Right, right.” He shook his head, then summoned the rectangular device from earlier. He sighed as he looked at its display. “Daytime. Alright.” He banished it to his inventory, then looked to her. “We should get you and the others out of here now. You’ve been gone for too long, others will start to wonder.”

Vinyl and Octavia looked back at Durin as they walked away from the forest’s edge with Tora beside them. Grass crunched under their hooves as they trotted towards civilization.

Vinyl looked towards Tora. “Do you think the big guy is gonna be okay?”

“He looked...different, when he was bringing us out of the forest,” Octavia added.

“Eh, she’ll be apples. That is, th’ big bugger’ll be fine. ‘Sides, I’m comin’ back. I told ‘im that I’d help ‘im, an' so I’m gonna help the bloke,” Tora shrugged, then paused mid-step as she thought for a moment, then resumed walking alongside the mares. “But before I get t’ that, I gotta report t’ th’ mare who sent me t’ fossick fer ‘im.”

Vinyl winced at that. “Oof, yeah, good luck with that, Torry.”

“I can always lie,” Tora waved a paw dismissively. “Tell ‘er that I couldn’t find ‘im, and that’ll be that.”

“Will she accept that, though?” Octavia asked next, looking to Tora.

“I can say that I found th’ fuckin’ dog bitch we had a burl with an’ say that Durin got turned into its tucker,” Tora replied, seeming not at all concerned about how it’d work.

Octavia frowned. “I’m not sure she’d believe or accept that either.”

“She’ll find a way, Tavi, lay off,” Vinyl said, wrapping a foreleg around the mare. “‘Sides, Durin’ll be fine either way.”

Octavia’s frown increased as she shoved the unicorns foreleg off. “Weren’t you just as worried as me a moment ago?”

“Vin doesn’t seem t’ be th’ kinda sheila t’ worry ‘bout somethin’ fer long,” Tora surmised with a glance at the successful DJ.

Vinyl laughed. “Exactly! I’m a tough bitch, I got no worries at all!”

“Eh, more like you’re scared t’ worry fer too long before y’ start freakin’ out,” Tora dryly remarked with a smirk at the mare in question.

Vinyl flushed at this. “Wh-What? Th-The- I don’t know what you’re talking about!”

Octavia giggled behind her hoof. “She’s got you figured out, doesn’t she, Vinyl?”

“Plus, she wants t’ have a naughty with Durin,” Tora said in a teasing sing-song voice, then stepped to the side to avoid Vinyl’s charge of anger, the mare falling on her face in the dirt and grass. “So fuckin’ easy t’ tease,” Tora laughed as she mockingly strutted around the fallen mare. “Y’ wanna fuck Duuurin!~”

Vinyl growled, horn lighting up. “Shut up!”

“Tch, ya won’t blast yer cobber, I know y’ wouldn’t,” Tora smirked as she leaned her muzzle into Vinyl’s face and flicked her horn.

Vinyl squeaked at the action, hooves going to her horn as she blushed. “D-Don’t touch my horn!”

“Oh, so th’ rumors ‘bout ya horn-head’s head-dongers an’ head-clitties bein' sensitive or erogenous zones is all true. Good t’ know,” Tora chuckled evilly as she ruffled Vinyl’s hair.

Vinyl glared up at the tigress. “I hate you.”

“Didn’tcha want t’ have a naughty with me, too?” Tora asked with a knowing smirk and mock-seductive glare.

“...” Vinyl continued to glare, but added a pout on top of it.

“Heh. You’re just fuckin’ too easy t’ tease,” Tora said, poking Vinyl’s nose.

Octavia’s voice rang out. “Come on you two! We’ll miss the train if we don’t hurry!”

“Comin’, sheila!” Tora called out to Octavia as she brought her attention back to Vinyl. “C’mon, or else you’ll get left behind.”

Vinyl grumbled to herself as she stood up, following after them. As she and the other two boarded the train after a hasty sprint to the station, and they all took their seats, Vinyl looked out the window, frowning as she looked at the treeline where Durin had disappeared into.

‘...Stay safe, big guy.’

A careful incision was made into the corpse's flesh with a surgical knife, before the flesh was picked up in a red aura and deposited into a beaker full of some strange, clear fluid. A red aura soon surrounded it as well, swirling it around. Moments later, the flesh dissolved, and the beaker turned a dark purple, then a bright red.

"Hmmm..." The stallion adjusted his glasses, then made a few notes on his clipboard. "Essence appears to be tied to dark magic, but two different brands..." He squinted his eyes at the beaker, watching as the liquid continued to shift color from purple to red. "...And certainly not of any brands I've seen before...Hm."

The door to the room opened, and a familiar hornless, scarred unicorn walked in. "Doctor Beloved, how goes the research?" Tempest asked, trotting over.

"Not as fast as I'd like," the stallion replied, not turning to her as he straightened his blue and orange mane with a hoof before he grabbed the surgical knife again. "Sadly, it seems these creatures are not tied to one source like we thought. Others aren't tied to any, like they just...popped out of the ground."

Tempest eyed the beaker, then looked into his black eyes. "I see." She cast her gaze towards the corpse, that of a zombified pony mare. "So it's safe to assume we're barely any closer to discovering how this all started..."

Doctor Beloved nodded his head, adjusting his glasses once more as he idly twirled the knife. "I'm afraid so. I wish I could be of more help, but I've got my hooves full just trying to explain one of these beasts, let alone hundreds." He gestured to the many corpses around the room, then stopped on one covered in tattered red robes. "That one I had trouble just keeping intact. It kept wanting to dissolve into mist. Far as I can tell, it's the body of...some sort of female, but cursed by some form of dark magic." He looked to her. "It's obvious it was some sort of vengeful spirit, based on the report the Guards gave, but damn if it still doesn't throw me for a loop on how it even functions."

Tempest frowned, but nodded. "Give me a status update nonetheless."

The Doctor sighed, slumping a little for a moment, before straightening back up and nodding. "Very well." He gestured to the corpse in front of them. "This one appears to have been raised almost naturally, but..."

Author's Note

Big thanks to my Patron (won't say his full name, as I respect his privacy) D for his OC
at the end there and all his support! I hope you like the spin I did for your OC, dude!

If anyone else wants to, I'd really love having more patrons! The support would really help keep me going, and, let's be honest, it's an even better incentive for me to work hard on this story.

Here's a link to my Patreon page. Join if you want, I'd be happy to have you at the campfire, though of course, your feedback and viewership is quite enough for me! :twilightsmile:

Thanks for reading!

14 - Results and Consequences: Evaluations

A form walks through the Dark.

It swallows him whole.

He walks onward, torch in hand.

His eyes blaze with baleful green light, like a beast.

Eyes watch from afar.

They pounce.

Steel sings it's tone through flesh and hide, splattering blood on the stones.

Claws rend through the mutant's armor.

He grabs the claws, and rips them off.

His wound heals.

His blade sings through more flesh.

Baleful blue Eyes watch from the Cosmos.

“So, what’ll I get fer th’ shinies, mate?” Tora asked, tapping her paw on the ground as she watched the stallion look over the black opals, heavy-as-a-feather ore, and many other geodes and odd gems she’d set down on the counter.

“Hmm~” the stallion, who wore a very gaudy and fancy suit along with a twirling golden mustache that clashed greatly with his purple and orange suit, brought a monocle to his eye with a flash of purple magic as he picked up one of the gems. He repeated this with each of the more well-known ones, then looked up to her and shook his head while tapping the bundle. “These poor things aren’t worth much more than 50 bits, I’m afraid, dearie.” He paused, looking to them again and squinting his eyes. “...Collectively, I’d say.” He looked back up at her.

“...Well, that’s better than nothin’, I guess. An’ th’ other shinies?” Tora said with a sigh and a shrug.

“One moment, dear,” he said, horn lighting up as he took an opal in his magic. He hummed for a moment, before his eyes widened, and he looked to her. “Where on Equus did you get this, dear? I haven’t seen a gem like this in all my esteemed career!”

“In an ol’ abandoned mine back in Faustralia. Forgot it existed ‘til I sat on th’ pointy-arse geode there jus’ today,” Tora replied smoothly, taking a tentative step forward to look at the opals herself. “Are they valuable?”

“Valuable? My dear, these are undiscovered! I’ve never seen a black opal with this sort of luster, much less this pattern!” He pointed with a hoof to the distinct four-pointed, gold star pattern on the gem. “This pattern shouldn’t be possible!” He gestured to the other ‘opals’ and their own various star-like gold patterns, ranging from five points to six and so on. “The only thing I can think is that you found a new magical crystal! This could be worth…” He opened and closed his mouth multiple times. “...I’m not even sure!”

“...500 per lowest-quality, 5,000 per mid-quality, an’ 10,000 per high-quality shiny. As fer exceptional quality opals...eh, anywhere above 10k will do. But I’m keepin’ th’ geode, so fer all th’ separate ones...altogether, I’d take around, say, 50,000 or so, just t’ be generous an’ not bankrupt ya or anythin’,” Tora stated, only to blink in confusion at the stallion’s balking expression. “Wot? Ain’t 50,000 chump change fer y’ ponies?”

“No! That’s about the amount a noble makes!” the stallion cried.

“...Oh. Well, th’ shinies are still worth that much since they’re ‘undiscovered’ goods an’ all, right?” Tora asked with a smirk, leaning forward on the counter with her tail swishing behind her.

“I-! But you-!” The stallion was, understandably, flabbergasted, looking left and right, as if for help, emerald eyes even seeming to plead for it as if someone would lend him money for this endeavor.

“Tell y’ wot, what’s th’ average diamond or high-end jewelry worth ‘round here? We’ll use that as a baseline value. Deal?” Tora suggested with a raised brow and an amused smirk.

The stallion stared blankly at her, mouth struggling to make words, before he deflated and nodded with a sigh, straightening up his bowtie. “...Very well. Let it not be said Tacky Tim couldn’t handle a little haggling.” Shaking his head, he straightened back up behind his stall. “The typical high end jewel in these parts is about the amount you stated for the mid-end, 5,000 bits. Will that suffice?” He asked, looking a bit exasperated.

“Sure,” Tora nodded, then grabbed the geode and tucked it away as she pointed to the individual opals. “Low-end is 500, an’ you can mark-up the prices to compensate fer th’ bits ya paid for ‘em. So, how many are low, mid an’/or high-end, an’ wot’s the total value of all these?”

Furrowing his golden brows - which were as twirly as his mustache - he picked each one up in his magic and scrutinized them carefully. “Hmm, well,” he put each one down. “There’s no real difference in color, so judging by the other factors, I’d say there are about 3 low-ends, 6 mid-ends, and 5 high-ends. That makes it a total of-”

“81,500 bits, mate!” Tora gave a toothy grin, her enlarged canines on full display as she fist-pumped in victory.

Making what he hoped was a discreet gulp, the stallion nodded. “Y-Yes, quite.” He summoned a handkerchief and dabbed his sweating forehead. “By the by, you found the jewel yourself, do you have a name for it?”

“Anticipite, since I’m anticipatin’ great things from these shinies. An’ now...th’ other ore I found needs t’ be appraised. Or didja ferget that I asked y’ to give ‘em a look, Tacky?~” Tora purred as she drank in his...wait, he wasn’t scared or exasperated. He was giving her a look that said he was confused.

“You mined this, correct?” he asked, pointing to the ore.

“The ore, yes. Th’ gems, I found back in Faustralia, as I said,” Tora said, head tilted in confusion.

“But you mined, it yes? If so, you should know, as one who mines, that assayers appraise ores, not jewelers like myself,” he explained.

“...I didn’t know that, actually. I just assumed that y’ jewelers appraised all things shiny,” Tora replied sheepishly, scratching her chin with her paw.

“There’s an assayer on the western edge of town, if you didn’t already know, dear,” Tacky said, pointing in a generally western direction with his hoof.

“Cheers, mate. First, however, m’ payment fer th’ highly valuable jewelry you’ll be makin’ out of these shinies, eh?” Tora reminded him with a sing-song voice.

Tacky Tim groaned. “Very well, very well,” his horn lit up, summoning a small card and a quill and inkpot. After using the quill to write swiftly and elegantly on the card, he offered it to Tora. “Show this check to the nearest bank, and they’ll withdraw the money from my account for you.”

“Ace!” Tora laughed happily as she took the draft and patted Tacky on the head. “Be seein’ ya, Tacky! Hooroo!~”

With that, Tora strolled out of the shop with a skip in her step.

Tacky took his handkerchief and dabbed daintily at his brow once more, a pained look on his face as he gazed at the gems on his counter. “...I’m going to have to really sell these gems…”

Tora Katt hummed like a little lass as she skipped back to the Scratch residence with a sack of bits hoisted over her shoulder and the ore she’d had appraised still in the pouch she’d originally stuffed them in.

She rapped her knuckles on the door and called out in a joyous sing-song, “Viiiinyl! Octaaaavia!~”

The door eventually opened, and Octavia stood there, smiling. “Hello, Tora. How was the trip?”

Tora took a smaller but still hefty pouch of bits and dropped it at Octavia’s hooves with a content smile on her face, “550 bits as m’ rent fer the month! Got 81,000 more bits from sellin’ the black opals - which I dubbed anticipite - and th’ normal shinies I found.”

Octavia’s face went blank, alternating between gawking at the bag to Tora’s smug, smiling face. “I...Wow, I...I’d no idea those gems were so valuable. I’d never seen them before, certainly, but...this many bits for the whole bunch? That’s…”

“They were ‘undiscovered,’ accordin’ t’ Tacky, so I was able t’ set th’ price!~” Tora giggled, scooping Octavia up into her arms and twirling around in a circle. “Ahhh, this is th’ most dosh I’ve ever had at any single point in m’ life!”

Octavia yelped, but after the first few twirls, managed a smile. “W-Well, I’m glad you’re happy. Would you mind putting me down now, though? I’m getting dizzy.”

The tigress plonked Octavia down after nuzzling her cheek, then walked inside the house, “Don’t ferget th’ biiits!~”

Octavia looked to the bag for a moment, then sighed and smiled, picking it up and placing it on her back. The weight was substantial, but, being an Earth Pony, it wasn’t too bad.

Following after Tora, Octavia soon came up next to her and said, “I suppose you have Durin to thank for showing you those caverns, don’t you?”

“I could kiss th’ bloke fer givin’ me th’ chance ta have a new lease on life! I can live comfortably fer th’ rest of m’ life out here in pony-land!” Tora sighed, her eyes closed and a dopey smile on her muzzle.

Octavia giggled, placing the bits on a table near the couch in the living room, which Tora fell back on. “You almost sound like you mean it.”

“‘Could’ doesn’t mean ‘would,’ silly tiny wingless and hornless pony!” Tora sighed happily, snuggling into the couch like a housecat would.

Octavia rolled her eyes. “I get the feeling you’ll be riding this high for some time.”

“Oooh, th’ next two hours, maybe, can’t be sure, sheila,” the Abyssinian replied, cracking open an eye to regard the cellist.

“She has a good reason to, too,” came Vinyl’s voice from behind the couch. Looking up, the two saw the white unicorn grinning down at them as she leaned over the back of the couch. “Sup? Heard Torry went and got loaded.”

“81,550 bits from th’ anticipite - black opals - an’ I gave ‘Tavia 550 fer m’ rent fer the month!” Tora replied as she leaned her back up and smooched the unicorn’s nose.

Vinyl giggled. “Good to see ya so cheerful, Torry.” She looked to the bags on the Abyssinian’s person and let out a low whistle. “So that’s what 81,000 bits looks like. Buck.”

“There’s prolly...a couple million still back in th’ mine an’ Crystal Cavern, maybe billions all around th’ place,” Tora said with a giddy little laugh as her tail and mane floofed up in excitement.

Vinyl and Octavia looked to each other and grinned. “Well, maybe we’ll join you next time you and Durin go there.”

“Please do! I could use th’ company when I’m with th’ big bloke,” Tora replied as she shifted in place to get more comfortable on the couch.

Vinyl rolled her eyes. “Oh come on, Durin isn’t that bad.”

“Female company, y’ dag,” the tigress chuckled, booping the DJ on her nose. “Bein’ around a bloke is far more awkward than bein’ around a couple o’ sheilas.”

Vinyl scrunched her muzzle up at the poke, and Octavia interjected. “A fair point.” She then added, “So, what about that strange ore? How much was it?”

“Ain’t sellin’ that, since it’s light as a fuckin’ feather an’ tougher than gold or platinum!” Tora said as she pulled the biggest chunk of said ore out of its pouch and tossed it up in the air, the stone flying out of her paw and bouncing off of the ceiling to land back in her hand. “I can make th’ lightest but toughest armor around jus’ fer m’self!”

Vinyl and Octavia blinked.

“Really? That’s pretty rad,” Vinyl mused.

“What is the metal called? Or is it undiscovered too?” Octavia asked.

“Th’ second, an’ I’m callin’ it ‘Angelium’, after th’ folklore of m’ people ‘bout radiant winged beings servin’ a benevolent god,” Tora explained, casually ‘juggling’ the ore in one paw as she talked.

“That’s pretty sweet,” Vinyl said, nodding.

A brief silence passed, and Tora soon noticed the two mares brows were furrowed and their mouths were set in thin lines. Obviously, they were pondering something.

Before Tora could ask, however, Octavia spoke up. “Tora, what do you...think of Durin?” She asked slowly.

Tora blinked at the mare’s question, face contorting in confusion as she spoke, “...He’s a nice bloke, if a bit distant an’ shite. Why do y’ ask?”

Octavia shared a look with Vinyl, before they both looked back to Tora. “We’ve been thinking of...well, trying to thank him, and we were wondering if he told you anything while you were with him in his mine.”

“Though I wouldn’t mind getting rutted by him,” Vinyl began, “I do still wanna take it kinda slow. We don’t know anything about him, after all.” Vinyl shrugged and rested her cheek on her hoof. “I can live with taking meds for it for a while yet.” She shook her head. “But yeah, still gotta repay the big guy somehow, ya know?”

“A’ight, first off, I’m so sorry that y’ have t’ deal with a root rat fer a girlfriend, Octavia,” Tora said to Octavia, ignoring Vinyl’s cry of “Hey! The buck?!” as she continued. “Second, he didn’t mention nothin’ t’ me when were down in th’ mine, so...can’t bloody well help ya there.”

Octavia frowned. “Well, I wouldn’t call Vinyl a...well, we all can assume the meaning, but still, she’s not that bad. Promiscuous yes, but not to a fault. Besides, many mares are like this when in heat.” She gestured to Tora. “Over the three, nearly four weeks you’ve been here, we know you have good control of your own heat, but you need to know not everypony can do as you do so easily.”

“It was a joke, y’ prude,” Tora rolled her eyes at the cellist. “I know that most females in heat are root rats unless they’re in bloody hellish situations or jus’ very fuckin’ focused like I can be. I know you’re sufferin’, too, if th’ damp fur between yer thighs is any indication.”

Octavia blushed, closing her hind legs, and Vinyl laughed. “Ha! She got you good, Tavi!”

Tora donned a smug little smirk with one of her fangs poking out over her lower lips as she nodded, “Mhm, but back t’ th’ matter at ha- er...fuck it, appendage, yer reaction t’ me not knowin’ anythin’ useful?”

“Well, if he didn’t say any of his interests, did he at least hint at anything? Like, did he have a weird reaction to something you said or did at any point?” Vinyl asked.

“...Oh! He likes tits,” Tora nodded sagely. “He always got flustered whenever I mentioned he had t’ pay t’ look at them. Plus, he hates me callin’ ‘im a hairless ape, th’ subject of his race, his homeland, somethin’ called ‘Hardmode’, and th’ subject o’ children. Ah, an’ he said he has a thing fer construction an’ architecture...and cats, apparently.”

The ponies once again looked to each other, brows furrowed. Then, they looked back to Tora. “It almost sounds like he thinks he has to be a gentlemare, along with having…” Octavia paused, trying to find the words.

“A storied past where he lost his kids and his race and was bullied for it?” Vinyl supplied.

“Well, I wouldn’t put it like that, but yes,” Octavia said. She frowned, looking to the floor. “Still, the fact he likes...ahem, mammaries shows he still has interest in females, and his liking of construction shows he has either some experience or general fascination for the field. Cats...well, I’m not sure that’s really telling of anything but wanting comfort.”

“Apparently, on his world, it’s th’ males that act like th’ gentlemares an’ shit,” Tora said...before clapping a hand over her mouth in shock.

Vinyl and Octavia stared at Tora with eyes as large as saucers. “He’s from another world?!” They cried in unison.

Then the tigress slapped a hand over each of their mouths, “Shut th’ fuck up! Ya don’t know who th’ fuck is listenin’! But yes, Durin’s from another world. Might explain his general attitude, at any rate; he is th’ last o’ his kind on this world, because he’s th’ only one on Equus.”

After the tigress removed her paws from their mouths, Vinyl asked the next question. “Okay, but why the buck does that not surprise you? I mean, seriously! He’s from an entirely different world!”

“Them Elements o’ Harmony sheilas do weird shite all th’ time, if’n what I heard was deadset,” Tora pointed out with a raised brow.

“Yes, but still!” Octavia hissed.

Tora scoffed and rolled her eyes, “Is it any weirder than th’ fact that you lot have had three invasions on Canterlot in th’ past...wot, four years an’ yet yer Princesses don’t up security?”

The two made to speak, then stopped short. “Okay, fair point.” Vinyl conceded. She hummed. “Though now that I think about it, him being so exotic really fits now.”

“It does,” Octavia looked to Tora. “How did you find out he was from another world, though? I doubt he’d be forthcoming with that information.”

“He let it slip when I asked about...somethin’, can’t remember wot, exactly, at th’ mo, but yeah,” Tora replied, scratching the back of her head with a paw.

The three fell into a short silence, before Vinyl sighed and hopped off the back of the couch and started to trot past it. “Right, well, me and Tavi have a lot to think about now. We’ll be upstairs.” She stopped by the edge of the couch, looking back at Tora with a grin. “Managed to get some fish from Flutters, so you and me can have some good shit when dinner comes around.”

Tora pounced on Vinyl and licked her face all over with her rough, sandpaper-like tongue, “I loooove ya right now, Vin!”

Vinyl laughed as she pushed Tora away gently. “Alright, alright, enough of that, I got enough licking from Tavi earlier, and I doubt you wanna add.”

Tora froze, then started clawing at her tongue with a disgusted look on her face, retching and heaving all the while.

Vinyl laughed again. “Hahahaha! Oh, oh, that’s good!” She shook her head, then waved Octavia over. “Come on, Tavi, let’s head upstairs.”

Nodding, Octavia followed after her marefriend, and they both disappeared up the stairs.

“...I wish Durin was here fer me t’ complain t’ him about those two,” Tora sighed, getting up from the couch and making her way back to the guest room.

Author's Note

Can anyone guess the reference hidden in this chapter?

15 - Results and Consequences: Results and Consequences

A form walks through the Dark.

It swallows him whole.

He walks onward, torch in hand.

His eyes blaze with baleful green light, like a beast.

Eyes watch from afar.

They pounce.

Steel sings it's tone through flesh and hide, splattering blood on the stones.

Claws rend through the mutant's armor.

He grabs the claws, and rips them off.

His wound heals.

His blade sings through more flesh.

Baleful blue Eyes watch from the Cosmos.

Various ponies were on the streets of Ponyville, the sun shining brightly down on them all as they either went to buy groceries, chat with friends, grab a bite to eat, or what have you.

However, the group currently heading to the market for groceries themselves were met with hushed whispers, wary glances, and many a mutter.

“...Why th’ hell are these drongos still lookin’ at me so weirdly? They should be used t’ me by this point, or maybe they’re all jus’ bloody racists!” Tora asked Vinyl and Octavia with her voice raised and a pointed glare at the townsfolk near the end.

Vinyl shrugged. “Try not to let it bother you, Torry. They just don’t know sexy when they see it.”

“Still haven’t forgiven ya fer tryin’ t’ eat me out near th’ end o’ yer heat,” Tora dryly remarked with a flat stare leveled on the unicorn.

“What? You’re sexy, I was in heat, I’m into mares too...why wouldn’t I go after you?” Vinyl asked.

“An’ I’m straight as a fuckin’ arrow,” Tora replied with narrowed eyes. “I ain’t into sheilas, at all.”

Vinyl shrugged her shoulders again. “A’ight. For what it’s worth, I am sorry I spooked you with the act.”

“Jus’...don’t ever do it again, or I’ll kick ya in th’ gooch,” Tora said warningly, taking a step away from Vinyl as they walked. “With steel-toed boots, too.”

Vinyl winced. “Point taken.”

“Ahem,” Octavia cleared her throat, bringing their attention to her. “Let’s not discuss sexual matters in public, shall we? We’re out here for groceries.”

The tigress grumbled and huffed, “Th’ root rat started it…’s not m’ fault, y’ bloody banjo-player.”

Octavia sent Tora a fierce glare at that, making Tora pointedly look away. “I’m sorry,” Octavia said in both a cold and sing-song tone, coupled with a chilling smile. “What was that, Tora?”

“Uh, yer better than any banjo player could eva be?” Tora said as more of a question than an actual statement.

Octavia nodded primly. “That’s what I thought.” She turned her head to Vinyl. “Vinyl, you have the shopping list, yes?”

Vinyl’s horn flared to life, and a scrap of paper appeared in her grasp. “Right here.”

“Good. You and Tora go get the...meat and its seasonings as well as the rest of the food, and I’ll go get those cupcakes you’ve wanted to try, Tora,” Octavia told them.

“Ah! Y-y’ don’t need t’ get such sweet tucker fer me, Tavi! I, uh...I don’t...mix well with suga, i-if’n I’m being honest,” Tora said sheepishly, a light flush peeking through her fur.

Octavia blinked, and both her and Vinyl stopped to take a look at the tigress.

“But you were saying Pinkie’s cupcakes looked good for the past month you’ve been here. Why would you not want them?” Vinyl asked.

“Y-yeah, well...th’ last time I ate anythin’ sweet, I, uh, I kiiinda...destroyedanancientdigsiteworthhundredsofthousandsofbitsinasugarrush-inducedrampage,” Tora blurted out, covering her face with her paws.

Vinyl and Octavia looked at each other for a brief moment, then back to Tora.

“Are you sure it was sugar? Sounds more like a drug to me,” Vinyl asked.

“I-” Tora paused and looked up in thought...then her back stiffened and her eyes narrowed in absolute fury. “...When I find that ‘Kaiden’ dickhead again, I’m gonna rip ‘is fuckin’ nuts off an’ shove ‘em up ‘is own arse fer drugging me with that sweet roll.”

“So shall I get those cupcakes for you, then?” Octavia asked, trying to divert the Abyssinian’s anger, or at least distract her from it.

“...Sure, but make sure t’ strap me down when I eat ‘em, jus’ in case I do go bonkas, y’know?” Tora said with a shrug of her shoulders and a sheepish smile on her face.

“We’ll keep it in mind,” Vinyl said before they stopped at an intersection in the road. “Well, meat and stuff is this way, so why don’t we split up here?” Vinyl asked Octavia.

The cellist nodded. “Yes, that sounds good.” Smiling she started to walk off to the right, in the direction of Sugarcube Corner. “I’ll see you two soon!” She called back as she walked away.

“A’ight, so, let’s go get us some tucker, eh?” Tora said with a light pat to her toned stomach. “I am gettin’ hungry, after all.”

Vinyl nodded. “Yeah, let’s.” With that, the two made their way down the left street, a comfortable silence falling over them. Though it was made slightly uncomfortable by the looks and mutters of the townsfolk, they still enjoyed the companionable silence to an extent.

“...How th’ fuck d’you stand these drongos’ xenophobia? I woulda taken a knife an’ made ‘em all cark it in their sleep if’n I’d been livin’ in this town fer more than a week,” Tora suddenly asked Vinyl, fixing a glare on the latest pony to give her a look.

“They’ll get used to you, don’t worry,” Vinyl said, waving it off.

“But I won’t get used t’ them staring,” Tora countered with a glare at a stallion that she’d caught looking at her with barely-concealed contempt in his eyes, who flinched and trotted off trying to look as nonplussed as possible...if his tail weren’t between his hindlegs. “‘specially not when some o’ them are absolute dickheads an’ tryin’ t’ hide it.”

“Not what I meant,” Vinyl said, shaking her head. “I meant they’ll get used to you and probably stop staring after a while,”

“I know wot y’ fuckin’ said,” Tora glared at the unicorn mare. “I’m just sayin’ that, at th’ mo, I can’t stand th’ fact that they even feel th’ need t’ stare at me like some kinda freak!”

Vinyl shrugged. “Monsters are popping up all over, and most ponies have never seen an Abyssinian.” She looked to the bone-laden Gabe. “Gabe doesn’t help your case much in their eyes either, I bet.”

“Tch, Gabe is jus’ fine, thank y’ very much! Jus’ plate ‘im in gold an’ they wouldn’t fuckin’ complain!” the tigress protested with an affectionate pat to Gabe’s barrel.

Vinyl rolled her eyes, smiling and bumping her hip into Tora’s leg. “Hey, I never said I had a problem with it. Gabe looks plenty cool to me. ‘Sides,” She shot Tora a smirk. “I’m just saying you’ll have to get used to it. There’s no other way. You just have to take it in stride.”

“Might as well jus’ stay inside an’ veg, since I ain’t gonna put up with this shite,” Tora mumbled, ears flattened in irritation.

“We’ll be fine, Torry,” Vinyl assured. “Just relax.”

“You try t’ be relaxed when y’ can feel dozens of peepers on y’ makin’ ya feel like yer suffocatin’!” Tora spat, swiping at Vinyl’s head.

Vinyl chuckled ducking under the swing. “I’m a DJ, Torry. Being up in front of that many eyes is kinda my thing.” She patted her side. “Come on, we’re almost to the butchery.”

“Still surprised that y’ ponies have a meats place, since you’re all, y’know, herbis,” Tora remarked as she slapped Vinyl’s hoof away.

“And I told you before, we’ve had griffons here enough that we managed to get one,” Vinyl replied, giving Tora an amused look. “You really like repeatin’ yourself or somethin’ Torry?” Vinyl teased.

“I can claw your ears an’ take a notch or two out of ‘em, if’n ya’d like,” Tora said all-too-sweetly, claws audibly unsheathing.

Vinyl laughed. “Alright, alright.” She sped up, gesturing for Tora to do the same. “Come on! I wanna see if the fishery got any good fish after we get you your meat!”

“...Yer lucky that y’ like meat like me, ya dag,” Tora huffed with her arms crossed over her chest. “Jus’ lead th’ way, y’ dumb tiny equine.”

“Love you too!” Vinyl shot back, still grinning.

“Fuck off,” Tora shoved the DJ with a scowl that completely failed to get anywhere near her eyes.

Vinyl only laughed, and they kept going along the street. Soon enough, they reached the butchery, which most ponies, Tora noted, were avoiding like a naked man on the street with a sign saying ‘Love yourself.’ Sausages, ham, chicken legs and many deluxe and prime cut meats were on display on the store’s front, with many windows behind it and above it, with the ones behind the display only, well, displaying, more. The white stucco and wooden frames gave the entire building a very old style, gothic feel.

A small sign stuck out from above the door with the words, ‘Curtis Butchery’ on it.

“Still as beautiful as th’ first time I saw it,” Tora breathed, eyes glittering and mouth drooling as she took in the sight of all of the wonderful, delicious meat.

Vinyl rolled her eyes. “I guess. Could use more chrome if you ask me. I’ll be out here. Much as I don’t mind meat, fish is more my thing.”

“Fuckin’ wimp,” Tora rolled her eyes, but nonetheless walked in with a content sigh as the scent of dozens of different kinds of meat flooded her nose. “Aaahh...afternoon, Curtis!”

“Afternoon, Tora,” greets the burly Griffon from across the room. Many more displays of meat line the shop, from glass cases to racks. The Griffon in question, with the head of a raven and body of a lion, stands behind the counter as always, muscles almost as imposing as a Minotaur’s. He looks her over. “Where’s that armor of yours? You seemed so attached before.”

“Th’ new digs? Yeah, had t’ put ‘em away cuz th’ drongos out there was getting all skittish an’ shite ‘bout me wearin’ some beastie’s flayed and tanned hide,” Tora shrugged, tugging at the collar of her simple mesh top that covered her chest bindings and fur.

“Ponies always have been a skittish species,” Curtis shrugged. “Here for your groceries? We have some new meats thanks to monster hunters like you.” He gestured with a claw to a familiar, greyish red meat, one Tora had back at Durin’s home.

Tora’s eyes glistened in delight as she just managed to restrain herself from pressing her face against the main display case in favor of merely drinking in the sight of the succulent meat, “Ooooh, it looks so fuckin’ ace! How much dosh does it cost?”

“One hundred twenty-eight bits,” he answered automatically, brown eyes looking at her in amusement. “For one hundred grams, that is.”

Tora reached for her coin pouch and dug around in it, eventually fishing out twenty-four five-bit coins and three regular bits and placing them on the counter, “There, now gimme, please!”

Curtis chuckled. “Alright, alright.” Walking over to that end of the counter, he unlocked the case and pulled out one hundred grams of the new monster meat, bagging it up and handing it to her. “Don’t eat it all in one day.” He said with a smirk on his beak.

She politely snatched it from his claws with a giddy little meow-like giggle, “Oooh, I’m gonna enjoy diggin’ into this tucker! Thanks, mate! Now, time fer th’ usual.”

She was already fishing the required payment out of her pouch as she spoke.

Curtis chuckled once more. “You almost forgot about the usual, didn’t you?” He teased, walking around the counter and grabbing the assorted meats she usually got.

“Neva, mate,” Tora swiftly denied his accusation, placing the last bit on the counter. “I put in an extra bit just fer th’ excellent service, birdie.”

Curtis only grinned as he placed the meat on the counter and bagged them up. “My wife and I appreciate it, kitty.”

“Eh, fuck ya, too, y’ dag,” Tora shot back, taking the bag of meat and carefully hoisting it over her shoulder. “Hope th’ ankle-biter comes out an angel.”

“Same here,” Cutris replied, smiling. “I’ll make sure to tell the wife you wished us well.” He waved a talon. “See you later, Tora.”

“Try not t’ let th’ missus break yer pelvis due to th’ hormones!” the tigress waved goodbye to him over her shoulder as she left the butchery in a rather good mood.

When she did exit, her ears twitched as she caught a very...interesting, conversation.

“Why didn’t you tell me sooner, V?” came a stallion’s voice.

“It was a last minute decision, dude, you know how I and Tavi get,” Vinyl’s voice replied.

“You were gone for four days, right before we had a co-op!” the stallion pressed. Tora turned her view to the left and found a grayish blue stallion with a wild black mane and shades talking to Vinyl. Even with the shades, Tora could see the concern in his eyes.

He frowned, taking his shades off with his magic and looking Vinyl in the eyes. “I only just got back, and you’re here. I was worried as Tartarus!”

“Dude, chill!” Vinyl gestured to herself. “I’m fine! Don’t be a drag!”

“Uh, hey, Vin,” Tora hesitantly cut in, walking up to her DJ friend with a glance at the stallion. “Who, uh...who’s the bloke?”

Said bloke blinked, looking Tora over. “An Abyssinian?” He looked to Vinyl. “Do you know her?”

Vinyl sighed, facehoofing. “Yes, she’s living with me and Tavi now. It’s a long story, dude.”

“Tavi an’ I, Vin. Proper grammar is only a good thing t’ have,” Tora corrected the DJ with a playful smirk.

“Buck off, Tora,” Vinyl snapped, before looking back to the stallion. “Look, Neon, everything’s fine, and I’m kinda busy getting groceries right now. Can we please hold off on all this?”

“Not until I get an explanation, no,” the stallion shot back, frowning.

“Oh my Celestia, I just told you I’m busy!” Vinyl growled.

“I think I deserve at least a small explanation, V!” Neon countered, pushing his muzzle to hers.

She pushed right back. “And I said later!”

A thunderous boom from off to the side silenced the two’s arguing - as well as anyone else’s conversations in a solid kilometer radius.

“A’ight, so,” Tora breathed out in exasperation, one hand keeping Gabe aimed at the sky while the other pinched the bridge of her nose. “How’s about we not get physical an’ have a burl when I can tell th’ bloke that y’ wanted me t’ show ya ‘round Whitetail with Octavia, since y’ were worried about beasties attackin’ y’ two on yer little romantic moonlit getaway, hmm?”

Vinyl, whose ears were pinned to her head, frowned, and almost made to retort, but stopped short and sighed, giving a small smile to Tora. “Thanks, Tora.”

“So...you guys hired...Tora, right?” Neon began, then looked to the feline for confirmation.

“Yeah, Tora Katt. Pleased t’ meetcha, Neo,” Tora gave the stallion a little nod in affirmation.

He nodded. “Right, right, same.” He looked to Vinyl, who was sitting across from him with Tora. “So you hired her to protect you and Tavi out in Whitetail, and then…?”

“We got caught in a cave and had to hide out for two days or so. Were too many monsters,” Vinyl shrugged, like it was all no big deal.

“That, an’ they was havin’ a naughty whenever I wasn’t around,” Tora ‘helpfully’ supplied. “It’s kinda why she didn’t wanna explain herself t’ ya, mate. She don’t pry int’ your sex life, now does she?”

Neon rolled his eyes. “You kiddin’? She asks me how many mares I rutt each time I’m in town.”

“...I am so vindicated in callin’ ya a root rat, Vin,” Tora gave Vinyl a flat stare, slowly shaking her head in disappointment.

Vinyl sighed, resting a cheek on her hoof. “Neon used to help me with my heats, and we had a thing for each other once, but, well…”

“We decided to stay friends,” Neon finished. “I have a herd to take care of now, too, so I can’t really just go and rutt Vinyl when she needs it like we used to.” He sighed, rubbing his forehead with a hoof. “Still, you should have just told me in advance you had plans with Tavi.”

“They’d approached me less than a minute after I got off th’ train from Canterlot, so they apparently had decided t’ go on a fuckin’ whim. Th’ thought o’ tellin’ ya they was gonna go off an’ fuck like bunnies prolly slipped their minds,” Tora shrugged, hiking her legs up on the table.

Neon sighed again, looking up at Vinyl. “I really wish you’d told me all this beforehoof.”

“Sorry, okay? It slipped my mind,” Vinyl retorted, laying back in her seat.

Then, Tora blinked twice, as if only just realizing something, “Wait a fuck, y’ have a harem, Neo?”

“We call ‘em herds, but yeah, I do,” He quirked a brow at the tigress. “Why?”

“Jus’...surprised that th’ rumors I heard back in th’ Lucky Country were deadset. Plus, it’s...kinda weird, considerin’ m’ people mate fer life with one partner. Culture clash, I guess,” Tora replied, looking away from the stallion awkwardly.

“I forgot that some of the other species do that,” Vinyl said, humming. “Come to think of it, it’s only us and the Dragons who herd or hoard.”

“Some Minos do it, ‘s why I called it a ‘harem’, cuz...that’s wot they call it,” Tora replied with a small shrug. “But yeah, we mate fer life, an’ anyone who tries t’ make a move on our mates gets clawed or worse.”

“Huh,” Neon and Vinyl uttered.

“Didn’t know that,” Neon finished.

“A-anyways, we got th’ misunderstandin’ all cleared up, now?” Tora quickly changed the subject. “Cuz I can still get Gabe out an’-”

“Nope!” Neon replied hurriedly, waving his hooves.

“Y-Yeah, I think we’re good, Tora,” Vinyl added, putting a hoof on Tora’s paw, which had reached for Gabe. “No need to pull him out, we’re good.” She looked to Neon. “Right, Neon?”

“T-Totally!” Neon nodded vigorously.

“Ace! So, back t’ gettin’ tucker, eh, Vin?” Tora said with a gesture to the bagged meat she’d set on the table...which was in the sun and heat, which was a big no-no for raw, uncooked meat.

Vinyl seemed to notice this. “Uhh...Torry? How long has your meat been in the sun like that?” The mare asked, looking away from the meat to the tigress.

“...FUCK!” Tora abruptly yelled as she snatched her meat up and turned to face the direction the Scratch residence was in, looking over her shoulder at the two ponies. “I’ll see y’ later, Vin! Gotta gets th’ meats t’ the freezer!”

With that, the tigress ran as fast as her feline legs could carry her back home with her meat in tow.

Vinyl sighed, shaking her head. “Freakin’ clutz.”

“You’re one to talk,” Neon shot back, smirking at her.

“Buck off, Neon.”

I slammed my hand down on the lever nearby, sighing in relief only when the mine’s door closed with a solid thunk of stone on tin. Running a hand down my face, I could only groan as I felt the toll of the past few weeks hit me.

While I had finally gotten a break in terms of acquiring gold and platinum and silver, the same couldn’t be said for my attempts to stay hidden. From what I recalled, more than twenty-five times this week alone I’d almost gotten caught on my above-ground excursions to try and locate certain dungeons or structures. Monster activity in the mines had hiked up too, on top of a few search parties that had stumbled into some of my shafts, forcing me to block off at least seven of them.

I pinched the bridge of my nose. “I’m starting to think Tora gave them too much info…” I’d have to ask her next time I saw her. I didn’t look forward to it. She’d seemed to genuinely want to help, so I didn’t want to think she’d betrayed me, but the more I thought about it, the more I realised she didn’t really have any obligations to me other than me saving her life a few times.

Letting out a deep sigh, I walked to my storeroom to drop off my haul. “With any luck things’ll go better for me soon…”

Things were...well, better wasn’t right, but neither was bad. Either way, Tora was uncertain as could be. In front of her was a positively massive cake. A frilly one, with pink and white and gold frosting. It wasn’t layered, though. No, it was simply one large, circular slab of cake.

Tora could swear it hadn’t been in the living room of Vinyl and Octavia’s home when she left. But, it was most certainly blocking her way to the kitchen to put the meat away. That, and the candles were quite close to being fire hazards.

“...A’ight, whoever left th’ cake here like a creeper! I’m gonna go around th’ cake and put m’ meats in th’ fridge. Y’ pop up outta nowhere or even outta th’ cake, an’ I’m liable t’ react with a crossbow bolt t’ yer head on reflex!” Tora loudly announced, tightening her grip on the meat bags as she wiggled her lower half and tensed up for a leap over the cake.

Tora did not expect the cake to suddenly move. Nor did she expect to see it vibrate. Or blow raspberries, for that matter. Either way, it was moving slowly towards her. Almost as if it wouldn’t let her go without eating it.

“Y’ wanna smell rotting meat of all kinds? If not, then get th’ fuck outta th’ damn way. I’m not gonna eat a fuckin’ high-sugar cake an’ have a sugar rush or get diabetes,” Tora said sternly, chuffing as she tapped a paw impatiently on the floor.

“Sorry Torry!” a somewhat familiar bubbly voice said from behind her. Tora whirled around, claws unsheathed as her instincts took over with the intent to blind or fillet whoever thought it was a good idea to sneak up on and surprise a tigress.

Who she saw was the party pony herself, Pinkie Pie, all smiles as usual. “Fluffle was really insistent that I bake a cake around her, and she can’t get out. Asked me to put her in here, too. She uh…” Pinkie rubbed her neck. “Kiiinda needs help getting out, but…” Raspberries issued from the cake. “...She wants you to eat her out.” Pinkie blinked. “Huh, that came out dirtier than I thought.” She shrugged. “Ah well.”

Tora stared at Pinkie, then glanced back at the Fluffle-cake, and back at Pinkie, “...This was a bad idea, on multiple levels.”

Then, Tora went back the way she came, intent on going in through a window that led to the kitchen rather than risk becoming a diabetic.

Pinkie looked to the Fluffle-cake. “I think you just got rejected, Fluffle.”

Fluffle-cake, in response, seemed to slowly moisten.

It was a sad day for many when the house nearly flooded from the action.

16 - Intermission: Within The White (Edited...again)

Author's Note

EDIT: Fixed a part where I forgot to mention a major plot point.

EDIT: Fixed some errors that I really should've noticed before now. Also added the song for the music box like I was supposed to.

Well, here it is, finally. Sorry for all the delays, everyone. My interview just kinda swamped me with shtuff to do. I'm also deeply sorry if I get any of the information about leveling up and spending ability points in the Witcher 3 wrong. I've never gotten the chance to play the Witcher 3, you see, so I've had to go off what I can get from the wikis.

Hopefully it all makes sense still!

Anyway, enjoy the chapter!

16 - Intermission: Within The White (Edited...again)

A form walks through the Dark.

It swallows him whole.

He walks onward, torch in hand.

His eyes blaze with baleful green light, like a beast.

Eyes watch from afar.

They pounce.

Steel sings it's tone through flesh and hide, splattering blood on the stones.

Claws rend through the mutant's armor.

He grabs the claws, and rips them off.

His wound heals.

His blade sings through more flesh.

Baleful blue Eyes watch from the Cosmos.

‘I really hope I find something worthwhile this trip…’

Slicing a low-hanging branch out of my way, I pushed on through the brush of the woods I’d been calling home for the past two and a half months. My thoughts were currently like a bored kid in a store, wandering about despite the fact I was currently having what most kids would consider an adventure.

‘I’ve gotten a lot more platinum and gold and silver, so that’s a plus, I guess.’ I mused, pushing some brush out of the way. ‘Gonna need more potions for the hellevator, though. A lot more. Ammunition, too.’ I sighed after stepping over a log. ‘It’s a good thing the search teams that were in the mines have fucked off. Though I don’t think I should venture into those areas for a while yet still.’

My body went sort of on autopilot for a while after that, thoughts roaming towards the subject of the girls. ‘It’s been nearly two and a half months since I got here now, and it hasn’t really gotten much less lonely. Hell, I’ve even started a fucking journal.’ I sighed, willing my golden axe into my hand and cutting a tree branch too big for my sword down. ‘Tora, Vinyl and Octavia are really the only interaction I’ve had.’ I frowned. ‘Only solace, too, if I’m being honest with myself.’ I grunted. ‘Even if they can be annoying.’

I let my thoughts wander for a while longer, even as I spotted some herbs and plants that would be good for potions and went about picking them. ‘...I hope they’re doing well. With any luck Tora’s sold some of the stuff we found in the mines to sustain herself.’ I shook my head, plucking some Hellebore Petals and some Cortinarius mushrooms. ‘No, I’m sure she’s fine. She seemed pretty smart, and plenty tough. Only real concern is Vinyl.’ I let a smile crack my lips. ‘Octavia at least is smart enough to pull back, but that unicorn just charges right through any problem she finds.’ I sighed, sending the Petals and mushrooms to my Inventory before continuing on my way.

That was when I stumbled on my biggest discovery this whole trip. Snow white silk covered trees for miles on end, looking almost like giant spiders had made nest in a portion of the forest. Sunlight poured through where it could, showering the trees in such a way that it made the strands of white sparkle like they were strands of diamonds instead of silk. An abandoned shack lay at the far end of it all, covered in overgrowth and silk webs.

And among them all were hundreds if not thousands of silkworms, all in different stages of their lives.

“This...This is awesome!” I cheered, a massive grin slapping onto my face. If I took control of this place, I could have a solid and reliable source of silk! I could make more beds, more furniture, the Ancient set, banners, even the Obsidian Silk set once I got the necessary obsidian! Hell, I could finally make Molotovs! I pumped a fist in victory. “Yes! Fuck yes!” I cheered to myself a few more times before a sudden, new revelation hit me. ‘If I take control of this place, that’s one more place to have to clear monsters from…’ I frowned, lowering my fist and starting to think more deeply. ‘I might have to make a tunnel dedicated to running towards here.’ I looked to the shack. ‘Might have to redo that whole building, too, seal it off from the surface.’ My frown deepened, before I shook my head.

“I’ll worry about that soon enough. First, though, I should check that shack for anything valuable,” I reasoned to myself, before trudging over to the shack.

The door was broken, but hadn’t fallen completely to pieces, so I gave it a nudge on it’s way, collapsing it completely. Sadly, that tossed up a torrent of dust, and I had to wave it away as I coughed. “Okay, bad move there, Durin,” I told myself, coughing a few more times before walking inside.

Everything seemed fairly typical for a silkworm farm, just a bunch of cubbies and shelves full of old silken cocoons, though a lot of the shelves were rotting and had collapsed. I grunted at this. Another thing to fix later, I guess.

Further down the small hallway was a number of old troughs with what I imagined were where the worms originally fed on mulberry leaves. I glanced out of the windows to see a number of worms munching on the leaves of...whatever kind of trees were outside. They certainly didn’t look like mulberries to me, so I don’t know where the old farmers got the leaves...if they even fed them mulberry. I frowned, realizing that in this world it was definitely possible for little things like the preferred foods of silkworms to be different, and soon after realizing again that I wasn’t home anymore.

I shook my head to clear my thoughts before they turned any more somber, then looked to the back of the shack, and walked over. There, I found a trapdoor, which I opened to find a ladder which led down into a basement. Raising a brow, I climbed down the ladder and found something particularly strange.

The room was all made of old, mossy cobblestone, and basically devoid of, well, anything, save for a golden chest at the end of the room and a single, solitary pony skeleton, a small box in it’s hoof.

Walking over to the skeleton, I frowned. “...May you rest in peace.” I uttered, before looking to the box. I made to reach for it, then stopped and looked up at the skeleton, as if asking it if it was okay to take the box. Slowly, however, I took it, and opened it up to find a music box mechanism, and a very familiar song which soon began to play.

The song brought back many memories...painful, memories, now. Gritting my teeth, I furiously wiped at the single tear that ran down my cheek before stowing the box in my Inventory. “...I promise, guys...I’ll find a way to see you all again…”

Taking a deep, shuddering breath, I looked to the chest, walked over, and opened it. My eyes swiftly widened as I saw what was inside it.

A unique hammer, a schematic for something called, ‘Hero Runes’ and a fucking vial with a Red Mutagen. Pulling the hammer out and into my hand, I read it’s name aloud.

“Silken Hook Hammer?” I looked to the heavy silk rope, and the hook attached to it, then back to the gilded, white hammer. “Huh. Lives up to its name, at least.” Sending it to my Inventory as well and pocketing the schematic for when I got home, I picked up the Red Mutagen and immediately saw a screen pop up in my vision, different from the typical Terraria ones.

It was the Abilities/Character Screen from the Witcher 3. Most of it was black, though the edges were lined in blue vines. Four columns of three square slots covered one side of the screen, with four diamond slots to the side of each. I recognized the columns as being for abilities, and the solitary diamond slots as being for mutagens. Oddly enough, instead of five, there was six, with one being filled with a mutagen simply labeled, '??????? Mutagen.' I shook my head at that. Something to ponder later.

To the left of the screen was the four tabs of different skill lists/trees. Red for Combat, blue for Signs, green for Alchemy, and brown for General. I glanced to the upper-rightmost corner and gawked. “I’m at level 26?!”

I quickly looked to the tabs, and started to feel giddy. Naturally, I went for the balanced approach to be safest, putting four points in the Muscle Memory skill to increase my fast attack damage and my adrenaline point gain, along with two more into Strength Training to increase my strong attack damage.

Dragging my finger over to the Signs tab, I looked to the Quen Sign and put three points each into both Exploding Shield and Melt Armor, to make my Quen shield push anyone back when it breaks along with doing damage and knockback, and to make my Igni permanently weaken armor by, well, melting it.

I then opened the Alchemy tab and instantly put five points into Heightened Tolerance to increase my overdose threshold by 25% as well as the duration of my potions by 25%, followed by putting one point into Poisoned Blades to let my oils have a chance of poisoning whatever my blades hit.

Finally, I decided to put the next four points into the General section, increasing all kinds of things, and saved the other four points for later.

After that, I put everything in their slots, and finally the mutagen. As soon as a I closed the screen, however, I screamed. My blood and veins felt like they were on fire. EVERYTHING did. Collapsing hard to the floor, I thrashed, feeling my whole body shift, and despite how small each shift was, they happened everywhere, and painfully so. My muscles were what shifted the most, and I was easily able to feel them fucking pulsate as they changed.

Finally, after what felt like hours of pain and torture, the changes ended, and I groaned as I slowly, painfully sat up.

“Fuuuck…” I groaned again. “Note to self, Witcher 3 Ability Screen changes cause immense bodily pain.” Shaking myself, I stood up, only for new text to appear in my vision.

The realm has become more treacherous…

I felt my heart stop dead for a moment at that, and even felt all the blood retreat from my face.

“...FUCK!”

17 - A Terrible Night: The Blood Moon Rises (Edited)

A form walks through the Dark.

It swallows him whole.

He walks onward, torch in hand.

His eyes blaze with baleful green light, like a beast.

Eyes watch from afar.

They pounce.

Steel sings it's tone through flesh and hide, splattering blood on the stones.

Claws rend through the mutant's armor.

He grabs the claws, and rips them off.

His wound heals.

His blade sings through more flesh.

Baleful blue Eyes watch from the Cosmos.

Tora awoke to the sound of banging all throughout the house. This was accompanied by screams of horror, pain, and terror, and followed by familiar groaning and more. An eerie, bloody red glow fell through the window above her bed, almost as if foretelling of the mortal ichor that was to be spilled.

She immediately grabbed Gabe and all of her other gear, throwing everything on as fast as possible before checking on her two hosts, “VINYL! OCTAVIA! WHERE TH’ FUCK ARE Y’ SHEILAS?!”

Her response was the not-so-distant sound of glass breaking upstairs, followed by screams; Vinyl’s and Octavia’s.

The Abyssinian rushed upstairs and kicked in the door to the mares’ shared bedroom, Gabe already aimed forward. What she saw was a monster in the truest sense of the word, a writhing mass of floating, bloody flesh and eyeballs, hovering over Vinyl and Octavia’s huddled and shivering forms.

A bolt found itself lodged in one of the monstrosity’s eyes, followed by a bullet that passed through its center-mass, “GET TH’ FUCK AWAY FROM TH’ SHEILAS, Y’ DICKHEAD!”

The vermin lit up in poisonous green flames, letting out a warbling, almost choking cry before falling to the floor, weeping more blood than it should have held onto the floorboards.

Another bolt was fired into its body as Tora pounced on it and stabbed it with the Tungsten Shortsword Durin had given her, “Just fuckin’ cark it, y’ ugly fuck!”

Another, final cry was all it gave, before falling silent as it’s body dissolved into naught but blood, leaving behind a bloody Sharktooth Necklace.

Glaring warily at it, she ultimately grabbed it and stuffed it in one of her pouches as she looked over at her two friends, “Are y’ two doing apples?” The two slowly nodded, however neither let go of one another.

“J-Just...what the buck was that thing?” Octavia asked shakily.

“No clue, but y’ might wanna barricade th’ damn windows an’ doors, mates. Where there’s one beastie, there’s bound t’ be more of ‘em,” Tora replied as she looked out of the shattered window.

What she saw made her eyes widen. The sky was bathed a blood red by the light of a blood red moon, and hundreds upon hundreds of zombies and monsters of many kinds, all roaming about freely in the night. She saw some monsters that she’d not seen before as well, such as zombies that looked to be covered head to toe in bloody, tattered flesh, pale, skinny creatures that moved very quick on all fours, zombie-like creatures that were covered in pus and rot and bloats and blisters, creatures similar to Grave Hags, only with comically pointed and sharp noses and much more fat, and finally, very strange, bat like, bipedal creatures with low hanging white beards, pale red flesh, and overall fitting the description of a bat that was mixed with...whatever Durin truly was.

“...Holy dooley,” Tora whispered in stunned horror. “There’s hundreds o’ th’ damned beasties…more than I can have a burl with alone…”

It was then she turned her gaze towards town, and noticed the scattered Guards trying and failing to secure Ponyville. A number of magical explosions boomed here and there in the distance, likely from unicorns.

“Tavi, Vin, if’n anyone not a beastie comes here in search o’ shelter, let ‘em in like good sheilas until th’ coast is clear,” Tora said as she topped off Gabe’s internal magazine and started making her way down to the entrance of the house.

“W-Wait, Tora, you can’t-!” Vinyl called, but a glare from Tora as the tigress cleared the doorway convinced her not to protest.

“Don’t fuckin’ argue with me now, Vin. There are people out there who need help, an’ th’ Guards ain’t doin’ fuck-all t’ make a dent in th’ beasties’ numbers. ‘Sides, this is m’ profession, so I might as well,” Tora told the unicorn firmly, holding the mare’s gaze for another few seconds before breaking eye contact and resuming her trek down to the entrance.

Thankfully, she didn’t receive any further argument as she closed the door and walked downstairs and outside. When she did, almost immediately a dozen monsters looked to her and started to come for her. Some of them were zombie ponies she’d fought ever since she’d come to Equestria, shambling slowly, but the pale ones were different, moving quickly and almost desperately toward her.

A different beast altogether was the first to reach her, the pus, blister and bloat ridden thing making to swipe at her head.

A swift duck followed by an uppercut with unsheathed claws to the throat and chin was Tora’s eloquent retort to the beast’s rude greeting, with a bolt shot into its chin for good measure before she leapt backwards to gain some distance.

Unpredictably, it was a good move, as the beast started to bloat up with rot and pus, before exploding with that very pus, as well as blood and entrails and organs.

Her sensitive nose crinkled in disgust at the acrid stench that its death left behind, and she had to bite back the bile that threatened to come back up her throat.

She had little time to think anymore on that, however, as three regular zombies made it to her, all three making to grab her so as to bite and eat her.

Using her natural gifts, she jumped into the air and somersaulted behind them, then used her shortsword to make a trio of quick jabs at the back of their skulls.

With low moans of pain, they all fell forward, dead as they looked. Sadly, Tora still had little reprieve, as one of the pale creatures jumped on her, knocking her to the ground.

With an angry yowl, she clawed at the creature’s face and throat while she tensed her muscles to throw it off. It screeched in an unholy manner, lurching back in pain and clutching it’s throat with one hand and it’s face with another.

Taking advantage of its lapse in focus, she stabbed her carving knife into its neck and twisted, then yanked the blade out and kicked it off of her as she scrambled to her feet.

Once again, she was tackled, this time by another ghoulish pale creature, who seemed to want to avenge it’s fallen brother as it snapped it’s jaws in her face, the tigress barely keeping it at bay with her paws.

In response, she grabbed its jaws and started prying them apart past their normal range of movement, flesh tearing and ichor weeping from its mouth as her adrenaline-fueled muscles ripped its jaws apart.

It screeched and screamed and yelped as she did this, but in time, it’s jaws were ripped apart, and it fell limply onto her, dead from the shock of the pain.

Snarling, she grabbed its corpse by the throat and chucked it at the nearest monster with all her strength.

Surprisingly, the creature she tossed the body to jumped out of the way nimbly. It was then she noted this one was different; it was bigger, and had splotches of black in it’s skin, along with more muscles, sharper and longer claws and teeth, and bits of fur and spines. It’s black eyes gleamed with a fiendish intelligence. This was not a beast that would be felled easily, she quickly reasoned.

“Well, c’mon then, y’ drongo! Come at me and have a burl! I’m right here, fuck-face!” Tora taunted the monster as she brought Gabe to bear with her teeth bared in a snarl, standing up straight.

The ghoulish cretin eyed her up, then let out an absolutely piercing scream, making Tora’s ears ring from the action.

“MIND PIPING DOWN Y’ ASSHAT?! AIN’T SPORTIN’ OF YA T’ CHEAT!” Tora yelled past the possible onset of tinnitus in her ears.

Before she could fully recover, it pounced towards her, claws outstretched to rip her to shreds and teeth bared to bite into her flesh.

One sidestepping jump and she was out of the immediate path of its pounce, and she took the opportunity to fire both a poisoned-incendiary bolt and round into the back of its head.

Thankfully, this ended the fight, it’s head exploding into bloody giblets as its body fell limp to the ground. It evidently did not expect such a powerful retort from her weapon.

“Not so smart now, are ya, y’ cactus fuck!” Tora snorted and turned away from the corpse to run off in pursuit of more monsters to kill and, potentially, idiotic ponies to save.

As she made it into the town, she saw many pony corpses already littering the streets. Most she realized had been the corpses of some she knew from her time in the town. Some were just others she’d not talked to. More were Guards. All of them were being eaten by most of the monsters.

Shaking her head, she climbed onto the nearest roof and began to set the whole swarm - living, (un)dead and dead townsfolk alike - ablaze from afar with bolt after bolt and bullet after bullet.

After what seemed like the fiftieth headshot, she heard a bat-like screech, and suddenly something lashed it’s claws along her back, easily drawing deep wounds into it.

She whirled around and smacked it with the butt of Gabe’s stock, gritting her teeth at the pain and prospect of bleeding out or the wounds getting infected. This, thankfully, stunned it long enough for Tora to stagger back and get a look at her assailant. Predictably, it was one of the bat-like creatures, and it was rubbing its snout. Shaking its head and snarling at her, it brandished its claws and screeched at her again.

She lashed out and grabbed its jaws, then jerked them in opposite directions. This, sadly, did not work, and it grabbed her wrists and squeezed tightly, screeching in her face.

“FUCK!” Tora cursed - not at the pain of having her wrists clamped down on or the screeching right in her ears, but more because the fucker’s breath reeked.

However, from out of nowhere, a large figure suddenly crashed into the creature, shouting “HUG!” and creating a good-sized hole in the side of the building.

The sheer audacity of the situation did not settle in, even after the new creature tried and failed to nuzzle what was left of the bat-like creature in its arms. It only settled in when the roof of the building partially collapsed a tad more.

“Th’ fuck?!” Tora finally exclaimed at both the new arrival’s sudden entrance and its sheer size. The larger figure looked at it's stained self in confusion, wondering where the one it was trying to hug went.

It was, by all accounts, a massive figure. Made of solid rock and sediment and soil, with errant roots about and throughout it’s form and grass on it’s back, it could only be described as some form of giant - by Tora’s guess, anyways. It had piercing, solid glowing gold eyes that seemed to be genuinely confused at what had happened.

Tora decided that it would be prudent to get away and out of sight before the giant lug decided to ‘hug’ her like it did the meat slurry that had been holding her wrists a few seconds earlier. Keeping her eyes locked on the massive creature, she slowly stepped away from the giant on her tip-toes.

Unfortunately, the movement drew its attention. "Hug!" It exclaims, starting towards her.

“YOU’LL KILL ME!” Tora shouted as she brought her arms up in a futile attempt to protect herself from her impending crushing doom.

It actually stopped at that, thankfully. "What kill?" It asked, the giant tilting its small, hunched head like a confused child, arms still outstretched.

Tora paused, lowering her arms and looking to the creature slowly. “...Kill mean not living. I living, you living, that...was living. Once killed, never living again,” Tora said, speaking slowly and simply so that it would (hopefully) understand. “You too big and strong. Your hug too strong, an’ it kill small things like me or that. Kill me means y’ never get t’ hug me again.”

The giant gasped as if this was the most horrible thing in the world to it. "No hugs is bad!" It said. It seemed to think for a moment before, more slowly and gently, attempting to hug the tigress again.

“Hug good, yes, but not when hug is so strong it kill! Gentle hug is good, ‘too excited’ hug with big jump like hug y’ gave that can easily kill. Just...hug soft, big guy. Soooft, like...like warm breeze on a warm, sunny day,” Tora hastily explained further. “I show how hug soft for small ‘friends’ like me. Okay?”

"Okay!" The giant happily agreed. The giant copied what she hesitantly showed him, and went for a gentle hug.

“S-see? Gentle hug nice, yeah? See how gentle hug not hurt me?” Tora asked nervously, hoping that he wouldn’t forget to moderate his strength and snap her spine as she cautiously hugged back.

Sadly, the touching moment was cut short when one of the flying blood and eye sacs spat a wad of blood into the giant’s eye.

The giant roared in pain and reflexively dropped the tigress - who let out a startled yowl in response to being dropped so abruptly, as well as the big guy’s deafening roar ringing in her ears. Turning to the blood sac as he clutched his eye, the giant took a couple lumbering steps forward and swatted at it.

Naturally, with the difference in size and strength, the blood sac became a blood splat, and Tora could only stare at how easily the giant had done so.

‘Holy dooley, am I fuckin’ glad I’m on his damn side,’ Tora thought to herself with a nervous gulp and glance at the giant. “So, uh...what’s your name, y’ big bloke?”

The troll tilted its head, looking to her. It seemed confused, not understanding what a ‘name’ even was. It even scratched its head in its confusion. Oddly flexible, for a pile of rocks.

“...What d’ y’ call y’self, mate? I call m’self ‘Tora’, an’ that’s m’ name,” Tora explained to the living stone giant with a muted sigh.

"Do not call self, self is right here," The giant said simply, tilting its head further.

Tora sighed again, “A’ight, a ‘name’ is somethin’ that people use t’ identify themselves - ‘identify’ means ‘see who or what someone is.’ I identify as/call/name m’self ‘Tora’. Wot ‘bout you?”

The troll held its head and groaned, the sound not unlike the tumbling of rocks down a mountain. It seemed the long explanation only served to give it a headache.

“Ugh,” Tora placed a paw on her head, before looking back up at the giant. “Name is word for self, one unique to self. Others use name to call to someone, easier that way. ‘Tora’ is my name, so others call me ‘Tora.’ Do you have name?” The giant shook its head no. “Hmm...Abe, then. Uh, is shortened name of ‘Abiyoyo,’ a mon- giant from my people’s stories.”

"Okay! Self is Abe!" The giant happily stated. So now he gets it- wait, was he messing with her?

“...Were you joking with me?” Tora asked, internally preparing to be very much not amused if he answers ‘yes’. He just stared at her innocently. It was hard to judge a literal rock-head’s expressions. “If y’ were, then I’m gonna just walk away.”

"What joke?" It finally asked, looking like it had just gotten done processing what she said.

Tora, blinked, then sighed and shook her head. “Nevermind, yer jus’, uh...slow, I guess. A-a-anyways! C’mon, y’ big bloke! Big bad meanies are hurtin’ nice people!” Tora said, having just realized how good a stone giant would be for crowd control. The giant seemed to get mad at the mention of meanies, now waiting for her to lead it.

“Follow me, mate!” Tora beckoned him with a hand, then turned with Gabe held at the ready and ran off in the direction of the screams in the distance. The giants thundering steps behind her told her it was following, seeming to shake the ground with its steps.

Hopefully the big lug would help make a difference in destroying these fuckin’ asshole monsters.

They were not making a difference. Explosions tore apart Swift Pummeling's regiment. Creatures phased in and out of vision and with enough speed it was almost like teleportation...and with each rush through them, limbs flew, like armor made no difference.

Another collection of ear rupturing screeches. Swift was simply thankful she'd gotten makeshift earplugs beforehand. Her remaining troops weren't so lucky. Blood spattered out of their ears and even eyes as they fell limp to the cold cobblestones of Ponyville, now drenched with blood.

The worst part? The six bipedal, nude females were coordinating. How she didn't know. But it wasn't good for them.

"Fall back! To the Town Square!" She ordered, firing off another barrage of magical hooves, trying to at least keep the beasts back.

"But sir! What about the citizens!?" one of her troops shot back, barely keeping a young foal out of sight.

"Bring them over! I'm teleportin-!" Swift never finished that sentence. Not with words, at least. All that came was a scream of pain as fangs sunk into her neck. She felt them drain her blood, gulp by greedy gulp...then viciously rip out a whole chunk of her throat.

"CAPTAIN!"

They were not making a difference.

Author's Note

NOTE! This chapter may be subject to additions/changes at some point.

Well, here's a chapter that's actually on time, unlike last week. Sorry about that, folks. Thankfully my new job had me off today, so that I could post this. Also, say hello to my brother from another mother, Rezas! He's the one who will be writing Abe from here on out, so I hope you enjoy his work!

Now, to explain a little about the monsters shown, in case you all don't know which monsters are from what franchise.

The pale ones on all fours are called Ghouls, and the one with spines and the like is an Alghoul. Both are from the Witcher series. Both of them crave flesh - typically human in the games of the Witcher, but that has been altered slightly for this story - but Alghouls are considered the leaders or pack leaders of them, both for ferocity and intelligence.

Abe is what is known in Fable as a Troll. Trolls are fairly uncommon the further along in the series you get, but they are a very diverse race, typically made up of whatever minerals are found in the earth, including even being made entirely of metal ore. As such, Gabe is just a little unique, having been born/formed in the magic rich environment of Equestria. Why, exactly, is he unique? Well, for one, he can talk when all other Trolls in the games have never been shown to. As for the other reasons, well, you'll just have to wait and see, now won't you?

The bat-like creatures are known as Ekimmaras, and are another creature from the Witcher. They are considered one of the lowest Vampires, as they are feral and ferocious, like animals more than the typical Vampire you see nowadays. Furthermore, Ekimmara are not really harmed all too much by garlic, holy water, or religious symbols. So don't expect someone to whip out a cross and drive one off. Furthremore, Ekimmaras do not drink blood delicately. At all. They literally tear victims to shreds - with claws that have repeatedly been able to cleave the best armor - and slurp the splattered blood off the ground.

The other monsters are simply those found in Terraria on a Blood Moon. The zombies you have all seen before, though I'm sure to some of you the 'blood sacs' are new. Those, are known as Dripplers. Not very special, honestly. Just think of them as flying monsters who either tackle you to death or spit blood at high velocities. The red, fleshy zombies are simply Blood Zombies.

Now, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Lord knows it was quite fun writing with two of my bros, and even more so with the subject matter and fact that they are both readily available to write. The combat and monster descriptions were especially fun for me. Go ahead and tell me what you liked, I'd love to hear it.

Anyways, thank you all so much for the support, and for your continued reading! It really means a lot to me, as well as Nova and Rezas!

Have a good one!

-Timeless Celestial

18 - A Terrible Night: Close Call

A form walks through the Dark.

It swallows him whole.

He walks onward, torch in hand.

His eyes blaze with baleful green light, like a beast.

Eyes watch from afar.

They pounce.

Steel sings it's tone through flesh and hide, splattering blood on the stones.

Claws rend through the mutant's armor.

He grabs the claws, and rips them off.

His wound heals.

His blade sings through more flesh.

Baleful blue Eyes watch from the Cosmos.

“Shit,” Durin lobbed a fireball at a pale Ghoul. “Shit,” He sliced the bloated head off a Rotfiend. “Shit shit-” He thrust his sword’s tip into the gut of a Devourer, the pointy-nosed hag coughing up blood as he continued to sprint ahead through the hills and grass, using her as a battering ram. After tossing her body aside and stomping over multiple bodies, he kept running. “-Shit!” He finished.

‘The one fucking time I needed a mount, on the one fucking night I was hoping I wouldn’t need to worry about, on the ONE FUCKING NIGHT THE WORLD GOES INTO FUCKING MASTER MODE!!’ He roared as he let his pistol fire off his rage at the monsters ahead and all around him. ‘If Master Mode is what I think it is, than this entire fucking world just got worse.’ He grit his teeth, and pushed further ahead. He wasn’t close enough to wherever Tora was. Not by a longshot.

He willed his Cell Phone to his free hand, using his Witcher’s Silver Sword in the other to hack and slash anything too close. He was easily a good few miles away still. He looked ahead, eyes contracting for a moment. 'Still too far to make much out, all I can see are explosions and shit...' He cursed. 'Damn that bitch for sending me here so early...' As his eyes returned to normal, he sent the Phone back to his Inventory, held out his palm, and closed his eyes. ‘Not the smartest thing to do in this situation, but I need to move fast, so fuck it!’ Focusing on his Will, he tried to imagine what little he recalled about how time actually worked. Slowly, a golden, ethereal clock formed in his palm. Opening his eyes suddenly, he thrust his palm outward…

...And skipped a second ahead in time, effectively making him phase forward in the eyes of others. He grinned.

“Fucking sweet,” A collection of growls and roars around him reminded him he had little time to congratulate himself, however, and he shook his head, returning to his sprint.

‘Please be alright, you guys…’

Things were just barely alright. Abe had taken a good few slashes all over his body from the bat-like creatures - once more proving how deadly their claws were - before he smashed them into paste. His elbow in particular seemed to be weeping some sort of magical, rainbow blood, but Tora had little time to help the poor giant.

Her armor had taken more than a few ‘nicks’ and she was bleeding profusely from her previous run-in with her first ‘Bat-fuck’ as she’d taken to calling them.

They’d made it to the town square, but the guards seemed to have either retreated from there, or fallen into the cold embrace of death on its cobbles.

Another hag came rushing for Tora, and was shot through the throat with a bolt and bullet from Gabe, the ammo well-spent considering the danger these fucking cunts posed up-close.

“HOW Y’ HOLDIN’ UP, ABE?! KINDA BLEEDIN’ HERE, BUT OTHER THAN THAT I’M APPLES!” Tora called out to the giant as she put Gabe on her back and drew a knife and her Tungsten Shortsword, baring them with a snarl on her face as she faced down the incoming monsters.

Swinging with his uninjured arm, he reduced most of them to yet more splats of blood and fleshy paste, before going back to holding his wounded arm. “Arm feel...tingly. Like tiny...stuff stabbing it.”

“Barbs or somethin’, then, maybe venom - er, bad spit that hurts ya from th’ inside,” Tora explained to him, dodging a swipe from a zombie and jamming her knife up through its lower jaw. “Either that, or you’re bleedin’ out - losin’ all that red water in ya...if y’ have any, that is.”

She looked back at him briefly. Definitely not a normal color of red. Abe soon slammed a fist down on another ‘Bat-fuck’, then scraped its guts off on his side. “Meanies squishy.”

“An’ that’s a good thing, cuz it means th’ mean beasties can die easier! Th’ crunchy ones are th’ real pains in th’ ass t’ kill,” Tora replied, ripping the arm off a bat-fuck and beating it to death with its own arm. She then proceeded to do the same with another monster’s spine to express her immense displeasure with this rude and completely unwanted malicious onslaught.

Abe seemed to have had enough with the bats. He was now taking chunks from the ground and tossing them into swarms of the things.

Naturally, those swarms simply either jumped over or out of the way, or rendered the uprooted cobblestone to shreds with their claws.

“O-oi! Abe! No throwy th’ ground! Uh, big rocks crush nice people’s sleeping spots, maybe with nice people still inside! Throw small rocks! They hit meanies but no hit nice people!” Tora warned the giant as she dodged a swipe from yet another bat-fuck.

Abe didn't really get all of that over the fighting. He still saw the rocks do nothing, and instead made a furious roll and charged with surprising speed at the things.

This did something, finally, the creatures screaming as they were plowed into the side of a building - what Tora recognized as Town Hall, no less. This was followed by many other screams. Pony screams.

“ABE STOP!” Tora yelled, sprinting on all fours after the giant.

Abe ignored the call, eyes narrowing. Now that he had the bats in front of him, Abe gave them a nice big hug.

Predictably, they shrieked as they were crushed, and soon after, they all seemed to almost explode into a shower of gore. However, when Abe was wiping himself off, he looked up to see pony guards with crossbows trained on him from within a glowing, purple shield.

“CALM YER FUCKIN’ TITS, Y’ WANKERS! TH’ BIG BLOKE DON’T MEAN Y’ NO HARM!” Tora all but screamed as she ran between Abe’s legs and leapt up onto his shoulder. “He’s a good bloke! Jus’...he’s like an ankle-biter up in th’ head!”

The guards all looked at each other, before a new voice echoed. “Listen to her!” said a buttery yellow mare as she flew up to one.

“But Lady Fluttersh-!” the guard tried to say, but she gave him a hard look that silenced him. He grit his teeth. “Very well. Stand down, men!” he called. Soon, all of them lowered their crossbows.

“Thank you, Silver Star,” she said kindly, before looking to Abe and Tora. “Hello there, Mister….Oh, um, I don’t think I got your name.”

"Abe… is… Abe…" Abe said, rather redundantly.

“She… little yellow wingy pony just met ya. She didn’t know yer name ‘til just now,” Tora helpfully tried to explain.

Fluttershy giggled. “It’s alright.” She looked to Abe. “So, Abe and…” She looked to Tora. “...Tora, right? I think I heard Vinyl and Octavia talk about you.” She frowned. “Are they not with you? Are they okay?”

“Yeah, an’...no, I haven’t seen th’ sheilas since th’ screamin’ started,” Tora admitted with a wince. “There was an undead dickhead in their room…”

Abe looked at Tora. "What… dickhead?" He innocently asked. Not this again.

“A meanie. A VERY mean meanie.”

Fluttershy cleared her throat. “Y-Yes. Anyway, how did you two meet?”

“Flutters! Not the time! We got more guys comin’ in from all sides!” a scratchy voice called from below.

Hearing this, Abe turned, gave a roar, and charged at the meanies.

Tora yelped and jumped off of him before his charging sent her tumbling off of him and into the middle of some monster gangbang, landing as a cat always does: On her feet, and elbow deep in a motherfucker’s chest cavity.

That was when a thunderous cry rang out, and Tora and Abe looked to the northern street to see something ghastly. Skeletons. Heavily armored skeletons. With many weapons, and a good few of different sizes. Tora even noted with fearful eyes that many had guns. One in the back, a skeleton that looked the same size as Abe, and possibly once of his own kind, led the pack. He even wielded two massive blades, ones that almost looked like ancient five-in-one tools lengthened into fully functioning swords.

“Buck!” Silver Star swore. “You two! We’ll draw the main force’s attention and deal with those!” He pointed to a crowd of regular pony zombies, as well as more ‘Bat-fucks’ and ghoulish creatures and hags. “You two deal with the big boney guy!”

“Gotcha!” Tora yelled back, then ripped her arm out of the zombie she’d landed on and charged at the skeletal horde, using her Tungsten shortsword to stab through skulls and spines alike along with her knives in a whirlwind of blades and angry yowls.

Abe simply battered all in his way aside, crashing into his skeletal counterpart with all his mass and speed.

The massive skeleton, strangely, took the hit, and slammed the hilts of its blades into Abe’s shoulders, then roared in his face. Abe roared back, swinging his good arm up into the bottom of the enemy giants jaw.

“KEEP HITTING THE DICKHEAD, ABE!” Tora shouted as she bashed a skeleton’s forehead into bonemeal, then parried and riposted a sneaky skeleton’s axe.

With a renewed energy, Abe proceeded to roar and wail on the larger skeleton viciously. The giant skeleton tried to block the hits with its massive ulna’s, but the assault was taking its toll, the bones cracking under the pressure.

However…

That was when the first volley came. A hail of bullets stormed its way towards Tora, Abe, and the ponies trying to divert the forces surrounding them, all from the skeleton’s armed with guns. More screams ripped through the air as Tora took two shots to either shoulder, one to the lower ribs, Abe took dozens to his injured and uninjured arms as well as his legs and chest, and the guards whom had ventured out to fight were mowed down, said guards falling with weighty thuds.

Abe, filled with energy, managed to ignore the bullets as he continued his task of bashing the giant skeleton in front of him.

Tora, meanwhile, grit her teeth as she pushed herself back up to her feet and kicked at the chest of the nearest boney fuck, caving its ribs in and following it up with a roundhouse kick to the face, “I’LL TEACH YOU T’ FUCKIN’ SHOOT ME IN TH’ FUCKIN’ SHOULDERS, YA COCKSUCKERS!”

Two magical beams, one purple, one blue, plowed through the bloody sky, then split into smaller beams, slamming into the horde. Hags, ghouls, and the bat-like creatures, as well as the skeletons, roared as they were pelted with the beams.

Soon after, a rainbow contrail zipped past Tora, slamming into the nearest enemy and several more, before it was revealed to be Rainbow Dash.

CRACKOOM

A literal cannonball came next, shrieking towards the giant skeleton...Only for it to roar, bash Abe back a few steps, and slice it in half, the two ends slamming explosively into the cobbled streets.

Once more it roared, but louder, echoing across the whole town. Not long after, lightning struck all over, along with magical, ethereal and golden blades springing up around it before shooting outwards, cracking the purple shield. Lightning struck near Tora, on Abe, and all over the battlefield, even striking other monsters.

However, the beast was not done.

Roaring again, it slammed its blades into Abe, leaving deep gashes in his hide. Then, with the edges hooked in Abe’s stoney flesh, the skeleton lifted him up and tossed him into a nearby house.

“Shit, Abe!” Tora called out to the giant, then snapped her gaze to the skeleton with a snarl that failed to hide her nervousness.

It’s baleful, glowing blue eyes glared back at her, seeming to almost mock her defiance.

“FUCK! YOU! You WORTHLESS sack of DOGGY CHEWTOYS!” Tora spat, baring her blades at the giant skeleton in an admittedly futile gesture of defiance and anger.

It raised one of its blades...and another hail of bullets came. One to the elbow. One to the left leg. One to the right knee. One to her ear. The rest, thankfully, went wide.

Tora screamed as the bullet to her ear ripped off the entire top half in a spout of gore, but ground her teeth together and channeled that pain and anger into a shrill battlecry that ripped its way out of her throat as she charged the massive skeleton.

A cleaver to her gut stopped her, and she looked in cold, morbid shock to the eyes of another skeleton, a unicorn one, with it’s pale white horn aglow with red magic along with the cleaver in her gut. The eyes were just as baleful and blue as the giant’s. Cold. Unforgiving.

She stabbed its skull with a Tungsten Shortsword up through its lower jaw and into what would be its brain case, “Fuck you, too, shithead.”

Then she shakily reached for the cleaver and weakly pushed it out of her chest, then fell onto her back, wheezing as the last of the air in her now-punctured lungs left through the gashes in the precious organs and out the gaping slit in her chest.

‘So...this is how I fuckin’ cark it. Not in some big fuckin’ blaze o’ glory, but as another damn grave these poor pony bastards are gonna have t’ bury. Heh. Just my luck. Well...least Durin’ll show up an’ save Tavi an’ Vin,’ Tora thought to herself as she felt the last pint of blood necessary to survive left her body, and her breathing stopped.

Only, it wasn’t all that stopped. The horde, the ponies, it all stopped. Everything seemed...different. She couldn’t move either, but she knew she was still alive. Somehow.

Comatose, maybe? She didn’t fucking know, but she did know that this particular form of existence sucked balls.

That was when someone appeared in a blur of motion. Someone she recognized, his eagle medallion jingling as he crouched next to her. His mouth was moving, but she couldn’t hear anything but white noise.

‘Mind shutting th’ fuck up? Havin’ an existential nightmare here, an’ I’d like to spend th’ rest of it in peace before I cark it an’ go t’ whatever awaits me.’

A bottle appeared in the man’s hand, golden and winged. He popped the cap off, then splashed its contents all over her. Then, he raised his other hand, swept it over her with it’s golden glow, and she could move. Her wounds had healed, as well, save for her ear, which, whilst closed, was still torn. Her mind wasn’t foggy anymore, however.

“...Y’ really know how to deny a sheila even th’ sweet embrace of death, y’know that?”

The only response she got was a bear hug from Durin.

“Ribs! Ribs, fuckin’ RIBS ARE STILL SORE AS A FUCKING ROO’S COOTER YA DRONGO!” Tora hissed and glared at the Witcher angrily.

Durin pulled back, and she saw tears in his eyes. “I...sorry, I...I thought I’d lost one of the only semblances of friends I had left…”

“...Just fuckin’ go an’ murder th’ fuck outta these sorry cocksuckers, eh?” Tora asked, weakly slugging him in the shoulder before letting her head fall back down onto the ground, still too weak to really move worth a damn. “Mind proppin’ me up t’ see th’ bloodbath?” Durin nodded and did so. “Thaaanks, mate.”

Durin smiled, and, in a surprising show of care, gently scratched her still okay ear. “Anytime...Tora.”

Tora huffed derisively, but that did nothing to hide the tiny smile on her muzzle, “Oh, an’ just a heads-up: Th’ giant that looks like th’ big skelly over there but with flesh an’ shite is a friend named Abe, short for ‘Abi-yo-yo.’ Speak nice an’ slow an’ dumb fer ‘im or he won’t understand fuck-all, eh?”

Durin blinked, looking over to Abe’s form. “You made friends with a Troll? Damn.” Standing up, Durin summoned both his Silver Sword and his Hero Sword. “Guess I have a lot to catch up on, then.”

“Mhmm, now get t’ murderin’, slave! Chop chop!”

Durin chuckled and rolled his eyes. “Only yours, Tora.” He said with a smirk, before time resumed, and in that instant, Durin’s arms glowed with fire and lightning, and strikes of fireballs - if only small ones - and lightning spread across the battlefield, along with Durin blurring in and out of motion, limbs and much more flying as his blades sung with vengeance. What little was exposed of his skin bore small, glowing white lines.

Tora was too busy dealing with her brain melting from Durin’s little ‘only yours’ quip to really give much internal commentary on his fighting or glowing veins beyond ‘holy fucking cunt-munching shit, what th’ fuck did he just say before going off t’ murder th’ fuck outta th’ beasties fer me?’”

A familiar blue pegasus flew up to her. “Hey, what the heck happened? Who is that guy? Are you okay?”

Tora blinked, then responded in the order of the pegasus’ questions, “Got fuckin’ cleavered in th’ gut after bein’ shot, so I kinda died but didn’t cuz o’ this golden potion thing that was poured down m’ throat; his name is Durin, kinda th’ guy who killed th’ fucking giant peeper in Las Pegashit or whatever; and yeah, I think so.”

“Oh, and, uh, if you or yer mates attack ‘im,” Tora said, lashing out with a paw to wrap around Rainbow’s throat and yank the pegasus so that their muzzles were smooshed together and so that the pegasus got a reeeeal good angle of the absolutely pants-shittingly murderous look in her eyes. “I’ll fuckin’ use all o’ ya as throw rugs or m’ next set of bathrobes. Capiche?”

Rainbow, surprisingly, was unfazed, despite her throat being held. “Okay, so you and him are close, noted, noted. Mind lettin’ go?”

“Wh- YA FOKKING WOT, MATE?!” Tora yowled furiously with burning cheeks, but nonetheless let go of Rainbow. “Say that again an’ I’LL FUCKING EAT YER WINGS LIKE FRIED CHICKEN!”

Rainbow smirked, crossing her forelegs over her barrel as she hovered back. “Suuure. You do that, lover-girl.” With that, Rainbow zipped off to rejoin the fight.

“...I am havin’ Vin replace all o’ that cunt’s toiletries with itching powder an’ superglue,” Tora nodded to herself, murderous intent radiating off of her with such intensity that even the rubble near her seemed to nervously roll away from her slightly.

A roar from the giant skeleton alerted her to the fight once more, where she saw Durin on its head, slamming a strange, gilded hammer into its face over and over again as it flailed, having dropped its weapons.

“Huh. Wonder where he got th’ fuckin’ fancy gavel,” Tora wondered aloud as she felt some strength return to her legs - enough for her to adjust her position to be more comfortable.

When the giant managed to toss During off, he grabbed a white, silky string tied to the edge of the hammer, and tossed it and its hook into the giant’s eye socket, yanking to pull himself back on and continue wailing.

Tora was content to watch this go on...up until she remembered that Abe was a thing/person that existed, and promptly turned her gaze in the direction she’d seen the poor biggun get tossed in.

Rainbow blood oozed out of all the injuries he’d taken, most prominently the twin slashes he’d taken before falling. He wasn’t moving.

Tora crawled over to him and started shaking his foot, “Hey...Abe, wake th’ fuck up. Th’ meanies are still tryin’ t’ hurt the nice ponies.”

“Stay back!” Fluttershy warned as she rushed over with speed not unlike Rainbow’s. A medic’s bag was on her back, and she swiftly stopped to hover over the Troll. Despite the obvious unease she felt at seeing so much blood, whether it was a different color or not, she remained stalwart and called back to the remaining line of guards, “Somepony get Rarity! I need cloth, NOW!”

A group of guards charged forward through the line of monsters, Rarity between them. With bodies being left in their wake, they stopped by Tora, and Rarity rushed over. She winced as she saw the wounds. “I’ll see what I can find, dear.” Opening her saddlebags, she unfurled large rolls of cloth, and lifted them up to Fluttershy magically, who promptly went about wrapping Abe up to at least try and slow the bleeding.

Rarity then turned to the other guards. “Set up a perimeter around here! Don’t let any of them get through!”

“Ma’am!” they all chorused before galloping off to take strategic and defensive positions around the street.

Rainbow soon zipped over, blood dripping from her hooves and apparent wingblades, the mare looking at Abe’s body and wincing. “Oof. Reminds me of the test we had to take.”

Fluttershy didn’t reply, simply continuing her work. “I’m just glad the poor thing’s organs aren’t falling out.”

Rainbow winced again. “Yeeeah, I wouldn’t be too happy seeing that again.” She looked around. “Where’s Pinks?”

BOOM

All eyes looked to the sound to see the collection of skeleton gunners get blown to pieces. This was followed by a secondary BOOM and a cannonball landing right in the middle of a charging group of bat-fucks that had been heading for the street.

“She’s staying back, giving fire support,” Rarity answered.

Rainbow blinked her eyes. “Can see that now.”

“Oh, y’ can see that now? Were y’ blind for a couple o’ seconds there, sheila?” Tora called out, sarcasm BLEEDING from her voice.

Rainbow grunted. “Shut up, Tora.”

“Nah, get fucked, kaleidoscope-hair!”

Rainbow blinked, looking to the feline. “...The buck does kaleidoscope mean?”

“...Yer all a bunch’a savages, I fuckin’ swear,” Tora grumbled, but spoke up again. “IT MEANS YER HAIR LOOKS LIKE TH’ OUTCOME OF A BAD DRUG TRIP!”

Rainbow blinked again, then growled, zipping over to Tora and getting in her face. “Say that again. I dare you.” She brandished her wingblades. Thankfully, Rarity grabbed her and pulled her back.

“Now now, Rainbow, none of that. We’re in the midst of a fight, and she’s injured as can be,” Rarity chided.

“Yup! High as a fuckin’ kite right now, prolly th’ potion or whatever. Also, good t’ know yer hair is a sore spot, tie-dye,” Tora snickered with her rather dilated amber eyes. “Also, look where yer barrel was.”

Rainbow and Rarity looked down, seeing Gabe’s barrel aimed straight at Rainbow’s heart. Naturally, Rainbow started to struggle in Rarity’s hold. “Let me go, let me go! I can’t just let her get away with calling me that! My rep’s at stake here!”

A resounding crash and a cloud of dust interrupted any response any of them could have, and they all looked to the sound to find the giant skeleton’s skull in pieces, along with most of its ribs. Durin hopped off its now dead body, dismissing his hammer as he walked over.

“Starting a fight again, eh Tora?” he asked, smirking.

“Ah, fuck off, y’ hairless chimp. High off m’ fluffy arse from whateva was in th’ potion y’ crammed down m’ gob,” Tora replied, carelessly waving Gabe around with her dismissive hand motions...with a finger still on the trigger.

Durin frowned. “Noticed. Didn’t think it would have that effect, though.”

Rarity frowned herself, letting go of Rainbow - whom had thankfully calmed down - and walking closer to Tora. Sniffing, she blinked, then looked to Durin. “Did that potion have catnip in it?”

Durin opened his mouth to speak...then closed it. “...Inventory.” He said, and his screen opened up. Ignoring the cries of alarm from the ponies (and Tora’s stoned giggles), he took the bottle from before out and inspected it, squinting his eyes. Which then widened as he saw a label on it. “...’Contains traces of Elder Catnip and Hussyfootinium.” He groaned. “Fucking Fable jokes,” he said as he tossed the empty bottle behind him.

“Heeheehee, if y’ wanted t’ drug me fer a good time, y’ coulda juuus’...zzzzz…” Tora trailed off into a snore, her upper torso slumping to the ground as the poor tigress fell asleep.

Durin sighed. “Right, well, if you guys don’t mind, I’d like you to look after her. I’ll go take care of the other monsters-”

A fog creeps into the area…

Durin went ramrod straight. “...FUCK!”

Author's Note

Sorry for the wait, my lovelies, but the chapter is finally here! I hope the wait wasn't too long for you all. There were some issues on our ends, but thankfully they have been resolved.

However, I figured that since it took so long, we might as well have you all hear from my co-writers.

Nova: Hello, Nova_Eclipse here. Been some time hasn’t it, lovelies? Rest assured, we’ll be slaving away at the keyboards for no wage at all in no time...give or take a few months.

Rezas: cough years cough

*Rolls eyes at Rezas.*

Nova: Tora and co- sorry, DURIN and Tora and co will be in for ssssooo much FAHN!

Indeed! Next chapter is going to feature a favorite monster of ours, so I hope you all enjoy it!

Now, for anyone wondering about the swords the Hollow Man Troll used, this is what they look like, albeit the picture is much shorter than the actual weapons.

We sincerely hope you all enjoyed this chapter, and we thank you all for reading!

-Timeless Lord Slayer, Rezas, and Nova_Eclipse

19 - A Terrible Night: A Terrible Fright (Edited...again)

A form walks through the Dark.

It swallows him whole.

He walks onward, torch in hand.

His eyes blaze with baleful green light, like a beast.

Eyes watch from afar.

They pounce.

Steel sings it's tone through flesh and hide, splattering blood on the stones.

Claws rend through the mutant's armor.

He grabs the claws, and rips them off.

His wound heals.

His blade sings through more flesh.

Baleful blue Eyes watch from the Cosmos.

“Evacuate the town! NOW!” Durin shouted.

“Why should we listen to you?” Rainbow asked, crossing her forelegs over her barrel as she hovered.

“Forget your goddamn distrust right now! There’s another monster on the same level as the Eye coming here right now!” Durin shot back, stomping up to growl in her face.

“How do we know you’re not lying just so you can escape, huh?” Rainbow retorted, meeting his anger with her own.

Fluttershy flew over, placing a hoof on their chests and pushing them apart. “Calm down you two, please. This is no time to fight. We still have a lot of monsters to...get rid of.” She shook her head, as if trying to dismiss some phantom, before looking to Durin. “Now, Mr. Durin, right? Please, if you could just explain to us what-”

Durin snorted, shoving her away. “Forget it. Just stay here instead.” He started to march off, and when the ponies looked, they could see a heavy fog closing in from the west.

Rarity trotted over, watching Durin cut a bloody path through any remaining monsters on his way, an obvious expression of frustration on his face. “I hope he isn’t always like that…”

“I’ll say. Dude could use an attitude change,” Rainbow flared out her wings. “I’m gonna follow him.” Without any other words, she zoomed off after the man.

“Even the training couldn’t get that out of her, I suppose.” Rarity said with a sigh.

Fluttershy sighed as well. “Sadly.” She looked back to Abe and Tora. “We should get these two somewhere safer.” She frowned. “Though I’m not sure either of us could lift Mr. Abe…”

Rarity made to reply, only for a shrill screech to rend the air, drawing their attention towards a lone bat-like creature. Rarity and Fluttershy both got in ready stances, and so did the guards.

“We’ll figure it out after we deal with these savages,” Rarity told the pegasus, horn glowing.

With those words, the creature charged.

“Get out of my fucking way!” Durin roared, shoving Rainbow aside before relieving a bat-fuck - or as he knew it, an Ekimmara - of its head.

Rainbow growled. “I’m trying to help you, plothole!” she shot back. “And that was my kill!”

“This isn’t a goddamn competition, dipshit! And I don’t need help!” Durin retorted, before an Alghoul made to tackle him. Sensing this, Durin twirled out of the way and delivered a vicious slash to its spiny back.

Crying out in pain, the Alghoul landed hard on the cobblestones, yet immediately rolled away before Durin could get a finishing blow.

Growling, Durin opened his palm, flames billowing inside it. However, as he was about to lob the fireball, Rainbow swooped in, cutting the Alghoul’s head clean off.

“Ha! You see that- Hey! Wait up!” Rainbow zoomed off after Durin, whom had continued on his way to the west portion of town. When she came up to him, she gave him a look. “Least you could do is say thanks.”

Durin shot her a glare. “Like you need a bigger ego boost.”

Another screech cut off their bickering, followed by a rather displeased griffon screeching furiously in kind from somewhere nearby.

“Shit!” Durin cursed, before his left hand gleamed with golden magic and he flung his palm forward. Immediately after, he appeared in a blur ten feet away. He continued this multiple times, almost leaving Rainbow Dash in the dust.

“Will you bucking wait up?!” Rainbow called after him, always managing to get next to him only to be left behind with each fling he made.

“Waiting means more deaths on our heads!” Durin called back.

Rainbow growled, but, she couldn’t deny his point.

Soon enough, they reached the street where the screech and fog seemed to be coming from, said fog enveloping their vision almost entirely.

Durin tried to dismiss it with a gust of tempestuous magic, but it only reformed. Gritting his teeth, he called out, “Is anyone still alive out here?!”

No answer.

Durin almost cursed, before a deep, baritone reply finally came. “Over here!”

Using his ears and Witcher Senses, Durin pinpointed the location of the voice, and it was then that he laid eyes upon the Boss that had appeared.

Narinye - Emissary of the High Lord, has arrived!

It was a Banshee, and its head was turned to stare directly at him. There was no face, no nose, no mouth or anything that could be seen past the hood that would even remotely identify it as a person - all there was under the hood was a pair of blood-red eyes glaring with absolute hatred in his direction. Below the head was a rotted torso covered in blackened flesh with brief glimpses of exposed rib and spine in various places. Under its torso was the rest of its cloak, but no legs or feet were visible through a thick miasma of black that made his skin crawl just from looking at it.

Now playing The Witch of Hemwick.

The moment he made eye contact with it, he could feel cold fingers digging into the depths of his mind and plucking what it wanted from him in but an instant. The action made him fall to his knees, one hand going to his head.

It was only for one single second, but it was enough to expose him to the raw HATE that animated the Banshee on this plane, that sustained its existence and comprised its purpose. It brought Durin to his knees, experiencing enough hate to match all of the hatred and rage he’d ever felt in his life a thousand-fold.

Then, it locked crimson eyes with Rainbow’s violet. Cold fingers became frigid fangs ripping and biting and tearing through her conscious, subconscious and unconsciousness with the same ease it took for a neuron to fire.

Alone, isolated, cut off thou art from all thou knew. Stolen from your life, your world with but a single mistake, made of your own volition.

Uncertainty, insecurity and disloyalty you fear. For those you love and care about you would die, but can you truly say they would do the same for you? How sure can you be that they truly value you?

“Shut...up,” Durin growled, getting to his feet once more.

Rainbow faltered for only a moment, before she pounded her hooves together. “Oh you are dead.”

Can you kill the damned?

“I’m about to fucking try!” the voice from earlier cried, Curtis the griffon lunging from out of the mist in an attempt to claw the Banshee’s throat out.

“AAAAAAHHHH!!” came the bloodcurdling scream of Fountain Spring from behind him, followed by a sickening squelch.

Curtis faltered immediately, eyes wide with concern and shock as he turned and rushed towards the sound, “FOUNTAIN!!”

What he saw was Fountain’s utterly bewildered and almost outraged expression on a completely unscathed body, “What in Tartarus are you doing?! You had her dead to rights, you idiot!”

A tendril of black mist shot out from the Banshee’s ‘legs’ and wrapped around his throat before it tossed him through the window of a nearby storefront, punctuating his mistake.

“CURTIS!” Fountain cried out as she watched her husband vanish in a shower of broken glass.

The Banshee laughed as it turned to regard Fountain with contempt.

So easily manipulated by his attachment to his whore of a lover.

Durin’s mouth was set in a snarl, the mutant willing both of his blades to his hands as he glared at the Banshee. “You’re gonna fucking die.” He spat coldly.

As will everyone else, if you fail, came Narinye’s bitter, scathing retort. But it matters not, in the end, when I am here to gather laborers for the High Lord. She raised a clawed hand and pointed right at Durin, You would do well to not interfere, mortal. But by all means, bring the wrath of the High Lord on yourself and those you seek to protect. The Banshee let out an unnerving laugh, her gaze never deviating from Durin’s eyes. Bring them pain and suffering in your efforts to ‘help.’

The Banshee didn’t even turn around to dodge the flying tackle from a livid, screaming Fountain, and lashed out with two claw-like digits to grip the spine of her left wing and redirect the Pegasus’ momentum into the same storefront her husband had been thrown into.

Again, so easy to manipulate through emotions alone. Blinded by rage, you think too late that charging without any real plan will not work, the Banshee said just before she vanished into the fog with nary a trace.

Then, from somewhere behind them, her voice rang out, But that’s always been a flaw of yours, hasn’t it? When you are filled with anger, reason and cunning are forgotten and drowned by instinct. A shame, really. You could have caught me off-guard.

A bullet to the Banshee’s shoulder did just that.

An ear-rupturing howl tore its way out of the Banshee as it rounded on the source with a tendril similar to what it had thrown Curtis with.

Durin, filled with rage, remembered the training he’d gone through, and flicked his Hero Sword through the tendril, cutting it off.

Shrieking in anger, the Banshee vanished into the fog.

Durin focused his senses, eyes shifting from direction to direction as he tried to find Narinye. Rainbow did much the same, eventually coming up to his back, ears perked up and alert.

The Banshee abruptly appeared a foot or two in front of them, only to disappear before Durin or Rainbow could launch an attack. The sound of unintelligible whispers from their left caught their attention, but by the time they’d registered the sounds in their minds, it was on their right, then above, to their northeast and to their southwest…

All around them, Durin and Rainbow Dash could hear Narinye’s maddened whispers as they drilled into the two’s heads...and then the damned witch spoke to them once more, Tell me, how long do you think they searched for you, Whittlesey? Days? Weeks? Months? Did they search as far and as high and as deep and as hard as they could? Or did they even look for you at all? Did they bother to mourn over you? Did they care at all that you vanished?

Durin grit his teeth. “Shut the fuck up!”

“So you were hiding something!” Rainbow hissed at him.

“Stay out of this, Skittles!” Durin shot back.

Take his advice, Rainbow Dash. After all, haven’t YOU hidden truths and actions from those you call friends? Haven’t you lied to them, before? Such hypocrisy, from someone whose title includes ‘Loyalty,’ came Narinye’s accusatory chastisement...which started right next to her left ear, and then snapped to a point somewhere ahead and to her left.

Rainbow’s falter this time was more noticeable, actually rearing back as if she was shoved. “Th-Those don’t count as lies! I was protecting them!”

Were you? Or were you protecting yourself from having to face their disappointment, anger and sadness? Weren’t you just protecting yourself from being labeled ‘disloyal’ for keeping such mighty revelations from them? You were hiding like a scared foal cowering from the shadows of their dark bedroom.

“Shut up!” Rainbow clutched her head. “Shut up shut up shut up!”

Durin, seeing this, only frowned, but kept his senses alert.

The sound of something slinking around behind them caught their attention, but it vanished just as quickly as it had appeared.

But you already are disloyal. You’ve done it before. The Cloudsdale Games, don’t you remember? Your friends and Ponyville needed you, but you were so tempted by the chance to fly with your precious idols that you almost forgot all about Twilight and the others. You were so tempted to accept Spitfire’s offer. That alone proves you aren’t as loyal to the ones you call ‘friends’ as you want to believe you are.

“No! You’re wrong!” Rainbow refuted futilely.

Am I? Am I really, though? Or are you still trying desperately to fool yourself into believing you’re the paragon of your Element, because you’ve failed to abide by its nature time and time again? Or...is it because you are afraid the others aren’t really your friends? Is it because you can’t stand the thought of them leaving you?

Rainbow, seeming to be fed up, rushed towards where she thought the voice was coming from, wingblades spread to cut the Banshee into ribbons. “SHUT UP ALREADY!!”

A cloud of yellow mist suddenly billowed out directly in her flight path. It filled Rainbow’s lungs in an instant, and her entire body locked up as her muscles spasmed and convulsed uncontrollably, sending her crashing and tumbling to the ground.

“Gaha!” Rainbow cried, trying and failing to move. “Wh-What the-?!”

I can breathe paralysis poison. And I almost pity your kind for how easy it is to use your fears and emotions against you.

An unseen force picked Rainbow up by her throat, her body dangling in the air as the Banshee materialized behind her, fingers wrapped around the front of the speed-obsessed mare’s throat.

It’s a shame I’m not supposed to kill you, but the High Lord was quite clear that every bit of Will was needed. Though I suppose you don’t need these unwieldy things.

The Banshee grabbed Rainbow’s left wing with an iron grip.

‘And there’s the opening,’ Durin thought to himself as he used his Time Stop magic to fling himself forward in time so he was right in front of Narinye. Even as the Time Stop was in effect, her eyes followed him, only starting to widen when the magic ended, and even more when he cut off her hand.

“How about I take a hand from you instead?” he asked, flourishing his blade as the appendage dropped to the cobblestone with a fleshy slap.

The only sound he received from her was the sound of a blizzard-like howl of wind escaping from her hood as her blood-red and hateful eyes glowed as bright as a flare.

Then a shadowy mass rammed into him with the force of an eighteen-wheeler, sending him crashing straight into a nearby restaurant and into the building behind it.

Kill him, Children. End him. The Hero cannot be allowed to ruin the High Lord’s plans. Neither he nor I will be denied our wish!

More shadowy figures emerged from the fog - children-like monstrosities, dogs, rats, ghouls and more all shrouded in shadowy malice - and advanced on Durin’s position.

“Fuckin’ get off me!” Durin roared, hacking and slashing at the mob of dark facsimile children with both blades. Some dispersed easily. Others, however...

The rotting face of a shadowy ghoul let out a gurgling roar as it slashed at his head with a swollen, pus-filled arm capped off with misshapen claws shaped like sickles, and took a stab to the chest and throat like it was nothing.

Narrowly he managed to pull his head back to avoid the swipe, but a set of canine teeth clamped down on his left leg and almost took a chunk out of his calf muscle in the process.

“FUCK!” he cried, feeling blood pour down that leg. Gritting his teeth, the man’s body soon began to glow with blue tattoos - Will Lines - and with a burst of flame, he returned all the children to the dark they came from. However, even with that burst of power, his leg could no longer support him, and he fell to a knee, panting. “F-Fuck…” He looked down at said leg, seeing blood spill out of it quickly. “Gotta...get a pot-”

Durin suddenly felt his very soul and life being drained from him as the Banshee approached, more Children appearing from the fog and dogpiling his arms and legs to pin him down, I think not, Whittlesey.

Durin struggled, eyes shooting from the paralyzed Rainbow to the storefront Curtis and Fountain had been thrown into. ‘No help’s coming...Fuck. Fuck! I can’t die here! I need…!’ He tried to move his arms, only to cry out in pain as teeth clamped down on them. Even so, he struggled. ‘I need…! To save everyone! I can’t...let them all die!’

Narinye slowly, almost casually leans down over his face in a semi-kneeling position. With their heads this close, he can actually see a rather beautiful woman’s face marred by burns and scars beneath the hood and miasma of hate, You can’t save them. Not everyone, or anyone, for that matter. I think we both know that you’re no Hero that’ll save the day. In the end, you’ll be unable to stop the High Lord, unable to purge this Crimson and Corruption, and unable to do anything to stop this ‘Moon Lord’ when it arrives.

She leans down even closer to his face, and he can feel her breath - cold and bitter - on his cheek.

You’ll die like everyone else. Vinyl Scratch, Octavia, Rainbow Dash...Tora; they’ll all suffer a grisly fate when you fail - whether by the High Lord or the Lord of the Moon, it matters not. And you’ll die alone, as you were always meant to, having failed those you care for.

Then, Narinye lifted her hood back, just a little...to reveal the pale, lifeless face that had haunted him for years staring back at him, and her soft voice coming through the Banshee’s lips as they came within millimeters of his.

“Just like you failed to stop Robin from ending her life, and like you failed to be there for her when she needed you, her best friend, the most.”

Durin’s face paled at that, feline eyes widening in shock and fright. He barely registered anything anymore. Time seemed to slow - not of his accord, but simply from pure shock.

“Why didn’t you stop me, Durin? I-It hurt so much, and it took so long. It’s d-dark and c-c-cold here, Duri. I-I’m scared...help me...ple-” the voice of the one he failed rang in his head just before Abe, seeming to come out of nowhere, fell from above and landed on her.

A sickening crunch came from ‘Robin’ as her face contorted in agony and her neck snapped the same way he’d found her, followed by a low, raspy wail that rose into a deafening, eardrum-bursting SCREECH as her face melted like wax held to an open flame, only compounding Durin’s horror as ‘Robin’s face bulged, cracked and then shattered to reveal a skull covered in rotten flesh and strips of sinew and muscle roaring with a vertically broken lower jaw right in his face.

Then, she vanished into the fog once more, her scream still ongoing as Children by the dozens leapt from the fog with roars, shrieks and howls of their own at the sudden newcomer.

KIIIILL THEEEEEM!

Abe, having seemingly no trouble with the fog whatsoever, started taking chunks out of the ground and tossing them at the creatures and Narinye with surprising ferocity.

I WILL NOT BE DENIED MY VENGEANCE AGAINST THOSE SELF-RIGHTEOUS BASTARDS THAT DARE CALL THEMSELVES ‘GODS!’ YOU WILL NOT DENY MY OR THE HIGH LORD OUR ONLY WISH IN LIFE! YOU WILL NOT DENY US! YOU WON’T!

"...But you treating High Lord as god?" Abe said, seeming confused even as he smacked a shape in the fog away.

Narinye skidded across the ground from the impact and came to a stop some distance away, unmoving for several moments.

Then the world exploded with the screech of a damned and wrathful woman, that traveled all the way to the frozen lands of the north.

Then, the fog around Abe and Durin receded, converging into one single point as a shadowy clawed hand or paw the size of Durin’s entire body slammed into the dirt-and-cobblestone street, followed by a fanged, snarling maw as big as Abe’s upper torso and a body as long as a Terrarian wyvern and as tall as the Eye of Cthulhu was wide.

The wingless, rotting form of the Shadow Drake reared its head back and howled in rage at the two who dared to assault and pain its ‘mother’ so. It proceeded to get knocked in the chin as it roared by a boulder Abe threw.

In response, the draconic Child whipped its tail around and both knocked Abe’s feet out from under him and sent him flying into a carousel-like building down the street from the remaining force of the tail whip.

YOU DO NOT KNOW WHAT I SUFFERED BECAUSE OF THOSE MONSTERS MASQUERADING AS HOLY DEITIES! MY FAMILY, MY HOME, MY INNOCENCE AND MY LIFE! STOLEN AND TORN AND RAPED FROM ME BECAUSE OF THEM!

The battle between titans raged on, and even then, Durin simply stared vacantly, eyes distant and fearful. Only one thing was on his mind. ‘Robin… I…’

A familiar scent washed over him as paws padded slowly and unevenly towards him.

“Hey...bastard, stop starin’ int’ space like a loon an’ get th’ fuck up,” Tora’s voice faintly echoed in his ears as her visage came limping into his field of vision. “Y’ have to - NGH, fuck! - get up an’ finish th’ spooky dog off before Abe or someone else carks it.”

Durin blinked slowly as he looked up at her, as if trying to figure out if she was real. “Tor...a?” he said slowly. “Where...what happened to Robin?”

“Whoever th’ sheila is, she ain’t here. Ne’er was t’ begin with. I heard her voice in m’ noggin all th’ way back where y’ left me. Wot th’ fuck even is th’ cunt, anyways?” Tora asked as she limped into arm’s reach of the Witcher and slowly, carefully lowered herself onto her knees beside him.

He blinked once more, seeming to gradually remember what happened. “Who…?” He shook his head, forcefully, one hand going to said head. “I...sorry, I…” He suddenly noticed a bit of wetness on his cheek. “I…”

He felt an arm wrap around his neck, followed by soft fur pressing against his neck and sides. It took a second to register that Tora was giving him a one-armed hug, her other arm hanging limply by her side.

“Wotever th’ spiteful bitch said or showed ya...don’t listen t’ it. I heard th’ last bit she said before Abe bodyslammed th’ cunt. Wotever happened to this ‘Robin’...not yer fault, mate. If she died by her own hand, then there’s nothin’ y’ coulda done. Don’t blame y’self,” Tora whispered softly, soothingly into his ear as her hand turned upwards to gently run her fingers through the hair at the back of his head.

Durin didn’t respond for what felt like ages, but eventually, slowly, he reciprocated the hug. Even if only briefly. He didn’t sob, didn’t cry, but he did shake with raw emotion.

“We need ya, mate. Th’ bitch needs t’ die before this’ll end. Even if she made y’ doubt y’self...I believe in ya,” Tora told the man...then planted a gentle kiss on his cheek before she broke the hug and gave him a smile. “Now, go an’ do yer thing, y’ dumb bastard.”

Durin paused at the kiss, as if surprised, but slowly stopped shaking, and soon after pulled away from Tora. He took a few deep breaths, and then, he returned to the steely, firm man Tora’d come to know.

“When the others get here, tell them to grab that griffon and his wife. They’re in the store over there,” he said, pointing to where Curtis and Fountain had been tossed.

“Shit, Curtis an’ Fountain were hurt?! A’ight, I’ll go get th’ others. Jus’ do wot y’ need t’ do, mate. Rootin’ fer ya,” Tora nodded at Durin as she got back to her feet and limped her way back the way she’d come as fast as possible.

Durin, resolve renewed, opened his Inventory and pulled out a Healing Potion. He frowned. “...Last one.” Shaking his head, he popped the cork off and chugged it, groaning as the alchemical concoction forced his healing factor into overdrive to resew his flesh together.

Only after a few painful moments could he stand up again, and when he did, he picked up his weapons and ran off towards Abe and the Shadow Drake.

‘Hopefully the big guy can keep those things dead. Otherwise, there’s no way we’ll kill this bitch…’ Durin shook his head, rolling out of the way of a lunge from a Child and retorting with a practiced thrust into it’s chest, dispersing it, before continuing on his way. ‘Have to keep her distracted, too. And I think I know a good way to do that.’

When he arrived, he saw the Shadow Drake trying to pin Abe to the ground despite missing a jaw, an eye and its front right paw. Abe was a bit more together despite his bandages, managing to send the drake onto its side and hammering at its neck.

“Good job big guy! Keep it up and let me know when the big thing’s dead!” Durin called, before closing his eyes and listening for the Drake’s mother.

"But it zombie?" Abe asked in confusion, despite still hammering the thing in the neck with his fists.

“Shadow thing, but no worries, it’ll stay dead!” Durin replied.

YOU THINK YOU’RE IN THE RIGHT, HERO?! BECAUSE YOU ARE FOOLING YOURSELF IF YOU TRULY BELIEVE YOU ARE, WHITTLESEY!

Durin replied in a deathly calm tone, “I’m not looking to be a Hero. I’m just here to help. Nothing else.”

Narinye screamed at the top of her lungs, directly behind him. Eyes shooting open, Durin whirled around with a reactionary slash of both his blades.

The Banshee’s scream ended in an instant, her body motionless for a few moments...then her head slid off of her neck, the latter slumping to the ground in a crumpled and rapidly-dissolving heap. A glance behind him revealed the last wisps of the Shadow Drake’s tail dissipate into the already-receding fog, Abe holding the ripped off head of the Shadow Drake above his head like a certain infamous God. He looked proud of himself… until he passed out from exerting himself after barely healing enough to fight.

Silence reigned for a few moments. Then Durin let out a long sigh of relief as he hunched his shoulders. He looked over to Abe. “Shit. Gonna have to find a way to heal him up.” Walking over, Durin patted the unconscious Troll’s side, smiling. “Thanks for the help, pal. You did good.”

Soon after, the first rays of sunlight pierced the once bloody night sky, the Blood Moon retreating and making way for Celestia’s light.

Far away, cheers could be heard. Durin smiled.

The Blood Moon was over.

Author's Note

EDIT: Finally added the theme for Narinye. Can't believe I forgot to for so long...

Hello, everyone! Sorry for the long, long wait. I'm afraid work, (and college for Nova) just made getting things done a little hard. But, hey! The chapter's up, and that's what matters.

So! Nova, here. At the suggestion nagging of Timeless, I’m here to explain why the Banshee switched mannerisms near the end. In short: She lost her cool and composure due to being in intense pain and from facing the prospect of dying and having, as she herself stated, “[Our] wish be denied!”

Plus, her memories and reasons for why she’s doing what she’s doing and why she’s serving this ‘High Lord’ came flooding back to her in her anger.

Other than that, my currently distracted mind cannot come up with any other explanation to give, sooo yeah.

Ciao, lovelies!~

Wasn't it also so it can get the maximum effect in communicating their worst fears?

That too, now shut up, buttercup.

Titty monkeyz

...Yes, well, thank you, Rez. Shakes head Anyways, we hope you all enjoyed this one! We tried to focus more on Durin - not sure it worked, but we'll keep trying nonetheless - and I'm hoping the action is more solid now than before.

Thanks for reading! Have a wonderful day!

-Timeless Lord Slayer

20 - Intermission: Recuperation and Revelation (Edited)

A form walks through the Dark.

It swallows him whole.

He walks onward, torch in hand.

His eyes blaze with baleful green light, like a beast.

Eyes watch from afar.

They pounce.

Steel sings it's tone through flesh and hide, splattering blood on the stones.

Claws rend through the mutant's armor.

He grabs the claws, and rips them off.

His wound heals.

His blade sings through more flesh.

Baleful blue Eyes watch from the Cosmos.

“So you’re telling us that you’re male?” Twilight asked for the umpteenth time.

Durin sighed deeply. “Yes. Yes I am.”

“Sorry, it’s just…” Twilight shook her head.

“...Hard to believe a male is the one who saved us,” Applejack finished for her.

Durin crossed his arms. “Well, you’re welcome.”

All around them, relief efforts were underway. Roads and homes were being rebuilt, wounded were being treated or hauled off to the hospital, and Guards were all over, helping and managing said efforts.

“A’ight, we fuckin’ done playin’ twenty questions, or d’ya need t’ ask him if he has a cock again?” Tora asked irritably, fur ruffled and expression cross yet still slightly glazed as she looked between the gathered mares. “An’ fer th’ damn record, so fuckin’ wot if’n he’s a bloke? Doesn’t mean he’s any less capable o’ savin’ yer arses, dick or no. I mean, fuck, that l’il dragon bloke was th’ one who saved that fancy-ass kingdom up north last I heard, so th’ hell ya so surprised about?”

“Yes, well, Spike is another matter entire-” Rarity began, but Tora interrupted her.

“And that Shining Armor bloke saved yer arses from th’ King Chamberlain or whateva when y’ came in, or so th’ papers said. An’ Abe saved yer arses, too, not even a fuckin’ hour ago,” the tigress rattled off, counting on her claws. “Then there was Star Swirl, Flash Magnus, Rockhoof, an’ all o’ them from wot I heard. All males, an’ yet y’ don’t fuckin’ find that weird, so maybe it’s cuz they’re ponies or your mates or somethin’, innit?”

“They are exceptions,” Rarity argued, eyes narrowing.

“And besides, we’re not saying it’s a bad thing,” Pinkie added. “We’ve got no problem with males saving others. Right, girls?” She looked to her friends.

The mares all nodded.

Durin sighed. “Just let it be, Tora.” He turned around and began walking off. “I’m gonna go check on Vinyl and Octavia. If any of you have anymore questions, I’ll be at their place.” He looked back to Tora. “Tora? Mind showing me the way?”

“Sure, but...they ain’t there. They weren’t there when th’ screamin’ started, an’ there was an undead beastie in their room...couldn’t find ‘em afterwards,” Tora said, limping past him and making sure not to bump her bound arm into him as she walked by. “But if’n we’re lucky, they’ll have returned there or they’ll be at th’ clinic or somethin’.”

The mares watched them go with a mixture of sadness and frustration.

“Well, he seems just as rude as the reports made him out to be,” Rarity mused, primping her hair.

“No kidding,” Rainbow agreed from her spot nearby, a doctor seeing to her wounds next to her. “Big guy was yelling at me half the time we fought together.”

“Maybe he’s just upset?” Fluttershy ventured, peeking out of her mane.

“He sure seemed like it,” Pinkie concurred. She gained a thoughtful look. “Hmm, do you think a party might help?”

“Ah dunno, sugarcube,” Applejack replied, tipping her hat up.

“I have to agree with Applejack on this one. I think he just needs some time,” Twilight pointed out, watching the man and feline go with sad eyes. “Still...I get the feeling it’s all our fault…”

Durin was silent during the walk, gaze locked straight ahead. His eyes sparked with thoughts, but he never voiced them. ‘First they hunt me down like a damn animal, and now they seem to think it’s all okay, just because I saved them?’ He clenched his fists. ‘Fucking hypocrites.’ His features softened. Or, rather, soured. ‘...Still can’t shake that feeling, though.’ He glanced behind him, in the general direction of the Banshee’s corpse. ‘...Robin...that face is gonna haunt me for a few nights, I know it.’

“Hey, mate, you’re lookin’ all angry an’ shit. Jus’ forget about th’ dumb cunts, eh? Their opinions don’t need t’ mean shit to ya,” Tora piped up from beside him, her amber eyes looking at him in concern even as she hobbled along. “An’ if it’s ‘bout th’ ghostie bitch...wotever she showed ya, it wasn’t real an’...it wasn’t your fault. Don’t blame y’self fer somethin’ y’ couldn’t control.”

Durin looked to her for a time, but didn’t answer as he looked away. He only frowned. When he did speak up, it was with a tired voice, and only one word. “...Thanks.”

“...Y’ ever need t’ gab t’ someone ‘bout yer troubles...y’ have me, y’ bastard,” Tora said, giving him a small smile before it curled into a pained wince as she barely managed to stop herself from tripping on a dead batfuck. “Shit-fuckin’- these bloody ponies need t’ fuckin’ move th’ damn corpses outta th’ damn streets!”

Durin silently offered her his arm.

“...This don’t mean nothin’, y’ hear? This is only fer support, nothin’ romantic, y’ dig?” the maned tigress narrowed her eyes at him as she hooked her good arm through the crook of his.

He nodded. “Yeah, I get it.” He paused, then added, “And...thanks again. Maybe I’ll talk later. Right now, though…” His eyes hardened. “...I just wanna make sure my friends are okay.”

“Aye, good point. I’m worried ‘bout th’ sheilas, too,” Tora sighed, brows furrowed in worry as she looked ahead of them. “Hope they made it t’ safety…”

‘Me too.’ Durin thought to himself. Why he didn’t say it aloud, he wasn’t sure. ‘Pride, I guess. The others always did say I had too much faith in my image.’ Durin’s frown deepened. ‘...They always told me I didn’t have to put up such an act just to make them feel safe. Robin especially.’ His gaze fell briefly to the earth below. ‘...Maybe I should do something for her. Always tried to visit her grave every year. Can’t do that here, so…’ His free hand clenched a little more tightly. ‘...Yeah. Let’s do that. I want to honor her, even if it’s not in the same dimension.’

“INCOMIN’!”

“DURIIIIN!” came a familiar tomboyish voice ahead of them before Durin was bowled over by a flying white unicorn.

“Gah!” Durin cried, falling flat on his back along with Tora, thanks to them having been linked by the arms.

“M’ FUCKING LEEEG AN’ RIIIIBS!” Tora yowled in major discomfort and/or pain.

“Vinyl!” came the voice of Octavia, pulling her friend off the two. “Read the situation! Tora is obviously hurt!”

Vinyl looked to the groaning Tora and winced, rubbing the back of her neck with a hoof. “E-eheh, sorry Torry.”

The fluffy-necked tigress glared at Vinyl, “I took an axe t’ th’ fuckin’ gut not even an hour or two ago, an’ m’ leg is kinda banged up, an’ here you are, makin’ me all fuckin’ worried ‘bout you an’ yer fillyfoolin’ girlfriend after a fuckin’ ZOMBO was in yer roo-”

The tigress stopped and took in a deep breath, held it for a few seconds, then exhaled, “...I’m checkin’ on Fountain an’ Curt. Join me if y’ like, or not. Don’t matter t’ me.”

Tora pushed herself back to her feet, then hobbled off in the direction of the makeshift outdoor hospital near Sugarcube Corner.

Durin sighed deeply, sitting up as he looked to the two mares. “Come on,” he said, standing up. “Might as well check on her friends too. They did get thrown into a building.”

Vinyl and Octavia winced, but nodded and followed after him and Tora. “So...What was last night?” Octavia asked.

Vinyl nodded. “I’ve never seen the moon turn red like that. Much less so many monsters in one place.” Vinyl shuddered.

Durin didn’t respond for a moment, but eventually he sighed. “...I’ll tell you guys once everyone is gathered. I don’t have the strength to tell everyone I talk to individually.” Vinyl and Octavia frowned, but he continued before they could, looking to them. “You two look oddly unhurt. I mean, I’m glad you aren’t, but...what happened?”

“We uh...locked and barricaded ourselves in Tora’s room in the basement,” Vinyl admitted. “We waited out the whole thing until the guards found us.”

Octavia sighed. “And because of that, all of our equipment is now essentially useless.”

Durin winced. “Sorry to hear that.”

Tora merely grunted as she hobbled along ahead of them, eyes kept straight forward as the makeshift field hospital grew closer.

Soon enough they reached it, and found hundreds if not thousands of ponies being treated...or laid to rest. A large, makeshift tent made up the bulk of the field hospital, two guards standing outside it while many more either laid in beds within it, or helped carry other patients around, be they dead, dying, or living. Doctors littered the scene just as much, however, treating the wounded.

When the group made it to the front, the guards stopped them, spears crossed in front of them. “Stand back-”

“Move or I have equine au boignon,” Tora snarled irritably, eye narrowing at the guards.

Surprisingly, they remained stalwart. “We’re sorry, ma’am, but we cannot let you pass-”

Durin stepped in. “We’re seeing two friends. Griffon and a pregnant mare.”

The guards looked to him, then Tora, then each other, before uncrossing their spears. “...Go right in, then.”

The tigress snorted and brushed past the guards without another word, tail lashing from side to side.

It was only then that the group heard the crying in the far corner of the tent.

Tora sighed and limped over to the source, already bracing herself for the worst. They soon arrived at a small bed where Fountain lay, crying into the embrace of her husband as a unicorn doctor watched them with sad eyes. He looked to the group. “Friends?”

“Yeah, we are. So...Fount, Curt? Wot’s wrong?” Tora softly asked the married couple, carefully kneeling down beside Fountain’s bed.

Curtis made to speak, but couldn’t get the words out. The doctor sighed and adjusted his glasses. “The good news is that the child is alive still.”

“...And the bad news?” Octavia asked slowly, concerned eyes turning from the crying mare to the doctor.

“...It will be a very sickly foal,” The doctor made to straighten up, but seemed to decide against it in the end, letting out another tired sigh. “It’s immune system is what seemed to take the brunt of the damage. As a result, it may never be able to enjoy the outdoors for very long before it gets terminally ill.”

“...Shite,” Tora cursed under her breath, giving Fountain’s shoulder a comforting squeeze.

Durin didn’t speak for a time, before he looked to Fountain, then the doctor. “I may be able to strengthen the kid’s immune system.”

“You could?!” Curtis cried, eyes locking on the mutant.

Fountain immediately stopped crying at that, shooting her head up to look straight at Durin.

“...Y’ can?” Tora asked simply, an unreadable expression on her face.

“I’d be surprised if you could, but the chances are-” The doctor began.

“-Slim, I know,” Durin willed a certain bottle to his hand, filled with blue, grainy looking liquid. “...To be honest I don’t know if it’ll be anything but temporary, but,” He looked to Fountain. “I have ways of making more of these, so, potentially, when the kid’s born, if he or she ever wants to go outside to play, you could just give him one of these and they’d be fine for a bit.” He jingled the potion in his hand for emphasis. “And, potentially, I could find a way to make their effects permanent. Dunno yet though. Only just got a way to reliably make them.”

The pegasus latched a hoof onto one of Durin’s hands, “P-please...help my baby.”

Durin looked down at her. “There’s only one problem.” He looked to the potion. “The potions I use are highly toxic. Just one of my weaker ones would kill a m- pony outright.” He willed another potion out into the hand she’d grabbed. It seemed to be filled with white, viscous liquid. It even smelled of honey. “Thankfully, I have one here that helps with that, but it’s still a slim chance. We’d have to give you a single drop of this to make sure the other potion’s effect doesn’t get canceled.”

“...Just do it. I can’t...I can’t lose our baby,” Fountain said, placing a hoof on her gravid stomach.

“I can’t say I fully approve of this,” The doctor started slowly, before looking to Durin. “But if it works, you’ll have my thanks as well.” He looked to Fountain, smiling at her. “The last thing I’d want is an old friend losing her baby.”

“Neither do I,” Tora chimed in, patting Fountain’s shoulder and then rising to her feet to give the mare some breathing room.

Durin sighed, then dismissed the items. “Give me time. Right now we only have a temporary solution. I never said it was permanent.” His gaze softened as he locked eyes with Fountain. “Just...let me know when the kiddo is gonna pop, and I’ll come by and hand you as much of these as I can carry.”

“A-alright...we’ll let you know. And...th-thank you,” Fountain said through teary eyes and a tired but warm smile.

Curtis smiled up at Durin as well. “You have my thanks as well.” He tightened his hold on Fountain.

Durin gave a weak smile in response. “You’re welcome.” He turned around, starting to walk off. “I’ll come and talk to you all again later. I have to go play diplomat now.” He waved, despite not turning around. “Wish me luck.” He said dryly.

“Good luck,” Fountain said earnestly, giving him a wave in kind. “Wish you the best.”

Octavia and Vinyl watched him go with frowns. “...Why do I get the feeling he’s more tired than he’s ever been?” Octavia whispered to Vinyl.

“That’s cuz he is, sheilas. Stay safe,” Tora whispered into their ears before she followed Durin out of the tent.

Durin stood before what felt to him like an assembly. And he wasn’t far off. Many of the most influential and powerful of ponies of Equestria stood before him now, followed closely by the most militarily experienced.

Celestia, Luna, and Twilight made up the royal section, sitting on makeshift thrones at the head of the table in the tent.

The Pillars of Equestria sat on either side, along with the Elements.

And finally, Tempest and the General of the Army, the General of the Air Force, and the Fleet Admiral of the Navy sat on either side of him.

‘...I feel a lot more tired now.’ He grumbled in his head.

“So,” Tempest began, looking up at him. “You are the creature that’s given us the slip so many times.” She scanned him up and down. “Durin, correct?”

“Yeah,” He replied simply.

“And you said you knew about the recent going’s on?” Celestia asked, her typical mask of stone firmly on her face.

“...Yeah,” Durin replied with less enthusiasm than before, if that was even possible.

“Inform us, then,” Luna urged with a hoof.

Durin paused, then sighed as if he was weighed down by the world itself. “So, I’m guessing you’ve been trying to figure the monsters that have popped up out, right?” He started. They all nodded. “Well, far as I know, they’re all from completely different worlds than this one. One group is from a world of aging Heroes, one is from a world full of more monsters than most can claim to have, and one is from a world that’s basically been doomed, saved, and remade hundreds of thousands of times.”

Silence followed that statement. He took that as a cue to continue. “I… Have a lot of experience fighting all of them. Fought them all for years, I guess you could say.”

“So...you are a Realm Hopper, then?” Star Swirl ventured.

Durin paused. “...Sort of.” He shook his head. “Point is, I know about most of these monsters.”

“‘Most?’” The General of the Army quirked a brow, crossing her forelegs over her barrel.

Durin grunted. “There are a lot of them that seem to have merged somehow, or changed entirely. Same goes for a lot of the items they leave behind.”

They all looked at each other, then back to him. “If you know as much as you say you do…” Twilight began. “It would be kind of-”

“-Stupid to be hunting him like we have been?” Pinkie finished for her.

Twilight winced. “...Yeeeah…”

Durin shot the pink mare a strange look. She tilted her head at him in response. “What?”

“...You know, I think I might like you,” he shook his head. “Anyways, if you want more info, that’s fine, but I want something in return.”

The Fleet Admiral frowned. “You aren’t exactly in a position to be asking us for things, you know that?”

Durin shot the grey stallion a withering glare. “Way I see it, I damn well do.” All eyes widened at the sudden amount of poison in his voice. “You ponies have hunted me down for months. Let that sink in for a bit. A guy new to a world gets hunted down for months. Months. No reason whatsoever as to why, at that.” Durin growled, clenching his fists hard. “You leave him scared, alone, and angry beyond belief. And yet still you hunt him down. Like a fucking animal.” He clenched his teeth. “Despite that, he still tries to help you all out, to keep your world safe, and what does he get?” He gestured harshly to the assembly. “A fucking interrogation! Like he’s some criminal who murdered a queen!” He slammed a fist down on the table. “And did he ever kill a fucking pony or civilian? Did he ever destroy property, or do anything illegal at all?! NO! HE FUCKING DID NOT!”

Durin removed his hand from the now broken in half table. “So maybe next time you get a visitor from another world, take the chance to fucking be courteous to him, yeah?” He turned around, marching towards the exit to the tent.

“Where are you going? We aren’t done-” Rainbow tried to say, but Durin shot a glare back at her that seemed to hold more promise of death than even Narinye’s eyes did.

“I’m done. That’s what matters,” He spat. Without any other words, he marched out of the tent.

Author's Note

Well, here's the new chapter finally! Damn did it take ages. Sorry folks! :twilightsheepish:

But hey, it's here now at least, and that's what matters, right?

Right?

...Right?

-Timeless Lord Slayer

Please don't hurt us... :fluttershyouch:

21 - Bonus Chapter: With You In The Dark (Edited... Yet Again)

Author's Note

Well, this was a very fun chapter to write. As you can see, this is one of the Bonus Chapters I spoke of in the recent blog. And, as you may or may not have noticed, it was a crossover with Equinox Starshifter's story, My Little Tactics. Great guy, have to say, and a great writer.

Hopefully this long ass chapter isn't terrible. Heaven knows I worried about that the whole time we were writing it. But, if it is, it will be edited to fix that.

Anyways, hope you all enjoy it!

-Timeless Lord Slayer

21 - Bonus Chapter: With You In The Dark (Edited... Yet Again)

A form walks through the Dark.

It swallows him whole.

He walks onward, torch in hand.

His eyes blaze with baleful green light, like a beast.

Eyes watch from afar.

They pounce.

Steel sings it's tone through flesh and hide, splattering blood on the stones.

Claws rend through the mutant's armor.

He grabs the claws, and rips them off.

His wound heals.

His blade sings through more flesh.

Baleful blue Eyes watch from the Cosmos.

CRACK

Durin swung his pick with little attention to the action, breaking apart stone one block at a time as his thoughts swam. It had been a day since he left Ponyville in a huff, and he was still, naturally, upset.

‘Fucking ponies.’ He swung his pick again, breaking another block of stone. ‘Hypocritical, dumbass ponies.’ His mouth was set in a thin line, green eyes ablaze with anger. He swung his pick harder. ‘I fucking saved them so many times, and what do I get?’ He swung even harder. ‘Hunted down like a fucking animal!’

He swung particularly hard at that. ‘Treated like one, at that! All on baseless!’ A harsh swing of his pick. ‘Fucking!’ Another swing, another block. ‘Accusations!’ He stopped for a moment, then sighed and continued. ‘If they’d have just given me a fucking chance to talk instead of immediately trying to capture me, none of this would have happened.’

The previous night he'd been exhausted after using so much Will, yet forged on all the same through the distrust and suspicion and worry to help others. And it'd only left him more tired. He hadn't bothered staying long enough to explain everything he knew after meeting with the leaders of Equestria. Only long enough to explain the Blood Moon to his friends, and then to get home and collapse into bed.

The nightmares had come after that.

He grit his teeth, a familiar face flashing through his mind’s eye. “...I really wish you were here, Robin…” He hurriedly wiped away the single tear that fell, then resumed his work as he took deep breaths. “Forget it, Durin. Just...keep working.”

And so he did, swinging his pick time after time and slowly shaping his new mineshaft. However, soon enough, a bright flash of light blinded him, and a yelp sounded out as he felt his pick brush by something.

When the light cleared, there was a man surprisingly that seemed to just barely be shorter than six feet tall. Though a brown cloak obscured his face it was clear from what was peeking out under the hood that his hair was brown and that he likely was feeling a bit disoriented judging by the squint from his eyes. A groaning came from the man as he sat up, allowing his cloak to billow open, making clear he wore leather armor across his chest and that he had a buckler strapped to his right arm.

“I think I am going to stay away from that brand in the future.” Rubbing the bridge of his nose with two fingers of his gloved hand, the man opened his brown eyes to reveal ordinary pupils that showed he was ordinary in the fact he wasn’t modified in some way, at least not visibly. However when his eyes adjusted he spotted something he didn’t think he would see in his lifetime. “Holy shit! Are you another human?! Did I return home somehow?”

Durin removed his pick from the solid earth next to the man’s head, eyes just as wide as his. “...I…” He seemed to choke on his words, before shaking his head. “No. This...isn’t Earth.” His feline eyes, glowing in the low light, noted the yellow scrap of paper on the man’s chest. “Do you uh...always have sticky notes on your chest?”

The man stood up, confused for a moment before understanding came to his eyes. “Right, course it wouldn’t be as simple as falling asleep dead drunk just to find myself back home.” Standing up, it was clear the man was armed in a few different ways. Along his right hip were two scabbards. One clearly meant for a straight length of blade and another with a slight curve to it. On his left hip through a loop in his belt hung an axe that had a strange finish that seemed to reflect the light in the same way an oil slick might. His belt had more than a handful of pouches as well as some potions lining it.

“Sticky note?” Reaching down there indeed was a yellow piece of paper stuck to his armor. “Let’s see, is it from Pinkie or Twilight? Hmm, don’t really recognize the handwriting.” Taking a moment, the man stretched as he started to read. “Hello there, Dusty.” The man quickly thought of the pink party pony, the only one to call him that. “I hope you don’t mind me borrowing you for a spell, but one of my boys could use some quality human time. Don’t worry about your world, they’ll all be just fine, I talked with...eugh, Father, and he made sure of it.” Neither had a clue who this Father was but both wondered how they had dealings with his world or control over it for that matter. “For now just enjoy what time you have with your fellow man. P.S. Tell Duri that I say hi! He’ll get a kick out of it I’m sure.”

When ‘Dusty’ looked up, he could see Durin was certainly ‘getting a kick out of it.’ Durin’s form was aglow with light blue tattoos, and his free hand blazed with the primal light of fire. Durin turned eyes with more fire than Hell to ‘Dusty’. “So.” He began. “You a spy of Traders? Or just one of her minions in general?” As he said this, he kept his senses sharp.

Dusty took note of the anger and readied himself for trouble but tried to keep a calm face. “Look, I don’t know what you mean though I can guess, if this Trader person can pull me from my world on a whim to yours, I am guessing that she did the same to you. I am in a similar boat except I have a pair of Merchants to thank for me being away from Earth. Fuck I don’t even know if you and I are from the same Earth or if we are from fucking similar realities cause bullshit Multiverse Theory. So no, I am not a spy. I am a victim and am trying to get by in my current reality as is. Which by my estimate it has taken nearly a year and a half to do so.”

Durin stared Dusty down for the longest time, before slowly, the glow and tattoos faded, and the flame in his hand sputtered and died out. “...Good. You’re not lying.” Durin sighed, rubbing the back of his head. “But this still brings a whole load of problems I do not need right now.” He shook his head. “So, what’s your actual name? Or are you fine with me just calling you Dusty?”

Relaxing his guard the cloaked man started checking over his pouches and his weapons. “Dustan Warner. You can if you want, only Pinkie tends to call me that so if you want to, sure go for it. Means I can quickly tell who is trying to get my attention.” In some of his pouches there seemed to be something wrapped in leaves, cloth, a type of pill, and weirdly enough, golden needles as well. The blades Dustan carried were opposite ends of the spectrum. The curved blade seemed to have a rather ornate handle, and it was clear upon drawing it that it was not normal as energy crackled along it for a moment before he sheathed it.

The other sword was simple, looking to be made with the purpose of just being a weapon instead of also looking nice. There were, however, two things unusual about it in that its base was a good bit wider than a normal long sword should be and it was colored crimson. “Everything seems to be pretty much in order.” Lowering his hood and running his fingers through his hair showed that Dustan was due for a haircut. “So um, mind me asking what is with the eyes? I mean, I kinda get it if the Trader is like the other Merchants in stories in that she fucks with you, but it’s still good to know more about who it is I will be spending time with. Like, how long have you been in this world?”

Durin grunted, hefting his platinum pickaxe over his shoulder. “Nearly two and a half months.” He turned and gestured for Dustan to move. “Eyes are like a cat’s because I’m a Witcher. Among other things. Mind moving? Got a mineshaft to make.”

“Sure no problem.” Taking a step to the side and moving around Dustan tried moving his body a bit more shaking off the effects of last night’s drinking. “Witcher huh? Never got to play those games myself and-” The sound of a distant rock hitting the ground made him wince. “One moment.” Holding a hand above his head and in a clear voice he called out a word. “Esuna.” A mote of light appeared above his head and circled around him before a wall of light sprang up and followed the mote before closing in on the follow displaced. “Much better. Esuna for all your remedy needs. You have no clue how happy I was when I discovered that it works on hangovers.”

Durin grunted as he swung his pick into the rock. “Count yourself lucky you can still get those so easily. I have to basically poison myself to get drunk.”

“It is more expensive than it sounds.” Looking up and down the tunnel to see how far Durin has dug he continued. “Pony booze in my world is either extremely watered down, or they are all lightweights. Takes so much to do the trick. So why are you digging?”

Durin swung his pick again, breaking off a block of stone, when, in Dustan’s mind, it should have broken off a misshapen chunk. “Need more materials. All the other shafts are tapped out.”

“Resource gathering, got it. Do you have to dig it all yourself or-” For a moment while watching the cloaked human’s mind slowly came to realize what was happening. Not only were the stone not forming correctly but also vanishing. “Where is all of that going? Bag of holding or something? I have mine ri...nevermind I don’t have it.” Of course the one thing he didn’t check on was the one thing he didn’t have.

Durin shook his head, pausing in his mining to look over his shoulder at Dustan. “You could certainly help if you wanted, but I don’t have an extra pick with me. As for where it’s going…Inventory.” At that utterance, a screen popped up in front of Durin, who turned around to show Dustan said screen. “This is where it’s going.”

“Oh...you got an inventory.” Sighing and face-palming the man shook his head. “What I wouldn’t give for one of those myself. Seems you got some pretty neat abilities.” To the onlooker nothing would change with Dustan. But, for him, upon activating his own particular ability called Tactical Eye, he was able to get some information on things he looked at. “Lets see, Platinum Pickaxe, Eagle School Medallion, huh. Did you know your job class is registered as Mutant?” Dustan looked to the walls and the tunnel ahead trying to figure out in what way he could help that wouldn’t also cause the tunnel being dug to collapse.

Durin frowned. “...I didn’t, no. None of the games this world takes elements of had a class system, save for maybe Terraria.” He narrowed his eyes. “...How did you know my class, anyway? You get the same video gamey abilities as me?”

“Sorta.” Dustan rubbed his chin, looking at the wall. The man adjusted his buckler for a moment. “In my case it’s not the same as yours but Final Fantasy based. Specifically Final Fantasy Tactics, though it seems other games of the series are leaking into it somewhat. Had some encounters with others but those were Discord messing with me at the time. I have one particular ability that seems to be unique to me called Tactical Eye. I suppose it is meant to recreate how the player could see the names, level, and other stats of someone or get descriptions of items.” Moving up to a wall and running his hand over it he asked. “How sturdy did you make this tunnel? A hard knock or two won’t cause it to collapse on us will it?”

Durin shook his head. “This world operates on three different kinds of physics from three different games. Terraria’s, which typically defies general physics, and the Witcher and Fable, which follows more with physics.” Durin shook his head. “Either way, I placed a good few beams down to make sure it won’t collapse, just in case.” He gestured to the wooden beams and supports spaced evenly along the length of the shaft.

Looking down and tapping his booted foot against the ground Dustan gave a nod, more to himself than to what Durin said. “Good to know. If that is the case then I might be able to help after all. Mind backing up? Never tried using this ability in this way before. If it doesn’t work, back to the drawing board until I figure something out.”

Durin grunted. “Just don’t collapse the shaft.” He said, backing up as requested.

Watching his fellow human get out of the way, Dustan smiled. This was nice. He had been feeling homesick for a good bit and even if this wasn’t his world, having someone who he could relate to did ease that feeling some. “Geomancer.” Normally he said this in his mind but he had lowered his guard being around another human. Thus the man who was normally Squire changed his Job to the mage of nature.

Durin’s Medallion’s eyes glowed red, starting to lightly tug on it’s chain as well as vibrate. Durin paid it little heed, but kept himself ready for anything.

Taking a firm stance and holding out his left hand the job changing human called out a simple word. “Contortion.” The word might not seem to be magical in of itself, but the very earth itself knew its power and could feel it coming from him. The tunnel’s end glowed blue, lighting up the earth and rocks in their way before they would shift and push out of the way, either to the sides of the tunnel itself or digging itself deeper and out of the way. “Huh, neat. Didn’t think I could use it that way.”

Durin blinked. “That’s a handy ability.” He looked to Dustan. “Still, were you not trying to use it that way?”

Dustan shakes his head. “Most of the abilities I have are from a tactical RPG game so there was no show of it being used in any way beyond an attack. My world has it so that when I learn abilities, I have to control how they are used as mine don’t quite respond in the same way you would think they would. I don’t have the ability to select an attack, I have to think and feel it. In the game lightning could be called from the sky, for me, well I mimic good ol’ Palpatine with his unlimited power in how I use lightning.”

Durin hummed. “Huh.” He looked to the newly lengthened tunnel. “Still, this should help make some good tim-” Suddenly, a low rumbling shook the tunnel, followed by rapid clicks and shrieks. “-Shit.” Durin turned to Dustan, willing his silver sword to his hand. “We have to go, now! Shaelmaar are coming, and we need an open area if we’re gonna have a chance at fighting them!”

Dustan thought at first it was his fault the rumbling happened but the relief that came with knowing it wasn’t was replaced with both the dread and curiosity that could only be expressed in one way. “What is a Shaelmaar?” He looked to Durin, who would know the best way to go to find an open area.

Durin started to run down the opposite end of the tunnel, motioning for Dustan to follow. “I’ll tell you while we run, now come on! There’s no telling how many or what kind are coming!”

Not sure how fast his new Mutant Witcher friend was, Dustan changed from a Geomancer to Ninja, his fastest job class, and started moving quickly to follow. “Should we seal the tunnel to slow them down?”

Durin shook his head. “No point. Shaelmaar are basically a cross between moles and caterpillars, they’d dig right through any collapse we made,” Durin explained, running as fast as his legs would carry him as the rumbling grew louder.

Not wanting to waste time on ideas when clearly running was the better option, Dustan started to book it. In his world thanks to the benchmarks he had recently done at his castle, Dustan thought he might outpace his ally but found him keeping up quite well. “Not going to lie, figured I might out run you. Had to recently come to terms that though I look human, my capabilities physically are not exactly standard anymore.”

Durin grunted. “Not really the time to talk about these things, dude, but suffice to say, I’m not human anymore.” Durin soon saw the shaft start to open up. “We’re almost to the hub! Pick up the pace!” Durin urged, the sound of rumbling even closer now.

Dustan could see the opening of the tunnel coming up and knew what it was the cat eyed man was talking about when he said hub. Getting himself ready he pulled out his gleaming crimson blade as he gritted his teeth and pushed onwards. ‘Relax and enjoy some human time. RIGHT, cause humans always get chased by molemen in the underground.’

When they burst out of the tunnel, so too did the beasts behind them, easily rending gashes into the carefully placed walls of the shaft they just came out of. Durin immediately whirled around on the tiled stone floor, Dustan doing the same, allowing them to get a view of the Shaelmaar. What they saw was what could only be described as a strange mole with no eyes to speak of, and fin-like claws covered in stoney armor, along with their heads and backs.

The two Shaelmaar screeched so loud it almost seemed like the duo’s ears would bleed, announcing their challenge. “Fuck, could you two get any louder?” Not taking his eyes off the monstrosities in front of him the class changing human asked the expert, “So, what is the best way to deal with these rolly polies?”

“They’re blind, and sensitive to noise. Use that or whatever you can to knock them on their backs. Their underbellies are soft. Kill them quick, too. They could easily disrupt other underground dwellers,” Durin explained, willing the strange, steam-punk looking Hero Pistol to his other hand and firing a shot right at one of the Shaelmaar’s heads, putting a good sized dent in it’s armor plating and making it squeal and stagger back.

Taking a cue from Durin, Dustan pulled back his fist holding the sword and thrust it forward, a useless gesture for most normal individuals but for him it seemed as if his punch reached out and connected in a similar manner as the ranged attack, though less effective. It seemed to do something to the bug mole though as it’s head moved to the invisible hit.

Screeching again, the two Shaelmaar suddenly curled up and started to charge straight towards the duo like the living boulders they were. “Knock them over!” Durin called, narrowly dodging said charge from one of the beasts.

Dustan took the highroad instead of the side, using one of the skills of his classes and jumping straight up vertically and letting the hard shelled horror roll under him. “Easier said than done!” When he landed though he thrust out his hand and called out, “Strip away the ground with glistening blades! THUNDER!” It was as he described with one exception. Since he was holding his sword, instead of his fingertips the lightning poured out from the crimson colored weapon into the beast, caressing it but doing little else in the way of damage as he landed on his feet behind the Shaelmaar. “Well, found out they are insulated or grounded. Lightning doesn’t work.”

“Watch out!” Durin called, but it was too late. In an instant, Dustan felt what could only be described as a freight train slam into his side, the cracking and fracturing of bones easily heard as he was knocked to the side by a stoney fin.

Dustan, while not a fan of it, was no stranger to broken bones. Thus, at moments like this he was entirely happy to have the abilities he did. “Life’s refreshing breeze, heal from the sky! Cura!” A pair of green glowing lights came up from the ground and spiraled around him as the labored breathing vanished and he stood up. “I’m ok. Say do you get motion sick?”

Durin fired off three shots at one Shaelmaar, chipping it’s armor bit by bit as he replied, “No! Why?” he asked, before rolling out of the way of a swipe and retaliating with an upward slash of his sword in one fell swoop, leaving a sizable gash in the monster’s soft underarm.

Quickly throwing a heavy rock away from him to get the attention of the big bug that wanted to squish him Dustan smiled. “Good to know, you can make more use of this then I can.” Holding out his hand towards Durin, he called out, “Layer upon layer make your mark now! Haste!” A pair of spiraling roman numerals vertically circled the Mutant that was Durin before closing in on the center of his chest.

Durin nearly stumbled from how fast he now moved, but quickly adjusted, firing off three more shots at the other Shaelmaar’s fin-like arms, piercing holes in the less heavily armored appendages.

Said Shaelmaar screeched and staggered back, clutching it’s injured fin. Durin caught movement in his peripheral, and backflipped out of the way of the other Shaelmaar’s slam. Durin looked to Dustan. “Take care of the more wounded one! Don’t let it get away, it could alert others of its kind!”

Dustan smiled as he watched the hurt Shaelmaar no longer able to roll which meant its belly was now nice and open for an attack, especially from below. Like before Dustan pulled his arm back before thrusting it forward, but instead of the invisible attack from before a yellow streak seemed to flash from the ground as it rushed towards the beast. As the energy reached it a pulse from below where the line was rushed up to hit it. The Shockwave attack lived up to its old name of Earth Slash, contrary to its newer one as the attack ripped at the underbelly of the large monster causing the secrets of its body to come spilling out and be revealed to the pair.

Entrails, kidneys and more spilled out as the beast collapsed on it’s side, a puddle of blood forming under it as it weakly tried to get up. But, eventually, it went still, and silent.

Meanwhile, Durin was still fighting the remaining Shaelmaar, whose fins and legs were covered in broken, rocky shards and holes from bullets. Despite this, it continued to fight, trying to hit Durin with a flurry of swipes.

Durin dodged each one with his enhanced speed, before aiming a shot right at its head. Squeezing the trigger, the beast could only stagger and stumble back, clutching its head. It screeched, staggering over to a wall and slamming against it, blood leaking from the hole the bullet had made in its head.

It let out a final, pitiful squeak, before it too, passed on.

Durin sighed, dismissing his weapons. “Well, that’s another batch of meat for me to use, I guess.” He looked to Dustan. “Nice work there.”

“Thanks.” Dustan said and smiled. “Same to you. Not used to fighting something that naturally armed and quick before. If it was wearing armor, I have ways of dealing with it. If it was alone I have ways of whittling it down, but combine its speed, power, toughness, and a second one, and well I get sent into a wall I suppose. Thank goodness for healing magic. Rather not spend any more time letting ponies poke and prod me than I have to. Don’t get me wrong, the ones I know mean well they are just...too eager to unlock my body’s mysteries.”

Durin chuckled. “Talkative, aren’t you?” He walked over to one of the monsters, willing a small knife to his hand. “Guessin’ you’re starved for interaction with your own kind?” He ventured, starting to carve into the Shaelmaar.

“I have been stuck in my world for about a year and a half. No other human, no one who understands the alienation, the xenophobia, the mannerisms, the culture that I come from. Really hurts.” Dustan let his friend carve the beasts as he had no clue as to what would be good to get from them. “Sure I have a place of my own and people that accept me now, but I worked hard to make my own place. People naturally flocked to me when I did but still. Though I have friends, a place to call my own, it's just...not the same. I didn’t have much of a life back home and I am not sure where I would have gone with it, but the connections, family, friends? All gone in an instant. So yeah, starved is a good word for it.”

Durin didn’t reply for a short span of time, and though there was silence, neither broke it until Durin decided to. “I guess I’m in about the same boat. Sure, I lived alone up in Alaska, but at least I had friends nearby. Now?” Durin looked to his hands, stained with blood. “...Now I’ve got all kinds of blood and responsibility on my hands.” He let out a self-deprecating chuckle. “Hell, I have to stop a literal Eldritch Horror from fucking H.P. Lovecraft, even if it’s a different version.”

“Ouch. While I can’t say I am in the same boat I am in a similar one in some regards.” Pulling out a strip of jerky from one of his pouches to nibble on, Dustan took a moment to savor the flavor before he continued. “I have a stone in my pack, that isn’t with me right now but I am almost one hundred percent positive that it is a powerful entity that can destroy the world. No one knows it but me and I make sure to almost never let it out of my sight. There is also the fact that creatures from the Final Fantasy games seem to be popping up left and right and if the stone I have is the basis well there are possibly twelve more that contain powerful demonic like entities all looking for a chance to fuck up the world.”

Durin grunted. “Aren’t we the lucky bastards.”

“Could be worse I suppose.” The cloaked man said as he finished off the piece of jerky. “I have read stories where Displaced like us spend a thousand years petrified with their minds aware the whole time. Ones where they are mutilated, sold as slaves, and worse. I don’t see you turned into stone, with a collar around your neck, or missing pieces of you that you wish you still had. As much as you or anyone hates a situation, it could always be worse.”

Durin frowned. “There’s that word again,” He looked up at Dustan. “What the heck’s a Displaced, and why and how do you know so much?”

Dustan looked at the man who had traits from several games and blinked once. “You...aren’t a fan of My Little Pony are you?”

Durin shook his head. “Not particularly.”

“Hmm, how to explain this then...” Leaning back against one of the walls of the hub Dustan took a moment to collect his thoughts. “My Little Pony, a children’s show that surprisingly appealed to all ages, has a section of fans that write fiction for it. One of the common writing tropes that is used is a means to take someone from our normal world and write them in the My Little Pony universe, usually giving them strange powers though not always. They are taken to said universe in a multitude of ways, the most common being the Merchant like myself. Displaced is the term given to those that were written in this way. Turns out multiverse theory is a bitch though because any results that can happen, will. Guess which results we are.”

Durin grunted, shaking his head as he got back to work. “Figures.”

Nodding once more and leaning back more, Dustan relaxed against the wall. “Yep, you hear about all those kids who say they see the boogieman? Turns out we are the ones telling the truth and have actually seen him.”

Durin only grunted again. “Fuckin’ Lady Fate.” He looked to the other corpse, then tossed Dustan a knife after willing it from his Inventory. “Take that and go carve that thing up.”

Dustan caught the knife in his hand before heading over to the other Shaelmaar. He had done quite a bit of this type of thing when he first started out, but nothing on this large of a scale. “Can do but can’t promise the best of work.” As Dustan was working over the bug mole he couldn’t help but chat up his ally. “So, what’s it been like for you in your world? Ponies here kind, nice, mean, xenophobic? Usually if you can win them over they cling to you pretty hard. I think it has to do with herd mentality.”

Durin frowned, taking out some entrails and setting them to the side. “They’re sexist, slightly racist, and way too skeptical and paranoid.”

“So, just like my world. I will say they do get over it, but you either have to do a grand gesture to show you aren’t bad, or treat them like they are kids meeting a stranger.” The carving knife caught on a particularly nasty piece of sinew that the senior Displaced had to saw through a bit before continuing. “Its annoying, they can be loud, brash, or just too inquisitive for their own good. However a good deal are alright once you get passed the ‘ITS A MONSTER, RUN!’ phase. There are going to be those ones that stick to their racist ideals the entire time but in that way they are very human-like.”

Durin paused at that. “...Only real problem is they wouldn’t be far off in calling me a monster.” He continued his work. “I’m basically a mixture of two different kinds of humans, only mutated to be like a Witcher as well.” His frown deepened. “So my ‘class’ name isn’t really far off from what I am now.”

“A job and who you are are not the same thing.” Pulling back a good piece of hide Dustan cleared his throat. “‘The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.’ Martin Luther King Jr. So in the end tell me. Are you a monster? Do you feel, look, speak, or act like one? Or since you said you are trying to stop something from Lovecraft, are you trying to save people? A monster doesn’t save people.”

“...Thanks,” Durin said eventually, smiling slightly despite himself. The rest of the work passed in silence, and eventually, Durin stood up and deposited all the meat into his Inventory. He looked to Dustan, holding out his hand. “Mind handing those to me? Last thing we need is more predators smelling that stuff.”

“Sure thing.” Handing him both the knife and the parts from the monster that were cut Dustan looked behind himself for a moment before remembering he didn’t have his pack. “One moment.” Holding out his hand and concentrating he spoke. “Liquid that gives life, take it away now. Water.” An orb of pure water was summoned in front of him and he took a moment to hold his focus so that it stayed there before smiling. “First time I used that spell. That isn’t a spell from Tactics at all but I somehow learned it from a fight. That isn’t to say a spell like it isn’t in one or more of the games but still.” Moving his hands into the orb he used it to wash up. “Go ahead and wash up as best you can. Not sure how long that I can make it float like that.”

Durin smiled and nodded, walking over and rinsing his hands, arms and legs. “Thanks.”

Once that was done, he summoned his Cell Phone, looking at it’s clock. “Might as well head back home.” He looked to the mine shaft they were once in. “I don’t like the idea of being in there when a nest of Shaelmaar are so obviously close. That, and it’s getting late.” He started to walk towards one of the many pillars, this one marked with, oddly enough, white flamed torches. “Come on, we can rest at my place. It’s not terribly far.”

It was at this point that Dustan noticed where they were. While shaft entrances lined every wall, in the middle of the room, and even running across it, were pillars, coupled with what seemed to be primitive rope lifts on those pillars leading up to a bridge far above, where yet more torches lay.

“You said you have only been here a couple of months now right? If so not going to lie, this is really impressive.” Running a hand through his hair again he chuckled. “Then again your powers are suited for this.”

Durin chuckled himself. “Being part Terrarian means I have my own brand of physics, so I can make a house in just one day. Being an experienced carpenter helps. Always had a flair for architecture.”

“Nice. The profession I wanted really doesn’t help in my world.” Making a wide sweeping gesture he laughed. “Hell, you might have it in your world, but in mine there is a ruin called the Castle of The Two Sisters. A team of builders and I spent months renovating and building it up. It’s not as it once was before but it’s no longer a ruin. We are adding on to it by the day and other building projects as not only are ponies coming to live there, but other races as well. Griffons, Dragons, Minotaurs, one of the Parrot races that...I actually am not sure of the name of. Point is, if you don’t have a place you belong, build one. Though I can’t take all of the credit as I didn’t build it all by myself.”

The Witcher chuckled again. “Fairest point I’ve ever heard,” he said as they walked over to a pillar and Durin stepped onto the rope lift. “See you up there,” he said with a two finger salute before the mechanism lifted him up into the air.

Eventually he followed the gravel voiced man up when it was his turn taking a moment to look at how deep the tunnel went. Once he finally arrived up top he called out. “You said you had something to eat right? Don’t really have my pack now so I have to rely on your word that you have food enough for both of us.”

Durin smirked as Dustan stepped off the lift. “Oh believe me, thanks to a certain feline, I have plenty in reserve.” He turned, starting to walk down the bridge towards one of the entrances. “Follow me and we’ll be there in no time.”

“Lead on.” Dustan laughed as he kept pace with the white haired human. “I don’t mind pretty much anything to eat. As long as it’s not chicken. Kinda have had one of those moments where I realized something and can’t unrealize it. Which sucks cause chicken tastes so good.” He takes a moment to think about it before realizing. “Wait...you don’t have Chocobo here, I don’t have to worry about that! Now I hope you have chicken!”

Durin grinned. “Just so happens I found a few plates of chicken flavored ramen in a chest a while back,” At Dustan’s expression of disgust, Durin laughed. “Relax, it’s still good. Terrarian food doesn’t go bad as long as it’s in my Inventory or a fridge.”

“That’s good to know. Not going to lie, of all the ways I could possibly go out? Food poisoning isn’t the way I want to do so.” Though he said that with a serious face a crack of a smile appeared before he started laughing loudly.

Durin joined him in his laughter as they walked the dimly lit tunnel, soon enough reaching a flight of stairs that seemed to go up quite a ways. More white flamed torches lined the walls of the stairwell, though Durin paid it no mind as he began to walk up the stairs.

Dustan gave a long, impressed whistle. “Seriously man, A plus to you for doing all this. Cheaty powers aside it looks great. I am pretty sure you could make quite an easy and profitable life for yourself if you could properly promote your work.”

The context of Durin’s smile changed. “Yeah. But I’ve never been looking out for just myself.” He shook his head. “Anyways,” He stopped at the top of the stairwell, then gestured to the insides of what seemed to be a very homey and rustic basement. “Welcome to Casa Del Duri-”

“Durin, y’ okay, mate? Y’ ran off in a tizzy after y’ left th’ meetin’ with th’ big honcho, aaan’ who th’ bloody fuck is this bloke?” Tora suddenly appeared from around a corner, her concerned expression shifting to one of confusion in the time it took to blink.

Durin blinked himself. “Oh, uh, this is Dustan. He’s uh…”

“He another Terrarian? I thought y’ said y’ were the last o’ them or somethin’,” Tora asked, stepping forward to thoroughly inspect Dustan.

Durin raised his hands in placation. “I am! Dustan’s not a Terrarian, he’s human!”

“...Hmm, a’ight. Nice t’ meetcha, Dustan. Y’ look miiiighty similar t’ Durin ‘s all, so forgive me if I mistook ya fer a Terrarian. Name’s Tora. Tora Katt,” Tora said, holding out a paw.

“Dustan Warner.” He took the hand but made sure not to squeeze too tightly. He wasn’t sure about the people of this world or how hardy they were and didn’t want to do any damage to someone he just met. “Also technically I think I would be a subspecies of Human. A Gaian at this point.” He couldn’t help but chuckle as he took a moment to realize her name. “Did you know for my species in a certain language your name would come out to tiger cat?”

“...Wot kinda fuckin’ drongos would speak such a fuckin’ weird-arse language, mate?” Tora asked after a few moments, expression blank.

“To be fair, I’m technically half Japanese on my mother’s side, sooo…” Durin rubbed the back of his neck.

“Could be worse. Could have someone play the song ‘Deja Vu’ while you try to play tag with sapient body parts in a life or death game of pure chaos.” Dustan laughs a bit as a thought came through his head. “Still kinda funny but still kinda pisses me off at times remembering it. Guess it’s been long enough at this point. Or I have long since become numb to that kind of crazy”

“...Yer life must be some kind o’ fucked t’ get numb t’ that kinda shit,” Tora said, withdrawing her hand and taking a tiiiiny step away from him. “...Sooo, y’ hairless ape, mind tellin’ me wot happened after y’ met th’ pony princesses an’ shite that made y’ storm off like someone poured cat piss on ya?”

Durin sighed, deflating a fair bit. “Just...a lot of pent up stress and frustration. Was exhausted too.” He looked up at the ceiling. “...You already know I’m not from this world, right?” He asked, looking back to her.

“...Had m’ suspicions. Y’ didn’t know ‘bout how mares and stallions did shite ‘round here, yer abilities an’ shite weren’t anythin’ that coulda come from anywhere I know of...an’ wot th’ bitch said sealed it,” Tora replied, crossing her arms over her modest chest. “...Y’ were taken, weren’t ya? From yer home?”

Durin slowly nodded. “Got dropped here for the dumbest of reasons. No idea where I was, what had happened to me, or what was going on, cut off from everything I knew…” Durin clenched his fists. “...It was Hell.” His gaze bored into the floor. “...Then, of course, Fate makes it worse when I meet the ponies. I go up to one of their floating cities, kill a monster and save them, and what do I get? Fear, revulsion, and distrust.” He looked back up to Tora. “So when they called me in for a meeting and interrogated me when all they needed to do was be polite and ask, yeah, I got pissed.”

Tora just stared at Durin for a good while...then stepped forward and wrapped him up in a big, tight hug, her tail curling around his back.

“...Y’ poor bastard. I know how y’ feel...somewot. Taken from m’ home by them fuckin’ sla- Moos, an’ bein’ alone...scared, not knowin’ wot yer gonna do…I can sympathize. I’m here fer ya, if y’ need to...ya know, talk or vent,” Tora said softly into his ear, her breath tickling the flesh even as he got a good sample of her rose-scented fur.

“Should I come back later and give you two some time alone? I will. I just don’t know where to go around here.” Dustan really didn’t want to interrupt the two but he was honestly a bit embarrassed by the level of intimacy. “I mean I can go back into the mines for like an hour if you need it...”

“...Nah, she’s apples,” Tora said, breaking the embrace and stepping back from Durin.

Durin sported a light blush as he coughed into his fist. “R-Right, let’s, uh, go get some food going.” He looked to Dustan. “I think you’ll like how Shaelmaar tastes when properly cooked.”

“Can you really cook that weird rolly polie bug mole and make it edible?” The cloaked human took a moment to really gaze at his friend and hoped it was as he said, though he might have been slightly skeptical.

“Y’ GOT MORE MEAT?!” Tora all but squealed, mouth watering and eyes sparkling in utter delight. “Put it on th’ fucking barbie, y’ bastard, you!”

Durin laughed. “Alright, alright,” he said, flipping the switch next to him and closing the secret entrance to his mine. “Let’s head upstairs then.” He suggested, walking down the small hall and towards the spiral staircase.

Tora bolted up the stairs on all fours, looking more like a cheetah than a tigress as she zoomed past him.

As she bolted up the stairs Dustan looked towards the host of the house. “She is rather adorable isn’t she? Weirdly most residential species of Equis have that effect. I think it has to do with the fact that the source material as we know it was meant for young girls.”

Durin smiled. “Yeah, she is, in her own way.” He shook his head, then looked to Dustan with a smirk. “Also, we really need to get you back in touch, because you’re spouting random facts a lot.”

“Maybe. I know plenty of facts and worst of all I know the timeline of my world as I am set in what is effectively season two. So yeah, considering the fact that my world is also slowly tilting out of that timeline is both good and bad, mostly bad as I am trying to keep it on track.” As he walked he was saying all of this quietly so as not to be heard. “No one knows about my knowledge either. It hurts to keep that to myself so, yeah I might be spouting random things but I can’t help it. I don’t know when I will be popped back to my world and I am trying to get the most of this as I can while I can.”

Durin patted the man’s shoulder as he followed him up the stairs. “It’s fine. If you need it, then do it. I ain’t gonna judge.”

Soon enough they reached the main floor of the house, allowing Dustan to see it was obviously heavily inspired by the Hobbit homes of the Lord of the Rings.

“Yeah, again you should be a house designer. I could easily see myself in a house like this. Castle is nice and all but being a Lord isn’t all that it’s cracked up to be at times.” Dustan looked around, marveling at the detail, the carvings in some of the materials as well as the attention to detail.

Durin chuckled. “I was in the same line of work, remember?” He walked past him, going down the circular hallway to find Tora sitting very impatiently at one of the chairs in the dining room.

“TUCKEEEEEEER!” Tora banged her fists on the table with a frenzied look in her eye.

Durin rolled his eyes. “Right, right,” he said, walking towards the kitchen and pulling out the slabs of meat he and Dustan had procured from his Inventory. As he went about cooking them, Dustan sat down across from Tora.

“So...y’ also not from this world? Y’ smell...off, kinda like Durin,” Tora asked, tilting her head slightly.

“No I am not. Not part of this world either. Kinda just...visiting I guess. I have been away from my world for about a year and a half and now I am somehow here. Regardless, for me it’s kinda nice to see someone like me, even if it is not exactly the same.” He said relaxing in a chair across from her.

“Hmm. Wot’s it like, in yer world? Crazier than this shitshow?” the tigress pressed, her amber gaze piercing into him.

“Hard to say. I mean, in some ways I think its a parallel to this world here minus some of the craziness I have heard going on. It has a Celestia, Luna, Cadance, the Elements of Harmony: Twilight Sparkle, Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, and Fluttershy. Actually, not sure how much I should say, my timeline might be ahead of yours and I’d rather not spoil things in case.” He tried to look thoughtful before shaking his head. “But for me, I am a Lord of the Everfree on my particular Equis. Not sure if your Everfree is as big as mine but I have a lot of land to cover. Still working through that.”

“You own th’ fuckin’ death forest in yer world? Well, you’re a right nutter.”

Dustan chuckles and nods, agreeing with her somewhat. “It’s not as bad as it seems to be fair. It can be really calm once you take the proper precautions. It can be rather lovely in fact.”

“Dark, dismal, full o’ fuckin’ dickhead beasties. Not m’ idea of ‘lovely’, mate,” Tora dryly remarked, giving an irritated glance at the kitchen. “Hurry th’ FUCK UP, Durin!”

“Good food takes time!” was Durin’s reply.

“Worst thing I have had to deal with is a hydra. Didn’t really have any casualties...well there was almost one but I managed to save her.” He explained and even laughed, though his laugh was a bit off as he rubbed his right arm.

“An’ who was th’ sheila?”

“A filly who technically wasn’t supposed to be there. She died for a bit, I had to even bargain with death itself to make sure the girl could come back.” Dustan looked down at the table, a far off look in his eyes as he remembered the event play out.

“Tch, fuckin’ anklebiters. Always instinctively tryin’ t’ cark it in th’ dumbest ways possible,” Tora chuffed irritably. “Hope th’ brush with death taught th’ sheila a lesson not t’ go where she’s not s’posed to.”

Durin soon came in, carrying three plates of Shaelmaar steak, two of which he placed in front of Dustan and Tora before sitting down in his own seat with his own plate.

“Kids aren’t that bad,” Durin started, picking up a jug of steak sauce from the table and pouring some onto his steak. “Pretty cute, actually.”

“I saw an anklebiter in Roam fuckin’ poke a caged Manticore at a circus with a stick that had a joy buzzer on th’ end. Fer reference, th’ little shit was in tail-range,” Tora said with a derisive snort, grabbing her steak and smearing the ambrosia that is steak sauce on it before fucking mauling the meat like a rabid beast.

Dustan was enjoying his own little slice of heaven, the meat a good deal tastier than he thought it had any right to be considering what it came from. “MMM, good.” He mumbled through a full mouth before swallowing. “Don’t get me wrong, she and the other two were trying to help. They had been given some training at my castle and our forces were low. I couldn’t spare the time or forces to escort them back. When I went to check on them again, one had collapsed, the poison of the hydra had gotten to her from a sliver of a claw fragment. The Hydra had become basically giant and more powerful thanks to the lush hunting that the Everfree gave it in my world where its normal home wouldn’t have offered it such a feast.” Looking up to them he sighed and picked up the knife in his left hand. “Tora, when I said earlier that I had to bargain with death, I don’t mean that as a figure of speech. I literally summoned the personification of death itself and struck a deal that would return the girl back to her body. Lost part of my own soul in the process but I would do it again. Now I just have to deal with the fact I can’t feel anything in my right arm from the bicep down.”

To emphasize the point he took the steak knife and slammed it into his right hand, pinning it to the table. “Nothing.” When he removed the bloodied knife he then used his healing magic to close the wound and make it seem as if it was never there, save for the small bit of blood that was left on the table and on the knife. “Oh, sorry about that.” Using the same method from earlier he summoned some water to clean his mess.

“...Okay, one, that hurt me, mate. Two...I didn’t feel that, like I do with all th’ other horny ponies I’m around when they do th’ magicky shit,” Tora said, setting down her steak and staring hard at Dustan. “How th’ fuck didja do it?”

“That is my brand of magic.” He said with a smile. “In my world, not sure if its the same here or not, Unicorns and Alicorns and to the lesser extent all races use Harmonic Magic. Basically they mix their own internal magic with the environments to boost their power.” Holding up his left hand and pointing it to himself he continue, “I use Neutral Magic. My magic comes all internally and needs no help from anything else. At first it was only I who could use it but I have been teaching all species on my world to learn to use it. Zebra’s, Unicorns, Earth Ponies, Pegasi, Dragons, Minotaurs, the Parrot race whom I still need to learn the proper name for, and more. Anyone can use my brand of magic.”

Durin hummed as he chewed on a bite of steak, before swallowing. “Doesn’t sound too different from my magic, then.” He held out a palm, a ball of flame dancing in it immediately after. “I basically have two brands of magic. Signs, and Will. Both are internally powered.” The flame suddenly turned to golden rings of roman numerals and clocks, all rotating around each other. “Will is more powerful, and arguably more varied, but Signs are practical and still just as useful.”

“Hmmm, suppose its a matter of knowledge and execution that is the difference between ours.” Thinking for a moment Dustan remembered something his Twilight had said to him. “Might be also where I draw my knowledge from. Someone told me that I get my knowledge from another plane of existence, which is how unicorns starting out or those with special talents seem to intrinsically know how to cast certain spells and such a lot easier than others. For others it affects their special talent in how easy they get that knowledge or how well they can expand upon such knowledge.”

“...Anyone can learn an’ use th’ magic y’ use? Where th’ bloody hell do I sign up, mate?” Tora asked with a dangerous gleam in her eyes.

Dustan shakes his head sadly. “It’s not that simple. Those in my world have been training for quite a while to learn anything. The best I could teach you quickly is some Squire abilities. Basic ones sure, but I am not sure if you will open up the Classroom cause this is a different world.”

Tora leaned over the table and stared Dustan dead in the eyes, “Does it look like I give a fuck, mate?”

Dustan finished off the last bit of his steak and shrugged. “Can’t hurt to try. If nothing else I have a long shot of a back up plan, though there is a good chance that I won’t get to see if it works. Sorta long term plan to acquire my type of magic.”

“You guys do that,” Durin interjected, gaze focused on his food. “I have things I need to do before it gets too dark.”

“Wot kinda things, mate?” Tora asked with a slight tilt of the head.

“...” Durin didn’t answer for a time, face screwed up in thought. “...” He sighed. “Paying respects to an old friend.”

“Take all the time you need.” The visitor told him as he rose up out of his seat. “Mind if I take a look at your workshop for now? Might need a couple of things to get started.”

Tora nodded with an understanding look in her eyes, “Yeah, take all th’ time y’ need, Durin.”

“Tora can lead you to the workshop,” Durin replied, polishing his plate before standing up himself. “Feel free to take a gun or two while you’re there.” He started to walk out of the room, adding an, “For the help you gave me,” before leaving the room, the sound of the front door opening and closing signaling his leave.

“...A’ight, this way, Dustan,” Tora said, standing up from the table and wiping off any remaining food around her mouth with her arm before gesturing for the man to follow her, turning and walking away on padded foot to the workshop.

“Alright, thanks.” He called out to Durin before adding something more for himself. “I mean, I kinda stirred up the Shaelmaar with my geomancy, so I am not sure if I would say helping you kill them really helped out since I caused it.”

“Jus’ follow me, mate,” Tora urged, curling her tail thrice in a gesture for him to follow her - now, preferably.

Dustan followed along behind the cat person as the cloaked man took mental stock of the first items that he would need, the same ones he gave to those wanting to try to obtain a job class on his world. It would be a simple test but if it didn’t work then he still had his long shot.

Tora led him through the hall, and soon down the secret stairwell leading back to the basement. After walking down the relatively short stairwell, they arrived at another hall, at which point Tora abruptly turned around and addressed Dustan, “A’ight, wot y’ lookin’ for, exactly, mate?”

Going through the mental checklist again the visitor from another world simply said, “I need a Root of Liliander, a Sprig of Oilum, leaves of Diathum, and a few berries from a Hawkin’s Rose.”

“...Only ever heard of th’ Liliander stuff, an’ even then, that’s stuff’s been cactus for decades,” Tora replied, brow rising up into her hairline. “Why’re y’ askin’?”

“I assume by cactus you mean dead?” He wondered out loud.

“Aye,” Tora nodded.

“Then that puts us in a bit of a bind.” He told her as he thought up something. “I tested those who wanted to acquire abilities like mine and the Root of Liliander was part of the thing needed.” Pulling out of one of the pouches on his belt, he showed her the balled up leaves containing a paste in the middle. “This is what you get when you mix them all up and add a tiny bit of magic to it. If you don’t have Liliander I can’t really give you the proper test. Meaning we have to go with my long shot.” Taking a moment, he went through a mental list of what might be needed for his idea.

“An’ yer ‘longshot’ shite iiis?” Tora asked, tapping a paw expectantly on the ground with her arms crossed over her chest.

“Can you find me a pestle and mortar and a crystal or some kind of gem that Durin won’t mind losing? Oh, and a knife,” Dustan told her before adding the last request in at the last moment.

A knife is helpfully tossed at his feet as the tigress turns on her heel and heads off to find the necessary reagents. A few moments later, she comes back with said mortar and pestle, along with what looks like a pure ruby.

“A’ight, do yer thing, Dustan. I’m waitin’,” Tora says, leaning against a wall and watching him with unblinking eyes.

Taking a moment to steady his breathing, the cloaked man put the gemstone into the bowl of the grinding tool before doing just that and starting to destroy it into a powder. “The item I am looking to make for you is called Materia. Usually it is made via the world’s own life force pouring out and having some of its knowledge stored in it. Er, well it’s a bit more complicated than that bit it’s the gist. What I am going to do here is similar but as I said it’s a bit of a long shot.” Once said ruby was nothing more than powder Dustan moved the tool away and took up the knife. “Your world doesn’t have the knowledge it needs and I’d rather not pull at its life force. So what we need is a source of life energy and knowledge.” With that, he took off his glove and cut open the palm of his hand and let the blood flow into the powder.

“Yeah, good thing yer usin’ y’self as that ‘life energy’ shite. I don’t think the planet’d right like bein’ stabbed all that much. I’d expect that’d make it mean as cat’s piss,” Tora remarked, eyes following the blood as it dropped onto the powder with tiny splashes.

As the crimson liquid dripped into the dust Dustan used his other hand, his numb hand, to try to start lightly mixing it. “Lets see if we can get just the right amount so that it turns into almost the consistency of something like mud or dough.” Occasionally he would have to pick up bits he dropped and put them back into the bowl but it did eventually get to the point he wanted. “Here is where I hope things catalyze a bit. I am going to hold this in my hands and start pouring my own magic into it hoping it tugs more of my life force into it since I am keeping the wound open, and will be thinking of the particular magic I am infusing into it. So cross your fingers kitty ca-“

“Don’t call me kitty cat,” Tora suddenly interrupted him, taking in a deep, shaky breath to calm herself. “Got some...real shit attached t’ those words, an’ I don’t wanna have t’ relive ‘em.”

“Really sorry to hear that. Didn’t know,” He remarked, seeing his blood dripping down past his other hand and having a bit of a lamenting look on his face as he couldn’t feel it at all.

“It’s fine, mate, jus’...keep it in mind, a’ight? Y’ do that, an’ she’ll be apples,” Tora said, giving him a weak smile.

“No problem Tora.” Closing his eyes and concentrating on the knowledge he held for that particular brand of magic, he would have another question for her. “If you don’t like that name so much why is it that you called Durin a ‘hairless ape’ earlier? Bit of a demeaning name for humans and those that come from them.”

Tora sighed and looked down at the floor with furrowed brows and a frown curled across her muzzle, “He an’ I have an understandin’, mate. He knows I’m teasin’, an’...well, again, real shit tied to ‘kitty cat’ fer me. He don’t have th’ traumatic word association.”

“I can kinda understand. I may not have a specific trigger like you do, but I do have some trauma associated with some particular species back on my world. Goblins are one of the top ones.” Dustan still was concentrating on what he was doing with his eyes closed, so he couldn’t see the slight glow that started to come from between his fingers.

“Oh? Gobbos like from that one ‘mahn-ga’ from Neighpon? Wot was it, uh, ‘Goblin Slayer’? Th’ li’l green fucks like wot I’ve heard are runnin’ around, ‘cept all...murder-rapey?” Tora asked, her gaze now firmly back on Dustan and holding an odd curiosity.

The glow was a dull red but it was clearly, though slowly, changing colors away from it. “You guys seriously have manga here in this world?” Dustan blinked. “Wait, Spike has comics in my world...maybe there is manga. I never thought to check.”

“Well, yeah, o’ course, mate. ‘Cept the Neighps call ‘em manga cuz they were isolated fer a couple hundred years. Their culture’s all kinds o’ weird,” Tora replied, shuddering a little as she rubbed her arm, muttering something about ‘tentacles’ and ‘real-life reenactment.’

The glow was steadily shifting colors, it was currently yellow but still shifting. “Wait till your world gets the internet, if it ever does. That shit goes everywhere.” Though Dustan was wearing a smile, he was sweating and looking a bit pale now.

“...Inter-wot now? Izzat like some kinda messagin’ shit? Like a spy network, but fer erryone? Why th’ fuck would there would be a public spy network dedicated t’ spreadin’ tentacle hen-” Tora began to ask.

Opening his eyes at hearing her say that he could only smile and raise a single eyebrow. “What was that?” Though as he opened his eyes he caught sight of a green light and his eyes grew wide. “Oh, I think it’s working.” As he went to open his hand, besides being covered in blood, sitting right in his palm was a green round jewel, perfectly smooth and seeming to be radiating a bright light that was quickly calming now that it wasn’t being infused. It was about the size of a bit in diameter. “Ok, looks like step one of the long shot is done. Now we need to get you something to wear so we can socket this in.”

Problem was when Dustan went to stand up he clearly was lacking a good deal of strength now and promptly stumbled forward landing on his face with a thud and a painful sounding ‘oomph’.

“Y’ good down there, mate? Not ‘bout t’ cark it or nothin’?” Tora asked, slowly raising a brow at the magic man.

“I think so,” Taking a moment to look at his arm and read his own status he barely got out a squint before he started to chuckle. “I suppose that explains it. I have no magic anymore and my HP is quite low.” Reaching down to his belt he pulled out a blue looking potion and started to drink it. It was clear it was a healing one as the cut on his hand quickly closed and some of the color returned to his face, though he was still pale. “That should help.”

“A’ight. So...that li’l thing is th’ Materia? Guess not everythin’ magic’s got t’ be big an’ fancy an’ shite,” Tora said as she plucked the little green orb from his grasp and looked herself over...then slid the sphere into a metal ring on her armor, just above her left hip. “Any place it’ll be nice an’ snugly fit will do, yeah?”

“Yeah. Since I don’t have quite the same amount of life force as a planet, it might be dormant or it might not be. If it is, I can’t say how long it will be like that, but you should eventually be able to cast the Cure family of spells.” Wiping his face, he took a look at his sweaty hand with a bit of a grimace. “Damn, didn’t think I was sweating that much.”

“Magic burnout or somethin’? Some kind o’ physiological effects? I mean, y’ ain’t in yer world, so maybe th’ magic works different here,” Tora suggested, walking over to him and placing a hand on his forehead. “...Y’ feel like y’ve got a fever, mate, but y’ also don’t. It’s bloody bonkers, mate: It don’t feel like all of you is there or somethin’.”

“I will be fine Tora, thanks for your concern though.” Chuckling a bit, though lacking the usual mirth he would tap his arm. “Also remember, I'm not entirely here.” Stretching a bit and looking around he tilted his head. “Where is Durin anyways? Haven’t seen him for a bit.”

Tora’s ears flicked and swiveled around as she tilted her head up to the ceiling, “...Upstairs an’ outside, it seems. Shovel...dirt movin’...prolly diggin’ somethin’...an’ I feel I know wot.”

Durin gained another block of dirt to his Inventory, frowning as he did. ‘For once, I’m not thankful I have my own brand of physics.’ He stabbed his shovel into the earth again, and again, seeing the dirt break but not act like dirt should. ‘Feels wrong to be doing this so quickly. Sacrilegious, at that.’ Finally, the sixth block down was broken, and he dismissed his shovel. He paused for a bit, staring down at the hole he’d made.

He sighed. “Inventory,” he commanded, and the screen popped into his vision. He stared a moment longer at the two items he’d made for one purpose. He then dragged them into his hotbar and dismissed the screen, before willing a bouquet of flowers - from daisies and honeysuckles to Dayblooms, Moonglows, and Arenaria - and tossing it into the hole. Then, he willed the dirt blocks into his hand, and covered the hole.

He remained silent as he willed the last item into his hand and placed it down. “...Hopefully you get a kick out of it, Robin.” He muttered, looking over the gold and ruby encrusted Robin on the top of the platinum-ringed tombstone. A new screen opened up, asking if he wanted to edit the text on the tombstone. He selected edit with a solemnness and weight he hadn’t felt in years, and afterwards, stared down at the inscription now engraved on the stone.

‘Here lies Robin Fairgarden, friend, confidant, and lightbringer to all. May her name never be forgotten.

1988 - 2014.

R.I.P.’

Durin stared for a while longer. He didn’t bother to stop the water coming to his eyes. Didn’t bother to wipe away the fresh, stinging tears. He only bothered to not weep openly.

He felt a pair of warm, furry arms wrap around him from behind, followed by a familiar accent filling his left ear, “Had a feelin’ this was wot y’ were doin’. Feelin’ better, havin’ done it, Durin?”

Likewise a hand would be placed on his shoulder as the traveler from another world came up as well. “Don’t know who she was, but she obviously meant a lot to you. I am sure she is happy to live on in your heart.” Dustan had a somber tone to his voice and a look in his eyes that said he too had felt the pain of losing someone close to him.

Durin didn’t respond for a long while, simply placing a hand on his face, as if to hide his shame. He took deep, shuddering breaths as they all stood there, before finally calming and wiping the tears from his face.

He looked back to his acquianta- Friends, he corrected, and gave them a weak smile. “...Thanks, guys. I appreciate the concern.”

“Eh, wot’re mates for, if not stuff like this?” Tora asked rhetorically with a little smirk on her lips.

“There are always people around to share burdens with, sometimes you don’t know they are there, and sometimes it’s because you haven’t met them yet. They are there though, just have to find them.” Hearing himself say that he rubbed his eyes and chuckled. “I think I may have been living in Equestria too long. That sounded very sappy even for me.” The joke and chuckle he gave was one he hoped would help cheer up those around him least from the smile he gave to his fellow human and the quirky cat.

It thankfully did, Durin’s weak smile becoming more genuine. “Thanks.” He looked to Dustan’s belt. “I see you picked a gun.”

Dustan nods and shows it to him with a bit of a grin, “Yeah, I did. I am not much of a gun expert, but I picked something that looks like it will be easy to replicate and not too advanced should I decide to give it to others when I have more of them.”

A voice then replied, one that set Durin’s senses on edge, “Seems like you two made quite the trade. Shame I couldn’t have witnessed it in person. I could’ve given pointers.”

Durin growled, drawing his Hero Sword and Pistol in a flash. “Trader.”

The voice laughed. “Still as touchy as ever, I see.”

“Are you the person that brought me here?” Called the cloaked man as he drew the curved sword that glistened with bits of crackling energy.

“...So. You’re th’ sheila who brought Durin t’ Equus?” Tora asked neutrally, though her tone was as frigid as the Frozen North.

“Such icy tones. I’m almost hurt,” a gloved hand patted Dustan’s head from behind. When he whirled around, he found a woman with a red Victorian tailcoat and gentlemen’s mask. Her hair was black as night and done up in a ponytail, and a cane was in her free hand. “If it weren’t for how cute you are, I would be.” Trader giggled behind a gloved hand and a platinum mask. “Anywho, it’s about time you got back home, Dusty my boy. Your people miss you something awful. Already your little Griffon is panicking since she found your room empty.” Trader lightly elbowed the man. “She’s quite the cutie, too. I’m almost amazed you don’t have a thing for her.”

“Cut th’ chatter an’ get t’ th’ fuckin’ point, y’ dog,” Tora snapped, hands clenching and unclenching as she stared down the other female.

“I’d suggest the same. Have half a mind to cut your fucking head off,” Durin snarled.

Trader rolled her golden eyes. “Very well, Miss Katt.” She pulled away from Dustan, then twirled her cane, causing a rift in reality to appear. “As I said before, it’s time you were home. The specifics of my trade have been met, and if you stay much longer, well, things won’t go well for any of us.” She gestured to the rift. “So, off you go.”

“Durin, Tora.” Dustan said before slowly turning to face the two. “It was nice meeting you both. I hope everything in this world goes your way and that you make it through relatively easily. Tora, that Materia is meant to cure people of wounds, heal them. Use it when you can but keep in mind that it uses up your mana so you might have to build it up.”

“Was a pleasure, mate, an’ thanks fer th’ advice. Be seein’ ya,” Tora said, giving him a quick salute…and then running up to give him a quick hug before backing away. “And thanks for the hoodoo magicky stuffs.”

Durin glared at Trader a while longer, before sighing and giving a smile to Dustan. “Stay safe, okay? And when we see each other again, let’s have a drink.”

“Sure.” Dustan called out as he turned to the portal waving his hand. “Just none of that weak pony stuff. Takes forever to get drunk on it.”

Durin chuckled. “Duly noted.”

Taking one last look over his shoulder the man smiled and stepped through the portal, his limbs vanishing as did the rest of him back to the world he came from, the last item to go through was his billowing brown cloak.

Trader, in response, turned to Tora and Durin and performed a bow. “Adieu, for now, my boy.” With that, she twirled her cane over herself, and disappeared as well.

Durin and Tora sat in silence for a time, before he sighed and looked to Tora. “Up for a bit of drinking?”

“Shit-faced?” Tora asked, grinning widely.

Durin chuckled. “Definitely.”

22 - Bonus Chapter: To Partake

Author's Note

WARNING: Sudden sexual themes ahead! If you don't want such view-breaking scenes in your head, leave now!

In other news, welcome back to the story, everyone! Sorry for the long wait as well as for any errors, me and Nova had to rush the last bits of this chapter out, so I'll go over it and any errors it has with a fine comb later on.

However, with this chapter done, I can now post some of the others we've had finished for so long! Hope you all enjoy them!

Ciao!

-Timeless

22 - Bonus Chapter: To Partake

“Alright,” Durin opened the cabinet doors in his pantry. “I’ve got whiskey, rum, vodka, beer, sake, and a few others. Take your pick of the poison, Tora.”

“Hmm...vodka. Shit’s easier goin’ down m’ gullet than most types o’ booze,” the tigress replied from her spot on the table, already eager to get completely shit-faced and potentially die of liver failure.

Durin chuckled. “I’m partial to whiskey myself.” He said, taking a bottle of said whiskey down along with some vodka. After leading her towards the dining room, he handed Tora the bottle of vodka. “Give it a shot. It’s been aged for...well, I don’t know how long. Only know that I found it underground, so it’s probably pretty damn old.” They sat down at the table.

“Yeah, that’d be right,” Tora snorted with a smirk, picking up the bottle and raising it above her head for a moment. “Cheers, mate!”

Then she leaned back and chugged the vodka for all of two seconds before she stopped, slowly returned to proper sitting position, calmly set down the bottle...and slammed her head down onto the table, “CRIKEY, I can feel m’ fucking liver carkin’ it! M’ fucking insides are meltin’! That shite’s fuckin’ drain cleaner!”

“Let me give it a shot,” Durin said, taking the bottle from her. Throwing caution to the wind, Durin chugged the drink...for a full twenty seconds. Afterwards, he let out a light burp and lowered the bottle from his lips. “Hm, not bad for vodka.”

“...Yer fuckin’ species is bullshit, Durin,” Tora grumbled with crossed arms, taking the bottle and raising it to her lips...only to stop when she realized that that had basically been an indirect kiss from her to him. Slowly, she turned her head to look at him. “...Mate. Y’ just kissed me indirectly doin’ that shite.”

Durin paused at that. Then, his cheeks rapidly flushed. “Oh. Oh shit, sorry, Tora!”

She stared at him for a few more moments as she used a rag to clean off the bottle’s neck...then leaned over the table and bonked him on the head with the bottle - not hard, mind you, but enough for it to hurt an appreciable amount, “If y’ wanna snog me again, mate, yer gonna have t’ earn it.”

Durin blinked. “Wait, what? You’re not gonna try and shoot my head off or anything?” He gestured to her. “Most times I do something like that you at least growl at me and brandish a weapon or your claws or something.”

“If’n y’ want, I can smash th’ bottle against yer head an’ hold it t’ yer jugular,” Tora said, raising and lowering the bottle over the edge of the table with a raised brow. “Hate t’ waste booze that’ll let me forget years of slavery an’ bad shit fer a couple hours.”

Durin shook his head rapidly. “No no, that’s fine.” He grabbed his bottle of whiskey. “Let’s just...drink, yeah?”

“Aye, siwmae!” Tora grinned, kicking back and downing more of the delicious drain cleaner-level vodka that was sure to cause her liver to fucking melt in a few hours.

Durin sighed in relief, then started to chug his own bottle of booze. After a short while, he sighed again, getting up from his seat. “Well, this isn’t doing too well for me either.” He turned to the entrance of the room. “I’m gonna go grab a few poisons, be back in a bit.”

“...Fuckin’ wot, mate?” Tora blinked incredulously.

Durin shrugged. “Normal alcohol, even the stronger stuff, doesn’t phase me. I have to poison myself to get drunk, or drink enough to put me into debt.” Durin explained. He waved it off. “Just wait here. I’ll be back soon.”

“...I got a little somethin’, actually,” Tora spoke up, rummaging around in one of the pouches on her shapely hips, then pulling out a small bottle - about the size of one of those smaller Skyy vodka bottles they sold back on Earth - made of some blood red crystal with an almost black fluid inside. “Wyrm’s Breath. Dragons make it fer themselves in huge batches t’ get fuckin’ wasted, but they sell it t’ th’ other races fer a price Got this little fucker when I saved some l’il baby dragon princess from a buncha mino raiders who hatchlin’-napped her a few years back. Th’ little anklebiter’s name was ‘Emily’ or somethin’, can’t give a fuck t’ remember it at th’ mo.”

Tora shrugged and slid the bottle across the table to him, “This shit kills anyone but a dragon who drinks it in servings bigger than this l’il thing. Was told not t’ drink this all in one go or I’d go comatose. Should work fer y’, mate.”

Durin hummed, stroking his beard. “Well…” He gingerly took the bottle. “Thanks, Torry.” Walking back to his seat, he mixed a quarter of it into his whiskey, then chugged. Soon after he let out a loud burp, and visibly relaxed. “Now that was a nice burn.”

“Aye, I bet it is, bastard,” Tora chuckled, taking another brief chug from her vodka before continuing. “‘Cuz it’s made with dragon blood, an’ that shit’s near-boilin’ in their bodies.”

“Explains a lot,” Durin mused, pausing in his drinking to reply. “It certainly tastes like blood.” He chuckled. “Starting to see why Yharnamites liked blood more than rum or spirits.”

“Yharna-what-now?” the Abyssinian replied, head cocked to the side rather adorably.

“They’re a bunch of people from a game I played back home,” Durin began, leaning back in his seat as he took a sip of his beverage.

“...Game? Like that Orcs an’ Oubliettes thing?” the tigress asked as she took a smaller swig of her drink.

“I’m gonna assume that’s like D&D. But no, more advanced, actually. Imagine physically controlling the character with a device instead of just saying ‘my character does this’,” Durin explained, waving a hand airily.

“...Yer not talkin’ about mind controllin’ shit them deviants in Canterlot like t’ write porn about, right?”

Durin shook his head. “No no no. More like…” He paused, then spoke again. “..think of it like a virtual reality, but one where you can control the character of the story, if not more than one character.”

“Ooooh, okay, then,” Tora nodded, even if internally she was calling bullshit on his explanation. ‘Virtual reality’, her fluffy orange-and-white ass!

Durin shrugged. “You can believe what you want, but trust me when I say my world had the tech to do it and more.” He took another swig of his drink. “Have a bunch of creeps back home in their mom’s basements playing those games to prove it.”

“So y’ say, y’ hairless ape,” Tora chuckles, raising the bottle to her lips to take another drink, only to almost drop it when her body shuddered and she had to repress her gag reflex from emptying the contents of her stomach onto the table. “...Fffuuuuck, this shite is jus’ killer.”

Durin chuckled, taking another swig before letting out another burp. “Heh. Lightweight.”

“Y’ wanted t’ get fucking POISON t’ get wasted. Yer opinion ‘bout this shite ain’t worth diddly, Mr. Fuckin’ Mutant Dickhead,” Tora shot back, raising the bottle to smash it and make it a weapon, but stopping before she made the downward swing and wasted a good repression mechanism.

Durin frowned. “Ya don’t have to go that far with the name calling to prove a point.”

“Lightly Buzzed Tora is Bloody Bitch Tora ‘cause o’ lots of shite. Drunk Tora’s right nice, so jus’ wait ‘til she’s out,” Tora snorted, downing more of the bottle...and frowning when she found it was empty.

Durin grunted. “Fair enough.” He stood up, walking to the pantry again. “I’ve got more vodka if you want it.”

Tora nodded...then chucked the bottle down at the ground like a certain god of thunder, where it shattered like a hand grenade, “More booze, ya brick shithouse of a bloke!”

Durin rolled his eyes. “Fine, fine.” Taking another bottle from his pantry, he handed it to the Abyssinian.

“Thanks, mate,” Tora said, taking the bottle from him. “So, uh, thoughts on that Dustan bloke an’ this here fancy hysteria or whatever th’ fuck I’ve got?”

Durin frowned as he sat down, nursing the whiskey in his hands. “Well, the guy talks a lot, but he’s got a good head on his shoulders.” He took a swig of his drink before continuing. “As for that Materia thing...Well, having a wider arsenal never hurts.” Durin let a small smile creep onto his face. “It was...nice, to talk to someone who understood my situation, too.”

“...An’ I don’t?” Tora asked, her expression one of hurt.

Durin smirked at her. “You kiddin’? You’ve helped me way more than he did. Of course you count, you silly feline.”

Her expression instantly turned into a smug smirk, “Mree-hee-hee! Good boy. Now, cheers?”

She held her bottle over the table and titled the neck towards him. Durin chuckled, and clinked his bottle with hers. “Cheers, Torry.”

Laughing, the Abyssinian downed yet more liver-killer and let out a ragged breath at the sheer burn in her throat, “HAAAAAA, thaaat shit’s ssso good! Almost makes me forget th’ bad shit!”

Durin chuckled as he gulped down the last of his bottle, then sighed in contentment as he finished it off. “You’re tellin’ me. Haven’t had a burn this good for a while.”

“Ssso! Got any giiirls y’ got yer eyes on, Durin?~” Tora asked teasingly, leaning over the table with a rather smug look on her face.

Durin shrugged. “Not around here, no.” He paused. “Well, save one.”

“Oooh? Gonna tell this liiittle kitty who th’ sheila is?~” Tora asked in a rather seductive purr.

Durin shook his head. “Nnnope.”

“Tch, fiiine. Asshole,” the tigress snorted.

Durin chuckled. “You have your secrets, I have mine.” Durin then opened his Inventory and summoned a familiar (to him, at least) cardboard package. Flipping the lid open, he pulled a white and orange stick from it and stuffed it in his mouth before lighting the end of it with a finger and a burst of Will, then sucking on it. Soon after, he let out a breath of smoke and sighed in bliss. “Ahhh...now this is nice. Always feels good to have a smoke when getting shit-faced.”

“Feeeh, you an’ yer fffucking cancer doobies,” Tora muttered as she hurriedly pinched her nostrils shut to avoid inhaling secondhand smoke. “Y’ do that around me an’ blow that cyanide-filled shite int’ m’ face, an’ you’ll find out wot gettin’ sounded with a lit tumor stick feels like.”

Durin chuckled. “Sorry. Just figured I’d reminisce while I got shit-faced with a friend.”

“M’ sniffer don’t like that shite, an’ I’ve seen wot it does t’ people. Y’ gonna do it, do it somewhere not ‘round me, savvy?” Tora asked, nostrils still pinched shut and her muzzle scrunched in disgust at the sickly sweet smell that had managed to get in.

Durin sighed out smoke, then snuffed out the cigarette’s flame by way of his magic, before flicking it into a nearby trash can. “Alright, alright, sorry.” ‘Note to self, make a smoking room or something.’

“...Y’ know wot’d be ace? Raidin’ those two prime prissy pony princess pussies’ fuckin’ wine cellar, an’ drinking their stores like a couple o’ rats in a dairy,” Tora suddenly suggested with a devilish grin even as something seemed to take effect and Tora’s eyes became just a liiittle bit unfocused.

Durin gained a grin to rival hers. “I have been thinking of trying to get some kind of payback, so let’s do it!” He raised a fist to her.

The tigress snickered and fist-bumped him...after a second go at it, “Le’s go an’ fuckin’ RAID them cunts!”

Tora stumbled after the natural lurching effect of Durin’s magic on her, and Durin was only marginally better in that sense. The golden glow from Durin’s hand was dismissed as he held onto his partner in crime, both staring up at the gates to Canterlot.

“Ya good?” Durin asked, looking down at the feline.

“HRK! Yyyep, ‘m apples, mate,” Tora said, hiking a thumb-claw-thing up. “Jus’, urgh...gimme a tick or so.”

“Try to,” Durin suppressed a burp. “Try to make it quick,” He gestured to the guards as they were rotating shifts. “We’ve only got a few minutes of a window right now.”

“A’ight, Ah- erk, I’m aces, now. Let’s go an’ fahking destrooooy their dignity,” the Abyssinian purred diabolically, already slinking forward like a cat - silent as fuckin’ death itself.

Durin grinned, getting into a different stance, more akin to a bald eagle ready to strike. “Three…two...one!” With that utterance, Durin summoned his Silken Hammer Hook and tossed it, the hook landing a fair ways away from the guards. With a yank and a jump, he pulled the rope taut, then ran towards the white brick wall and started to run up it.

Tora peered down at Durin from the top of the wall, like a certain cat in a ceiling he’d seen before, “Y’ gonna get up here ‘fore sunrise, mate?”

Durin rolled his eyes. “I can’t fly yet, cut me some slack,” he shot back, steadily making his way up before dropping boot first down on the parapets.

“Yet? Y’mean ya can grow wings like a birdy? Th’ fock?” Tora blinked slowly, internally (and drunkenly) wondering how that’d work...

Durin waved it off. “Eventually, kinda. It’d be more like an item I’d have to physically make, and I’d need materials to make them.”

“Who goes there?” a stern voice called, bringing their attention to the lantern wielding guards encroaching on their position.

“Quick, off the walls!” Durin urged, grabbing Tora’s hand and literally jumping off the city side of the wall.

Tora’s eyes bored a hole through Durin’s head as she held him and herself flush against the wall Durin forcefully dragged her off of, claws dug deep into solid stone.

“Yer a fockin’ twat,” Tora whispered in a deadpan, ‘accidentally’ loosening her grip on his top and then tightening it just to let him know how easily she could drop him.

Durin paused, a familiar light blue potion in his hand. “I was going to use a potion, but I guess this works too,” he reasoned as he dismissed the potion, trying to ignore the burning in his cheeks...and failing. Being buzzed really didn’t help.

Her claws loosened again, and he almost fell from her grasp, were it not for a single claw hooked through his top’s collar.

“Hello?” a guard called from directly above them, shutting them both up. Lantern light and hoofsteps were the only things heard or seen for a moment. “Huh. Weird. Must be going stir crazy with all these monster attacks.” The guard reasoned, turning and heading back the way he came, away from their spot.

The tigress looked down at Durin, her ears twitching as she listened until the hoofsteps faded away entirely, then she reared the arm holding him up ‘behind’ her, “Heeeave…”

“Tora, please tell me you aren’t-WOAHMYGOD!” Durin cried as she chucked him over to the nearest rooftop.

“Ho.”

Durin landed bodily on the rooftop, shingles falling one by one as he rolled and just barely grabbed on before he fell to the streets below. “The fuck was that for?!” Durin whisper-yelled.

Tora landed right beside him and looked him dead in the eyes, “Expediency for our conquest of the royalty’s alcohol stores during a most clandestine operation.”

Durin sighed. “Ya know, I’m not even gonna question how you said that so straight despite being obviously only a few liters short of utterly shit-faced.”

“Fock y’ too, mate,” was her far more eloquent reply.

Durin rolled his eyes. “You and your cursing.” He said, before his gaze snapped to a street ahead. “Guards are coming. We need to move, fast.” With that, he hopped off the roof, fell and tucked into a roll, then popped back to a standing position. “Come on!”

Tora fell to the floor with all the grace of a cat, and none of the hassle that Durin had to go through, “Mate, I’mmm a ffff-AHK-ing meow-meow. Y’ think ‘m gonna be asss sloooow as your tight ass?”

Durin paused at that, looking back at her and standing just by the edge of the alleyway. “You think my ass is tight? Since when?”

“It’sss an innnsult, mate. I mean yer ass is tight cuz yer a...urp...fuckin’...uhhh...w-wot was I talkin’ bout again…?” the Abyssinian asked, looking around. “...When th’ fuck did we get t’...Cuntsalot, again?”

Durin winced. “Well, that’s a good sign.” Sighing, Durin grabbed her by the paw. “Just hold on to me and follow my lead.”

“...Oh yeeeeah, raidin’ th’ Princesses’ pussies an’ panties!” Tora said in apparent remembrance, giving a not-so-sage nod to no one in particular.

“Not into quadrupeds, but close enough!” Durin shot back as they ran through from alleyway to alleyway, steadily making their way through the city.

Tora was naturally as silent as any feline, paws barely even making a sound as they ran, walked and tiptoed across tile, cobblestone and more besides in their quest to reach the castle. Even if she stumbled or wavered in her stride from time to time as a result of her inebriation, she never once faltered enough to risk the operation.

Durin was occasionally faltering himself, as every now and again he flung them forward in time itself with his magic, the act and the inebriation draining him, and it didn’t help that they’d used his magic to get to Canterlot. Nonetheless, he was at least more coherent than Tora was when they finally reached the gates of Canterlot Castle.

Which had barbed wire on its parapets.

And many more guards than those on the city’s walls.

“Hmm…” Tora scratched her chin amidst her inspection of the castle’s defenses...then pointed at a runoff drain on the side of the road leading to the castle gate. “Big fuckkkin’ walled-off place exposed t’ th’ weather that prolly comes over th’ mountain? Unless they want floodin’ an’ an extra moat, they’ll have drains inside the walls.”

Durin frowned. “And they don’t even have any guards stationed there?” He groaned. “That’s just asking for a Toad Prince.”

“A wha’?” the cat asked in utter fucking confusion.

Durin sighed. “A very dangerous kind of monster. Spits venom, has so much blubber that most blades bounce off, pierces you with its tongue, has a fanged mandible-like mouth...very unfun creature to fight.”

“...Much as I dislike th’ cunts...what if’n one o’ them Frog Prince fucks actually ends up in there cuz y’ jinxed it? Shou...huuuh...should we give ‘em a rrreason t’ fortify th’ drains?”

“Only way to know for sure that there’s one there is to either go in and find out...or when the entire water system is filled with the poisonous fluids the damn thing seeps off,” Durin said, shaking his head.

Tora blinked and glanced down at the drain, where a little water had backed up from the torrential rains that had come by in the past few months. With a city as big as Canterlot, there’d likely be places maintenance folks missed.

A rat scurried up to the puddle of water and greedily drank of the runoff, then fucked off elsewhere after having its fill.

“...I think we’re apples, there. No ugly fucks in th’ sewers. So, shaaall we take a stroll through th’ - hck - urgh...runoff tunnels an’ see if we can get in that way?”

Durin nodded. “Might as well. No other avenues to take, after all.” With Tora’s paw still in hand, Durin led her into the tunnels.

Instantly the smell hit their noses. Whilst cleaner than most other sewers that Tora had had to trudge through, it was by no means full of roses and bouquets. Rats still frequented the tunnels, and a thin veneer of slime, likely born of the various waste products depositing into the walls over many years, covered nigh every surface.

“‘Least sober Tora don’ gotta smell this shhhite. Lucky fuckin’ bitch…” the Abyssinian mumbled and pinched her nostrils shut, continuing onward even if she knew she’d have to get a shower in once this was over.

Durin nodded slowly. “You’re tellin’ me. My senses are hating this place. Let’s just hurry through.”

He was still holding her paw.

“Y’ gonna let gooo or we gonna shaaag in the sewers, Grumpy McCurm...Kermi...Curmudgeon?” she asked with a raised brow and an expression that also expressed a concern if she pronounced that right.

Durin looked down at her paw in his hand. “...” He looked up to her, blush on his face. “...Maybe when we’re both ready for that,” he said hastily, letting go and hurriedly picking up his pace.

“When we’re ready t’ shag in a fuckin’ sewer? Mate, yer aaall kindsa - urrrp - fucked in th’ heeead,” Tora shook her head but followed him nonetheless.

Durin’s feverish blush only grew. “Y-You know what I- Ugh, nevermind, you’re too drunk right now.” To himself, he added, “And right now I think I need to be too, to forget this conversation.”

“...f’get wha?” she asked, blinking as if this was the first time they’d spoken to one another.

Durin gave her a blank look. “Nevermind.”

After some time, and many twists and turns, Durin stopped them both at a deadend. He sniffed the air a number of times. “Smells like...alcohol?” He grinned. “More than we do, too. Good.” He summoned his Hammer. “Hopefully this doesn’t alert anyone!”

“Yeeeeah, he...here’s hopun.”

With that, he slammed the Silken Hook Hammer home, cracking the brick wall. He slammed it home two more times, and the wall turned into a small block that soon got sucked into Durin and disappeared.

He blinked a few times. He looked at Tora. “I forgot I’m a Terrarian.”

“...An’ I f’got how loaded th’ princesses were, cuz this be a loootta hooch,” the tigress’s muzzle curled into a manic grin at the sight of dozens of casks, kegs, barrels, bottles and containers aplenty filled with potentially exotic and strong fuckin’ booze and such. “Good snifffer y’ got, mate.”

Durin looked to the exposed load of alcohol. “...Tell me that again after I’ve gotten truly drunk.” He said, immediately pulling a bottle out.

“Bu’wha ‘bout th’ moonbutt an’ sunarse? Weren’ we...gonna prank ‘em or summat?” Tora asked even as she grabbed a bottle of booze and took a swig that left her shivering violently from the kick.

Durin blinked as he lowered his own bottle from his lips. “Oh yeah…” He blinked again. “Wait, how did you forget everything else but remember that?”

“Drunk Tora don’t need t’ maaaake seeense, bruv.”

Durin frowned, shrugged, then drained his first bottle. And tossed it over his shoulder. “Right, then. First prank; we see how much we can drink them out of their stores before we head up into the castle proper.”

“...Bu’ th’ guaaards.”

“As many youths of my world would say, ‘Fuck da police’.”

“...Eh, fuck it,” the cat gave up on what little common sense her drunken self could muster in favor of downing the entire rest of the 176 year old bottle (if her eyes read that label right) in one go, then tossing it aside and popping the cork off a wine bottle.

“H...Hey…Torry…” Durin hiccuped as he looked across the floor covered with bottles and smashed casks and kegs. “How...Urp, how meny days hev pass'd?”

“Since we g’t ‘ere? Uhhhhgghhh...two hoursch?” the she-cat mumbled, balancing five whole bottles of beer neck-to-base on her head through some Lovecraftian ritual known only to sloshed Abyssinians.

Durin nodded slowly. “Ah...hokay…” He then grabbed a keg with one hand and started to chug it’s contents. Tora noted the label, and how it denoted the brew as ‘Iron Drakeblood’.

“That’ll tuuurn yeeer insidech t’ sssshlush, dude. Hasch...uh...fuckin’...actual iron in ‘ere. Like...chunnks of iron.”

Durin lifted the keg from his lips, then spat a wad of black stone out. “Izzat what dat is? Thought it wuz black choco…”

“Nah, it’sch iron oooore.”

“Ah, hokay,” he then proceeded to keep chugging from the keg.

“...weren’...w’eren’ we s’posched t’...t’ - buuuh - d-do schomething elsch? Pranksch...Franksch? Tanksch? Bleh…”

Durin blinked blearily a few times, then his eyes widened, even sparkled. Tossing the keg away and burping up a not-so-healthy amount of black chunks, he looked to Tora with an almost manic glee that she’d never seen from him.

“Did yew fuckin’ say pranks?! Whuh are weh doin’,” he burped up another wad of iron, but seemed to not care as he continued. “Sitting on ‘r asses, the’?! There’s chaos to beh ma’e!”

“Pantiesch t’ plunder, facesh t’ schlappp...pony cunt t’ ginger?”

Durin’s grin only widened. “Bish y’ noe eet. Noe cum on!” He picked her up by her paw and started to run up the cellar’s stares, somehow not tripping on the countless bottles and slippery alcohol on the floor.

“ADVENCHUUURE!” Tora giggled in drunken delight, machinations unspeakable going through her fuzzy head at a kilometer a picosecond.

They stopped at the top of the stairwell, finding a Guardsmare sleeping against the wall. Durin turned his grin to Tora once again, summoning an inkwell and quill to his hands as well as a mustache of false make.

Tora, for her part, pulled out her knife with her eyes on the guardsmare’s tail.

Durin nodded vigorously, then as sneakily as a drunk and surprisingly manic Witcher could, walked over to the Guardsmare and started to draw on her furry face with the ink and quill.

The poor guard’s tail was cut into the shape of a heart with a bit of hair inside the heart cut out to make an indentation in the shape of a butt by a silently wheezing Tora.

Durin, for his part, drew muttonchops on the mare along with a savage crow’s peak peeking out from her helmet, complete with a Japanese symbol for the word ‘love’.

“She gooood? Move on, or wha?”

Durin nodded firmly to himself. “Yeh, le’s git moovin’. I wanna shev Moonbutt!” The cat grinned like a certain Cheshire feline and gestured for the man to lead the way. Tossing his remaining materials aside, Durin offered her his arm. “Shall weh be off?”

Tora hooked her arm around his and the two all but danced their way to the wing of the castle containing the royal chambers.

It took a fair bit longer than either of the duo would’ve liked - mostly filled with knocking out and sneaking around Guardsmares as well as throwing up a few times - but finally the duo had made it to the Royal Wing of the castle.

They stood at the crossroads between the Solar and Lunar Quarters of said Wing, and Durin turned to Tora with that same, manic grin.

“Aw’right, yew go git Sunbbutticus, I’m,” He burped, then wiped his mouth. “I’mma goh shev Loonatits.”

“Gib ‘em a squeeze fer me!” Tora snickered and slinked inside of Celestia’s room.

Durin blinked a few times. “Oh roight, horses hev teets.” He shrugged. “I’ll jus’ poot hot sos on ‘em.”

Slinking into Luna’s chambers, he found the immaculate lunar quarters decorated with dark wooden furniture, an astrolabe, a large telescope out on the balcony, and a ceiling decorated with an ever shifting constellation map.

And, one lunar princess asleep with her face in the pillows and ass in the air, various royal satin and deep blue sheets tossed to the side.

Durin’s grin only grew as he summoned a razor and shaving cream and set to work shaving Luna’s mane.

It took some time, as he had to keep from burping and he also had to be careful to not wake her, but soon enough her lustrous ethereal mane was gone, and, safely in his Inventory. He smiled proudly at his work, seeing her without her mane, then set to shaving her tail.

Heavens knew more ‘Lunar Mane’ could only be good for whatever crafting recipes he tried out.

In Celestia’s room, Tora was busy chewing on Celestia’s mane, having mistaken it for cotton candy. That didn’t mean she’d forgotten whose room she was in, oh no; she knew who she was chewing the mane of, and who she was shoving/rubbing ginger into the unmentionables of.

Who knew that ponies got off to shoving spices/irritants into their orifices?

Regardless, she gave the pony princess no mercy and gingered aaall of the appropriate parts of her thoroughly.

Even her head-sized teats got a helping of ginger root rubbed against the nubs capping them off.

Sunbutt was gonna feel like she was sunburnt come morning.

And to top things off...she shoved a carrot into the cunt’s cunt and an apple in her mouth.

How the Solar Princess didn’t wake up from having her mouth-breathing means of oxygen intake cut off, the Abyssinian had no idea and didn’t care.

She pulled away after a bit with drool absolutely soaking Celestia’s mane mere moments before she cut it into a mohawk.

She was about to leave when her stomach grumbled quietly and her eyes fell on not only a glass nearby probably meant for water...but also the teats she’d rubbed raw.

Tora grinned.

Durin sighed happily as he looked upon his work, a now maneless and tailless Luna. He hummed, however, as he recalled Tora’s words...and then grinned. Summoning some hot sauce he’d grabbed on their way through the castle, he poured a fair layer on the mattress below her modest teats, trying to hold back a snicker as he next placed a chocolate donut in front of her snout, the inside secretly filled with salt cubes.

After that, he noticed a coffee machine in a small, personal kitchen to the side, and grinned again. Walking over, he noticed the various cups available, both foam and ceramic, and proceeded to punch holes in the bottom of every one he could find.

Satisfied, he soon snuck out of the room, eagerly awaiting the news that would come of this event later. After making it out of the room, he walked into Celestia’s room, finding Tora...sipping from one of several glasses filled with what smelled like milk, a milk moustache on her satisfied muzzle.

She saw him come in and gestured to one of the glasses, then motioned with her free hand for him to drink up.

Too drunk to really know or care, he took the cup and drank deeply, before smacking his lips and giving Tora a questioning look, raising the cup in further question.

She only gestured to the pair of orbs squished oh-so-pleasantly between Celestia’s hindlegs.

Durin paused at that, looked to his cup, then slowly stood up, walked over to Celestia’s hindquarters...and poured the rest of the liquid over her unmentionables.

His companion snickered, then her eyes flew open as an idea entered her head. She pointed at his hand, then at her ass, and mimed smacking it.

He blinked a few times at her. Then, he tossed his cup the side, being once again too drunk to care, threw caution to the wind andopen-hand smacked Celestia’s rear with an echoing CRACK followed by a very pleasant jiggle...and a very surprisingly aroused giggle from Celestia before she snuggled back into her bed.

Durin turned his red-cheeked face to Tora, then mimed them leaving.

Tora held up three fingers, then shooed him away.

Durin blushed a bit, and, seeming to have been too drunk to fully understand, smacked Celestia’s rear three more times...which prompted a hearty yet tiny squirt from a certain part of Celestia, and a long drawn out moan from the mare. How she didn’t waken was anyone’s guess as Durin stared at the scene in shock.

Tora palmed her face and pointed from him and then to the door. A claw aimed at a clock was followed by three held up...three minutes, perhaps.

Durin’s eyes widened and he rushed out the door without any other explanation needed.

She came out three minutes later...with an entire tiny keg shaped from platinum filled with white, then shoved it into his hands, “Inventooory.”

Durin’s face flushed again, and slowly, he nodded, and the keg disappeared in a brief and tiny flash of light. He then pulled out a mirror.

“Weh should goh now.” He yawned and glanced pointedly to Celestia’s slightly ajar door, where muffled whimpers were coming from. “I tink we went tew far wit her.” He yawned again. “And I sleepy.”

“Sho am I. T’ ffffuckin’ home we goooo!” Tora mewled lazily, tail flicking and curling as she all but skipped back the way they came.

He grabbed her arm at this. “No walk, too tired.” Yawning, he raised the mirror, and they were gone in a flash of blue light and particles as he pressed the Teleport Home button on his Cell Phone.

Ten minutes later, Celestia awoke, moaned, and spat out the apple in her mouth. She looked around. “Oregano? Why did you-?” She stopped as she noticed the specially selected...ahem, Guardsman, was not present. She blinked again. “Why do my nipples burn if he didn’t…” She soon flushed red.

“GUAAAAAAAAAAAAARDS!!!”

Nary five seconds later, a similar yell came from her sister’s room, though with far more yelping.

23 - Lost In The Trees: Realizations

Author's Note

Here's one of the first chapters of the new arc! Hope you all like it!

EDIT: Forgot to fix the title to it's revised form

23 - Lost In The Trees: Realizations

Durin groaned as he awoke, eyes opening blearily and head pounding like a drum. Wincing, he put a hand on his head. “Ugh,” He groaned, before slowly trying to push himself up. As he did, he noticed he was in his dining room, a familiar tigress across from him, drooling copiously onto his table. He chuckled. “Figures.” Groaning more, he pushed himself to his feet slowly, then walked into the kitchen to make himself something for his hangover.

An hour later and he was feeling better already, walking into the dining room once more and placing a glass of homemade hangover cure next to Tora before walking out of the room and down the stairs. Soon after, he came back with a blanket, and placed it over her.

For a time, he watched her sleep, a small smile on his face. ‘She really is kinda cute when she sleeps.’ He chuckled softly. ‘At least if you don’t count the drool.’ He slowly moved a hand to her undamaged ear, scratching behind it gently.

Tora chuffed in her sleep, her ear flicking repeatedly from the physical contact as she raised her head and pushed it into his fingers. A soft rumble in her chest was a good sign that he wasn’t about to lose a hand from unwanted touchies.

Durin’s smile only grew, but, eventually, he pulled his hand away, gaze moving towards the grave now easily visible through the window. Slowly, the context of his smile changed. ‘...Maybe it’s time I actually explained myself.’ He looked to Tora. ‘...She deserves that much.’ Sighing, he walked over to a chair next to her, sat down in it, and started to go through his Inventory to keep himself busy.

Eventually, the slumbering tigress rose from her slumber with a low groan that was promptly followed by a very uncomfortable burp that often comes with the territory of ‘the morning after getting shit-faced drunk’, and one that would ordinarily have been followed by the burper puking her guts out.

But, because Tora Katt wasn’t a lightweight and was quite the experienced drinker, all that managed to escape her lips was a repressed gagging sound.

“Grck! Ahh, f-ffffawwk, m’ heead,” Tora whined, holding her head with both of her paws to make the world stop spinning, despite the fact she was still sitting at the table.

Durin smiled, pushing the hangover cure further towards her. “For your hangover.”

For a moment, Tora didn’t respond or move a muscle. When she did, she quite reluctantly cracked open an eye to look at Durin, “...th’nks, Dur.” Then, she sluggishly reached out for the cure with a fumbling paw, slowly dragged it back to her, and shoved the neck of the bottle into her mouth, and slowly sucked the contents into her mouth like a kitten on a teat.

One couldn’t fault the tigress for doing so, considering how shitty she was probably feeling at that point.

“Sorry if it doesn’t taste too good. Haven’t tried making this kind before,” Durin apologized, dismissing his Inventory screen.

“...Better’n - URP- th-throwin’ up, mate,” Tora said once she felt the cure getting to work on making her not feel like suicide via gunshot to the head was a splendid course of action. “So...didja en...enjo...oy th’ drinkiiin’ las’ night?”

Durin briefly thought back to said night. The laughter, the jokes and jests, the games… He smiled. “Yeah, I did. It was good to have company again.”

“Guuuud, mate. We di’n’t...say nuth...nuthin’ wee - HIC - weeird las’ night, r-roight?” the tigress asked, finally mustering the courage to expose both eyes to the bane of all drinkers in the morning-after: Natural light.

Durin chuckled. “Only that you shaved a buffalo once. And that you like blue cheese with whipped cream and cherry sauce.” He hummed, then added. “Something about dildos too, but I don’t recall that bit much. Or much after it.”

“...Me an’ m’ drunk mouth. Aaanyways-” Tora said, grunting as she pushed herself up into a sitting position in the chair. “-fer one thing, blue cheese is fuckin’ nasty. An’ two, never used a dildo. Well...that is, not fer pleasure, anyways. Used one t’ stab a fucker’s eye an’ braincase when I rescued some griffin’s daughter from sex traffickers…or was it a pimp?”

“Same difference in my book,” Durin said with a shrug. His gaze dropped to the table for a moment, before he sighed and looked back up to Tora. “So, there’s some things I should explain, if you’re willing to listen.”

“Eh, go ahead. Can’t feel m’ legs at th’ mo, anyways, so I can’t really jus’ fuck off if I don’t wanna hear nothin’,” Tora said, gesturing with a paw for him to continue.

Durin was silent for a time, before sighing. “I imagine you wanna know who Robin was, yeah?”

“...I guess. Y’ don’t have t’ if’n y’ don’t wanna, Durin, jus’ t’ let y’ know,” the Abyssinian replied with a shrug and a brief flicker of concern on her face.

Durin shook his head. “No. No, you deserve to know.” He snorted. “You all almost died because I’ve been hung up on her anyway, so it’s only fair.” Durin sighed again, pausing a moment to collect his thoughts, then continued. “Robin was my best friend. One of three, anyway. She and I went back all the way to my childhood. She was also the one who helped get my job back home a running start.” Durin’s eyes turned misty, and faraway, like an exile recalling their exodus. “She introduced me to a lot of stuff, lots of ideas and experiences. Helped me through a lot of rough patches.” He smiled bitterly. “If I’m being honest, I fell for her a long while back. Just never had the guts to ask her out.” He clenched his fist. “...And the day I did, I got a call telling me she was found in her apartment, hanging from a rope around her neck.”

“...Was there ever a reason fer why she did it?” Tora asked softly.

“...Suicidal depression. Never went away no matter how much assurance I gave her.” Durin grit his teeth. “...I failed her. Plain and simple.”

“...Mate. I hate t’ say it, but yer a fuckin’ drongo an’ a dickhead if y’ think y’ coulda changed the outcome. It was her life, mate. From wot I’ve gathered, livin’ with that kinda depression is hell, so she was prolly sufferin’ day in an’ day out because of it. Th’ fact that she held out fer as long as she did is a testament t’ her resolve, cuz th’ way I see it, th’ only reason she didn’t kill herself sooner was cuz she was holdin’ out fer your sake,” Tora said, eyes narrowed in a firm, stern glare. “She put up with her depression fer you, held out as long as she could t’ make y’ happy an’ make sure yer life was in order. Sayin’ you failed her sounds like y’ thought she woulda wanted t’ keep livin’ that hell, like her death wasn’t finally th’ end of her sufferin’. She chose to die, Durin - she didn’t jus’ accidentally put a noose on herself; she made a decision that she had every right t’ make, and to be bloody honest, y’ shoulda respected her decision instead o’ treatin’ it like it was your ‘responsibility’ t’ keep her alive even if she didn’t wanna be. If she was dyin’ o’ some disease that made every second o’ her life agonizing an’ she wanted t’ die, wouldja keep her alive then, too?”

Durin went silent, staring her down for a long time. After what felt like hours, he sighed and dropped his gaze. “...I guess you have a point.” He gained a small, melancholy smile. “...Robin always hated when I sulked over her, anyway.” He did not feel any less terrible about his past with Robin…but it was a start. He shook his head, then looked back to Tora. “Thanks, Tora. I think I needed all that.”

“No worries, mate. Wot’re mates - friendos, that is - for?” Tora gave him a soft smile...which abruptly died a horrible death as she winced and rubbed her left temple. “Gaaah...fuckin’ head’s achin’, prolly from dehydration an’ shit. Mind gettin’ me some water, Durin?”

Durin nodded, standing up from his chair. “Yeah, no problem.” With that, he walked into the kitchen.

Tora sighed and kept pressure to her temple…and then stiffened when she finally remembered something from last night - or, rather, that something backhanded her brain across the ‘face’ and shoved a little tidbit of information down its metaphorical throat.

It was the culmination of...a lot of things, really, that had piled up over the past few...days? Weeks? However long it had been since she got involved in all of this madness.

“...I have a bloody crush on Durin. Ffffuck.” She whispered as low as she could to herself - so that the Witcher would not hear. Heavens knew he’d heard things she’d not wanted him to before because of his enhanced senses.

The sound of heavy footfalls rocked the ground, tremors shaking the house as Tora could easily see birds and monsters fleeing from something massive via the window.

‘Oh thank fuck, a distraction!’

“Abe come for hug!” the familiar voice of Abe boomed.

Tora let out a laugh that was part ‘happy to see the big golem bloke wasn’t dead and I’m gonna hug the big lug for savin’ our asses’ and part ‘I’m going to try to ignore the fact that I have a crush on a guy with a ton of emotional baggage when I, myself, have some fucked up baggage myself’ as she made her way outside with a cry of, “Abe!”

Somehow Abe managed to surprise her from the side, gently (for Abe) hugging the girl.

Fluttershy came up behind the Troll, placing a hoof on his side gently. “Careful Mr. Abe, we don’t want to reopen your wounds, okay?”

“Okay,” Abe said after a moment, slowly and carefully setting Tora back down.

“Nice t’ see y’ too, Abe! Glad yer up an’ stomping around already!” Tora said with a little chuckle as he set her down, giving his left leg a few friendly pats in return.

Durin came out of the house soon after, sword in hand, only to blink as he saw Abe. “Well, this is a surprise,” He began, dismissing his blade and walking up to Abe. “How you doing, big guy?”

“Abe not bleeding on ground.” The Troll said simply. A vast improvement in the giant’s eyes.

Tora blinked, then glanced over at Durin, “Well, he ain’t wrong.”

Fluttershy nodded. “Mr. Abe here is doing much better than before, so I decided to let him come and see you two.” She smiled nervously at Tora. “I um...might have had some of my animal friends follow you so I knew where you two went.”

Durin frowned immediately, crossing his arms. “I’m guessing that wasn’t entirely your decision, was it?”

“Did th’ other sheilas peer pressure ya int’ doin’ it?” Tora asked flatly, already knowing what the answer was (probably) going to be.

Fluttershy winced. “Miss Tempest asked me, actually.”

“Ooof course y’ fuckin’ ponies are paranoid an’ distrustful even after someone saves yer arses,” Tora muttered, shaking her head with some measure of disappointment.

“What arses?” Abe suddenly asked, the giant having been so silent they forgot he was here.

“Your butt, Abe,” Tora said rather patiently, tail flicking to the side. “What ya sit on. It can also mean ‘meanie heads’.”

“Okay,” Abe replied simply, not needing any further description. “Black dragon are arse.” He innocently said.

“Eh, true, they’re known for burning and killing people cuz it’s funny to them,” Tora replied with a shrug.

“Abe need find Black Dragons now.” The giant said, turning to march off. Looks like Tora accidentally set him on a manhunt. Dragon hunt? Dragon hunt.

“ABE NO, DON’T!” Tora called out to him. The being of earthly materials looked back at her, tilting his head in confusion. He didn’t stop walking though.

Fluttershy crossed her forelegs over her barrel. “Mr. Abe, if you don’t stop, you won’t get any more Fire Rubies.” She said sternly.

“Then Abe would no heal… okay.” Abe said. He'll heal first, then hunt. Good plan.

Tora let out an exhausted (and still mildly hungover) sigh as she approached the big, dumb lug, “Look, Abe, when I said that black dergs did that kind o’ shite, I didn’t mean all of ‘em did that. It was, uh...hmm...how th’ bloody fuck t’ explain this t’ a bloke built like a brick shithouse with th’ mind of an anklebiter…”

“Not every creature of the world is bad, even if one group is made out to be bad,” Durin helpfully supplied. He then handed Tora her water, having stored it in his Inventory. “Also, here, Tora.”

The tigress snatched the water from him with all the reflexes of a cat with a splitting headache and alcohol-induced sluggishness, then all but chugged the tasteless liquid down her gullet. She sighed and handed the container back to Durin with a ‘thanks, mate.’

"But you say earlier that they all bad. Make mind up." Abe said, a confused look appearing on his rocky face.

“Look, just…” Durin pinched the bridge of his nose. “Just...don’t go hunting for black dragons, alright?”

"Okay," The Hill Troll nodded, his stoney head groaning as he did.

Durin sighed, removing his hand from his nose. “Alright, so what are you two really doing here?” He looked to Fluttershy.

“We…” Fluttershy paused, seemingly trying to come up with the words. “...We want to learn more about you. Mostly why you’ve been evading us.”

“Wait, they didn’t fuckin’ tell ya wot Durin said in th’ meetin’? Th’ fuck?” Tora asked, looking at the yellow Pegasus in disbelief.

“I was there, I heard it all, but…” She frowned. “We’re just wondering why you didn’t just talk to us-”

Durin growled. “Why didn’t I talk to you? Why didn’t I TALK TO YOU?!” Durin’s growl turned into a snarl. “YOU FUCKING PONIES WOULD’VE LOCKED ME IN JAIL FOR LIKELY WEEKS OR MONTHS OR EVEN YEARS BEFORE I COULD TALK TO YOU!” He grit his teeth. For a moment, one would almost think his canines had become full fangs. He brought his voice to a seething low tone, dripping with venom. “Why would I let that happen? Why would I wait for your fucking bureacracy to blow over just so I could talk and get my story out, when I could be alone and unbothered?”

Fluttershy looked like she’d just been slapped. “I…”

“...Durin’s got a point. Yer kind scare real easy, an’ y’ would have locked ‘im up cuz he’s ‘new an’ scary-like’. Ponyville an’ other places ain’t as nice an’ acceptin’ of newcomers an’ ‘unknowns’ like m’self as y’ make yerselves out t’ be,” Tora added on with a grimace as her head acted up. “An’ yer own guards did it t’ Abe, even when th’ bloke saved yer rear ends.”

Fluttershy’s gaze dropped to the ground for a time. But, suddenly, she raised her gaze back up to meet Durin’s and Tora’s, a fire in her eyes. “I understand that you’re angry. Really, I do. But… I can promise you you wouldn’t have been in jail for very long at all, and you’d have been treated wel-”

“Spare me the bullshit,” Durin spat, turning to walk back into his house. “And get off my lawn. You’re ruining the aesthetic.”

Fluttershy, instead, flew over and in front of him. “I wasn’t done, buster.”

Durin leaned down to stare her straight in the eyes. “I. Was.”

Then, Fluttershy used her Stare, and Durin’s eyes - and senses - went up in alarm, the man staggering back.

And, just as soon as she used it, the gleam of power and command in her eyes was gone, leaving Durin only shocked and stunned.

“Please,” she said, softening her gaze. “Just let me finish.”

“...Just let ‘er talk, Durin. Then she can fuck off an’ leave ya alone,” Tora spoke up, her pupils almost paper-thin slits and her hackles raised as far as they can go. “Cuz after that, I’m not keen on lettin’ her stay here any longer than we have to.”

“...” Durin sighed deeply, resuming his earlier posture. “Get on with it.”

Fluttershy took a breath, and let it out. “We want to make amends. Tempest sent me here because of that. Yes, we have a lot of questions, and yes, most of us don’t trust or, in some cases, even like you, but we know we did wrong, and, above all, we need you.” The mare placed a hoof over her heart. “For what it’s worth… I want to help you and make things right as best I can.”

Tora stared at Fluttershy...then snorted, “Some o’ wot y’ wanna make up fer is a lost cause. Not likin’ Durin cuz he was worried fer his own safety and freedom? Not trustin’ a bloke who never tried t’ harm any o’ ya when y’ woulda done jus’ that t’ him? Y’ talk about ‘trust’, but y’ never even gave him th’ benefit of th’ doubt. This entire time, you an’ yours have been keeping him at arm’s length an’ never let him close until you felt it was ‘safe’ to do so.”

“Same shit happened with th’ zebra mare I’ve heard about, an’ the same shit happened with me - you ponies don’t trust wot y’ don’t know, an’ ya shun it until it’s clear that it ain’t a threat; by that point, it’s often too late to make up for excludin’ them. Y’ think it’s okay t’ push someone away ‘cause you’re afraid, then come up t’ them an’ be all friendly like when y’ did nothing t’ DESERVE the treatment y’ want?” Tora asked, tail lashing like a whip behind her as exasperation and some kind of repressed sentiments boiled to the surface. “Where was this ‘trust’ and ‘friendship’ an’ shit when Durin needed it, when he was fightin’ for his life t’ protect himself AND you an’ yours? Where was yer fuckin’ kindness when he was alone and scared? WHERE WERE YOU AND YOUR FUCKING FRIENDS WHEN HE NEEDED SOMEONE - ANYONE - TH’ MOST?!”

Fluttershy didn’t reply, mouth agape. She looked to Tora, seeing the clear anger, then Durin, seeing only a stern wall of unforgiveness.

Durin pushed past her, opening the door to his house. “If you want me to forgive you, forget it.” He didn’t move from the doorframe, but his back remained firmly facing her. “At this point, all you’re getting is what you’ll need to face those monsters. Nothing else. You won’t get my forgiveness, you won’t get my kindness. Not you, not your friends, not those highers up or officials. None of them. Far as I’m concerned, the only ones worthy of that are those who suffered from the Blood Moon. Who suffered because I couldn’t get there in time.” He turned his head glacially to glare at her, his own cat-like eyes slits of pure golden anger. “Now get. Off. My. Lawn.”

Fluttershy didn’t move for a long moment, and Tora could see a tear stream down her eye...but eventually, she hung her head, spread her wings, and flew away, choking back sobs. Considering that Fluttershy had been nice to, and fed, Abe, he started to go after her.

“...Fuckin’ ponies. They treat ya like an outsider, then are surprised when ya give ‘em th’ cold shoulder,” Tora spat on the ground, splayed-back ears slowly moving back to their usual positions. “If they wanted yer fuckin’ help, Durin, they shoulda bit th’ bolt an’ extended th’ olive branch way earlier.”

Durin didn’t reply as he stomped inside his home. When Tora went to investigate, she found him back in the dining room, sitting at the table and glaring at said table.

“...Wanna just...shoot shit?” Tora offered the fuming man after a few moments of watching him in silence.

“...I need some time,” he said finally. He didn’t turn to look at her.

“Fair ‘nuff. Lemme know if y’ wanna do anythin’. I’m gonna be nappin’ off th’ last of m’ hangover,” Tora replied with a shrug and walked off to the living room to lay down on the couch and sincerely regret last night.

Then, she suddenly froze in place and started coughing, then hacking violently as if something was lodged in her throat.

Durin came thundering into the room, eyes wide with worry. “Tora! You okay?!”

The tigress gave him a look questioning his intelligence amidst the sounds of her choking, a paw pointing frantically at her throat while the other mimed the classic ‘getting shit out of your throat’ maneuver.

Durin immediately grabbed her and started to perform said maneuver.

She let out one hack, then two, and finally a third before something flew out of her mouth and landed on the floor.

It was pink, green, some kind of blue...long...somehow waving without a breeze even while covered in...stuff…

“...Is...that part of fuckin’ Suncunt’s mane?” Tora asked blankly after taking a few moments to catch her breath.

Durin blinked, recognition slowing coming to his eyes, then looked down at her. “...I...think we may have upset one of the most powerful beings on the planet last night when we went drinking.”

Tora opened her mouth to speak...then started smacking her lips, “...Her conditioner tastes like fuckin’ pineapple. Why?”

“...I’m going to have to up security for the next few days...or weeks,” Durin shuddered. “I do not like the idea of the Hammer of Dawn hitting me or my house.”

“...Yyyeah, same, maaaa- wait, why do I smell...fuckin’...shaving cream on yer hands?” Tora asked, glancing down at his hands...and then her eyes widened like saucers when she saw midnight blue fur clippings clinging to his sleeves.

Durin paled as he saw this as well. “...I really hope we covered our tracks well enough.” He looked to her slowly. “Because if not...my house is gonna be raided in the next few days.” He paused a beat. “...I might need to kill that pegasus’ animals for good measure too.”

“...Worth it?”

“...” Durin frowned, then sighed and smiled. “Ya know what? It was.” ‘Even if it does mean my reputation just dropped considerably more with the ponies.’

1 - A New Life: The Night Gains a Thousand Eyes (Edited...again)

A form walks through the Dark.

It swallows him whole.

He walks onward, torch in hand.

His eyes blaze with baleful green light, like a beast.

Eyes watch from afar.

They pounce.

Steel sings it's tone through flesh and hide, splattering blood on the stones.

Claws rend through the mutant's armor.

He grabs the claws, and rips them off.

His wound heals.

His blade sings through more flesh.

Baleful blue Eyes watch from the Cosmos.

'Ahhh... Man, I don't think I could ever stand not having a pack of cigs like this...'

I thought to myself as I took a drag from the God-given stick in between my fingers, exhaling a cloud of smoke into the chilly Alaskan air. I relaxed myself more into the bench I was on, my bags of groceries on either side of me. I stared up at the mid-afternoon sun in the sky, just taking pleasure in watching the clouds roll by like sea turtles on a beach.

'What more could a guy ask for on a day like this?'

Eventually, I let my gaze wander around the area, drinking in the beautiful Alaskan landscape. Snow covered rooftops and buildings stretched out a small ways, before ultimately giving way to the vast, snowy countryside. I could make out the forest nearby that separated Bettles from Evansville, it's trees laden with vast collections of the tears of winter.

I blinked, stopping just as I was about to take a puff of my cigarette.

"...Shit, Noella really is rubbing off on me," I cursed, before chuckling to myself. Damn woman.

"Having a good time?" came a posh voice from nowhere, and I couldn't help but jump, dropping my cigarette in the process.

I cursed again at this, sending a mild glare in the direction of- I blinked as I took in her appearance. She was wearing a full outfit of Victorian-era clothes, tail coat, vest, slacks and all. She even had a top hat, a cane, and a masquerade mask.

She giggled behind her gloved hand, seeming to have noticed my staring. "Sorry, was I interrupting something?"

I sighed, then flipped the lid on my pack of cigarettes and plucked one of the sticks out. "Nah, it's fine, no worries." After fishing out my lighter and lighting the thing up, I stuffed it into my mouth and took another drag. I glanced back to the woman. She was still there. "Did you need something?" I queried.

"I'm glad you asked," she said with a bright, disarming smile. I narrowed my eyes. Something smells like trouble. She pulled a strange smartphone out of her coat pocket as she continued talking, "You see, I have this cellphone here," she wiggled the phone in her hand, "But I have no need for it." She stabbed her cane into the hard-packed ice on the side of the road, then pulled another phone out, one way more expensive looking, covered in silver and gold plating and even rubies. She held it out to me. "See?"

Something still didn't sound right, but I decided to play along. "Alright, and? What's that got to do with me?"

Her smile grew. I did not like how it looked. "Well, I figured that since I have one phone just sitting around, I might as well give it to someone, and you were the first person I found."

My eyes narrowed even further. "This sounds like a scam to me."

The woman laughed. "Oh, hardly, my dear boy." She recovered quickly, then smirked. "I don't expect to give this out for nothing, after all."

I frowned, taking the cigarette out of my mouth and raising a brow at her, turning my head fully to her. "Yeah? How much you asking for? A thousand?"

She laughed again. "Oh no no no, not at all," she smirked again, putting her own phone back in her pocket and grabbing and twirling her cane around before pointing at my pack of cigarettes with it. "I think those are a good enough trade."

I stroked my beard in thought, thinking it all over. 'This sounds way too fishy.' I tilted my head back and forth, then looked to my pocket. 'Then again, I do need a new phone...' I thought it over for a spell, the woman simply waiting patiently for my answer. The fact that she asked for my cigarettes was admittedly fishy, but it was hard to link that to an actual scam. Not like she could drug me with them without giving them back first, and she couldn't get any of my information from them. Still, though... I decided to look her in the eyes to be certain of her honesty. When I did, I found nothing nefarious in the golden windows to her soul, which felt...somewhat odd, considering the proposal she just gave me, but I felt compelled to trust her. So, with a heavy sigh, I closed the lid on my pack and offered it to her.

"Fine. Here," I conceded.

She smiled, taking it and giving me the cellphone. As soon as I took it, though, my vision spun, my head hurt like hell, and I wobbled on the bench.

"What...the hell...?" I managed to get out, before my sight was replaced by the abyss of unconsciousness.

When I woke up, it was because it felt like someone had stabbed my eyes. I screamed bloody murder, only for those screams to be muffled by a mouthful of...something. It was like eating fat, yet straight up plants at the same time. My howls of pain swiftly reached a new level as I suddenly felt like someone was forcing my bones to grow, and then breaking them over and over again all at once. However, it was again muffled by the plants and fat.

Another searing lance of pain shot through me, this time in my nose, the sensation feeling akin to huffing pure flames. My screams were muffled again, and I started to feel nauseous. My ears were next, and it felt like someone was tearing off the skin inside and reworking it from the ground up. I lost track of time, not sure if minutes or hours had passed since this unholiest of tortures started.

I screamed until my throat started to burn, but someone or something kept forcing me to chew and swallow the plants and fat in my mouth. I can't recall how many times I bit my tongue or cheek. I can't recall how many times I retched, spilling vomit and what tasted like blood onto myself.

Each time I did, though, more plants and fat was shoveled into my mouth, in a never ending cycle.

All I knew was pain, until finally, I felt the bliss of blacking out.

"What in the name of the gods...?" Luna said in confusion. She lit her horn, attempting to reach out to her moon, but her attempt to link failed. She brought a hoof up to her horn, tapping it as if it were a faulty microphone. "I'm certain my magic isn't to blame, so what in the name of the gods is going on?" Once more she sent out her magical senses to the moon, trying to grab hold of it, but just as the past few tries, her touch seemed to be simply smacked away by another force.

She furrowed her brow, staring up at her moon, seeing it move on it's own now. "If my moon won't respond to me, then I shall try my stars." With this decree, she tried to use her magic to shift the stars in the night sky. However... "What the Tartarus?!" she cried, watching as suddenly, and without warning, a white, magical rip tore through the sky. "Is that...the Worldcloak?!?!"

Luna watched on with wide and horrified eyes as the rip in the sky grew and grew and grew until suddenly, with a loud, resounding VOORRRRIP, the Wordcloak tore open, and the true night sky was revealed.

Luna fell down onto her plot, her body shaking in fright at the spectacle she just witnessed. "It can't be..." Numerous ponies in the streets below were making their own cries of alarm, slowly jostling Luna back to composure with their own fright. Luna shook her head to clear it, and her eyes hardened. "I must tell sister quickly." With that and a burst of blue light, Luna disappeared, off to warn her sister.

The Day had come.

When I started to come to, all I could hear was wildlife, like Mother Nature was making her own wake-up call for me. Much as I preferred it after that hell, I wasn't sure I wanted to wake. Still, I couldn't stay asleep, so with a bit of a groan, I opened my eyes and slowly sat up, taking in my surroundings.

I saw forest all around me, but... The trees looked different from the ones I knew of. Not oak, not sycamore or birch, or even pine. It just looked...different. The bushes were much the same. Sure, there were some blueberries, but almost every other bush or shrub looked way different from any kind I'd known.

And that's saying something, considering I hunt and camp out pretty often.

Looking skywards, through the small opening in the canopy, allowed me to tell it was at least mid-day, so that told me something at least. The sky wasn't black or flashing with random colors like that...place. 'Which is a huge relief.' I shivered at the memory. This was when I realized I should check my body for any signs of whatever the fuck happened back in that inky, black hell.

"What the fuck?" I swore in confusion as I took in my appearance.

I had a full set of armor on, full medieval style. Gauntlets, pauldrons, and elbow guards covered my arms, all made of what I could only guess was steel. Underneath that was scale mail, and over the scale mail shirt was a medallion of a screaming eagle. Covering most of my body was a heavy, white leather coat with leather trousers covering my legs as well as some sabatons for my feet.

"What the absolute fuck happened to me?" I asked no-one, giving my outfit another look over whilst patting my body down to check for any signs of injury. I found nothing out of order, and I felt just fine. Better than before, even. With growing worry and confusion, I tried to check my pockets, but found I had none. "What the hell is going on here?!" I cried, cradling my head in my hands. "First I lose my fucking cigarettes, then I get sent to some freaky abyss, and now all my shit is gone!?" I ranted, before letting out a scream of pure rage. "WHY?! FUCKING WHY?!"

I picked up an errant rock and threw it at a tree with another scream of rage. "That fucking bitch! SHE did this! If she hadn't come around none of this would have happened!" I threw another rock. "Fuck!" Another. "Fuck!!" And another. "FUCK!!"

It took a while for me to calm down after that. My life was essentially ruined. Everything I needed was gone. My credit card, my keys and wallet, hell, even my crappy-ass phone! All gone. Likely forever, to boot. But eventually, and after a few deep breaths, I regained a modicum of composure. It was only after I had that I started to try and think through what had happened.

"Okay Durin, think. How could this have happened?" I rubbed my eyes, then blinked a few times and looked around before continuing my line of thought. "This doesn't feel like a dream. Too clear for that, not to mention I've never had a dream with this level of detail or realism," I put a hand to my chin, running my fingers through my beard. "Why would she take my stuff and give me all this armor, anyway? Not to mention dragging me out here." I looked around. "Certainly doesn't look like anywhere in Alaska, so I've gotta be a fair ways away from home. Why would she drag me out here after taking my stuff? To murder me?" I frowned, then shook my head. "No, I'd be dead already if that was the case. Can't be rape, either, else I'd be tied up as well, or at least drugged. So the only other logical explanation is that she's trying to steal from me. Probably already at my house by now and ransacking it."

I sighed heavily, slumping a little. "Goddammit..." I swore. With another sigh, I stood up. "Guess I might as well try and salvage the situation." I put my hands on my hips. "First thing I'll need to do is find water, then food. To do that, I'm gonna need weapons and tools, which means I'll need something to store them in. Basic inventory space." As soon as I said inventory, a number of floating, transparent and dark blue screens appeared in my vision, and I jumped. "What the shit?!" I cried, stumbling back.

Dozens of midnight blue squares now took up 30% of my vision. One grouping of them was in the top left corner, with the words 'Inventory' above them. Right next to that was a smaller bundle labeled 'Coins' and 'Ammo.' Below all that, on the lower left hand corner, was a strange assortment of squares with the words 'Crafting' above them. Finally, on the far lower right hand corner was three columns of squares in varying shades of green with faded pictures of clothes, armor, rings, and...bows?

I stared at the apparent inventory menu, eyes wide. I rubbed my eyes vigorously, then looked again. It was all still there. Smacking my face twice and looking again yielded the same result. I had only one answer to all this. It was the only logical conclusion, the only thing that could explain this.

"That bitch must've drugged me somehow," I concluded.

That was all I could think of. I mean, I was seeing the same inventory menu that was in Terraria! But, the more I thought about it, the more grim realizations came to mind. She couldn't have drugged me just by handing me a phone. After all, I'd never heard of someone getting knocked out via a drug lathered all over a cell phone. That just didn't happen.

And if that was true, then... My eyes widened. "No..." I fell to my hands and knees, unable to believe that realization, but unable to deny it. If this wasn't caused by a drug, then it had to be real. Either that, or whatever happened in that void messed with me so bad I was hallucinating. But I wasn't sure.

So, I came up with a theory. If I could interact with the menu, then there was a lower chance I was crazy. Looking through said menu, I saw a number of items present.

The first few were my armor pieces, all labeled as, 'Eagle School' armor.

One was an 'Arcane Eagle School Medallion' which made me look down at said medallion hanging from my neck. Gently holding it up in my hand, I looked at it in a new light. This medallion was styled pretty similarly to a Witcher medallion...

I hadn't played the Witcher too much, but it was still an awesome game in my book. Still, knowing I had a medallion made like one you'd find on a Witcher, as well as armor from one of the schools, was a little exciting. Though I can't say I recalled any Eagle Schools in the Witcher... I shook my head, trying to get back on track.

Moving on, I found a 'Warding Guild Seal' in one of the slots. It looked like that weird seal from that game Noella always asked me to play with her. If I recalled correctly, it was called Fable. Also a pretty fun game. Got surprisingly deep sometimes, which was what I liked about it.

Then there was something that made me a bit less upset. In one of the inventory slots was an 'Infinite Cigarette Pack'. I will admit, seeing that gave me some measure of comfort.

Next on the list were my tools, which included a 'Light Copper Pickaxe', a 'Light Copper Axe' and two swords, a 'Legendary Hero's Sword' as well as a 'Sharp Witcher's Silver Sword.' I even had a 'Rapid Hero's Pistol.' It looked like I had a mix and match of gear from all three games, which was strange to say the least. And while this situation was far from the best, I couldn't deny living out my boyhood dream of physically experiencing a game was exciting.

But all my excitement went out the window when I saw the next item. It stopped me short, previous excitement forgotten, staring at the final item in my inventory. The Cell Phone. I grit my teeth, and, deciding to finally test my theory, I tried to will it into my hand.

It didn't work at first, what with me being new to, well, having my world turned upside down, but after discovering I didn't have to try and pull from some 'deep pit in my very being', I got it, and the object appeared in my hand. Apparently I only had to think of and literally will it into existence. I hadn't gotten a good look of it back when that hag tricked me but now that I had the chance, I could tell it was a solid piece of tech.

For one, it was made of solid platinum and gold, with the power button and volume buttons being made of that gold with the platinum making up the rest of the body. The screen was black since it wasn't on, and featureless. There wasn't any markings that I could see from any manufacturer or carrier, so this phone was definitely on the exotic side. I clenched my fist as the memory came back to me, but managed to calm myself down with a few deep breaths.

Getting angry would get me nowhere right now.

I sighed. "Well, might as well see if she gave me a shitty phone or not," I decided, pressing the golden power button. The screen flared to life, and after a short showing of the Guild Seal with my Medallion in the center along with a grassy backdrop, the home screen popped up, complete with a clock and apps.

"Let's see...weather app, fishing app, lunar calendar app, treasure app, monster tracker app, headhunter app..." I listed off all the apps as I scrolled through them. So far, it seemed like it was just all the same stuff the Cell Phone did in Terraria. It even had the elevation, my current speed, my DPS, and a 'Teleport Home' button, just like it did in game. Then I noticed four final apps, labeled simply 'Training', 'Music', 'Notes' and 'Void Web'.

Curious, I tapped the training app, deciding to leave the other three for later. Immediately I was greeted to a page filled with text.

Have a good sleep, my boy? I hope so, because you have a lot to do now! But let's not get ahead ourselves, hm? First up, you're probably wondering who I am, or why I sent you here. Unfortunately, because of a previous trade I made, I'm not allowed to tell you why I sent you here. Fortunately, I can tell you who I am.

My name is Trader. Nice to meet you!

I grit my teeth at the smarm so easily present in the words, but kept reading nonetheless.

Now, before we get down to business, please tap the button on the screen.

Seeing the little hourglass icon, I tapped it, and was rewarded with a huge countdown clock appearing below the main clock. Quirking a brow and forgetting some of my earlier anger, I read on, seeing the previous bits of text disappear whilst new text replaced it.

Good work! Now we can get to the important stuff! To start, what you just did there was start the countdown to the Moon Lord's arrival.

My eyes widened. The Moon Lord?! What the fuck?!

You now have four years to prepare. But don't worry! This program will guide you through the steps to becoming a warrior fit to fight such a colossal foe! But you're going to have to fight for every bit of progress you make, I'm afraid. The new monsters of this world aren't push overs, after all.

And what world is this, you ask? Why, it's none other than the world of Equus, the world of My Little Pony! I do hope you enjoy your stay. Ponies are typically quite a nice bunch, after all. I'm sure you'll fit right in!

Now, the final bit of info is that you are not, as you may think, alone. At least, not in circumstances. You see, there are hundreds, if not thousands more people like you who have been in your situation. They are called Displaced. You might find their Tokens, or calling cards, as I call them, on your journey, so keep an eye out, alright, sweetie?

Oh! And you can make your own too, if you want. Just focus on your inner flame, on yourself, and will it forth. Using an item to attach this will to goes a long way as well. I'd recommend choosing something that symbolizes you.

Now, with all that said, go ahead and check the other programs on this app and get started on your training!

Ta ta~!

-Trader

It took a long span of time for me to process everything that I had just read. Many feelings swam about in my head from all this. Anger, resentment, worry, fear, loss, regret... I didn't know what else to do. This was all just way too much. I was trying to deny it all, but everything I knew so far told me I couldn't, that this was the truth.

And that scared me.

Slowly, I curled up in a ball, and wept. I wasn't in Alaska. I wasn't in North America. I wasn't even on Earth. How could I be? Earth, hell, to my knowledge, the universe, didn't let you fucking summon up a full on RPG inventory menu. No. I was in another world. Another universe.

Without my family.

Without my friends.

...Without a home.

Author's Note

EDIT: Added a new intro, tell me what you think!

Alright folks, this is the final new Displaced story I'm going to be making. If I can help it, at least. Any others that appear from here on out will be sequels to existing stories. Other than that, there might be a few one shots.

Anyways, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Please, let me know down below what you liked, or disliked. Give me constructive criticism. I'd love to hear what you all think.

Thanks for reading!

-Timeless Celestial

7 - Discovery: A Chat (Edited)

A form walks through the Dark.

It swallows him whole.

He walks onward, torch in hand.

His eyes blaze with baleful green light, like a beast.

Eyes watch from afar.

They pounce.

Steel sings it's tone through flesh and hide, splattering blood on the stones.

Claws rend through the mutant's armor.

He grabs the claws, and rips them off.

His wound heals.

His blade sings through more flesh.

Baleful blue Eyes watch from the Cosmos.

"This is your house?" the gray mare - whose name I'd learned was Octavia - asked, looking to me.

I only nodded, still holding the weird cat lady over my shoulder as I walked the path leading up to my front door.

"It looks kinda like something from a fantasy movie," said Vinly, the mare I'd now saved twice.

I grunted. "Hurry up and get in," I said, reaching and opening the door for them. "Last thing I want is more monsters on my doorstep."

Blinking, they stopped staring at my home and blushed lightly before walking inside. Gratifying as it was to have my hard work praised, I was on a time limit here. After walking inside and closing the door, I hurried through the house to my room. "Make yourselves at home, but don't touch anything!" I told them as I reached the secret door. Opening said door by pushing the hidden button, I walked as fast as I could down the stairwell, and made a beeline for my bedroom after reaching the bottom.

I didn't bother looking over my room when I reached and entered it, resolving to just place the tigress down on my bed as gently but swiftly as I could. Doing so, I looked her over and frowned. I'd have to take off her armor to see the rest of the damage, so hopefully she actually wore something beneath it all.

Working it off as carefully as I could, I could only blush when I saw she only wore chest wrappings and a black thong under it all. My eyes briefly traced along her curves. Were those-? I shook my head. Not now, Durin. I looked to her wounds. The one on her cheek was minor, but still looked infected. Her side was torn open a fair bit, too, and also infected. Letting my brows furrow, I called "Inventory," and pulled out two potions from the stacks I'd stocked up on for the hunt tonight. 'No hunting tonight, I guess.' I reasoned, before popping the cork on the Golden Oriole.

"Hope you have good resistance to toxins, Tora," I prayed, then opened her maw and poured the potion down her throat before tossing the bottle aside. She coughed and spluttered, but I clamped her mouth shut and massaged her throat to make sure she swallowed. I would've used another potion if I had any that worked on poison besides the Oriole, but I didn't have that luxury. So, I had to hope this potion didn't increase her chances of dying. Judging by how she was coughing, though, it definitely burned her throat.

I looked to the wounds, and saw the infections dying out, being replaced with marginally healthier colors, if still red from blood. Sighing in relief in my heart, I uncorked the other potion, a Potion of Healing, and poured it down her throat next. Like last time, she spluttered and coughed, but thankfully not as much as before, and her wounds slowly but surely closed up.

I sat back on the floor, sighing in relief. "Thank God..." I breathed. Last thing I wanted was to see someone else dead. Yeah, this world's been an ass, along with most of it's inhabitants, but that didn't mean I wanted any of them -save the monsters - to die.

Slowly shaking my head, I put her armor back on her, then walked out of the room, closing the door behind me. I had explaining to do now, sadly.

The silence was tense as I poured some tea for Octavia, then myself. Vinyl had elected for just a glass of water, but we were all silent all the same. After seating myself in my chair, I blew a bit on my tea to cool it down, then took a sip.

"So...your place is pretty neat," Vinyl started.

I put my teacup down and gave her a thankful nod. "Thanks." A brief silence followed. "I guess you two have questions?"

Octavia nodded, having not touched her tea yet. "Yes, we do."

"Why you saved me is one of them," Vinyl interjected. At my look, she waved her hooves. "Don't get me wrong, I appreciate it loads, but it's still something I wanna know, ya know?"

I frowned, then sighed, looking into my reflection in the tea of my teacup. "I'm a bleeding heart, I guess you could say. I don't like leaving others to die when I can help."

"Then why are you hiding out here?" Octavia asked, eyes narrowed.

I went silent at that.

"If you were a 'bleeding heart', why did you run? Why not stop and explain yourself?" Octavia pressed.

"..." I looked away and out the window, to the moon that was peeking out over the trees. "...I don't know. I just...did." I looked back to her. "Maybe I didn't want to deal with more bullshit. Maybe I was scared I would live on parole despite doing nothing wrong. I don't know. But I do know one thing." I leaned forward. "I would've been met with distrust and skepticism either way." Vinyl and Octavia frowned, looking at their drinks. I leaned back. "That silence only proves my point."

Vinyl eventually spoke up. "L-Let's change the topic a bit." She looked to me. "Mind if I ask what you are?"

I stopped cold at that, tensing up. I wasn't exactly a single race anymore. Sure, I looked humanoid, but I also had two different sub races in my blood, on top of being a Witcher, a mutant. I'm not sure there was a single term for what I was now. Heroes were, if Fable's lore was anything to go by, quite obviously a sub race of human. Same went for Terrarians. And Witchers, while not being an actual race, were mutants. Then, it struck me, like someone slapping me with a hand made of ice. That's all I was now. A mutant. A freak. I wasn't even truly human anymore. I grit my teeth, and painfully answered her question.

"A mutant," I said, glaring at my tea, as if it was the woman who'd brought me here.

Dead silence followed, though that was expected, I guess.

"...We're sorry to have brought-" Octavia started, but I glared at her.

"Don't. I don't need or want pity," I stood up from my chair. "I'm going out. You two can sleep on the couch in the lounge."

I left without anymore words.

The first thing she noticed when she woke up was that she was sore or otherwise in pain all over, and she could barely feel any of her limbs. The second was that her throat hurt and burned, too.

The third was that fucking everything around her smelt like a...a...musky onion or whatever.

The fourth, was the scent of something - or someone that she recognized.

“...Vi...ny…l?” Tora said as loud as she could - a weak whisper, really, but still a damn sight louder than the silence of the room she was in.

“Tora? Oh thank Celestia, you’re okay!” Vinyl’s voice cried, a hoof being placed on the tigress’ paw. “How are you feeling?”

“...D...ead,” Tora quietly deadpanned as she stared at the disc jockey blankly.

Vinyl giggled softly. “Yeah, I can get that. Still, at least you aren’t really dead.”

“Y...yeah,” Tora sighed, gradually feeling control of her lungs and vocal cords returning to her as time went on. “Where...Octavia?”

“She’s upstairs, talking to Durin,” Vinyl explained.

Tora stared blankly at Vinyl, confusion clear in her eyes, “...Who?”

Vinyl blinked. “Uhh, the guy you were sent to find?”

Then, memories of the previous night came rushing back to her, her eyes widening, “W-wait...he’s called Durin? Huh...didn’t think that’d be his name. So, where are we...currently?”

“In his house. It’s…” She looked around, as did Tora. The bedroom had various bits and bobs about, clothes strewn about the floor along with a bookshelf and other furnishings. Tin-plated walls with intricate carvings surrounded them on all sides, and a lantern sat on a nearby nightstand.

“...Fuckin’ rancid-lookin’ in here,” Tora finished with a disgusted look at the discarded clothing on the floor...then she stiffened as all of the environmental clues snapped together. “...Please tell me I’m not in his bed, where all of his rank stench has likely seeped into my fur.”

Vinyl chuckled nervously, rubbing the back of her neck with a hoof. “W-Wellll… He uh, doesn’t have another bed, so…”

“...Burn me,” Tora said bluntly, eyes dead serious. “Burn me alive in this bed so that I do not have to live with this fuckin’ stench clinging to my fur.”

“I’d rather not risk burning the house of the dude who saved us,” Vinyl said with an amused smirk and giggle.

“...You are such a wanker,” Tora glared balefully at the DJ, wishing so badly that she could melt heads with a look.

“Don’t have a dick, though, so not sure I can be,” Vinyl replied, smirk growing.

“You sure fuck your mate like ya do,” Tora stated dryly, an amused smirk curling on her muzzle.

Vinyl shrugged. “Tavi likes being pegged.”

“I know, I could smell it when I walked in the house,” Tora added with a chuckle.

Vinyl shrugged again. “We were in the middle of a session when you came in. What do you expect? ‘Sides, you know how it is. Few enough good stallions in this world, even less who do that shit.”

“I don’t know how it is, actually,” Tora said with an annoyed huff. “Never been in a relationship - especially not a sexual one, so…”

Vinyl blinked, looking at Tora in a new light. “Holy shit. You’re a virgin? No bucking way!”

“Never had th’ time or interest in blokes or sheilas, not when I had my work ta take care of so that I could, y’know, eat on a healthy basis?” Tora shot back, tail visibly lashing about beneath the sheets. “I’m not constantly horny like you miniature Saddle Arabians are!”

“You Abyssinians do have heats though, right?” Vinyl countered, smirking again as she pulled her shades down to look Tora more directly in the eyes.

“Only fer a month, an’ even then, I was actually too focused on making my livin’ and making sure I could have brekkie in th’ morning to fuckin’ care bout my gooch burnin’!” Tora hissed, starting to feel a little agitated with Vinyl’s line of questioning.

Vinyl flipped her shades back up, raising her hooves placatingly. “Alright, alright, I get it now, sensitive topic. Sorry.”

“My sex life ain’t none o’ your bizzo, mate. So let’s leave it at that, savvy?” Tora ‘asked’ the mare as she slowly pushed herself up into a sitting position - with a lot of effort, mind you - and then paused when she felt - or, rather, didn’t feel - a familiar weight on her back.

“...Where’s Gabe?” Tora asked quietly, expression blank.

Vinyl pointed to the object peeking out from under the bed. “Under there.”

Tora relaxed like all the air in a balloon rushing out.

“Thank fuck...if that Durin bloke had taken m’ fuckin’ Gabe...he’d be cactus,” Tora said darkly, claws unsheathing and sheathing repeatedly.

“He told me if you wanted more rounds for it he could make or give you some, too,” Vinyl added.

Tora stared at Vinyl with an expression that could not be mistaken for anything other than predatory, a wild grin on her face and her amber eyes little more than slits.

“...Oooh, I could just kiss the bastard!” Tora mewed in utter excitement, her body trembling and tail wagging furiously.

Vinyl giggled. “If you wanna ask him about the specifics, he’s upstairs, down the hall. Second room on the right.”

Tora hopped out of the bed with surprising energy and speed for someone who’d been cut open and poisoned just the night before, and walked rather quickly to the room Vinyl specified, all but kicking it open.

She found Durin in a simple white T-shirt and blue jeans sitting at a table with Octavia, the former eating a leg of tantalizing meat, and the latter sipping from a cup of tea.

Durin put his meat down, giving the tigress a mild glare. “Don’t damage my house. I don’t want to have to rebuild any part of it.” He warned.

“Sorry, mate, just…Vin told me ya would make some more…‘rounds’ for Gabe if’n I asked nicely,” Tora said excitedly, a grin on her face.

Durin sighed deeply. “Well, I didn’t say you’d get them scott free.” He leaned back in his chair. “I want a favor for it.”

“Anything. I’m down to four rounds for Gabe, now,” Tora said emphatically.

Octavia giggled daintily, gently putting her cup back on it’s saucer. “I’m surprised you don’t have more questions than ‘more rounds’.”

“Questions are of lesser priority than makin’ sure Gabe is nice an’ stocked on ‘thunder’ charges,” Tora nodded sagely, completely serious about anything to do with her beloved weapon.

Durin and Octavia exchanged glances, then both chuckled to themselves.

“Wot’s so bloody funny to you two drongos?” Tora asked testily, planting her hands on her rather nice hips.

Durin chuckled a little more, then shook his head. “Nothing, nothing. You’re just kinda cute when you talk about that harquebus/crossbow of yours.”

“Arbalest, actually, an’-” Tora paused, blinking as she processed what he said. “...‘harquebus’? Is that what Gabe was before I added the arbalest to ‘im?”

Durin nodded. “The look is all the same, as is the inner workings and mechanisms.”

Tora fell silent, then her eyes narrowed, “...You touched Gabe?”

Durin shrugged. “Had to to know what kind of ammo it took.” He noticed her look. “Oh knock it off, I didn’t mess with anything. It’s just fine.”

“...You’d be carked right now if ya had,” Tora grumbled as she walked up to him and sat down at the table. “So, that fuckin’ favor ya wanted me ta do?”

“First thing’s first,” He said, a map appearing his hands out of nowhere.

‘How the fuck d’ya keep on doing that?!’ Tora yelled internally.

He laid it out on the table, letting Tora get a better look at it.

“...That’s a mine. Yours, I reckon?” Tora asked, looking up at Durin without lifting her head. “Cuz...it’s fuckin’ huge, mate. This is...wot, 700 or 800 clicks wide?”

He nodded. “It is.”

“Why do you need such a large mine?” Octavia asked, interjecting.

“Survival, I’m guessin’. Armor, weapons an’ shite. Makes sense, since all the ore ‘round here has gone missin’. You’ve been right busy, ya bastard,” Tora observed with both brows raised, clearly impressed.

“There are a lot of monsters around here, I grant you, but still, isn’t it a bit excessive?” Octavia queried.

“Little is considered excessive for survival,” was Durin’s sharp response.

“Yup, knew it,” Tora nodded, then regarded Durin with an appraising eye. “Except all of that ore for...700 or so clicks? You’re prepping fer somethin’, Durin. Somethin’ big, aren’tcha?”

Durin growled. “My business is mine. Keep out of it, or no ammo.”

“Wasn’t gonna butt into no one’s bizzo, mate. Just a question; ‘sides, I understand where yer comin’ from where survival is involved,” Tora said reassuringly - and rather quickly, at that.

Durin nodded. “Good.” He pointed to a spot on the map. “My expeditions showed that there’s a rare biome down here. Glowing mushrooms and shit. Couldn’t go further, though. Ran out of ammo and potions, as well as general supplies. Was too risky to press further.” He tapped it. “But there was a few veins of rare ore there that I saw on my way out.”

“Want me to help y’ mine it, do ya?” Tora asked with a tilt of her head.

He nodded again. “I do. But,” he leaned back, picking the map up and then seemingly making it disappear. “You need better gear first if you’re gonna survive down there.”

“...A’ight. You gonna make some with all o’ that ore ya mined, or do I need to go out an’ buy it m’self?”

“Depends,” Durin opened his palm, and a bar of silvery-green metal appeared in it. “Does tungsten armor suit your fancy?”

“So long as it ain’t gonna chafe m’ fucking ass or tits, I’m aces,” Tora shrugged noncommitally. “Just don’t make it all revealin’ and shit, a’ight?”

Durin rolled his eyes. “I’m not one for making girls into sex objects, so don’t worry your pretty little head.” The bar disappeared from his hand, and he looked to Tora. “So, I imagine you have questions, right?”

“Eh, y’ said your bizzo is your own, so I’m not gonna step on any toes, y’know? They can ask the questions all they want,” Tora said, propping her paws up on the table.

“We already did,” Octavia said. “It’s been a whole day and night.”

“...I,” Tora failed to come up with any more words, too stunned by the fact that she’d lost an entire day and night of her life.

Durin smirked, crossing his arms. “I’m guessing you have questions now.”

“...The fuck was that dog, anyways? Ain’t no damn monster I’ve ever seen,” Tora finally asked, eyes boring into Durin’s.

“Grave hag. Feeds on corpses, but some grow bolder and go for live people. Hard for any but a Witcher to beat,” Durin replied. “I bet she was from the graveyard nearby. They like to make homes similar to a hu- pony’s near ‘em.”

“...We passed by a graveyard on the train here,” Tora said quietly. “But that...that was clicks back.”

Durin shrugged. “Zombies pop out in the night, and they probably lead her to you as a matter of convenience.”

“...Fair enough,” Tora acquiesced, then blinked in realization. “...You said I could ask questions, right? Any?”

Durin shifted his weight from one foot to the other. “Within reason. I owe you all at least some explanation, since I already involved you by bringing you here and caring for your furry tush.”

“Oi, no one talks about my fuckin’ ass but me, since I’m the only one here who’s actually seen it,” Tora growled warningly at Durin.

He rolled his eyes. “Defensive about your assets, aren’t you? Don’t see why. They’re rather fine if you ask me.”

“...Shut up before I claw your face,” Tora’s hackles rose and her tail bristled.

“Just giving advice,” he shrugged. “So, questions?”

“...The fuck ya preparing for with all o’ that ore and shit? Don’t come the raw prawn on me. That much metal has to be used to fight or prepare for somethin’ big,” Tora asked, arms crossed and eyes narrowed into slits.

Durin went silent for a time, and the room seemed to drop a few degrees in temperature. “...Something I wish I didn’t have to fight. Something only I can fight, though.”

“...So some bigger beastie than the giant peeper, one with far more power we can imagine?” Tora asked dryly.

“...It controls the moon, so, yeah, I’d say so,” Durin confessed, frowning as if uneasy.

“...Well, count me in on your suicide mission,” Tora shrugged, bringing her paws back down to the floor and sitting up straight in her chair. “If’n it took control of the bloody moon from some kind o’ pony goddess who made it orbit the planet, then I’d say it’ll be better if we kill it ‘fore it makes everyone else cark it.”

Durin and Octavia blinked, looking at Tora in a new light.

“You...want to fight that thing?” Octavia asked slowly, eyes wide.

“This planet’s my home, like it or not, and this thing sounds as mean as cat’s piss, so it’s either I or someone helps fight it, or...we all cark it,” Tora explained matter-of-factly.

“Still, this is a bit…” Octavia gained an uneasy look on her face. “I mean, we just met, but, the thought of anypony taking on a suicide job like that is still…”

“Oi, now that I know that that thing is comin’, I won’t be able to sleep worth a shit if I don’t do somethin’ bout it,” Tora huffed, ears pressed flat against her fuzzy head.

Durin interupted. “I can’t say I’m too fond of making a non-Witcher fight this with me, but…” He offered a hand. “...welcome aboard.

“Well, mind telling me what the fuck’s a Witcher, then, if you’re so unsure ‘bout me not bein’ one?” Tora asked impatiently.

“...” Durin retracted his hand, looking away. “...mutants. Mutants who are made specifically to fight monsters, and nothing else. We’re a dying breed. I’m probably the only one left.”

“...Wish we didn’t share that in common, then,” Tora sighed as she reached her own hand out. “Still, y’ ain’t no fuckin’ mutant. Now that ‘grave hag’ dog? That is a bloody mutant. Hell, I’m a fuckin’ mutant, since I’m a tiger Abyssinian born into a bunch o’ lions.”

“If you only knew,” Durin muttered, taking her paw and shaking it firmly. “Right, let’s head into my armory, then.”

“Aces,” Tora said as she hopped up out of her chair and put that feline flexibility to good use with a quick stretch that bent her back behind her at a good 45 degree angle, a series of pops coming from her back.

“I suppose me and Vinyl will just wait for your return, then?” Octavia asked.

“For now,” Durin said with a nod. “Too risky to go out there alone, much less with Tora under-geared here. And I don’t know the way to your home.”

“Very well,” Octavia said with a sigh.

With that, Durin lead Tora to his armory.

There was much to do and prepare for.

Author's Note

Well, here it is, folks. Now, in case you didn't read the blog about this, this story will be having weekly updates from now on. That means the next chapter won't come until next Monday. Sorry, but that's how it has to be.

Anyways, I hope you all enjoyed this! Thanks for reading!

-Timeless Lord Slayer

13 - Results and Consequences: Suspicions Rising (Edited)

A form walks through the Dark.

It swallows him whole.

He walks onward, torch in hand.

His eyes blaze with baleful green light, like a beast.

Eyes watch from afar.

They pounce.

Steel sings it's tone through flesh and hide, splattering blood on the stones.

Claws rend through the mutant's armor.

He grabs the claws, and rips them off.

His wound heals.

His blade sings through more flesh.

Baleful blue Eyes watch from the Cosmos.

Tora made sure that she’d stowed her new gear away in a little nook outside of the building her ‘employer’ was in, then took in a deep breath to prepare herself before walking in to give her report.

‘Well...here goes nothin’,’ Tora internally mused to herself as she retraced the path she’d been led down when she initially arrived for her briefing, until she finally arrived at the mahogany door that marked the office of the mare she’d be giving a falsified report to.

Knocking on it, she was given a, “Come in,” in reply. Tora did as requested, and pushed through the door to see the same room she was in for her briefing about a week ago. Same Zebrican Ebony desk, same strong stench of incense, and the same chairs and couches one would find in some kind of parlor in a noire movie. The mare Tora was looking for was seated behind her desk, a stack of papers on one side, and a quill and inkpot on the other. The mare adjusted her glasses.

“Ah, Miss Tora, good. You have impeccable timing, I just finished my paperwork,” she gestured to the seat in front of her desk with a hoof, though her tone and face showed no hint of mirth or kindness. “Please, sit.”

Tora nodded and sat down in the chair, wiggling her butt a little until she felt comfortable before fixing her gaze on the mare’s eyes, “Paperwork - th’ bane of any bloke or sheila’s existence, eh? But ‘nuff o’ that, y’ want me t’ give ya m’ report.”

The mare - known as Gumshoe - simply nodded. “Yes, that would be good. Please start.”

“Well, fer starters, I asked Vinyl Scratch about her encounter with th’ creature, an’ she told me what she remembered about it before I left her home t’ gather more info. A conversation I passed by while walkin’ through the town - some kinda pink, hyperactive mare - said somethin’ about her family’s ‘rock farm’ missin’ some ores in their quarry without any kind o’ new tunnels or other signs that some dickhead was goin’ through their quarry an’ illegally minin’ stuff. While in th’ area, I found out about a minin’ company that was havin’ th’ bloody same problem, followed by rumors from a couple that had been havin’ a picnic near th’ Whitetail Woods an’ saw some kind o’ figure in th’ trees that matched th’ description Vinyl gave me,” Tora paused to take in a breath or two, stretching a little in her chair as she did so.

“So, I went in t’ investigate an’ had a burl with a monster that had th’ same body shape as th’ creature, but was...well, a poisonous an’ disgusting predator with a damn sharp tongue that nicked me a few times - once on m’ side an’ a grazin’ wound on my’ cheek. Managed t’ kill th’ fuckin’ dog with quite a bit of effort, but when I searched th’ rest of the forest, I couldn’t find nothin’ leadin’ to the creature. By that point, I was tired an’ kinda carking it from th’ poison, so I had t’ leave an’ get some damn medical help. That’s wot I got fer m’ report, sheila.”

Gumshoe frowned, and her disappointment was almost palpable in the air as she narrowed her eyes at Tora. “I see…” She pushed the bridge of her glasses back up with a hoof. “And what was the description Miss Vinyl gave you?”

“Tall, bipedal, covered in armor, built like a brick shit house, loud an’ baritone voice, an’ it had a stick-like thing that roared like thunda when shot an’ blew chunks outta th’ giant peeper that it was fightin’,” Tora recited the description she’d gotten from Vinyl, albeit summarized.

Gumshoe nodded slowly. “That does fit what she gave us herself.” She looked down at her desk. “Still…” She looked back up at Tora. “What forest was this encounter in again?”

“Whitetail Woods, near th’ northern fringe, about...five, ten minutes in at a casual walkin’ pace,” Tora replied quickly and easily.

Gumshoe ran a hoof through her pink mane, still frowning. “And this other creature you fought? What did it look like? You said it had a long, sharp tongue?”

“Like a fuckin’ spear. It was long enough t’ reach int’ th’ sky an’ snatch one o’ them tiny peepers outta th’ bloody air. Kinda like a chameleon or whateva th’ camoflaugin’ scalies are called. But it was also fast, easily able t’ catch up t’ me at full sprint an’ keep me on th’ defensive. Its drool was so poisonous an’ caustic it burned m’ fucking fur when a few drops landed on m’ arm an’ leg. Damn thing was…,” Tora paused as she considered how best to describe the Grave Hag in a way that didn’t give too much away. “...Hmm, y’know how th’ Moos- er, Minos get really hunched over an’ wrinkly when they get older? Th’ damn monster was like a really old, really nasty an’ hungry Minotaur sheila - a…’hag’, I think I heard th’ Minos call such old, mean Mino gals? In any case, it was like a ‘hag’ that almost...almost looked like it crawled right up outta th’ bloody grave or somethin’. Since I barely managed t’ kill th’ damn thing, y’ might wanna make sure t’ warn folks ‘bout these things. Aim fer th’ head, dismember its arms an’ shite so it can’t grab ya, that sort o’ thing. Oh, an’...well, there’s an old sayin’ back in Faustralia, ‘ifn it looks like a roo, acts like a roo, an’ sounds like a roo, it’s prolly a roo.’ If th’ bloody hag looks like it came out of a damn grave, an’ certainly sounded like it...y’ might wanna keep an eye on any graveyards nearby. Could be more o’ the damn things hidin’ round those parts.”

Gumshoe chewed her lip at this influx of news. “There have been many reports of graves being dug up…”

“Prolly damn ‘Grave Hags,’ as we should probably call ‘em. Make sure y’ got fire an’ fuckin’ damn good reflexes, otherwise...any regular bloke or sheila y’ send is gonna be tucker fer the damn things,” Tora warned, subconsciously rubbing at her bandaged side as a faint phantom pain burned at it.

Gumshoe once more, slowly nodded. “Right…” she looked Tora over, eyes narrowing once more. “Where did you get that armor, by the by? I’ve not seen any leather like that…”

“Th’ Grave Hag was munchin’ on some other beastie before it started tryin’ t’ eat me. I went back after th’ fight and started messin’ with th’ corpse - y’know, testin’ if any others like it I saw in th’ future had any weaknesses t’ exploit - when I noticed that m’ carvin’ blades were bouncin’ right off th’ hide. Since it was a big bloke - roughly...five or six times th’ size of an adult griffin or Timber Wolf - I decided t’ skin it an’ use th’ hide t’ make m’ armor corker,” Tora said as she patted the front of her cuirass for emphasis.

Gumshoe winced. “Right…” She shook her head. “Is that all?”

“Well...th’ creature Vinyl encountered might be underground somewhere, if th’ missin’ ores without any new tunnels in th’ quarries an’ its apparent talent at pullin’ a disappearin’ act are any indication,” Tora ‘admitted’ with an unsure shrug of her slender shoulders. “Either that, or there might be underground beasties t’ worry about, but...I really hope that m’ first guess is right rather than th’ second.”

Gumshoe nodded. “As do I.” She looked to the clock on the wall. “Well, if that’s all then you can go. Stay in contact, though. You were contracted to finish a job, not turn in half-baked work.”

“Wouldja rather I kept fossickin’ in th’ area ‘til some nasty beastie got me an’ I ended up as its next dump? But fine, I’ll make bloody sure t’ keep in touch, ma’am,” Tora shot back in annoyance, standing up from the chair and giving Gumshoe a curt nod before turning tail and leaving.

‘Fuckin’ drongo bitch, actin’ like me almost carkin’ it ain’t an excuse fer ‘giving a half-baked report’ and shit,’ Tora internally seethed, tail lashing angrily as she made her way out of the building, discretely got all her new gear back, and headed out.

“And that’s all she could gather? After nearly a week and a half of searching?” Tempest queried, giving Gumshoe a critical look.

The royal blue mare nodded. “Yes, ma’am.”

“We may have to double our efforts to find it, then,” Luna mused, lifting a cup of tea with her magic and taking a sip.

“Our own prized monster hunters might be of use,” Celestia proposed.

“Granted that they don’t already have other jobs lined up with all these other beasts appearing,” Star Swirl added, stroking his beard.

“Snap Shutter and Mane Allgood are busy enough, yes,” Celestia conceded.

“Hmm…” Tempest furrowed her brow. “It might be best to not use too many resources on something like this. As of now, that creature is of little more importance than many of the others. We have seen them all fight against each other, after all.”

“Agreed,” Luna said with a nod, putting her tea cup down on its saucer before she looked to Gumshoe. “Keep up the search for now, but if nothing is found soon, then don’t fret about it. A thousand other things take precedence as of now.”

Gumshoe nodded and bowed her head. “Yes, Your Highness.”

By the time Tora arrived in Ponyville and could see her destination - the Scratch residence - growing closer by the second, her paws were killing her and she felt like falling down on the nearest sufficient sleeping surface and just conking out for a while.

The issue with that (and the reason for the twinge of doubt and nervousness she was trying to suppress) was that she wasn’t sure if the two mares would allow her to crash at their place or not. She knew they were nice and all, but that didn’t mean they were going to be willing to let Tora squat in their home until she got proper living arrangements sorted out. Plus, she just didn’t like having to ask or rely on others for things as important as food or shelter, when she was so used to taking care of all of that on her own.

Trudging up to the innocent-looking domicile, Tora started to hear very odd music emanating from it. It wasn’t classical or techno, but rather a mix of the two as well as...Her ear flicked. Was that hip-hop? Her face wrinkled; she didn’t like that hip-hop crap unless it was genuinely good. Tora rapped her knuckles upon its wooden portal.

“Oi, sheilas? Y’ in there? I got somethin’ t’ ask of ya!” Tora called out, shifting from one foot to the other as she waited for a response...if she even got one.

A few moments later, the music stopped and a VERY fluffy pink pony opened the door, staring up at Tora with her jewel-like, sea green eyes. At Tora’s confused look of such a fluffy pony, the mare simply blew raspberries.

“Pbbt?” In a questioning manner, no less.

“...Uh, w-wot? Er, I’m...l-lookin’ fer Vin. Sh-she in, at the moment?” Tora asked with uncertainty, looking at the address number tacked on the wall beside the doorway to check if she was at the right place.

“Pbbbbt!” the mare looked over her shoulder to the innards of the house. “Pbbbt pbt pbbt pbbt pbbbbbbtt!”

“Who is it, Fluffle?” Vinyl’s voice called from within.

“Pbbt pbbbt pbt pbbt!” ‘Fluffle’ answered.

“Cat lady-? Oh, sweet! Tavi, Tora’s here!” The sound of four pairs of hooves on hardwood floor came closer and closer, until the two mares of the house came to the door. Vinyl lifted her shades as she looked up at Tora. “Hey Torry! How’s it hangin’?”

“Goin’ ace, Vin. I...uh...a-a’ight, before I get t’ th’ point of this visit, who...who or wot the hell is this...thing here?” the tigress asked with a glance at ‘Fluffle.’

The bright pink mare gasped, eyes tearing up as she stared at Tora like she’d been smacked.

“That was kinda harsh, there, Torry,” Vinyl said with a small glare. “But to answer your question, her name is Fluffle. She has a rare condition that makes her fur grow faster and shit.”

“Well forgive me fer not expectin’ t’ find her at th’ door an’ speakin’ in fuckin’ tongues! M’ nerves are shot as-is, so her sudden appearance didn’t help!”

“I will admit it is hard to understand Fluffle, but the point with her is the same as it is with Pinkie; don’t try to understand her,” Octavia interjected, straightening her bow. “Still, calling her a thing was a bit harsh either way.”

Tora looked down at Fluffle and sighed, kneeling down so that they were at eye-level, “Look, I’m...I’m sorry fer sayin’ you were a thing, but I just got back from m’ report t’ my employer about a...certain matter that happened a few days ago, an’ not only am I worried that she’s not convinced by m’ report, but I also have t’ worry about asking these two t’ let me stay here instead of tryn’ t’ sleep outside ‘til I can get a hotel room or somethin.”

Fluffle looked at Tora for a seemingly long span of time, then, to Tora’s surprise, the mare hugged her leg. “Pbbt pbbt pbbt.”

“She said I forgive you,” Vinyl translated.

“Ah...r-right. Th-thanks, sheila. If it makes m’ reasonin’ fer saying that any more palatable...I kinda thought y’ were some exotic subspecies o’ equine, like them Breezies or seaponies. Never met anyone with your...condition before,” Tora said slowly as she gently stroked Fluffle’s head.

Fluffle simply nuzzled Tora in response. Tora looked and felt quite uncomfortable in the embrace, clearly at a loss on how to react. After an awkward moment of Vinyl and Octavia smiling at the two and Tora and Fluffle hugging, Fluffle broke the hug and gasped, galloping off and down the hill.

Vinyl and Octavia chuckled. “I think you might be in for something soon, if you stay in town,” Octavia noted, smiling.

“Speaking of that, you said you wanted to stay here?” Vinyl asked.

“Oh, yeah, umm...when I got here th’ day I met y’ two, I...I’d been meanin’ t’ get a hotel room booked fer as long as I was gonna stay here, but...then I got th’ leads t’ his place, an‘ I forgot like a drongo. So...I have nowhere t’ stay at th’ mo,” Tora admitted with a sheepish expression on her face, clutching her arm and rubbing it up and down.

Octavia and Vinyl looked to each other briefly, then back to Tora. “We don’t really have a problem with it. There’s a guest room you can use, but really all we ask is that you pull your weight for the typical home stuff,” Vinyl explained.

“Upkeep, expenses,” Octavia shot a mild glare to Vinyl. “Chores.”

“Hey, I do the chores, same as you!” Vinyl argued, returning the glare.

“And the fact that you leave candy wrappers and snack bags on your floor so much?” Octavia countered.

Vinyl rolled her eyes. “I’ll clean it up when I clean it up.”

“Uh, sheilas?” Tora asked awkwardly, looking between them with a nervous expression.

“Oh, sorry Tora,” Octavia said before clearing her throat.

“Anyway, you prepared to do all that?” Vinyl asked.

“S-Sure, I’ll do whatever it takes t’ have a roof over m’ head,” Tora replied with a firm nod...a little too quickly, if the look in her eyes was any indication.

The two didn’t seem to notice, though, and smiled. “Great! Come on in, then!” Vinyl urged, her and Octavia standing aside to let her in.

Sighing and nodding gratefully, Tora walked in and briefly hugged the two mares around the neck before letting go, “So...where’s th’ guest room? I need t’ set m’ stuff down an’ then get some tucker.”

“Upstairs, door at the end of the hall,” Vinyl answered. “You go do your thing. Me and Tavi have to clean up, since we were making some music with Fluffle.”

“Call us if you need anything,” Octavia told her, before the two went off to another portion of the house.

Tora stood in place for a moment, then made her way to the guest room and set her stuff down on the bed before sitting down on its edge.

“...Well, got a roof over m’ head. Now...what t’ do next?” Tora wondered aloud, pulling Gabe onto her lap and staring at it as her thoughts turned to Durin. “...I could go an’ find ‘im to see if he wants me t’ join ‘im on his little ‘adventure’ shit…wonder where he is, anyways.”

She looked up from Gabe after a short while and set him down on top of a nearby dresser, then laid down on the bed for a quick nap.

“Do you think she’ll be alright?” Octavia asked as she moved some of the equipment Vinyl used into a closet.

This question had been on both their minds since Tora first showed up, and it was, in all fairness, a good question. Neither needed to say how dangerous it was for Tora to lie to her employer. And, whilst they knew not who that employer was employed by herself, they were certain it was somepony in the government, which meant the Princesses.

The two did not like the idea of incurring their wrath, and few did.

“She’s a tough cat, she’ll pull through just fine,” Vinyl said, waving it off as she levitated an amp into its place in the closet. Octavia gave her a look. Sighing, Vinyl lifted her shades once more, and paused in her work. “...I wasn’t lying. She’s tough as nails, but...Yeah, I’ll, say it. I am worried.”

Octavia frowned, halting in her work too. “...” She looked to the floor. “...How do you think the Princesses will respond if they found out?”

Vinyl lowered her shades, as if to hide the worry in her eyes. “...I’m not sure.” An uncomfortable silence followed, before Vinyl changed the subject. “Do you think Durin will be alright?” It wasn’t a subject that improved the mood, admittedly, and it was a rare action from Vinyl.

Octavia sighed, letting herself fall to her plot as the cognitive gears in her head turned. “...He’s been evading discovery so far, hasn’t he?” she replied.

“But for how long can he do that?” Vinyl pressed.

“...I don’t know.”

“...” Another uncomfortable silence. Then, “Maybe we can find some way to clear his name?” Vinyl suggested.

Octavia’s frown deepened, and she looked up to her friend. “You know how risky that is, Vinyl. Besides, how would we do it anyway?”

Vinyl opened her mouth to speak, then stopped short. She grit her teeth, then sighed and deflated, sitting on the floor as well and staring hard at the hardwood floor with furrowed brows. “...I don’t know.” That was the third uncertainty they’d spoken. However, Vinyl looked up at Octavia. There was an inexplicable fire in her garnet-red eyes. “But I’m not leaving this alone. He saved us. Me twice. I can’t call myself a mare without repaying him somehow.”

Octavia looked her friend in the eyes for a time, neither backing down, before Octavia closed hers and sighed. “Alright. I’ll help you.” She smiled. “I did promise, after all.”

Vinyl smiled herself. “Thanks, Tavi.”

“Of course, Vinyl,” Octavia replied, before standing up. “Now come on, we should get back to it.”

“Right.”

24 - Lost In The Trees: Necessary Pain

Author's Note

Nova: "Didja miss me?" *in cragadile roars*

24 - Lost In The Trees: Necessary Pain

It had been three days since Durin and Tora’s little escapade in the capital, and the Guards were searching high and low for whoever had made such fools of their regents. Sadly for the diarchs, rumors did get out, and while they were being stamped out swiftly, they stubbornly refused to die.

It didn’t help that the cause of the rumors, namely the pranksters, had yet to be found.

The rumors ranged from a random, lecherous thief, to Discord, and even to a new kind of monster, and whilst Discord had been questioned thoroughly, he simply laughed whenever asked.

Regardless, Tora had decided to lay low at Durin’s house since then, just in case.

Her eyes opened to the sight of a somewhat unfamiliar roof up until her brain finished booting up and she remembered why she was where she was.

“...Still worth it, deadset,” Tora smiled lazily and stretched her limbs and back to get any stiffness out of her joints. “Now fer tucker.”

As she made to get off the couch, she heard the familiar thudding footsteps of Durin coming near.

“Sup, Mr. Landloooo...rd?”

Her breath died in her throat when Durin walked by the doorway...in the nude.

She immediately took a flask hidden away on her usual gear’s belt and chugged the sweet stolen royal pony booze like water. If she was gonna be going in there red-faced, she’d at least have the excuse of being tipsy.

Once she finished drinking liver killer, she stood up and walked out of the room and into the kitchen.

“SO. GOOD MORNING, LANDLORD. HOW ARE YOU?”

Durin jumped, looking up from the confines of his refrigerator. “Tora? What’re you doin’-” His eyes widened. “Oh. Right. You’re staying here for a bit.” He looked down at himself. Blushed.

“Yeah.”

He then proceeded to hide behind the refrigerator door.

“Might decide t’ take m’ fuckin’ chances out there rather’n wake up t’ a red rocket every mornin’,” Tora coughed into her hand, pointedly keeping her gaze on a particularly interesting window. “Tucker. Y’know the drill.”

“Shit, Tora, I’m so sorry! I’m just so used to living alone, and-and-!” Durin started to babble.

“Food. An’ we’ll pretend this never happened,” Tora repeated, hoping he’d take the hint and the offer.

Durin paused at this, looked down at himself, then slowly pulled a bowl from the fridge; carefully wrapped in plastic and looking to have Shaelmaar meat, but also various vegetables together in a golden yellow soup.

“Sh-Shaelmaar potage. Just...heat it up on the stove for a bit.” He told her, remaining behind the fridge door.

She nodded and took the bowl from him, dropping it on the stove and then ducking her head down into a drawer, “Safe t’ go, m’ peepers are occupied.”

He needed no further encouragement, scampering out of the room with rapid slaps of his bare feet on the floor.

Tora pulled her head out of the drawer and sighed, “This...is just m’ life, now. I can tell.”

A knocking came from the front door. A very rapid knocking, that didn’t stop.

Groaning, the Abyssinian stood up and left the potage to the mercy of Lady Luck so that she could answer the door, “Who th’ bloody hell is it?”

Who she found was a bit surprising; Vinyl and Octavia, with the latter looking upset and the former giddy, but also Curtis and even Fountain, with the former carrying a paper bag that held the aroma of meat.

“Friends,” Curtis replied simply.

“And your delivery,” Fountain said with a smirk.

Tora all but threw her usual 50 bits plus 25 bit tip at Curtis and gently took the meat from him, “You two are merciful deities come t’ relieve m’ need fer tucker. I’m blessed t’ have y’ grace this house with your bounty.”

“Did the booze you raided at least help you this morning?” Vinyl asked cheekily.

“Yes, do tell,” Octavia asked far too politely, a vein visible on her head.

Tora’s face all but froze in a smile as the eloquent word ‘fuck’ was drawn out in the safety of her own head, “Uhhh...I am not responsible for Drunk Tora, nor she for me?”

Curtis, Fountain, and Vinyl chuckled whilst Octavia continued to smile and glare at Tora.

After they’d calmed, Octavia gestured to the door. “May we come in? We have so much to catch up on, after all.”

“...At least y’ didn’t come here earlier while Durin was buck naked. Fine, come in, even if ain’t m’ house. By the by, how’s th’ ankle-biter, Fountain? They okay, no complications?”

Vinyl and Octavia blushed, however, disregarding Tora’s latter words.

“Wait, Tora, you and Durin already fucked?! The Tartarus, I called dibs on him first!” Vinyl cried.

“Vinyl! Much as it is surprising, this is hardly the time!” Octavia reprimanded the other mare.

Curtis and Fountain simply walked into the house, Curtis tipping the hat of his delivery uniform. “Much obliged, Tora.”

“The baby’s as well as she can be, thank you for asking,” Fountain said. She waved to Tora. “We’ll just be inside.”

“Ha ha. Ha. Ha. No, ya sex-crazed root rat, I didn’t fuck Durin an’ he wouldn’t give a fuck if y’ called ‘dibs’ or not. He apparently walks around naked when he’s alone, an’ he forgot that I was hunkerin’ down here now,” Tora replied with a narrowed glare that advised caution.

Vinyl puffed out her cheeks. “Still ain’t fair you got to see his junk first.”

“Vinyl,” Octavia warned.

The mare huffed. “Fine, fine. We’ll go ‘ask’ about what we already know happened.”

“Thank you,” Octavia said, before walking into the abode, Vinyl following.

Tora went in last, sighing in annoyance as she closed the door behind her, “A’ight, y’wanna talk ‘bout how our two drunken arses raided th’ Princesses’ booze cellar an’ pranked ‘em, just get it th’ fuck over with, sheila.”

“You asked for it,” Vinyl said, then promptly pulled her headphones over her ears.

“What were you two thinking?!” Octavia roared. “I understand that things are rocky with the Princesses, but raiding the castle and pranking them is childish AND makes things worse for you BOTH!” She stomped a hoof. “Do you have ANY idea how worried I’ve been? I’ve even gone so low as to start tracking the Guard patrols in town along with the Element’s to make sure they stay away!”

“...Lemme tell ya somethin’, Ukelele,” Tora said as she got close to Octavia’s face. “Durin an’ I saw how much th’ Princesses an’ Elements refused t’ accept that Durin wasn’t a criminal, threat or animal needin’ a cage. They refused t’ apologize an’ defended their bullshite, kneejerk reactions like stubborn asses. They demanded he stay when they’d given him no reason t’ do so. We got drunk t’ try an’ forget their shite, but then Drunk Tora an’ Drunk Durin took over an’ vented some anger towards th’ cunts. Wouldja’ve preferred it festered an’ rotted inside us ‘til it broke out in a torrent o’ toxicity an’ hate?”

Octavia stood her ground, glaring at Tora. “I’m not blaming you for your or his views, Tora. Me and Vinyl both agree with your views.” Tears filled her eyes. “We were worried you’d brought more pain onto yourselves, but if you’re going to stoop to calling me names, then I question whether we were friends to you!”

Vinyl stepped in, placing a hoof on her marefriend’s shoulder and pulling her headphones off. “Easy, Tavi-”

“No!” Octavia shouted, slapping the hoof away. “I refuse to act aloof, or act like I’m NOT worried about two dear friends who only seem to want to push even US away now!”

“HEY!” Vinyl shot back. “Don’t put words in their mouths, Tavi!”

“Listen t’ th’ root rat, Octavia. Y’ think Durin an’ I were being childish? Th’ Princesses were even more so, th’ Elements too. They fucked Durin over, an’ we just got ‘im some payback is all. Be glad all we did was pranks,” Tora said as she slipped a hunting knife out of her boot. “I had this on me when we were there. I used it t’ cut hair an’ shite. Durin had a fuckin’ hammer. If we were drunk enough an’ had let th’ anger fester...the Princesses might not’ve woken up period.”

Octavia growled. “That’s not the BUCKING point!” She stomped a hoof again, tears flowing freely. “Do you know what this is REALLY going to do? It’s putting you both ON the path of being enemies of the state! Do you know how frightening that is for me? To know that my own friends are in THAT much danger? That they both might be hunted for the rest of their lives?!”

“Oh, I fuckin’ know how much you’re worried, but guess what: You don’t need t’ be. We’re FINE, nothing went wrong, we both got this shite out of our systems, done deal. Y’ wanna scream at someone, scream at th’ cunts with a chip on their shoulders.”

Octavia growled up at Tora, tears streaming down her face, before pushing past her and back outside.

Vinyl sighed deeply, falling on her plot and running a hoof through her mane. “Buckin’ Tartarus…”

Durin soon came into the hallway, thankfully fully dressed. “What uh, what was with all the yelling?”

Vinyl gave the man a tired look and worn smile. “Best we talk about it after we all eat. Tavi’ll need some time to herself.”

“Uh, okayy?” He looked to Tora. “You wanna go eat that potage, then? I saw it still on the stove, smelt a bit burnt.”

“Eh, we got quality cuts from Curtis here. Better tastin’ anyways, much as I hate t’ insult yer cookin’,” Tora waved a hand, signing off the potage as a total loss.

“So,” Fountain began after taking a sip of tea. “How’ve you two been? According to Vinyl here, you two went on a raid on Canterlot Castle?”

Durin winced. “Yyyeeeeah…”

“Worth it,” Tora said, drinking a glass of milk while setting one in front of Vinyl. “Here, try this.”

Vinyl blinked, then shrugged. “A’ight.” Taking the glass in her magic, she took a swig. “Mmm, not bad.”

“I mean, I do think it was worth it too, but, well,” Durin scratched the side of his cheek uneasily.

“You still have reservations?” Curtis surmised.

Durin frowned. “Kinda? It’s hard to explain.”

“I got to milk Sunbutt when I got hungry,” Tora casually remarked, and grinned when she saw Vinyl’s eyes widen, look down at the milk...and then slowly take another swig.

“Two hundred bits for a quarter of the keg I got in Durin’s storage, and four hundred for one of the glasses of Luna’s I nabbed on the way out,” the Abyssinian’s grin never shrank a bit.

Durin’s eyes widened at this. “Wait, when the hell did you manage to get Luna’s? You only had three minutes, and you didn’t come out of Celestia’s room before then-!”

“Window.”

Durin closed his mouth. “...I am once again in awe of your feline speed and grace.”

“Mhm, damn right. Plus, I gingered Celestia’s private bits, so she woke up BURNING back there an’ on the milkers,” Tora explained to Vinyl with a snicker.

All three Equestrians laughed loudly at this while Durin simply listened with a blush on his face.

Curtis noticed. “Something wrong?”

“Well, uh…” Durin scratched his cheek again. “I do still feel what we did was worth it, and kind of justified but… I do also think we might’ve gone a bit far.”

“So ya think smacking Celestia’s ass until she squirted was too far?~” Tora purred with a knowing look and smug little curl to her lips.

“Tora!” Durin hissed, cheeks burning as the other laughed again.

Vinyl, however, gave voice to a surprising thought. “Heheh, yeah...but, uh, funny as that is...it really might’ve been.”

“‘Too far’ would’a been Durin or I usin’ either of ‘em t’ get ourselves off. An’ we didn’t do that, now did we, Durin?”

Durin looked away. “Yeah, but…” He sighed, scratching the side of his head. “...I don’t know. My head’s still in a whirl about it all. I agree with you and don’t at the same time. It’s weird.”

“Drunk us is weird,” Tora deadpanned, but took another sip of Sunbutt milk.

Fountain spoke up. “Tora, dear, your deflection is showing.” She placed her hooves on her distended belly as she gave the feline a knowing look.

“...I feel we went just int’ th’ gray area,” the cat sighed in defeat. “But t’ be deadset, Durin misunderstood an’ thought I meant three more ass slaps instead’a three minutes.”

Durin’s cheeks burned. “I...have a history of misunderstanding others when drunk.”

“There’s no shame in that,” Curtis reassured, folding his wings in.

“When it results in something like that, how is there not?” Durin shot back.

Curtis and Fountain shared a look before Fountain looked back to the duo. “It sounds to me like you two should talk a bit more about what happened that night, then.” She looked to Vinyl. “And like you should address the concerns of your close friends.” Vinyl winced.

“...She won’t wanna talk t’ me at th’ mo’, so couldja tell her I said I was sorry, Durin?” Tora asked sheepishly, almost nervously.

Durin nodded slowly. “Yeah, yeah, I could do that.” He looked out the window. “...I uh...think she’s pretty pissed, though. I don’t even hear her crying out there anymore.”

“...Not even at the window,” Tora mused, perking her ears up for any sign of Octavia being out there.

Vinyl and Fountain’s ears perked up as well, while Curtis turned his avian eyes to the window himself.

No noise, other than that of the forest slowly waking up.

“...Durin, go outside. Look fer th’ sheila. Now.”

Durin wasted no time, bolting from his seat and summoning his gear as he rushed outside.

“I’m going too!” Vinyl said, hopping off her chair.

Tora sighed and slumped in her chair, “I right fucked this up, it seems. Bugger me.”

A shout came from outside. One that Vinyl and Tora only heard from Durin when he was truly in distress.

“FUCK!!!”

The swamp is churning with rage…