Author's Note

Once Again, I'd like to thank my Friend and Editor, ZeroOneInFinn, for his help, support, and input. This story would not be the same without you, buddy.

Chapter Four: A Golden Heart [E]

I woke up to a soft rumbling, shaking me from side to side, and a pleasant smell of thyme caressed my nose. "Five more minutes mommy..." I mumbled out in a half-lucid state, before rolling to the side. Thin, coarse ropes tickled my face a moment later, and I leaned away from the uncomfortable surface with a grumble. A groan escaped me before I smacked my lips with sleepiness still clinging to my eyes, but despite the morning fatigue, I didn’t fail to notice a green giant through the crusted cracks of my eyelids.

"Master Awake." Matombo grumbled, his eyes glued to the path beyond. A green, healthy, lush forest stretched some hundred more meters before a bright light stole away vision. "Core told me to go. Pick you up. Follow compass."

"Huh? But... I didn't repair it yet?" I asked with confusion while rubbing the tiredness out of my eyes, before leaning my head back to see that the sun stood almost at its peak. 'How long have we been wandering?'

Good morning, Star. I trust you have slept well? The Game asked sweetly.

"Well, I can hardly say I ‘slept’ the last few years at all, so I think all things considered, it was rather nice." I pondered for a moment, before smiling and leaning against the neck of the green giant. Not so much to show affection or gratitude, but because I was a lazy potato. Gosh, I can’t remember the last time I slept off the top of my head. "So, you repaired the compass and sent us on a merry journey, I suppose?"

Affirmative. Once I was done with the analysis of the branch, I realized that it was far too late for maintenance, thus I extended my available time without decreasing the window for the next jump. The Game spoke once again in his old, calculated self, yet I couldn't help but smile and just enjoy the moment. There was comfort in routine.

"How are you holding up big guy?" I asked, leaning a bit away from his head, allowing him to meet my eyes instead of getting a faceful of his hair.

"Hmpf, back hurt. Forgot how pain felt. Was nice, now not nice. Miss old strength, but..." Matombo said in broken English while rolling his shoulder blades, flinching slightly before the faintest traces of a smile appeared and vanished just as fast. "This nice."

"Well, that's got to; wait slow down." I commanded, before hopping off my comfortable transportation opportunity, and became beholden to the same, deep burn wound he had since yesterday. I cringed, while spirits had no blood or organs, you could differentiate between their outside and inside, and I could look deep inside. "Yeah, we're fixing that right now."

"No need-"

"Bup!-bup-up-up-up!" I shushed him, pointing my hoof at him with a frown, before pulling out the broken pendant. "This is going to hurt me way less than you, besides, I'll heal up in like thirty seconds." Holding the broken items before my chest, I tried my best to hide the stinging pain that felt like a barbed syringe entering my flesh and managed so with acceptable results. Well, not pain-pain, that was reserved for divine magic, flaws, that kind of stuff, but awareness of damage sucked regardless. For a short moment, a hair-thin shell of red energy encased my body, before it burst into particles that were sucked into the item.

I never noticed it much back then simply because of how little health I had, but now it was a vibrant, richly packed force. Then again, my arsenal of health-based skills was practically non-existent.

Throwing that item away into my inventory, as it reminded me of spiders and bugs, not the insect kind for the latter, I retrieved my beloved bell. I lowered myself onto my knees and held the items to my heart, and the familiar silver circle and lights formed, before bursting out with a radiant glow as I cast it twice, depleting my faith completely. The lovely, soothing glow of the light, even when not closing up my wounds, left me with a pleasant, comforting warmth, negating even the emptiness my depleted faith reserves radiated.

"Hmmm. Is nice." I heard the giant speak, though I couldn't catch a smile when I stood up and put the bell away, I didn't need to, his gratitude was present either way just as much as the wound wasn't anymore. While trust was not particularly deep- How could it be? It was just a few hours! -Neglecting their support would be unkind, and I shuddered to think about the ‘Unkinds’ punishment.’

"Alrighty then-" I spoke happily before the words died in my throat, and both our necks’ hairs rose to their peaks. We turned to a verdant patch of greenery in which bushes, reeds, and trees formed a wall of plants. The bushes rustled ever so slightly, but to predators like us, it may as well have been a booming introduction.

From the plants jumped out a violent atrocity, a combination of a lion and scorpion suffering the effects of gigantism. While I have never seen a lion in person before, it most certainly wasn't supposed to be two and a half meters tall while on all fours. Matombo dashed, and his muscular arm was thrust forward and grasped the manticore's throat, keeping it suspended in the air. I felt the violent pull of the air soar past me, a tight tug at my skin. The giant cat thrashed violently, yet remained in place regardless of how much it fought, Matombo's grip was as grounded as if it were the mountains. Suddenly the stinger shot forward, aimed at the giant's own throat, though he caught it as well, the rest of his body unmoving, his expression unchanged, as if he had taken himself an hour of simply watching the piercing appendage draw near until he finally decided to act out of boredom.

I cringed and averted my eyes when a disgusting crunch rang out. I was not disgusted, no, but I didn’t quite enjoy seeing the act. Nightmares, no problem, animals? A little more hesitant. Matombo ripped the stinger off the beast, and the howling and whimpering filled the air. The suffering lasted not long before the green titan rammed the keratin dagger through the beast's eye and into the brain.

Manticore's don't hunt alone.

My eyes narrowed and I turned around, in the corner of my eyes I watched how three more residents of Frankenstein's zoo jumped from the tree and toppled Matombo, though my own health was a bit closer to the scissor of fate’s cut. My armor manifests around me just before the full force of one and a-half-ton of muscle mass collides with me.

Pinned to the ground, I was stunned for a short moment as the scorpion tail continuously but desperately shot forward attempting to pry itself through the supposed gap of my visor, but even without it I doubt it would be able to bend the Steel Boulder. I growled in the back of my throat, angered at the beast's continuous attacking and the tinnitus it was attempting to jam into my skull, well, that and the stinger. I was supposed to be the hunter, not the other way around. Using [Magic Blade] for the first time, the skill was incredibly floaty and a single moment without concentration would either cause it to disappear or fall to the ground.

The manticore momentarily stopped its assault to stare at the floating blade of energy, meaning that this skill was actually visible unlike [Mana Bolt], [Levitation], or [Mana Barrier]. The confusion did not last long, however, as the blade snapped forward and cut across the beast's left eye. The Manticore recoiled in pain, swiping both of its paws in front of its face. I used the moment like a vicious snake and ignited two [Mana Blades], in quick succession I cut off its paws, brutal but shortlived, and rammed the searing weapons into its throat in a wide uppercut.

A soft whining and gurgling escaped the Manticore before the muscles relaxed, and the 1500 kilograms leaned over my comparatively small body. I jerked my shoulder and let the body fall to the ground. Turing my attention to Matombo, I watched how two dead, mangled corpses lay next to him. This time I watched him, he grabbed the chimeric lion by the head and snapped its neck. A pitiful quivering followed in its toes a moment later, but only for a second. I didn't waste a moment and put the five corpses into my inventory. No reason to waste good protein.

"Sharp tailed Cats... usually not so aggressive." Matombo noted, and I could only wonder, before lowering myself and activating [Greater Spirit Senses].

I narrowed my eyes at the grass, even with the seven separate sets of feet-, hooves-, and paw prints, I could make out even the faintest changes in the soft forest loam, down to the slightly harder sedimental layers or crushed ants below the vegetation. I didn’t know how well pony sight was, it was most certainly worse than that of a human, though the latter didn’t apply to me. My eyes with just [Spirit Senses] were roughly four to five times better than that of a human, or about that of a cat, with [Greater Spirit Senses] that number was closer to about twenty times better, so on the lower end of most owl species. Of course, other factors regarding my skill set boosted that probably much higher given degrees, heightened processing ability, and thought capabilities.

I noticed the tracks of two ponies and a griffon, unevenly paced with some distance between each, somewhat shallow, dent in the grass. Some of them were much deeper than others, perhaps bursts of adrenaline in the escape. ‘Likely in hot pursuit by the manticores we encountered, or at least, belonging to the same pack. The sight didn't steal away most of my attention, however, for my ears took notice of something much more jarring. I heard the screaming of a little girl a few kilometers away.

I jumped to my hooves, looking around frantically to find the source, before charging forward. Despite being as fast as I was, Matombo was quicker, grabbing me by the scruff of my neck and putting me on his back while charging in my original direction. There was no need for questions or explanations, my mere intention was command enough, and we took off. I lowered my head, hiding my form behind his' while the titan destroyed every tree in his path without showing even the smallest signs of slowing down. It made sense. When a giant laser of doom could only cause a flesh wound, and Manticores weren't able to scratch his skin, why would wood stop him?

The intense vibrations I felt atop him would've likely been enough to mess up a typical pony's circulation to the point it would cut the oxygen supply, maybe even cause brain damage. Me? I just wanted to spread the meals of the last ten years across the forest floor. Suddenly my entire being pressed itself against Matombo's back when he hit the brakes, pushing me off while he continued to charge forward, now with a new target, yet another Manticore. It was a short ride however, for the beast exploded into bloody bits when the giant stopped his sprint by colliding them both against a large boulder. The thought of toothpaste brought uneasiness to my stomach.

"Good job big guy, quick and clean, no need for cruelty!" I called out, while no animal welfare activist, that unnecessary suffering was just a waste of time. I jerked, pulling my hoof away. Suddenly I felt something wet trickle against my hooves. "What did I step into-... oh no..."

I looked down and observed what once was the source of the screaming I heard. No, our reckless charge didn't hit her in the slightest, but... I can hardly say her state would've been much worse if we did. Deep claw wounds sunk down into the bones of her forelegs as well as ribs, the beast pinned her down and-

I gulped down the bile, kneeled down while tapping her face. The bright, light orange fur was smothered in scarlet that pooled ‘round her midsection. She had a hazelnut mane, with streaks of brighter brown. Her face was as pale as a ghost, and looking down, from her stomach where I saw the blood flowing, laid one of her hooves. I pulled it away, slowly with dread, and saw nothing, nothing but grass, neither flesh nor bone, the manticore's impaled her, and the sheer fact that she was still alive was a miracle in itself.

I quickly pulled out my bell, but when I held the divine item to my chest to draw out whatever beliefs and positive emotions I stored, only a growling sound emitted. My pupils shrank to the size of pearls as I watched Matombo, caked in blood, emerge from the broken stone. "Miracle... I don't..." I broke my own rule to always have enough faith left for a heal. A sudden pressure started to form in the vertebrae of my neck, as I lowered my face with averted eyes.

But I couldn’t look away.

My eyes snapped back to the little filly as the health points quickly dwindled, even with the heightened perception that led to a slower passage of time, the numbers were rushing down so fast that an entire digit would be lost every few seconds. I quickly grabbed a cookie from my inventory, using some expensive ingredients, some self-grown, it had a regeneration effect. I pushed it in her mouth, and when she didn't start to chew, I manually pushed her jaw up even when the crumbles flew in all directions. It- It wouldn’t work! How could I be so dumb, the stinger destroyed her stomach! I don’t even know if my food could heal anyone but me! When it didn't work panic was settling, I was looking around in all directions, [Inspect]-ing everything in my surroundings, but nothing was of use. Panic was clouding the back of my head, this wasn’t supposed to happen, only I was to get hurt, I could heal, so why wasn’t it like always?! I stared down, my hooves were drowned in blood, and the scarlet liquid clung to my fur against which even oil would have glanced off.

I-I was so used to the nightmare hunts in which no variables played a part that I had no preparations in place. What-What do I do? What could I do? There'sno plan.

"No... No-no-no-no, this isn't fair, it isn't fair!" I shouted, pulling a heavy blanket and putting it on the wound, before shaking my head and throwing it away, cursing at my own stupidity. This wasn't a cut, it was a fist-sized hole. Her head leaned back, the life force plummeting faster and faster with each moment. Helplessness, why was this always the reason? Couldn’t it have been a sudden strike, a quick end, why did I always have to stay, watch, and take the tragedy with me? Why am I always the last one standing? I needed faith, I needed it fast, the Silverthorne wouldn't work, its juices would kill her even quicker than the hole, and dry it would be as effective as cotton. I needed a perfect, golden solution. Gold! The pendant. I ripped it from my inventory with such force that several other items were pulled out as well, scattering them on the floor.

I put the broken pendant to my chest, but all I could feel was the slow ticking of the cooldown. I pushed again, harder, against my fur, but the number shrunk only slightly. Again. Again. Again. I kept going, pushing harder and harder while the numbers were falling faster and faster. 100. 90. 80. 70... Thud. Thud! Thud Thud!

"I don't give a shit about cooldowns! I don't care about rules! Work dammit! Work, work, work, work!" I was getting more aggressive with each moment, even Matombo stopped drawing near, he was just watching. The gold impacted continuously, denting it further and further into a crooked knife rather than a religious effigy. My skin broke, the hide was just peeled apart, and my blood smothered the holy relic like a sponge in tar, even when my ribs started to crack, I continued. I continued. I-

I tasted them, those sweet memories. Those moments of innocence were leaving her soft flesh behind, and there was no one to witness, cherish, or share them but an old, old Star. The first birthday, meeting outside the family, making a friend, drawing a picture and. and. and. The highlights of eight, short years were played out in front of my being, the emotions played out, the sounds heard. I held back my tears, my violent barrage slowing down but impacted ever harder while my battle to keep control over my own emotions was lost and I shed tears over this little filly I never met, never could've met, never will meet. Just a stranger in a world of unknown people, but for me, it was a story of life ending far too fast.

I lifted the pendant up once more, and it impacted with my barrel like a battering ram in a castle siege. The sharpened blade pierced my flesh and embedded itself into my heart, more of my health was sacrificed than most ponies had, and the item broke. It broke, it didn't lose its physical shape, needing some Aether to be fixed up, but it broke permanently with the sharp metal stuck in my flesh. Brightly hued blood, one might call it pale, glazed over the metal slowly.

The metal began to glow vibrantly.

My flesh began to heal faster than it should've, and neither my Silverthrones nor items nor [Rapid Recovery] were involved as the meat and bones sewed themselves together. I breathed out as a warmth I hadn't felt in over three decades spread through my chest, they were emotions of my own. Stable as they were, static even, the comforting embrace like a flame warming the frozen meat, sparked power I previously used through the hardship of others.

The glow spread across my chest, and like it was giving me commands, I followed without a doubt. Rising onto my hind legs, my forehooves, like a clock, took the position of a quarter after midnight. A Golden ring within a silver spell sigil hovered ethereally around my legs, with Aureate and Argent Spark floating through the air. Like clockwork, my forehooves fell to the left, turning to nine o'clock, and releasing the warmth given to me in an ascending flare, a beacon that flashed upwards in a divine burst.

I beheld a miracle of my own making. I watched how silver light replaced the lost flesh and blood, before slowly dimming down and revealing a little filly without a single scratch. I gasped, breathing wildly, before falling onto my butt with... I couldn't even describe the sensations that were coursing through me, I was feeling emotions of my own, as subtle and gentle as they were, they were like fireworks in this moment.

My eyes descended upon my chest and I took notice of a new coloration on my fur. A golden circle from which protruded thick lines that treaded my ribs, and thinner lines that traced my features, as well as intertwiningly traversed down to my forehooves. I quivered slightly, feeling how the warmth traveled over these lines, but also took notice of the connection between the halo and the mark. But, as the miracle's grace slowly faded away, only a faintly visible, but nonetheless luminescent, golden circle was visible on my chest.

"Hmm... little cub." Matombo grumbled, though there was softness under the low and deep voice. He joined me, though didn't sit down, instead, he pushed his hands under her barrel and lifted her. Holding her up to his face... he took a sniff of her mane? I couldn't lie, I raised an eyebrow, cringing slightly, and I said that while still being cacked in her blood, though it was sliding off me. "Parents close." He muttered while sniffing the air thoroughly, the short, organoid nostrils flaring a few times.

"Then let's make haste, if at least not be here when the other manticores discover the blood." I turned back to the flattened corpse and put it into my inventory as well, but not before putting back the scattered items. No need to put an even bigger target on my back, though vendetta against the pony eater burned solemnly in the depth of my chest, stirring my breath.

There was a hint of pain, somewhere from inside, but as sweet as the moment was, I rarely held comfort above anything.

I turned back to Matombo, jumped on his back, and with much patience, held onto him and the little filly, before charging with the same speed as before. I tightened my grip around the small, fragile frame, reducing the shaking as much as I could. Not long after, with the wooden shrapnel and stone bits flying past us, something gained priority with my senses. The stench made my neck hairs rise. It was a nightmare. But not any typical kind of nightmare. The smell... the sensation... it was of the same family as those Mind Mites that attempted to chew away my best friend's mind. But, who was around here that it could drain that-

The thought died in my mind as I felt the little filly stir slightly.

'There is no word for a parent that lost their child, and it wouldn't find meaning today either, but I still have to prevent the term orphan to apply to more than one pony in this forest.' I thought darkly, my mind tracing through the inventory for my steel boulder knives. While I hadn't had the time to make version 2.0 yet, they would suffice... for now.

I usually didn't go out of my way to kill living things, even when it came to the quest that perhaps could sway a horrible result where I just needed some more strength. Right now I could taste blood, and a lust for the crimson liquid. I may call foals stinkers, brats, and whatever, but I cared for the little shits, how couldn't I? I was a big brother, perhaps even somewhat of a parental figure to my little sister. I looked after countless little kids whose parents would pick up some random schmuck from the streets so they don't have to entertain their spawn. May my words not be twisted, I liked children, I loved their smiles, them being happy and carefree in this shitty, fucked up hellhole that was life. I cared for them so much that I wouldn’t just watch and let them turn into rotten adults merely because the ‘aww’s took the place of the ‘no’s.

And seeing them cry, be it family or not because it reminded me of the day John Weaver shed his last tears, this anger burned even brighter than the one I harbored towards the nightmares. Even when some billions-year-old race tried to instill ultimate hate for those monsters, they couldn't replicate it: My Hate.

I could only guess how fast Matombo was capable of running, but he was charging ahead quicker than any train I ever boarded and were it not for his power over the earth, then the ground behind us would likely have been airborne. I gritted my teeth as I leaned my head past his titanic frame, bits of wood and bitting air rushing past me, I could notice the bodies of several manticores approaching us. With narrowed eyes, I equipped a steel boulder dagger in my hand and counted the seconds until we reached them.

I crawled up on Matombo's shoulder, lowered my head, and awaited the moment he would ram his heels into the ground. When it came, the moment he halted and slithered past one of them. I jumped off my ride and rammed the forged blade into the skull of one of the beasts. The blade sank through the thick skull like butter, and when I twisted the weapon it cracked and opened like a rotten walnut. Expecting one of the beasts to pounce me, I quickly turned around and used [Magic Shield], however, was left confused when the bodies remained still.

"What?"

"Cats dead."

I heard Matombo's voice and turned back to the manticore which's head I split, grasping its cheeks and bearing witness to a brutality even I, in an all my gory fantasy, couldn't inflict on a still living being. It looked like someone rammed a spear of sorts through the animal's right side of the face, ripping off flesh and bone alike, before probing the hole with a crooked dagger. The meat looked torn regardless, minced and crumbling like the beast still resisted for a little bit. From the wound oozed a bioluminescent, purple, goo.

I narrowed my eyes, before picking up some life, sentient life. Ponies who were not all too far off. It was like a single instrument in a grand orchestra, and in an instant, I realized what tune had left the song when I released Caldura. It was sentient life in this garden of souls. I grunted, baring my teeth and growling animalisticly, staring down, barely holding back a roar. My eyes traveled toward the blade I was holding, some of the nightmare sludge was still stuck, pushing me back to the current matter. Spitting on the ground in frustration, I flipped the blade, flicking the gunk away, though a new layer grew on the metal, one of frost.

"Matumbo, return to whoever my spirits go when they're not beside me. I do not want to share this." I growled, and I could 'see' his outline despite my back facing him. He put the little filly on the ground, before nodding deeply and crumbling away to dust. I dared to spare a glance, seeing the dust flying away, and the filly on the ground.

"Tesla, this will be a moment. Anything that wants the filly dies." I didn't wait for his acknowledgment, I didn't even turn toward him, I just walked away.

Pushing past some bushes that hid a great pool of blood, I took notice of how the beast had the foresight to clean itself with the leaves and moss before going once more on the prowl. It likely was using deception, otherwise, it wouldn't have bothered to put so much attention to its visuals. I swiped my blade through the thicket, carving a path, even when the blood now stained my coat and blade. A moment of cutting later, I saw my goal and my blood ignited.

A little filly with bright orange fur with hazelnut mane bearing streaks of brighter brown walked towards a pair of ponies, a mare and stallion, as well as a griffon. 'Monster is using their daughter's skin to trick them.' I threw a glance toward the trio while continuing my determined stride. I knew exactly their pain of losing family, and then for them to appear again, even I with all my senses perhaps would've been fooled where my Amber to one day walk up to me.

The nightmare halted, staring at the shocked expression of the mask's assumed parents, and threw a glance toward me. Its expression morphed painfully to one of fear, but it was not true, those emotions were false. The bones, flesh, and perhaps even chitin broke and reformed under the fur and skin. And the gleam, the purple, nightmare soul ever so subtly shone in those irises.

"Daddy!" The monster screamed so deceivingly, but my heart didn't bleed for their ilk, not so easily, at least. My scowl deepened, and as the beast tried to sprint forward towards the meatshields. I used [Transit] to close the gap grabbed it by her forehoof, and lifted her up, reading the blade.

Physical Damage Blocked

My movement was suspended when I felt someone suddenly pop up on my radar, a mare that was able to penetrate my perimeter far too easily, or rather, I was far too easily distracted. And then to even land a hit on me, futile as it was, well, I can't say that I had much pride left anyway. I threw a glance at a mare of a smaller frame and hungry state. Her wilted, orange fur was stained by dirt, and her vanilla mane was infested by all sorts of dirt and plant waste. She was breathing painfully hard, one of her hooves was pressing against my cheek, while the other was holding onto my weapon with dear life.

"Don't-Don’t touch my foal!" She shouted desperately, using all of her little strength to push me away, only digging her hindlegs deeper into the soft ground. My blade wasn't so much so as quivering in the face of her attempt. I narrowed my eyes at her attempt, but I had to control urges that were deeply coded into my system, and the same weight I felt when I refused to kill nightmares was now pushing me in her direction. Attacking me put a creature from a 'green' state into a 'yellow' one, but defending a nightmare instantly pushed them to 'red,' like a kill command was set.

"Mare, this here is not you daughter, it's not even a pony!" I hissed louder, it was almost a growl. And even though I towered over her as Celestia stood over guards, she did not shriek away as any sane pony would. No, she pushed even harder as the squirming of the nightmare increased. The nightmare whined loudly, crying and begging for 'her mommy.' It took all my strength not to deal with the monster first, but the worry that she'd throw herself in my path and send both of them to oblivion was too severe for me. If this was a pony who just had the triggers of a nightmare and had to costume Aether, then it would be a completely different tune, but no. It was just a malicious machination searching for its next victim. A malicious farce given form.

"Let go of her, don't hurt my filly! You're hurting her!" She begged, finally realizing that moving me would be as successful as me supporting the demolition of a foal hospital.

"You daughter is fine! She's-" I shouted at her sinking silhouette, and this was the killing shot the nightmare needed to drop the act, realizing that even when it could fool the trio, were things come hard on hard, I could kill all four of them without even the smallest of wounds. I staggered back as a scream that may have belonged to a banshee howled through the woods, droplets of blood, and shreds of meat clouded my vision as the mare fell back, now only having three limbs.

It possesses a skill that boosts its strength by consuming fresh, sentient meat.

My face tightened and rushed forward using [Transit] to appear next to the nightmare in the shape of a filly and hacked its lower jaw off as it tried to consume the torn-off leg. A demonic gurgling ran out shortly before I kicked the monster in the face and sent it tumbling across the ground. Black blood sprayed in all directions, coloring the grass in ebony. It spasmed with a distorted voice stuck between filly and monster trying to gain any sort of footing, and with a final growl, I conjured four [Ice Spears] that impaled the nightmare. A violent thrashing was in full-on display in front of me, blood spewed in all directions and the screaming was enough for any mortal to shield their ears with all they had on them. Finally, the frost grew over the flesh, and like a statue, depicted one moment, and this one displayed a violent death.

"You!" I snapped back as the urge, although quickly subduing, popped into the back of my skull once more. The mare was hyperventilating while lying on the ground, staring at the stump and at who I assumed was her husband while the Griffon was ripping off pieces from his clothes in an attempt to stop the bleeding. My shout startled the trio, though the Griffon, like he was locked in his current task, continued to wrap the wound. "Stand still. You two, move aside."

With my [Magic Claws] I grasped the stallion and griffon, before pushing them some distance away. With heavy hooves and still on my hindlegs after all that bullshit, picked the mare up into the air with [Levitation]. Looking at the fear growing behind those dark, green eyes, I spared a glance at my Faith, seeing that with the orb in my chest, I regained enough faith for [Greater Restoration]. I stopped before her, and even while in the air, while 'on her hindlegs' I was still much taller than her, breathing heavily.

Despite it all... I couldn't entirely fault her.

I pulled out my bell, holding it to my chest and lowering my face. I could feel how much easier this skill was to use with the orb that I no longer needed to cower on my knees before the divine powers, now instead respectfully guiding it. The silver light pulsated, and I beheld how the flesh regrew. How the light formed a sort of ethereal, prosthetic limb that revealed the furred appendage once in its place.

"Wha... What? I don’t…" She mumbled in disbelief, though it lasted not long, after all, I stopped the spell and let her plummet to the ground. Regardless she was still staring at where the wound once was, her entire nervous system was confused as every shred of biomass was replaced, better than before for a matter of fact, and tasting what ponies described as 'divine powers' was an experience for sure. Perhaps it was addicting, but I didn’t know. I didn’t spend my time in the Canterlot Hospital healing the sick. Was it selfish? I say no, perhaps in the direst of cases, but most certainly anything less and it would stunt medicinal research, and with my abilities, before I entered this forest, were I to neglect my own healing chances during the hunts, I could maybe heal five ponies a day.

I turned around and walked back to the likely unconscious filly.

"Wait, please stop!" I heard the stallion shout as he once more reached his presumed wife, holding her while calling out to me.

I ignored them, before suddenly stopping as I felt Tesla relay a sort of message through the bond between spirit and caller. I mentally readied myself to run, only for me to realize that the slumbering filly had been roused. Turned my eyes in the direction I came from, and I saw how Tesla was guiding the dazzled filly through a bush (Not the one hiding a literal bloodbath), toward us.

"Wait mister firefly. I'm not this fast." I couldn't help but smile gently as the filly stopped, watching how Tesla joined my side. With a grin, feeling just fuzzy seeing her excitement, I leaned to the side and cleared the sightline for parents and child.

"Mommy!"
"Sweetie!"
"Amber!"

I leaned forward, between my legs through which the filly charged without any regard for my personal space. Tesla seemed to buzz at my miffed reaction, expressing his amusement.

They were very close to dying. The Game noted dryly.

'Yeah, but who was about to become their butcher?' I thought darkly while remaining with my warm and approachable, facial expression. To claim that I wasn’t dreading an emergency quest to appear with my every frame of conscience was a lie. I slowly walked towards them, making my presence as noticeable as possible while they had their moment, though it ultimately was not very effective.

"Mommy, who is that stallion." The filly asked while pointing her hoof at me, perhaps she meant my name, but it could also just be that those memories where the light was leaving her eyes didn't stick. Still, I mentally chuckled at how blunt foals could be. Goodness was I happy that stains just fell off me otherwise she would've likely hurled other tunes in my direction.

"Well, I can at least guarantee my name does not contain the word 'punching bag,' little miss." I said softly while falling down on all my hooves and slowly approaching them.

I was still towering over them all like an adult with a second grader. Upon mere registration of what I said, the mare who had her every maternal instinct triggered began to shiver and tremble, well, adrenaline was one hell of a drug. Of course, I couldn't know if her fear came from attacking the absolute titan of raw and refined power I was, the legal ramifications of attacking the Crown Prince, or some other arbitrary reason. The mare was vibrating so intensely that even her husband began to appear to shake against his will while embracing his whole family. I drew nearer with each slow and graceful step until I stopped before them, looking at them with a casual-regal stance.

"My-my-my-my-"

The mare stammered, her head leaning back as far as she could while trying to keep eye contact while I stoically waited with a kind smile, but I couldn't help myself and spoke in a tone similar to hers. "My-my-my-my. Dear, I wish not to guess whats on your mind, but are you perhaps attempting to say 'My Prince?'"

The two adults slowly nodded their heads, and I couldn't help but put a hoof before my mouth and chuckle into my fetlock. This, all of this, was nothing more than a play. My emotions did not mirror my actual feelings in the matter. I was angry at her for interfering in the hunt, regardless if her actions were conducted with proper reasons, it left a bitter taste, but not as much as was their fear.

And yet.

Their display, this completely irrational fear while their small, fluffy frames with huge eyes quivered before me, It just checked out every box on my cuteness list. After all, fuzzy and small correlate to cute nine out of ten times. "Oh please, no need to tremble before me. Not to be insulting, but-" I turned the side she punched me towards the duo, revealing that not even the dirt stuck to me, much less any wound. "-it takes a whole lot more to harm me. I didn't feel any pain, though I would like to ask if you could, in the future, restrain yourself from hitting me."

The two ponies, now with the griffon joining as well for some reason, nodded dumbfoundingly.

"Splendid!" I called out, clapping my hooves together, breaking the trance and sitting down on my flank. I reiterate. My inner emotions didn’t mirror those on the outside, I could feel their fear, and desperation burned brightly while the burst of joy, although eternally smoldering, was overshadowed. I scraped my tongue against the roof of my mouth in an attempt to remove the taste.

I had a hunger to quench the achings of the creatures' hearts before me. Well, also their stomachs, they did appear quite malnourished after all. Dirty, cold, tired, I could pile the negative adjectives until the moon crashed against this world, but there was also a paternal side that saw those teeny, tiny little ponies and wanted to bring them some happiness. Also because I was one of the best cooks in this world and their ribs were all saying ‘hi’ right now.

"Now tell me, what would you like to eat, perhaps you could introduce yourselves during a little supper."

"Ex-excuse me?" The mare stammered while slowly tilting her head, her eyes as wide open as possible, tail tucked under her. I also noticed how hard her ears pressed against her scalp and how close she held her hooves to the body. She was scared to death, not that I needed to read her body language to register her emotions.

I looked through my inventory seeking something that didn't contain meat. While meat could be consumed by ponies, most didn't, and those that could stuck to smaller portions. "Well, you appear to be quite starved if I may comment, so I am taking the liberty to feed you. Would perhaps a creamy leek soup with spring onion and some button mushrooms suffice?" I asked while pulling out a cauldron filled with said soup. No, it was not one of those small ones that could fit like five to eight bowls of soup, this was a big one... well, given my current size, it perhaps could dispense five to eight portions of my caliber. Using this moment, I also absorbed the corpse into my inventory including blood, while I still took up most of their attention.

"Spare your question for some time, you have experienced some... turbulances right now and some silence would help your state." I spoke out as the mare was about to open her mouth again, although that wasn't quite the case since she never fully closed it. She took my firm remark to the heart and slowly nodded while I filled some big bowl I made. Well, this wasn’t the fanciest meal I prepared since I made them ages ago at Cook level 10, but you wouldn’t expect to see them at a soup kitchen either. Also, items didn’t spoil nor change temperature in my inventory.

"I can't eat that." I raised an eyebrow at the filly, through the saliva-inducing steam of the soup, and stopped the saddle in the air. "I'm lactose intolerant."

'I wished nobles would keep that part from their foalhood, this bluntness, instead of the imaturity.' I mused in my head while continuing to fill her bowl, much to the confused look of the filly.

"You don't have lactose intolerance anymore." I remarked and planted the bowl in front of her.

"I'm pretty sure that doesn't go like that." Amber said slowly in a questioning manner while tapping the spoon a few times. I raised my eyebrow, before mentally facepalming. It was a trio of earth ponies. I had become so used to seeing everyone but I use their magic for everything that it confused me. Man, the ratio of unicorns to other pony tribes was really unbalanced, at least, if you lived in the middle or upper layer of Canterlot, that is.

Cute. The Game noted in his game-y voice, though I shared the sentiment.

"I assume you don't remember what happened before you woke up with my friend looking over you. Yes?" I asked while filling up four more bowls, one for each. Yes, my bowl was more akin to a bucket, but I haven't eaten since I evolved, and I doubtfully called that the traditional way of consuming calories. I threw a spare glance at Tesla who left my side to buzz near the little filly. If I couldn't look up her stats I might've boldly claimed she was a spirit caller like me, but no, the electric bubble just liked her.

The parent looked at one another for a brief moment, before turning to the filly who was shaking her head. Thank goodness she had no clue, a near-death experience wasn't a recommended core memory. "No, I just remember running away from a manticore and then bam!" She shouted suddenly, spreading forehooves far apart. "I wake up with this little nightlight near me. Can I keep it?"

"Amber, you can't just ask things like that." Her mother scolded in a hush, and while I would agree in most cases, I would've been a bit less direct. On the other hoof: They were starving, tired, lost, and constantly under stress. I let it slide, even as the filly let out a prolonged 'aww' while Tesla tried to cheer her up.

I took a scoop of the soup, humming to myself as the creamy and slightly biting flavor permeated my mouth. "While not exactly my choice of words, I have to agree. Tesla is one of my companions for life and needs my divine power to remain in this world." While some would have shaken their head at how easily I would reveal some core information, that wasn't the case, I was just rehearsing the bullcrap explanation Celestia and Hauhuthos had for my powers.

"Divine power? I thought that was just a myth?" The griffon spoke from the sideline having distanced himself from our circle, possibly feeling somewhat left out in this 'pony party' I assumed. I enveloped his small frame and pulled himself nearer to the group, before putting the pot back into my inventory and placing some chopped wood from my arsenal in its place.

"Well, then I suppose the dame here is still bleeding and I am exceptionally good at illusions, no?" I asked slyly before putting a few more spoons of soup in my mouth. He was already sweating when I opened my mouth, right now he was melting while heavily pushing against my aura. If I were to let go now he might just find his way out of the forest. "You may stop resisting, I have no intent to harm you."

Despite what some may believe about magic, there was no distinct 'healing magic.' You can set the flesh and bone back into place and sew it, enhance bone growth, or put certain body parts' flesh into stasis while the body repaired, but straight-up healing falls in most cases into one of three categories. Divine magic, which asked reality itself to close one eye, time magic which reversed the wound from happening (Though there is no official case where it was ever used successfully), or some form of forbidden magic like the huge umbrella that was dark magic with the power over blood or flesh.

There was also biomancy, but the thing is it's a huge outlier since having a horn isn't required, yep, earth ponies and pegasi could have it due to their cutie mark where it correlates with anything biological. Well, a unicorn could try it, but all the information would fry one's brain or turn their targets... into whatever they don't want. All cool, there are some great doctors out there. Yeah... no... Said cutie mark is usually found pretty young, thus when they try to use it on themselves the results almost always end with... let's just say in comparison magic burn has a high survival rate.

"And divine powers are a real thing, just exceptionally rare and can be incredibly dangerous. This is always most true for the wielder himself since they may draw upon the wielder's life force, either primarily or when whatever reserve they normally use is depleted." I spoke, closing my eyes and calling up all my follower spirits to myself, and igniting the wood with Ignis. While not dark, it was becoming quite cold, after all, fall was practically here. Well, I wasn't cold, but the other members of the Being Alive Club had pretty thin coats and even thinner fat reserves. "I am just fortunate enough to possess several that range from healing wounds to my own physique being empowered. Afterall, most 12-year-olds shouldn't look down on adults, no?"

"You're twelve?" The stallion called out in confusion before putting another spoon of soup in his mouth to stop his mouth from spouting any more words. At least I assumed this, the mare, on the other hand, couldn't help herself and muttered to herself 'Stallions, a stomach on stilts.' He was staring at me, well, understandable, from my body to my voice I might appear to be twenty-five to thirty… hundred kilograms.

I opened my eyes and swayed my gaze over to the male members of this little survivor assembly. The stallion bore a fuzzy, dark brown coat while having his daughter's two-toned, hazelnut mane. I also had to take note that, while not being anywhere near my size, was probably one of the biggest earth ponies I had seen. He was about a hoof or two taller than my grandfather of this world. He was also built like a block with a sturdy jawline, chunky muzzle, and wide frame, everything about him screamed draft horse.

Now take everything I said about the stallion and turn it upside down and you had the griffon. He was small, like really small despite being fully grown, Gerb could probably sling him over his shoulder and carry him around. The griffon had a, or rather, would have exceptionally bright coat were it not for the dirt. A great white bed of feathers enveloped his avian side while possessing some black dots on his chest and facial area. His lion half had a sort of blue-grey tone, though I didn't take much interest. His face was sponging up my attention, it was just so adorable with 'plump cheekbones and a short and petite beak.

"Oh no need to be surprised, I had more than enough of it in the past few days where my dimensions advanced exponentially." I said with a chuckle, while the filly was mouthing my words, but just couldn't quite hit the corners. "To return to your question, you were quiet deeply wounded when I found you. It was pure luck I was near you to... pry the cat away and heal you wounds. However, as is often the case with the exceptionally rare, I can't chose areas that I want to heal and restored you everything. Including your case of lactose Intolerance."

"..."

"I made the boo boo go away." I clarified while finishing my huge bowl before most had even eaten a fourth of their meals. "Yes?"

"If you can heal ponies, why are there sick ponies?" The little filly whose name I only knew contained the word, Amber, I was more than mature enough that someone called Amber wouldn't push me into overdrive, asked while raising her hoof. Oh, to be so oblivious to the inner workings of the world, hah, where is this jealousy coming from?

"Well, you see there's one Star Touch, and quiet a lot more ponies." I quickly interjected when her father, after finishing his bowl I might add, was about to say something to his daughter. "Besides, all divine powers bear their price, and mine is quiet a deep one. Were it not for some lucky coincidences then it would be less so of healing and rather a trade in places, putting me in the hospital, or, well I suppose we don't need to push matters, young Amber Sap." Having had enough of just calling them stallion and mare, I went ahead and used [Inspect] on all of them. Pretty average when it came to stats, though the stallion was quite above the average when it came to strength and endurance. Like, a lucky buck and he might cause brain damage to a manticore.

"You know my name?" The filly asked with wonder sparkling in her eyes. Well, wonder and the reflection of all my follower spirits since they apparently preferred foals over their master. I still looked after the nightmare one just to make sure, even when mortals couldn't feel it like I did. This spirit was constantly breaking apart, you could call it smoking like nightmares would when they didn't get aether.

"I know all my subjects' names." I replied warmly, though I bit my tongue, saying these words made my skin crawl. "Spring Sap. Amber Bark. Peter." I called out their names in the following order: Stallion, mare, griffon. I looked twice at his name, but he really didn't have a last name, just Peter. On the subject of Peter, I felt a sudden, huge, wave of guilt form and push him almost so quickly against his limits as Twilight when a quill delivery is delayed and she only has three emergency packs of writing utensils.

"Hehe, well I'm not really a subject if I am being honest." Peter said, raising his stick-thin claw up and caressing his chest fluff nervously. "I kind of just crossed the border and started working here…" As his words dried up, he waved his claws around him, though keeping arms very close to his body…

Did he just confess a fucking crime to me? No, no one was this fucking stupid-he actually did just do that? My goodness, humans would eat all of them up, literally and figuratively.

"Hmm, as far as I know the immigration process from Griffonia to Equestria is quite generous following you didn't commit any crimes or you-" I said while my tongue was halted, the griffon before me was just nodding in shame. "Dodge the draft." I narrowed my eyes, not on purpose, just that something unpleasant came back into my mind correlating to the armor set of the proud lion assassins. Draft and soldiers, murderers, and assassins.

I wasn't dumb enough to just chuck the item in the broth without checking the pockets and finding evidence, specifically a letter. Of course, I couldn't decode it yet, but soon I would, and then some griffons would die... Also, a sudden realization, if you clump items together so that they stick together on their own, then [observe] would count it as one item. The wrath metal dagger belt, urgh what a lengthy name, was removed before it was dissolved into the liquid and strapped around my right, upper tight, protected by the kata. Otherwise, a single strike from a nightmare would cut the strap.

“You know that for all intents and purposes, I won’t judge while inside this forest, and it would be a tad… cruel to enact any form of punishment after surviving this.” I spoke slowly, pushing the subject away as gently as possible, while not directly saying that I would ignore it. You didn’t have to report a crime, and there was no punishment for it, even as a judge, but if a guard or like asked you, you had to answer, just as much as a judge had to reveal anything they knew about a case were it to reach the legislative level, regardless if you were to judge this situation or not.

“Nonetheless I highly advise you to stay further away from crimes if you could, most pony judges don’t use their leeway, nor are most so bold.”

"I’m not Bold.” He sighed deeply in defeat. “I'm a coward, I know that look, you don't have to say it." Peter said, looking away, while not near tears, the sadness was definitely clouding his gaze.

I...

"Apologies, but you words reminded me of a trio of griffons I met not long ago who tried some... rather unpleasant, military actions on me." I apologized, and honestly, I wanted to throw away this royal speech, but I was in public and those four really needed some beacon they could look up to. "But, know well, Peter, that I do not define bravery as storming at the first soldier in the battle, or being strong enough to break the tides of war. I see bravery as facing whatever difficulties you may face in your ever day and overcome them. All of us are different, for some the hardest task may be to slay a dozen manticores and for some even standing up may sap them of all their strength, though the actual deeds matters not ultimately, only that we try in hopes of conquering these burdens."

I could just feel the doubt in the griffon’s eyes, a person I owed absolutely nothing, who expected much less from me. It was like he was looking for my judgment, my disgust, my anger, anything negative. I wanted to gag at my own speech, it was so abhuman, something you’d expect in a kid's cartoon, but was not misplaced in this world it seemed. I was feeling like a bullshit general, leading his army of crap with how this entanglement of words-urgh!

"There was once a time where everypony assumed I wouldn't so much so as reach my first birthday, but I conquered this, at the time, seemingly impossible task and pushed on to stand where I am today. Maybe I had the backing of the royal crown, but it didn't guarantee my success, my ambitions, my character or growth, just assured that I had a roof over my head and food on my plate, privileges that I cannot claim everyone can profit from. Being brave is only defined by yourself, by whatever task you may deem daunting and desire to complete."

And… well, there was just so much doubt, this densely packed clump of negativity, I couldn’t just silently watch, not with [Valiant Heart] coercing me to take on the supportive stranger role. Shut up Game, don’t blame me for the perk's doing!

Sensing regression of negative energies in entity Peter. The Game noted, though I could feel and see the results myself as the poor, small griffon was sniffing in an attempt to hold back the snot from leaving his beak. I didn't know him, but I didn't need to, much less profit from the action, to give some kind words.

"Didn't make it to your first birthday? How far away did you celebrate?" Amber Sap said, and I couldn't help with the cute bluntness of the filly anymore and let out snorting laughter while both parents tried to somehow relay the message that her choice of words was not fitting, or someway relaying my message. I wished them good luck while my enjoyment was drowning their words out, heaven's, I felt tears rolling from my eyes.

Age scaling differs from creature to creature. It would seem as if a human’s mental age of 44 correlated to a physical pony age of nine... The Game noted dryly with annoyance while I chortled wildly.

Quest Update
Path Of The Strong:
Defeat a strong opponent [1/1]
Defeat 50 enemies with the following criteria [10/50]

• level 25+
• Dominant Stat: Strength

You have fulfilled one of the requirements for the hidden quest: Path of the Strong.
Path of the Strong
Although you are weak and frail, it does not mean you are bound to this puny existence 'till death.
* Defeat a strong foe
* Kill 50 enemies above level 25 with strength being their most dominant stat.
* Reward: Removal of the flaw [Weak].

Nostra Culpa
Level: -
Artifact
There is no greater penance than to absolve another of their sins, their pain, suffering, and grief, thus the Holy Tree spoke. I keep these words in my heart even now as I see the last remnants of Her Divinity wither away, the rotten brood consuming the very thoughts I cherished my whole life. I hold this last seed’s sap in my hand, the last few glimmers of The Well’s spark in my eyes after it was stolen by the winged thieves, and pray with a tight grip over my heart, that one day, I too, will find salvation.
Revenant, Priest Philip Audax - The Witness of the last Eternal’s Light dimming.
*All branches of Divine Magic may be learned without any other requirements
*A heightened sense of emotions of yourself and those around you is open to you.
*Decrease Dark Damage taken by 20%
*You can now see through any means of obscurity within the Nostra Culpa’s power
*Double Faith Capacity
*Increase Faith by 500 points
*All Negative Status effects will wear out with time
*You may bear the Holy Tree back into the realms for the temporary forfeiting of 10,000 Level Points
*Skill: Divine Rejuvenation
*Skill: Absolution[&Gentle Touch]

Divine Rejuvination
Call upon your hopes and desires to alleviate the wounds and woes you and those you cherish may suffer.
...with a heart of gold and health forsworn… I shall bear your burden, and smother your pain, for one who turns their back onto those suffering bears but a lump of coal in their chest. And one, who forsakes their flesh in protection of another holds a nugget of gold behind their ribs.
Revenant, Priest Philip Audax, when he sacrificed his legs to nourish the Dream Weaving Spider without a name.
*Heal 1000 health points at the reduced cost of 150 Faith.
*Restore 25% of the target health pool over the span of a minute
*Removes debuffs without an additional cost

Absolution
Brightly Radiate any positive emotion to those near you, focusing the effect on single individuals or in a radius.
...with a heart of gold and health forsworn… I Impose my care and love upon those few and many, far and near so that they all might find comfort in even the most dire of moments, regardless of how warm their hearts might be.
*Skill’s effect is improved by: Gentle Touch. You may also Radiate any positive feeling
*Deal a variable amount of damage to evil creatures
*Purify Evil
*Gain Temporary buffs when used in a supportive manner

Inventory:
*Broken Pendant removed
*Manticore Corpses 5x added
*Lesser Mind Twister corpses 1x added

Skills:
Magic Blade lv 1→2
Mana Blade lv 9 →10
Ice Spear lv 16→17

Faith Capacity: 600 →2200

Base Capacity (100) x1

Spirits (100) X5

Nostra Culpa(500) x1

Nostra Culpa bonus(Faith x2)