It had been weeks after defeating Khotun Khan, the leader of the mongol invasion. Jin's family clan, the Sakai Clan, had been formally disbanded by the Shogun, and now was a wanted man. Despite killing the leader of an army that promised to conquer Tsushima, and the mainland of Japan, they decided that he was a dishonorable, inhuman monster. That his ways of combat were to be shunned, and that he was considered a traitor to the traditions they held so deep.
Despite being hunted, Jin had found himself to be living a decent life. Decent enough when you're being tracked down by both the Shogun and mongols trapped on the island. He had his home, a rundown shack of sorts, with all that he needed. Food, water, and tools. That was really all he needed, except for his weapons. His katana had not drawn blood in days, and an arrow hadn't been shot from his bow in days either. His horse was definitely enjoying the time off, not having to haul him from place to place.
Jin hadn't felt this relaxed in a long, long time.
Today though, was different. He was going back on the hunt, to find the rest of the remaining mongols on the island, and cut them down like the dogs they were. Whatever way he wished to do that, was up to him, not the 'honor code' he had been told to abide by. The same code that killed many without remorse.
Mounting on his horse, he took off into the open landscape of Tsushima.
He had heard from a wandering trader that there was another musician, one that he hadn't heard of before, telling tales of something strange. He wasn't able to get the full details, but it intrigued him enough to go and check it out, to listen to the musician's tale, and to decide if it was true. Many times he had listened to tales that were believed to be myths, but he had found that they were indeed true, and provided something to fight the mongols with. Whether that be strange rocks that were able to light a sword on fire, or simply a technique to be used in combat, it always proved useful.
Though he was a little more intrigued by this one in particular. It wasn't for the fact that it was strange, but more so that there was no details on it. The wandering trader himself wasn't able to describe it, saying it was 'too confusing, and unfit to be true, my lord.'
Also, why was he still being addressed as a lord? Wasn't he considered an outlaw by the Shogun?
Jin was happy that even though he was being tracked by the Shogun, the people of Tsushima still believed in him, and stood behind him for his cause. They helped at any turn they could, and any traders that wandered by his hidden home would offer him things for free, or at a discounted price. He was thankful that his time fighting the mongols was not spent in vain.
Jin could hear the sound of a biwa off in the distance. He could recognize those plucky notes anywhere.
Jin stopped his horse in front of the musician's small camp, dismounting and simply walking forward. The musician simply kept playing, not paying attention to Jin at all. Jin was sure he had noticed he was there, as he sat opposite of him, in front of the small campfire. It took minutes for the musician to pay attention to him. Jin wasn't going to simply interrupt the man playing, but it was strange. Most were eager to talk to him.
"My lord, what brings you here?" The musician asked.
"I hear that you tell an odd tale." Jin responded, his voice sounding of intrigue.
"Ah. I did not expect you of all people to hear of such a thing. Are you sure you would like to hear it, my lord? Most who listen to it do not follow, or do not believe. It is not an ordinary tale of Tsushima that you might be familiar with."
Jin smirked slightly. "I have heard many tales that are considered too strange to be true."
"If you insist, my lord." The musician said as he put his Satsuma-biwa down, its neck resting on a small rock. The musician then cleared his throat, and began to tell the tale.
"Long ago, near Omi Lake, there was a loud roar within the open air. As if lightning were piercing the sky, but with a thousand times more force. Nobody dared to step foot outside, afraid that it was the call of a demon, or the underworld. Everybody hid in the corner of their homes, except for one man. An old Samurai, with an unknown name, or origin, had stepped outside to check on the loud roar. Ready to fight any demons that approached him, he had made it to the edge of Omi Lake."
"There, he saw a strange creature. It floated in the water, face down, as if it were drowning while asleep. The Samurai, expecting it to be a sacred animal, thrusted himself into the waters without hesitation, to retrieve the animal. As he approached, and got closer, he noticed it was not an ordinary animal. Without thinking, he pulled the animal to the shore, and finally got a good look at the creature he saved."
"There, laying before him, was a horse-like creature, but with wings. A Pegasus, to be exact."
Jin gave him an odd look. "A Pegasus?"
"Yes, my lord. The story continues, to say that the Pegasus had woken up and talked to the Samurai. The Samurai had believed it to be a gift from the heavens, to which he began to pray to it. Though the pegasus denied all of his prayers. Instead, it spoke of strange lands that it came from. A land of horses, such as itself, though in different variation. Pegasi, unicorns, alicorns, and regular horses, all in a single world."
Jin gave a tiny chuckle, shaking his head. "Are you sure he didn't have too much sake?"
The musician continued. "The Samurai took the Pegasus to the top of an unknown shrine, and lived the rest of his days to write about this strange new world that the Pegasus talked about. A world of the heavens, as he described. No one knows what shrine he had gone to, or what he had written down specifically. The only way we know of the story, is because of a follower that found the two. Fearing for the Pegasus' safety against the demons, he did not tell of where to find the Samurai and Pegasus. Though, on his dying breath, he gave a hint as to where to find a piece of the shrine."
"As his voice began to fade out, and his breathing slowed, he told of Omi Lake, the same lake the pegasus was found in. There, inside the lake, lies a deep cavern, though it is believed that the dark cavern is filled with unknown demons, preventing anyone from getting to a piece of the shrine."
Jin gave him a questioning look, his eyebrows raised. "Why is a simple piece of the shrine so important?"
"It is believed to teleport you into another world, a world far from Tsushima. A world born from the heavens. Perhaps, where the Samurai and Pegasus both fled to, to protect the Pegasus from the many demons that hide in this island."
Jin stood, looking over into the tree's beside him. "Perhaps the story is too confusing, and unfit to be true."
"I warned you, my lord. It is a story full of holes, but it is an interesting one."
Jin turned to his horse, and mounted it, resting his feet on the sides. He turned his head to the musician, flashing him a quick smile. "I will go investigate it myself, and inform you if such a story is true. An easy start to my day will ease me into comfort, before I find the rest of the mongols."
"Good luck to you, my lord."
OMI LAKE
Jin stood at the shore of the lake, simply staring at the clear blue color it showed.
"The piece of the shrine must be deep.." He told himself, to which he gave a sigh to himself. "It is most likely false, but I should still check." Even with those words, he still felt as if he was going to be looked at as stupid for doing what he was about to. He jumped into the lake, swimming to the middle of the open water.
He looked down below him, showing that the lake descended deeper than he thought. He had few fears, but deep open area's below him in water was one of them. He shook his head, staring up at the sky and taking a deep breath before descending into the water.
He descended deep into the water, making his way through the cavern underneath, dodging the jagged edges that protruded from its sides. He could feel his chest urging him to find open air to breath, but he couldn't find a single source. He was already too deep, so he continued.
Within seconds, he found a small pocket of air inside the cavern ceiling. He breathed loudly, coughing the bit of water that he had swallowed up out. "I'm a fool.." He told himself.
Not a second later, he realized there was an entrance to somewhere from the small pocket of air he was in. He reached his hand up and pulled himself up, rolling onto the open rock. Steadying himself up to his feet, he could see small candles lit, leading him into another room. The path was covered in red leaves.
"Candles... Still lit? Someone must be here, or was here." He said aloud, to nobody but himself.
As he made his way under a small archway, he entered a large room. It was extremely gigantic in size, and candles, dotted around the room, lit the entirety of it up. He stood there, simply taking in the beautiful sight of the room, before noticing the steps that were in front of him, and what seemed to be a broken shrine at the top of it.
"This must be it."
He slowly walked, not sure if there were to be any traps. Too many times had he fallen victim to such petty tactics. He only relaxed once he was finally at the top, face to face with the shrine. It was a wooden structure, with a small stone statue in the middle of it.
It was a Pegasus, though not exactly the image of what he thought one would look like.
He read the small writing that was chipped into the rock at the bottom.
To the heavens you walk, Sunrise Bastion.
Find me in the next life.
Jin stared at the Pegasus, simply admiring the detail of the statue. The Pegasus was more round, and had large eyes. Its wings were not as big as he once thought a Pegasus' wings would be. Well, this could be a simple down-scaled version of it, but still.
Jin lightly set his fingers onto the statue, as to hold himself up as he looked around it. Yet, within a second, a bright flash of light blinded him. It was a trap! He pulled his katana out blindly, but could not see anyone as he was still blinded. He could not see anything but white.
"Face me!" He tried to yell, but all that came out was a quiet groan.
Seconds later, he could feel his entire body begin to feel tired. Sleepy. He was poisoned. Was this how he died? Being caught by surprise at a shrine, poisoned by someone in the dark? A very, very unfortunate, and embarrassing end to the life he had led. Atleast Uncle will no longer have to deal with the shame of him being a traitor.
Was that really what he wanted to think about in his last moments? Being a traitor to the Shogun? He had done everything opposite of deserving that title. He had helped his people, taught them to stand up for themselves, to use tactics that have proven useful, but can be seen as questionable. If you intend to survive, you have to do all you can to assure that!
No. He did okay. He did fine.
But he could've done better.
Jin felt his body hit something soft before he officially fell asleep.
CANTERLOT
"Celestia-"
"Not now, Luna."
"But siste-"
"Luna. Can I please, have a single moment, to myself? In my own chambers?!"
Luna frowned slightly. "I'm sorry, sister, but there is something needing both of us. You understand how dire times ar-"
"Yes, sister. You don't have to remind me." Celestia said, getting off of her bed and onto her hooves. She had just been meditating, simply trying to find peace and quiet within her own chambers. Her words came out harsh, and she was obviously not having a good day. The fact that even the smallest amount of free time she had was being interrupted bothered her more than anything else today.
Without saying another word, Celestia simply followed Luna to wherever their attention was required. Her sister was usually not up at this time, but due to recent events, she's had to switch her own schedule to be up during the day. It led to a lot of confusion during night court, but it was required.
They entered the royal meeting room, a room hardly used anymore. Until now, that is. Meetings were usually held in the throne room, or any other room, but the royal meeting room was special. It was only used in the most dire of situations, where the utmost care of information was priority. Many spells were placed inside the room, hundreds actually. Each were placed for a specific reason.
Sitting at the meeting table were the two highest ranking guards, Stonewall and Adira. Shining Armor sat at the end of the table, along with his wife, Cadance. Filling in the rest of the seats were the elements of harmony.
"Celestia, I hope we aren't bothering yo-"
Twilight was quickly cut off by Celestia. "Can we please, simply move on with the task at hand? What is it that requires my attention?"
Shining Armor cleared his throat, trying to find a way to start the conversation. "We have new information about the invaders."
"Information that had to be heard now?"
"Yes." Shining continued. "We've intercepted messages going to and from centaur camps. They detail the next places they plan to target, and one of them happens to be Ponyville."
Celestia stared at him, before laughing. "You want me to believe, that our enemy wants to attack a town that is in direct view of my living quarters? A town, now made high profile due to Twilight's castle. That they would attack a town so far in-land, that it would be-"
"Sister." Luna interrupted. "Whether or not you believe it to be a stupid plan, we must act on this, shouldn't we?"
Celestia sighed. "I suppose so. We'll mobilize troops to surround Ponyville, and especially Twilight's school and castle."
"Our troops are spread too thin as it is already, Princess." Stonewall said, his voice low and booming, causing everpony in the room to turn to look at him. "We don't know if we have enough troops to even secure Canterlot well enough.."
"Plus," Adira jumped in, her voice contrasting Stonewalls. "We're outnumbered. Greatly outnumbered. They took over the hippogriff kingdom with ease, simply by outnumbering them. Their skill isn't the thing to be feared. Their numbers are."
Shining stood up. "The biggest mystery of all, is that they still aren't using magic. They don't have great use of it, like Tirek, but they do have the ability to do some things. They haven't been spotted using any of it, and instead have been relying on physical weapons."
Celestia tilted her head in question. "Wouldn't that make it easier to defeat them?"
"We thought that, until we discovered why we couldn't. They seem to have found a way to manufacture amulets, or something of the sort, to be able to de-activate any spell or magic. We could fire our biggest magical attack at them, and all it would do is tickle them."
"Forbidden magic." Celestia said. "I thought such a thing was no longer possible. That all the tomes containing that information were all destroyed, or lost to time."
Stonewall spoke up again. "We've already sent requests for aid to multiple other places, including the griffons, and the reformed changelings. We have reason to doubt that the griffons will be willing to send any aid, but the changelings will most likely send something, whether it be supplies, or extra soldiers."
Applejack shook her head. "Why haven't we.. uh.. heard uf these centaurs? All we've seen is Tirek.."
Celestia faced Applejack. "Centaurs haven't been spotted for a long time. They are brutal in their ways, especially dealing with war. More so than any other creature here on this planet. Though these are not the same centaurs as Tirek. Tirek would be considered nice."
Luna sighed. "We thought they were gone. But they seem to have only been preparing that entire time. They've perfected combat in ways that we didn't intend to fight against. They are experts with their makeshift weapons, and their armor is crafted with utmost care. We have reason to believe they aren't the only ones, but perhaps other species are also in the mix with them. Nothing has proven that so far, though."
"Well, me and the girls can-"
Twilight was cut off once again by Celestia. "No, you will not do anything, Twilight. Talking is most certainly out of the question. They've slaughtered some of our ponies already, and that doesn't count for the massacre at the hippogriff kingdom. You haven't seen their fighting, Twilight, but I have. We have to fight this head on, instead of talking."
"I thought you said peace was always an option?" Twilight asked.
"Not in war."
EVERFREE FOREST
Jin Sakai
As soon as I regained consciousness, my eyes shot wide open. That was quickly punished by the bright sun blazing in the sky, its rays shining directly into my pupils, which shrunk into tiny beads. I closed my eyes as soon as I was able to, giving a loud groan to the pain that was inflicted on them.
I quickly rolled onto my side. My body ached, and it was in pain. Pain that felt different than any I've ever experienced. Now feeling confident that my eyes were not facing the blazing sun, I opened my eyes once again. I could feel them burn as it took in the light around me, but it wasn't as bad as the fireball looming overhead. I placed my hands onto the grass below me, and pulling myself up. As soon as I was upright, I tried taking a step, but stumbled. I didn't fall, thankfully, but I didn't like the feeling of not being in control of my footing.
Perhaps the poison that was inflicted onto me affected body function, and wasn't made to kill me.
Either way, I wasn't feeling good. My vision was blurry, my body hurt, and my ability to walk was.. not all there. Instead of rushing my body to do something it didn't want to, I simply took in the area around me. I was in a forest, thought one I was unfamiliar with. The tree's were large, and dark in color. They weren't like any tree's I was familiar with.
The spot I found myself in was the only light that appeared in the forest, a small clearing, allowing the light from the sky to touch the soil without being stopped by the tree's large leaves. The dark never really bothered me, but seeing as I was standing in the only light source in what seemed to be a dense forest, it certainly concerned me.
Patting my hand down all over my body, and taking a look at myself, I noticed I was still in my armor. I patted my pockets from behind, and felt for my mask. My heart rate spiked when I couldn't find it for a few seconds, only to feel it on the other side of my back pocket. I pulled it from the pocket, and put it on.
Next, I needed to find my weapons.
My tanto knife was still in its sheath, but my katana wasn't. Though, I was relieved to see the unsheathed katana laying on the grass in front of me. Carefully, and slowly, I bent down to pick it up. A quick wipe of it with the crease of my elbow, I sheathed it. I was ready to start moving from my location.
Without knowing really where I was, I took note of where the sun was. I figured out where north was, or atleast I hope, and began to slowly make my way towards it.
The forests of Tsushima were known to be trouble. Especially dense ones. Mongols, or thieves could be hiding behind the tree's, or sitting high up on the branches, waiting for an unsuspecting target. Even with my training, I could still fall victim to such tactics. Sometimes even the strongest warriors will never be ready for a blade to charge through their back. And within that simple second, the strongest warrior becomes a dead warrior.
I hated that. The fact that we live in a world where we have to worry about such things. Though, I've grown used to it. Too many times have I seen dead bodies littered across towns I've been familiar with. Killed in barbaric ways. Brutalized beyond belief. The mongols had exposed me to that side of life. Well, perhaps not the mongols. They just did it in extreme amounts. Thieves, once apart of the simple civilian life of Tsushima, have done the same. Yet instead of an entire town, it would be just one, lonely trader.
Rabid dogs. That's what they are.
I'm glad I was able to put down the Khan. Yet, even with that beast gone, his underlings still pollute the island. The remaining mongols, with nobody to order them around, and with no escape off the island, have been more and more aggressive than usual. They stopped their thinly-spread patrols. Instead, they move in large packs, taking all that approach them. Some mongols have even decided to surrender, or to try to turn to civilian life.
Whether they surrender, or put down their sword, I will cut them like they cut my people.
I groaned in pain once again. My back was the main culprit of my pain. I must've fallen hard on the steps of the shrine. Speaking of the shrine, where am I? How did I suddenly appear from the shrine, to a dense forest? This isn't near Omi Village or Lake, that is for sure. I've known those parts long enough to tell. I suppose I shouldn't question it, and simply thank the heavens that I'm alive. Weirder things have happened to me.
I continued into the forest, with mixed thoughts and feelings. I didn't see any light far off in the distance, and I was starting to think that maybe I was only heading deeper. Perhaps the way out was behind me, but I've gone too far in to turn back now. I must stick with my decision, and I did.
I froze in place when I heard movement in the distance to my left. I was in no shape to fight, but I might not have a choice. I could simply be over-exaggerating, and it could simply be wildlife. Though, I learned to trust my instincts over time. It's better to be overprepared than underprepared.
I could hear movement again, but it didn't stop this time. Instead, it kept moving, the sound getting louder and louder. Whatever it was, it was running towards something.
Wait..
It's running towards me!
Big, green eye's flashed in front of my face as the creature lunged at me. My hand had already been on the handle of my katana, and with a quick flick of my hand, I pulled the katana from its sheath and sliced whatever it was that came at me, into two pieces.
I was lucky, considering the fact that I didn't have to move. If I had to run, or dodge out of the way, I certainly would've tripped. It would've most likely costed me my life. Something caught my attention shortly after I sliced whatever it was that lunged at me, in half.
There was simply no blood. My katana didn't hit anything that sounded like fur, or skin. It felt rough, and resisted my katana as I sliced through it. It could've been a dog, outfitted with armor...? No, that is a stupid idea. Even the mongols, with their empty heads, still wouldn't think of something like that. Those dogs would resist the armor, for sure. Those rabid beasts couldn't be contained in tight fitting armor.
Keeping my katana in both my hands, I slowly, and carefully, turned around. I saw what looked like to be a bunch of pieces of wood, strapped together, in two pieces. Though, the pieces resembled an animal. Like a large dog. Taking a look at the top half, I could see the green eyes that were forced in my face. It blinked, before the eyes slowly dimmed down into black. I simply stared at it, and shook my head. What was that?
As much as I wanted an answer, I needed to find someone, and quick. This poison inside me can easily incapacitate me at any time, and that is much more important than a simple dog made of wood. Questions were allowed when you had time, but I had no time. With careful, slow steps, and my hands still on my katana, I continued my little journey through the dark forest. Each step I took made my blurry vision become worse, and I started to feel as if I wasn't going to make it out of this dark place. Crossing death off my option list, I forced my body to continue, even when it didn't want to.
Light.
I could see it in the distance, and it only motivated me to move faster, and to force my body further. It was only a few short moments until finally... I was in the sun. An open field of grass greeted me in the wind as I made it out of the forest, and I was more happy than I probably should have been to hear the whistling that came from the grass. Though, my happiness was short lived when I tripped on my own foot, and fell. I braced myself before impact, forcing my hands in front of me, preventing me from hurting my face.
I tried reaching for my katana while I was on the ground, but my body began to give out.
My only hope now, was that somebody would find me. If not, I die alone. Bathing in the sun, and watching the clouds move across the sky, obscuring the heavens that lay above it. I gave one last wheeze of my breath, before I closed my eyes, and began to drift off to what seemed to be sleep. Though I could not be sure.
Was it sleep, or death?
EVERFREE'S EDGE
It had been a long couple of days for Starlight.
Making sure the students were okay in Twilight's absence was more difficult than she would've liked to admit. The constant talks of what happened to the Hippogriff kingdom have become a nuisance. Plus, Silverstream herself was not handling things very well either. That was to be expected, when your home is taken over, and family or friends are brutalized in some of the most gruesome ways Equestria has ever seen.
Everyday, she would spend an hour or so just activating defense spells, and placing them onto the school. It angered her that there were no guards sent to the school. It was one of the most fragile places in Ponyville, and they neglected to protect it. The students themselves were scared. They would consistently talk about how they felt they weren't seen as a priority, and because of Twilight's controversial start of the school, the kingdom saw them as expendable. Possibly even bait.
It was sad to hear.
Because of this, Starlight, on her day off, decided to take a long walk. Somewhere quiet, where nopony could hear her. She could yell in anger, or sob in sadness, and nopony would even know. She needed the peace, and the edge of the Everfree forest offered that. Nopony got close to the Everfree, which made it pretty desolate. Perfect for what she needed.
The more she thought of the drama going on, the more she wanted to scream in anger. She was almost going to, until she saw a small outline of some creature in the distance. She couldn't let herself scream when somebody could hear. The embarrassing conversation would be too much to handle at the moment. She is the counselor of the school, so she can't be seen acting like this. The students look up to the teachers and counselors, and put their faith into them. If they found out how she was feeling, would they still feel safe being in her hooves?
Those thoughts however were quickly swept away, once Starlight noticed the creature stumbling, and eventually falling. It braced itself, and seemed to be attempting to move, but ultimately couldn't. A stumbling creature from the Everfree usually meant one thing. It was most likely injured, and it needed help!
She quickly made it to the creature, but stopped a good ten feet away from it. It wore interesting looking armor, and wore what seemed to be a mask on its face. It was a terrifying mask, and the fact that it had a blade laying on the ground next to it didn't put her nerves to rest. It gave out a wheeze, before closing its eyes, unaware that she was there.
This could possibly be an invader. Possibly a creature working with the centaurs.
Even so, it deserved treatment. She picked the creature up in her magic, along with its blade. With quick steps, she made her way back to Ponyville. Her destination was the clinic. It wasn't exactly meant for emergencies, but it would do. From what Starlight could see, there was no physical injury to the creature, so that meant a couple of things.
It could be starving. Not eating in days could lead one to pass out. In that case, it might be dire. The same if it was too dehydrated. It could've been poisoned by something in the forest too. There were plants all over the Everfree, and most haven't been tested. Plus, it has already been proven that most of those flowers and plants react differently depending on race, due to biological infrastructure
She hoped it wasn't serious.
PONYVILLE CLINIC
Nurse Redheart was taking her small break, simply sipping on coffee in the employee breakroom. It was a tough day, and she was called in extra early to deal with certain cases that just couldn't wait. She didn't take the small times she could breathe for granted, as she didn't have many breaks. It was certainly a difficult job, but she was able to handle it. She always had.
She was going for another sip of her coffee before another nurse popped her head in the breakroom. "Redheart, we've got a problem!" She didn't like the sound of that. Usually, no matter the case, other nurses would be able to fill in for atleast five minutes. She got up from her seat, leaving her coffee on the table, and left with the other nurse down the hallway, briskly walking down the long corridors of the clinic.
She was led into a room, where Starlight was standing over a bed. The bed had a big creature on it, wearing what seemed to be armor over itself, and was also wearing a scary looking mask. None of that mattered. What mattered, was that the creature was now a patient of hers, and she was determined to fix any of her patients back into working order. She turned to the other nurse. "What's wrong with it?"
"I used a scanning spell on it, and it seems to be suffering from extreme teleportation sickness, and... something else. It might be poison from the Everfree. It was found by Starlight here, stumbling out of the forest. We've already suppressed the teleportation sickness, but we don't know what else is wrong with it. It's heart rate is speeding up rapidly, and if it goes any further, it could be dangerous."
Redheart didn't like the sound of this.
She turned to the door, before looking back at the nurse. "Go and retrieve some muscle-relaxers and a lot of sleep meds. Any you can find, bring them." The nurse gave her a strange look, not knowing what she planned to do with the mixed request, but obliged anyways. Redheart then turned to Starlight, giving her a light smile before returning to her serious tone.
"What exactly happened?" She asked her.
Starlight shrugged. "I-I don't know.. I was taking a walk near the everfree, and I just saw it stumbling from the forest. It seemed fine at first, but it fell and didn't move. I got it here as soon as possible, fearing it might be something major."
Redheart nodded. "Well, you made the right call. Elevated heart-rate can be deadly if it rises too much, and stays consistent." She then took a look around the room, searching for medical equipment before seeing the long blade sitting on a seat next to herself. She stared at it, before pointing a hoof at it. "Where did this come from?"
"It belonged to.. well, that." Starlight said, pointing a hoof at Jin. "I brought it with me as well."
"Well... Under normal circumstances, I would dispose of it, as there is a no weapons policy here. These aren't normal circumstances though-" She was cut off by the other nurse popping in the room from the door, a cart of muscle-relaxing medication and sleep medication. Redheart scanned the cart before nodding, pleased with the meds she was given. Looking back up at Starlight, she gave a light smile. "I'll need you to wait outside, or you can go. We'll need to work in private here, and until we're done, we can't have anyone in."
"I'll wait in the lobby." Starlight said, before leaving. As soon as the door shut behind herself, she could hear the two nurses talk to eachother, probably discussing which medicine to give it first. She shook her head, not pleased with what was going on. It was supposed to be an easy, relaxing day. Not a trip to the clinic. She had nothing better to do however, and decided it would be best if she stayed.
She sat in the lobby, floating over a news article from a nearby table over to herself. It was the same thing that everypony had been hearing before. The centaurs invading, and what places they already took over. How the kingdom would never be targeted, because they're all too powerful. That the centaurs knew better than to attack the Princess'. It was all stupid, or atleast that's what Starlight thought about it.
It almost felt like government propaganda, but she knew that Celestia, nor Luna had nothing to do with the reports. Free press was a beauty sometimes, and terrible others. The article felt as if it were trying to get ponies into a false belief of security. Ponies should be scared, they should fear for their livelihood, and ask questions about what is going to happen. It will be scary, and sad, most definitely. But it is needed.
She wasn't going to argue with the ponies who published the article though. Once the press decided something, it was their word, permanently. Oh, and everypony else was wrong, no matter their stance on the subject. You're either on the side of whoever published it, or you're against them. And, if you're against them, expect to be antagonized.
Princess Luna and Celestia have stayed silent on the subject, and even they are being criticized.
She flung the paper back to the table that it originally came from with a huff. She hated politics. This was a time of war, and a time to be asking questions and preparing themselves, not a time to worry about who's side your on. As far as she was concerned, the Centaurs were on one side, and everypony else was on the other. It didn't matter who you were. If you didn't want to die, you knew who to side with.
That's the problem though, isn't it?
Whatever happens, she simply hoped things got better. For the entirety of Equestria, and the poor creature sitting in that bed, surrounded by two or possibly more nurses, being served medication for something possibly poisonous.
She hoped.
Author's Note
The start of my Ghost of Tsushima story. I hope you all enjoyed the writing!
If you have any criticism, or any kind words (or even not so kind!) to say, put them down in the comments! I always read them, and sometimes respond.
Again, I'll re-iterate this incase nobody saw it in the actual description. If you are actively avoiding spoilers for the game, do NOT read this story.
PONYVILLE CLINIC
It had been two hours since Starlight had taken Jin into the clinic.
They administered multiple doses of medicine to Jin, but a lot of it seemed to do nothing. It was most likely because it was a different creature. The sleeping medication didn't seem to process in his system, but his heart rate did slow. He was no longer in a dangerous condition, and was now simply sleeping. There was nothing other than the elevated heart rate and the teleportation sickness, so the nurses permitted Starlight access to the room.
She was sitting on the chair next to his bed. She would've picked up a newspaper, or something else to entertain her, but he was interesting enough to stare at. His clothing was extremely detailed, and was obviously made to perfection. It carried two sheaths, though only one was filled. It seemed to be a smaller blade. The other, longer blade was sitting opposite of her on a chair.
His mask still looked terrifying, even with him sleeping.
"I wonder what it's thinking." Starlight said aloud, not talking to anyone in particular. She continued to stare at him, examining every little detail of his outfit. It was definitely meant for battle, why else would he be carrying weapons on him? The work of the armor looked beautiful, despite it being meant for battle. Usually, guards outfits were shiny, but bland. They had nothing special to them, as to say 'you are all the same.' His looked special.
Who exactly was he? What was he?
That was another thing. After nurse Redheart came to talk to Starlight, she informed her that it was a male, but of unknown species. That was what confused her the most. There were still unknown creatures running around the world, that was obvious. Yet, most of the time, they weren't civilized. They were tribal. He didn't look anything like that. How would a group of tribal's make such a beautiful, carefully crafted outfit such as his?
She took a look at his, and noticed his eyes. They were dark-brown, and fit him quite well.
Wait..
Starlight froze. She stared at Jin, whilst he stared right back. Time seemed to completely stop as the two simply continued to stare. The air became stale, and their breathing almost halted. After what seemed like twenty minutes, Jin broke eye contact by looking over to the opposite chair, at his blade.
When Starlight saw his attention draw to the weapon, she started to become nervous. What if he wanted to attack her? All he had to do was reach up for the weapon quickly, and slice her into two. Or even use the small knife, still attached to his armor. It would be easy, it would be swift, it would be-
"I must be drunk."
The sudden sound of his voice startled her, causing her to recoil back slightly. He didn't seem to notice, and instead felt his head with his hand, rubbing back and forth.
"Are... you okay?" Starlight asked.
She didn't know if that was the right call, as he then stared at her as if she just did something impossible. His mouth was slightly open, his eyes were wide, and his movement stopped. A slow, shaking hand presented itself towards her, and a finger extended from it, pointing at her. It took a few moments of careful breathing, but Jin finally said something. "Did you just... talk?"
"Uhm... yes?"
Jin shook his head, staring down at the floor. "I've got to be dreaming. The tale couldn't be true."
"What... tale? Are you okay?" Starlight asked once more.
Jin stood up, scaring Starlight in the process. He reached right over to his Katana, and sheathed it, before looking back at Starlight. "This is certainly a strange one. I've never had a dream this weird after drinking Sake. Well, perhaps after I had some of Kenji's experimental bunch, but never something like this." He smirked, shaking his head. "I'll be sure to remember this one."
"Sir, I don't know what you're thinking about, but.. This is all very, very real."
"And I should just blindly accept a.. unicorns opinion? A species that, mind you, doesn't exist."
"What?"
He sat back down on the bed. "Since I have nothing to do but wait until this dream is over, you'll entertain me, right? This might be a good way to relax before I start the hunt all over again. Please, tell me your name."
"Starlight Glimmer."
He seemed to smile underneath his mask, almost trying to hold back a laugh. "Okay, Starlight Glimmer, where am I?"
"Equestria."
"Hm. And, how did I end up here?"
She sighed, now thinking that this creature could possibly be crazy. "I found you stumbling out of a forest, and you looked hurt. So, I took you to the clinic. That's where we are at."
"I don't remember any of thi-" Jin paused mid sentence, realizing all of the events that had happened before he eventually passed out. It wasn't enough to go off of in terms of telling if this was real or not, but since it was so absurdly comical, he depicted it as so. "Okay.. And, was I hurt?"
"Teleportation sickness, and something else we couldn't identify."
"Teleportati-"
He froze.
The pieces were slowly falling into place, but he denied it still. There was no way any of this could be real, right? He had to have forgotten that he drank a lot of Sake, and passed out in his home somewhere. That all of this was just the inner thoughts of his mind, concocting a crazy reality where unicorns exist. Oh, and talk.
"I refuse to believe that this is real. There has to be an easier way of waking up, surely."
"Sir." Starlight said, a little more boldness in her voice. "This is not a dream. You seemed pretty out of it when I found you. What would make you believe that you are possibly dreaming?"
"Unicorns don't exist, I was attacked by weird wooden wolves, and let's not forget that everything in this room is so.. bright.."
Starlight tilted her head lightly at him, thoughts swirling in her head. What could possibly make him think something like this? There couldn't possibly be a bridge between realities, where a creature could have slipped through like he has. But, that would make sense, wouldn't it?
She has never seen anything like him before. He speaks of the things in the everfree as if they're myth, and even claims that unicorns aren't real.
"Go on, keep explaining." Jin said, waving a hand in a circular motion. "Tell me why I should believe that this dream-state world is so real. I'm interested in seeing what my mind will come up with to try to convince me of something so absurd. Go on-"
She had a feeling she would be here for a little while, trying to prove to him that this was all, very real.
Author's Note
short chapter- and an update to what seemed to be a dead story
nah it aint dead
oh, and also, this chapter was short because the next one will be longer.
