Sentinel of the Everfree

Snarling, I turn to the young drake. Blue flames slipping from my maw and freezing the table and what little was left of my meal. Standing up from her cushion Celestia lights her horn and thanks to the similar glow of her magic around my neck I know her target is the golden band. In as quick of a motion as I can I rip the thin metal from my neck and toss the broken shards across the table. I can only briefly enjoy the panicked look on her face before the young drake jumps onto the table and stands between her and I.

"Stop it! You're supposed to be friends!" Spitting a gout of blue flames at Spike he yelps and dives out of the way. Leaving a trail of frost in its wake as it continues over the table it bursts into a large cloud of frost and snow when it hits a golden shield.

"I don't know who filled your head with such lies but I will not let them corrupt me as they have you!" Jumping onto the table it groans loudly in protest but otherwise holds my weight as I stalk towards Celestia and her 'son'.

"Choose your next actions carefully Gaia." Daring the dark alicorn to stop me she merely shakes her head. Luna sighs and pushes herself away from the table.

"Is that a threat Æsir?" Glancing to the others in the room all have recovered and moved into a defensive stance. All except for Celestia ironically.

"Though my memory of draconic is spotty at best I believe you asked if that was a threat? No, It isn't a threat Gaia. I am merely being observant to all aspects of the situation and unlike my sister I have no reservations about kicking your flank." Hissing, I take a single step back. Shining will be the easiest to take out as he is the only normal pony here. I don't want to hurt Spike but he shouldn't be a problem either.

"Gaia please calm down. Nopony is here to hurt or trick you. Spike just remembered a story wrong that I last told him when he was just a hatchling. Everything is alright, just relax." Another flash of golden magic and something tugs on my horn. Screaming I throw myself in the same direction as the pull in Hope's of knocking whoever's tried to grab me off but I only end up smashing into the table and shattering it. Scrambling quickly to my paws I whip around looking for who grabbed me while using my wings to keep my head covered.

"Oh no..." Shaking and in a panic I turn and run. Barreling into the nearest door and blowing it off the wall in a shower of splinters. I can hear yelling and someone giving chase so I pick up my pace as much as possible. Soon enough however only the deafening drum of my heart beating in my chest is all that's left. All other sounds drowned out by the volume of my fear.

Though running blind I somehow stumble upon faint trails of mana as I run and quickly correct my course to follow. At almost every turn I slip on the smooth stone and either slide into a wall or fall onto my flank, but I don't care. Ponies unfortunate enough to be in my way often scream and run, but others cower on the floor and force me to jump over them.

I never stop running through the seemingly endless halls until I finally and smashing through doors lead outside. Faintly I can still hear many of the ponies I passed panicking behind me, their cries of alarm surprisingly familiar. I growl, shake my head roughly and then throw myself into the air. Flapping my wings with enough power to knock things over near me I keep following the trail of mana until I reach some sort of walled off garden.

Landing in the middle of a small clearing surrounded by trees I immediately start to dig. Throwing dirt behind me at random it takes almost no time before the hole becomes a small burrow that I can squeeze the front half of my body inside. I love the smell of the earth. It's deep and inviting scent is so similar to ?̶̨̫̭̩̲̿̋?̸̢͕̟͛̅̇̈̌̈́̓̕?̶̪̥̳̼̯̦̟͊̉̓̆̂͝?̶̣͍̲̺͆͐̉̐̾͆͝?̷̡͎̬̯͈̘̞̊̉͛̐͘?̸̣͂͛͂̈. Each swipe of my claws through the rich dark brown soil fills my snout with its powerful and calming scent. Turning around to dig at another spot I rub my scales roughly against the dirt walls.

W̶e̷'̸r̷e̸ l̵͕̀͛y̶̠͓͂ḯ̴̮͊n̸̡̰͐͝g̷̝̟̅̉ ̵͖̀t̴o̵ ̷o̵u̶r̴s̴e̸l̷v̸e̵s̶.̴

Moving mana into my claws to help me dig lets me feel more connected to the world around me. Small pulses of mana from the garden above flash with each move I make, reaching out to me in clear curiosity. Pushing back gently with my mana many of the plants flash again in excitement.

̸W̶e̸ ̵f̸a̸i̶l̶e̶d̵ ̸t̴h̶e̷m̷.̴ ̵ ̸T̴h̴e̵y̴'̴r̵e̸ ̶a̶l̵l̶ ̸ D̵̡̫̟͕̈́̓̏͠Ę̶̡͋A̵͍̗͂͒͝͝D̸̲̼̬̘̾̾͊ b̶e̸c̶a̵u̴s̶e̴ ̵o̴f̷ ̴u̸s̷.̷ ̵ ̷

Stop.

Shaking my head I turn again and start to push a pile of loose dirt to the surface. Dumping the dirt onto an already large pile something shines in my eye. Flinching I look through the trees and see a pair of ponies wearing golden armor.

A̴̹̔t̷̝̿ẗ̴̜́ä̵̧́c̴̨͂k̷̥͒ ̴͇̿ť̴̲h̶͔̽e̵̜̎m̵̳͒.̴̯̚ ̴̝́ ̶̮͌P̵̛̙ǘ̷̼t̴̠̀ ̶̜̉u̶̟̅p̵͎̌ ̸̘͝j̸͉̈́u̷̫͠s̴̭̆ṯ̶͒ ̷͎͋ẻ̸̮n̴̨͗ò̷̮u̴̬̚g̵̬̽h̷̺̋ ̶͎̿o̷̬̓f̶̫̔ ̵͎́ȧ̷̮ ̸͙͐f̴͉̓ỉ̷̻g̷͗ͅh̵̯̾t̸͚̚ ̸̥̚t̸͙̏ó̵̰ ̴̧́b̶͈̅e̵̿͜ ̴̠̓b̵̹́e̶̪̓l̸̩̑ḯ̷̮ḛ̶̔v̴̥͝e̷̲̕d̴͕̊.̸̬̀ L̴͈͊̆̑ẻ̴̟ť̷̠̦͙́̄ ̷̰̗̺̂ț̷̉̈̀h̸̲͝ͅe̴̺͝m̶͖̣͂̒ ̶̫̫̻͒̔͗k̴͕̗̿͑̑ì̸̱͒͠l̸̻͂̚ĺ̴̗ ̵̫̠̻͌͠u̸̧͊s̸̡̤͚̽̀͗!̶̗́͘ ̷͔͚̇ ̸̪̺̓ͅW̸̻̟̓͛E̷̲̐̉ ̸̡̜͌̍͘ͅD̴̯̉̍E̶͉̒S̶̥̲̓E̵͉̪̖͝R̶̦̝̉V̴̤͂̚E̵̛̞̫̓ ̶̛̯T̸̜̚Ó̶̳̩̅͝ ̷̪̳̬̑̒D̵̩͈̮̂̓͝Ȋ̴̪̣͚͆̈E̸̞̠̲̾͝!̸͈̱̗̌

Stop it.

Hitting my head hard with a closed paw everything blurs and my ears ring. Panting and shaking I crawl back into my burrow and collapse just by the entrance.

Maybe I should?

I̸t̵ ̴w̵i̴l̴l̸ ̷b̴e̷ ̸s̶o̶ ̶e̶a̸s̶y̸ ̴t̷o̵ ̸d̶o̶.̵ ̵ ̴P̸o̴n̴i̶e̴s̷ ̷h̵a̴v̶e̷ ̴a̸l̶w̷a̸y̶s̶ ̴f̸e̷a̶r̶e̴d̶ ̴u̶s̵.̴ ̷ ̷T̶h̶e̸y̴ ̷a̴r̸e̸ ̶j̸u̶s̸t̶ ̶p̸r̵e̷t̷e̸n̵d̴i̷n̸g̷ ̵t̷o̷ ̵b̵e̷ ̷n̸i̸c̵e̴ ̶f̶o̶r̷ ̵t̸h̵e̴i̵r̶ ̵p̴r̷i̸n̸c̷e̴s̸s̵.̴ ̸ ̴

Mom said Celestia cares, she wouldn't lie about that.

̷O̵u̷r̸ ̸m̷o̵t̶h̴e̵r̸ ̷w̷o̶u̵l̷d̴ ̵n̷e̴v̶e̷r̵ ̷t̷e̷l̴l̵ ̶u̸s̸ ̵t̵o̵ ̶t̵r̵u̷s̵t̷ ̸h̷e̵r̶.̵ ̸ ̷̢͗̚ͅS̵̪̰̎h̴̢͑e̵̟͒ ̸̡̇Į̵̯́̽s̵̗̕ ̸͓̔̅L̶̞̋Y̸͈͈͠Ī̶̻̙͝Ñ̶̩̩G̶͎̟͝ ̴ ̴C̶e̵l̸e̶s̵t̸i̷a̷ ̴h̸a̶s̸ ̷o̴b̷v̶i̵o̸u̷s̸l̸y̵ ̴m̸a̸d̴e̵ ̴t̴h̵i̷s̷ ̶a̸l̵l̸ ̴u̴p̶ ̷t̷o̶ ̸h̵u̷r̷t̴ ̸u̷s̴.̷ ̸ ̸S̵h̵e̷ ̷h̴a̴s̴ ̷a̶l̶r̴e̸a̷d̶y̸ ̷k̷i̴l̵l̵e̷d̴ ̸o̷u̴r̸ ̴m̵o̶t̸h̷e̶r̶ ̴a̶n̵d̸ ̴h̵a̶s̴ ̵a̶l̷r̴e̸a̴d̸y̸ ̷t̷r̵i̷e̸d̵ ̵t̶o̷ ̷k̴i̴l̵l̶ ̸u̴s̷ ̷i̴n̴ ̴t̸h̸e̴ ̶p̶a̷s̴t̷.̷ ̷ ̶T̷h̶e̵y̴ ̵j̶u̵s̸t̴ ̵w̷a̶n̷t̸ ̷t̴o̶ ̸w̵a̵t̵c̴h̷ ̴u̷s̵ ̶s̷u̵f̵f̷e̴r̸.̶ ̶ ̸

She knew so much about mom, how could she be pretending?

̸̭̌T̸̤̚o̷̞͛r̷̠̉t̷̬͂ǘ̶͔ṛ̷̈́ḙ̵̒.̵̟̄ ̶̥̾ Maybe her magic. Celestia had well over 1000 years to learn about us. ̷ ̸I̷t̷ ̵i̵s̴n̴’̸t̴ ̷t̵o̴o̶ ̸h̸a̷r̴d̶ ̷t̶o̶ ̷t̶h̴i̶n̶k̴ ̷s̸h̴e̵ ̷w̵o̴u̸l̸d̷ ̵c̵o̵m̴e̵ ̴u̸p̷ ̵w̸i̵t̴h̵ ̶s̴o̶m̸e̷t̴h̵i̶n̴g̶.̵

No. Celestia wouldn't do that.

How do we know? Her precious ponies certainly didn't think anything was too far. ̷ ̴H̵o̸w̷ ̶m̴a̵n̸y̸ ̶t̶i̵m̷e̵s̵ ̸d̵i̵d̸ ̶w̵e̷ ̷f̴i̴n̴d̴ ̷t̷h̴e̶ ̷m̶a̴n̸g̶l̶e̶d̷ ̵a̵n̷d̷ ̵d̵e̷s̶i̶c̷c̶a̶t̸e̷d̵ ̴c̵o̷r̷p̸s̵e̷s̷ ̸o̷f̷ ̸o̸u̴r̵ ̶c̷l̴a̵n̸?̷ ̴ ̴

Too many.

If it wasn't below her ponies how can we be so sure it isn't below her.

Stop it!

She is just going to slaughter us! Pull us apart with her magic! Not like we wouldn't deserve it! It's for the best to let her torture us! We deserve to die a horrible death!

I said stop it!

Growling, I hit myself again. Yelping loudly my vision dims and my ears ring. The ground turns on its side and swirls in a waving motion as if I were on the sea. Something warm and wet drips from my muzzle and smears into the dirt as it rolls up to meet me. I feel sick.

.

.

.

.

"You shouldn't hit yourself like that. Whatever it is you're going through, hurting yourself more won't help." I don't recognize their voice. Pushing my legs under me I try to get up. I need to get up. Turning towards the voice on shaking legs I fall after the first step. The ground again rushed to meet my muzzle in a twisted blur.

Pathetic. No wonder they all died.You’ll see I’m right soon enough Gaia.

Squeezing my eyes shut and breathing heavily I hear the voice sigh. Dirt crunches in a steady rhythm before a dull thump sounds from my side. Their breathing is soft. Calm and relaxed breaths that barely manage to touch my ears.

"I can see why you came out here. It's really nice, peaceful even." Lifting my snout out of the dirt I open the eye closest to the stranger next to me. Laying on their stomach and resting their head on their hooves was a fae. Surprisingly she was only a little smaller than Celestia.

"You're a Fae…"

"I can't speak Draconic but by your shocked expression I can figure it out. Yes, I am a changeling but don't worry I'm not here to trick you. I learned my lesson last time I tried to trick a dragon." Pulling myself up from the ground and onto my haunches twisted my stomach. Taking slow and deep breaths to steady myself the fae also sat up on her flank.

"Take it easy. You hit yourself pretty hard."

"Do not touch me." Giving me a smile the fae rests a hoof on my shoulder.

"Still have no idea what you're saying but It doesn't take an expert to see you're hurting." Shifting my wings in discomfort, the fae takes her hoof back.

"You aren't very bright for a fae are you?" I shouldn't be surprised that they just smile as I speak and nod along dumbly. I sigh.

"Why do you even care? Helping me doesn't gain you any favors."

"Look it doesn't take a genius to see you don't want me here. I may not understand you but I'm no idiot. At the same time though being what I am I can literally feel the turmoil inside of you." Snorting, I turn slightly and crawl back into the hole that I started. Running my hooked claws through the soft dirt calming me far more than the fae. Said fae however decides to follow in besides me and gets a clawfull of dirt flung in her face for her effort.

Continuing to throw clumps of dirt into their face I finally hear the fae chatter and buzz their wings. A small smile spits my face as I toss another clump of dirt at them until a green light fills the small space. Twisting my neck around I see the dirt I had been throwing at her covered by the green glow of her magic and watch as it's thrown out of the burrow. After throwing the dirt out the fae gives me a wide grin. Her smug look didn't last long though as I threw another clump of dirt into their face.

"Why are you still here?" Whipping the dirt from their face the fae laughs.

"Going off of the irritation I feel building up you just asked why I'm still here right? You really aren't going to make this easy for me are you." Growling, I keep digging deeper. The fae finally shutting up after another dozen or so clumps of dirt flung into her face. Before long though I dig deep enough to sink my full body into the quickly growing burrow and lay down to rest. A heavy sigh escapes my lips and throws a small cloud of dirt into the air. Something that apparently is considered an invitation as the fae settles in next to me.

"Considering you can't understand me, I don't know why you even bother staying.” Looking up at me the fae just smiles and buzzes her wings. Groaning, I let my head fall to my paws and close my eyes. What the fuck is happening?