Corruption of Fate

Alice had no idea of anything going on around her for some time after receiving the severe wound from the chimera. Her mind seemed to shut off in order to spare her the pain, though that might have just been because her lack of blood was causing certain bodily processes to cease. The yellow reindeer was in a state so close to death that nothing from outside was reaching her, while no thoughts were able to form inside. For a long time she was just in darkness, with no sense of awareness, without the ability to ponder if she had survived her attack or not.

Eventually though, feeling returned to the deer, and with this stimuli came a re-establishment of her self. Occasionally she’d wake up for a moment, her perception hazy due to fatigue, to get a small glimpse of her surroundings, which was a room of white surrounding the bed she was laying within. Alice would see a few poorly defined figures moving about sometimes, hovering around her bed, doing things she only assumed was attending to her health, but before she could make any real sense of anything, she’d fall back asleep in seconds. In these attempts, the reindeer found it hard to remember any of these details, but she could remember that alongside the dull pain she still felt within her side, there was an all encompassing sense of ‘good feelings’ that covered every part of her body, which was strong enough to make Alice feel safe.

With her consciousness returning, Alice eventually recovered enough strength that when she opened her eyes, they were able to stay open, and she could get a good look at where she had been taken. She could tell she was in a hospital room, one made for patients to stay while they were healing from grievous wounds. Despite having been out for who knew how long, Alice remembered the details of the chimera attack well, as her future self’s pleasure aura wasn’t effective enough to negate the throbbing pain of the bite she still felt between her hips and breasts. It wasn’t a moment she would easily forget, even if she might have wanted to.

Alice didn’t dare to move, assuming that it would only prove to intensify her pain, and resigned to being stuck in the bed, and presumably stuck in the future, since her future self was still staying quiet, telling the bed bound doe that she still hadn’t caught up to however far in the future that rogue variant of herself had skipped ahead to. That only made Alice wonder though, was this all actually part of future Alice’s plans, and if so, what was the intended result of this?

Dwelling on that was all Alice could do, seeing as she had almost been killed by being projected to this exact time, which was the exact time her future self told her to arrive at. The more Alice thought about it, the more this all confused her. The reindeer had to believe that this event was something her future self had to know in precise detail, as she would have to have gone through herself, but on the opposite end, if the future doe knew, she didn’t give the slightest hint. Alice didn’t think she could ever be so deceptive, to cheerfully talk to someone about random things, while delivering them into the awaiting mouth of a viper, in both a literal and metaphorical sense.

Future Alice did seem to want to hold true to the idea of following the path fate had laid out for all creatures, but was that truly enough to so casually allow such an event to befall someone. Maybe it was different in this case, since the person in question was herself, or her past self to be specific, and the future doe knew the ‘she’ would be fine, but then that lead back to thoughts of all the other creatures that Future Alice, through not trying to defy fate, had condemned to slavery at the hands of bovine.

As she turned her thoughts over and over in her head, trying to deduce Future Alice’s motives, and how she was somehow supposed to eventually turn into such a creature, she didn’t notice that someone was entering her room. An equine creature, with black and white stripes all over her body, which would identify her to anyone that she was a zebra. She had blue eyes and a large, braided ponytail of interweaving strands of black and white, that draped over her shoulder over one of her breasts, as like all other non-bovine in Minopolis, she wore very little in the form of coverings. All she had on was a piece of neckwear comprised of several metal rings, that looked no different from what one might find around a zebra’s throat even if not enslaved, and a small hat with a red cross on it, like the kind nursing staff often wore.

The zebra entered the room with the intent of checking on a patient, but once she got a good look at her charge, and saw her eyes were open, whatever she had planned on doing was quickly dismissed.

“Pardon the intrusion, little deer,” the zebra mare said, slowly approaching Alice, “But are you awake? Can you see and hear?”

Alice popped out of her own head space when she heard these words, being made aware that she wasn’t alone. Having pulled herself away from the thoughts of her future self’s strange conspiracy against her, the deer looked up at the striped mare, who was at the side of her bed, bent over looking at her patient, with her sizable breasts on full display.

“Uh… Wait… What!?” Alice said, not expecting a pair of Ds to be directly within her view when her focus came back to reality.

The zebra, hearing the response, pouted a bit, “Oh my, this is such a shame. Awake, but confusion clouds her brain.”

Alice gave her head a shake, to re-adjust herself to the current situation. “No, no, I know what’s going on. I just wasn’t paying attention and… uh… wasn’t ready to see someone next to my bed.”

“Well that’s a relief, my injured ward” The zebra said with a smile, “Certainly good news for the slaver lord.”

“Slaver lord?” Alice knew that the zebra were known for rhyming, a quirk they did with the assumption that it warded off evil, but it often made what they were trying to say a bit obscure, “Are you referring to the minotaur king?”

“Yes, the king. Your respected master,” the zebra said, taking hold of Alice’s wrist to check the rate of the deer’s pulse, “He was worried he lost you to disaster.”

The idea that the minotaur that had worried about the wellbeing of a slave confused Alice. Surely the king had plenty of replacements if she were to die, and ones more pleasant to fuck than her. Taking a moment to think about it, Alice could only conclude that he was worried about losing the ability of future sight that the enslaved version of herself freely divulged to him. If it were not for that, he might have left her to bleed out on the floor of that restaurant.

“Your vitals are stable, and perception seems fine,” the zebra went on to say, waving a finger left to right in front of Alice’s eyes, while watching as the deer tracked it, “I’ll inform the king, if you do not mind.”

Alice assumed the zebra was just trying to maintain her rhyming, as she believed the opinion of a slave wouldn’t matter if her owner wanted to know of her condition. “Sure, you can tell him.” the doe replied, to give the zebra some sort of reply. It would get the striped mare out of her room, and since the minotaur king would surely be back at his palace grounds, it would give her enough time to collect her thoughts. Maybe even enough for her future self to return and allow the potion to run its course.

Receiving Alice’s approval, the zebra stood up, making her way to the exit, but didn’t leave the room as expected. Instead the mare leaned her body past the frame, and said aloud, “There’s wonderful news I need to make. Your reindeer is finally awake.”

Alice was bewildered as to what the zebra was doing, as certainly the minotaur king couldn’t have been right there. Yet, after a few seconds the minotaur just strode right into the room, brushing past the zebra as he made his way inside.

“I really wish your kind would stop that annoying way of speaking you have,” the minotaur king grumbled, though his attention was directed more towards Alice as he spoke.

“I understand some bovines hate, this habit that’s our cultural trait,” The zebra said, closing the door, “It’s something not so easily dropped, even after being topped.”

“Then keep silent in my presence,” The minotaur king demanded, “Or better yet, make yourself useful and get my slave some food. I’m sure she’s hungry.”

The zebra bowed, “Of course my lord, as you wish. I’ll get your slave a tasty dish.” With that said, the zebra went to do the task given, leaving Alice and the minotaur king alone.

The minotaur king grabbed a large chair made for his kind that sat against one of the walls of the room, pulling it aside the bed, before placing himself into it. “I see you managed to survive your attack,” the minotaur said, “But knowing you, I bet you’ll say that you knew you would.”

Alice didn’t, of course, but she wasn’t about to admit that to her captor.

“Of all the things to not warn me about. Do you have any idea how much…” the minotaur king hesitated, his words catching in his throat, until he managed to let out, “Time you’ve wasted for me? I had to come and check on your condition every hour of the last two days, just to make sure I didn’t have to deal with your body.”

Alice was stunned at how callous the minotaur was being, bluntly expressing his displeasure brought upon by the bite she received from the chimera. He cared less about her than the time it took to keep checking up on her, and he was actually blaming her for having the audacity to get gravely wounded. If he felt that way, then Alice questioned why he bothered to show up at all. Surely he could have sent some soldier, or slave, or someone else to keep tabs on her condition, instead of coming himself.

For a moment Alice felt more hatred towards this minotaur than she had ever before, her hands clenching the blanket covering her body, and teeth clamped together tightly, as she did everything in her power to prevent her feelings from showing on her face. It was almost too much for her to keep in, wanting to tell this monster off for all the things his kind had done to the deer, and any other creatures they had abducted, but then something clicked in her brain as she fumed internally.

The minotaur king, of all creatures in this horrid place, really wouldn’t have a reason to check in on her as he said. If anyone in this minotaur controlled city would have been able to excuse themselves from such an obligation, then it would be the one in charge of the place. Even if he couldn’t send someone in his stead, the hospital itself could have surely kept him informed through some means. Alice could have ignored these facts, but something strange was going on here if he wanted to blame her for his need to keep checking in, when the only reason he would have been there was because he wanted to be there.

“Hey, Master…” Alice said, doing the bare minimum to keep hidden that she was not his Alice, “Why are you here? Why would you come personally to check in on the health of a slave?”

The minotaur noticed the informal, and uncharacteristically melancholy behavior of his reindeer, but dismissed it since he didn’t expect anyone to be particularly cheerful after what had happened to her. “Why wouldn’t I check in on you? You are my property, and your life was in danger.”

“Do you only see me as a useful tool?” Alice asked, relying on her theory about the minotaur not wanting to lose access to her powers.

The minotaur king became curious to this questioning of his actions and motives, “These are odd questions coming from you. You usually seem to know everything about what others think and will do before they do.”

“I… just want to hear what you have to say, from your own words,” Alice replied.

“Ah, I see. You’re looking for some form of praise.” the minotaur said, “I suppose after such a harrowing event, you deserve some kind words.”

“Please…” Alice said, “Just be honest with me.”

The minotaur king took a moment to put together how he would respond to this, as he hadn’t had to have a discussion like this with the reindeer until now, “You are a useful tool, but perhaps not one I utilize as much as I should. It might be an admission to my own ego, but I don’t think a king should depend on the advice of slaves, be they a seer or not. I find you more enjoyable for the… company you provide.”

“Does that mean you like me more for my body?” Alice asked, since her fate, if left unchanged, was to become this bull’s sex slave.

“Your body is nice,” the minotaur replied, “But I’ve come to appreciate your willingness compared to other females.”

“Come to?” Alice quoted.

“It used to bother me how you gave yourself so willingly.” the minotaur explained, “That you not only surrendered yourself, but enjoyed it when I took pleasure from your body with no evidence of prior training. I thought you were likely a spy sent to thwart our conquest of your village, but you knew that of course, as you insisted that no trap was being laid by your kind, and that any attempt to resist would be fruitless against our might. After the time you’ve been at my service though, I’ve come to find a female unburdened by the duty we force upon them somewhat refreshing. It is a novelty that I would rather not be without.”

The minotaur’s phrasing of everything made it hard to find the meaning in his words. It sounded like he just liked having Alice around, but he still only saw her as a mere slave at his command. It hinted that he wasn’t typically looking for a willing partner, and found the unquestioning loyalty of her future self unnerving, at least for a time.

“Why… Why do you treat other species like this? Why do the minotaur enslave and rape us?”

This question from the reindeer was the most confusing for the minotaur king, as she had never questioned the minotaur’s behaviors before. She had always been a supporter of the bovine’s conquest of the lesser species, taking great joy when joining in the post raid subjugation of those the minotaur defeated. It was mysterious for the reindeer to question something she so eagerly participated in, and he could only assume that the shock of what had happened was affecting her usual state of mind. In a strange way for the bull, this was the first time her words reflected how he believed a woman in her position should act, so he dismissed his confusion for it just being slightly abnormal in context.

“I suppose we’ve never talked about the ‘why’ of my kind’s culture,” the king said, willing to humor his servant’s inquiry, though typically he believed that a king didn’t have to explain themselves to a slave, “But I would think you know that the minotaur were at one point at the verge of extinction.”

This was news to Alice, as she knew next to nothing about minotaur, save for the general knowledge that they were muscular brutes.

“You might not think so, seeing the amount of minotaur that live in Minopolis, but a generation ago there were only a few of us remaining, reduced to a solitary tribe. Most females are not like you, and don’t easily accept the pain that comes from having sex with us. Coupled by the fact that creatures often stick to their own kind, lead to a point where my species would have died out completely if drastic measures were not taken.”

“You do this to keep the minotaur alive?” Alice asked, seeing how such a crisis would push someone to commit terrible deeds you the sake of survival, “Is enslavement the only way you can get mates?”

“Are you sure you’re feeling well?” the bull asked, a little more bewildered by this question, thought it was one often asked by slaves who didn’t understand the plight of the minotaur, “I suppose some females are willing to enter into breeding contracts, a practice that some of my brethren prefer to ease their guilty consciences, but those are a rarity. The practice is not sustainable, not when it comes to the more effective option of using force.”

“But…” There was something that bothered the doe beyond the twisted morality of saving one’s own kind through raping as many women as one could get their hands on. “You enjoy being cruel to the slaves you have at your palace.” The minotaur couldn’t pin his actions on only the desire to preserve his kind, as he displayed satisfaction from the sadism he dabbled in.

“Are you having regrets that you gave yourself to me?” the minotaur asked, “I’d understand if your own acts of sadism were just a ploy to win my favor, as few creatures have the stomach to enjoy the suffering of others.”

“No…” Alice lamented, thinking about her corrupted counterpart, “A part of me certainly enjoys this… I’m just wondering why you do. I guess I’m wondering why that part of me is so happy being here… with you.”

“Hmmm…” the minotaur king murmured, unsure how to answer that.

Alice was the only creature he had ever encountered who loved how he treated her, and from the very start. Other creatures could come to embrace a life of forced servitude and sexual submission after intense training and thorough brainwashing, but this reindeer hadn’t shown any doubts about becoming his slave until now.

“I can’t speak for your motivations,” the bull proceeded, “But I do what I do because it is expected of me.”

“What?” Alice reflexively responded, the reply not making much sense to her.

The minotaur king gave an exasperated sigh, as he was not fluent at alliterating what he thought into words. “You often bring up the idea that there is a fate that we all follow. A pathway designed by history that none of us can stray from. While you have proven on multiple occasions that you can predict the ways this path goes, I question if this history is not a path, but instead a maze.”

“I don’t think I get what you’re saying.” Alice said, as the minotaur’s statements seemed to be bouncing all over the place.

“Minotaur lead simple, if sometimes grand, lives,” the minotaur tried to explain further, “We are powerful, have no ability to understand magic, and have a small affinity towards the workings of business. This is what we are known for, and we rarely deviate from this path. In that aspect, your concept of fate is true. However, minotaur aren’t the only ones who have a niche they prefer to stick to. Practically every creature that lives in this world follows some form of expectation. Zebra are often skilled potion makers and healers. Gryphons are greedy and hostile. Yaks are obnoxiously focused on perfection and being the best. These are what are expected of them, and thus it is what they do.”

“I guess that makes sense…” Alice said, agreeing that many stereotypes of the different species often held truth to them. “But I still don’t get how this applies to your maze idea, or how you treat the other slaves.”

“You are aware of how we minotaur can navigate mazes without any trouble,” said the bull matter of factly, as that was simply a truth to the reindeer he knew, “No matter how complex one is made, we can always get to where we want to be, taking the quickest route. So long as a minotaur knows where we want to be, they know how to get there, and when that’s the case, a maze, no matter how many directions it can take, becomes merely a path that one traverses.”

Alice tried to decipher the meaning in the bovine’s pseudo philosophical explanation, “So you’re saying that the reason fate exists is because all creatures are willing to fall into a role that’s expected of them?”

“That sounds like a good translation,” the minotaur said, shifting a bit in his seat, in a subconscious gesture of not knowing if that was the best way to describe what he meant, “Regardless, this kingdom is built upon those notions of expectations. We allow the enslaved creatures to perform the roles they are best suited for in our name, and place upon you females the expectation of motherhood. It is how my kingdom operates, and gives all that reside in it a purpose.”

“That doesn’t explain why you enjoy tormenting those you enslave.” Alice said, “Even if you have a reason to enslave others, that doesn’t mean you have to go out of your way to hurt them, or that you should enjoy it.”

The minotaur gave a snort strong enough that the pressure of the air could be felt through the blanket over Alice’s body, his facial features turning more stern, “Other species see minotaur as barbaric brutes, and assume that our only intentions are to exploit them for money or sex. So often they will refer to us as monsters, whenever we do something that displeases them.”

Alice thought back on her own perspectives of the minotaur, and how she too had immediately jumped to the conclusions that they, and particularly their king, were evil creatures. While what she had seen gave a good deal of credence to that, she did see the irony that such assumptions might be what made the minotaur king that way in the first place.

“I will say this now, so you can’t deny in the future what kind of master you’ve been obeying,” the minotaur said, “I make no excuses for the way I rule, nor will I justify my actions as capitulation to the way others look at me. Anything I do is to meet my own expectations as to what a minotaur king should be. If fate exists, then I am the one who sets my own course on it.”

“What are you trying to say?” Alice asked, honestly confused. He had given her a reason why he treated other species poorly, but was now backpedaling on that excuse.

“While it is the lesser species that chose to see me as a villain and tyrant, I am the one who has chosen to live up to their expectations.” said the bull, removing any deniability that he might be the product of some form of mistreatment, “Whatever I do to those who belong to me are of my decision, and if I am a villain because of it, then that’s because I decided that would be my destination in the maze of history.”

The minotaur king got up from his seat, and headed for the door, believing he got all points across to his reindeer. “If your opinions about your enslavement have changed, then I understand, but know that it will not change anything about our relationship. You are my slave, and I am your master and king.”

Alice’s head drooped down slightly, not exactly pleased that this was the summation of their conversation, which was made worse by the pounding pain in her side. However, this did not go unnoticed by the minotaur, and seeing his most loyal servant in such a state of depression managed to touch him in a way even he did not expect, making it impossible for him to leave without doing something to make it better, if only slightly.

“I am… glad.” said the bull, “That you have recovered. As a king, I would have never forgiven myself had I let you die at the hands of some vicious beast in my presence. Focus on relaxing and getting better. I must return to the castle grounds now that i know that you are ok, but I’ll return tomorrow to make sure you stay that way.”

With that said, the minotaur king made his exit, leaving Alice to try and sort out what he said to her. It was a hard to really understand his motives, but from what she gathered, it sounded like the minotaur lord had reasons to force creatures into being minotaur slaves, imprisoning them within his kingdom against their will, but he didn’t wish to use that as justification as to why he did the outright evil things he did. While the part about wanting to save his species was understandable, and the part about living up to expectations had some relatability to it, but if he understood him correctly, he was denying that any of that was what made him do the more evil things he did.

Most creatures, even the ones who most would claim are evil, didn’t want to see themselves as evil. They would make up reasons why what they did was actually good, like believing that they were more fit to lead than the current ruler, so they dethrone the princess or king and banish them, or a monarch taking over a bit of inhabited land because their own lands are in turmoil, and they need a place for their citizens to stay. For a creature to just admit that they chose to do terrible things was baffling, especially when they had a way to excuse their actions. What was even more troubling was that the minotaur showed he had the ability for compassion, if only because he had wanted to make sure that Alice wasn’t fatally injured.

It’s strange, isn’t it. Master is so cruel, and yet he wasn’t going to leave our side until he was sure we would make it. Alice heard this inside her head, said to her in her own voice. She almost confused it as one of her own thoughts, until she realized that she didn’t think of the bovine as her master.

So you’ve finally come back, Alice thought to her future self, knowing that she had finally returned, How long have you been watching?

Not long, Future Alice replied, I’ve already been through this, so I knew when I needed to pop up again.

So this was where you jumped to when you left me to get bitten by that snake? asked Alice, her ire over that evident in the tone of her thoughts.

Yes, Future Alice replied, And I’m very sorry about that. I know first hand how that felt, and how angry you are at me about it. The pain of those teeth sinking into our body. The fear of death as we slipped into the darkness. The ache that you are feeling right now, that even our pleasure aura can’t mask.

Future Alice was right about all of that, especially the pain she was still feeling. If she had the ability to do so, she’d strangle the doe that she would become, but seeing as they’d never be in the same place at the same time, that was impossible.

But I also know that now you’re a bit curious about our master now, Future Alice continued, About how there might be something more to him than being a simple tyrant king

I don’t care about whatever reason he has for taking over these lands, Alice said, trying to steel her heart against the minotaur’s only legitimate cause in all of this.

Perhaps you don’t right now, Future Alice said, but what you do care about is why he cares about us so much. It was one of the things that made me want to learn more about him

Is this another ploy to get me to come to swap places with you again? Alice asked, I’m not doing it. Both times now I’ve had something done to me that has traumatized me

You’re being dramatic, Future Alice replied, Those experiences might have affected you on a personal level, but we are too stubborn to let stuff like this phase us for long. Even now, you’re still trying to devise a way to defy your fate

Why shouldn’t I? Alice asked, Even if I were curious about this minotaur king, I wouldn’t want to live in this world he’s created. There is no reason I shouldn’t try to find another way out of this maze of destiny

And there it is, Future Alice said smugly, You’re using his terminology

Alice’s eyes widened for a moment, as she had let those words slip so freely, meaning that something about what the minotaur lord said had reached her.

It’s understandable, Future Alice said, Right now you have to hold on to the idea that you can change the future, and the only way that can be true is if Master’s theory is true. You can no longer rely on the path of fate, as fate has been corrupted in your eyes. So now you must try to navigate the ‘maze of destiny’, as you put it

And I suppose you’re gonna tell me exactly how to do that? Alice said, stuck asking all the questions, since she really didn’t know any of the answers.

Nope, Future Alice said, Anything I say now you’d assume would be another trick, and I don’t blame you. All I can really say is that you should take the clue you did all this for, and try to find the Moirai.

But I bet that’s what you did in my place, Alice said, not being completely clueless to what was going on, Why should I keep walking in your hoofsteps?

Because right now there are no other turns in your maze, Future Alice said, You’re only options are to take the steps forward to the next turn, or stop and lose any chance to escape

Maybe not progressing is the way out, Alice theorized, as she would never become this future version of herself if she just didn’t pursue this further.

Do you really think that you refusing to play will have any effect on Master’s invasions? Future Alice said, Well go ahead if you want, but that will only lead to our village being dominated by the minotaur.

Alice grumbled to herself, it just dawning on her that the minotaur king had actually brought this up. The future version of herself was certainly talking about the village that, in her time, her parents still resided in, claiming that it would be taken over if she tried to do nothing.

The first day that I met Master on my own timeline was when he was setting up to raid the village, Future Alice explained, And if you do nothing to try and stop them, then that part alone will not change. You might spare yourself enslavement, but what will that mean if everyone else is in chains?

But you want them to be in chains, Alice said, seeing through this manipulation. She was starting to become paranoid, seeing that every possible action could put her at risk to becoming this future self. Still, future Alice was right. Standing in a maze didn’t get one out of it, and this was a point where she would have to take action, no matter how dangerous it could be.

Well, it’s about that time, Future Alice said, as a familiar feeling of distortion overcame the doe laying in the hospital bed, I’ve got some physical recovery to do, and you need to get back to your timeline. It’s gonna hurt for a few months, but I’m just glad I know the damage isn’t permanent. Zebra healing medicine is very effective

Before Alice could think up some form of reply, she felt herself slip back into her own time, into her own body, in her own room. Immediately sensation of pain and pleasure left her completely, allowing her to finally feel normal again after what was technically days, even if she had been unconscious for most of it. As jarring as it was to swap again, she was ready this time, and maintained her meditation position as she kept a link with her vision of the future.

The reindeer wanted to see how the Future Alice reacted returning to her now damaged body, and she did take a slight bit of satisfaction watching her corrupted self grimace a bit as the feeling of pain met her senses. Alice watched a little longer, but when the zebra finally returned with a plate of soft food, the present doe believed there was nothing more to gain from watching, and opened her eyes to cut her ties to that period of time.

With her body having sat in pose for over an hour, Alice felt a new ache as she shifted herself out of position, crawling her way over to her bed. She didn’t even need her future sight to predict the knocking that came to her door as she was lifting herself up to her hooves, as the ever vigilant Bori came to check in on her.

“Come in!” Alice called, needing to speak with her anyways, now that she had new information.

The door opened, and the pink doe entered, holding the same level of worry for the young deer that she had the first time she projected herself into the future with the potion. “How did it go?”

“Ummm…” Alice found herself hesitating slightly, seeing the other Gift Giver in her normal state, after having seen what her future self had caused to happen with her.

It was jarring to know that as of right now, she was fated to help the minotaur enslave not only the reindeer village, but seemingly the Gift Givers as well. She hadn’t seen Aurora there, but if Bori was enslaved, then odds were the eldest of their group would not have been forgotten about.

“It… was horrible,” Alice said, “But I think I finally have a clue about how to stop the minotaur.”

“Well that’s… good news to hear,” Bori said, hoping for Alice’s sake that she was correct. Despite being within the loop about this threat, she knew so little about what it actually entailed outside of the minotaur themselves, and that it troubled the younger doe to no end. “So what did you learn?”

Alice sat herself down, taking a few deep breaths to shake off the remains of the distorted feelings that were caused by her consciousness traveling through time. The moment she felt her perception straighten out though, she looked at Bori and said, “Do you know anything about a group called ‘The Moirai’?”

“Moirai?” Bori repeated, “I… the name sounds familiar, but I can’t recall who it refers to.”

Alice hadn’t really expected Bori to know anything about The Moirai, assuming that it was some secret group that was manipulating history from the shadows. That Bori thought she might have heard the name at all was surprising, and perhaps fortunate, because it meant that there was some connection to them and the reindeer. It was more than Alice assumed, even at that moment, as another source of information immediately revealed.

“The Moirai?” said a voice from within the hallway, “Which one of you is bringing up them?”

Aurora stepped into view from behind the door frame, having managed to get herself out of bed.

“Aurora, what are you doing out of bed?” Bori said, her first instinct when seeing the elder deer was to worry about the sickness that had befallen her for days. “You should get your rest.”

“It’s hard to rest when you two are talking right outside my room,” Aurora replied, a bit grouchily, “And I’m feeling as fit as ever, so no need to baby me.”

Alice could see the start of an argument forming between her peers, but was far more pressed about the notion that Aurora seemed to know more about the Moirai than Bori.

“Aurora, do you know who the Moirai are?” Alice asked, running up to the elderly deer and disrupting the dispute before it could go any further, “It’s important that I find out who they are. So important that the fate of the world is at stake!”

Aurora saw the fear in her young college’s eyes, and understood that something big had taken place while she was bedridden. “Ok, ok, I’ll tell you what I know, but first you’ve got to let me know what’s got you so upset.”

Alice nodded, seeing that Aurora didn’t have the slightest clue about what was going on.

“You two go downstairs, and I’ll join you in a minute, ” Aurora said, “Then you can get me up to speed while I make us something to calm your nerves.”

Moments later, Alice and Bori were sitting down at their kitchen table, as Aurora set to task boiling up some warm coco.

The yellow doe was already explaining everything she had seen, about the minotaur, and Minopolis, and how she had seen several deer tribes, as well as some members of equine tribes, subjected into slavery. Alice told everything she knew, only leaving out the parts about her future self that seemed to be part of this, and that she had seen Bori there. At this point it had nothing to do with how she broke the rules, but instead that she didn’t want to freak out the other two Gift Givers. They believed in Alice’s premonitions as much as the yellow deer did themselves, and Alice didn’t want them to do anything drastic in response to learning their fates.

“Everything you say adds up to me,” Aurora said, putting a mix of dark powder into some hot water she had been making, “There are four tribes of deer out there; that being those of Thicket, the two reindeer tribes, and a fourth one that had gone missing when they left the lands that would be Equestria. These ‘Antlerteans’, as you call them, sound like they could be them.”

“And the minotaur sounds very similar to Krampus,” Bori added, “The minotaur that attacked us long ago.”

“Ooohh, you didn’t tell Alice about that old myth, did you?” Aurora said, for some reason being very hostile about it, “Krampus is a story the reindeer used to tell in order to scare fawns from straying too far from the village.”

“But aren’t all myths based on some truth?” Alice asked, wanting the story to be true, to justify further her dislike of the minotaur, especially when that hatred had received a small dent in it upon seeing the minotaur king’s slightly sympathetic traits. “I’m sure that these minotaur have some sort of connection to Krampus. That’s why they targeted the deer tribes first.”

Aurora handed over two mugs of coco, and went back to make one for herself. “If there is a connection, I’m sure it’s not a strong one.” she said with conviction, “Sometimes coincidences happen, even if they follow the path of fate.”

“Even so, can we really follow the path if it leads to a horrible end?” Bori said, slightly conceding to Alice’s want to change fate.

“One of our most important rules is not to try and change fate,” Aurora said, “But there are times when the course of history must be changed to right a wrong.”

“Then you agree?” Alice said, gulping down some of her hot drink, “We have to do something to avoid Minopolis coming to pass?”

Bori joined in on drinking the coco, her nerves becoming a bit frazzled over this whole ordeal. This was bigger than anything the Gift Givers had ever dealt with. Their role in Equestria was to spread happiness, not to defeat tyrants.

“Maybe it would be best if we just told the leaders of the other tribes,” Bori said, “If they can prepare for what’s to come.”

“No,” Aurora said, “If Alice predicted this outcome, then there is nothing they can do. Any action they take will just adhere to the course history has set forth. Telling them could even lead to them making the mistakes that allow the minotaur to do as she has foreseen.”

Alice wanted to object, but her future self had seemingly caused the downfall of several civilizations through such predictions.

“If there is a way to deal with this, then it’s up to us,” Aurora concluded, “But I can tell that you two are in no condition to discuss these matters now."

Alice and Bori wondered what the older doe meant by that, but then a small yawn escaped Bori’s muzzle. Alice was quick to follow up, as fatigue of the events she had gone through set in.

“I guess you’re right,” Bori said, feeling tired despite it still being early morning and the excitement of the situation.

“You two go to sleep,” Aurora said, “We can talk about this more in the morning.”

The two deer at the table agreed, not having the energy to object. They used what was left of their stamina to make their way to their bedrooms, and hop into bed, complying to the wishes of their elder member without so much as a goodnight. It didn’t take either long to fall asleep once they rested themselves in their beds.

Aurora followed the duo and made sure the two did as they were told, though had no doubt that they would adhere to her authority in this. Not that they always did as she said, but because she had slipped something into their drinks that would make it impossible to do otherwise. Pulling a small envelope from a pocket in her dress, she placed what remained of her drug inside it, while pulling a letter it held out. The old deer then reviewed what was written on the paper, just to be sure she understood it completely, before going to her room to wait.