Author's Note

Last time on 'The Story of J' our favorite anti-hero battles with diamond dogs to save Rarity but just when all seems right Celestia comes crashing in too late to help. What will happen now that J's been caught? Stay tuned in for more!

A meeting with royalty

" We need to talk." Celestia says glaring at me the entire time. I get the feeling its one of those talks i'm not going to like already. The way she's glaring me down also makes it look like there was no room to deny her request. I look back at her defiantly and raise a bloodied hand near my mouth. I lick some of the blood off with a smile directed at her to unnerve her. This only makes her scowl at me in disgust.

"Sure not like I had anything better to do anyway." I reply stepping closer to her. All the guards then react surrounding me and pointing their spears at me. However I can feel their fear for me as many of them are holding their weapons unsteadily and a few even openly shaking. Their fear feeds my inner desire to kill more, I ignore the urge but I don't suppress the bloodthirsty grin on my face that almost challenges them to attack.

"Stand down." Celestia says to which they all lower their weapons but still look on high alert. I slowly inch my way to Celestia until i'm right in front of her staring into her eyes. Her eyes are full of hate and malice as if begging me to attack her and give her a reason to kill me. The tension is enough to drive any normal person back. I start to breathe heavily as my blood boils in anticipation to the possibility of battle. " Let us talk back in Canterlot where my sister and I will decide what to do with you." She says formally to break the silence. I snap from my reverie and look at her calmly. My body urges me to fight this dangerous foe. I ignore my urge and give a nod of my head. I follow her back to her carriage and join her in the confining box.

While it is certainly big enough to fit us I can't help but feel uneasy in confining areas. The entire flight to Canterlot is in complete tense silence. Neither of us say a word to the other and I make it more awkward by licking up the blood on me. I groom myself almost like a cat would licking myself all over lapping up the blood. I commend her for not puking herself but the look of utter disgust she gives me is getting a bit old. By the time we get there i've cleaned most of the blood on me. I exit the carriage to find that we have landed in the gardens far from any prying eyes. I look around to familiarize myself with the place and mark in my mind possible escape routes.

"Follow me." Celestia says forcefully. It almost looks like there is something in the gardens she didn't want me to find out about. I make a note that some of the statues aren't really statues but actually have life stored in them. 'So this is what she does to the ones she thinks are dangerous no doubt' I think to myself. To be trapt in a stony prison for who knows how long. So she is a tyrant, controlling those she doesn't like with force. My face starts to scowl as the further we go to the castle the more statues I see, and the more I come to a realization that their fate is what awaits me if I don't play my cards right.

Celestia walks in front of me with her head high. She walks with a unwavering confidence that comes from centuries of experience. Her hair a beautiful variety of colors that mesmerize all who look at it. On her flanks her cutie mark rests just like the sun, bright and regal. Though my experience in dealing with royalty tells me that she's the controlling, manipulative type. She's likely a reserved chess player, relying on defense to overwhelm her opponents. That's important as she most likely would fight like so and command her troops in such a way. She probably is self-righteous as well, believing that what she does is for the betterment of pony kind.

"We're here." She says to me drawing me out of my thoughts. I look up to realize that we are in front of huge doors. I look around to notice that we've been walking inside the castle for some time now. The guards open the door for their goddess. She walks ahead while I stall a little behind making last minute checks of the 13 hidden daggers I still have on me, in case things get rough. I look to see that Celestia is sitting atop a throne with Luna right next to her. The guards have me surrounded in a half assed formation that has plenty of gaps. Still I walk slowly forward until one of the guards tell me to stop.

"Bow before the Princesses." He orders me sternly. I look at Celestia and Luna to see that the expect me to comply with this demand. A grin forms on my face and for a second I can't help but laugh at them all. My outburst shocks them all as I laugh loudly for all of them to hear.

"Is something funny?" questions Celestia. Her face set in a sneer as if knowing she's not going to like the answer. Luna lost as if a private joke was said that she doesn't quite get.

"You are if you think i'm going to bow to either of you." I say with a smirk. Luna looks outraged at my comment while Celestia scowls deeply in dissatisfaction.

"Watch thine tongue knave if thou wishes to keep it." Luna replies hotly.

"Who are you to demand that I bow before you? You are not my princess nor are you my ruler you are simply an over glorified pony sitting atop of a pedestal erect from others hard work. The ponies may bow to you but I owe you nothing." I say indignantly

"That may be true but while talking to us drop your disguise so that we may look at you clearly." Celestia says in a menacing tone. However it isn't the tone that catches me off guard its her words.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." I say rather weakly. At this point i'm sweating bullets, I know exactly what she's talking about.

"If you won't drop the disguise then I will make you." Celestia replies coldly. I see her horn charge up for an attack of some kind.

"Wha-" Is all I have time to say before a white light engulfs me painfully. My very skin feels like its boiling and my body feels like i'm trapped in a furnace. I scream loudly in agony as my body forcefully changes. Flesh starts to peel off me like someone's taken a potato peeler to me and is trying to skin me. My body glows darkly as strange symbols appear all over my body. My clothes seem to all but fall off my body as if to escape the agony i'm writhing in. I fall to my knees naked and barren of all clothes, except for the eye patch that stays secured to me. The symbols glow faintly one last time before they lose there luster and fade.

Everyone gasps at what I have become. Where once I stood proudly, a sickly pale creature takes my place. I'm panting heavily aloud still trying to find my bearing and overcome the agony churning in my body. I stood slowly on weak legs and both Celestia and Luna gasp again seeing me fully. I look half starved and practically devoid of life. My ribs show painfully and my arms and legs look like bones with saggy flesh attached to them haphazardly. A ominous and strange air radiates around me.

Strange marking cover my body on my face a single bloody tear near my left eye is etched into the skin. On my neck a chain wraps around thrice as if to rob me of live, at a closer look both sister could swear the chain was still wrapping around my neck as if it were alive. On my right shoulder a beautifully dark raven with pristine feathers, holding what looked like a book in his claws, and his wings folded into the front of his body as if praying, Luna could swear the raven winked at her though she looked again it was still so she thought nothing more of it. On the left shoulder a darker than night owl with his back to them but his head turned all the way around to still see, Celestia swore the owl was glaring at them menacingly but cutie marks don't glare so she ignored it for now. In the middle of my chest a heron stood on one leg with what looked like red splotches falling off of it but at a closer look it definitely looked like the color of blood, One of the guards swears that the blood was falling of it and screamed in alarm.

"I think i'm gonna be sick" the guard says and then proceeds to run out the room in a hurry. The other guards looked on nervously. Near the right bottom of my chest was a deck of cards but only two cards could be seen. One card held a beautiful clown with a deep frown set into his face who was dressed in nothing but blue with a crimson flower in his ear while hopping on his left leg pointing to the other card. The other card held a jester who's smile seemed like it couldn't get any bigger and was adorned in all white, holding a stick with many bells on it that went with his hat that seemed to have a never ending amount of bells on it as well, he was hopping on his right leg pointing to the clown beside it. For a faint second everyone swore that the faint jingling of bells could be heard.

"Argghh make it stop! Make them stop!! The bells are tolling, the kingdom is burning. The fire is churning, the water is yearning. Please make it stop!!!" Another guard ran out the throne room yelling and screaming words that made no sense. All the guards were now shaking in fear at the unknown that was me. Hesitant to stay but unwilling to leave their princess alone with me. The guards were torn between the fear of the unknown and their undying loyalty to the Princesses.

" Leave us for now." Celestia commanded. The guards were all but eager to comply however a few appeared hesitant but after a look from Celestia they nodded and left. Leaving us completely alone. One guard looked at me one last time before leaving taking note that many strange runes and glyph's covered the rest of my body but on my back rested what looked like a scorpion made out of strange symbols. The guard was curious but knew better than to defy the Princess and finally closed the door leaving me and the Princesses alone at last. " What did you do to my guard?" Celestia demanded. I looked up to her and when she saw my eye she flinched. My one good eye was devoid of life and looked at her blankly.

" I did nothing. What he heard was an echo of madness." I say as if she knew what I was talking about. Celestia and Luna looked at me confused.

"What dost thou mean?" Luna asked her interest piqued. However I just shrugged my shoulders earning me a wrathful glare from her. Just before she could reply Celestia cut her off.

"Why do you have so many cutie marks?" As soon as she asked this she swore the clown scowl grew deeper and locked eyes with her as if she insulted it. She shivered and when she looked closer noticed that its hand was now pointing at her. She gasped but when she looked again it was normal she waved it off as her nerves getting the best of her.

"They're not cutie marks." I respond with a scowl equally insulted that she would ask such a stupid question.

"Well what are they?" She asked to which I just shrugged again. Now both sister's looked like they wanted nothing more than to tear off me head.

"There's no point in me answering any of your questions now. I owe you nothing." I say eager to conclude our meeting. " You have two choices before you either kill me now or..." I say trailing off adding tension to the already tense room.

" We should kill thee for thine insolence knave." Luna says hotly. However Celestia holds her back with a wing.

"Or what?" Celestia asks eager to end this without conflict. I give her a grin that sends shivers down both of their backs.

"Or you could hire me." I say giving them another grin.