A Mercenary's Ending

Three long days. Three excruciating days Gregory and the others had been in Canterlot sifting through the Royal College Library’s records, looking for any pertinent information on the windigos. More specifically, however, they had spent those days in the recesses of the Restricted Section in the basement below. His eyelids were drooping from the exhaustion, but copious amounts of coffee kept him going, or they had. Their efficacy had begun declining as he’d chugged the bitter beverage like water. Not to mention that he’d begun having digestive problems in the past day. Still, he couldn’t afford to stop.

It was during one of his visits to see how Dengal was doing in Canterlot Hospital where he finally collapsed. One moment he’d been walking through the hospital halls to visit his new girlfriend, and the next he was waking up, lying on his back and feeling extremely sluggish. He looked around weakly, realizing where he was. He cursed and tried to get up. There was no time for this!

His movements must have triggered some sort of alert because a nurse pony came rushing in moments later, her face a mask of worry. “Mr. Graystone, please don’t try to get up,” she pleaded, getting up and trying, gently, to push him back down.

Gregory pushed her hooves aside, but he felt his body betray him and he fell back onto the bed. “Can’t…stay here,” he said through clenched teeth. “I need to be…”

“Where you are right now, you big buffoon,” another voice said from his right.

Gregory froze, then slowly turned to see a certain gobliness sitting up in a bed next to his, glaring at him in disapproval. She had an ancient book in her hands along with glasses, which only made her look sexier with the ponytail she now sported. “Y-You’re awake…?” Gregory managed to get out.

Dengal nodded. “And I can see again,” she said.

Gregory felt a large amount of tension leave his body and he collapsed back onto his bed. Once the group had reached Canterlot, Dengal had fallen into a small coma, prompting Gregory to dive headfirst into the research. The doctor had insisted it was only temporary while the goblin’s body healed itself, but that hadn’t helped Gregory’s already darkening and hopeless mood. Despite being given a place to sleep, he only really used it to store his things and had never used it for its intended purpose. The little bits of sleep he’d actually gotten had been few and far between, scattered between increasing instances of microsleep.

He turned over to her. Her color seemed to have returned and she looked closer to her older self than before. “When…?”

“A day and a half ago,” Dengal said. “And guess what I found when I woke up? My stupid, idiotic, sweeter damned boyfriend being wheeled in here and thrashing about in his sleep, muttering something about how sleep is for the weak and that he couldn’t rest until he killed every single fucking windigo for what they did to me.”

Gregory felt the scolding in her tone and he looked down. Now that he’d had an apparent day and a half of much needed sleep, his mind was clearer than it had been in days. He felt utterly sheepish and the perfect fool. Dengal’s tone became softer, however, as she continued. “You’re an idiot sometimes, Gregory, but you’re my idiot.”

He looked up at her, finally letting the tears which had refused to fall form in his eyes. Dengal’s own eyes were glistening as he spoke. “I almost lost myself,” he admitted. “I just…I’m sorry.”

She put her hand to her lips, kissed the fingers, then blew him a kiss. “I forgive you, dear,” she said.

The nurse, who had all been but forgotten, chose that moment to clear her throat nervously. Gregory turned to her sharply, but when the pony flinched, he forced himself to calm down. “Do you know where everyone else I came with is?” he asked.

“I-I believe they’re in the Royal College,” the nurse said. “They asked to be sent for when you woke.”

“Then by all means, go fetch them please,” Gregory said as he lay back onto the surprisingly soft bedding.

The nurse nodded and swiftly left, probably eager to get out of the awkward position she’d found herself in. Dengal giggled. “My boyfriend, able to send mares running away flustered,” she teased.

“Oh, hush,” he said, turning to her. She was wearing an apparently hastily made hospital gown, and the bits of frills on the sleeves told him that it had been Rarity’s work. However, that didn’t hide the brand new scar along the left side of her neck, a jagged lightning shaped discoloration that was almost all covered by bandages. His expression sobered. “How bad was it?”

Dengal looked at the bandage, putting one hand over it. “They said I should make a full recovery,” she said, “but I’ll still have that nasty scar.” She lifted the gown, showing more bandages that went down her left side all the way to her left leg. “They say that if they hadn’t gotten me here as soon as they did, there may have been substantial nerve damage.” She flexed her left hand. “I would hate that. My hands are my life.”

“I’d have no doubt you’d have managed just fine,” Gregory said, and he meant it. Dengal was a strong woman, resourceful, tough, and able to brush off insults as easily as skin brushed off water.

Dengal chuckled, and this time there was no humor there. “They told me I’m extremely lucky,” she said. “The lightning almost struck my heart.”

Fresh anger burned up within Gregory, and his face contorted to match the glowing embers within him. He would exterminate the damned windigo race! That he swore right there by any god or gods that existed. He looked over at her. “Was that all the damage the lightning did?” he asked.

She shook her head and touched her left eye. “Vision in this eye is slightly blurrier than it was before, but the doctors say that it’ll clear up. If it doesn’t, they can provide me with corrective lenses.”

Gregory winced a bit inwardly, but outwardly he grinned. “You’d look good with a monocle,” he chuckled. “Just get yourself a mustache and you can play the sophisticated butler.” Dengal stuck her tongue out at him, causing him to sigh in relief. It did him good to see his girlfriend actually smiling. Mission accomplished, he thought.

The door burst open, and the two hospital ridden people turned. Gregory’s eyes shot wide open as a light amber skinned goblin with long red and yellow striped hair ran in, her cyan eyes blazing. She wore an orange skirt with a purple and yellow stripe going down one side, a purple shirt with Sunset Shimmer’s cutie mark on it and a black jacket that looked like it was made of leather. Her shoes were more like boots, pure black. Her ears, pointed like Dengal’s, twitched as she locked eyes with Gregory. “YOU!” Sunset Shimmer bellowed.

Gregory leaned back, confused more as to why Sunset was in a goblin form and wearing a near exact duplicate of her Equestria Girls counterparts clothing than why she was angry. He could only guess as to the latter. He raised a hand. “Surprise?” His voice sounded weaker than he’d intended and he cleared his throat. “Hi, Sunset. Love what you’ve done with your-Hrk!”

He was interrupted when Sunset grabbed him by his hospital gown and pulled him up, their noses nearly touching. Her moderate cyan eyes blazed with anger, but more importantly, with hurt and relief. “Don’t you EVER dare make the rest of us worry like that ever again, you hear me!?”

A light blue magic encased the goblin, and she was pulled away, plopped right beside Chrysalis who gave the unicorn turned goblin a disappointed look. “Not in a hospital.” She gave Sunset a stern glare before she turned back to Gregory. “She’s got a point, though. You gave them all quite a scare.”

“Like you didn’t send a couple changelings here to watch over these two,” Tobias said in a teasing tone.

Chrysalis’ cheeks went darker. “Silence,” she said threateningly.

Starfall was by Gregory’s side instantly, her eyes full of worry. “Are you alright?” she asked. “Do you need anything from me? I can ask them to fetch you something to eat.”

“Some water would be nice right about now,” he admitted.

Starfall immediately rushed to the nearby side table, pouring him a glass and bringing it closer, clearly intending to help him drink it. “Here you are,” she offered.

Gregory felt his features soften. Starfall was an eager mare and clearly hardworking. He reached up and took the glass. “I can do it myself, thanks,” he said as he took a sip of the clear liquid. It had been a while since he’d tasted fluoride in water, and it was a nostalgic taste. He drank the entire thing, then placed it down. “That helped, thanks.”

“Knock knock?” another familiar voice called out from the door as a pink haired mare poked her head in. “Can we come in?”

Gregory shrugged and gestured for them to enter. The entire Mane Six came shuffling in quietly, all wearing looks of concern, well, except for Rainbow, who had a confident look on her face as she gently nudged Fluttershy. “I told you he’d make it,” she said.

“No thanks tah yer stupidity,” Applejack chided.

Gregory was reminded instantly of Applebuck Season. “Remind you of anyone?” he asked.

Applejack’s ears twitched downwards slightly, then she nodded. “Y’all were as driven as ah’ve ever seen anypony be. Y’all was on a crusade.”

He ignored the implication of that word’s existence in a world without Christianity and nodded. “I couldn’t stop,” he admitted.

“You weren’t the only one,” Tobias said, putting his paw on Gregory’s shoulder. “I was angry, too.”

Gregory sighed heavily. “I’ve already been chewed out by one goblin and a goblin wannabe,” he said.

“You’re my best friend, Gregory,” Tobias said. “Who else gets to chew you out?” He leaned down and hugged the human, nuzzling his face in a catlike display of affection. Gregory returned the hug, still feeling a bit weak. “Don’t do anything like that again, got it?” Tobias said.

“I won’t,” he promised.

As the two broke their hug, Sunset stepped forward. “You’re lucky that you’re okay, now,” she said as she folded her arms.

“Noted, noted,” Gregory said.

Tobias reached down and pulled out something from underneath his coat. Gregory's belt, with his pistols and new lightsabers, came out and Tobias held them out. “Been keeping them warm for you,” his best friend said with a wink.

Gregory took them and looked at them carefully, then he looked up at Tobias. “You touched these, didn’t you?” he asked, pointing to the lightsabers.

Tobias looked a bit abashed, but then slowly nodded. “I was careful with them, I promise,” he said, “but come on! They’re actual lightsabers! Same sound, same effects, same everything!”

The Mane Six approached slowly, led by Twilight. “You’re feeling better, right?” the alicorn asked hopefully.

Gregory patted himself down. “No arms missing.” He lifted his sheets and looked down. “No legs missing.”

“Not even that third leg the goblin girl boasts about owning?” Chrysalis asked, a knowing grin plastered on her face.

Gregory stared at her in surprise, then he grinned. “You finally loosened up!”

“Kinda hard not to do when she and I have had some long talks the past day,” Dengal replied.

Gregory nodded and looked back at the Mane Six. “So far, seems like I’m fine.”

At that moment, Megan walked in, followed by Daniel and Molly. She was holding two ancient books in her arms, but she nearly dropped them when she saw Gregory. “You’re awake,” she almost sighed with relief.

“So they keep telling me,” Gregory said.

“Bitchin’ to see you kicking, dude,” Daniel said.

Gregory had to remind himself that Daniel was a product of the eighties and now the nineties back on his Earth, so his slang would be old. “Bitchin’ indeed,” he said before he looked at Megan. “What’s that in your hand?”

“Huh?” Megan did a double take back at her hand before she nodded. “Oh! Right! I, um, I-no, we, we think we found something.” She held up the books and set them down on the tables that hospitals use for patients, then rolled it over and put the table in front of him.

Gregory tried to sit up, but before he could, Sunset held up her hand, which glowed with her signature reddish orange magic. He felt himself be lifted up and placed in a sitting position before he could protest. “There you are,” she said while lowering her hand.

Gregory swallowed hard, then looked at her. “Don’t ever do that again,” he said.

She seemed taken aback by the harshness in Gregory’s voice before Tobias stepped in. “It makes him feel trapped,” he said.

Sunset’s cheeks went red. “Sorry, I didn’t realize,” she said.

“I know you were trying to help,” Gregory said, calming down a bit, “but please don’t do it unless it’s an emergency.”

“Noted,” Sunset said.

“And speaking of magic,” he said, “what possessed you to become a goblin?”

“These.” Sunset held up her hands and wiggled her fingers. “I find these easier when reading. Using magic to turn pages is a waste of good magic.”

“I’ve got a feeling there’s more to that, but later,” Gregory said before he turned back to Megan. “What did you find?”

“I found something about the history of the windigos,” she said.

That caught the attention of everyone there. Gregory looked at the first book, which looked remarkably similar to the book from the first episode of My Little Pony, but with a silver emblem of a horse’s head in profile instead of a unicorn’s head. He opened the book and looked at the title page. He had to be careful because the book’s pages were yellow and stained from centuries of aging. “The Ancient World And Its Creatures,” he read. He then looked at the second book, which was black with a pair of dark blood red ram horns on its cover. He opened the book to the title page and read, “The Great Deceiver.” He looked at Megan. “What do these two books have to do with each other.”

“Well, this one,” and Megan tapped the first book, talks about a bunch of different creatures that apparently existed before any sapient life existed,” Megan explained. “Leviathans, basilisk, something that’s probably this world’s version of the dinosaur species, sphinxes, harpies, even a primitive version of a centaur.”

“Centaur? You mean like Tirek?” Twilight asked.

“No, not like him,” Megan said. “These types of centaurs.” She turned the page to show a primitive drawing of said creatures, and these looked more like the traditional Greek centaur, half human and half horse. “Centaurs were the very first creatures on Erda to show signs of intelligent thought,” she explained, showing an image of said centaurs with bows and arrows hunting what looked like wild boar of some sort. Strangely, Gregory saw that a couple of them had wings and one was casting what looked like magic.

Twilight’s ears flattened. “Half human and half pony…” she muttered.

“Yes, but that’s not what we’re interested in,” Megan said, turning the page to one she had marked with a red bookmark. A page which showed three flying windigos hovering over a patch of land where a group of dragons were apparently meeting with some gryphons. “We read over everything here a couple times just to be sure. Windigos were the first spiritual creatures seen on Erda. You know what a wendigo is, right Gregory?”

“Monsters from Native American lore that ate humans, right?” Gregory asked.

“Yeah, but in this world, a wendigo was actually more like a nymph or a dryad, a protector of the natural world and the forests,” Megan explained. “I don’t think the wendigos of this world were ever monsters in the beginning. They were flesh and blood like us, but either they ascended to another plane of existence or, when they died, their souls became the windigos.”

“Souls can’t be killed,” Sunset said, “so I’m guessing the former.”

“Good point,” Megan agreed.

“Besides, I killed one,” Gregory said with some satisfaction.

Megan’s face darkened a bit, but she nodded. “You may have actually done that windigo a favor,” she said.

That caught Gregory’s attention. “A favor how?” he asked.

She turned the page, and Gregory’s body went cold when he saw a blue furred centaur with wings on his horse body casting yellow and black colored magic with his hands at a group of windigo spirits who were firing pure white magic back. “This centaur,” she said with some venom in her own voice.

“Who is it?” Twilight asked.

“Grogar,” Molly said in an equally dark tone.

“He was a centaur?” Gregory asked incredulously.

“He existed back then??” Twilight exclaimed.

“Okay, back up,” Rainbow said. “Who the hay is Grogar?”

“He’s the Father of Monsters,” Sunset explained. “He’s also known as the Great Deceiver. He was a powerful ram who ruled over the lands of Equestria long before ponies came there.”

“He also ruled over the troggles of Tambelon,” Daniel explained. “We defeated him, though.”

“He’s been defeated a number of times,” Megan said, “but this was his first defeat.”

“What the hay did he do?” Rainbow asked.

“This book doesn’t say much,” Megan said, “but it does mention that the windigos came into conflict with him not once, but twice. That’s where this book comes in.” Megan reached over and touched the one titled The Great Deceiver before turning to Daniel. “Daniel?”

Daniel stepped forward. “I found this book,” he said, “and there’s an entire chapter where it talks about Grogar’s origins.” He opened the book to the beginning where there was a more detailed image of the centaur from the first book. It showed the centaur sitting at a table looking studious and writing something on a scroll. “Grogar was actually called Chiron before his fall. He was the first centaur born with both magic and wings and was the wisest of all centaurs due to his immortality giving him time to study ancient texts.”

“An alicorn type centaur?” Gregory asked.

“Apparently,” Daniel said.

Twilight stood on her hind legs next to the side of the bed to try and get a better look. “Fascinating,” she muttered.

Gregory scooted over and patted the side of the bed that he’d vacated. “Here, get a better look,” he said.

She nodded and climbed onto the bed, getting into the ponyloaf position that a couple of years ago would have made him squeal inwardly like an MLP fanboy. She looked at Daniel. “What does Grogar have to do with the windigos now?”

Daniel sighed. “There’s a reason he’s called the Great Deceiver, apparently.” He turned the page which showed Grogar casting a spell on a cloud, only his eyes looked a bit like Sombra’s. “According to the book, he learned magic and flight techniques from many different centaur teachers before his thirst for knowledge made him begin practicing forbidden magical techniques.

“Dark magic,” Gregory said.

Daniel nodded. “Exactly.”

Twilight shook her head. “Using dark magic once or twice is manageable if you’re ready for it,” she said. “I used it in the Crystal Empire once, and I felt unclean for days afterwards. Continuous use…”

“It corrupts,” Sunset concluded with a nod. “Believe me, it really does.” She shuddered. When Gregory reached out to pat her reassuringly on the back, she looked down and gave him a small grateful smile. “Thanks.”

He nodded, then looked back at Daniel. “Keep going with your summary.”

Daniel nodded. “Well, Chiron became so corrupted that he tried disrupting some kind of balance in the world at the time and that’s when the windigos stepped in.” The next image was of Chiron being surrounded by the ethereal beings and placed in some sort of cage made of lightning. “The centaurs kicked him out of their society for his crimes and he was punished by the windigos by being imprisoned for a thousand years in Tartarus.” He turned the page, showing a centaur in a cage being guarded by two windigos. “From what I read, he managed to convince the windigo guards that he’d changed and began teaching them some of his own magic. Good magic at first, but Chiron was smart and taught them darker magic without them knowing.”

The more I hear about Chiron, the more he sounds like some sort of mix between Melkor/Morgoth and Sauron, Gregory thought. He kept those thoughts to himself, however. “These windigos became the same as the ones we know today, I take it?”

“It certainly seems that way,” Daniel said as he turned the page, showing two armies of windigos, one a darker silver and casting dark magic and the other a lighter silver casting bright white magic, fighting each other over a destroyed town covered in snow. “There was a war. This book calls it the War of Heaven.”

“Did…Did the bad windigos win?” Pinkie asked hesitantly.

“The majority of the good windigos were captured while a few escaped,” Daniel explained. “Chiron’s windigos brought the prisoners to him, and he either convinced them to join him or tortured those who wouldn’t, corrupting them either way.”

“What happened to the other windigos who escaped?” Twilight asked.

“This book explains it better than the one about Grogar,” Megan said, stepping back in and turning the page in the first book. It showed a small number of windigos standing in what looked like a cave surrounding a fire, holding hooves and casting their magic to create a heart shaped pink flame which a centaur was holding in his hands.

“The Fires of Friendship,” Twilight gasped.

Megan nodded. “This book calls it the Nessus Flame,” she said. “Nessus is the centaur here who apparently played a crucial part in casting the spell which altered the world’s magic forever.”

“World class magic?” Gregory asked. “How’d he do that?”

“This book doesn’t say,” Megan admitted.

“Neither does this one,” Daniel said, gesturing to the book about Grogar.

“Then how did Chiron become Grogar?” Twilight asked.

“This,” Daniel said, turning the page to show six centaurs, each with heart shaped lockets in their hands, firing rainbow colored magic from each at Grogar. “These six centaurs banded together and created new magic after the Nessus Flame magic spread throughout the world.”

“Those are all different Rainbows of Light?” Rarity asked curiously.

“Those were the precursors to the Rainbow of Light,” Daniel explained. “Those lockets were one time use and not only sealed Grogar away in Tartarus, but changed him into a ram.”

“Clearly that didn’t hold him, though,” Molly said bitterly.

“It wasn’t meant to,” Daniel said. “It was meant to give the centaurs and the remaining windigos enough time to come up with a permanent solution.” He gestured to the Rainbow of Light which now hung from Megan’s neck. “They managed to create this, but Chiron’s windigos discovered them before they could use the purificating effect of the new magical device on the new ram.” He shook his head.

“Those centaurs were wiped out as were a large majority of the good windigos,” Megan explained as she turned the page of her book. “Only one windigo escaped with the Rainbow of Light and she became known as the first Keeper of the Light. She hid in a deep and dark cave far up north and slept until she could give the Rainbow of Light to someone else to help finish what the windigos started.”

“So how did the RoL come into the Moochick’s possession?” Gregory asked.

Megan chuckled softly. “According to him when I asked him about it directly, he received it from a disembodied voice he heard in a cave near his home a hundred years before Firefly flew me over the rainbow. A disembodied female voice.”

Gregory sat up in his chair. “Do you think that windigo is still there?” he asked.

“If she is,” a new voice said from the doorway, “then the cave has long since been covered up.”

Everyone turned to see Majesty standing in the doorway, her expression grave. Celestia and Luna stood behind her with several guards keeping a watchful gaze on the ancient alicorn. Gregory gripped his lightsaber hilts as a fresh wave of anger mixed with fear washed over him. He calmed his expression as he asked, “Because of the war with the demons?”

She nodded, not moving to come in, instead remaining just outside of the room near the threshold. “The Moochick and Habit might have escaped, but they apparently turned back to Old Ponyland after a while. It’s possible that they went back to that cave.”

Everyone in the room exchanged glances, slowly digesting the new information. “And the reason you didn’t share this information before?” Chrysalis asked with a snarl.

“Because I didn’t know anything about what you all just discussed,” she said.

“Spying on us again, are you?” Tobias snapped.

“I have not used my scrying spell to listen in on you,” she said. “I came to tell you all something I learned from an old text I found recently, but when I asked the princesses about your whereabouts, they told me a goblin had been struck by windigo lightning.” She looked at Dengal. “I am sorry for what happened to you. May I cast my own healing spells on you?”

Dengal glared at her, but finally sighed. “My place is by Gregory’s side,” she said, “and I can’t very well do that here in bed.”

Majesty nodded, then turned to Gregory. “May I cast a healing spell on you as well?”

Gregory held back another stab of fear, but then an old saying popped into his head. The enemy of my enemy is my friend. Slowly, he nodded.

Majesty raised her horn and it lit up. Magic surrounded Dengal and Gregory, and the human had to repress the urge to thrash about in a desperate ploy to escape as the feeling of claustrophobia enveloped him once more. However, he felt more strength return to him as the spell took effect. In fact, he felt better than he had in years. He felt like he was in his early twenties again. When the magic glow faded from him and his girlfriend, he looked at his hands. Nothing about them seemed different, but they felt better, as did the rest of them. After a while, he looked down underneath his sheets; he wouldn’t be showing anyone but Dengal what was underneath. His body did look much better than it had before. Some scars had even either vanished completely or had been greatly reduced. Dengal was testing her own body, and it seemed as if she, too, had regained some of her youthful vigor.

Gregory then turned to face Majesty. “You said you found something,” he said. “What is it?”

“I’ve learned the origins of goblins and of a spell we can use to track down the last windigo who is untouched by Grogar,” she said.

“So you were spying on us!” Rainbow Dash accused the older alicorn mare.

Majesty shook her head. “I and several scholars who have joined Sanctuary have been scouring the ancient repository of knowledge from our old location’s library,” she said. “I will admit that when I approached this room I heard young Megan here begin to explain her story. Celestia and Luna found me here before I entered the room.”

“So yah just stopped and decided tah play Nosy Ninny?” Applejack asked with a scowl.

“I’ll be honest,” Majesty said, and the choice of phrase by the alicorn wasn’t lost on anyone there, “I know my presence has elicited a great deal of hostility from many of you, and for that I apologize. I do also admit that what you and Daniel mentioned was something I was coming to tell you all already.” She raised her horn and cast a brief spell which materialized a single page of parchment that floated down to the bed. “This is the spell that could be used to track down the last pure windigo.”

“Is that…a page from this book?” Megan asked, holding up the book about ancient creatures. “I found a page missing from the back.”

Majesty looked at the book, then slowly nodded. “It’s been in my possession for a long time. I don’t know how I got it.” Using her magic, Majesty opened the book and put the missing page back. The tear healed itself and soon the page was as good as new. “It requires a lot of magic to cast it since it’s meant to be cast by one of the old centaurs you mentioned. I may be able to cast it.”

“…What’s your conditions for doing so?” Gregory asked, a sneaking suspicion growing inside him.

“To come with you and speak to this windigo if she’s still alive,” Majesty said. “If she’s not and all we find is a corpse, then I will leave in peace.”

“And what, pray tell, are you planning on saying to the windigo if she is still alive?” Luna asked, eyes narrowed at the older alicorn mare.

“For her help in defeating these servants of Grogar,” Majesty said. “No matter what influence dark magic might have had on them, many of the windigos now were willing participants in the pursuit of the dark arts. They must be stopped. Even those who were tortured into submission would be better off if we dealt with them permanently. It would be a blessing for them and end their suffering.”

“Is there really no way to help them?” Fluttershy asked softly.

Majesty shook her head soberly. “As far as I know, there isn’t,” she said. “Dark magic is dangerous when used, even by me.”

“Especially by you and us,” Celestia said as she stepped into the room. “The more powerful somepony is, the more susceptible they are to dark magic and its influence.”

Gregory looked around at the creatures gathered around the hospital room. The only sound they heard was the slight hum of the hospital’s air conditioning as it came in through the vents. He looked at Megan then and asked, “Thoughts?”

Megan pursed her lips and sighed. “I think we don’t have a choice,” she said. “Unless the princesses can cast that spell?”

Celestia took the book and looked over the page, Luna looking over her shoulder at the same page. Both shook their heads regretfully. “Our magical reserves aren’t big enough for that much power,” Celestia admitted.

“The windigos may also begin threatening Sanctuary despite everything I’ve done,” Majesty said. “The people I have under my protection mean too much for me to just sit back and let these ancient monsters win.” Her eyes flashed with anger briefly before she calmed down. “I ask for this one chance. Please.”

Gregory leaned back the bed and began to think. On the one hand, having a windigo, one untouched by Chiron/Grogar’s curse on their side could be a major boon. On the other hand, he still couldn’t quite trust Majesty. Once more, however, that old adage played through his head: The enemy of my enemy is my friend. He raised a finger and pointed at her. “If we do say yes, we’ll be keeping a close eye on you,” he said.

“Of course, I completely understand,” Majesty said.

Gregory relaxed very slightly, but then he gave her a small nod. “Also, thank you for healing Dengal and me.”

Majesty’s lip curled up slightly in a small smile. “You’re welcome, both of you,” she replied.

“If you’re all planning on doing this,” Celestia said, “then my sister and I can provide you with a spot where we can discuss the details.”

“And yes, we said we,” Luna said.

“I didn’t think you’d want to be kept out of the loop,” Majesty acknowledged.

Gregory looked around. He was still in nothing but a hospital gown underneath the sheets. “Then we should get going,” he said. “Would you all please leave so I can change?”

All was darkness when he awoke. All was the feeling of being encased in a warm slimy fluid as well. Something covered the diminutive creature’s mouth, something that had a tube of some sort shoved down the creature’s throat. Panic grew inside the creature’s mind and he began to thrash around, the need to breathe becoming more and more pressing. However, something held his arms and legs in place. The slimy liquid began to move down, and whatever had restrained him vanished. He reached up, grabbed the mask, and pulled. A sickening gagging noise escaped his mouth as he pulled out a long tubed mask. He began hacking up liquid, then something opened and he fell onto hands and knees, retching and coughing up whatever liquid had been in his lungs.

After a few minutes, he collapsed onto his side, breathing in the bitingly cold air around him. He tried looking around, but he was in complete darkness. He began shivering as the cold around him permeated his exposed skin. Despite that, he was aware of a few things: His hair was enormously long, and he had a massive beard. Not to mention that he couldn’t remember anything before that day. He knew how to talk, though. At least , he thought he did.

“H…Hello…?” he croaked out in a youthful male voice, which surprised him. Wait, why had it surprised him? Why did he feel like his voice shouldn’t be youthful?

He heard his voice echo, which told him that he must be in some massive room. No, he thought. I’m in a cave. He was, after all, lying on an uneven and rocky floor. He cleared his throat and felt more liquid coming up. Liquid which he spat out. “Hello?” he repeated after that. His voice sounded a bit stronger now, and it still felt wrong for him to have such a youthful voice.

You’re awake.

The voice, one which he identified as female, didn’t speak aloud, but instead in his head. “What’s…what’s going on?” he asked weakly. “Who are you? Where am I? Why is it so dark and cold?”

All will be known to you in time, the voice in his head replied as something warm and soft wrapped around him, wiping all remaining slime off of him. The blindness is temporary, old friend.

“Old…who are you?” he asked, terror creeping into his voice.

Do not be alarmed, the voice in his head said. Your memories will return in time. For now, rest and let your body recover. I will see to it that your companions are awoken.

“My…companions?” he asked.

Just rest, old friend, the voice replied soothingly.

He felt exhaustion washing over him, but one more thing came to his mind. “Who…who am I?”

The voice chuckled with mirth. Old friend, you went by many names in your time, she replied, but in your last days before your long slumber, you called yourself the Moochick.

The being, now knowing what he was called, closed his eyes and knew no more as he fell into a deep and healing sleep.